Take a look at the choices at the multiplex this weekend and I’m sorry to say that it’s like trying to pick the one tolerable outhouse toilet amid the ones you can’t step foot inside. But you can really do your part to help turn this sorry state of affairs around by ponying up the dough to see the good movies.
The more money the “little” movies make, the better it is for everyone. Think of it like recycling, or using a metal water bottle. You are helping all of mankind by choosing to contribute to artists who are taking the time to make movies that are more than just entertaining.
To that end, let’s take a look at the movies worth seeing:
1. Blackfish – Don’t let this great movie die on the vine. Get out there and force yourselves to watch it. Not only will it change your life, but it will ensure SeaWorld keeps running scared. They look at the box office numbers, which will help argue their case. The more people who see it, the better chance that something good can eventually happen to those magnificent whales in captivity. I’ll admit, it was hard to watch. I probably would have avoided it had my teenage daughter not compelled me to see it. But it’s the least I could do, being part of the human race that has perpetrated so many crimes in the name of “entertainment.”
2. Blue Jasmine – Woody doesn’t get better than this anymore. Go for Cate Blanchett’s performance, stay for Andrew Dice Clay, Sally Hawkins, Peter Sarsgaard and Louis C.K. This is entertaining AND depressing. How often does that happen? It’s doing well at the box office so it doesn’t need much cheerleading, but hey, why not contribute to something this good?
3. Fruitvale Station – Don’t see it because of the Trayvon Martin case. See it to be among the first who saw Ryan Coogler’s debut. You know this dude is up and coming and that eventually he’ll get the big deals and he’ll probably stop making these kinds of films that cost nothing and run completely on heart and soul. You want to be there to see what real storytellers are doing without having visual effects to hide behind. Trust me, unless you’re watching Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad or House of Cards on repeat, you have nothing better to do on Friday night than seeing Fruitvale Station.
4. Before Midnight – How long is this movie going to be in theaters before you get out and see it? Are you really going to wait until it comes on Netflix or HBO? Because that will help enrich great movies like this how? Pony up the money — what’s it cost, a couple of days at Starbucks? Paying to see Before Midnight (I paid to see it) is an investment in the future of preserving great filmmaking. Ever wonder why there are no more movies like Carnal Knowledge or The Graduate? Take a look around, my friends. It’s ugly. Really ugly.
5. The Way, Way Back – You can take your teens to see Some Piece of Shit Part 2 or you can take them to a movie that might actually alter the way they think about their lives. Maybe it seems like a movie for quirky adults who took yoga that morning before going to the Farmer’s Market, then having fish tacos before going out to the art house that night – but really, it’s a movie for young and old THINKING people.
6. Pacific Rim – yeah, I know, I just went on and on about special effects this or that, but it’s not every day Guillermo del Toro makes a movie and this one is something to celebrate. He found a way, within the parameters of movie-making in the modern era, to deliver something wholly original. If this movie fails and Some Piece of Shit Part 2 does not, what do you think you’ll be getting for the next ten years? Let’s try to support originality along the way.
7. The Act of Killing – it’s hard to find this film playing anywhere. This is probably one that won’t need much box office since it is qualifying before it heads to TV. BUT so what, right? Any dollar in this film’s pocket is a vote for the continuation of documentaries, you know, for thinking people.
8. The Spectacular Now – I’m only adding it because it’s a good way to spend money if you feel like these other films are just not sexy enough. I suspect it will do just fine at the box office.
Of course, who am I kidding. We know hardly anyone pays to see movies anymore. Bloggers get in for free, and anyone who doesn’t live by a theater showing these movies know how to download them for free. That means the movies never make the kind of money they need to make to justify their existence. And what a shame that is.
I’m sill pissed how the American people ignored Pacific Rim for another stupid Sandler “comedy”. Wake up, people.
Great list and I’d add The Conjuring. It’s so well made with some great female performances. I’m very happy for its success. It will make more money than Grown Ups 2 and Smurfs 2. Thank heavens!
Sadly, except for Pacific Rim, which we saw the day it opened, none of these films are showing with 200 miles from where we live. We do not watch movies illeagally, because that is stealing! In fact we had the most boreing weekend because there was nothing to watch.
I live in Pittsburgh, and some of these movies aren’t even in my city yet. I am DYING to see Blackfish and Blue Jasmine, and I will be first in line to see them when they expand to my area. Stories We Tell came this week, so at least I have that to look forward to.
