APRIL, 1

MOVIES RELEASED

1-MISPLACED AFFECTION

Drama / Horror
Cast: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Kirsten Dunst, Alan Alda
Director: Joe Wright
Screenwriter and Producer: John Daws

Box Office: 41 mill.
Net Gains: 18 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: Disappointing breakdown. I liked this pitch and expected a better respond from the audience. Anyway, it made net gains as budget was not too high.

2-SYNDROME: NEW EDEN

Horror / Zombies
Cast: Ben Affleck, Kurt Russell, Abigail Breslin, Thomas Haden Church, Emma Watson, Paula Patton, Freddie Highmore, Jordan-Claire Green, Sarah Paxton

Director: Rob Cohen
Screenwriter and Producer: Matt Kubrick

Box Office: 45 mill.
Net Gains: 23 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: CMP took the risk of releasing this movie in no less than 6000 screens. But the final breakdown has stayed too far from what the first Syndrome’s movie did. I will have to think a bit about what to do with the third episode.

3-BABES IN TOYLAND

Family / Musical
Cast: Jimmy Bennett, Abigail Breslin, Reese Witherspoon, Peter Sarsgaard, Kevin Kline, Adam Sandler, Amy Adams, Joshua Jackson
Director: Michel Gondry
Screenwriter: Josh Collins

Box Office: 46 mill.
Net Gains: 9 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: I knew this one was going to be a difficult release. But at least it didn’t loose money. A tough week for CMP but, after all, none of the three releases got net losses, which can be considered as a relative success as they all were hard to sell productions for different reasons.

THE CRITICS CORNER

1-MISPLACED AFFECTION

"Usually, I show the influences of previous movies in CMP's releases using a kind of math formulas. This time I don't need a formula, as this one has a one and only clear reference. And that is the 80's blockbuster 'Fatal Attraction'. As in this one, that movie told the story of the price to pay by an unfaithful husband (Michael Douglas) who had an affaire with a work mate that turned to be a psycho (Glenn Close). The movie created a certain controversy as it was considered a conservative apology against adultery. A few years after its release on the big screen, director Adrian Lynne's released on video a director's cut with a different ending, this one closer to 'Misplaced Affection', which increases the similarities between both movies. So the problem with this release is the feeling of dejá vu, due to its lack of originality. We've seen this story before and the truth is that 'Misplaced Affection' does not contribute with anything new as it is pretty predictable. Maybe, the only surprise is that the villain wins and everybody else is murdered. But, at the same time, that also affects the appeal of the movie, as most moviegoers are not interested in spending their time watching a movie where all the goods die and the bad lives."
-Bob Felton

"Here is a correct thriller (although presented as a drama / horror). Nothing new under the sun. The storyline is correct (although the outcome of a chain of murders looks as an easy way to finish the story). The directional job of Joe Wright is correct (although the movie has an irregular pace proving that Wright is more experienced in other type of movies than creating an intriguing suspense). The acting work is correct (although I have the feeling that Keira Knightley only accepted to be in the movie playing that dull wife due to his good relationship with John Daws). But 'correct' is not enough in our days to attract a wide audience. Nothing bad can be said about this movie, but nothing specially positive can be said neither."
-Anne Roman

"The psycho relative is other one of those minor genres itself (mostly in tv movies but also on the silver screen). Lovers ('Fatal Attraction'), Mother-in-laws (I remember one with Jessica Lange fooling around), Mothers (Jamie Lee Curtis comes to my mind now in a forgotten feature about a psycho mother returning home), Sons (Maculay Culkin terrorized a young Elijah Wood in a movie titled something like 'The Good Son') have become dangerous psychos in numerous movies. This kind of movies, always predictable, depends very much on the work of the star playing the villain. If the villain is believable, the movie may be entertaining enough. If not, the whole show will tumble down as a castle of cards. In 'Misplaced Affection', Kirsten Dunst saves the function with an efficient work as the sexy but evil McAvoy's lover. You can understand how she can deceive McAvoy looking nice and close and you also believe her later as the violent murderer. So all the praise here goes to Kirsten. Without her, the movie would not have deserved much more than being another tv movie about a psycho relative."
-Vic Carter

2-SYNDROME: NEW EDEN

"A few weeks ago, I read in a magazine that producers of 'I am Legend' wanted very much to develop a sequel but they had no idea of how to. Well, 'Syndrome: New Eden' could be the perfect sequel to 'I am Legend'. Remember this one ended up with a panoramic view of a camp of human refugees ready to resist and fight the zombies. And that's exactly where 'Syndrome: New Eden' begins. So, without knowing it, Matt Kubrick has written the sequel of 'I am Legend' much more than a sequel to 'Syndrome: Paradise Lost', as it is true that the connection with the original episode of the saga is half broken as some of the characters in it have simply disappeared. Besides that, no more can be said but that here is a movie only for zombies fans (or Ben Affleck's fans, by the way), which does seem to be a decreasing club as box office has been much lower than the one for the original movie of the franchise."
-Amy Ratched

