Cinema Chat: “Venom’s Big Weekend”, Special Screening “Soul”, “No Time to Die”, and more
The leaves are starting to fall and more and more films are falling in theaters! WEMU’s David Fair sat down with Michigan Theater Foundation Executive Director Russ Collins to discuss the film news of the week and new films on screen.
“VENOM: LET THE BE CARNAGE” BIG 90 MILLION DOLLARS, THE BEST OPENING SINCE “STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER”
The sequel to “Venom” and “Addams Family 2” did better than expected, while “The Many Saints of Newark” underperformed.
Finally, we have the movie that saved the cinema and it’s… “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”? No single movie can restore the box office to pre-pandemic levels on its own, but the Sony title opened for $ 90 million in North America – in short, exactly what history tells us. ‘expect Marvel’s character sequel.
Pre-opening estimates of $ 40 million to $ 60 million did not hint at this outcome. Instead, Andy Serkis’ film, with Tom Hardy reprising his role as a reporter with superpowers acquired from aliens, became the first most significant weekend since “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” in December. 2019. And at $ 130 million, this weekend also represents the highest box office total since mid-February 2020. Beyond gross receipts, here is what could be a key indication that normalcy is. in sight: “Carnage” grossed 12% more than “Venom” when it opened for exactly three years. On average, openings for the first Marvel character sequels have an 18% increase over the originals. However, “The Many Saints of Newark” was a big disappointment – played simultaneously in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. Streaming hurts the impact on movie theaters and sales, while not increasing streaming activity. Streaming many movies reduces a revenue opportunity for filmmakers and studios. It is indeed a brave new world!
OPENING DOWNTOWN
“No time to die” – OPENS THIS EVENING TO THE STATE AND TO THE MULTIPLEX
A 2021 Anglo-American spy film and the 25th in the James Bond series stars Daniel craig in his fifth and final outing as a fictional British MI6 agent. It is led by Cary Fukunaga from a scenario of Phoebe Waller-Pont and others, including Fukunaga. Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie harris, Jeffrey wright, Christoph Waltz, Rory kinnear, and Ralph fiennes reprise their roles from previous films, with Rami malek, plays a classic Bond opponent. The film’s release has been delayed for more than a year by the COVID-19 pandemic. The film received strong positive reviews from critics, who hailed it as a fitting and compelling sendoff to the Craig era of the Bond films.
“Lamb” – OPEN ON FRIDAY 8 OCTOBER IN MICHIGAN
A 2021 Icelandic supernatural horror film starring Noomi Raptor (“The girl with the dragon tattoo”), and the marks Valdimar Jóhannssondirector’s first feature film. A childless couple in the Icelandic countryside makes an alarming discovery one day in their fold. They soon face the consequences of defying the will of nature, in this dark and atmospheric folk tale.
CITY CENTER SPECIAL SCREENINGS
“Soul” – ONLY ONE NIGHT! TONIGHT IN MICHIGAN (AND IT’S FREE !!)
With an in-person chat with co-director and screenwriter Kemp Powers!
What makes you … YOU? The all-new feature film from Pixar Animation Studios features Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie foxx) – a college orchestra teacher who has the chance of a lifetime to play in the best jazz club in town. But one small misstep brings him from the streets of New York to The Great Before – a fantastic place where new souls get their personalities, quirks, and interests before they go to Earth. Determined to get back to his life, Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22 (voiced by Tina Fey), who never understood the appeal of the human experience. As Joe desperately tries to show 22 what’s good in life, he just might find the answers to some of life’s most important questions.
Made by the winner of the Academy Award® Pete Doctor (“Inside Out”, “Up”), co-directed by Powers of Kemp (“A Night in Miami”), written by Kemp Powers & Mike jones, and produced by Oscar nominee Dana murray (Pixar short film “Lou”), the film also features the vocal talents of Phylicia rashad, Questlove, and Daveed Diggs. It features original jazz music by a world famous musician Jon batiste, and the Oscar® winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (“The Social Network”), by Nine Inch Nails, composed an original score that drifts between the real world and the world of the soul.
