Weirdly enough, there were well over a dozen new releases this weekend, even if it a few of them made anything resembling “money” in terms of domestic grosses. Nonetheless, this episode offers a slew of tangents including…
The comparative cultural rehabilitation of Chris Nolan’s Interstellar, at least in terms of online nitpicking versus critical and real-world approval
The value of putting old(er) classics back into wide theatrical release
Why Y2K was DOA
Bruce Willis’ complicated 2010s filmography
Our critical complaints with Gladiator II
Michelle Kisner (and Lisa Laman) raving about The Brutalist
Oh, right, TheMovieSleuth’s Michelle Kisner, a card-carrying (and founding) member of the Michigan Movie Critics Guild, stopped by as a special guest as Jeremy took the week off. So this week it’s Scott, Lisa and Michelle in a conventionally unconventional episode that somehow found more to talk about in regard to those Johnny English movies than about Moana 2.
In terms of the written word…
Jeremy Fuster offered a deep dive into the plan to spend (at least) $2.2 billion over the next few years to get major multiplex chains back into top shape.
Lisa Laman dug into the queer history of The Twilight Saga.
Ryan Scott’s “Tales from the Box Office” discusses the 45th anniversary of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and how its objectively huge grosses ($139 million in 1979) still felt disappointing amid a very big budget, a mixed reception (I’d argue it’s among the better “odd-numbered Star Trek films” by default) and comparisons to the likes of Star Wars and Superman: The Movie.
Michelle Kisner’s most recent review is for Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu (spoiler, she liked it more than I did, and that’s okay).
And Scott Mendelson explains why, even amid sky-high grosses for sequels and prequels, Disney should see Wicked’s blow-out success as a warning both in terms of their rivals doing what they used to do so well and the newer, pop culture-dominating franchises coming from everywhere except Disney.
As always, if you like what you hear, like, share, comment, and smash (using a cartoon mallet) that subscribe button with every justified ounce of strength and passion. If you want to bother us and offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or offer ideas for bonus episodes, ping us at Asktheboxofficepod@gmail.com.
Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap
Lisa Laman - Looper, Cultress, Comic Book and Autostraddle
Ryan C. Scott - SlashFilm and Fangoria
Michelle Kisner - TheMovieSlueth
Share this post