Upstream Color and Prince Avalanche are worth your time, at least they’re somewhat original in their execution.
Spectacular Now was ok. It’s a bit all over the place, but it’s acted well by the young stars.
Foreign, I recommend Gloria, Like Father, Like Son and The Past.
Seeing Fruitvale Station tomorrow and Blue Jasmine in two weeks. Saw The Way Way Back. It’s solid. Bryce Forestieri put it nicely. It sort of reminded me of The Kids Are All Right. Not much better than your ordinary sitcom, but it’s charming, sweet, arguably calculated, and yet pretty funny(thank you as always Mr. Rockwell). Carell goes against type although sometimes he feels a tad one dimensional(“You’re a 3.” His best scene). Collette of course is great. Amanda Peet….whatever happened to her? I miss her. And Allison Janney plays typical, but amusing Allison Janney kind of character. It’s a harmless flick that avoids humor based on situation. I’ll probably forget it in a week, but one could do much worse.
Saw Pacific Rim….2 weeks ago? 3? I forget. Solid stuff. Not perfect. Few have the imagination that Del Toro has. It’s original…in the sense that it’s not based off any particular material or property. Of course it is influenced by B-monster movies and Japanese mech anime dealing in familiar broad character archetypes. It could use a little more wit and humor aside from two scientists and a lovable Ron Perlman. It did some solid world building, but I wish they had delved more into that whole mind linking aspect while two pilots operate the machinery. No one will be arguing who their favorite pilot was. Their sort of forgettable or at least never as interesting as the Jaegars kicking ass. On the plus side their reasonably motivated and refreshingly heroic unlike other mopey heroes like Superman. Not quite the cult classic it could have been, but when it works it really works. Seeing that Jaegar use an oil tanker like a baseball bat in Hong Kong equaled movie magic.
It’s sad to see how in the States ticket prices are so high that one can only go 1 or 2 times a month. I believe these prices are really affecting the movie industry as a whole. Here in Mexico the ticket prices run from 45 to 60 pesos a ticket depending on the hour of the screening which is about $3.50 to $5.00. I can’t understand why are prices so different. And before you can comment on the quality of Mexican theaters they’re 10 to 18 screen multiplexes and some of them with waiter service so yeah they are really nice.
BTW…I loved PACIFIC RIM can’t believe THAT PIECE OF SHIT STARRING ADAM SANDLER PART 2 kicked its ass in the box office.
The Conjuring is pretty damn good. Plenty of people are talking about it @therealmike. It’ll be crossing $100 million this weekend. It’s going to fare better then The Wolverine, Pacific Rim, and Red 2… All of which cost nearly $100 mill or more.
Conjuring? $20 mill.
I´m wondering why nobody is talking about “The Conjuring”. I haven´t seen it yet but I´ve heard amazing things about it. The metascore it quite high for a genre movie and critics are praising the performances of Fermiga and Taylor. Would love to see a Horror movie getting a little bit Oscar buzz…
Certainly not Oscar worthy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth watching. It’s the best horror movie this year. And one of the best in general for me.
It only cost $20 mill, and it’s going to cross the $100 mill mark this weekend. It’ll end up faring better then Pacific Rim, Red 2, and probably The Wolverine.
great write-up sasha. on the flip-side i’ve been proud that for the most part audiences here have stayed away from crap like “the lone ranger”, “after earth” and some others.
Only ones I haven’t seen here are Blackfish and Act Of Killing. Killing is my number one must see right now, but I have to wait till I get back to LA next week to check it out. Curious about Blackfish as well.
I have hope that BLUE JASMINE will make it here. But it’s not here yet. The rest of them? Probably won’t ever get here. It took me until after Christmas and the redbox to see BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD last year. I don’t think I’ll be so patient this year.
Thanks for another good read, Sasha.
I for one am looking forward to Blue Jasmine.
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[Pacific Rim paragraph] “He found a way, within the parameters of movie-making in the modern era, to deliver something wholly original.”
(Saw it.) Not sure why […] still insists on […] being wholly original. : )
Well, excusez-moi, but by no means was it *wholly* original….
[Ditto] “If this movie fails and Some Piece of Shit Part 2 does not, what do you think you’ll be getting for the next ten years? Let’s try to support originality along the way.”