"Writing a review about a zombies movie is such a difficult task. If you praise it, 'serious' moviegoers will consider you a freak. If you destroy it, it will look as if you have taken the easy way home. There is no middle earth for this kind of movies: you either hate them or love them, no matter what the reviews or even your friends may say. Once again, Matt Kubrick offers a B-series spirit show and, as it happened recently with 'Blood Beach', some critics will eat him alive and some others will feed his legend as a cult writter and director of horror flicks. Personally, I think Kubrick does not care at all about one thing or another as much as he does not care about box office. He just has fun writing these stories and setting up a wild show of violence and fear only suitable for fans of the genre.”
-Roy Winslow

"A movie not to be taken too seriously. I am on the side of those that enjoy movies like 'Blood Beach', 'London Underground' or now this one without prejudices. I know Orsen Welles (or the other Kubrick, the one named Stanley) would have never made a zombies movie. So what? Kubrick (our Kubrick, Matt) does. And I thank him for it cause I have a lot of fun watching Ben Affleck and Thomas Haden Church saying things like 'Oh, God, they are all around us!' before shooting his gun and killing like a few dozens of zombies. Yeah! I just beg the third episode is finally produced and I hope the kidnapping of Abigail's character turns into a zombies cannibal party!"
-Tim Reeve

3-BABES IN TOYLAND

"Imagine this experiment. You take your 12 years old kid to the movies. There are two rooms. One of them is showing 'Game Boy 2: Warlands'. The other one is showing 'Babes In Toyland'. And you let your kid choose which does he or she wants to watch. What percentage of kids would choose 'Babes In Toyland'? 'Game Boy 2' made more than 260 millions in box office. This one has hardly reached 40 millions. Does that mean that 'Babes In Toyland' is a worse movie than 'Game Boy 2? Not at all. It is just too naive to expect that the kids from the 'console generation' will be interested in a movie like this. The kids from the times on which previous movie versions of the story were released were much different from our kids. So this remake is too much out of time cause, as the song said, the times they are a-changing or, more accurately, have already changed..."
-Jackie Williams

"Harry Stark himself, although he has put his Studio's money in this production, wondered past week what was a director like Michel Gondry doing in a movie like this. I have to ask myself the same question. It is good that talents, either actors or directors, do not get stereotyped. I like to see talents taking the risk of trying new things. But when a talent tries something new, something may get lost in the way. All the visionary talent of Michel Gondry is wasted in this kid's tale. Maybe, he wanted to experiment with a fantasy tale trying a new approach to it, but finally he gets trapped in the rules of the family musical genre and the product ends up looking as something a bit old fashioned that won't add anything to Gondry's career. Sam Mendes brought fresh air to old musicals with his version of 'Carousel', but Gondry has not followed that wake and, at the end, his movie is just a standard family movie where some talents have fun with the rare chance of dancing and singing in front of the cameras."
-Norman Jones

"There was a time when 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' was a blockbuster and a guy like Dick Van Dyke was the kid's favourite star. In those days, kids didn't spend 99 % of their spare time trying to kill all kind of enemies in a small console's screen or a pc. 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' was a nice and innovative movie for its time. And Dick Van Dyke was a nice and talented guy. But nobody would ever dream on making a remake of that movie with, let's say, Steve Carrel playing the lead role. Well, that sounds as weird as making this remake of 'Babes In Toyland'. CMP can be happy enough that the movie has even had short net gains. Of course I wish children could be as innocent as they used to be in those good old days and these movies still attract audiences. But the world is not like that anymore. So, please, do not think now on making a remake of 'Mary Poppins' with Reese Witherspoon replacing Julie Andrews."
- Chris Merlon


MISPLACED AFFECTION

A talented cast, however I am not quite sure if this film works for them in these roles, not to mention the director with the recent periodic drama films he's done. It reminds me just a tad of the classic thriller 'Fatal Attraction' but adding more to the story than just a crazy love affair. It's certainly a different approach to all involved in the film and that's something I like to see are those showing if they can step out of their comfort zones. I'm not saying it was a bad attempt, just a risky venture that could be a success with the star power behind it.

SYNDROME: NEW EDEN

A continuation of Kubrick's 'Syndrome' series that could turn up a good box office considering the first one did well. Movie goers eat up zombie movies...pun intended? But I wouldn't expect much on the lines of artsy..then again this is a business and money just doesn't go to quality films that often. It's very hard to look at these types of films though and feel like you've seen it before. But you can't help but love it as much as any other survival horror movie.

BABES IN TOYLAND

An update of the classic tale brought to today's audiences. Yet again another risky venture as today's youth may not want to see something that their own parents or grandparents remember when they were kids. Although, the younger kids may enjoy it regardless when they get to see other kids in key roles and make them feel like they could be Abigail or Jimmy. The talented star power in the film may be its saving grace so I wouldn't want to count it out as a dud. Once again if you go for artistic original quality you may be disappointed. Take it for what it is!