The Film Experience™ was created by Nathaniel R. All material herein is written by our team. (This site is not for profit but for an expression of love for cinema & adjacent artforms.)
Hallo folks! Ester here. You might remember me from such previous forays into Film Experience as my "Reader Spotlight" and my Two Stars, One Slot tribute piece, "Waif vs. Waif: Mia Wasikowska vs. Saoirse Ronan." Today I come to you with a feminist chip on my shoulder and a spark of rage in my eye, and my target is Woody Allen -- specifically his tepid time-travel fantasy, Midnight in Paris.
It's not surprising that Hollywood, the quintessential vehicle of nostalgia, is obsessed with landmarks. Jack Nicholson has only to get up in the morning and put his shoes on the right feet four shooting days out of five to get nominated for an Oscar, because Hollywood is just so gosh darn grateful an old-school movie star like him is still gracing films with his presence. Similarly, Woody Allen has only to make a movie that is not truly godawful terrible to make every film critic in the US sigh happily about how the maestro has done it again.
Even then, by the way, he still makes several insufferable stabs at cinema for every Vicky Cristina Barcelona (or Scoop, which I actually kind of enjoyed).
I understand the impulse to make ourselves hoarse praising the man. After all, we're talking about Woody Allen, auteur extraordinaire, Oscar-winner, redefiner of comedy, granddaddy to a thousand less-talented copy-cat narcissists. He's so prolific he probably doesn't even remember making one of my favorites of his films, the wistful and imaginative Purple Rose of Cairo. (Such small, delightful movies are often called "gems," which confuses me as gems come in all sizes; in fact, a woman I know recently received one that may weigh more than she does. But that's neither here nor there.)
Friends, a mediocrity is a mediocrity, whether it comes from Shakespeare or Dan Brown. Why do we insist on grading Woody Allen on a curve?
We won't waste too much time on the American box office today as it's the usual stories: an animated film tops the charts (don't make me say the name), Bridesmaid barely dipped and Midnight in Paris is zooming up the "all time Woody Allen lists". On this last bit I wish we had "adjusted for inflation" charts at the ready. Those inevitable stories about it passing Hannah and Her Sisters at the box office are going to be annoying because $40 million in 1986 is a helluva lot more ticket-buying action than $41 million in 2011, you know? I'm guessing that Annie Hall, which really captured mainstream attention, would reign supreme if you adjusted for inflation. [updated: yep, ANNIE HALL is #1]
And yes I normally do a new drawing for the box office but I hate drawing cars and the only picture I'd like to conjure in that realm is Cars 2's "Mater" squished flat in a compactor.
01 CARS 2 new$66.1 02 BAD TEACHER new$31.6 03 GREEN LANTERN $18 [review] (cum. $88.9) 04 SUPER 8 $12 [thoughts] (cum. $95.1) 05 MR POPPER'S PENGUINS $10.1 (cum. $39.2) the rest of the top twelve are now losing screens... X-MEN FIRST CLASS $6.6 [review, top ten X] THE HANGOVER PT II $5.5, BRIDESMAIDS $5.2, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES $4.9 [review], KUNG FU PANDA 2 $4.1, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS $4.1 [podcast] and TREE OF LIFE $1.3 [overheard & thoughts]
Worldwide Action It's all about the 4th Pirates film worldwide unfortunately, reminding us that the US hardly has the strangehold on lemming-like sequel culture. Johnny Depp on loop nears another 1 billion gross. Crazine$$.
But let's talk about movies that never get any attention on movie blogs! I looked at the global charts at box office mojo and thought it was worth sharing. Here are the top grossers that aren't Hollywood for 2011 (Please note: Bollywood does not give figures to B.O.M. so who knows with those films)
2011's Top Grossers (Non-English Language)
01 Hankyu densha This Japanese film is based on a best-selling novel about intersecting lives (it uses a public transport line as connecting backdrop). Starring Miki Nakatani and Erika Toda. It's nearly as big a hit as, say, Rango across the ocean but it's Japan only thus far. [Trailer] 02 Rien à déclarer (Nothing to Declare) Directed and written by and stars (whew) Dany Boon who you might remember as the lead actor from last year's chaotic farce Mic-Macs (which was from Amélie's director). It's a comedy about customs officers during the elimination of the French-Belgium border in the 1990s. This is a bigger hit than True Grit or No Strings Attached overseas and has distributors in various markets but nothing for the US as far as I can tell. 03 Che bella giornata (What a Beautiful Day) A very complicated sounding comedy starring Checco Zalone (who also co-wrote the movie) as a security officer in Italy who gets mixed up with an Arabic girl posing as a French woman. Italy only thus far. [Official Site]
04 Kokowääh German star Til Schweiger (Inglourious Basterds) co-wrote this family comedy and co-stars with his daughter. Warner Bros handled the very very successful German release. Will we see it... or some English language remake here? 05 SP The Motion Picture Japanese film about Security Police that's based on a TV series. 06 Gantz A genre film about two teenagers played by Ken'ichi Matsuyama and Kazunari Ninomiya hunting and killing aliens. This one has distributors in some European countries in addition to Asia but the only US plans (at the moment) is a spot in the New York Asian Film Festival which is just about to start (July 1st).
Here's the trailer for the festival as a whole (cute). If you're in NYC are you seeing anything?
