January continues to be January, with a lot of largely forgettable movies.
One Year Ago--January 24, 2020:
#1 Movie:
Bad Boys For Life--$34 million
New Wide Releases:
The Gentlemen--4/$10.7 million/$36.5 million/11/75%/51--A few months after Aladdin, Guy Ritchie returned to his first love, violent British crime comedies, with this violent British crime comedy about an American marijuana kingpin (Matthew McConaughey) in London and the shockwaves his decision to retire has on the criminal underworld, many of whom want a piece of the action and aren't above double and triple crossing each other. Jeremy Strong played an American interested in buying McConaughey out, Henry Golding played a henchman of a Chinese gangster who also wants the business, Charlie Hunnam played McConaughey's loyal lieutenant, Colin Farrell played a trainer who gets caught up in the events, Eddie Marsan played a tabloid editor looking into McConaughey's dealings, Michelle Dockery played McConaughey's wife, and Hugh Grant played a private investigator. Critics generally liked the film, and it did relatively well box office wise.
Director: Guy Ritchie
The Turning--6/$7 million/$15.5 million/20/13%/35--The second horror movie in three weeks to get an F from Cinemascore, this modern day-set version of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw starred Mackenzie Davis as the new nanny for two creepy kids (Finn Wolfhard and Brooklynn Price), who live in a house that may or may not be haunted. It doesn't help that her mother (Joely Richardson) is in a mental institution. Critics weren't any kinder than moviegoers were, and this quickly disappeared.
Director: Floria Sigismondi
New Limited Releases:
The Last Full Measure--$3 million/49/60%/51--This drama, about the investigation into whether an Air Force medic (Jeremy Irvine) killed during the Vietnam War deserves the Medal of Honor for his heroics during his final moments, has a surprisingly stacked cast, including Sebastian Stan as the lead investigator, Christopher Plummer (in his final film) and Diane Ladd as Irvine's parents, Bradley Whitford as Stan's boss, William Hurt, Ed Harris, Samuel L. Jackson, and Peter Fonda (also his final film), as Irvine's friends, and LisaGay Hamilton, Linus Roache, Amy Madigan, John Savage, and Michael Imperioli in supporting roles. Even though military movies usually do well in January, this was barely released and disappeared fast.
Director: Todd Robinson
Expanding:
Parasite--12/$2 million
Five Years Ago--January 22, 2016:
#1 Movie:
The Revenant--$16 million
New Wide Releases:
Dirty Grandpa--4/$11.1 million/$35.6 million/81/11%/21--Not to be confused with Bad Grandpa (a title this film surely would have run with if that Jackass offshoot hadn't taken the title in 2013), the most embarrassing entry on Robert De Niro's filmography has him playing the titular grandfather, specifically to Zac Efron, whom he drags to Florida shortly before Efron's wedding. Hijinks occur. Julianne Hough played Efron's fiancée, Zoey Deutch played an old classmate, Aubrey Plaza played Deutch's friend, who is interested in De Niro, Dermot Mulroney played Efron's father and De Niro's son, and Danny Glover played an old army buddy of De Niro. The film did OK business, but got nearly unanimously dreadful reviews.
Director: Dan Mazer
The Boy--5/$10.8 million/$35.8 million/80/29%/42--A rare case when a horror movie has (slightly) better legs than the comedy that opened ahead of it on the chart, this starred Lauren Cohan as a nanny who learns that her new charge is a life-sized doll of a young boy, though she quickly begins to suspect that a long-deceased child's spirit resides inside of it. Critics scoffed, but January horror audiences turned out and made this a minor (and profitable) hit. It would be followed by a sequel in 2020.
Director: William Brent Bell
The 5th Wave--6/$10.3 million/$34.9 million/83/15%/33--Yet another adaption of a dystopian YA novel, this one starred Chloe Grace Moretz as a survivor of an alien invasion, who is trying to rescues her little brother (Zackary Arthur) from the clutches of said aliens, who are posing as humans, including Maria Bello and Liev Schreiber. Ron Livingston played her father, and Nick Robinson played another human survivor. The poor critical and commercial performance of this Hunger Games wannabe meant that no other books in the series would be adapted.
Director: J. Blakeson
Expanding:
Spotlight--16/$1.3 million
Ten Years Ago--January 28, 2011:
New Wide Releases:
The Rite--1/$14.8 million/$33.1 million/95/21%/38--Anthony Hopkins presumably got a nice paycheck to co-star in this exorcism drama, playing a Rome-based priest who tutors a faithless American (Colin O'Donoghue) to be an exorcist. Alice Braga played a reporter investigating the exorcism class, Ciaran Hinds and Toby Jones played priests, and Rutger Hauer played O'Donoghue's father. Critics predictably hated the film, but it did OK business in a January that had been surprisingly devoid of horror.
