MARCH, 5

MOVIES RELEASED

1-YEOMAN

Action / Sci-Fi
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Eva Green, Jet Li, Rachel McAdams
Director: McG
Screenwriter and Producer: Matt Kubrick


Box Office: 81 mill.
Net Gains: 91 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: More profitable than the three official Wild Cards movies (they made 39, 80 and 72 millions in box office), this spin off proves that the fans of the saga keep growing. Outstanding DVD sales have helped to those great 91 millions net gains. I will definitely keep betting for this franchise.

2-LITTLE TIN GODDESS

Drama / Dark
Cast: Steve Buscemi, Ashanti, Gillian Anderson, Giancarlo Esposito, Brian Dennehy, Vincent D’Onofrio
Director: David Lynch
Screenwriter: David Makalaster

Box Office: 16 mill.
Net Loss: 13 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: A shame. Moviegoers are always reluctant to try new things. A quality movie, but 13 millions lost is too much. I’m especially sorry when a screenwriter’s debut flops. It is not the first time it happens, so just keep up the good work, Mr. Makalaster.

3-THE LOLLIPOP MAN

Comedy / Children
Cast: Ben Stiller, Kate Beckinsale, Merryl Streep, Josh Hutcherson
Director: Shawn Levy
Screenwriter: Marcus Trax


Box Office: 108 mill.
Net Gains: 131 mill.

Stark’s Reaction: Unbelievable. I could never even dream a box office like this for this low budget children movie! Second ‘100 millions movie’ for Stiller and third for Beckinsale. One of those unexpected and delicious surprises some times a Movie Studio’s President has… Oh, and the most amazing thing is DVD sales. If I’m not wrong, the movie has entered the top of DVD sales, close to blockbusters like the Star Wars movies! Some times – only some times – life is surprisingly generous with CMP!

THE CRITICS CORNER

1-YEOMAN

“Back to the universe of Aces and Jokers. Harry Stark is so fond of this saga that we can expect more and more stories coming from it. ‘Wild Cards’ is something really original. The characters of the saga are a bunch of freaks half way superheroes, half way social misfits. And their stories offer a wide range of visual possibilities. That’s the main appeal of the franchise. You can keep innovating from one movie to another by introducing new visual elements so each episode may look different from the rest. ‘Yeoman’ has been designed from a more realistic perspective than ‘Aces High’ or ‘Ace In the Hole’ (this one, probably was the best episode of the saga). In fact, at some moments it even looks more like a film noir than a sci-fi action picture. Fans of the franchise will be satisfied with it.”
-Chris Merlon

“Viggo Mortensen has created an appealing tormented character. Samuel L. Jackson’s original performance of Yeoman was more like a comic character, while Mortensen’s version looks more for a dark and mysterious perspective. You feel identified with him and his wish of revenge after the brutal murder of his pregnant wife. Although he is a tough and cold guy, you cannot avoid feeling sympathy for him, as you understand his reasons. And that is a Mortensen’s merit. Eva Green builds up a stranger Chrysallis than Angelina Jolie, as McG has put more attention on her ‘seen through screen’ morphology. The whole function looks more ‘adult’ than the original Wild Cards’ episodes. And it works.’
-Amy Ratched

“Each ‘Wild Cards’ episode has been directed by a different talent. Matt Kubrick settled the rules of the universe in the first movie with efficiency. Quentin Tarantino made a ‘fan work’, taking to some extremes the freak elements of the saga. Alexander Aja focused more on the ‘superhero aspects’ of the characters. And now McG has applied his visual concepts – although more controlled than before, compared to the exaggerations in his Charlie’s Angels movies – to the story. Personally, I still prefer the first Wild Cards movie. But the truth is that this spin off has been more profitable for CMP than the three previous mainstream episodes. So it seems like McG has made the right choices, at least for the audience.”
-Greg Norman

2-LITTLE TIN GODDESS

"Sadly, I knew this movie would not work at box office. David Lynch is not a director for the mass. He would never make what moviegoers would love: a silly romantic comedy between a lonely man and a tin goddess. His mind is so twisted to do just that. So here is what in fact can be defined as a 'horror fairy tale'. The sweet goddess coming alive to illuminate a poor guy's life turns into a possessive paranoid. Brilliant. But audiences run away like hell from plots that make them think and dark endings so far away from the regular Hollywood's happy endings. Once again, Lynch has ignored the rules of mainstream Hollywood and has offered us an intelligent piece of art only valid for elite audiences trying to avoid the predictable. Thanks, Mr. Lynch."
-Charlie Kiggs

"Was Ashanti the right choice to play the tin goddess? I must confess I was surprised when I saw her name. I would have never imagined David Lynch would cast a singing star like her for one of his movies. After watching the movie, my doubts about it remain. She makes a good acting job - probably due to the directional instructions from Lynch -, but she does not look as exotic and enigmatic as the character deserved. When the friendly goddess turns into an evil jealous psycho on the second half of the movie, Ashanti is not believable anymore. The character demanded a more 'dark actress' (and I'm not making here a cheap joke about the colour of the skin) and although Ashanti looks adorable while she and Buscemi are becoming friends, she does not look disturbing enough when their relationship makes a twist to a sinister scenario of jealousy and possession"
-Ray Benson

