Top 5 Films of Winter 2013

[SoCalDukeFan]

May open with 35-40 mil first weekend.

SoCal

[throatybeard]

There was a Facebook discussion among my Mississippi contacts, and the consensus is that Anchorman II is terrible. Comments included "That's two hours of my life I'll never get back," and "about 10% as funny as the original."

I think I'll wait for the DVD.

[JasonEvans]

Weekend update in the race for spot #5...

American Hustle - $8.6 mil for a total of $101.4 million
Anchorman 2 - $6.1 mil for a total of $118.5 million

Tonight could be a big deal in this race. If Hustle does well at the Golden Globes, it could get a little boost and lift it over the hump.

-Jason "Hustle really needs A2 to begin fading a bit faster" Evans

[NashvilleDevil]

Weekend update in the race for spot #5...

American Hustle - $8.6 mil for a total of $101.4 million
Anchorman 2 - $6.1 mil for a total of $118.5 million

Tonight could be a big deal in this race. If Hustle does well at the Golden Globes, it could get a little boost and lift it over the hump.

-Jason "Hustle really needs A2 to begin fading a bit faster" Evans

You don't think Lone Survivor can catch up in 3 weeks?

[JasonEvans]

You don't think Lone Survivor can catch up in 3 weeks?

It would be very surprising. Mid-January is not a good time to get decent mid-week boxoffice. Lone Survivor should get to $110-125 mil by the end of the month, but that won't be enough to catch Anchorman 2 or American Hustle, I doubt.

-Jason "If it was 2 weeks ago, then Lone Survivor would be a major contender!" Evans

[YmoBeThere]

Oh, geez, I'm only going to get 3 of 5 if Anchorman 2 makes it. Not a great performance.

[brevity]

The new Coen film is in limited release on the 6th and somewhat wider on the 20th.

Because I live in a mid-market area, and only two theaters (Frontenac, Tivoli) pick up the "art films" (whatever that means), I'm kind of pessimistic that I'll get to see it because I have to go see family in rural GA and exurban NC over Christmas. Quality doesn't matter, only box office take, in this system.

Come back here and then I go to the LSA convention over the first weekend in January. By the time I get back here to see the new Coen film around the 9th of January, they're probably only showing something that people care about making a number on its box office. They have a clear pattern of yanking good stuff after two, three weeks here. And we're not St George UT. There are 3M people here.

I guess I'll get the Coens thru DVD in June. By that time, people will be calculating the box office take of something with exploding monsters.

So, basically, if you're a middle-class viewer, and you have any taste, you're done for outside of NYC and LA. This is clearly a failing industry, especially where artistic truth is involved. If I can't even be served as a consumer, what hope is there for art?

I guess I should live in NYC, LA, or Chicago, and never visit my family.

While you are correct that there are some films without wide release that will be difficult for you to find, why do you assume that every film that makes it to the theaters near you will be low-quality and devoid of art? I agree that Summer tends to be populated by "exploding monster" films but this is the time of year where there is often plenty of quality/artistic films found in theaters everywhere.

You mentioned the Frontenac theater. I just checked and it is showing The Book Thief, Philomena, Dallas Buyers Club, 12 Years a Slave, and Nebraska. Dude, those are some pretty high-quality films! You won't find a single exploding monster in the mix!

Perhaps you as so busy assuming the worst that you have not bothered to check to see if your assumptions are true. Try to be a little less of a curmudgeon. I bet your life will be happier as a result.

-Jason "I bet Inside Llewyn Davis comes to theaters near you as soon as it goes wide on Dec 20. If you wait until it is out on DVD, that is on you, not on the release pattern for that film" Evans

You're not hearing me, Jason.

I have to leave town on the 20th, spend two weeks in places that are less likely to have the film than here, and then immediately go to a conference when I get back. So effectively, for three weeks I cannot see the film, until I get back here. And my experience of the two theaters here that are likely to have the film here is that, often, they will only show such a film for about two weeks.

Since Before Midnight is my go-to example this year, it opened at the Tivoli on June 14 and aired through the end of the month, so, sixteen days. It mysteriously re-appeared in August for another six. Fortunately, I was in town, and I managed to see it thrice, first with a female friend, then with my wife, then alone. I hope the popcorn guy didn't fashion a narrative out of that in his head.

My wife has granted me shore leave to go to the bowl game, so what I think I'm going to have to do is figure out where the Coen movie is airing in Atlanta and see it right before the football game.



Here's the problem with that, and why I prefer the Tivoli. Allow me to speak briefly about local geography.

Plaza Frontenac is a small mall that is anchored by the only Nieman Marcus and the only Saks in Missouri. It has some other upscale chain stores that are the only one of themselves in this metro area. It is located in Frontenac, which is adjacent to Ladue--these are the two wealthiest, whitest inner ring suburbs with a significant population. (There are some that are much smaller, like with a few hundred people in them--Saint Louis County is a hodgepodge of ninety-some odd municipalities--a bureaucratic grease fire). So there are some destination stores there, and a small movie theater.

Frontenac is best known locally for having an abysmal reputation for treatment of Black and Latin customers. Arrests with no PC, frisking people for no reason, following people around in stores, asking people what their business is in the mall. And not just young people. Once, a Full Professor in the African American studies department at WashU. Chingy and Nelly, African American gentleman of some means and repute, both reference Frontenac, ironically, in their songs. Nationally, you're amused at Chingy's clever rhyme of "Frontenac" and the woman's "front and back;" locally, it's an eye-wink to hundreds of thousands of residents who know they aren't welcome at that mall. (Chingy's not exactly Talib Kweli when it comes to socially conscious rap, but he's capable of some signifyin here and there),

I am not comfortable with--I cannot--spend money at Frontenac. I won't. I pay the earnings tax in the City, property tax in the City, the vehicles are titled in the City, and as much as I can, I spend my sales tax in the City, or in University City. If the choice is see it at Frontenac, or wait four months for a DVD, I choose patience.

