Christopher Rosen | The New York Observer

Opening This Weekend: ZOMG New Moon! Plus Sandra Bullock Makes the Boys Cry in The Blind Side

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:55:45 -0500

It might be just days before Thanksgiving (and, btw, when did that happen?), but if you head to a movie theater this weekend, don't be surprised if it feels a little bit like summertime. The box office is littered with big-ticket effects films (the second weekend of 2012), the return of a beloved franchise (New Moon) and even a Sandra Bullock movie. You've heard of Christmas in July? Well consider this Independence Day in...

These Are Our Confessions: Suggestions To Make Great Glee Even Better

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:28:52 -0500

For the most obvious news of the fall, allow us to direct you to a recent Los Angeles Times article about dwindling television ratings. As it turns out, people aren't watching TV like they used to, unless it falls under the moniker of the NCIS franchise (how did that happen?).

That Glee is arguably a hit, then, is all the more surprising. The Fox series—which combines elements of High School Musical, American Idol, Election...

The Case for Star Trek, Best Picture Nominee

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:11:05 -0500

Normally you have to be some kind of big shot—or perhaps familiar in the art of bit torrent downloading, which we are not—to get an Academy Awards screener. But today, everyone has the opportunity to go to their local Best Buy or Blockbuster (these places still exist!) and pick up a copy of not one, but two of the potential Best Picture nominees next March: Pixar's Up and the just released Star Trek.

Don't...

Box Office Breakdown: Audiences Shell Out Cash to Watch the End of the World

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:05:11 -0500

You probably didn't need a Mayan prophecy to realize that 2012 was going to be the big winner at the box office over the weekend, but even the most optimistic projections didn't see this coming. The $65 million three-day salvo for 2012 was not only the biggest since Harry Potter and the Half Blood-Prince opened back in July, but it also out-grossed the nine other films in the top-ten combined. On the flipside, the...

Opening This Weekend: It's The End Of The World As We Know It in 2012! Plus, Wes Anderson Gets Fantastic

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:48:31 -0500

File this under bad planning: it seems like every week Hollywood offers up yet another schlocky horror movie to the court of public opinion, but today—on the always-spooky Friday the 13th—there isn't a horror movie in sight. Someone cue up the Price is Right horn! As we do every Friday, here's a handy guide to the new releases.

2012

What's the story: This is how the world ends, not with a whimper but with...

How to Watch Thursday Night TV in 289 Minutes or Less

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:47:46 -0500

We hope you're sitting down (preferably in front of a TV). In a study released by The Nielsen Company on Tuesday, it was revealed that the average American spends four hours and 49 minutes per day watching television, up four minutes from last year and nearly 20 percent from 10 years ago. Somewhere in Los Angeles, Jay Leno just let out an exasperated sigh.

Anyway, with 289 minutes to fill for the rest of...

Box Office Breakdown: No Lumps of Coal for Christmas, Precious Explodes

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:26:30 -0500

Christmas came early at the box office this weekend as A Christmas Carol bah humbugged its way to $31 million in ticket sales and a first place finish, ahead of newcomers The Men Who Stare at Goats ($13.3 million in second) and The Fourth Kind ($12.5 million in fourth). The big story, though, was the limited release debut of Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire. The much-discussed indie exploded on the scene...

The Week in DVR: Remember Frost/Nixon? Plus, Sexy Alien Ladies and Gossip Girl Has a Threesome

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:30:10 -0500

Monday: Gossip Girl

There is some wear on these treads—specifically with regards to Blair, who has been spinning her wheels in a swampy mess of weekly plotting and scheming for no real reason other than the script telling her to do so—but those breathlessly wailing about the demise of Gossip Girl couldn't have it more wrong. This is a teen show that sidestepped the pitfalls of sending its teens off to college by excising the...

Opening This Weekend: Jim Carrey Gets Mean, George Clooney Gets Silly and Precious Gets Controversial

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:28:51 -0500

It looks like all it took for some movies that you actually might consider seeing to get released into theaters was a flip of the calendar. The first full weekend of November arrives with no less than five new films, and, as usual, there is something for everyone. As we do every Friday, here's a handy guide to the new releases.

A Christmas Carol

What's the story: Are you ready for Christmas? Yeah, we...

Hollywood or Bust: Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin to Co-Host the Oscars!

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:21:04 -0500

Don't look now, but the Oscars just got interesting. No, not because of the ten potential Best Picture nominees—as we've already discussed , this has a chance to be the worst field of Best Picture candidates since ... well, last year—but rather because of the actual telecast. The improvements started with the news that so-boring-paint-drying-itself-would-flip-the-channel honorary awards would be given out on a separate night; continued when the rules for Best Original Song were adjusted...

