Your weekend time is valuable and at the end of a long week, the discretionary time must be spent to its maximum value. To help narrow down your choices on the film, television, and gaming fronts, every Friday, the Weekend Preview gives you the rundown of your options and an educated guess as to which ones make the most sense.
Drew and Nick predicted the box office returns for these films last Sunday. Check it out!
At the Movies
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Stars: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Iain Glen
Current RT Meter: 38% Rotten
Drew’s box office prediction: $19,000,000
Nicks box office prediction: $15,500,000
Well, this is it. After what seems like decades, the Resident Evil series is coming to a close. Paul W.S. Anderson returns to direct this conclusion that is sure to be full of zombies, Jovovich kung-fu and…well, I don’t know what else happens in these movies anymore. The series has persevered over the years with a loyal fanbase and they are sure to turn out for the ending. Now, if you haven’t seen any of the other movies in the franchise, you might want to skip it. Unless you’re really dying to see zombies get their heads blown off this weekend.
The Verdict: Have you been following this series? If so then you’ll definitely want to catch the explosive finale. Never been fan? You should spend your money elsewhere.
Gold
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Edgar Ramirez, Bryce Dallas Howard
Current RT Meter: 31% Rotten
Drew’s box office prediction: $9,000,000
Nicks box office prediction: $7,500,000
Matthew McConaughey is back and weirder than ever in Stephen Gaghan’s Gold, about a down-on-his-luck businessman who strikes it rich and then loses it all. The trailers promise that McConaughey is his usual wacky self and likely delivers one heck of a performance. Sadly the reviews have been weak which means word-of-mouth won’t be strong. With a movie like this, that could be fatal.
The Verdict: If you have interest in this, you might want to see it ASAP. Bad reviews and a crowded box office means it won’t be around for long. Sorry, McConaughey fans.
A Dog’s Purpose
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Stars: Dennis Quaid, Peggy Lipton, Britt Robertson
Current RT Meter: 32% Rotten
Drew’s box office prediction: $5,000,000
Nicks box office prediction: $6,000,000
Can a film under immense media scrutiny be a success? A Dog’s Purpose, about a puppy who lives several lives, looked like it could have been a family-friendly hit. But then footage of dog abuse surfaced online. That changed everything. The premiere and press junket were canceled and producers and the studio scrambled to get things under control. It seems like anybody who truly loves dogs (the major demographic for this film) would have a hard time sitting through this knowing what allegedly happened on set. It’ll be interesting to see if the movie breaks through controversy and makes an impact.
The Verdict: Do you love dogs with all your heart? Ironically you might want to skip this one then.
On the Tube
The 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards (Sunday, TBS/TNT. 8PM EST)
Awards season is in full swing! With the Oscar nominations announced this past week, we are in the thick of a forest of gold statues. This weekend the SAG awards are handed out, promising a big night for those films and shows you’ve heard so much about this year. Expect to see a lot of La La Land, Manchester By The Sea, Westworld and more.
The Verdict: Hungry for awards and can’t wait a few more weeks for the Oscars? The SAG Awards have got you covered. Come for the glitz and glamor, stay for the snarky live tweets.
For the Gamers
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Available January 24. PS4/Xbox One)
This is a big one. The Resident Evil series has been around for decades now and still gets people excited. This installment of the game has people more hyped than usual as it features a new look and feel. This time you play in first-person POV as you wander through a creepy, dilapidated house while a backwoods family of maniacs tries to kill you. Fun! I’m not sure how that’s related to zombies, the Umbrella Corporation and everything that came in previous games. But I’m sure the game has a few surprises up its sleeves.
The Verdict: This is a game many people have been waiting for and with good reason. If you’re looking for something exhilarating, disgusting and terrifying then Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is the game for you. A must-play for many.