#2 Iron Man 3 from Buena Vista fell from #1 to #2 with a gross of $35.8 million (-50.7%) in 4,237 theaters (-16).  Total gross to date is $337.7 million.  Budget was $200 million.

#3 The Great Gatsby from Warner Bros. fell from #2 to #3 with a gross of $23.9 million (-52.2%) in 3,550 theaters (+15).  Total gross to date is $90.7 million.  Budget was $105 million.

#4 Pain and Gain from Paramount fell from #3 to #4 with a gross of $3.2 million (-35.3%) in 2,429 theaters (-874).  Total gross to date is $46.7 million.  Budget was $26 million.

#5 The Croods from 20^th Century Fox rose from #7 to #5 with a gross of $3 million (-16.2%) in 2,373 theaters (-277).  Total gross to date is $177 million.  Budget was $135 million.

#6 42 from Warner Bros. fell from #5 to #6 with a gross of $2.8 million (-38.7%) in 2,380 theaters (-550).  Total gross to date is $88.8 million.  Budget was $40 million.

#7 Oblivion from Universal fell from #6 to #7 with a gross of $2.3 million (-43.2%) in 2,077 theaters (-693).  Total gross to date is $85.6 million.  Budget was $120 million.

#8 Mud from Roadside Attractions held at #8 with a gross of $2.2 million (-12.2%) in 960 theaters (+108).  Total gross to date is $11.7 million.  Budget was unknown.

#9 Tyler Perry Presents Peeples from Lionsgate fell from #4 to #9 with a gross of $2.1 million (-53.2%) in 2,041 theaters.  Total gross to date is $7.9 million.  Budget was $15 million.

#10 The Big Wedding from Lionsgate fell from #9 to #10 with a gross of $1.2 million (-51.4%) in 1,443 theaters (-855).  Total gross to date is $20.3 million.  Budget was $35 million.

#11 Oz The Great and Powerful from Buena Vista fell from #10 to #11 with a gross of $871 thousand (-19.2%) in 535 theaters (-239).  Total gross to date is $231.4 million.  Budget was $215 million.

#12 G.I. Joe: Retaliation from Paramount rose from #15 to #12 with a gross of $580 thousand (-4.5%) in 409 theaters (-341).  Total gross to date is $120.5 million.  Budget was $130 million.

The combined gross of the top 12 movies this weekend was $148.3 million.

Sources:
Box Office Mojo

• Scott

Recorded 05/21/13

That is a real loose description to the premise of Star Trek Into Darkness, the follow-up film to 2009′s massively successful Star Trek from director J.J. Abrams. Abrams is back at the helm for this sequel and to say that I was impressed and satisfied with this film would be an understatement.

When Abrams first re-booted the franchise in 2009, I thought he did it 100% right; he took the classic characters that Star Trek is best known for (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, et al) and brought them back to the start of their careers, keeping familiar Star Trek tropes and giving them a new kick but still remaining true to it’s source. That plan is continued with Star Trek Into Darkness with further exploration of the relationship between Kirk and Spock as well as the rest of their crew, though it is somewhat lighter this time around than it was in 2009. There’s plenty of little easter eggs here for the long-time Trek fan (like myself) and some new takes with other facets of Trek lore, which I really can’t go into because that would involve some pretty big spoilers and honestly, I have no desire to spoil anything with this review.

The film absolutely looks fantastic from all facets; production design, cinematography, and the look of the cast. In 2009, I was pleased as can be to see the classic original series uniforms brought back and they’re still in play here, helping to give this a bright and colorful look, which sort of spits in the face of what the popular trend is now in the depiction of classic genre characters on the big screen and further… it still works. Composer Michael Giacchino is back with an excellent score that continues it’s original theme, punctuates the action in the right places and still pays homage to the original. I chose to see this movie in 3D and I thought it was pretty impressive 3D my own self. It’s immersive and in-your-face and at least for me added a little more to the world on-screen. Now with that said, I don’t think it’s necessary to see the movie in 3D to fully appreciate it, but I certainly enjoyed it.

The only complaint that I have about the film at all is just in the title. The addition of “Into Darkness” just seems there to be a marketing tool to tell newcomers to the series that this is going to plunge the series into a realistic grittiness that they want to embrace. But there’s nothing here that at least to me seemed to say that on say the same level of a Batman movie. This version of the classic characters are still very much in a formative stage with this film and by it’s end, it’s now capable to advance to new territory or at least new territory for this version of the characters. There is still very much hope and optimism here. It may not be enough to suit some fans, but for me, I thought it was satisfying and I can’t wait to see the next film.

A large part of the anticipation is due to this excellent cast. Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho and Anton Yelchin are all back reprising their characters from the original, as is Bruce Greenwood. One of my favorite moments in the whole movie occurs midway through the film and just features an exchange of dialogue between Kirk, Spock and McCoy and right at that moment, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban cemented the deal for me. they weren’t just new actors taking on the parts, they were the characters that I know and love.

New to this film are Alice Eve and Peter Weller and I think both are pretty terrific in their parts, but I don’t want to say more without spoiling things. Benedict Cumberbatch plays John Harrison and for me, this is my first exposure to Cumberbatch as I still have yet to see the Sherlock series. I was extremely impressed with this young actor and just think he’s destined to bigger things down the road. When J.J. Abrams makes the seventh Star Wars movie, he’d be wise to do something with Cumberbatch in that as well.

There’s certainly a lot of debate out there right now of whether or not this is “true” Star Trek and looking over the reviews section in the IMDB website, I see a lot of disappointment from long-time fans of the series. Well, I’m a long-time fan of the series as well and this works for me. It takes a classic series and gives it a bright new sheen while adding in a few new aspects (most notably, the Spock/Uhura relationship). By the end of Star Trek Into Darkness we’re left in a place where this series now has an opportunity to move beyond it’s initial starting point from being more Earth-centric and characters still in the process of gelling together. I’m eager to see what happens next. Very much recommended.

Thanks to Art, Nick and Tad for their voice mails.

Welcome to the Back Seat family, Art!

Picks:

Lena

1. Star Trek Into Darkness
2. Iron man 3
3. The Great Gatsby
4. Pain and Gain
5. Peeples

Jeff

1. Star Trek Into Darkness
2. Iron Man 3
3. The Great Gatsby
4. Pain and Gain
5. 42

Art

1. Star Trek Into Darkness
2. Iron Man 3
3. The Great Gatsby
4. 42
5. Peeples

There are no other movies in wide release this weekend.

Back Seat Art House picks:

• Lena – The English Teacher
• Jeff – Black Rock
• Art – Old Dogs

#2 The Great Gatsby from Warner Bros. opened at #2 with a gross of $50.1 million in 3,535 theaters.  Budget was $105 million.

#3 Pain and Gain from Paramount fell from #2 to #3 with a gross of $5 million (-33.4%) in 3,303 theaters (+16).  Total gross to date is $41.6 million.  Budget was $26 million.