"I remember a horrible movie I saw many years ago. Its title was 'Mannequin' and it told the love story between a guy and a big store's mannequin. It was stupid and predictable. There is also a classic movie - I can't remember the title now and I'm too lazy to check IMDB - in which Ava Gardner was a goddess statue coming to life too. Lynch has used the same premise for this movie. But he has made one of his tricky twists with it. During more than 40 minutes, we can think this is the classic romantic comedy: the goddess comes alive, she and Buscemi become friends, Buscemi's life begins to get better, will they even fall in love?... Easy. But suddenly it all changes. The goddess turns into a devil as she feels abandoned due to Buscemi's social success. And finally she decides to murder him cause she can't have him just for her anymore... Sick. Where it seemed like there was nothing new under the sun, we find a disturbing story and an interesting reflection about loneliness, relationships, possession and egoism. And everything is filmed with the well known visionary talent of David Lynch. A pleasure. Watching this movie has been like taking a sip of a sharp but tasty wine. And yes, we all know by now that Steve Buscemi is a wonderful actor."
-Tim Reeve

3-THE LOLLIPOP MAN

“Shawn Levy and Ben Stiller proved they knew how to build a children movie blockbuster with ‘Night at the Museum’. Here, they have hit the target again. CMP has never been very successful with young moviegoers. But that’s over. Now they have their first megahit with a movie for kids. Maybe it is not due to the quality of the film, but to the intelligent marketing campaign set by the Studio, focusing it on children and family and not looking for a general audience. Anyway, the product has been perfectly tuned and it sounds as a delicious melody to attract young moviegoers.”
-Jackie Williams

“It is not easy for a movie journalist to write about a children movie. First of all, you have to look at the movie through a kid’s eyes. And, if you do so, ‘The Lollipop Man’ looks as a brilliant movie. Far away from special effects and any kind of digital show, the movie tells a story any kid can feel reflected in or identified with. Anyone suffering bullies would pray to have the help of a lollipop man as nice and amusing as Ben Stiller. Anyone would dream to have such a darling teacher like Kate Beckinsale. And anyone would laugh at an eccentric Principal like Merryl Streep. So any kid would love to be Josh Hutcherson living the ordinary life adventure of this movie. That’s the secret of its success. Direct and simple. Sometimes you don’t need sophistication to make kids have a good time at a movie theatre.”
-Roy Winslow

“A surprising blockbuster (at least for me). I’m on the side of those who think Ben Stiller is not really a great comedian. But the truth is that I’ve enjoyed all his movies for CMP, from the intelligent ‘The Perfect Candidate’ to the funny ‘The Shrinking Man’ and the nice ‘LOL’. So I must begin to admit that there’s something about him. And the same goes for Beckinsale. I am also on the side of those who do not consider her a talented actress. But I read here the past week ‘A look at…’ section dedicated to her and it surprised me all the hits she has been involved in with CMP. So there must be something about her too. Together, they have made a perfect product for children and box office has been amazing. So there must be something about both I’m missing.”
-Vic Carter


YEOMAN

Yeoman is the highly anticipated spin-off of the 'Wild Cards' franchise...for those who didn't know. The franchise has inspired a large fan-base. Remember when films like Clerks and Harold and Kumar were so highly regarded by cults of moviegoers years after their initial releases which would inspire sequels as treats for the fans? I consider Yeoman to be that treat. It has an interesting story and a good cast(sure it's not all the original actors, but they play their parts well) and this is a chance for McG to redeem himself from those awful Charlie's Angels films. See it if you're a loyal fan who wants to be entertained once again with the next installment in the series. If you don't know anything about Wild Cards, pick up the series on DVD first just in case if you get lost, but all in all see it for entertainment!

LITTLE TIN GODDESS

A peculiar debut from David Makalaster with an already peculiar director, David Lynch. Two big debuts that will bring in more fresh names to the CMP actor roster. However, we are familiar with Steve Buscemi roles in CMP. He turned down a supporting role in "Blink" to take the lead in this film about a man who worships his little tin goddess whose increasing jealousy literally sends him over the edge. It's a rare treat to see Buscemi in a lead role. Usually stuck in supporting actor hell, he's hardly ever given the chance to shine his bright talent. It leaves me looking for more work by Mr. Makalaster! The film has something for everyone to enjoy. Big fans of Buscemi, David Lynch and just oddball films you have to see to believe should prove worthy box office receipts.

THE LOLLIPOP MAN

CMP and their supporters are still scratching their heads trying to figure out what the talented Marcus Trax was doing when he wrote the script for this film. I can see that he wanted to try a road less traveled, but it's a risky road nonetheless. It will either make an upsetting turnout or soar. The fact that it's Ben Stiller, Kate Beckinsale and Meryl Streep though could very well make a successful box office, but money making doesn't always equal quality. The message of the story is great for the kids to learn, but the execution of the film to get to that point feels like an execution. Mr. Trax, you've done great so far, please don't sell out.