BACK TO THE THEATER..OR NOT
So movies are trying to claw their way back into theaters, and I for one am all for it. I don’t want to be a prisoner of this virus until vaccines are created and distributed. Wonder Woman 1984 has set a new date to be released this Christmas, 2020, and I get the feeling that some other big blockbusters will be jointing her.
So many summer blockbusters were shelved, we are definitely going to be having our pick of the liter when things open up again. I think the theater business will be booming for quite a while.
For the movies that have been released, like Mulan and Tenet – the news is good and bad. Mulan was released in America through Disney+, but it was released in China to the theaters. China is the second biggest draw for movies after the USA, so Disney was hopeful to make money on both ends, and see which one came out on top. So far, for Mulan, it looks like a tie.
Streamer usually pay off about 25 – 30 million for a movie for a restricted viewing experience. Mulan made less then that in it’s opening weekend in China. China box office came out to be around 20 million in it’s first three days in theaters. Now will it make more, sure – but the number will surely drop and it’s not going to get dramatically higher in any sense. The final prediction for Mulan in China is about 40 million over all. Not great, but then again, this is not America. Should Disney have waited? Well their slate is kind of full of movies already waiting, so maybe this is the one they decided to test the waters with, who knows. It was a gamble and it was not a complete disaster, but it wasn’t exactly a success either.
Tenet is another movie that is being tested. Christopher Nolan is all high and mighty with his films and he always dresses and suits and he never lets people sit down and blah blah. Well Warner Bros and Sony are keeping the film’s numbers a secret.
Apparently they are not releasing numbers by the day, but rather by the week, so no one knows if Tenet is slumping, staying the course or increasing. I’m sure they wish to keep the shroud of excellence wrapped around Nolan for as long as possible – but industry insiders say Tenet maybe falling and falling hard.
NFL DIPS AND DABS
The NFL saw a dip in their ratings this week – down about 13 percent from last year’s opening kickoff game. Researchers say there is nothing to worry about – since NBA, NHL, and US Open are all happening at the same time, and MLB is about to go into their playoffs – fans have a lot more sports than they can handle right now.
BRUISED TERRIFFIED HALLE BERRY
The gorgeous and talented Halle Berry has made her directorial debut with a movie called Bruised that is making it’s world premiere in the Toronto Film Festival. “I was scared shitless. And if you’re not having any sense of worry, I don’t think you care, I don’t think you want to do your very best” Halle said to reporters.
In Bruised, Berry plays a disgraced MMA fighter, Jackie “Justice,” who has to conquer her own demons and face one of the fiercest rising stars of the MMA world to become the mother that she thinks her son Manny deserves. That role isn’t the first dark horse character that Berry has played during her Hollywood career, which includes her Oscar-winning role of Leticia Musgrove, a dirt-poor widow, in Monster’s Ball.
“You know I’m always most drawn to characters who are fractured, broken, who are fighting to survive. Every time I get to play those roles, I get to have a cathartic experience and I get to have some healing for myself,” Berry explained.Despite the cachet an Academy Award trophy brought to her Hollywood career, Berry says there’s sadness in not seeing other Black women follow her and win the industry’s biggest best actress prize. “Every time when Oscar time comes round, I get reflective and I think maybe this year, maybe this year, and it’s heartbreaking that other women haven’t stood there,” she revealed.
BILL MAHR BACK IN STUDIO
Bill Mahr is moving from his backyard and headed back into his studio for the first time in months. “There’s real people. Thank you jesus. Thank You People!!” he exclaimed. The show is filmed in CBS Television City’s Studio 33. HBO is bring back only 25 people for now, to be in the audience, but Bill says that will be loud enough. “This is interesting, you can hear people laugh individually.” The host said.
QUENTIN TARANTINO VS BRUCE LEE
Jason Scott Lee has become the foremost expert on the immortal Bruce Lee and has spoken out, as so many have, on how Quentin Tarantino decided to portray the martial arts legend.