Box Office Breakdown: Michael Jackson's Startin' Something

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:18:43 -0500

The most popular costume this Halloween? Nope, not the Slutty Finding Nemo we saw waiting for the subway (though definitely points for trying), but Michael Jackson! The King of Pop posthumously reigned supreme at the box office over the holiday weekend as This Is It grossed $21.3 million to pace a lackluster field. In other news: have you heard about this little movie called Paranormal Activity? As we do each Monday, here's a breakdown...

The Week in DVR: We Heart The Girl Next Door! Plus, Community, Vertigo, Edward Norton and Wes Anderson

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:07:01 -0500

Monday: Vertigo

Halloween might be over, but that doesn't mean the scares have to stop. We wouldn't go so far as to call Vertigo a "horror movie," but Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock ratchets the tension to such unbearable levels that parts of it are more terrifying than anything you'd see in whatever torture porn is defiling theaters in a given week. Of course you've watched Vertigo before, so we aren't going to tell you...

Opening This Weekend: This Is Thriller Night!

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:00:42 -0400

When Zack and Miri Make A Porno and The Haunting of Molly Hartley could only combine for just over $15 million in box office grosses on this weekend last year, Hollywood learned a harsh lesson: don't open movies on Halloween! In an effort to rectify that error in judgment, this Halloween we're being treated to just one wide release—and it came out on Wednesday. So if you're in the mood for a movie this...

Where Are All the Oscar Movies?

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:46:20 -0400

Pop quiz, hotshot: can you successfully name the five 2008 movies nominated for Best Picture at the most recent Academy Awards without resorting to Google? We didn't think so. And yet, if 2008 was a forgettable bore for Oscar movies what does that make 2009?

(For the record, the nominees were Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Milk, Frost/Nixon and The Reader.)

The lack of quality films dawned on us last weekend...

Box Office Breakdown: Blair Witch Who? Paranormal Activity Scares Up Big Dough

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:05:45 -0400

Everyone expected a horror film to be at the top of the charts on the weekend before Halloween... just not this horror movie. Paranormal Activity landed in first place over the weekend, scaring up $22 million and upsetting Saw VI in the process—the latest edition in the torture porn franchise opened in second with a disappointing $14.8 million. Other disappointments? How about a paltry $7 million for the sixth place Astro Boy, a worse...

Opening This Weekend: Hillary Swank Takes Flight, Lars Von Trier Gets Out the Scissors and Yet Another Saw Movie

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:04:15 -0400

It's quantity over quality this weekend as a mere five films get released into the wild for your enjoyment. Add that to the even further expansion of Paranormal Activity and you've got yourself a logjam. As we do every Friday, here's a handy guide to the new releases.

Amelia

What's the story: The only thing worse than a bad movie? A bad movie that thinks it's an Oscar contender. With that in mind, say...

Box Office Breakdown: Wild Things Go Wild, Law Abiding Citizen Finds Justice

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:55:04 -0400

Let the wild rumpus start! Where The Wild Things Are was crowned king at the box office this weekend with a burly $32.4 million. Between Spike Jonze’s film, the better-than-anticipated opening for Law Abiding Citizen ($21.2 million) and the continued growth of Paranormal Activity, this was the highest grossing October weekend on record. As we do each Monday, here’s a breakdown of the top five...

The Week in DVR: Remember When Michael Keaton Was a Movie Star? Plus, Albert Brooks, Slumdog, and Bored to Death

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:27:23 -0400

Monday: Bored to Death

Since Sunday nights are so crowded, you’ve probably let Bored to Death slip through the cracks. Good thing then for DVR and Monday night rebroadcasts! The HBO comedy, about a Brooklyn novelist-turned-private eye isn’t necessarily the funniest new show of the fall—that would be Community [Editor's note: Modern Family!]—but it’s certainly one of the most likeable. Blessed with a brilliant cast (Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, and Zack...

Opening This Weekend: Spike Jonze Gets Wild, Gerard Butler Breaks the Law and Dan Humphrey Hits the Big Screen

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:42:15 -0400

If you’re apartment building is like ours—the December temperatures in October are a problem when the heat isn’t on yet—then you’re going to need someplace warm to hide this weekend. How about the movie theater? In addition to the further expansion of Paranormal Activity, five films hit screens today and, as usual, there is something for everyone. As we do every Friday, here’s a handy guide to the new releases.

