Wednesday Roundup: The Monkey King, now streaming, and more (23 August 2023)

Welcome to the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. In this week’s edition, there is a review of the animated comedy The Monkey King. In addition, there is a box office update, the latest on streaming and a preview of the weekend.

Box office update

Barbie is at the top of the British and Irish box office for a fifth week. Over the weekend, it grossed £2.6 million. Oppenheimer remains close behind. In its fifth weekend, the film earned £2 million. In the past few days, it passed the $700 million mark at the global box office.

The highest new entry this week is superhero film Blue Beetle. With a weekend gross of £1.1 million, it finished at number three. As a consequence, it becomes the latest in a series of underperforming big-budget superhero films for the DC franchise.

In its third weekend, Meg 2: The Trench finished in fourth place. The shark-themed action film grossed £972,000 over the weekend. Strays completes the top five. In its opening weekend, the film earned £598,000.

Haunted Mansion dropped to seventh place. Across its second weekend of release, it grossed £517,000. Pixar Animation Studios’ Elemental remains inside the box office top ten seven weeks since release. A weekend gross of £387,00 earned ninth place.

Now streaming

The Monkey King premiered on Netflix this week. Inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, it is an animated family comedy. The story centres on the title character and his journey to achieve immortality. The voice cast includes Jimmy O. Yang, Bowen Yang and Jolie Hoang-Rappaport. In the next section, there is a full review.

Hacksaw Ridge (2016) is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Directed by Mel Gibson, it is a biographical war drama about the pacificist combat medic Desmond Doss. Andrew Garfield stars as Doss and the supporting cast includes Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey and Teresa Palmer. At the 89th Academy Awards, it was nominated for six awards and won two.

Gravity (2013) is also streaming on Prime. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star as a pair of astronauts whose spacecraft is destroyed while it orbits Earth. Upon its release, Gravity attracted widespread critical acclaim. At the 86th Academy Awards, it was nominated for ten awards and won seven, including Best Director for Alfonso Cuarón.

Review: The Monkey King

The Monkey King is an animated fantasy comedy directed by Anthony Stacchi. It is inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, published in the late sixteenth century. In the film, the title character sets out to become immortal with the help of a magical staff stolen from the Dragon King.

For most of the film, the Monkey King embarks on a quest to achieve immortality alongside a peasant girl named Lin. As part of this quest, he must slay one hundred demons and remove his name from the Scroll of Life and Death. Throughout their journey, the pair are pursued by the Dragon King as he attempts to reclaim his staff.

The decision to adapt this material for a family comedy is ambitious but it is mostly unsuccessful. The main problem is that the Monkey King is not a sympathetic protagonist. Throughout the film, he is rude and selfish. In spite of this, the audience is supposed to root for him all the way.

Problems with characterisation extend beyond the hero too. Lin, who accompanies the Monkey King on his quest, is intended to serve as the film’s emotional core. Unfortunately, the character is not properly developed and she ends up feeling like a compilation of existing tropes.

Poor writing affects the narrative too. Especially as the film progresses, the plot meanders and the third act feels incredibly confused. Enjoyable moments are scattered throughout the film but it does not come together as a whole. Despite a few bright moments, The Monkey King mostly falls short.

Coming this weekend

The Blackening is a comedy slasher based on a 2018 short film of the same name. Featuring an ensemble cast, it centres on a group of black Americans who are targeted by a killer while they are on holiday at a cabin in the woods. Released in North America earlier this year, it has been positively received by critics.

Theater Camp is a comedy based on a 2020 short film of the same name. Molly Gordon and Ben Platt lead the ensemble cast. The narrative centres on a theatre camp in northern New York state. Since premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, it has received critical praise.

Scrapper is a comedy drama, written and directed by Charlotte Regan. Harris Dickinson stars as a man who returns to the UK from abroad to live with his twelve-year-old daughter, after her mother dies. Earlier this year, the film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

Final comments

Thanks for reading the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. Let me know what you thought about this week’s edition and remember to subscribe to receive the latest updates.

James

Wednesday Roundup: Barbie and Oppenheimer cruise to a fourth week at the top, and more (16 August 2023)

Welcome to the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. In this edition, there is a box office update alongside the latest streaming releases and a preview for the coming weekend.

