This is actually a movie that's coming out on DVD this week, and I can only imagine that this is the state of the art of Chinese CGI animated film-making. I guess my biggest question is: how on earth could any of these animals hope to beat a flying dragon in a race?
That question is mostly irrelevant, though, as Hugo is obviously the big winner in the DVD race this week. I'm sure there'll be some kind of double-dip release in a few months with a bunch of Oscars on the front of the box, but here's hoping that the initial DVD is actually feature-filled. I'll definitely be checking it out.
 | Hugo I was never particularly optimistic about this movie from the trailers, but the groundswell of enthusiasm for it has certainly made me curious about it. Now that it's out on DVD, I suppose I'll add it to the old Netflix queue and check it out in two months or some other ungodly length of time. (Hey, I checked and it's actually available now! Will wonders never cease!) |
 | 2. Answers to Nothing Dane Cook is totally a serious actor now, guys. This movie made just over a thousand dollars for its entire run for each theater it was in. That's not exactly a success. |
 | 3. Beneath the Darkness I could've sworn this was going to have an actual theatrical release, but Box Office Mojo doesn't have any details on it, so maybe I was mistaken. Anyway, it looked pretty godawful, but Dennis Quaid is a likable guy, so there's that. |
 | 4. I Melt with You In 21 days of release, this movie made $6,361. That's...actually pretty impressive, that a movie can make that little money. At some point the producers just have to start buying a bunch of tickets on Fandango just to not make one of the least successful movies of all time, right? |
 | 5. Johnny English Reborn This was never going to be a smash hit in the U.S., where it made less than ten million dollars, but it had a decidedly better fate overseas, where it nabbed $150 million. So good for Rowan Atkinson, I guess. The dude knows how to bumble. |
 | 6. The Myth of the American Sleepover The number of theatrically-released films coming out on DVD this week that managed to make less money than I do in a year is pretty stunning. This is yet another one. |
 | 7. InSight Yet another movie that made next to nothing at the box office, with barely $11,000 in receipts. What's up with this week? Why are all these movies things that no one wanted to see? |
 | 8. Justice League Doom The Avengers get a $200 million movie; the Justice League gets a direct-to-DVD cartoon. Harsh world. |
 | 9. Top Gear In television DVDs, among other issues, we have: Top Gear: Season 17, Here's Lucy: Season Five, Mission Impossible: The '89 TV Season, and Law & Order: Season 10 |
Hey! HEY! Don't diss Rowan Atkinson!!
Hugo is outstanding, Rorie. I recommend pushing it to the top.
I believe The Myth of the American Sleepover is supposed to be quite good. It's on Instant, but I'm lazy, so I haven't watched it yet. I should do that today...It's not like popularity or amount of cash something makes equates quality, right?
Sweet isn;t Beanth the Darkness the movie with the two terrible trailers where Quaid is some sort of murder?
Also yay Myth of the American Sleepover is finally coming out on DVD caught the last 30 min or so on Showtime or some movie channel look foward to seeing more of it.
No offense but the Avengers have had plenty of straight to dvd animated films. WB likes to skip doing a live action justice league film, but has no problem with doing an animated film (as long as it's features Superman and Batman saving the day, while the rest of the league acts like idiots).
I honestly cannot take "Answers to Nothing" seriously. Just seeing Cook's face makes me laugh.
@Moviemaniac: Yes, Marvel makes a lot of direct to DVD animated movies, mostly focusing on different characters. DC tried that, but it seems Batman and Superman are the only ones that were successful (no wonder they are the only one they push as live action)...
@hermes:
That's really Warner Brothers fault.
Only two things on this list worth seeing. Hugo and more Top Gear! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, BRITISH MOTORING SHOWS! Wheeeee. Ok, I'll stop now.
Rowan Atkinson also knows snark!
"This was never going to be a smash hit in the U.S., where it made less than ten million dollars, but it had a decidedly better fate overseas, where it nabbed $150 million."
This, Transformers and Uwe Boll's continued success overseas REALLY puts the kibosh on that whole filmschool major talking point of "Europeans having much more REFINED cinematic sensibilities than the A.D.D., explosion-starved BOORS in America!" *said through a mustache tattoo with a pint of PBR*
Hugo itself was a bomb, made only $115 million out from a $170 million budge but it's a brilliant film.
"...this is the state of the art of Chinese CGI animated film-making."
C'mon Rorie. You didn't know that Imagi - the studio that did TMNT and Astro Boy - was Chinese? That's probably why you and Alex were against Astro Boy, claiming it to be a terrible, western animated version of the anime the few occasions you mentioned it during your podcasts back when it was coming out. You guys....are not the best at paying attention to animation, unfortunately.
Seriously, IMAGI was world class, and could pump out a movie faster and MUCH cheaper than Dreamworks or Pixar. Movies that appeal to more than just the stupid American midwestern kids entertained by Ice Age and whatnot. It's a shame the deal for TMNT 2 didn't pan out, and sent them into financial ruin. They WERE working on this:
And this:
Needless to say, it's a little better than The Race Begins, huh? And these were just pitch trailers they whipped up to try to find investors to keep the studio open. This is them working exclusively in CRUNCH TIME/DESPERATION MODE. Who knows what they could've done had they not closed? TMNT and Astro Boy were pretty good, y'know? Very underrated.