So we have the Tivoli. Which is on Delmar just into U City. The Durham analogy would be Ninth Street, insofar as that section of Delmar is a collegey strip. In the Central Corridor, in what passes for integration in Saint Louis. Plus, I can walk there from my house if it's not hot outside.

Thought it was time for a followup.

I checked the St. Louis movie listings just after Christmas, and lo and behold, throatybeard was right about Inside Llewyn Davis. It was only showing at the Plaza Frontenac. (Been there once, by the way. I saw With a Friend Like Harry... and ate some garlic white cheddar popcorn. This was roughly the same time Nelly mentioned it in "Ride Wit Me". Please note: This is a coincidence. I am not Nelly.)

But the showtimes, they are a-changin'. Inside Llewyn Davis is now showing in 5 additional theaters. One is the AMC West Olive, which I know is a while away (I think I saw The Young Poisoner's Handbook and a few other film festival entries there, pre-Nelly) and three are Wehrenberg theaters, which I assume are also outside of St. Louis City. But the last one is the Chase Park Plaza, which is after my time but looks to be just east of Forest Park, and presumably not far from where you live.

I wanted to revisit this discussion not to prove you wrong, throatybeard, but to come to the defense of STL. I've lived in a lot of cities, and I still think of St. Louis as my absolute favorite when it comes to moviegoing. I saw lots of films in lots of places -- almost every theater in the city and county -- and I don't think I ever spent more than $5 a ticket. I know inflation makes that number impossible now, but I wonder if it remains more affordable than other places I've been.

[throatybeard]

I just saw it at the Chase Park yesterday. I figured I'd better hustle, because I bet it won't be around long.

I was writing a response to Mud and ILD last night, but got distracted.

I reiterate my objections to Frontenac. I'm not going there under any circumstances.

Colleagues occasionally drag me to that AMC in Creve Couer, I think because of the nondescript restaurant that's in the parking lot. I was subjected to the steaming pile of dung that was John Carter of Mars there.

[NashvilleDevil]

Oscar noms are out and we will see if American Hustle gets a box office bump to push it past Anchorman.

[BD80]

Oscar noms are out and we will see if American Hustle gets a box office bump to push it past Anchorman.

The golden globes are out too, but enough about the outfits Amy Adams wears in the movie ...

[cato]

The golden globes are out too, but enough about the outfits Amy Adams wears in the movie ...

That took me a second or two.

[NashvilleDevil]

The golden globes are out too, but enough about the outfits Amy Adams wears in the movie ...

Boom!

[cato]

Horse race update: after Wednesday's numbers came in, American Hustle trails Anchorman 2 by roughly $15mm ($104,577,091 to $119,562,707).

With 16 days to go (what is with the Jan 31 cut off anyway -- is February not winter?), Amy and Co need to hustle almost a million more a day than Ron.

For the sake of all that is good and holy, I hope the hustlers have the legs to do it. I would guess this weekend will be telling.

[BD80]

... I hope the hustlers have the legs to do it. ...

Really? After my golden globes comment, you give me this to work with?

[weezie]

Just saw "Her"
Joaquin Phoenix is remarkable, just as all the critics have proclaimed. It's very much a think piece. You could actually close your eyes to listen instead and get as much out of the movie as you can by watching it.
Still thinking Christian Bale should win the AA but Phoenix is superb in a quiet role.

[Reisen]

The golden globes are out too, but enough about the outfits Amy Adams wears in the movie ...

Maybe those outfits could win an Oscar for "best support of an actress"?

[Highlander]

Horse race update: after Wednesday's numbers came in, American Hustle trails Anchorman 2 by roughly $15mm ($104,577,091 to $119,562,707).

With 16 days to go (what is with the Jan 31 cut off anyway -- is February not winter?), Amy and Co need to hustle almost a million more a day than Ron.

For the sake of all that is good and holy, I hope the hustlers have the legs to do it. I would guess this weekend will be telling.

Reminds me of a few years ago when we were watching Megamind vs. Meet the Fockers for the final spot in the top 5. Fockers would eventually pass Megamind, but it was at least a week after our contest ended. Interestingly enough, last time I was rooting for the second place film; this time I'm rooting for the first place one to hold on...

[JasonEvans]

Still thinking Christian Bale should win the AA but Phoenix is superb in a quiet role.

To be clear, there is a 100% chance that Joaquin Phoenix will not win the Best Actor AA this year

-Jason "Bale is a bit of a longshot to win it-- I think McConaughey and Ejiofor are the front-runners. Bale may be the least likely of all 5 nominees to win it" Evans

[JasonEvans]

Sorry, Cato. The rules were clear.

We will close the contest at the end of January, though the winners may be obvious before then.

It is probably going to be quite close between Hustle and Anchorman2, but we will take boxoffice totals through Jan 31.

-Jason "FWIW, I think Hustle is going to make it to #5. It should do close to $10 mil this weekend and I bet Anchorman 2 does less than $3 mil" Evans

[cato]

Sorry, Cato. The rules were clear.



It is probably going to be quite close between Hustle and Anchorman2, but we will take boxoffice totals through Jan 31.

-Jason "FWIW, I think Hustle is going to make it to #5. It should do close to $10 mil this weekend and I bet Anchorman 2 does less than $3 mil" Evans

Oh, no doubt. The rules were clear, and I'm fine with that. I'm just didn't understand the why of it all.