#4 Tyler Perry Presents Peeples from Lionsgate opened at #4 with a gross of $4.6 million in 2,041 theaters.  Budget was $15 million.

#5 42 from Warner Bros. fell from #3 to #5 with a gross of $4.58 million (-24.2%) in 2,930 theaters (-415).  Total gross to date is $84.7 million.  Budget was $40 million.

#6 Oblivion from Universal fell from #4 to #6 with a gross of $4.1 million (-27.1%) in 2,770 theaters (-660).  Total gross to date is $81.9 million.  Budget was $120 million.

#7 The Croods from 20^th Century Fox fell from #5 to #7 with a gross of $3.6 million (-14.1%) in 2,650 theaters (-265).  Total gross to date is $173.2 million.  Budget was $135 million.

#8 Mud from Roadside Attractions fell from #7 to #8 with a gross of $2.5 million (+17.3%) in 852 theaters (+276).  Total gross to date is $8.6 million.  Budget was unknown.

#9 The Big Wedding from Lionsgate fell from #6 to #9 with a gross of $2.49 million (-35.8%) in 2,298 theaters (-335).  Total gross to date is $18.3 million.  Budget was $35 million.

#10 Oz The Great and Powerful from Buena Vista fell from #8 to #10 with a gross of $1.1 million (-49%) in 774 theaters (-386).  Total gross to date is $230.3 million.  Budget was $215 million.

#11 Olympus Has Fallen from FilmDistrict rose from #12 to #11 with a gross of $741 thousand (-37.9%) in 836 theaters (-796).  Total gross to date is $96.6 million.  Budget was $70 million.

#12 The Place Beyond the Pines from Focus Features fell from #10 to #12 with a gross of $705 thousand (-44.9%) in 669 theaters (-493).  Total gross to date is $20 million.  Budget was $15 million.

The combined gross of the top 12 movies this weekend was $152.1 million.

Sources:
Box Office Mojo

Touchstone Pictures

Directed

• Steven Spielberg

Produced by

• Steven Spielberg
• Kathleen Kennedy

Screenplay by

• Tony Kushner

Based on Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Cast

Daniel Day-Lewis

• Abraham Lincoln

Sally Field

• Mary Todd Lincoln

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

• Robert Todd Lincoln

Tommy Lee Jones

• Thaddeus Stevens

• Historical, but fun to watch.
• Two and a half hours of a movie about the law.
• Worst movie since Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunters.
• NOT about Lincoln, it’s about the Thirteenth Amendment.
• A mini-series about the Thirteenth Amendment might have been more interesting.
• (How’s that for across the board reviews?)
• Assume that the bulk of the audience that would see this movie probably believes that the Civil War was fought about slaves (only).
• A better movie: James Spader and Tommy Lee Jones’ wig on a buddy-cop adventure.
• If you love the law, don’t watch it being made.  And salad bars.
• James Spader was great.
• Darrell thought Sally Field’s portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln might have been the most accurate possible.
• There were a lot of things in the movie that were unnecessary to the story; things that just repeated and repeated bits of information about the Emancipation Proclamation and slavery.
• The hosts, for the most part, don’t like Spielberg’s attempt to force emotions.
• Disagreements over what were the important points in the movie.
• Very interesting side discussion about Ender’s Game.
• This movie was better when it was The American President.
• DeNiro does Lincoln.

Awards (partial list):

• American Film Institute – 2013 Movie of the Year
• Academy Awards – Actor in a Leading Role, Production Design
• BAFTA – Best Leading Actor
• Directors Guild of American – Outstanding Directorial Achievement
• Golden Globes – Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture
• Screen Actors Guild Awards – Male Actor in a Leading Role, Male Actor in a Supporting Role (Jones)

Your Producers for this episode were:

• Tony
• Darrell
• Tony
• David

This episode was recorded:  5/8/13

Picks:

Jeff

1. Iron Man 3
2. The Great Gatsby
3. Peeples
4. Pain and Gain
5. 42

Lena

1. Iron Man 3
2. The Great Gatsby
3. Pain and Gain
4. Peeples
5. 42

There are no other movies in wide release this weekend.

Back Seat Art House picks:

• Jeff – Sightseers
• Lena – Stories We Tell

#2 Pain and Gain from Paramount fell from #1 to #2 with a gross of $7.5 million (-62.9%) in 3,287 theaters (+10).  Total gross to date is $33.8 million.  Budget was $26 million.

#3 42 from Warner Bros. held at #3 with a gross of $6.1 million (-43.2%) in 3,345 theaters (-60).  Total gross to date is $78.2 million.  Budget was $40 million.

#4 Oblivion from Universal fell from #2 to #4 with a gross of $5.6 million (-68.3%) in 3,430 theaters (-362).  Total gross to date is $75.8 million.  Budget was $120 million.

#5 The Croods from 20^th Century Fox held at #5 with a gross of $4.2 million (-37.5%) in 2,915 theaters (-368).  Total gross to date is $168.7 million.  Budget was $135 million.

#6 The Big Wedding from Lionsgate fell from #4 to #6 with a gross of $3.9 million (-48.9%) in 2,633 theaters.  Total gross to date is $14.2 million.  Budget was $35 million.

#7 Mud from Roadside Attractions rose from #11 to #7 with a gross of $2.2 million (-2.5%) in 576 theaters (+213).  Total gross to date is $5.2 million.  Budget was unknown.

#8 Oz The Great and Powerful from Buena Vista rose from #13 to #8 with a gross of $2.1 million (+16.7%) in 1,160 theaters (-450).  Total gross to date is $228.9 million.  Budget was $215 million.

#9 Scary Movie 5 from Weinstein Company fell from #7 to #9 with a gross of $1.4 million (-58%) in 1,857 theaters (-876).  Total gross to date is $29.6 million.  Budget was $20 million.

#10 The Place Beyond the Pines from Focus Features fell from #9 to #10 with a gross of $1.28 million (-53.1%) in 1,162 theaters (-422).  Total gross to date is $18.7 million.  Budget was $15 million.

#11 G.I. Joe: Retaliation from Paramount fell from #6 to #11 with a gross of $1.27 million (-65.7%) in 1,804 theaters (-903).  Total gross to date is $118.8 million.  Budget was $130 million.

#12 Olympus Has Fallen from FilmDistrict fell from #8 to #12 with a gross of $1.2 million (-58.3%) in 1,632 theaters (-702).  Total gross to date is $95.4 million.  Budget was $70 million.

The combined gross of the top 12 movies this weekend was $210.9 million.

