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
Published:
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
Published:
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
Published:
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
Published:
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
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says UK box office is up 83% YoY. He recommends three films in the chart. Ryan Coogler's Sinners at #2 is an outstanding piece of filmmaking which defies caegorisation but brings to mind Tarantino. It's a powerful, sensual and immersive experience that stays with you. #3 The Penguin Lessons isn't the feelgood family film you might expect but a wise, charming and funny political thriller starring Steve Coogan set in 1970s Argentina. At #5 Alex Gardland's Warfare aims to be the most realistic war film ever and succeeds. It's a terrific film but harrowing. On Amazon Prime Holland, with Nicole Kidman, tries to be a comedic black thriller like Fargo but doesn't quite work.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson says that box iffice is down 52% although A Minecraft Movie has powered ahead to a £31m take. #2 The Amateur has Rami Malek as a desk-bound CIA guy who wants to get trained up for revenge. But it's ludicrous and underlit and very disappointing. #6 the unheralded Drop is a thriller with Meghann Fahy on a date that goes badly wrong. Think of Speed in a restaurant. James was completely gripped by the ingenious plot. He also admires #16 Mr. Burton with Toby Jones the teacher who inspired Richard Burton to at. It's the sort of little film that Britain does so well and deserves an audience. Simon recommends the new Eureka double-disc silent Laurel & Hardy restoration.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
This week James Cameron-Wilson is joined by Chad Kennerk, our occasional American correspondent fresh from his trip to CinemaCon in Vegas. James is thrilled to see that the UK box-office has leaped a phenomenal 168.7% from the previous weekend, thanks to the video game adaptation 'A Minecraft Movie' with Jason Momoa and Jack Black. At #4 is 'Death of a Unicorn', a farcical horror comic that is inept on almost every level, save for the presence of Jenna Ortega. However, at #7 is the Oscar-winning animated feature 'Flow', which James claims is the best film of the year so far, being an enthralling, mystical, frequently quite funny, wondrous, haunting and even a pulse-accelerating experience. He was less happy with 'The Electric State' on Netflix, a $320 retro-futuristic mess with Chris Pratt and Mollie Bobby Brown which he describes as being overblown, heavy-handed and visually cluttered.
Guests: Chad Kennerk
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
James Cameron-Wilson reports that the box office is down 14%. #2 is A Working Man, a violent, noisy and hugely unrealistic shoot-em-up with Jason Statham scything through Russian baddies as he tries to rescue his boss's daughter. It's like a poor knockoff of Taken. James hugely recommended Novocaine at #5 with Jack Quaid a man incapable of feeling pain. Although occasionally violent there are a lot of laughs and some superb twists (and more plausible fights) in a beautifully-plotted film. He also recommends – for those with strong stomachs – the 5-time Oscar-nominated Demi Moore horror movie The Substance. It's now out on disc and is a must for horror fans.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
Published:
Original Broadcast: The Business Of Film
With box office + 63%, James Cameron-Wilson says #1 Snow White is neither as bad nor good as some would have it. Rachel Zegler lights up the screen but the CGI dwarves make it feel like an animated remake. It's not a new classic. #7 The Alto Knights has Robert de Niro playing 2 rival gangsters at once, a truly bad idea. It's misjudged and incredibly boring. James recommends documentary A Thinking Game if you can find it. O'Dessa, on Disney+, is a dotty, cheap and nasty, post-apocalyptic rock opera, with Sadie Sink considerably better than the movie which is a real rag bag of influences.
Guests: James Cameron-Wilson
Published:
