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IN DEFENSE OF
BOX OFFICE DUDS OF 2011

Just a few thoughts

on a few films


that few flocked to…

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO 

Never underestimate the illiteracy rate in this country. One of the biggest selling books of all time got its uber-awesome Fincher adaptation and more people rolled Arthur Conan Doyle in his grave for a second time, animated chipmunks work unexplainable charm the third time and Tom Cruise in an impossibly plausible mission for a fourth time. Perhaps nobody wanted the FEEL BAD CHRISTMAS MOVIE OF THE YEAR actually at Christmas. It’s a shame, because this is his best film since Zodiac and hopefully spans two more dark tales of Millennium.

WARRIOR

It was doomed from the start with a generic ad campaign that gave away the film’s compelling (and actually believable) twist. Mixed martial arts finally got its Rocky, despite really even needing one in the first place. Pretty much forgotten in the race to Oscar so far, Warrior deserves a much bigger audience, like mixed martial arts itself. If the pre-Bane Tom Hardy doesn’t knock you out, Nick Nolte’s performance will.

ANONYMOUS

Roland Emmerich’s non-CGI disaster tale of Shakespeare’s secret identity was a disaster at the box office, and written off by most critics. It’s a shame, because this is one of the most exciting period drama movies made, paced as tense as 2012 should have been and far more credible. Rhys Ifans commands the screen, while the smart stories within the stories play on like a giddy in-joke. This is one to catch on the big screen, if you can still find it on one.

FRIGHT NIGHT

I completely dread remakes of films that came out after I was born, because you have to have faith for them to work. The original Fright Night (1985) was one of those rare surprises that over-performed at the box office. Unfortunately, this year’s remake under-performed for Disney and failed to connect with a new generation. I, on the other hand, loved it. It completely paid tribute to the original, without tarnishing what made its source material work. It updated the basic premise and even acknowledged some of its shortcomings with tongue-in-check bravado.

SUCKER PUNCH

Sure it’s loud, gaudy and perhaps a tad misogynistic, but for my money, it’s an enjoyable pop-corn flick with kick-ass women and kicker-assier musical numbers. Most dismissed it as video game fluff, but compare its mindless CGI action with the new Transformers and you’ll agree this one’s at least cohesive enough to follow. Compare it to the similarly plotted new John Carpenter turkey, The Ward, and you’ll rethink this a masterpiece.

SCREAM 4

Failing to relaunch the franchise for another trilogy (never-say-never though), this new decade return to the Ghostface saga was as all-knowing as the original film, which was something lost on all moviegoers. Certainly the opening sequence of this film deserves some sort of special Oscar. It’s everything we wanted the rest of the film to be, not to say that the rest of the film wasn’t a hoot. Craven and Williamson may have been put through the ringer, but overall, the film’s a survivor in an age where this sort of thing’s under-appreciated.

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