Hear hear; one thing I know, Sasha: a certain Piece of Shit Part 6 – if my mem still serves me far too well — reportedly have already made it big in China, etc. and of course where I’m living right now, too. : )
Before the devil knows, we some of us are most likely to be force-fed already on that Piece de la merde Parts 7, 8, 9 … throughout the decade and what’s more — the one to come ass well. Here’s your sign….
a certain Piece of Shit Part 6 – if my mem still serves me far too well — reportedly have already made it big in China, etc. and of course where I’m living right now, too. : )
ok, but I don’t have a problem with money from China and Japan.
After just 4 weeks, Pacific Rim has already earned $400 million worldwide.
Tomorrow we can add the $53 million it earned in China the past 4 days. It hasn’t even opened in Japan yet. (Japanese premiere August 9)
Asian moviegoers are going to ensure we get a Pacific Rim sequel.
That’s no excuse for Americans who haven’t seen it yet — or Americans who haven’t seen it a 2nd or 3rd time.
There is not much from Hollywood or even at the art house theaters I am excited to see right now. So far this year, my favorite movies has been Behind The Candelabra (which of course was on TV). There are a bunch of great movies coming up, though. Gravity is the big one. Every trailer just looks amazing. 12 Years A Slave and The Wolf Of Wall Street also have me excited. I am looking forward to a few others, but not as many as some past years.
Honestly, I would rather enjoy a great older film rather than watch a good or OK new film. I just saw the first Best Picture winner, Wings, and it was absolutely amazing. Now that is what cinema should be like.
With a few exceptions, if Hollywood just stopped making movies altogether I doubt I would care.
Of the films on the list, I already saw Before Midnight and Pacific Rim. Both films are already part of my best of 2013 list. The former is a great sequel, and when it ends, it almost made want the movie to keep going.
As for Pacific Rim, on the outside, it’s giant robots vs. giant monsters, yet it has strong characters, and has a positive vibe. It bothers me that more people went to watch crap like Grown Ups 2 than watch this film.
I did my part again this week — saw “Blue Jasmine.” Very good movie; excellent Cate Blanchett (she’s part of my living actresses trinity, along with Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet).
Fruitvale has made more than its money back – $7Mil. But consider this Sasha — there’s just TOO MANY movies out there. A person only has so much money to spend on a movie in a month. We have to be picky/choosy.
Yeah well, not all of us are blessed to live in metropolitan areas with nice little arthouse theaters that show the latest Woody Allen. I did get to see Fruitvale Station though, Michael B Jordan is phenomenal
Perhaps Sasha didn’t include BLUE JASMINE because it appears to be poised to perform stellarly at the box-office?
All good films, and
-Happy and not as surprised by your inclusion of PACIFIC RIM since it’s really underperforming in the U.S., and you mentioned liking it before. So far, it’s the best movie of the summer among blockbusters. Regarding the VFX– They are the best of any movie all year. ELYSIUM’s trailers impress, and I anticipate GRAVITY to impress me even more, but if the year ended now PACIFIC RIM should win the Best Visual Effects Academy Award; and sure to at least deserve a nomination when all it’s said and done. Other tech noms should be in order too. (4½ out of 5)
-What else can I add about BEFORE MIDNIGHT? I hope Cate Blanchett isn’t the only actress nominated from a summer premier. (4½ out of 5)
-THE WAY, WAY BACK is good in the same way THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT was good. Enjoyable and all about the performances! The kid and Sam Rockwell. (3 out of 5)
-FRUIVALE STATION will be fine in terms of box-office. Now doubt it’ll end up with a nice stash to show for itself. (4 out of 5)
-Hope to catch the doc eventually. I won’t open anywhere near me.
p.s. Like the others already said and even though I haven’t seen it I would include THE ESPECTACULAR NOW. Trailer looks really promising and I like Shailene Woodley. She nearly saved THE DESCENDANTS for me.
Happy and not as surprised by your inclusion of PACIFIC RIM since it’s really underperforming in the U.S., and you mentioned liking it before. So far, it’s the best movie of the summer among blockbusters.
By far. Good to see Pacific Rim appears be especially strong overseas. So it’s not beyond logic to think it could finish up with respectable numbers.
Remember how World War Z had weaker opening than hoped and was expected to sink like a rock? In a few days World War Z will be climbing past half a billion dollars.
