New Movies and Box Office Predictions: 10/15

This week's wide releases -
Law Abiding Citizen
The Stepfather
Where the Wild Things Are
Paranormal Activity


Halloween is drawing ever closer and the best, for the most part, horror you are going to find is on store shelves, or perhaps part of your own collection. However, if you thirst for big screen horror, you do have a good choice this weekend. I highly recommend the little movie that could called Paranormal Activity. It is opening wide this weekend and well worth your time. If that is not your speed, there are a couple other choices which look pretty snazzy.

Law Abiding Citizen. (2009, 1078 minutes, R, thriller) This is a movie whose trailer looks decent but nothing outstanding. What really sells it is the buzz that has swirled up around it. It seems that the movie is pretty crazy and much more than hinted at in the trailer. It all began with an AudioBoo post made by Dave Chen of /Film, which describes a unique film experience. Beyond that, there is the cast, Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx seem like a good pairing. On top of that, it is a revenge thriller, those tend to be fun.




The Stepfather. (2009, 101 minutes, PG-13, thriller) In 1987 there was a film about a stepfather with a secret, a dark sinister secret that played out in murderous fashion. 22 years later we are faced with a new take on he story, but instead of Terry O'Quinn we get Dylan Walsh. I cannot say the movie looks all that enticing, it seems more like a movie churned out in the hopes of making a buck. My suspicions seem to be confirmed by the fact the screenplay is from J.S. Cardone, whose recent output includes Prom Night and The Covenant (of course, he did write The Forsaken, a road vampire movie I liked). It is not high on my to see list, but if it lasts a couple of weeks I may give it a shot.



Where the Wild Things Are. (2009, 94 minutes, PG, fantasy) Based on the book by Maurice Sendak, Spike Jonze has brought the tale to life on the big screen in reportedly glorious fashion. Maurice Sendak has seen the film and has praised Jonze for putting his personal spin on the story while remaining true to the source. This is the story of a young misunderstood boy who finds escape in a magical land inhabited by the Wild Things, it is here that he learns that things are more complicated than he had imagined. I am really looking forward to this one.



Paranormal Activity. (2009, 99 minutes, R, horror) This is said to be one of, if not the, scariest movie of the year. The low budget flick has done well and many have lobbied for a wide release. It appears to have worked as the film is expanding this weekend. The movie concerns a young couple who have moved into a new home and believe things are happening. They set up cameras in hopes of catching evidence, however they are not prepared for what they find. It is genuinely creepy and completely effective in showing you what you need to see and nothing more. This is a triumph of super-low budget film making and I hope to see its success continue into its first week of wide release.



Also opening this week, but not near me:

• Black Dynamite
• The Janky Promoters
• New York, I Love You

Box Office Predictions
This is going to be an interesting weekend. Why? Well, the wide release of Paranormal Activity is going to see to it. The film is a fantastic slice of creepy, realistic fear and it is going to be interesting to see how it is received by the public at large after its killing in limited release last weekend. I am really hoping for a positive experience. Of course, the top of the chart is going to be owned by Spike Jonze's fantasy film. This is all before Saw 28 storms theaters next week.

Here is how I think it could play out.

Rank	Title	Box Office
1	Where the Wild Things Are	$35 million
2	Paranormal Activity	$23 million
3	Couples Retreat	$18 million
4	Law Abiding Citizen	$13.5 million
5	The Stepfather	$8.5 million
6	Zombieland	$7.5 million
7	Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs	$7 million
8	Toy Story 1 & 2 3D	$5 million
9	Surrogates	$2.5 million
10	Whip It	$1.5 million