Box office update

Barbie extended its tenure at the top of the box office over the weekend. In its fourth week of release, the film earned £4.4 million. Oppenheimer remained in second place too, earning £3.1 million across its fourth weekend. Internationally it has become the seventh highest-grossing film of 2023.

For the second week in a row, Meg 2: The Trench is at number three. Once again kept out of the top two by Barbenheimer, the sequel grossed £1.5 million over the weekend. The highest-placing new entry this week is Gran Turismo. Based on the early life and career of Jann Mardenborough, the biographical drama earned £1 million.

Haunted Mansion is in fifth place. In its opening weekend, the comedy horror grossed £990,000. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is at number three. Into its third week of release, it grossed £795,000. Tamil-language thriller Jailer is a new entry in seventh place with a weekend gross of £727,000. In terms of global box office, it has become the second highest-grossing Indian film of the year.

Now streaming

Red, White & Royal Blue premiered on Amazon Prime Video over the weekend. Based on Casey McQuiston’s novel of the same name, it centres on the son of an American president and the son of a British monarch, who meet and fall in love. Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine star in the leading roles.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014) is now streaming on Prime. Starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, it is a science fiction film set in a future where aliens occupy continental Europe. Cruise portrays a solider fighting the aliens who finds himself caught in a time loop. Edge of Tomorrow is adapted from Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s 2004 novel All You Need Is Kill.

Gladiator (2000) is available now on Netflix. Ridley Scott’s historical epic stars Russell Crowe as Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius. Betrayed by Emperor Commodus, Maximus is sold into slavery and forced to become a gladiator. Among the film’s supporting cast are Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen and Oliver Reed- in his final role. A sequel film is scheduled to be released next year.

Coming this weekend

Strays is an American comedy with a voice cast including Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx. In the film, they voice feral dogs who team up to take revenge on a former owner. Will Forte, Isla Fisher and Randall Park feature among the supporting cast.

Blue Beetle is the latest instalment in the DC Extended Universe franchise. Xolo Maridueña stars as the title character, who becomes a superhero by hosting a symbiotic alien. The supporting cast includes Adriana Barraza and Damián Alcázar.

1973 crime drama Serpico will be re-released this week to celebrate the film’s fiftieth anniversary. Directed by legendary American director Sidney Lumet, it is based on the life of plainclothes police officer Frank Serpico. The narrative follows his attempts to deal with widespread corruption in the New York City Police Department.

Final comments

Thank you for reading the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. Let me know what you thought about any of the films mentioned this week and remember you can keep updated with the latest posts by subscribing below.

James

Wednesday Roundup: Barbenheimer on top for a third week, and more (9 August 2023)

Welcome to the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. In this edition, Barbenheimer claims a third week at the top of the box office. As usual, there is also a streaming update and a preview of the upcoming weekend.

Box office update

For the third weekend in a row, the box office was dominated by Barbie and Oppenheimer. Barbie remained in the number one spot with a weekend total of £7.9 million. With a global box office total of over $1 billion, it is currently the second highest-grossing film of the year. On top of that, it has become the top-grossing film of all time by a female director.

Oppenheimer grossed £5.4 million in its third weekend. As a result, it remains in second place at the box office. Oppenheimer’s global box office total now places it as the ninth-highest grossing film of the year.

In its opening weekend, Meg 2: The Trench finished at number three. With a weekend total of £3.7 million, it might have cracked the top two without the competition of the Barbenheimer phenomenon.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was another new entry. In fourth place, it grossed £3.6 million. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One remains inside the top five with a weekend gross of £1 million.

Joy Ride was at number seven. In its debut weekend, the comedy earned £389,000. Elsewhere in the top ten, Talk to Me grossed £253,000. In its second weekend, the supernatural horror finished in ninth place.

Now streaming

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. The dystopian action film is the fourth in the Mad Max franchise. Tom Hardy stars as the title character with Charlize Theron co-starring as the war captain Furiosa. A prequel film entitled Furiosa starring Anya Taylor-Joy is set to be released next year.

’71 (2014) is streaming on Netflix. Directed by Yann Demange, it centres on a British solider separated from his unit in Belfast during the Troubles. Jack O’Connell stars in the lead role. ’71 received critical praise and was nominated for a number of awards at the British Independent Film Awards.