Jason is known for being the boy in Jungle Book, for playing Bruce Lee in Dragon and currently the villain in the new rendition of Mulan. When confronted about what he thought about Tarantino’s Bruce Lee fighting Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – he certainly had a strong opinion about it.
One of Lee’s most memorable roles is that of the aforementioned Bruce Lee in 1993’s Dragon, which is based on the book by Bruce’s widow, Linda Lee Cadwell. Since he did rigorous martial arts training with Bruce’s former student Jerry Poteet, Lee developed even more respect for the revered martial artist he was playing. So, needless to say, Lee, like Bruce’s daughter, Shannon, wasn’t too pleased with Quentin Tarantino’s portrayal of Bruce in 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
“While I was training [to play Bruce Lee], I started learning his system of fighting and actually feeling the motions that he taught his students. I realized so much about the precision and the discipline of a person like that, and that’s why it was very hard for me to watch that scene with Mike Moh portraying Bruce,” Lee admits. “Granted, Mike’s a great actor, but I think being put in that position to portray Bruce Lee that way was really hard to take. I kind of winced. Yeah, he was boastful, but he was one of those guys that could back it up. He wasn’t challenging that way, you know? So [Tarantino] took a lot of creative leeway in presenting Bruce Lee in that manner, and he got a lot of flack for it. And it’s not justified the way he did it.”
Lee also mentions that Poteet, who became his longtime sifu after Dragon, would have objected to Tarantino’s depiction since he had a close master-apprentice relationship with Bruce.
“My sifu, Jerry Poteet, who was a student of Bruce, has since passed away, but I know he would be rolling over in his grave,” Lee explains. “He had direct association through a long term teacher-student relationship with Bruce… So, through the years of knowing Jerry and hearing all the stories and details, I’m sure it would’ve pissed him off.”
This scene will not just go away. Like I have said before, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood is a love story between Tarantino and Brad Pitt. Tarantino wrote the most amazing, awe inspiring, coolest character for Brad and even made him beat up Bruce Lee. Cmon. We all know a washed up stunt man could never ever even touch Bruce Lee in his prime while he was filming Green Hornet. I think everyone is realizing this now and really taking offense to it. If Tarantino made the martial arts character anyone else in the world, but Bruce Lee – it would have been fine. Bruce Lee took his fighting extremely serious and like Jason said, he boasted, but he always backed it up – the guy was a certified martial arts champion and revolutionary. Anyway – don’t get me started. I’m glad the professionals agree with me as well on this. Tarantino went a bit overboard in his cinematic love letter to Brad Pitt.
THE END OF THE KARDASHIANS
Yes after 20 blissful years on the E Network, “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” is airing it’s final season in early 2021. The choice was made by the family and announced recently. “It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians,’” the famous family said in a joint statement, signed by Kris Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kim, Rob Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner and Scott Disick.
“After what will be 14 years, 20 seasons, hundreds of episodes and several spin-off shows, we’ve decided as a family to end this very special journey. We are beyond grateful to all of you who’ve watched us for all of these years — through the good times, the bad times, the happiness, the tears, and the many relationships and children. We’ll forever cherish the wonderful memories and countless people we’ve met along the way.”
20 years is a lot. I mean, a lot. Hopefully this will end Kanye West’s craziness and Kim’s craziness and all the other crap that happens with this family. I mean let’s face it, they weren’t a bunch of intellectuals. They have so many sources of income the show’s salary probably became their lunch money by now. This kind of reality show was a guilty pleasure and really wasn’t doing society any bit of good. Kanye got a God complex, and Kim thought she could be a lawyer of all things.
I am glad this is ending, America has been in a weird kind of fantasy state and had rejected reality for too long. Problem is, someone like Paris Hilton will probably step in and take their place.
Catch me here every Thursday. Have a great week! @paulieb2003
