BLU-TUESDAY ... August 11

It’s been a bit since I detailed what was coming out on BD. This might be because I don’t like to think about all the lovely movies I cannot afford to buy, my not currently having a job and all. This week poses a bit of a challenge though as there are a couple I’d definitely like to add to my collection. In case you weren’t aware, ICHI THE KILLER, ST. ELMO’S FIRE and THE NINTH GATE are all making their BD debuts today. You can even get yourself the big Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles box set on BD, including all three live action films as well as the underrated TMNT animated film from a couple years back. Those aren’t the ones that are doing it for me. No, my sights are set on I LOVE YOU, MAN, 17 AGAIN and the Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, THE CLASS.


17 AGAIN
OK, I don’t want to buy 17 AGAIN but I will definitely be heading out to my local video shop bright and early to take it home for the evening. I missed this one in theatres and, to be fair, I missed it on purpose. The trouble is that I fell in love with Zac Efron some time shortly after that and now I don’t care how bad it is going to be; I just want to see those abs in high definition.

FEATURES:
- Outtakes
- Zac’s dance flashback (whatever that is supposed to be)
- Unseen additional footage


I LOVE YOU, MAN
I did not review this film when it was in theatres but I did catch it. Paul Rudd and Jason Segel are perfect together in this, the latest bromance to show us that there can be some serious love between straight men and that that can lead to some serious laughs. This is the film that finally made Paul Rudd into the leading man he’s always been destined to be and hopefully, we will see plenty more of him from here on in. If you need more Paul Rudd love right now, be sure to check out Black Sheep’s feature, I LOVE YOU, PAUL RUDD.

FEATURES:
- Commentary track with director, John Hamburg and Rudd & Segel
- Making of
- Extended/Deleted scenes
- Gag reel / Improv reel
- Red band trailer

ENTRE LES MURS (THE CLASS)
This was hands down one of my favorite movies from 2008. I have yet to catch DEPARTURES but it was a shock to me when the Japanese film beat out THE CLASS at the Oscars this year. THE CLASS exposes the state of the education system today by making it seem real and by making it human. It is shot like a documentary but this is the fictionalized version of writer/star, Francois Begaudeau’s life. If his real life, which the film is based on, is anywhere near as chaotic, I certainly do not envy him. THE CLASS is truly a masterpiece and not to be missed.

FEATURES:
- Making of
- Commentary on select scenes
- Actor workshops and portraits

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: King Takes Queen

Sure, there is a slight age difference but if the Teen Choice Awards were to hold a prom and announce a king and queen of this prom, I’m pretty sure the masses would vote for Zac Efron as king and Miley Cyrus as queen. (Sorry, Vanessa Hudgens.) And this week, in one swift move, the king has taken the queen down a few notches to be crowned.


A $24 million opening weekend for the Efron vehicle, 17 AGAIN, is a far cry from the $34 million opening of Cyrus’s HANNAH MONTANA THE MOVIE but it does still outpace any other title playing this week by $10 million. HANNAH MONTANA actually suffered a steep drop in its second week, falling 60% over its fan heavy opening weekend. If the declining trend continues, it would show that Cyrus perhaps appeals only to her fan base and not much further past that. 17 AGAIN has a much more broad appeal and stands a stronger change of showing sturdier legs in the weeks to come. Any way you look at it though, Efron, after opening his last picture, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3, at number one as well, is proving to be a pretty bankable face.


Opening solidly in second place is the political journalist thriller, STATE OF PLAY, starring Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck. Given the amount of teenagers that must have been running around the multiplex this weekend, I’m sure this adult fare could have fared better if parents weren’t being dragged what were likely mind numbing experiences. Speaking of which, CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE opening poorly in sixth place this weekend. The Jason Statham now failed franchise pulled in about half as much as the first film did in its opening weekend. It seems to me like the film could have used some extra voltage of its own. Statham isn’t the only semi-bankable star suffering this weekend. Seth Rogen’s OBSERVE AND REPORT suffered the steepest decline in this week’s Top 10, dropping off more than 63%. At this rate, it will be his lowest grossing picture since he rose to fame.


Below the Top 10, the best per screen average of any film playing belongs to EVERY LITTLE STEP, taking in $73K on 8 screens. This documentary follows the rise of one of Broadway’s most successful and most influential shows, “A Chorus Line”. Something tells me though that this film will only play well in that same market. And the Michael Caine starring, IS ANYBODY THERE?, also pulled in a solid per screen average, $45K on 6 screens. The film has the potential to become something of a sleeper hit as it expands to over 50 screens next week, so the next few weeks will be crucial.

NEXT WEEK: Walt Disney celebrates Earth Day on the 22nd with their appropriated footage from the BBC series, “Planet Earth” compiled together for a feature called simply EARTH (1800 screens). The Joe Wright directed, THE SOLOIST, finally hits theatres after being delayed from last fall (1800 screens). And Channing Tatum in FIGHTING (2100 screens) will take on Beyonce Knowles in OBSESSED (2400 screens) for what will inevitably be a disappointing frame.

Source: Box Office Mojo