Miss Congeniality (2000) is now streaming on Prime. Sandra Bullock stars in the action comedy as an FBI agent who goes undercover as a contestant at a beauty pageant. Michael Caine and Benjamin Bratt feature among the supporting cast.

Coming this weekend

Gran Turismo is released in cinemas this weekend. Directed by Neill Blomkamp, it is inspired by the true story of Jann Mardenborough. In 2011, he was given the opportunity to become a professional racing driver after showing his talent through the Gran Turismo series of video games. Archie Madekwe stars as Mardenborough in the film, while the supporting cast includes David Harbour and Orlando Bloom.

Haunted Mansion is a horror comedy based on the Disneyland attraction of the same name. It is the second film adaptation of the ride. The ensemble cast includes LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson and Danny DeVito as a team employed to rid the mansion of ghosts.

Seminal martial arts film Enter the Dragon is being re-released to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. Enter the Dragon was the final completed film of iconic Hong Kong-American martial artist Bruce Lee. In the film, Lee travels to the private island of a drug lord for a martial arts tournament.

Final comments

Thank you for reading the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. Let me know if you have any thoughts or comments on the films mentioned in this week’s roundup.

James

Wednesday Roundup: Barbenheimer’s dominance continues, a weekend preview, and more (2 August 2023)

Welcome back to the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. In this week’s roundup, Barbenheimer remains on top at the box office. As usual, there is a summary of the latest films available to stream and a preview for the upcoming weekend at the cinema.

Box office update

For the second weekend in a row, Barbie and Oppenheimer dominated at the box office. Barbie grossed £13.2 million to retain the number one spot. After only two weeks, it has already become the third-highest grossing film of the year internationally. Oppenheimer earned £8.2 million to comfortably remain in second place.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is at number three. Four weeks since its release, the seventh instalment in the spy franchise grossed £1.8 million. Dead Reckoning Part Two is set to be released in June next year.

The highest-placed debut this week is Talk to Me. In fifth place, the supernatural horror earned £643,000. Directed by brothers Danny and Michael Philippou, it finished just behind Pixar animation Elemental.

Insidious: The Red Door is at number eight four weeks since release. The horror sequel grossed £337,000. Ukrainian animated fantasy Mavka: The Forest Song finishes in fourteenth place. In its opening weekend, the film earned £54,000.

Now streaming

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now streaming on Disney+. Released in cinemas earlier this year, it is the third film in the Guardians of the Galaxy series. Like the two previous films in the series, it centres on a superhero team who protect the galaxy. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña and Dave Bautista are among the returning members of the ensemble cast. At present, it is the second-highest grossing film of this year.

V for Vendetta (2005) is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, it is a dystopian thriller starring Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving. In the film, the UK is being governed by a fascist regime. Weaving plays an anarchist freedom-fighter who seeks to overthrow the regime.

Groundhog Day (1993) is available on Netflix. Bill Murray stars as a weatherman who becomes trapped in a time loop on Groundhog Day. Directed by Harold Ramis, the supporting cast includes Andie MacDowell and Chris Elliott. Since its release, the film has been widely acclaimed and was voted the greatest comedy film ever by Empire magazine in 2017.

Coming this weekend

Meg 2: The Trench is a sequel to the 2018 film The Meg. Jason Statham returns in the starring role. Like the first film, Meg 2: The Trench follows a group of scientists exploring the depths of the ocean when they encounter a giant shark. The supporting cast includes Wu Jing, Sophia Cai and Page Kennedy.

The comedy Joy Ride stars Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu. It follows an adopted woman searching for her birth mother. Joy Ride is directed by Adele Lim and written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was released earlier this week. In the animated film, Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu and Brady Noon form the principal voice cast. The narrative centres on the title characters when they are teenagers battling an army of mutants.

Final comments

Thank you for reading the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. If you are not already subscribed, you can enter your email address below to be updated every time there is a new post. Let me know if you have any feedback on this week’s roundup or the website.

