philmguy

CALLER: Hey Phil, do you watch "Ebert & Roeper"?

ME: Yes.

CALLER: You should take a cue from them. They rated the new "X-Men" as the best one out of all the "X-Men." You only gave it one star.

ME: So you're telling me I should change my mind because Ebert and Roeper have a different opinion than me?

CALLER: You should study more.

ME: What do you recommend that I study that would make me like "X-Men" more?

Want to know the secret of the ridiculous $102.8 million weekend box office haul for "X-Men: The Last Stand"? It's got nothing to do with quality, word of mouth or even a shrewd marketing campaign by Fox. Nope, the only reason it made so much money is because there are so many damn characters in the film. Each and every one of the 1.028 million X-Men depicted onscreen had 100 friends and family me

Forget the sophomore slump. When it comes to movie franchises, it's all about the junior jinx. Think "The Godfather Part III," "Superman 3," "Batman Forever" and "The Matrix Revolutions," and you'll have an idea of what you're in for with "X-Men: The Last Stand."

That this is the final "X-Men" movie I don't quite buy - the ending leaves a fourth movie pretty much guaranteed - but if this is the way the cinematic iteration of the mutant heroes goes down, it will be an ugly death indeed.

Judging from the $77 million weekend take by "The Da Vinci Code," religious boycotts didn't do much to hurt the film, and nor did the onslaught of unjustified poor reviews. The weekend proves that except in the case of weird public displays of scientology, there's no such thing as bad publicity.

What's that song I hear bumpin' in the background? That's right, "Eye of the Tiger." MGM announced yesterday that the long-awaited (at least by me) sixth chapter in the Rocky saga, "Rocky Balboa," will now be released Dec. 22 instead of Feb. 7. This is news so wonderful it has me doing one-armed push-ups and jumping up and down atop the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

I've been primed for this movie ever since the release of "Rocky V" in 1990, and especially so since my 1999 interview with Rocky. I always suspected writer/director Sylvester Stallone had one more sliver of genius remaining in him, and the studio is showing tremendous confidence in him by moving the film to an Oscar-friendly release date.

Just got back from the Tucson screening of "The Da Vinci Code," and I'm thinking there must be something nasty in the Cannes water to render all those critics unable to appreciate such a fine, exciting film. Tom Hansk grease mullet aside, the film captures the pulpy, page-turning mojo of the Dan Brown novel.

Forget what you've read and see the movie for yourself. I'm betting you'll be happy wi

Hollywood Elsewhere megablogger Jeffrey Wells is one of the first to chime in on whether "The Da Vinci Code" packs the goods to back up its hype. His very brief analysis after having caught the first screening at Cannes is that the film is a disappointment, saying "it's not that good" and it "doesn't lift off the runway." The revelation doesn't much surprise me, but now at least I can lumber into my 10 a.m.

Grizzled critics rarely get excited about seeing a specific new movie. We're such a jaded lot that most hyped-up blockbusters zip by with all the intrigue of a passing stoplight. Getting amped for a new movie for a critic is like a garbage man rubbing his hands in anticipation of the next row of garbage bins, or a crack whore excited for her next... hit of crack.

Yet these five flicks have managed to penetrate my defenses and get me genuinely hyped up. Of course this means these five also all have the greatest chance of letting me down.

Even though I liked "Mission: Impossible III," I can't help but enjoy watching it fail at the box office. Studio estimates say the would-be $150 million-budget blockbuster pulled in only $47.7 million over the weekend.

It was a solid, fun film, but I've just got to face that although I like Tom Cruise as an actor, Tom Cruise the person just annoys me.

From a LucasArts press release:
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (May 4, 2006) — Star Warsâ„¢ fans across the galaxy will experience the excitement and adventure of the Star Wars Trilogy as never before on Sept. 12, thanks to the premiere of LEGO® Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy; a new lineup of toys; and an event they’ve been asking to see for years: the DVD debuts of the original versions of the three movies that introduced audiences to the Star Wars saga.