Sources:
Box Office Mojo

• Sam
• Scott

Recorded 08/05/13

20^th Century Fox

Directed – Ang Lee

Produced by – Ang Lee, Gil Netter, David Womack

Screenplay by – David Magee

Based on Life of Pi by Yann Martell

Cast

Suraj Sharma – Piscine “Pi” Molitor, age 16

Irfan Khan – Pi, adult

Tabu – Gita Patel

• The list of upcoming movie reviews… connect the, umm, dots.
• Deuce (via email) – amazing!
• Tony – visuals lacking & animal special effects, not so good.
• Darrell – blown away, stunning visuals.
• David – liked it, but some aspects turned him off.
• A visually well told story.
• This movie damns religion (although not really about religion)… listen to find out why.
• Which story do we want to believe? NOT which story is true?
• Nature or humanity?
• Is human nature inherently good or evil?
• I need more tiger.
• Best scene… pee on the tarp, spray on his face.
• Is Gerard Depardieu the most recognizable name to US audiences?
• A brief trip into Great Gatsby land.
• Bad movie going experiences.

Trivia bits-n-pieces:

• 86% of the tiger shots were CGI, the rest (23 shorts) were real.  Some of the real tiger scenes were when Richard Parker was swimming in the water and couldn’t get back in without Pi’s help, most of the scenes where Pi is training the tiger with a stick and when the tiger scratches his claws on the hatch below.
• Tabu and Irrgan Khan, who played mother and son in  this film, previously played husband and wife in the film The Namesake.

Academy Awards

• Best Director
• Best Cinematography
• Best Visual Effects
• Best Original Score

Your Producers for this episode were:

• Tony
• Darrell
• David

This episode was recorded:  5/1/13

That’s a broad description to the premise to Iron Man 3, the first movie to follow in the wake of Marvel’s Avengers movie and so expectations are extremely high for this, maybe so high that no movie right in the wake can hope to meet them. I thought this was certainly watchable, but it’s flavor is quite a bit different from it’s predecessors in the Marvel movies. If I was looking at this as a comic book, this feels like a fill-in issue created to give the regular creative team a break, and the fill-in doesn’t quite reach what you’re used to.

And that’s exactly what it is, Jon Favreau is no longer at the helm of the film and this time it falls into the hands of co-writer and director Shane Black. Now Black is certainly no stranger to high-power action films, having written films like Lethal Weapon, The Monster Squad, The Last Boy Scout and The Long Kiss Goodnight as well as having directed and written Kiss Kiss Bang Bang with Robert Downey Jr. in the lead of that film. These are certainly entertaining movies, and all have a distinct flavor to them that’s been identified with Shane Black. Unfortunately for Iron Man 3, it feels more like a Shane Black movie than it does part of the Marvel series with an over-reliance on action movie cliches and dialogue that feels more written than actually spoken.

There’s a lot of comedic moments in the film, and while there’s nothing really wrong with doing that, doing it in a Marvel movie seems to me anyway to soft-pedal a lot of the threat. Everybody in the film (or most everybody anyway) seems to have the same sort of snarky flavor that just doesn’t lend themselves to taking any of what’s happening that overtly serious. There’s action movie cliches all around, with to me the most egregious being the use of the high-opera type of ending with hero versus villain and the girl in-between atop a very high structure. This cliche has been around forever, but first used in comic book films way back in Tim Burton’s first Batman movie, and used again and again since. I expect a bit better of the Marvel movies than to rely on this old chestnut.

Now to be fair, the action sequences and visual effects are really, really nice and certainly the part of the movie that still makes it very watchable. The only thing that I’m not really that thrilled with is the new design of the Iron Man armor that’s dominantly used in the film. Call me a traditionalist if you like, but I like the distinct look of the red and gold armor and this new version that’s mostly gold and chrome, just feels a little softer and ring true to the comics. It’s not the only armor used in the film and there’s a lot of versions here though that do owe to previous comic appearances and it’s a nice little easter egg for fans, but I don’t think it’s quite enough.

As far as the cast goes, Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Jon Favreau all return reprising their parts from the prior movies. They certainly do what’s asked of them here so there’s no real complaints. The standout for me is Paltrow who actually gets to do a few action bits that are pretty entertaining.

New to this film are Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian, Rebecca Hall as Maya Hansen (another scientist who works for AIM- again, there’s way more to her than just that), Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin and James Badge Dale as Savin, a bodyguard to Killian. Guy Pearce is smarm personified to a point of being cartoony, but to his credit, I think he actually excels in the action scenes that he’s in. The biggest disappointment to me though is Kingsley as The Mandarin and it’s for a couple of reasons that aren’t entirely Kingsley’s fault. Beware, I’m going to go into a couple of spoiler moments here, so if you haven’t seen the movie yet, you might want to skip the rest of this paragraph and proceed to the next. In the comics, The Mandarin is to Iron Man as say The Joker is to Batman or Lex Luthor is to Superman. The way Kingsley performs this character it doesn’t really quite have that much threat to especially with his vocal performance which sounds like it’s part Asian, part European and part Minnesotan. I don’t have any idea about why this was the chosen way to go with his voice, but it just doesn’t convey any sort of threat at all. In addition, there is a huge twist to The Mandarin here that just totally betrays the concept of the character as he’s been seen in the comics, so much so that it reduces the character to a joke and leads to another dialogue scene between Kingsley and Downey that again just deadens the movie.

I chose to see this in 3D and basically the 3D here is just OK and not at all complimentary to the film. Originally, I’ve been dodging all of the 3D versions of the Marvel movies because they’ve been added as an afterthought (at least to me), but I figured by this time maybe the film had finally been shot with 3D in mind. It’s just not the case here and if you choose to see this, then don’t even bother with it.

As with the other Marvel movies, there is an additional scene at the end of the credits and while this one doesn’t exactly look like it’s building towards anything what it does do is add a little further continuity between the movies which considering what they’ve originally sought to build here, is something that they’re going to have to stick with for these films.

As I said at the start of this, expectations are certainly high for this movie and maybe they’re so high that there might not be anyway that they could ever be met. After I saw The Avengers, I walked out of the theatre just with an incredible high and so you naturally want every Marvel movie to follow to at least come close to giving you that same feeling. Unfortunately, Iron Man 3 just doesn’t do it. Oh, I still think it’s watchable and it certainly does have it’s moments particularly with some great effects and action scenes, but it’s cliche-ridden script and jokey nature just don’t give this film any sense of threat whatsoever. I could see that with some distance, watching Iron Man 3 again might be a different and more enjoyable experience, but after this initial viewing, I don’t much have a desire to do that any time soon.

Published: 1992

Bantam Books

Plot Summary - In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo’s Cosa Nostra Pizza Inc., but in the Metaverse he’s a warrior prince. Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus that’s striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain threatening to bring about infocalypse. Snow Crash is a mind-altering romp through a future America so bizarre, so outrageous…you’ll recognize it immediately.

Quick Thoughts: [forthcoming]

“Until a man is twenty-five, he still thinks, every so often, that under the right circumstances he could be the baddest motherfucker in the world. If I moved to a martial-arts monastery in China and studied real hard for ten years. If my family was wiped out by Colombian drug dealers and I swore myself to revenge. If I got a fatal disease, had one year to live, and devoted it to wiping out street crime. If I just dropped out and devoted my life to being bad.”