James

Wednesday Roundup: Barbenheimer at the box office, now streaming and more (26 July 2023)

Welcome to the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. In this edition, the focus is on “Barbenheimer”. The simultaneous release of Barbie and Oppenheimer has led to a record-breaking weekend at the box office. As well as that, there is the latest on streaming and a preview for the weekend.

Box office update

The Barbenheimer phenomenon prompted a bumper weekend at the UK box office. In its opening weekend, Barbie grossed £18.5 million to claim the top spot. In addition to beating out Oppenheimer, this is the biggest opening weekend for any film this year. Barbie overtakes The Super Mario Bros. Movie in this regard.

Oppenheimer earned £10.8 million in its debut weekend. As a result, it finishes in a strong second place. The combined performance of both films led to the most successful weekend at the UK box office since the pandemic. Screenings sold out in many cinemas. Odeon reported that at least 10,000 people watched both films across the opening weekend.

In third place at the box office is Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. In its second weekend, the film earned £2.8 million. Elemental grossed £1.4 million. Now in its third weekend, it finished in fourth place at the box office. With a total of £677,000, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny completes the top five.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse remains inside the box office top ten, eight weeks after its original release. Grossing £266,000, it finished at number seven. The animated superhero sequel is the fourth-highest grossing film of 2023 globally.

Now streaming

Science fiction comedy They Cloned Tyrone premiered on Netflix on Friday. Directed and co-written by Juel Taylor, it stars John Boyega, Teyonah Parris and Jamie Foxx. In the film, the trio attempt to uncover a cloning conspiracy. David Alan Grier and Kiefer Sutherland feature among the supporting cast.

How to Blow Up a Pipeline is new on Netflix. Based on a book of the same name written by Andreas Malm, it is an environmentalist thriller. In the film, a group of young people attempt to blow up an oil pipeline in Texas. Ariela Barer, Kristine Froseth and Lukas Gage are among the ensemble cast. After its cinematic release earlier this year, the film was acclaimed by critics.

Biographical drama Till is available on Amazon Prime Video. Danielle Deadwyler stars as Mamie Till. The film is based on Till’s pursuit of justice for the lynching of her 14-year-old son Emmett in 1955. Directed by Chinonye Chukwu, Till was widely acclaimed upon release last year.

Deadwyler was nominated for numerous awards for her performance, including the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. When she did not receive an Oscar nomination, it sparked a conversation about systemic racism.

Coming this weekend

Mavka: The Forest Song is an English-language Ukrainian animated fantasy film. Inspired by Ukrainian mythology, the film is based on the play The Forest Song by Lesya Ukrainka. Laurie Hymes voices the title character in the English dub of the film. When it premiered in Ukraine earlier this year, Mavka: The Forest Song broke box office records for the number of admissions.

Talk to Me is an Australian supernatural horror film directed by Danny and Michael Philippou. Starring Sophie Wilde, the film centres on a group of friends who find they are able to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand. Alexandra Jensen and Joe Bird feature among the supporting cast.

Final comments

Thank you for reading the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. If you have any feedback on this week’s edition, please let me know!

James

Wednesday Roundup: Mission: Impossible at the top of the box office, a weekend preview, and more (19 July 2023)

Welcome to the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. In this week’s roundup, there is a box office update, streaming latest and a preview for this weekend.

Box office update

In its debut weekend, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is at the top of the box office. With a total of £10.3 million, it was able to push Elemental into second place. The animated romantic comedy earned £2.4 million in its second weekend.

At number three, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny grossed £1.7 million. Supernatural horror Insidious: The Red Door is in fourth place. In its second weekend, the film earned £1.5 million. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse remains inside the top five in its seventh week since release.

Eight weeks since its release, The Little Mermaid grossed £367,000. The musical remake is at number six at the box office. After five weeks, The Flash is in twelfth place with a weekend total of £76,000. A new entry at number thirteen is Lost in the Stars. In its opening weekend, the Chinese mystery thriller earned £76,000.

Now streaming

Bird Box Barcelona (2023) premiered on Netflix last week. The post-apocalyptic horror film is a spin-off sequel to the 2018 film Bird Box. The cast of the film includes Mario Casas, Naila Schuberth, Georgina Campbell and Diego Calva. In the film, mysterious beings compel people to commit suicide upon seeing them.