Box Office Breakdown: Couples Retreat Cleans Up, Paranormal Activity Scares Everybody

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:03:46 -0400

Is it still a staycation if you go out? Audiences flocked to see the island paradise getaway Couples Retreat, presumably because no one can afford their own trip; the comedy was the top choice for moviegoers over Columbus Day weekend, grossing an estimated $35.3 million. Further down the chart, the bigger story occurred in fifth place. In just its second limited release weekend, the lo-fi horror film Paranormal Activity...

The Week in DVR: 30 Rock Returns! Plus, Early Coen Brothers, Vampires, Jennifer Aniston, and Very Cute Dogs

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:54:21 -0400

Monday: From Dusk Till Dawn
Now that vampires have taken over the pop culture universe, it might be time to revisit the glorious insanity that is From Dusk Till Dawn. Written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by his longtime friend Robert Rodriguez, the film splits nicely into two halves: the first deals with the Gecko brothers (George Clooney and, in a hilarious bit of miscasting, Mr. Tarantino himself) and their murderous...

Opening This Weekend: Vince Vaughn Goes Tropical, Carey Mulligan Gets Famous

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:44:56 -0400

Since you won’t get mail on Monday, Columbus Day actually does count as a real holiday! But not according to Hollywood, we guess: Instead of flooding the market with ample choices for moviegoers this weekend, only one film gets a nationwide release. That’s fine for us, though; perhaps it means all of you slackers who didn’t go see Whip It last weekend will correct that mistake. As we do every Friday, here’s...

Box Office Breakdown: Welcome to Zombieland

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:07:48 -0400

Who knew killing zombies was such a lucrative business? Zombieland squished the competition at the box office this weekend, placing first with an estimated $25 million. That gives the horror-zombie-comedy hybrid the second highest opening for a zombie-related film, behind only Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake. Elsewhere on the charts, it was mostly disappointment: Ricky Gervais proved he still isn’t an American movie star, as

Opening This Weekend: Zombies! Roller Derbies! Ricky Gervais! Plus, The Coen Brothers Get Serious

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:20:46 -0400

How do we know fall is officially here? Because not only are the temperatures dropping—we needed to pull out shirts with long sleeves this week, people!—but the movies are finally getting good. Four potential gems hit theaters today, and as usual, there is something for everyone. As we do every Friday, here’s a handy guide to the new releases.

Zombieland

What’s the story: Think

Whip It Good: Welcome Back Alia Shawkat!

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:51:59 -0400

With the Arrested Development movie firmly ensconced as the Sasquatch of film projects, forever-taunting fans with glimpses and false positives—get excited: apparently the script is being worked on right this second!—thank goodness for small favors like Whip It. Drew Barrymore’s sunny grrlpower romp, which easily qualifies as one of the best movies we’ve seen in nearly two months, might feature Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Kristin Wiig, Ari Graynor and a host...

The Week in DVR: Peter Berg's Trauma Premieres and Sam Rockwell's Genius (and Other Things) are on Display in Choke

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:40:47 -0400

Monday: Trauma
Not to be confused with Mercy, here comes Trauma. This new NBC series—which has the snazziest ad campaign of the fall (non-Man Men edition)—eschews whiny nurses for tough-as-nails EMT workers and hopes to give action junkies a boost of adrenaline. Of course, that all sounds perfectly generic, but remember: Peter Berg is an executive producer, and, in addition to shepherding Friday Night Lights,...

Box Office Breakdown: Cloudy Continues to Shine, Bruce Willis Does Not

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:58:53 -0400

The sun is still shining on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs! For a second straight week the animated film dominated what was a sluggish session at the multiplex, grossing an estimated $24.6 million and setting itself up as one of the sleeper hits of the fall (not to mention giving us the opportunity to make more weather related puns). Storm clouds did, however, circle around the latest batch of new...

Opening This Weekend: Thank Goodness September is Over!

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:06:05 -0400

The final weekend of September is upon and dare we say: not a moment too soon. Once October hits, real movies will start opening, but in the meantime we’re left with the rest of these September dregs. As we do every Friday, here’s a handy guide to the new releases.

Fame

What’s the story: Maybe the denizens of Fame actually will live forever. Based...

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men: The John Krasinski Show

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:15:25 -0400

Despite having the most appropriate title of the fall—indeed the interviews are brief, the men hideous—Brief Interviews with Hideous Men will not be remembered all that fondly. Even at 80 minutes, the film feels too long by twenty, and never actually reaches a conclusive point beyond that all men are created equally awful. Even during its best moments—most of which occur in the early going—Hideous Men is ugly and...