Your Hosts:

• Sam
• Scott

This episode was recorded 03/28/13

Next time: American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Thanks to Art and Nick for their voice mails.

Picks:

Jeff

1. Iron Man 3
2. Pain and Gain
3. Oblivion
4. 42
5. The Croods

Lena

1. Iron Man 3
2. Pain and Gain
3. Oblivion
4. 42
5. The Big Wedding

Back Seat Art House picks:

• Jeff – The Iceman
• Lena – Scatter my Ashes at Bergdorfs

There are no other movies in wide release this weekend.

• Sam

recorded 04/29/13

#2 Oblivion from Universal fell from #1 to #2 with a gross of $17.8 million (-52%) in 3,792 theaters (+9).  Total gross to date is $65.1 million.  Budget was $120 million.

#3 42 from Warner Bros. fell from #2 to #3 with a gross of $10.7 million (-39.9%) in 3,405 theaters (+155).  Total gross to date is $69 million.  Budget was $40 million.

#4 The Big Wedding from Lionsgate opened at #4 with a gross of $7.6 million in 2,633 theaters.  Budget was $35 million.

#5 The Croods from 20^th Century Fox fell from #3 to #5 with a gross of $6.7 million (-27.2%) in 3,283 theaters (-152).  Total gross to date is $163.2 million.  Budget was $135 million.

#6 G.I. Joe: Retaliation from Paramount fell from #5 to #6 with a gross of $3.7 million (-35.8%) in 2,707 theaters (-468).  Total gross to date is $116.5 million.  Budget was $130 million.

#7 Scary Movie 5 from Weinstein Company fell from #4 to #7 with a gross of $3.4 million (-44.2%) in 2,733 theaters (-669).  Total gross to date is $27.5 million.  Budget was $20 million.

#8 Olympus Has Fallen from FilmDistrict fell from #7 to #8 with a gross of $2.9 million (-36%) in 2,334 theaters (-304).  Total gross to date is $93.2 million.  Budget was $70 million.

#9 The Place Beyond the Pines from Focus Features fell from #6 to #9 with a gross of $2.7 million (-45.1%) in 1,584 theaters (+42).  Total gross to date is $16.2 million.  Budget was $15 million.

#10 Jurassic Park 3D from Universal fell from #9 to #10 with a gross of $2.4 million (-41.4%) in 1,848 theaters (-482).  Total gross to date is $42.1 million.  Budget was $10 million.

#11 Mud from Roadside Attractions opened at #11 with a gross of $2.2 million in 363 theaters.  Budget was unknown.

#12 Evil Dead (2013) from TriStar fell from #8 to #12 with a gross of $2 million (-51.7%) in 2,186 theaters (-637).  Total gross to date is $51.9 million.  Budget was $17 million.

The combined gross of the top 12 movies this weekend was $82.3 million.

Sources:
Box Office Mojo

More notes to follow.

Subjects discussed:

• Nietzsche Grandfather of Cyberpunk
• Expressionism
• Noir protagonists
• Cyberpunk themes
• How this all fits with Snow Crash
• why steampunk is not a genre

Recorded: 04/27/13

Thanks to Art and Nick for their voice mails.

Picks:

Princess Talky Pants

1. Pain and Gain
2. The Big Wedding
3. Oblivion
4. 42
5. The Croods

Miss(ter) Congeniality

1. Pain and Gain
2. Oblivion
3. 42
4. The Big Wedding
5. The Croods

Back Seat Art House picks

• Lena & Jeff – Mud

There are no other movies in wide release this weekend.

• Scott

recorded 04/23/13

#1 Oblivion from Universal opened at #1 with a gross of $37.1 million in 3,783 theaters.  Budget was $120 million.

#2 42 from Warner Bros. fell from #1 to #2 with a gross of $17.7 million (-35.5%) in 3,250 theaters (+247).  Total gross to date is $53.8 million.  Budget was $40 million.

#3 The Croods from 20^th Century Fox held at #3 with a gross of $9.2 million (-29.6%) in 3,435 theaters (-254).  Total gross to date is $154.6 million.  Budget was $135 million.

#4 Scary Movie 5 from Weinstein Company fell from #2 to #4 with a gross of $6.2 million (-56.6%) in 3,402 theaters.  Total gross to date is $22.8 million.  Budget was $20 million.

#5 G.I. Joe: Retaliation from Paramount fell from #4 to #5 with a gross of $5.8 million (-47.1%) in 3,175 theaters (-360).  Total gross to date is $111.2 million.  Budget was $130 million.

#6 The Place Beyond the Pines from Focus Features rose from #10 to #6 with a gross of $4.9 million (+27.2%) in 1,542 theaters (+1,028).  Total gross to date is $11.6 million.  Budget was $15 million.

#7 Olympus Has Fallen from FilmDistrict held at #7 with a gross of $4.5 million (-38.3%) in 1,697 theaters (-297).  Total gross to date is $88.8 million.  Budget was $70 million.

#8 Evil Dead (2013) from TriStar fell from #5 to #8 with a gross of $4.1 million (-56.7%) in 2,823 theaters (-202).  Total gross to date is $48.5 million.  Budget was $17 million.

#9 Jurassic Park 3D from Universal fell from #6 to #9 with a gross of $4 million (-54.2%) in 2,330 theaters (-448).  Total gross to date is $38.5 million.  Budget was $10 million.

#10 Oz The Great and Powerful from Buena Vista fell from #8 to #10 with a gross of $3 million (-38.2%) in 2,045 theaters (-459).  Total gross to date is $223.7 million.  Budget was $215 million.

#11 Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor from Lionsgate fell from #9 to #11 with a gross of $2.2 million (-50.7%) in 1,405 theaters (-400).  Total gross to date is $48.9 million.  Budget was unknown.

#12 Home Run from Samuel Goldwyn opened at #12 with a gross of $1.6 million in 381 theaters.  Budget was unknown.

The combined gross of the top 12 movies this weekend was $100.3 million.

Sources:
Box Office Mojo

MGM/Columbia Pictures

Directed

• Sam Mendes

Produced by

• Michael G. Wilson
• Barbara Broccoli

Screenplay by

• Neal Purvis
• Robert Wade
• John Logan

Based on James Bond by Ian Fleming

Cast

Daniel Craig

• James Bond

Judi Dench

• M

Javier Bardem

• Raoul Silva

Ralph Fiennes

• Gareth Mallory

• Word Association!  Sun… Moon… Skyfall…
• Tony and Darrell saw a sneak preview of Defiance.
• Best parts… Javier Bardem, the opening credits with Adele, and Judi Dench.
• Favorite Bond songs.
• David didn’t like the movie until Bardem.
• Bond… old?
• Sacrificed by M?
• The Shanghai scene was great.
• Q was very cool.
• The set-up of the characters and relationships was handled very well.
• The Komodo Dragon was silly, but fun.
• “Skyfall” was a great turn and end of the movie.
• Shoot up the Aston Martin? Oh hell no!
• Allowing Bond and M to break away from their stoicism lifted their characters.
• “I like you better without your Beretta.”
• Was the rumor of Sean Connery supposed to be Kinkaid?
• Rating this Bond movie with Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale.

