Entertainment Today and Beyond

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: Can THE DARK KNIGHT challenge TITANIC and the surprising GEORGE LUCAS INTERVIEW!

RADIO SHOW: In this installment of the ETB Radio Show, Chuck Curry and Michael Cooper review X-Files: I Want to Believe, break down the record Box Office of the Dark Knight and reveal some of the big news out of The San Diego Comic-Con from this past weekend! LISTEN HERE and let us know what you want to hear about. email Chuck

With a whopping 314 mill in ticket sales under its belt in just 10 days of release, many in Hollywood are starting to speculate if THE DARK KNIGHT can actually challenge the record 600 mill domestic mark set by TITANIC in 1997. If someone would have contemplated asking me that question when Nolan’s second Batman film went into production more than a year ago, I wouldn’t have taken it seriously. That was before the death of Heath Ledger, which added an extra element to things, especially when his Joker was revealed in the movie’s first trailer. Then, early advance reviews started comparing the film to The Empire Strikes Back and The Godfather 2 in terms of sequels, and buzz escalated to a fever pitch days leading up to its release. Once released, the reaction from core fans and the general movie going audience as a whole has been nothing short of sensational. That reaction has lead to multiple repeat viewings which is the secret ingredient for through the roof box-office numbers. So the question is – can this terrific film in the Batman cannon keep chugging along and have a shot at sinking Titanic’s record here at the domestic box-office. Well, I think next weekend, the movie’s third week out, will tell the tale. Personally, I don’t think it will happen but if enough people see the film for a third or fourth time or more, one never knows. Every once in a while a movie becomes a must see event that touches people of all demographics and, like Titanic, The Dark Knight has that sort of feel going for it! Only TIME will tell!

I have to tell you, that the interview in the Sunday Times, being heavily reported on most of the movie websites, where George Lucas talks about the future of the INDIANA JONES franchise is quite an eye opener. George is actually quoted as saying “Steven wasn’t that enthusiastic,” referring to Steven Spielberg directing Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. OH REALLY, can I get my money back! It appears the two long time friends wanted to take the newest Indiana movie in different directions. In my view Lucas has gone to well one time too many times and I don’t trust him creatively anymore and Spielberg, who was a master of his game from the mid 70’s to the early 90’s, has lost his mojo when it comes to popcorn moviemaking. Hopefully George and Steven will hand over the reins of this franchise to a new creative team as it’s not Dr. Jones who’s lost a step, but the two old masters who delivered an inferior product that was The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Here’s a Link to the Article.

July 29, 2008 Posted by Entertainment Today & Beyond | Reviews | Crystal Skull, Steven Spielberg | Leave a Comment