Dune (2021) is available on Amazon Prime Video. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, it is based on the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. The ensemble cast is led by Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson. At the 94th Academy Awards, the film won six awards. A sequel entitled Dune: Part Two will be released in November this year.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) is now streaming on Netflix. Shameik Moore provides the voice of Miles Morales, a teenager who develops superpowers after he is bitten by a radioactive spider. Upon its original release, the film received universal acclaim for its distinctive visual style. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, a sequel to the film, is currently showing in cinemas.

Coming this weekend

Barbie is the first live-action film based on the Barbie series of dolls produced by Mattel. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling star as Barbie and Ken, who are expelled from Barbie Land and sent into the real world. Two-time Academy Award-nominee Greta Gerwig has directed the film and written it alongside Noah Baumbach.

Oppenheimer is the latest film from acclaimed British filmmaker Christopher Nolan. Based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus, it is an epic about the life of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer was the director of the Manhattan Project, which developed the world’s first nuclear weapons. Cillian Murphy stars as the title character and the ensemble supporting cast includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. and Florence Pugh.

The Secret Kingdom is a fantasy adventure film. Written and directed by Matt Drummond, it centres on brother and sister Peter and Verity as they enter a fantasy world. Sam Everingham and Alyla Browne feature in the starring roles.

Final comments

Thank you for reading the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema! Feel free to share your thoughts on any of the films mentioned in this post, or anything else about the website. Remember to subscribe below if you would like to be notified whenever there is a new post.

James

Wednesday Roundup: Elemental, a close fight at the box office, and more (12 July 2023)

Welcome to the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. In this week’s roundup, there is a review of the new animated film Elemental. On top of that, there is the usual box office update, streaming latest and preview for this weekend.

Box office update

The battle at the top of the box office was incredibly close this weekend. In its debut weekend, Elemental grossed £3,049,002. The total was enough to earn top place but only by £2,775. In second place, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny grossed £ 3,046,227. Elemental’s total was boosted slightly by a select number of preview screenings.

Supernatural horror Insidious: The Red Door debuted at number three. Over the weekend, the film earned £2.2 million. Now in its sixth weekend, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse continues to perform strongly. A weekend total of £964,000 was enough for fourth place. Seven weeks after release, The Little Mermaid remains inside the top five.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken dropped down to eighth place. In its second weekend, the animated adventure comedy earned £296,000. The only other new entrant in the top fifteen was French comedy Smoking Causes Coughing. In its first weekend, the film grossed £29,000 to finish at number fifteen.

Now streaming

Epic Tails is now available on Netflix. The animated family comedy was released in cinemas earlier this year. Produced by French studio TAT Productions, it is about a group of adventuring animals in Ancient Greece. The voice cast for the English dub includes Rob Beckett, Giovanna Fletcher and Josh Widdecombe.

Streaming now on Disney+ is The Hate U Give (2017). Based on the Angie Thomas novel of the same name, it follows high school student Starr after she witnesses a police shooting. Starr is played by Amandla Stenberg and the film is directed by George Tillman Jr.

Romantic musical La La Land (2016) is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, it follows a jazz musician and an aspiring actress living in Los Angeles. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone co-star. At the 89th Academy Awards, the film received a record fourteen nominations and won six awards. For many though, it is best known for an Oscar it did not win. During the ceremony, La La Land was incorrectly announced as the Best Picture winner. After some confusion, Moonlight was confirmed as the actual winner.

Review: Elemental

Elemental is the twenty-seventh feature film from Pixar Animation Studios. Directed by Peter Sohn, it is set in a world where anthropomorphic elements live alongside each other in Element City. The voice cast includes Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie and Ronnie del Carmen.

The story centres on two young elements. Ember is a fire person from Fire Town, an immigrant neighbourhood on the outskirts of Element City. Living with her parents, Ember works in the convenience store that she is set to inherent when her father retires. Wade is a water person who lives in a wealthy region of Element City and works as a city inspector.

Elemental’s central premise is clear from the start. Ember and Wade represent a variation on the star-crossed lovers motif. From different cultures and backgrounds, they meet and fall in love despite their differences. In particular, the story draws on the experiences of American children of immigrants.