Trivia bits-n-pieces:

• It was rumored that Kevin Spacey was considered for the villain, but declined due to scheduling conflicts.
• M’s house is the former house of John Barry, the legendary Bond composer who passed away in 2011.  Both the score for Skyfall and the use of his house were tributes to Barry.

Awards (partial list):

• Academy Awards – Original Song, Sound Editing
• British Academy Film Awards – Outstanding British Film, Original Music
• Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards – Best Action Movie, Best Song, Best Actor in an Action Movie

Your Producers for this episode were:

• Tony
• Darrell
• Tony
• David

This episode was recorded:  4/17/13

Your Host:

• Scott

Recorded: 18/04/13

Thanks to Art and Tad for their voice mails.

Picks:

Jeff

1. Oblivion
2. 42
3. The Croods
4. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
5. Scary Movie 5

Lena

1. Oblivion
2. 42
3. The Croods
4. Scary Movie 5
5. G.I. Joe: Retaliation

There are no other movies in wide release this weekend.

Back Seat Art House picks:

• Jeff – In the House
• Lena – Filly Brown

Note:  Sorry to Lena and Jeff for posting this late.  Totally Tony’s fault because of a flooded basement.

• Scott

Recorded 04/16/13

#2 Scary Movie 5 from Weinstein Company opened at #2 with a gross of $14.2 million in 3,402 theaters.  Budget was $20 million.

#3 The Croods from 20^th Century Fox held at #3 with a gross of $13.1 million (-36.5%) in 3,689 theaters (-190).  Total gross to date is $142.4 million.  Budget was $135 million.

#4 G.I. Joe: Retaliation from Paramount fell from #2 to #4 with a gross of $10.9 million (-47.8%) in 3,535 theaters (-199).  Total gross to date is $102.5 million.  Budget was $130 million.

#5 Evil Dead (2013) from TriStar fell from #1 to #5 with a gross of $9.5 million (-63.2%) in 3,025 theaters.  Total gross to date is $41.5 million.  Budget was $17 million.

#6 Jurassic Park 3D from Universal fell from #4 to #6 with a gross of $8.9 million (-52.4%) in 2,778 theaters (+7).  Total gross to date is $32 million.  Budget was $10 million.

#7 Olympus Has Fallen from FilmDistrict fell from #5 to #7 with a gross of $7.3 million (-28.7%) in 2,935 theaters (-124).  Total gross to date is $81.6 million.  Budget was $70 million.

#8 Oz The Great and Powerful from Buena Vista fell from #7 to #8 with a gross of $4.9 million (-39.3%) in 2,504 theaters (-401).  Total gross to date is $219.4 million.  Budget was $215 million.

#9 Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor from Lionsgate fell from #6 to #9 with a gross of $4.5 million (-55.4%) in 1,805 theaters (-242).  Total gross to date is 45.4 million.  Budget was unknown.

#10 The Place Beyond the Pines from Focus Features rose from #13 to #10 with a gross of $3.9 million (+449.6%) in 514 theaters (+484).  Total gross to date is $5.2 million.  Budget was $15 million.

#11 The Host (2013) from Open Road Films fell from #8 to #11 with a gross of $2.4 million (-54.2%) in 2,172 theaters (-1,030).  Total gross to date is $23.4 million.  Budget was $40 million.

#12 The Call from TriStar fell from #9 to #12 with a gross of $2 million (-44.2%) in 1,630 theaters (-372).  Total gross to date is $48.6 million.  Budget was $13 million.

The combined gross of the top 12 movies this weekend was $108.8 million.

Sources:
Box Office Mojo

Warner Bros. Pictures

Directed

• Ben Affleck

Produced by

• Grant Heslov
• Ben Affleck
• George Clooney

Screenplay by

• Chris Terrio

Based on The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and The Great Escape by Joshuah Bearman

Cast

Ben Affleck

• Tony Mendez

Bryan Cranston

• Jack O’Donnell

Alan Arkin

• Lester Siegel

John Goodman

• John Chambers

• If the intern was there, she’d have been screaming THE DREAM TEAM!
• Vaginas are always serious… a well-established fact.
• Mixed reviews
• A bit of comedy in the first half, then it tightened up.
• A good period piece for the 1970s.
• Also mixed reviews as to whether it should have won the Oscar.
• Affleck did a good job in not over-acting the character, but it might have been too much in the other direction.
• Hey, Argo F%#k yourself!
• The conversation quickly veers off to the other movies nominated for a Best Picture Oscar
• Nice touches that lent to the 1970s-ness of the movie.
• The Civil War would have been over in a week if they had Twitter
• #ShermansMarch
• #AtlantaBurns
• The would have liked a bit more Jack Kirby.
• The 70’s pornstache was brilliant!
• Oscar expectations, when seeing the movie after the fact, weren’t met.  BUT, still a good movie.
• David lists movies that he thought were better than Argo.
• Did it win Best Picture because of politics?
• Discussing past Best Picture winners and whether they were warranted.
• Thoughts on acting – well cast, well acted.
• Alan Arkin stole every scene he was in.
• Bryan Cranston goes all Walter White toward the end of the film!
• Why are so many movies nominated for Oscars?
• Netflix:  House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, Lilyhammer and Arrested Development
• This is the End

Trivia bits-n-pieces:

• In order to make the movie feel like the 1970s, Affleck shot it on regular film, cut the frames in half and blew the images up 200% to increase the graininess.
• Argo is the first movie to win the Oscar for Best Picture without a Best Director win since Crash (2005) and the first movie to win the Oscar for Best Picture without the Director being nominated since Driving Miss Daisy (1989).

Awards won (partial list):

• Academy Awards – Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing
• British Academy Film Award – Film, Director, Editing
• Critics Choice Awards – Picture, Director
• Golden Globe Awards – Picture/Drama, Director
• Los Angeles Film Critics Association – Screenplay
• National Board of Review Awards – Top 10 Films, Special Achievement in Filmmaking, Spotlight Award/John Goodman
• Directors Guild of America – Director
• Producers Guild of America – Picture
• Screen Actors Guild Awards – Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
• St. Louis Film Critics Awards (shout out to BSP’s homeland) – Film, Director

Your Producers for this episode were:

• Tony
• Darrell
• Tony
• David

This episode was recorded:  4/10/13

Thanks to Nick and Tad for their voice mails.

Psst… Tad… she’s Menolly!

