Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
This week James Cameron-Wilson is joined by Chad Kennerk, our occasional American correspondent, to review the opening weekend performance of 'F1 The Movie', which at #1 is now Brad Pitt’s highest-grossing movie, beating the record set in 2013 by his zombie thriller 'World War Z'. Having waxed lyrical last week about Danny Boyle’s new film '28 Years Later', James returns to where the franchise left off in 2007, reviewing the title with fresh eyes. While on the subject of zombies, Chad and James share some of their favourite undead excursions. James was less thrilled with the film at #6, 'M3GAN 2.0', which continues the escapades of the titular killer robot doll as she goes good in order to face off with a deadlier foe. For his streaming title of the week, James reviews the sobering Netflix documentary 'Grenfell Uncovered'.
Guests: Chad Kennerk,James Cameron Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson waxes lyrical about #1 28 Years Later, Danny Boyle's first film in 6 years. It's 23 years since 28 Days Later and the zombie horror is as fresh as ever, with the likes of Ralph Fienes and Jodie Comer starring in the third in the series, which begins on Lindisfarne. The film has been doing incredibly well wherever it has opened. #3 Elio, however, has had the worst opening ever for Pixar. A children's sci-fi animated adventure, James found himself unmoved while the kids seeing it were far from being gripped. On Amazon Prime, his hopes for the supposedly funny film about improv actors involved in police stings, Deep Cover, were soon dashed, despite the presence of Orlando Bloom and Sean Bean. It simply isn't funny enough.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson finds the live-action remake of #1 How To Train Your Dragon a disappointment, lacking much of the original's charm. He points out that the perfectly woven farce The Wedding Banquet is still around, suggesting people catch it while they can. On Netflix, he watched Straw, a state-of-the-nation melodrama from the phenomenally successful Tyler Perry. But while it has some nice moments, it's formulaic and unrealistic. He much admires the beautiful restoration of Darling, 1965's satire of Britain in the swinging 60s. Starring Dirk Bogarde and Julie Christie as a self-obsessed model, it has sparkling dialogue and won Oscars for costumes, script and for Christie. The extras are great too.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson reports on a thriving box office, well ahead of last year's take. #3 Ballerina has little to do with ballet, coming from the world of John Wick. It's stylish but is relentless, exhausing combat porn. Apple TV+ has Echo Valley with Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney. It's a thriller that gripped James throughout. Also on Apple is the documentary Deaf President Now! about a deaf university where the students felt they were second-class citizens. It too is recommended.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson is impressed that the box office has fallen only 20% with Lilo & Stitch and Mission Impossible #1 & #2. #3 is Karate Kid: Legends with Jackie Chan (the sixth in the series). It is formulaic but moves at a good clip. Independent film The Salt Path is #4, packing out screens where it is showing. It's an unbelieveable but true story with Jason Isaacs & Gillian Anderson and is worthy but lacking cinematic oomph. On Netflix James caught the Spanish crime drama A Widow's Game, which can be seen subtitled or dubbed. Sadly, it is all too obvious who the guilty party is.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson reports box office up 199%. #1 Lilo and Stitch, the latest manifestation in the massive franchise is, despite its popularity with young viewers, a cinematic abomination which James loathed every minute of. He'd been looking forward to #2 Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning, but James found the 8th MI outing lacks the laughter and romance of the first part two years ago. Full of exposition and almost three hours long, it's Mission Ridiculous. He found Apple TV's Fountain of Youth should satisfy its young adult audience but its playful screenplay goes completely off the rails at the end.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
Box office rose 30% despite the good weather, says James Cameron-Wilson. He was surprisingly entertained by #1 Final Destination: Bloodlines, the latest instalment of the long-running series about the inventiveness of the Grim Reaper. Canadian singer Weeknd virtually plays himself in #5 Hurry Up Tomorrow, a self-indulgent vanity project. On Netflix, James found the apparently true-ish story Nonnas, about Vince Vaughn setting up a restaurant with Italian grandmothers as chefs, to be formulaic and implausible but a pleasant and undemanding quiet-night-in movie.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson reports box office down 50% because of the fine weather. But he delighted in #4 Ocean with David Attenborough in which the 99-year-old reports on mankind's final frontier. Demanding to be seen on the big screen, this amazing film is an existential experience which cannot be bettered. #14 The Wedding Banquet is an updated version of Ang Lee's movie and is an exquisite comedy drama which is very funny and real, with warm, eccentric characters. James also recommends Amazon Prime's Assessment, a psychological sci-fi thriller with Elizabeth Olsen and Alicia Vikander.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says that #1 Thunderbolts* is keeping the UK box office ticking over. A mildly entertaining Marvel movie starring Florence Pugh and David Harbour, it is very noisy and features dreadful badinage. He was hoping for more from Netflix's Havoc, the biggest feature film ever to be shot wholly in Wales. Starring Tom Hardy, nothing about this John Wick knock-off rings true and, with no character development, it feels endless. After enjoying A Simple Favour, he was disappointed by Another Simple Favour on Amazon Prime. With Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively again, it starts promisingly with some good one-liners but descends into unbelievable farce.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson boosts #2 Sinners again but also enjoyed #4 The Accountant 2, again starring Ben Affleck 8 years on. With a plot like a chess game it is smart, entertaining and often very funny. #22 is The Friend with Naomi Watts & Bill Murray. A handsomely acted look at death, it feels like the adaptation it is and lacks drama. Much better is #28 Julie Keeps Quiet. This rivetting and topical Belgian film about a young tennis player in crisis has an electric central performance. James enjoyed Viola Davis as the US President in G20 on Amazon Prime. A topical thriller it is entertaining but silly, falling about halfway between Segal and Cruise.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
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