As ought to be expected with this narrative, Elemental presents the challenges that Ember experiences too. At the beginning of the film, she views Element City as a hostile place populated by people who don’t understand her. The design of the city and the Fire Town neighbourhood is clearly inspired by real-life cities, especially New York.

Although these are compelling themes and ideas, Elemental does not scratch beyond the surface. On the whole, the narrative feels as though it is an assemblage of different pieces that do not come together in a completely satisfying way. Throughout the film, there is a lack of true emotional investment.

The immense success of Pixar’s early films means that they are expected to reach high standards. Elemental is a well-made and enjoyable animated romantic comedy. In reality though, we expect more from a Pixar film and it does not meet those expectations.

Coming this weekend

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One was released on Monday this week. Tom Cruise returns for the seventh instalment in the Mission: Impossible series. In the latest film, his crew faces a mysterious enemy called “the Entity”. Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson feature among the large supporting cast.

Lost in the Stars is a Chinese mystery thriller. Zhu Yilong stars as a man whose wife mysteriously disappears during an anniversary trip. The film is directed by Cui Rui and Liu Xiang. The narrative is adapted from the 1990 Soviet comedy film A Trap for Lonely Man.

Final comments

Thank you for reading the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema! Please accept my apologies that this edition was posted later than usual. Remember to let me know if you have any thoughts on the films mentioned in this week’s roundup!

James

Wednesday Roundup: Wham!, the latest on streaming, and more (5 July 2023)

Welcome back to the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. In this edition, there is a review of the new documentary film Wham! about the 1980s pop duo of the same name. As always, there is a box office update. Plus, the newest releases on streaming and a preview for this weekend.

Box office update

In its debut weekend, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny earned £7.1 million at the box office. As a result, the fifth Indiana Jones adventure tops the box office. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is back in second place five weeks after its release. Over the weekend, it earned £1.1 million.

At number three is Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. In its opening weekend, it earned £885,000. Asteroid City dropped only a single place to number five. In its second weekend, it grossed £799,000.

Three weeks after its original release, The Flash dropped down to seventh place. Over the weekend, it grossed £619,000. At number fourteen, The Super Mario Bros Movie continues to hang on towards the top of the box office. Thirteen weeks since release, it made £63,000 over the weekend.

Now streaming

Wham! is a music documentary premiering on Netflix today. Using archive footage and interviews with the band, it tells the story of Wham!’s rise to stardom in the early 1980s. A review of the film follows in the next section.

The Squid and the Whale (2005) is available now on Netflix. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, it centres on two boys dealing with their parents’ divorce in 1986. The cast includes Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline. At the time of its original release, the film received widespread critical acclaim. Baumbach was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 78th Academy Awards and won numerous critics’ awards.

1995 crime epic Casino is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. The film was the eighth collaboration between actor Robert De Niro and director Martin Scorsese. Based on the book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi, it centres on the intersection between gambling and organised crime in Las Vegas. Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci co-star alongside De Niro.

The Apartment (1960) is available on Prime too. Starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine and Fred MacMurray, it centres on an insurance clerk who allows his colleagues to use his apartment for extramarital affairs. Billy Wilder directed the film and co-wrote it alongside I. A. L. Diamond. Since its release, The Apartment has been hailed as among the greatest films of all time and won Best Picture at the 33rd Academy Awards.

Review: Wham!

Wham! is a new documentary film about the 1980s pop band composed of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. Directed by Chris Smith, it is composed of archive footage and interviews with the band members.

Wham! covers the period from Michael and Ridgeley meeting at school to the band’s farewell concert in 1986. The film’s framing device is a series of scrapbooks kept by Ridgeley’s mother covering the period from the band’s formation through their early success to their eventual split.

With a runtime of slightly more than 90 minutes, Wham! tell its story swiftly. The visual style is inspired by the band’s 80s pop image. Wham! songs are used throughout to remind the audience of what made this band as successful as they were. Through interviews with Michael and Ridgeley, the film sheds light on the recording of their biggest hits.

For most people, George Michael is the protagonist of the Wham! story. Despite its relatively brief runtime, the film does a good job capturing Michael’s transition from a shy teenager to an international pop icon. At the same time, it identifies the internal struggle this created for him, especially regarding his sexuality.