Picks:

Jeff

1. 42
2. Scary Movie 5
3. The Croods
4. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
5. Evil Dead

Lena

1. 42
2. Evil Dead
3. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
4. Scary Movie 5
5. The Croods

Back Seat Art House Picks

• Jeff – Disconnect
• Lena – The Angels Share

#2 G.I. Joe: Retaliation from Paramount fell from #1 to #2 with a gross of $20.9 million (-48.5%) in 3,734 theaters (+15).  Total gross to date is $86.4 million.  Budget was $130 million.

#3 The Croods from 20^th Century Fox fell from #2 to #3 with a gross of $20.7 million (-22.7%) in 3,879 theaters (-186).  Total gross to date is $125.4 million.  Budget was $135 million.

#4 Jurassic Park 3D from Universal opened at #4 with a gross of $18.6 million in 2,771 theaters.  Budget was $10 million.

#5 Olympus Has Fallen from FilmDistrict fell from #4 to #5 with a gross of $10.2 million (-28.2%) in 3,059 theaters (-47).  Total gross to date is $71.2 million.  Budget was $70 million.

#6 Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor from Lionsgate fell from #3 to #6 with a gross of $10.1 million (-53.4%) in 2,047 theaters.  Total gross to date is 38.5 million.  Budget was unknown.

#7 Oz The Great and Powerful from Buena Vista fell from #5 to #7 with a gross of $8 million (-31.6%) in 2,905 theaters (-419).  Total gross to date is $212.6 million.  Budget was $215 million.

#8 The Host (2013) from Open Road Films fell from #6 to #8 with a gross of $5.2 million (-51%) in 3,202 theaters.  Total gross to date is $19.6 million.  Budget was $40 million.

#9 The Call from TriStar fell from #7 to #9 with a gross of $3.5 million (-28.9%) in 2,002 theaters (-437).  Total gross to date is $45.5 million.  Budget was $13 million.

#10 Admissions from Focus Features fell from #8 to #10 with a gross of $1.9 million (-39.8%) in 1,407 theaters (-754).  Total gross to date is $15.3 million.  Budget was $13 million.

#11 Spring Breakers from A24 fell from #9 to #11 with a gross of $1.2 million (-57.8%) in 1,072 theaters (-307).  Total gross to date is $12.6 million.  Budget was $2 million.

#12 Identity Thief from Universal fell from #11 to #12 with a gross of $796 thousand (-27.5%) in 721 theaters (-361).  Total gross to date is $131.2 million.  Budget was $35 million.

The combined gross of the top 12 movies this weekend was $126.8 million.

Sources:
Box Office Mojo

Published: 2005

Lulu MWS Media

Plot Summary - Fans of Spider-Man, silver age comics, and alternate history will enjoy this novel of teen angst and metahumans! This coming of age story is set in an alternate 1980′s, where people with amazing abilities make themselves known. Can young Nathan Charters find himself in this uncertain new world? Who is he, where did he come from, and is he part of a remarkable new minority…or just a misfit among misfits? Brave Men Run is at once gripping and emotional, shocking and intelligent.

Quick Thoughts: [forthcoming]

“Brave men run…in my family”

Your hosts:

• Lena
• Tony
• Scott

This episode was recorded: 02/28/13

Next Time: Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

Thanks to Art, Nick and Tad for their voice mails.

Picks:

Jeff

1. Evil Dead
2. The Croods
3. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
4. Jurassic Park 3D
5. Tyler Perry’s Temptation

Lena

1. Evil Dead
2. Jurassic Park 3D
3. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
4. The Croods
5. Tyler Perry’s Temptation

Back Seat Art House picks:

• Jeff – The Company You Keep
• Lena – Trance

• Sam
• Scott

Recorded: 04/02/13

#2 The Croods from 20^th Century Fox fell from #1 to #2 with a gross of $26.7 million (-38.8%) in 4,065 theaters (+19).  Total gross to date is $88.9 million.  Budget was $135 million.

#3 Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor from Lionsgate opened at #3 with a gross of $21.6 million in 2,047 theaters.  Budget was unknown.

#4 Olympus Has Fallen from FilmDistrict fell from #2 to #4 with a gross of $14.1 million (-53.4%) in 3,10+6 theaters (+8).  Total gross to date is $54.9 million.  Budget was $70 million.

#5 Oz The Great and Powerful from Buena Vista fell from #3 to #5 with a gross of $11.7 million (-45.7%) in 3,324 theaters (-481).  Total gross to date is $198.4 million.  Budget was $215 million.

#6 The Host (2013) from Open Road Films opened at #6 with a gross of $10.6 million in 3,202 theaters.  Budget was $40 million.

#7 The Call from TriStar fell from #4 to #7 with a gross of $4.9 million (-44.7%) in 2,439 theaters (-68).  Total gross to date is $39.6 million.  Budget was $13 million.

#8 Admissions from Focus Features fell from #5 to #8 with a gross of $3.2 million (-47.4%) in 2,161 theaters (+1).  Total gross to date is $11.7 million.  Budget was $13 million.

#9 Spring Breakers from A24 fell from #6 to #9 with a gross of $2.8 million (-43.2%) in 1,379 theaters (+275).  Total gross to date is $10.1 million.  Budget was $2 million.

#10 The Incredible Burt Wonderstone from Warner Bros. fell from #7 to #10 with a gross of $1.3 million (-68.9%) in 1,575 theaters (-1,585).  Total gross to date is $20.6 million.  Budget was $30 million.

#11 Identity Thief from Universal fell from #9 to #11 with a gross of $1.1 million (-57.6%) in 1,082 theaters (-1,084).  Total gross to date is $129.6 million.  Budget was $35 million.

#12 Jack the Giant Slayer from Warner Bros. (New Line) fell from #8 to #12 with a gross of $1 million (-65.4%) in 1,080 theaters (-1,480).  Total gross to date is $61.4 million.  Budget was $195 million.

The combined gross of the top 12 movies this weekend was $139.7 million.

Sources:
Box Office Mojo

Show notes will be updated soon.

Thanks to Art, Tad and Nick for their voice mails.

Picks:

Lena

1. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
2. The Croods
3. Olympus Has Fallen
4. Tyler Perry’s Temptation
5. The Host

Jeff

1. G.I. Joe: Retaliation
2. The Croods
3. Tyler Perry’s Temptation
4. Olympus Has Fallen
5. The Host

Back Seat Art House Picks

• Lena – Room 237
• Jeff – The Place Beyond the Pines

• Sam
• Scott

Recoreded 03/27/13

#2 Olympus Has Fallen from FilmDistrict opened at #2 with a gross of $30.4 million in 3,098 theaters.  Budget was $70 million.

#3 Oz The Great and Powerful from Buena Vista fell from #1 to #3 with a gross of $21.6 million (-47.7%) in 3,805 theaters (-107).  Total gross to date is $177.1 million.  Budget was $215 million.

