Jake Gittes

Taking the Classic Conversation talk here Yeah, and I think Ford might be similarly trolling us and our tendency to encounter a work (more specifically, your typical serious, provocative, edgy arthouse movie) and immediately start thinking about What It All Means. I especially like this angle because it gives all those Amy Adams scenes where she's staring into the middle distance and taking sad baths a darkly comic, even mocking edge, while, if I were to take the movie seriously, I'd say it fails to develop her character, etc., etc. (which was my big issue with it right as I left the theater). In a way, it might be the ultimate movie whose "quality" depends entirely on how much you choose to take away from it, one that openly acknowledges that it's a two-hour piece of postmodern wankery and laughs at itself and the audience. (The opening credits are actually perfect in this sense). Yet it's not trying to be a deliberately bad movie that tries to fool you into thinking it's good, because there are so many legitimately terrific scenes and performances (not to mention the gorgeous cinematography and score), you don't feel like you wasted your time in the end. I don't know if I should be giving Ford this much credit, and I definitely want to see it again before deciding. But even if this isn't one of my favorite movies of 2016 (yet), it's definitely among the most rewarding and fascinating.

I can sorta kinda maybe see where he's coming from if I squint hard enough, but... no. I think they're both fairly passable, but RO gave me a bit of new appreciation for TFA. Engaging characters and a good sense of focus really go a long way.

I don't know what this "not an event" thing is but boy am I glad I slept through it.

I don't really get either the Arrival or the Love & Friendship screenplay love. The Original field is once again a lot stronger than Adapted this year.

I do hope Lego Batman at least matches Minions domestically (thereby outgrossing BVS and SS at the same time). And with a good enough reception, I'll actually be disappointed if it fails to do that.

It did?

I'm actually expecting about $70m next weekend, give or take a few million. Last two times the weekend fell on December 23-25, King Kong dropped 57% and Sherlock Holmes 2 dropped 49%, I don't see RO holding better especially with more competition.

The under 10% Saturday increase though

I'm seeing double here... four Grand Moffs!

I had no awareness of Emma Stone's Anna video when I watched that and I almost freaked out thinking I just accidentally saw some huge number from La La Land that I would have rather not known about.

Moreover, it's such a strange notion that there has to be a clean line separating the two. Grandiose, larger-than-life stories only ever benefit from intimate character moments and gestures, and grand spectacles that actually age well and still have an impact on people decades later do so because there are feelings and emotions in there that people recognize and that feel authentic no matter the context. Whatever the budget of your movie is, or the amount of VFX you're gonna throw in there, you need to locate some kind of an emotional core and do it right, otherwise your movie might make money but no one will really give a shit a few years or even months later. If anyone has such a problem with films that are all purely about character and relationships that they have to endlessly vent about it and make blanket statements about what kind of stories "we" need or don't need, well, that's their problem.

Crazy failed awards bait is the best kind of awards bait.

A Lovely Night has been playing in my head for about two full days now.

I don't even like Shame but I'm happy it exists for that alone.

Which is why we need to be louder. Make ten fans feel like a hundred.

It'll hit $300m by 12/31 even if it drops 75% next weekend.

I can easily imagine Manchester playing out like this Dec 16-18: $4.5m (14.3m total) Dec 23-25: $3.5m (20m total) Dec 30-Jan 1: $4.5m (30m total) Jan 6-8: $3.5m (36.5m total) Jan 13-15: $2.6m (40.5m total) Jan 20-22: $2m (44m total) And that's just before the nominations. If it gets another serious expansion at that point (like The Descendants did five years ago, going to 2000+ theaters) it's heading for 60-70m. I think 50m is safe anyhow at this point. Wonderful success for all involved.

No news since Bale left it early this year, but it still seems to be on track to be his next film. IMDb has it with a 2018 release date.

The Manchester increase is perfectly fine. It added 800+ theaters and is now getting overshadowed by both RO and La La Land. Should have a $4.5m weekend which is right where I expected it, and it's only just getting started really.

I suppose I'm greedy but I wanted more than $4m for La La Land. That would mean a slightly worse PTA in 200 theaters than the one Grand Budapest Hotel had in 300 ($22,3k). I'm so meh on Rogue One I don't even particularly care about its numbers but if it falls at a 154.6 OW I put in winter game and the challenge that would be just fine thankyouverymuch

I'm a simple man. All I really want is to see this thread back on the first page here every few weeks.

Arrival Deepwater Strange Jungle Book Rogue One

Ford has gotten a boost following TFA and Villeneuve and Gosling will have gotten one as well after their 2016, surely "from the (possibly Academy Award-nominated) director of Arrival" will get more people to turn their heads than "from the director of Sicario and Prisoners" did. Everything depends on what kinda visuals the marketing is gonna show (my guess is, pretty spectacular) and how intriguing it's gonna be regarding plot/character (who the hell knows). Personally I always had a good feeling about this and I still do.

Tron got a ton of help from the holidays. The 56% second weekend drop is telling. In the summer it probably wouldn't have reached 150.