Review: "Skyfall"

This review was originally published in my column at Towleroad

Skyfall arrived on US screens Friday with such multiplex flattening hype that you'd be forgiven for thinking the title literal. The Cubby Broccoli estate, which controls the adventures of the super spy, was pulling no stops for the 50th anniversary installment of the granddaddy of film franchises. We've been inundated with Bond Mania for months now. So you'd think at this point that the actual film would be an afterthought. Not so.

The 23rd official Bond film delivers… and not just the five mandatory goodies no Bond film is complete without: Action (Particularly the Opening Setpiece), Theme Song, International Villain, 007 Himself and the Bond Girl. Unlike most modern franchises, the Bond series favors stand-alone storylines with only the five-pronged Bond template uniting them. Even Bond himself changes though Skyfall happily sticks with Daniel Craig's impossible zombie handsomeness and dangerously erotic icy blues.

Five mandatory goodies and Daniel Craig's sexual pull AFTER THE JUMP...

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Ready to Wear

So practical!

I hope he wears this to every Twilight premiere this month.

Remember Moonrise

Michael C here to make sure memory one of 2012's masterpieces isn't washed away in a flood of Oscar bait. 

The more I think about the final moments of Moonrise Kingdom the more it feels like the saddest thing I’ve seen at the movies all year.

At first glance it feels like the ending couldn’t be much happier. The young lovers are reunited, the storm has passed, and even if things aren’t perfect life is left in greater balance than when the story began. Yet on repeat viewings a nagging feeling of loss rises to the surface. Sam and Suzy are together but it’s not accidental that the last thing we see them do is say goodbye to each other. We first meet Suzy as a raven and now the soundtrack sings of birds flying away in the changing seasons. In film’s closing moments we see Suzy pause to acknowledge Sam’s painting of their beachfront camp. Their stolen adventure sits there, already frozen in the past.

This For Your Consideration reminder continues after the jump...

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$00000007

Double Os aren't enough any more for Bond, James Bond. You need seven 0s at this point, 8 if you count the already astounding international grosses ($4288 million to date outside of the US). My review will be posted tomorrow night and there's a few more Bond pieces coming before we say goodbye until 2014 or whenever.

3 Bond Girls. 2 ½ Sex Scenes. 2 Villains. 500 million dollars

Box Office Top Ten
01 SKYFALL  $87.8 *NEW* 
02 WRECK-IT RALPH  $33 (cum. $93.6)
03 FLIGHT  $15.1 (cum. $47.7)
04 ARGO  $6.7 (cum. $85.7)
05 TAKEN 2 $4 *NEW* (cum $131.2)
06 HERE COMES THE BOOM  $2.5  (cum. $39)
07 CLOUD ATLAS $2.5 (cum. $22.7)
08 PITCH PERFECT $2.5 (cum $59)
09 THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS $2.4  (cum $12.7)
10 HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA $2.3 (cum $140.9)

Pitch Perfect just keeps humming, huh? Flight and Argo are benefiting from Oscar buzz and word of mouth and both are going to enjoy long runs. Which movies did you see this weekend? I went to Holy Motors and Lincoln (which opens wide next week but earned almost a million from very limited screens this weekend). More on both soon.

50 Appropriate Ways to Celebrate Demi Moore's ½ Century Mark

Too few people speak of Demi Moore anymore and that truly saddens me. I grew up with Demi as a big screen goddess and though her star went supernova, flaring so bright you couldn't miss it before unarguably fading, she's still worth celebrating. The 80s and 90s would NOT have been the same without her. Younger generations know her best as the former Mrs. Ashton Kutchner! What a world. What an ignomious fate for someone as good at being a celebrity as she!

50 Ways to Celebrate Demi Moore. I Double Demi Dare you!

1. Scream until you're hoarse to achieve her suitably sexy voice.
2. Hook your star to a sexy bald man.
3. Indulge your inner cougar.
4. Practice the fine art of being friends with your most famous ex. (Let Bruce & Demi be role models for all)
5. Refer to yourself as "Mrs. [Whoever You're Dating]" this week on Twitter or Facebook 

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