#4 The Call from TriStar fell from #2 to #4 with a gross of $8.9 million (-48%) in 2,507 theaters.  Total gross to date is $31.1 million.  Budget was $13 million.

#5 Admissions from Focus Features opened at #5 with a gross of $6.2 million in 2,160 theaters.  Budget was $13 million.

#6 Spring Breakers from A24 rose from #27 to #6 with a gross of $4.9 million (+1,747.5%) in 1,104 theaters (+1,101).  Total gross to date is $5.3 million.  Budget was $2 million.

#7 The Incredible Burt Wonderstone from Warner Bros. fell from #3 to #7 with a gross of $4.3 million (-57.5%) in 3,160 theaters.  Total gross to date is $17.4 million.  Budget was $30 million.

#8 Jack the Giant Slayer from Warner Bros. (New Line) fell from #4 to #8 with a gross of $2.9 million (-53.3%) in 2,560 theaters (-797).  Total gross to date is $59 million.  Budget was $195 million.

#9 Identity Thief from Universal fell from #5 to #9 with a gross of $2.6 million (-41.4%) in 2,166 theaters (-676).  Total gross to date is $127.8 million.  Budget was $35 million.

#10 Snitch from Summit Entertainment fell from #6 to #10 with a gross of $1.9 million (-46.2%) in 1,807 theaters (-546).  Total gross to date is $40.3 million.  Budget was unknown.

#11 Silver Linings Playbook from Weinstein Company fell from #8 to #11 with a gross of $1.6 million (-37.2%) in 1,044 theaters (-558).  Total gross to date is $127.2 million.  Budget was $21 million.

#12 Safe Haven from Relativity fell from #9 to #12 with a gross of $1.2 million (-53%) in 1,279 theaters (-927).  Total gross to date is $68.9 million.  Budget was $28 million.

The combined gross of the top 12 movies this weekend was $130 million.

Sources:
Box Office Mojo

This episode is dedicated to Andrew.

Thanks to Art, Nick and Tad for their voice mails.

Picks:

Jeff & Lena

1. The Croods
2. Olympus Has Fallen
3. Oz The Great and Powerful
4. The Call
5. Admissions

Back Seat Art House

• Jeff & Lena – The Sapphires

Guess which host is 3 Degrees from Kevin Bacon?!

• Scott

Recorded: 03/19/13

#2 The Call from TriStar opened at #2 with a gross of $17.1 million in 2,507 theaters.  Budget was $13 million.

#3 The Incredible Burt Wonderstone from Warner Bros. opened at #3 with a gross of $10.2 million in 3,160 theaters.  Budget was $30 million.

#4 Jack the Giant Slayer from Warner Bros. (New Line) fell from #2 to #4 with a gross of $6.3 million (-35.8%) in 3,357 theaters (-168).  Total gross to date is $54 million.  Budget was $195 million.

#5 Identity Thief from Universal fell from #3 to #5 with a gross of $4.4 million (-30.2%) in 2,842 theaters (-168).  Total gross to date is $123.6 million.  Budget was $35 million.

#6 Snitch from Summit Entertainment fell from #5 to #6 with a gross of $3.5 million (-31.3%) in 2,353 theaters (+13).  Total gross to date is $37.3 million.  Budget was unknown.

#7 21 and Over from Relativity fell from #6 to #7 with a gross of $2.7 million (-47.6%) in 2,424 theaters (-347).  Total gross to date is $21.9 million.  Budget was $13 million.

#8 Silver Linings Playbook from Weinstein Company held at #8 with a gross of $2.5 million (-30.2%) in 1,602 theaters (-125).  Total gross to date is $124.6 million.  Budget was $21 million.

#9 Safe Haven from Relativity fell from #7 to #9 with a gross of $2.4 million (-34.6%) in 2,206 theaters (-335).  Total gross to date is $66.9 million.  Budget was $28 million.

#10 Escape from Planet Earth from Weinstein Company fell from #9 to #10 with a gross of $2.3 million (-27.3%) in 2,211 theaters (-338).  Total gross to date is $52.2 million.  Budget was $40 million.

#11 Dead Man Down from FilmDistrict fell from #4 to #11 with a gross of $2.1 million (-60.2%) in 2,188 theaters.  Total gross to date is $9.4 million.  Budget was unknown.

#12 The Last Exorcism Part II from CBS Films fell from #10 to #12 with a gross of $1.3 million (-59.7%) in 1,575 theaters (-1,125).  Total gross to date is $14.4 million.  Budget was $5 million.

The combined gross of the top 12 movies this weekend was $96.2 million.

Sources:
Box Office Mojo

Thanks to Art, Nick and Tad for their voice mails.

Picks:

Jeff & Lena

1. Oz The Great and Powerful
2. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
3. The Call
4. Jack the Giant Slayer
5. Identity Thief

Back Seat Art House:

• Jeff & Lena – Spring Breakers

There are no other movies in wide release this weekend.

• Scott

Recorded 03/11/13

#2 Jack the Giant Slayer from Warner Bros. (New Line) fell from #1 to #2 with a gross of $9.8 million (-63.8%) in 3,525 theaters.  Total gross to date is $43.6 million.  Budget was $195 million.

#3 Identity Thief from Universal fell from #2 to #3 with a gross of $6.3 million (-34.7%) in 3,002 theaters (-228).  Total gross to date is $116.5 million.  Budget was $35 million.

#4 Dead Man Down from FilmDistrict opened at #4 with a gross of $5.3 million in 2,188 theaters.  Budget was unknown.

#5 Snitch from Summit Entertainment fell from #4 to #5 with a gross of $5.1 million (-34.4%) in 2,340 theaters (-171).  Total gross to date is $31.9 million.  Budget was unknown.

#6 21 and Over from Relativity fell from #3 to #6 with a gross of $5.09 million (-41.8%) in 2,771 theaters.  Total gross to date is $16.9 million.  Budget was $13 million.

#7 Safe Haven from Relativity held at #7 with a gross of $3.8 million (-40.2%) in 2,541 theaters (-410).  Total gross to date is $62.8 million.  Budget was $28 million.

#8 Silver Linings Playbook from Weinstein Company held at #8 with a gross of $3.6 million (-36.8%) in 1,727 theaters (-109).  Total gross to date is $120.6 million.  Budget was $21 million.

#9 Escape from Planet Earth from Weinstein Company fell from #6 to #9 with a gross of $3.2 million (-51.4%) in 2,549 theaters (-561).  Total gross to date is $47.8 million.  Budget was $40 million.

#10 The Last Exorcism Part II from CBS Films fell from #5 to #10 with a gross of $3.2 million (-59%) in 2,700 theaters.  Total gross to date is $12.1 million.  Budget was $5 million.

#11 A Good Day to Die Hard from 20^th Century Fox fell from #9 to #11 with a gross of $2.1 million (-53.6%) in 1,725 theaters (-864).  Total gross to date is $63.4 million.  Budget was $92 million.