After that in the global charts when its not Hollywood films it's mostly Asian films (they have their own strong markets) but there's one film in particular that our actress-loving heart is thumping for longingly. That's Les Femmes du 6ème étage (Service Entrance) which is a French film about Spanish maids from director Jean-Philippe LeGuay. The Spanish cast includes Carmen Maura and Lola Dueñas (Volver reunion alert!) as the help and Fabrice Luchini and Sandrine Kiberlain as conservative wealthy French employers.
Service Entrance
Strand Releasing has US distribution rights but given that the film is the 79th most popular overseas for 2011 with a $15 million gross (thus far), we hope it gets a hearty US push.
Do you like hearing about foreign hits or did your eyes just glaze over?
Since I never officially reviewed Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, I thought we'd have to at least cover it in discussion form. So for the newest podcast, Kurt from Your Movie Buddy and first-time guest Mark Blankenship from The Criticial Condition joined me to discuss Woody Allen's biggest hit in some time as well as Oscar's new "up to 10 nominees for Best Picture" ruling, which I recently discussed with Katey for her Kino Katey podcast.
But, you know, we can't ever shut up about Oscar, can we?
Other topics: Best Original Song and first and favorite Woody Allen pictures seen. Two articles that you might want to read that we mention are Fandor's list of movies about movies and Mark's investigation of the 1980s in the Best Original Song category.
As always please join the conversation in the comments.
Twitch What's this? What's this? David Lynch may be prepping a "Club Silencio" to open in Paris. Mullholland Dr. lives on and on. My New Plaid Pants defaces the Larry Crowne poster. I'd see this imaginary movie and I'm not even a horror fan. Cineuropa Apichatpong Weerathesakul will head the Horizons Jury at this year's Venice Film Festival. More details at the link Hollywood Wire Tap wait... now it might be David O. Russell directing Angelina Jolie for Maleficent? I can't keep up. This is why I ignore the rumormill. Better to concentrate on actual films. MTV Madonna finally returning to the recording studio. The Wrap Avi Arad talks about producer Laura Ziskin (RIP)
Two Videos Filmdrunk explores "Woody Allen Surrogates" with this video.
And this Green Lantern news bit from The Onion made me giggle. Especially the movie posters "[pictured above]", the franchise sequel plans and this Ryan Reynolds quote.
I've been a Green Lantern fan every since I was told I would be the person starring in the Green Lantern movie so this is a thing come true for me.
LOL.
Finally... if you can't gather enough opinions about the Oscar Best Picture Shift to sate your lust for all things shiny, naked and gold here are more reactions on the Latest Oscar Rule Shift (already discussed right here) from Peter Knegt (super con and then mixed), Kris Tapley (very pro), Sasha Stone (con -- she liked the ten) and Stu Van Airsdale (pro with a dose of 'so what? there are larger problems')
It's "Mutant Week" -- I'm into weekly themes this summer (any requests?) so deal with it! -- so this post will be illustrated by the previously unrevealed superpowers of famous people.
Like...
The Box Office (Actuals) Class was in session for select homosuperiors and their homosapien fans this weekend in Westchester New York as Charles Xavier finally opened his School For Gifted Youngsters. But what people were talking about as they left the theater was Michael Fassbender as Magneto. And/or his chemistry with James McAvoy which is quite something. We'll call them "Double Thespian" Their mutant power --wonder twins activate -- is to make you believe that the movie you're watching is twice as good as it actually is!
We're feeling a bit stingy about having to share Fassy with the world now but happy for his success. It will all be worth it if this means he can make as many Fish Tanks and Hungers and Jane Eyres as he wants to, and maybe a few more people will show up to them, now.
01 X-MEN FIRST CLASS new$55.1 [review] 02 THE HANGOVER PT. 2 $31.3 (cumulative $185.8) 03 KUNG FU PANDA 2 $23.8 (cumulative $100) 04 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES $17.9 (cumulative $190.2) [review] 05 BRIDESMAIDS $12 (cumulative $107.1) 06 THOR $4.2 (cumulative $169.1) [review] 07 FAST FIVE $3.1 (cumulative $201.9) 08 MIDNIGHT IN PARIS $2.7 (cumulative $6.7)
other new(ish) stuff 13 TREE OF LIFE $618,000 (on 20 screens cumulative $1.2 million) 27 BEGINNERS $135,000 (on 5 screens) [review] -- SUBMARINE $41,800 (on 4 screens) -- BEAUTIFUL BOY $16,100 (on 4 screens)
The Talking Points: Woody Allen and Terrence Malick continue to have high per screen averages courtesy of their devoted fanbases and the critically-driven curiousity factor; Bridesmaids, which just crossed the magic $100 million mark, continues to hold steady, while the movies around it plummet 50% or more in attendance each week; Fast Five will lose its #1 movie of '11 bragging rights this week when Pirates surpasses it; Thor recently surpassed the original X-Men (2000) in grosses but it's no longer mighty (losing theaters now) which might leave it stranded ignobly on the Marvel superhero charts as "less" popular than a movie almost everyone hates (X-Men Origins: Wolverine).
What did YOU see over the weekend? Which mutant powers do you think the movie stars currently in theaters have?
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 3:20PM 
It's not surprising that Hollywood, the quintessential vehicle of nostalgia, is obsessed with landmarks. Jack Nicholson has only to get up in the morning and put his shoes on the right feet four shooting days out of five to get nominated for an Oscar, because Hollywood is just so gosh darn grateful an old-school movie star like him is still gracing films with his presence. Similarly, Woody Allen has only to make a movie that is not truly godawful terrible to make every film critic in the US sigh happily about how the maestro has done it again. 
