Blog Archives
Evil Dead Scares Up A Huge Debut – Biff Bam Pop’s Weekend Box Office Wrap-Up Report
A reboot that a) didn’t suck and b) stayed true while mining its own path managed to scare up a phenomenal box office debut, while a 3D version of a classic flick also found a huge audience. Here’s what went down:
With huge geek cred, support from the original creators and decent reviews from critics, Evil Dead managed to become a reboot that actually worked. The hard-R horror film brought in an estimated $27 million to top the box office this weekend, overperforming in the process. Skeptics became fans and the franchise has returned, with a second film already in the works.
Find out how the rest of the weekend turned out after the jump!
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It’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation Vs. Evil Dead Vs. Jurassic Park 3D – Biff Bam Pop’s Box Office Predictions
All bets are off this weekend at the cinema!
No, it’s not the release of the summer’s first tent-pole feature (Iron Man 3 is still a month away) – it’s just BBP’s esteemed Editor-in-Chief, Andy Burns, asking me to do him a solid and come up with astute predictions for the box office this weekend. As you might recall, I’m not so good at this job, and on this particular weekend, the science of money prognostication is…even more complicated.
You see, it’s the second weekend of G.I. Joe Retaliation battling some downright Evil Dead remake, which are both up against the re-release of the classic Jurassic Park (in 3D this time out). Accounting has never been more difficult!
Check out my (hopefully not-so futile) attempts at number crunching after the jump!
Not My Bag Is My Bag On The Wednesday Run – October 17, 2012
October is a time for scary things: lumbering zombies, non-sparkly vampires, serial killers in the closet, the flapping sound of leathery bat wings, strange lesions on the back of an arm, things that go bump in the middle of the night, missing time and surprise property tax bills.
October is also a time when comic book publishing companies release the darker-themed periodicals that they’ve been saving for the past nine months. One of those books, for instance, made this column last week. There will be another before the month is out, I promise.
Sure, monsters and evil and all the other bad things associated with the current change of season are frightening, but what could be more horrifying than the thought of being trapped on the wrong track of life, caught in the wrong occupation, while a special talent is slowly sucked away?
That’s the premise behind Not My Bag by Sina Grace, a new graphic novel from a fairly new voice in sequential art.
The Waiting Is Over But The Joke’s On Batman #13 On The Wednesday Run – October 10, 2012
A year in the making.
That’s how long it’s been that the fanboys and fangirls of DC’s “New 52” have been waiting for the return of Batman’s arch villain, the Joker.
Oh, yeah, you remember: the final scene in the pages of last September’s Detective Comics #1 - the scene where Joker really goes off the deep end and, as part of some sick, twisted scheme, has his outer epidermis savagely sheared from his face and left behind, pinned to a wall as a trophy – no – as a warning, for Gotham’s finest?
A “rebirth”, Joker called it.
We haven’t seen him since that issue. And now it’s October. 2012. And Joker’s back. You don’t get a better Halloween treat than that, do you? Yes you do!
There’s a trick to go with that treat!
Saturday At The Movies: Argo
When you think back to your childhood days, it’s funny the things you remember and the things you need to be reminded of.
For instance, I needed to be reminded about a visitation from family relatives that we had in our home when I was nearly ten years old. That visit lasted two weeks and sent sleeping arrangements into upheaval – not to mention family dynamics. But, at six years of age, I distinctly remember news reports stating that American citizens had been taken hostage in Iran – a faraway country I knew nothing about. It was many, many years later that I discovered that Canadians were actually involved in the event.
And that’s where the film Argo, released in North America on October 12, directed by and starring Ben Affleck, comes sharply into focus. Argo tells that story of the declassified Canadian involvement in the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, better known as the “Canadian Caper”. It’s a riveting story that showcases Affleck as a solid leading actor but, more importantly, as an experienced filmmaker, brandishing his own cinematic storytelling style.
Avengers Vs. X-Men #12 Is The Way To Go On The Wednesday Run – October 3, 2012
Oh boy. You know, there are a lot of really interesting comics released today. A lot.
Does anyone out there remember the original mid-1980’s television commercial for the very first Legend of Zelda video game? You know: “Which. Way. To. Go?” No? Well, that’s how I’m feeling within the confines of this column today. I’ve been recommending multiple comics for the past few Wednesdays – and that kinda feels like cheating when the modus operandi of The Wednesday Run is to recommend one great comic each week. Besides, how could you or I possibly carry all of the cool books out today? We’d need a donkey! Any volunteers to help me carry a few items out of my local shop today?
I mean, the Halloween-flavoured Superman ghost story in Action Comics #13, the just-in-time-for-everyone’s-favourite-candy-coated-holiday first trade collection of I, Vampire, part one of the much-anticipated “Rotworld” storyline in Swamp Thing or the absolutely beautiful first issue of Daredevil: End of Days could all make the singular recommendation this week.
So…Which. Way. To. Go?
No, no. I need to pick one. And although the title of this week’s column is a huge spoiler (I do love spoilers!), the reasons for the pick can be found after the jump.
This Will Make You: Happy! #1 But You’ll Need A Loan For Joe Kubert’s Tarzan Of The Apes: Artist’s Edition On The Wednesday Run – September 26, 2012
Hoo-boy!
Image Comic, one of the “independent” publishing companies, keeps on knocking new comic book series’ out of the park! Their titles have been making the headlines across the top of Wednesday Run columns throughout 2012 – and today, September 26, is no different.
But there are two picks to choose from this week. One that will be sure to put a smile on your face (it’s in the title of the new series, after all) and one that you might have to mortgage your house in order to purchase (but worth every penny of interest you’ll have to pay)!
Choice is a good thing, right? Check them out after the jump!
Saturday At The Movies: Marvel Anime Wolverine
I’m not a big fan of cartoons produced in the Japanese-styled Anime or Manga aesthetic. I know there are a lot out there that are. Some of those fans write for this very website. Still, growing up, I was a huge fan of Star Blazers and Robotech. Silver Hawks was a pretty cool show and Akira was amazing. These programs, and a few others, were able to make the jump across the Pacific and reach North America households to much acclaim. More importantly, they fuelled the imagination of kids and got them interested in Anime and Manga. Maybe that’s why I like the DC Entertainment-produced, Anime-styled, Batman: Gotham Knight, released in 2008, so much. We got to see a favourite character from a radically different perspective.
Not to be outdone, Marvel Entertainment took that same idea and expanded upon it, creating four separate, 12-episode series’, based on their most popular comic book characters.