#12 Life of Pi from 20^th Century Fox held at #12 with a gross of $1.6 million (-33.5%) in 671 theaters (+45).  Total gross to date is $119.4 million.  Budget was $120 million.

The combined gross of the top 12 movies this weekend was $128.3 million.

Sources:
Box Office Mojo

Walt Disney Studios

Directed

• Timo Vuorensola

Produced by

• Tero Kaukomaa
• Oliver Damian
• Cathy Overett
• Sam Horton
• James Wenban
• Mark Overett
• Samuli Torssonen

Screenplay by

• Michael Kalesniko
• Timo Vuorensola

Story by

• Johanna Sinisalo
• Jarmo Puskala (concept)

Cast

Julia Dietze

• Renata Richter

Gotz Otto

• Klaus Adler

The hosts review:

• Oscars chit chat & Walter White.
• Jennifer Lawrence & Kristin Stewart: one acted like a mouth-breather, one is…
• Someone found it better than A Good Day to Die Hard and Battleship.
• Someone just didn’t like it and couldn’t even get through it.
• Someone thought this movie was better than it deserved to be.
• I’ve got a space ship, you’ve got a space ship, everybody’s got a space ship!
• No nakedness… boo.
• Then let’s make a new horizon.
• So… a cheesy movie with moon Nazis.
• The music was not in the right place.
• Still… better than Four Rooms.
• Harlem Shake, because you can’t have any kind of conversation without that being brought up.
• David makes a disturbing discovery about the clothing that turns him on.
• Covering up guy-parts in Superman and Tron.

Trivial bits ‘n pieces:

• More than 10 percent of funding for this film came from fans. The donors are listed in the credits.
• The German customs office would not allow the film-makers to bring any Nazi costumes and regalia into Germany, but fortunately the makers of Inglorious Basterds helped director Vuorensola by revealing how they had circumvented the same problem.

Your Producers for this episode were:

• Tony
• David
• Tony/Deuce

This episode was recorded: 2/27/2013

That’s the basic premise of Oz, the Great and Powerful, a prequel film to Victor Fleming’s The Wizard of Oz, and also the latest film from director Sam Raimi, who’s best known for his work on the original three Spider-Man movies, the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell. Now I like the original film, it’s an obvious classic, and it’s certainly strong enough to weather any number of sequels, prequels and re-interpretations that have come after it. For myself, if you first told that this was coming, I probably wouldn’t have been that interested in seeing it, but you tell me that it’s coming and that Sam Raimi is directing it, then it becomes a different story. I’m a huge fan of Raimi’s work and from what I first saw in the trailer to the movie, it looked to me like he was going to throw his all into this.

Well, for me he did and i ended up enjoying Oz, the Great and Powerful way more than I ever expected I would. Raimi’s an obvious fan of the original and it’s evident in his style of making the film. Raimi knows that the original is a simple morality story and he basically does the same thing here. The characters are played in broad strokes and there’s certainly plenty of hints and homages to what’s to come from Fleming’s film. This all worked for me but at the same time I can certainly see how it won’t for others. After Sony re-booted the Spider-Man series with The Amazing Spider-Man, one thing that I saw that other’s liked about it over what Raimi did, was the style of filmmaking. The new Spider-Man film was trying to be a little more grounded and much darker in tone, whereas Raimi’s films (third one withstanding, but it’s hard to blame Raimi entirely for that) are much more broad and carefree. If that style is a turn-off to you, then I’ll tell you right now, save your money and find something else to see.

Raimi’s visuals are just fantastic, brimming with life and color and an artificiality to them that screams pure theatrics, but totally suitable to the subject matter and Raimi’s storytelling style. Raimi’s thoroughly embraced the 3D process with this and I think he’s done a pretty darn fine job. The opening of the film is in black and white and side-boxed with more of an old TV full frame. Seeing that in 3D is like looking through a window, though Raimi has the odd moments’ where a few of the effects pop outside it. Once we get to Oz, the screen expands and the world around us becomes much more immersive and Raimi then plays a little more freely with effects that are also “in your face.” He does a great job with this and totally gets how 3D should be used. It’s a terrific enhancement here and I don’t think I’d even want to see this again without it.

My biggest issue with the film is that I think it’s pacing is just a little too relaxed in some places and it could probably be tightened up a little bit, but that’s not a dealbreaker by any means. Danny Elfman punctuates the action pretty nicely with a wonderful score, but that leads to another slight disappointment and that;s with the use of a Mariah Carey song over the film’s end credits. Now granted, it’s the end credits, most aren’t even staying through them, but I sort of look at as a little signature to the film and like to watch them my own self (and sometimes you get a nice little “easter egg” or two in side). The song just seemed out of place with the rest of the look and the style of the film, but really it’s a moot point.

I know there’s a lot of issues out there with the casting of the film, particularly with James Franco as Oz and Mila Kunis as Theodora. I know that Franco wasn’t the first choice for the film, but honestly it just didn’t bother me at all. Franco looked to me like he was having a ball making this and I certainly think he carries some charisma about him. I did make a little joke to a friend as we were watching this. Oz is making a speech to the people that he’s being charged to protect and here he is in his black coat and hat, standing tall and making a grandiose speech in front of all of these colorful inhabitants. I said to my friend, “It’s Tim Burton’s Lincoln!” (OK, it was a long way to go for little pay-off, but still I thought it was funny). Mila Kunis was a big surprise for me with this, I wasn’t necessarily expecting the transformation that she goes through here and I was quite pleased to see her embracing it and playing it just as big as she could. Rachel Weisz plays Theodora’s sister, Evanora, and I think she’s good in the part, but just a little dry compared to what Kunis does. Michelle Williams plays Glinda the Good Witch, and again, it’s nice work though it doesn’t quite carry the same opulence that’s in the original, but still well done. Further support is provided by the voices of Zach Braff and Joey King (though both are seen in different parts at the start of the movie) and again, I thought they were fitting to what Raimi’s presenting. And of course, being a Sam Raimi movie, it’s nice to see Bruce Campbell here as well, even if it is in a brief part as the Winkie Gate Keeper.

I had a great time with Oz, the Great and Powerful, as did the people that I saw it with. Sam Raimi’s visuals and broad theatrical style carry the film and I think it’s evident on-screen that the actors are having a blast making this little slice of fantasy. It’s a fun film with a big emphasis on the “fun” and it’s certainly enhanced with some wonderfully produced 3D. Very much recommended.

Host:

• Scott

Recorded 05/03/13

Thanks to Art, Tad and Nick for their voice mails.

Picks:

Jeff

1. Oz the Great and Powerful
2. Identity Thief
3. Dead Men Down
4. 21 and Over
5. Snitch

Lena

1. Oz the Great and Powerful
2. Identity Thief
3. 21 and Over
4. Jack the Giant Slayer
5. Dead Men Down

Back Seat Art House picks:

• Jeff – Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey
• Lena – Emperor