Box Office Breakdown: Meatballs Anything But Cloudy, Jennifer's Body Goes to the Morgue

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:59:03 -0400

It was all sunshine and rainbows for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs at the box office over the weekend. The 3-D animated jaunt topped the charts with an estimated $30.1 million, a number that nearly tripled second place finisher—and fellow newcomer—The Informant! Sadly, it was stormy weather for the other freshman entries: Love Happens landed in fourth place with $8.4 million, while Jennifer’s Body...

The Week in DVR: More Neil Patrick Harris! Plus, Hitchock, Gangs of New York, and Grey's Anatomy Returns

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:49:21 -0400

Monday: How I Met Your Mother
Is Monday night the new Thursday night? Tonight brings the season premiere of House, a new Gossip Girl, a two-hour Heroes (yep, that show is still on the air) and the launching of the CBS Monday night comedy block, which includes the series premiere of Jenna Elfman’s Accidentally on Purpose. Phew! Us? We’ll be watching Gossip...

Opening This Weekend: Movies You May Actually Want to See!

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:15:19 -0400

Don’t be confused by what you see on Fandango: there are actually a bunch of movies possibly worth seeing this weekend. September starts to come out of the doldrums today with four films hitting theaters, and, as usual, there is something for everyone. As we do every Friday, here’s a handy guide to the new releases.

Jennifer’s Body

What’s the story: Here’s a...

Three Fearless Predictions for Emmy Night!

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:06:08 -0400

It seems fitting that on Emmy night—a night that ostensibly is supposed to celebrate the greatness of television—there is plenty of great television available to divert your attention away from the glitz and glam of the award ceremony itself. Despite the presence of host Neil Patrick Harris—and who doesn’t love themselves some NPH!—the Emmy Awards are set to battle a new episode of Mad Men (which despite 16 nominations will not...

Plenty of Soup For You: Joel McHale Makes Community a Winner

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:57:44 -0400

It might only be the middle of September, but we still feel confident in calling Joel McHale the breakout star of the fall television season. The snarky host of The Soup is so perfectly on-point in Community—premiering tonight at 9:30 on NBC, before moving to 8:30 when 30 Rock returns on October 15—so comfortable and engaging, that it seems impossible to envision a scenario wherein he

Gossip Girl Returns on Horseback!

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:25:20 -0400

For most teen shows, the transition between high school and college is the beginning of the end—the death rattle before inevitable cancelation. For Gossip Girl, however, it appears nothing will change at all. Think about it: has a show about high schoolers-turned-undergrads ever cared less about featuring its characters in class? We can count on one hand the amount of school-based subplots on Gossip Girl over the past two...

Box Office Breakdown: It's Tyler Perry's World

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:36:51 -0400

Faced with the start of the NFL season, the VMA’s (like everyone else, we’re on Team Taylor Swift), and, perhaps, a bit of moviegoer ennui, it was another slow weekend at the multiplex. Tyler Perry’s latest film, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, topped all comers with an impressive $24 million, but otherwise it was a mixed bag for the remaining new releases. The “visionary” animated flick 9...

Opening This Weekend: Tyler Perry And a Bunch of Other Movies You Won't See!

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:10:07 -0400

Ah, the second weekend in September: A time for crappy horror movies and, apparently, Tyler Perry (though, truth be told, those two things might not be mutually exclusive). Four movies hit theaters today, and if you don’t like genre stuff, you’re out of luck! As we do every Friday, here’s a handy guide to the new releases.

Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself

On Second Thought, Glee is Pretty Awesome

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:19:49 -0400

We found ourselves kinda stunned by what happened on television last night. No, not that Republican congressman Joe Wilson heckled the president of the United States during his address to the joint session on Congress—seriously? “You lie?” This isn’t a town hall meeting in South Carolina, buddy!—but that we really found ourselves falling in love with Glee. If you would have told us in May that we’d be legitimately excited to...

Box Office Breakdown: Even Blockbusters Get Labor Day Off

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:25:40 -0400

This is how the summer ends: not with a bang, but with a whimper. The combined totals of the top five films over the four-day holiday weekend could only manage to gross 75 percent of what X-Men Origins: Wolverine pulled down during its opening weekend back on May 1. The Final Destination claimed the top spot for the second weekend in a row, barely edging out Inglourious...

The Week in DVR: A Golden Girls marathon, Glee returns, sharks, and Jay-Z!

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:43:06 -0400

Monday: The Golden Girls
Thank you for being a friend! If it’s Labor Day Monday, that means it’s time for television marathons, and we’ll certainly take a pass by WE to catch a bit of The Golden Girls. Starting at 1 p.m., you can catch dozens of episodes back-to-back (hence the title “marathon”) and remind yourself that Betty White was funny way before she stole every scene in The...