World War Z apparently cost the same to produce as Star Trek Into Darkness, and WWZ already surpassed Into Darkness by $30M — but nobody is talking about this Star Trek installment being the death of the franchise.
Advertising and Marketing mumbo-jumbo notwithstanding, hundreds of important wealthy people are getting wealthier from Pacific Rim. (needless to say, some of the people getting richer are advertising and marketing people).
Who’s going to lose money on Pacific Rim? Nobody. I mean who as in “what individuals”? Everybody involved in making the movie got paid already. They don’t have to give those salaries back if Pacific Rim fails to earn a billion dollars.
Of course fans of the film hope it continues to rake in more wheel-barrels of money. But it’s probably already done well enough to merit serious talk of a sequel.
(and I feel like a dirty part of the problem to suggest that getting a sequel greenlit should even be a goal).
In the hands of great filmmakers we can at least be optimist about getting sequels like SPIDER-MAN 2, X2, or THE DARK KNIGHT, so not evil altogether; all quality movies arguably superior to their original installments! 🙂
really good point, Bryce. I love how second installments that follow a fantastic Part I are free of the introductory exposition and we get propelled headlong into a world we’re already familiar with. Were there ever times when that happened before The Godfather II or The Empire Strikes Back? Or is this a narrative development unique to the modern era?
(Just think how much cooler the New Testament is than the Old Testament).
Maybe the urtext example of a spectacular sequel that followed a masterpiece would be Bride of Frankenstein?
Yes! With many even claiming BRIDE to be the true masterpiece. If it happened it was rare and without the premeditation of today’s mercenaries. Off the top of my head I can only think of Kurosawa’s SANJURO as something that approximates the greatness of Whale’s film. Now I’m curious about this subject.
Great post Sasha, thanks! It’s a shame how often people complain about crappy movies, sequels, white male protagonist etc and then fail to go and support the movies that do offer something good and/or different.
Although I disagree on Pacific Rim being wholly original. It’s very derivative of existing Japanese movies and tv series and looks like Transformers at night. The studio also planned it as a starter of a new franchise with more sequels, comic books, games and toys so supporting it only gives you more sequels in few years so better spend your money on other films mentioned in this article in my opinion.
Reading Sasha’s writing I felt like she was a fitness trainer yelling at me to better myself. Maybe I felt that way because I just finished listening to a fitness trainer yell at me. After reading the first 4 I got to Pacific Rim and laughed, not because I didn’t like it (I loved it) but because you go from such serious subjects to a movie with a subplot involving Charlie Day and Burn Gorman connecting minds with an alien.
@Kane, ha. Funny.
Can’t wait for CRIMSON PEAK, the next del Toro-Hunnam collaboration!
Can’t believe all the love “Pacific Rim” is getting. I’m a fan of “Hellboy 2” and “Pan’s Labyrinth” but this thing is mediocre at best. Action scene’s every bit as uninteresting as “Man of Steel” but with half the heart that film’s backstory had.
I really disliked Pacific Rim too and I’ve enjoyed all of Guillermo Del Toro’s other films. I found it seriously underplotted and humorless, and perhaps worst of all for an action film, boring. None of the characters were very interesting either, particularly the “hero” who had all the charisma and personality of a boiled potato.
Yes, PACIFIC DIM would be the one I’d leave off the list, too.
Otherwise, YES, folks. Get off your butts and see at least one of the other flicks.
If you don’t support these movies, you lose your right to b!ttch and moan about “all the sequels and loud blockbusters” that haunt the multiplexes in the summer.
I’d add Dirty Wars to this list. One of the most important movies of the year.
Blue Jasmine should really be on this list.
Yes, Blue Jasmine!! I will add it. And Dirty Wars. And The Act of Killing.
Who/what is COR?
Cor! is an exclamation of astonished bewilderment in the UK but you have to say it with an Eliza Doolittle or Bridget Sullivan accent.
I cant imagine why Blue Jasmine, The Spectacular Now, and The Conjuring aren’t listed above. All great little movies worth spending your hard earned money on.
Erm, Blue Jasmine is the 2nd?
Oh ignore me ;-p
I buy gift certificates every year and they always include a free movie for my birthday month which is July. I keep hoping every year that I can use it on myself but every year I miss out cause there is never anything playing I want see. The movie year or me runs September to April unless I am travelling.
Bloggers get in for free
Cor, I wish!