Picked a heckuva week to start this feature! There is only one major national release, the almighty Shrek 2. To say that this will do big box office this weekend is like saying Saddam Hussein is a bad man. This is the largest opening release ever, it will be showing on 4163 screens (count courtesy of boxofficemojo.com).
From what I have been reading, most critics seem to have enjoyed it, although most say it isn't at the same level as the first one. Of course this is a common occurrence, because, to me anyway, when you see a first movie, it is a lot more magical, there is more room for surprises and suspense, the characters are new. In the sequel, you have to try to make it bigger because you already know the primaries, so others need to be added in an attempt to recapture the magic. Of course, it doesn't always succeed, witness the disaster that was Men in Black II or Speed 2: Cruise Control. On the other hand, there are sequels that can outshine their originals, examples would be The Empire Strikes Back and X2. My sister has already seen this one and has given it her stamp of approval, lately I have been waiting a few days in an effort to avoid crowds. I am very much looking forward to this. I also still have to see one from last week, Troy.
There is one other film opening in my area for the first time, it's called Oscar Shorts. It is probably called that by default as it is what the title states, it is a collection of Oscar nominated live action and animated shorts. I am hoping to get the chance to see this. It is playing at the local art house theater, Upstate Films, which is about 30 miles north from me. It is a nice little place to see a movie, having only 2 screens and specializes in independent, foreign, and documentary films.
There are a few more indie films opening in New York, and Los Angeles. This column will focus on the main features, plus the smaller films that I am interested in. Hopefully you will find it useful?
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