Opening This Weekend: Summer Ends With Some Studio Dumps!

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:38:38 -0400

And so Labor Day is finally upon us. What a long strange trip this summer movie season has been! What began all the way back in May with X-Men Origins: Wolverine, officially draws to a close over the holiday with three moderately high-profile films finding home on the dumping ground. As we do every Friday, here’s a handy guide to the new releases.

All About Steve

...

Fall TV Preview: The CW Loves Models, Vampires and Melrose Place

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:28:11 -0400

If there is a silver lining to be found in the end of the summertime—not counting the ever-increasing likelihood that we’ll all get the swine flu—it’s that we are on the precipice of the fall television season. Thank goodness. In an effort to get you and your DVR prepared, here’s The Observer’s fall TV preview. We’ve already covered CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC. Finally, here’st CW!

Fall TV Preview: ABC Loads Up on Laughs and... Christian Slater?

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:26:22 -0400

If there is a silver lining to be found in the end of the summertime—besides the fact that we’ll never have to hear Drake’s ubiquitous “Best I Ever Had” ever again—it’s that we are on the precipice of the fall television season. Thank goodness. In an effort to get you and your DVR prepared, here’s the Observer’s fall TV preview. We’ve already covered CBS, NBC and Fox. Now it’s time for ABC!

Fall TV Preview: Fox Has Glee ... But Not Much Else

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:53:47 -0400

If there's a silver lining to be found in the end of the summertime—besides the opportunity to retire our flip-flops!—it’s that we are on the precipice of the fall television season. Thank goodness. In an effort to get you and your DVR prepared, here’s the Observer’s fall TV preview. We’ve already covered CBS and NBC. Now onto Fox!

Glee (Wednesdays at 9 p.m., premieres September 9)

Fall TV Preview: NBC Sure Loves One Word Titles and Jay Leno!

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:31:55 -0400

If there is a silver lining to be found in the end of the summertime—besides these seasonable temperatures!—it’s that we are on the precipice of the fall television season. Thank goodness. In an effort to get you and your DVR prepared, here’s the Observer’s fall TV preview. Yesterday, we talked about CBS. Next up, the big peacock NBC!

The Jay Leno Show (Weeknights at 10...

Fall TV Preview: CBS Goes Old School (As Usual)

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:01:18 -0400

If there is a silver lining to be found in the end of the summertime—besides our soon-to-be declining electric bill!—it’s that we are on the precipice of the fall television season. Thank goodness. In an effort to get you and your DVR prepared, here’s the Observer’s fall TV previews. First up, CBS!

Accidentally On Purpose (Mondays at 8:30 p.m., premieres September 21)

What CBS...

Box Office Breakdown: Hollywood Gets Restricted For the Final Weekend of August!

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:16:29 -0400

If you’re under 17 and reading this, we have to ask: What on earth did you do this weekend? The top four movies at the box office were all rated R, with the field paced by The Final Destination; the 3-D horror sequel opened in the top spot with $28.3 million. Also debuting was Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2, slashing into third place with $17.4 million. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all...

Opening This Weekend: Ang Lee Goes to Woodstock, Patton Oswalt Gets Serious and Two Stupid Horror Movies

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:17:32 -0400

If you head to movie theaters on this, the last weekend of August, be on the lookout for some film critics. Once again, the week’s major releases went unscreened for reviewers, meaning if A. O. Scott wants to see Halloween 2, he’ll have to wait in line just like everyone else. Welcome to the summer death rattle: Four movies hit theaters today, and if you don’t like getting scared, you should...

It's Time For Some Summer Oscars!

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:11:01 -0400

Unless the idea of watching people get murdered at an alarming rate appeals to you—no, we will not be seeing Halloween 2 or Final Destination: 3-D—the summer movie season is officially kaput. Where has the time gone? At least with the book closed we can now look back fondly on the joys Hollywood had to offer. There are usually no Oscars given to summer movies, but maybe there should...

Box Office Breakdown: America Loves Brad Pitt and Killing Nazis!

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:58:49 -0400

Thanks to Quentin Tarantino, business was a-boomin’ at the box office over the weekend. Inglourious Basterds scalped the rest of the field, pulling down a very impressive $37.6 million, good for not only first place, but also the biggest opening of the acclaimed director’s career. For Mr. Tarantino’s brother-in-arms, Robert Rodriguez, the news wasn’t as celebratory: His kids film, Shorts, landed in sixth place with just $6.6 million. It...