Ridgeley’s role in the band is often diminished. The documentary highlights the close personal friendship between the two men dating back to childhood. The dynamic of the relationship is not explored in great detail but it is obvious that the two relied upon each other throughout Wham!’s existence.

The band’s reputation has only grown since their split. For long-time fans, this documentary is not going to reveal much new information. For casual viewers though, it is a satisfying trip through Wham!’s incredible, international success.

Coming this weekend

The latest film from Pixar Animation Studios Elemental is released this weekend. Directed by Peter Sohn, it centres on a pair of anthropomorphic elements who meet and fall in love despite their differences. The voice cast includes Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie and Ronnie del Carmen.

Supernatural horror Insidious: The Red Door is the fifth instalment in the Insidious franchise. Patrick Wilson makes his directorial debut in addition to starring alongside Ty Simpkins and Rose Byrne. A direct sequel to Insidious: Chapter 2, it is set ten years after the end of the previous film.

Final comments

Thank you for reading the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema! Please let me know if you have any thoughts on the films mentioned in this week’s edition. Remember that you can subscribe below to receive updates whenever there is a new post.

James

Wednesday Roundup: Asteroid City, box office update, and more (28 June 2023)

Welcome to the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. In this edition, there is a review of Asteroid City, the latest film from Wes Anderson. As always, there is also a box office update, the latest streaming releases and a preview for the upcoming weekend in cinemas.

Box office update

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse returned to the top of the box office this weekend. Four weeks since its release, the film earned £1.9 million. In doing so, it pushed The Flash into second place. In its second weekend, the superhero film grossed £1.3 million.

In its opening weekend, Asteroid City earned £1.1 million. The total was enough to finish in fourth place at the box office. A review of the film follows later in this week’s roundup. The Little Mermaid earned £1 million this weekend to finish at number five.

Greatest Days dropped to seventh place in its second weekend. The jukebox musical grossed £195,000. After twelve weeks, The Super Mario Bros. Movie remains inside the box office top fifteen. Over the weekend, it earned £89,000.

Now streaming

Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women’s Sport is a documentary that premiered on Netflix this week. The documentary covers the surge in interest in women’s sport over the past few years. At the same time, it addresses the challenges that women and girls still face in sport.

Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical is also available on Netflix. Released at the end of last year, it is based on the stage musical. In this adaption, Alisha Weir stars as the title character. Among the supporting cast are Emma Thompson as Miss Trunchbull and Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey.

1998 superhero film Blade is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Wesley Snipes stars as the title character. Blade is part-human and part-vampire, as well as a skilled martial artist. In the film, he sets out to hunt vampires. After the success of the original film, Snipes started in two sequels.

Review: Asteroid City

Asteroid City is the latest film from American filmmaker Wes Anderson. Like many of Anderson’s previous films, it features a large ensemble cast. Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson are the principal leads. The supporting cast includes Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright and Tilda Swinton.

The plot is split between two interconnected stories. The narrative is organised around a television special about the events surrounding the creation of a fictional play entitled Asteroid City. The fictional television special is interwoven with the events of the play, set at the fictional 1955 Junior Stargazer convention.

At the centre of the film are war photographer Augie Steenbeck and actress Midge Campbell, played by Schwartzman and Johansson. Both are single parents accompanying their genius children to the convention. From their first interaction, there is a clear affinity between the two characters, rooted in a shared loneliness.

At the same time as their parents, Dinah Campbell and Woodrow Steenbeck develop a connection. Played by Grace Edwards and Jake Ryan, the pair are among five children being recognised for their inventions. Anderson’s films frequently contain coming-of-age stories. Dinah and Woodrow fulfil that role here.

Asteroid City’s retro-futuristic setting allows it to comment on the past and the present. Repressed emotions are a recurring theme throughout the film. Maya Hawke portrays a young schoolteacher trying to hide her feelings for a travelling musician, for example.

Not every instance is that straightforward though. Tom Hanks plays the father of Augie’s recently deceased wife. Both men recognise each other’s pain but they are not able to express it. Rather than comfort each other, they struggle to hold a proper conversation about their common grief.

