Cool. Aloof. Clever. Calculating. Alluring. Mysterious. Sexy. In essence, that’s the Hitchcock Blonde, a creature indigenous and essential to some of the greatest films that the Master of Suspense ever made. Though the faces, names and hairstyles often change from picture to picture, the archetype remains largely the same, and contributes a unique and intoxicating flavor to many Hitchcock films.
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Unsurprisingly, Tim Burton’s latest joint venture with Johnny Depp was shadowed by the continued record-breaking success of ‘The Avengers’. Earning another $103 million domestically, Marvel’s superhero epic crossed the worldwide $1 billion mark this weekend. That second-weekend total crushed the previous second-weekend record held by the $75.6 million of ‘Avatar‘. Box Office Mojo also notes that ‘The Avengers’ broke other records, including fastest movie to $300 million and $350 million, and the highest eight-day, nine-day and ten-day grosses.
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In association with the National Film Preservation Foundation, High-Def Digest is proud to join the 2012 Hitchcock Blogathon. During the week of May 14th to 18th, we will blog about topics related to the films and career of the legendary Sir Alfred Hitchcock, with the goal of raising money to fund a new musical score and online streaming distribution for ‘The White Shadow’, an early silent film that young Mr. Hitchcock (then officially a writer and Assistant Director) used as a stepping stone to launch his own directorial career. These Hitchcock posts will run throughout the week, and will involve some special contributors to the blog. I’ll start things off with a look at the filmmaker’s 1941 thriller ‘Suspicion’, starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine.
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Tim Burton has a new movie in theaters today. Needless to say, it’s a “re-imagining” of a famous existing property made over in the director’s signature visual style and starring Johnny Depp in the lead role. You can complain about that if you must, but this is how Burton likes to work, and it won’t be the last time that he does. While we wait for the inevitable announcement of which old movie, TV show or work of classic literature that the Burton-Depp combo will tackle next, we thought that we might toss some suggestions their way in this week’s Roundtable.
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After the record-smashing $207.4 domestic opening weekend for ‘The Avengers’, the only studio movie going against Marvel’s superhero juggernaut is a remake of a late-’60s/early-’70s soap opera. A few indie flicks are also opening, but we all know what’s going to be the #1 movie in America again – the movie that I’ve already gone back to see twice since the press screening. Even if ‘The Avengers’ slips 60% in attendance, it’s still going to make another $83 million this weekend.
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When I first saw the theatrical trailer for ‘Dark Shadows’, I got really excited for Tim Burton’s new film. Even though I knew absolutely nothing about the old soap opera upon which it’s based, that wasn’t a stumbling block that impeded my anticipation for the movie. All I noticed was that Tim Burton finally appeared to be returning to his old ‘Beetlejuice‘ roots, so I looked forward to it. Upon seeing it, I can tell you that Burton does in fact get back to that old style he had seemingly forgotten. Unfortunately, the film has more flaws than any other Tim Burton movie to date.
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I can’t remember when I first noticed CinemaScore ratings, but once I started researching the organization, I quickly realized what a joke it is. I can’t believe that anyone takes these surveys seriously.
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James Cameron made a bold and unexpected announcement this week. The director of the two highest-grossing movies of all time, as well as several more extremely popular and beloved films, will from this point forward devote the remainder of his career to churning out ‘Avatar’ sequels. Is this a brilliant business decision, or tacit acknowledgement of creative bankruptcy?
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Adding to the list of questionable and possibly disappointing movies that will be released this summer, we have two more trailers that don’t inspire me to watch their films. Ever. Sadly, they come from two filmmakers that I normally enjoy and respect for their creative talent.
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As if movie tickets weren’t expensive enough these days, many theaters now offer premium screens or services for an additional upcharge fee. From 3D to IMAX to full dinner menus, the idea is to entice you with the promise of an improved theatrical experience. How many of these services have you used?
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