Movie Nation

At the end of my chat with “Arthur Newman” star Colin Firth Friday, I asked that Evergreen, “What’s next?”
He’s got “Gambit” with the Coens coming to theaters.
He says the Barbra Streisand directed period piece romance “Skinny and Cat,” which would have had the Oscar winning Firth playing Southern writer Erskine Caldwell (“Tobacco Road”) “doesn’t appear to be one I’ll get to do.”

“Bridget Jones’s Baby” is in nothing like a state of “happening any time soon.”

So, what’s it to be?

“My next film, which I can’t say much about, is with Matthew Vaughn. No, it’s not science fiction. But I’m sure there’s a bit about it out there in the public domain, on the Internet.”

Vaughn, Mr. “Kick-Ass,” has this Mark Millar comic book adaptation on his plate, “The Secret Service,” for 2014 release.

Here’s the Amazon description of the book (Millar also wrote “Kick Ass” and “Watchmen”) — “The world’s greatest secret agent is on the most exciting case of his career. But will the end of the world as know it take a back seat to training his street-punk nephew to be the next James Bond? meanwhile, what’s the secret link between a series of kidnapped sci-fi stars, the murder of an entire town, and a dark secret from inside Mount Everest? Under Uncle Jack’s supervision, Gary’s spy skills and confidence blossom–but when the duo learn what’s behind the celebrity kidnappings, the knowledge comes at a price. The conspiracy begins to unravel, but who can be trusted?”

I’d seen the announcement that Vaughn was tackling another Mark Millar comic adaptation, but haven’t seen the casting news, with Firth (probably) playing the veteran agent mentoring the kid.

A very big Friday suggests that the Universal sci-fi thriller “Oblivion” overcame indifferent reviews to open at over $13 million, with a $40 million weekend within reach.
That’s impressive. The film has already earned almost $80 million overseas, which is why Universal opened it over there first. It’ll come close to breaking even, despite cost estimates ranging from $120-160 million. Figure it’ll be close to $50 by next weekend, make another $20 up against “Pain & Gain,” $85-90 US overall, with maybe $100 overseas.

What does this do for Tom Cruise? His “Jack Reacher” did $80 last Christmas. He’s not the draw he once was, and his quote has to be impacted by this ceiling in his films’ earning potential. Outside of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, he’s not a guy who can pull in $100 million on any film. The character roles and chancier action pictures (“Valkyrie” was one) seem to be back-burnered as he struggles to re-climb the mountain.

He will be 51 in July. Action stars fade when they clear 50 — Mel, Harrison, even Bruce. The “comebacks” of Sly and Harrison and Bruce and Arnold were temporary aberrations, built on old, revived franchises.  The last and least “Die Hard” didn’t hit $70. Not awful, but a mere shadow of the big hits of that series. Cruise has another Impossible Mission set up, and a bunch of generic action stuff in the works. Is this how he expects to stick around? He should push “Jack Reacher” as a franchise, find chewy character parts to fit in between the big paydays and think “Oscar consideration,” at least a little.

The Jackie Robinson bio-pic “42” did well again Friday, but Saturday will be more telling. Another $18-20 million? There’s a gamble — a period piece with few “name” stars, a baseball movie, a mid-April opening. It may end up earning $85 million+, all in.  By Monday AM, it’ll be in the low $50s.

Nothing else opened wide, with “The Lords of Salem” and “Home Run” only meriting limited release — lower than low expectations for those two.

It occurred to me, on watching “Oblivion” for a second time last night as I waited to see “The Lords of Salem,” that it is very much an old-fashioned star vehicle. Tom Cruise holds the floor and the screen, and he handles action beats as well as ever. The film’s thin puzzle of a story is a big obstacle to overcome, as is a middling co-star (Olga Kurylenko). But the look and design of it — Earth as a wasteland being emptied of its last usable resources by those on a space station — is spot on. Not a bad movie. Just not a very good one.

Fanboys have cut the deadly dull, pretentious, overlong, badly acted and not at all scary “The Lords of Sale” slack it does not deserve. Dreadful movie. Rob Zombie still hasn’t gotten the hang of this horror thing. He blows the shocks and bores us to tears between them. The only reaction I heard from the audience I saw it with was the occasional unintended cackle at the weak effects, the silly acting, the really bad dialogue.

“Home Run” has its heart and its message – redemption, recovery, making amends — right. The acting isn’t bad, either. But like a lot of faith-based films, the script is pure pablum. Watered down, little edge, and with few fresh insights about baseball or alcoholism. Bad reviews all around for this one.

“Lore” opens at Enzian. Not nuts about it, as Holocaust tales go. But decent.  And “Starbuck” I just adored. Read a few subtitles, have a few laughs.

It’s Friday morning, time to chat with Mike “The Bulldog” Bianchi and Brian Kravitz over at 740 The Game.

At 745, we’ll discuss “Oblivion,” a real “star vehicle” for a star who’s faded a bit — Tom Cruise. Not bad sci-fi. Not great. “An April movie,” I call it. If it had potential, they’d be releasing it in the summer.

We’ll get to “Home Run,” the faith-based substance-abuse recovery baseball drama. Yeah, that’s a lot of genres. Not awful, but not that good either.

Enzian, the region’s art and independent cinema theater, is opening “Lore,” the German post WWII drama about a teen leading her family cross country in the chaos after Germany’s surrender because her parents have been arrested. They grew up in an SS household and have some sobering growing up to do along the way.

And “Starbuck” the funny and sweet French Canadian sperm donor farce about a slacker who learns he’s fathered 533 kids, and they want to meet him. So he starts meeting them without telling them who he is, and grows up a little along the way.

That conversation is at 745 AM on 740 The Game (you can listen online, too).

He’s got “Arthur Newman” opening next week in some cities. There’s the Coen Brothers’ “Gambit” caper picture remake. And “Bridget Jones’s Baby.” And he’s playing the writer Erskine Caldwell in a period piece romance.

Of course, Oscar winner Colin Firth will never be anything but Mr. Darcy to a generation or more of female fans, the definitive Darcy of “Pride & Prejudice” on British TV in the early ’90s.

But let’s focus our questions on the work, the life and the career these days. Suggestions? I’m always looking for help. Post your questions as comments below, and thanks for the help.