“One night in Miami …” – ONLY ONE NIGHT! FRIDAY 8 OCTOBER IN MICHIGAN
With an in-person chat with screenwriter Kemp Powers! Realized by King Regina.
On an incredible night in 1964, four icons of sport, music and activism came together to celebrate one of the biggest upheavals in boxing history. When the outsider Cassius Clay, soon to be called Muhammad Ali, (Eli Goree), defeated heavyweight champion Sonny Liston at Miami Convention Hall, Clay commemorated the event with three of his friends: Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge).
ALFRED HITCHCOCK SERIES – Fridays
LATE EVENING – Fridays at 9:30 p.m.
CONTINUE DOWNTOWN
Winner of the Palme d’Or Cannes 2021 (Spike Lee, president of the jury), from the director Julia ducournau (“Raw”), this thriller follows a series of unexplained crimes. A 2021 body horror thriller written and directed by Julia Ducournau. It stars Agathe Rousselle as a serial killer who gets pregnant after having sex in a car. A BBC review called it “the most shocking movie of 2021”. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on July 13, 2021, where Ducournau became the second director to win the Palme d’Or, the film’s highest honor.
Based on his 2015 bestseller, renowned forester and author Peter Wohlleben deals with the life, death and regeneration of trees.
Germany’s entry into the 2022 Oscars for Best International Feature Film. In order to obtain funds for his research, Alma (Maren Eggert) is persuaded to participate in an extraordinary study. For three weeks she is forced to live with Tom (Dan Stevens), a humanoid robot designed to be the perfect life partner for her, suited to her character and needs. This film is a playful romance about relationships, love, and what it means to be human in the modern age.
The screening was hosted for students, faculty and staff of the University of Michigan by graduates of UM (of the acclaimed musical theater program of Benj Pasek and Justin paul, who wrote the music and lyrics for this award-winning Broadway hit. It opened at the Music Box Theater (designed by C. Howard Crane, who designed our own State Theater) in 2016. It was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning six, including Best Actor in a Leading Role. in a musical for Ben platt, Best Actress in a Musical for Rachel Bay Jones, Best Musical and Best Score. The film stars Ben Platt, who also starred in the Broadway production.
“Shang-Chi and the legend of the ten rings”
Based on the Marvel comics featuring the character Shang-Chi, this is the 25th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It stars Simu liu like Shang-Chi alongside Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Fala Chen, Benedict wong, Michelle yeoh, Ben kingsley, and Tony Leung. In the film, Shang-Chi is forced to confront his past after being drawn into his father’s Ten Rings organization.
This is the first Marvel Studios film with an Asian director (Destiny Daniel Cretton) and a predominantly Asian distribution. The film received positive reviews from critics, praising the film’s fight choreography, its exploration and portrayal of Asian culture, and the performances (especially those by Simu Liu and Tony Leung).
CITY CENTER COMING SOON
“Dune” – OPEN ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22 IN MICHIGAN WITH ADVANCED SCREENING ON OCTOBER 21!
From the director Denis Villeneuve, journey of a mythical and emotionally charged hero, this film tells the story of Paul Atréides (Timothée Chalamet), a bright and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his comprehension, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to secure the future of his family and people. As evil forces explode in conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource that exists – a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential – only those who can overcome their fear will survive.
“The French Dispatch” – THE NEW WES ANDERSON FILM OPENS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5
A 2021 American comedy-drama anthology film written, directed and produced by Wes anderson of a story he designed with Roman coppole, Hugo guinness, and Jason schwartzman. The film stars an ensemble cast starring Benicio del Toro, Adrien brody, Tilda swinton, Léa Seydoux, Francoise McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna khoudri, Jeffrey wright, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Bill Murray, and Owen Wilson. Its plot follows three different storylines, as the French foreign office of a fictional Kansas newspaper creates its final issue. The shooting took place between November 2018 and March 2019, with cinematographer Robert Yeoman, in the city of Angoulême, France. Following a postponement, the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on July 12, 2021.
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– David Fair is the news director of UEMU and the host of Morning Edition on UEMO. You can contact David at 734.487.3363, on Twitter @DavidFairWEMU, or send him an e-mail at [email protected]
