Cars 3 Drives to No. 1
There’s no question that Wonder Woman is a pretty tough lady. Until now, she withstood all challenges to her reign as the box office’s very own Amazonian princess. But this weekend, the fabled warrior met her match: a band of Pixar automobiles. Cars 3 let the good times roll. The estimated $53.5 million it earned […]
DC’s Superheroes are Super Spiritual
Wonder Woman isn’t just a pretty good superhero flick. It’s pretty spiritual, too. And it’s not just me saying that (though I did). Last Friday, Adam Holz linked to several stories that called out the film’s Christ symbolism and compared Wonder Woman’s clash with god-o’-war Ares with Christ’s temptation in the wilderness. All these messages […]
Wonder Woman Ties Up Mummy
Well, that’s a wrap. Never mind that Universal Pictures spent an estimated $125 million to make The Mummy. Or that it hired ageless action hero Tom Cruise to star in it. Or that it hopes to spin the movie into a superhero-like franchise populated with classic movie monsters. None of that mattered a whit to […]
Wonder Woman Lassos No. 1
In comic books and cartoons, Wonder Woman sometimes gets around via an invisible plane. But it turns out, she doesn’t need it to fly to some pretty lofty cinematic heights. Wonder Woman soared to the top of the box office this weekend, using those nifty bracelets of hers to deflect anyone who’d try to take […]
Pirates In-Arrr-guably the Weekend’s Top Movie
Ahoy there, ye readers! Hoping ye had a hearty holiday weekend. Many a mate stopped swabbin’ the deck and steered their ship leeward toward the movie theater, spending many a doubloon. And what movie did those landlubbers favor? Shiver me timbers! ‘Twas Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales! Johnny Depp’s latest yarn […]
Dear Star Wars: Happy Birthday! Sincerely, the Future You Created.
When I was just a wee lad wearing bell-bottoms back in 1977, I bounded into a tiny movie theater in New Mexico to watch a little film called Star Wars. And my 8-year-old mind was blown. I didn’t see it on opening day—May 25, 1977, exactly 40 years ago today. The film (now known to […]
Culture Clips: We’re Consuming More, More Media
Pssst! Hey, you. Yes, that’s right—you there, the one staring at me on that screen of yours. Just what do you think you’re doing? Well, I’ll tell you: You’re consuming media, that’s what. Right at this very second. And you’re hardly alone. According to a study by eMarketer, the average adult spends more than 12 […]
Alien Invades No. 1
The Guardians of the Galaxy have taken on some pretty tough hombres. They’ve conquered interdimensional beasties and egomaniacal warlords, gold-skinned warriors and really cranky relatives. But one alien has their number—for this weekend, at least. In a tight battle for supremacy, Alien: Covenant squeaked by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to face-hug the weekend’s […]
Culture Clips: A TV Wasteland?
You wouldn’t necessarily know it here in Colorado, but we’re creeping up on summer, a time when lots of scripted television shows go into hibernation and the networks roll out their cheesiest reality shows. Who’s up for Who Wants to Be a Battlebots Bachelor? Anyone? But before America’s TV execs dozed off for the season, […]
Give Us Our Uncomplicated Heroes, Hollywood!
Yesterday, I wrote about the spectacular implosion of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. Director Guy Ritchie was given $175 million to make a blockbuster for Warner Bros., and he did his best, saturating the screen with jarring camerawork; skyscraper-sized elephants; and a smirking, cynical tone. It was as hip and as self-aware as a […]