Casual violence pervades Asteroid City. As guests eat in the local diner, their conversations are interrupted by atom bomb tests or police chases. Once they have received their awards, the teenagers’ inventions become the property of the United States military. Although not the focus, these ideas are scattered throughout the film.

Anderson’s sense of humour is present too. Despite the themes he introduces, there is a constant thread of whimsy. For some people, this might mark Asteroid City as tonally confused. For me, it appears calculated. As always, there is the carefully-crafted visual style that has become his trademark.

Needless to say the ensemble cast work brilliantly together. Special praise is due to Scarlett Johansson for carrying much of the film’s emotional weight. Asteroid City is unlikely to bring sceptics over to the Wes Anderson cause. If you enjoy his eccentricities though, it is among his most accomplished works.

Coming this weekend

The fifth film in the Indiana Jones series is Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Harrison Ford returns for his final portrayal of the whip-cracking, fedora-wearing adventurer.

In the latest film, Jones searches for the Archimedes Dial alongside Helena Shaw. John Rhys-Davies and Karen Allen reprise their roles from previous films in the series. New cast members include Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Antonio Banderas.

Animated adventure Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is released this weekend too. Lara Condor provides the voice of the title character. Gillman is a teenager who discovers that she is descended from a line of krakens who defend the world from mermaids. Toni Collete and Jane Fonda feature among the supporting cast.

Final comments

As always, thank you for reading the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. In the next couple of weeks, I hope to have an additional post reflecting on the first six months of this year at the cinema. In the meantime, remember that you can subscribe below.

James

Wednesday Roundup: Superheroes battle at the box office, and more (21 June 2023)

Welcome to the latest Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. In this edition, two superheroes battle for top spot at the box office. Plus, the latest streaming releases and a weekend preview.

Box office update

The number one film at the box office this weekend was The Flash. In its opening weekend, the latest film in the DC Extended Universe franchise earned £4.5 million. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is in second place. In its third weekend, the animated superhero adventure earned £2.6 million.

In its second weekend, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts falls to fourth place at the box office. Over the weekend, it grossed £1.1 million. Greatest Days is a new entry at number five. The jukebox musical earned £536,000 in its opening weekend.

In its debut weekend, Adipurush finished sixth at the box office. Produced for a budget of ₹500 crore (approximately £48 million), it is among the most expensive Indian productions of all time. The Super Mario Bros. Movie remains inside the top ten. Eleven weeks after its release, the film grossed £93,000.

Now streaming

Extraction 2 recently premiered on Netflix. Directed by Sam Hargrave, it is a sequel to the 2020 film Extraction. Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani and Adam Bessa reprise their roles from the original film. The story centres on Hemsworth’s character Tyler Rake as he leads his team on another mission.

Also available on Netflix is There Will Be Blood (2007). Daniel Day-Lewis stars as a businessman amid the late nineteenth century oil boom in southern California. Directed by acclaimed American filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, it is often regarded as his masterwork.

At the 80th Academy Awards, There Will Be Blood was nominated for eight Oscars. It won two awards including the Academy Award for Best Actor for Day-Lewis. In 2019, it was selected as the greatest film of the 21st century by The Guardian.

The Witches (1990) is now available on Amazon Prime Video. The film is based on the 1983 Roald Dahl of the same name. The story centres on a group of evil witches who masquerade as ordinary women. Directed by Nicolas Roeg, Anjelica Huston stars as the Grand High Witch.

Coming this weekend

Perhaps the most anticipated release this weekend is Asteroid City, the latest film from director Wes Anderson. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival last month, it centres on a Junior Stargazer convention in 1955. Like many of Anderson’s films, it features a large ensemble cast. Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks are among the stars included.

No Hard Feelings is a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman. In the film, two parents hire a young woman to help bring their introverted teenage son out of his shell. Lawrence is a co-producer on the film and it is directed by Gene Stupnitsky.

The Wicker Man is being re-released in cinemas to commemorate its fiftieth anniversary. The folk horror film has attracted a cult following since its original release and has been acclaimed as among the greatest British films of all time. Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee feature among the cast and Robin Hardy directed the film.

Final comments

Thank you for reading the Wednesday Roundup from Burning Down the Cinema. I hope you have enjoyed this edition of the roundup. Remember to subscribe below if you would like to be notified whenever there is a new post!

James