Your weekend time is valuable and at the end of a long week, the discretionary time must be spent to its maximum value. In order to help narrow choices down 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.
Nick Nunziata and I predicted the box office returns for these films last Sunday.
At the Movies
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Director: Edward Zwick
Stars: Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Aldis Hodge
Current RT Meter: 38% Fresh
My box office prediction last Sunday: $24,000,000
Nick’s box office prediction: $18,500,000
Tom Cruise hopes to branch out with a new action franchise. Is that a smart idea? Responses to this new installment have been mixed at best, at it sounds like the filmmakers couldn’t catch lightning in a bottle twice. There’s probably some decent action on display, but it doesn’t look like it’s separating itself from the crowd in a big way.
The Verdict: Maybe wait to catch this one on TV.
Ouija: Origin of Evil
Director: Mike Flanagan
Stars: Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso
Current RT Meter: 81% Fresh
My box office prediction last Sunday: $9,000,000
Nick’s box office prediction: $10,000,000
Ouija was a successful but derided piece of cash-in horror. Somehow, this sequel is getting loads of praise. Perhaps it’s to do with the director Mike Flanagan – who is helming a Stephen King adaptation – but that trailer is just silly. Nothing even remotely creepy. This looks like a low budget The Conjuring wannabe. And are people really afraid of big mouths? Is that what scares you all these days?
The Verdict: Move the planchette to, “No.”
Keeping Up with the Joneses
Director: Greg Mottola
Stars: Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm
Current RT Meter: 16% Fresh
My box office prediction last Sunday: $14,000,000
Nick’s box office prediction: $9,000,000
This Mr. and Mrs. Smith-esque comedy could produce quite a few laughs thanks to its talented cast. However, the plot itself seems so tired and stale. If there was something a little more subversive going on, maybe this would be worth checking out. It doesn’t seem like that’s the case.
The Verdict: A safe choice for some easy laughs, but this looks incredibly disposable.
Boo! A Madea Halloween
Director: Tyler Perry
Stars: Tyler Perry, Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely
Current RT Meter: N/A
My box office prediction last Sunday: $12,000,000
Nick’s box office prediction: $10,000,000
In all honestly, this looks like the most enjoyable film releasing this weekend. Tyler Perry gets a lot of flack for his Madea films. Some of it is deserved, but it’s undeniable that there’s an untapped comedic market that he speaks to. Plus, the trailer has some great laughs (as well as some groaners). This won’t change the world but it could be a fun Halloween treat.
The Verdict: Don’t be a hater. This might be your best bet.
On the Tube
Black Mirror
The bleak sci-fi anthology series returns for a third season. With Netflix as its new home, Black Mirror will include more episodes and an even more alluring group of filmmakers. Reviews for the first batch of episodes have been great. If you haven’t checked out this monumental modern Twilight Zone, now is the time to jump on the bandwagon.
The Verdict: Easily the best release of the weekend.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
The surprise hit is back and bigger than ever. More songs and more shenanigans are in store, and fans couldn’t be happy. Our own Travis Newton will be recapping the show and you should definitely follow along. No doubt that this is the next television show.
The Verdict: Oh, without a doubt.
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency
Douglas Adams’s quirky series comes to life courtesy of zany screenwriter Max Landis. Our own Danielle Ryan sat down with some of the demented brains behind the show, and it sounds like something that could become a cult favorite. Adams’s humor is unparalleled, and if the show captures that, it will be something truly special.
The Verdict: Love The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy? Then this is mandatory viewing.
Dream Corp, LLC
This bizarre sci-fi comedy invades Adult Swim this weekend and fans of Philip K. Dick and Michel Gondry should take notice. We actually got to talk to some of the cast and creators and it sounds like a genuinely unique bit of weirdness. This will certainly be hard for some people to get into, but it’s really made for the oddballs out there.
The Verdict: Give it a watch. You’ll know pretty quickly if it’s for you.
The Walking Dead
Oh yeah, that show. Is this show a big deal? I guess the huge presence it had at New York Comic-Con indicates that it is. People are hyped for this one because there’s a big hanger dangling from last season’s cliff. You can bet that the devoted fans are going to be tuning in immediately. Where is the series headed after the shocking death we’ve been promised? Watch and find out!
The Verdict: By now, you’re on this train or you aren’t.
For the Gamers
Battlefield 1
This long-running series goes backward in time and the decision has been met with widespread approval. Battlefield 1 seems to give the fans exactly what they’ve been craving. Will it overcome Call of Duty as the predominant first-person shooter franchise? We may be witnessing a paradigm shift of epic proportions.
The Verdict: If you love FPS games, you’re probably playing it right now.
Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour
Ol’ Duke has had a rough couple of years. Duke Nukem Forever is a legendary embarrassment that effectively killed the dormant franchise. This anniversary release is really there for the die-hard fans who still want some of that cheesy shooter goodness. It’s not going to win any new admirers, but Duke is probably long past that point.
The Verdict: This one is for the old folks. Everyone else can go back to pretending Duke doesn’t exist.
