‘Ride Along’ to run over ‘I, Frankenstein’

Last weekend’s top earner, Ride Along, is once again expected to finish first in this coming weekend’s box-office race. I, Frankenstein is the only new major release bowing today, accompanied by expectations that are very, very low. As of this morning the film had a 0% rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with most critics panning the incredibly loose adaptation of the Mary Shelley story for its bland premise and script. Frankenstein’s marketing has been trying to draw connections between the Aaron Eckhart vehicle and the popular Kate Beckinsale series Underworld, a franchise whose four films have all opened to over $20 million. But the comparison does not work in Frankenstein’s favor – savvy fans will likely call the movie’s blend of action and fantasy “rehashed” as opposed to “re-enlivened.” I, Frankenstein is currently tracking in the $10 million range (though some pundits are predicting returns as high as $15 million), whereas Ride Along is in a position to rake in another $20 million.

With a much smaller release (384 theatres to I, Frankenstein’s 2,753), the Vanessa Hudgens movie Gimme Shelter also opens today, via Roadside Attractions. Another film that has failed to find favor with critics (at least with those who diligently post their reviews to Rotten Tomatoes), Shelter, like Frankenstein, has been roundly panned. Although Hudgens does have her fan base, her younger supporters will not, in all likelihood, be turning out in droves for a teenage-pregnancy feature. Gimme Shelter is poised to rake in less than $1 million.

Beginning today, Oscar enthusiasts in more remote regions of the country will have their chance to view two more awards contenders: Nebraska and Dallas Buyers Club are both expanding. The former will screen in 986 locations, while Club, whose lead actor, Matthew McConaughey, is nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award, will play in 1,110 theatres.

Trailer for 'The Paperboy' chock-full of Southern sizzle

Coming out of the Cannes Film Festival, the talk of director Lee Daniels' The Paperboy seemed to be this: It's no Precious. I took that to be an indictment on the quality of the pulpy, sex- and crime-infused adaptation of a novel by Pete Dexter, but it actually may have been a reaction purely to the fact that it's "pulpy." Although the Southern-set drama, which is set to release October 24, has just a 54% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from sixteen reviewers, the recently released trailer looks intriguing. It even includes a quote from Film Journal contributor Jon Frosch (writing for the Atlantic blog), who came out in favor of the film.

 

The plot of The Paperboy involves a woman (Nicole Kidman) who wants to get her man (John Cusack) out of prison. She ends up romantically involved with one of two brothers and writers (Zac Efron) who is trying to help her free the imprisoned man. The other is played by Matthew McConaughey. Once known mainly for tabloid shots of his abs on the beach and leading man roles opposite Kate Hudson, McConaughey has been branching out. He is currently starring in Killer Joe, which our critic Rex Roberts also described as a pulpy tale that "exults in its in-your-face nudity, perverse sexuality and graphic violence." McConaughey also has a role in this summer's indie breakout hit Bernie. Last year, he made quite an impression as an independent-minded, flexible lawyer in The Lincoln Lawyer. He's also starring in director Jeff Nichols' (Take Shelter) follow-up project Mud, opposite Reese Witherspoon. And let's not forget Magic Mike, which successfully riffs on his sexy image. I would have written McConaughey off a few years ago, but his role in The Paperboy is part of a powerful redirection of his star image. Not many actors can pull that off. Plus, the Texas-born star is the only one that can pull off a Southern accent, mainly because he doesn't try to overdo it like everyone else. Even Frosch, who praises the bleached-blonde Kidman's performance, says she sports an "accent that samples every twang from Southern-fried to Australian outback." The Paperboy sounds like that summer beach read you just can't put down. The trailer is putting the October release back into my must-see queue, because I may just need a little summer sizzle this fall.