Blog: Jordan

Opening in over 4,000 theaters, “Twilight: Eclipse” broke box office records Wednesday night as it earned $30 million nationwide.  The movie played from 12 a.m. to 3 a.m., earning enough cash to give it the highest grossing midnight opening of all time.  The previous record of $26.3 million was held by “Eclipse’s” predecessor, “Twilight: New Moon.”

That wasn’t the only record the movie set.  At 4,416 locations, “Eclipse” beat out “Iron Man 2” for the widest opening in cinema history.  In addition, it netted the highest grossing IMAX midnight opening ever at just over $1 million (the previous record was held by “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”).

Will “Eclipse” wind up the highest grossing movie of the summer?  Or perhaps, of the year?

"Wyoming."

Daniel Radcliffe has secured his next movie role: The British actor will star in the upcoming adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s antiwar novel All Quiet on the Western Front.  Currently in the early stages of pre-production, the movie will mark Radcliffe’s first performance in a major feature film since the “Harry Potter” franchise.

Brits Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell, who wrote the screenplay and will produce All Quiet on the Western Front, were delighted when Radcliffe signed on.  "Daniel brings a vulnerability and innocence to [main character] Paul," said Stokell. "When we realized how much he loved the script we were really excited because we know he can tap into the delicate balance between intensity and believability that is critical for this demanding role."

All Quiet on the Western Front tells the story of a proud German youth who volunteers for battle during World War I—only to become disillusioned and disturbed by the reality of war.  The novel was first adapted for the screen in 1930, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture and earning a reputation as one of the great American films.  Later in 1979, the story was adapted into a made-for-TV movie.

Shooting will start in the spring of 2012, as Radcliffe will spend 2011 performing in the Broadway production “How to Succeed Without Really Trying.”

For the most part, this appears to be a pretty dull summer at the movies--a span crowded with uninspired remakes, sequels and 3D schlock. Besides Inception, there isn't much to look forward to until the Fall/Winter, and even then, things seem a little barren.

I am, however, very excited about one release this year: Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life. Malick (pictured above) is the mastermind behind Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line and, most recently, The Lost World. He doesn't make movies often, but when he does, he produces something sublime.

The Tree of Life features heavyweights Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, which is reason enough to check the movie out. Not much is known about the story except the basics: Set in the 1950s, the film centers on an 11-year-old boy as his worldview develops and shifts. That might not sound very riveting, but the movie is considered a leading candidate for best of the year.

What film are you most looking forward to this year?

"Bitches leave!"