Director: Mikael Hafstrom
The Mechanic--3/$11.4 million/$29.1 million/102/53%/49--Jason Statham starred in this remake of the old Charles Bronson actioner, playing a hitman who reluctantly takes the hotheaded son (Ben Foster) of his late mentor (Donald Sutherland) under his wing. Tony Goldwyn played Statham's boss. The film got mixed reviews, and did so-so box office, but still got a sequel in 2016.
Director: Simon West
New Limited Releases:
From Prada to Nada--$3 million/172/20%/39--A modern day, Latino variation of Sense and Sensibility, this starred Camilla Belle and Alexa Vega who, after the death of their father, discover that they are bankrupt, and are forced to move in with their aunt (Adriana Barraza). There, Belle wrestles with feelings for her new boss (Nicholas D'Agosto), while Vega is too distracted by rich, flashy Kuno Becker to notice Wilmer Valderrama. This did OK business with the Hispanic market.
Director: Angel Gracia
Fifteen Years Ago--January 27, 2006:
New Wide Releases:
Big Momma's House 2--1/$27.7 million/$70.2 million/39/5%/34--The first Big Momma's House was a surprise hit during the summer of 2000, so it's telling that the sequel was sent off to January. Martin Lawrence, whose only big hit since the first one had been Bad Boys II, gets back in the fat suit and dress to go undercover as the nanny for a suspected computer hacker (Mark Moses), much to the chagrin of his wife (Nia Long). Emily Proctor played Moses's uptight wife, Zachary Levi made his film debut playing another FBI agent, Marisol Nichols played Lawrence's superior, busy kid actor Josh Flitter played a young hacker, and 19-year-old Kat Dennings and 8-year-old Chloe Grace Moretz played Moses and Proctor's daughters. The movie would do well, but would still make nearly $50 million less than its predecessor. Nevertheless, a third movie followed in 2011.
Director: John Whitesell
Nanny McPhee--2/$14.5 million/$47.1 million/68/73%/59--The weekend's other comedy about an undercover nanny, this British import starred Emma Thompson as the titular nanny, an exceptionally ugly woman who magically arrives to bring order to a household with seven kids and their overwhelmed widower dad (Colin Firth). As the kids behave better, gradually Thompson becomes prettier. Kelly Macdonald played the family's maid, Imelda Staunton played the cook, Thomas Sangster played the oldest kid, and Angela Lansbury played the family's domineering aunt. While only a modest financial success in the U.S., it did very well overseas, particularly in its native England, leading to a 2010 sequel.
Director: Kirk Jones
Annapolis--4/$7.7 million/$17.1 million/127/10%/37--This Naval Academy-set melodrama, the last film from director Justin Lin before he became a regular director of Fast & the Furious movies, starred James Franco as an Academy plebe whose stubborn pride threatens to get him kicked out, until he buckles under and determines to be the best darn Navel officer he can be, which, for some reason for a movie made in 2006, involves him becoming a top boxer. Jordana Brewster and Tyrese Gibson, who had already made one Fast & Furious movie each and would go on to make many more with Lin, play Franco's superiors, Roger Fan, who had co-starred in Lin's breakthrough film Better Luck Tomorrow, played Franco's roommate, Donnie Wahlberg played a Navy lieutenant, Charles Napier played the Academy superintendent, and Chi McBride played the boxing coach. Critics largely howled, and audiences ignored it.
Director: Justin Lin
Limited Releases:
Rang De Basanti--$2.2 million/209/86%/NA--This highly acclaimed Bollywood drama about five recent college graduates (Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni, Kunal Kapoor), inspired both by their work on a film about Indian freedom fighters against the British and the death of a friend in a military accident covered up by the government, becomes determined to expose the corruption of the ruling party, no matter how close to home it hits. Well-known Indian actor Om Puri played one of the boys' father. It would end up as one of the highest grossing Indian films of the year in North America.
Director: Rakesh Omprak Mehra
Bubble--$0.2 million/346/71%/NA--Steven Soderbergh, whose last film had been the ultra-mainstream Ocean's Twelve, returned to his experimental roots with this low-budget drama, cast with amateur actors, about a love triangle involving three factory workers, played by Debbie Doebereiner, Dustin James Ashley, and Misty Wilkins. While the scenarios were plotted out in advance, the dialogue was entirely improvised. This also became one of the first films to be released simultaneously in theaters and on TV, and the DVD arrived less than a week later.
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Expanding:
The Matador--10/$3.6 million
Twenty Years Ago--January 26, 2001:
New Wide Releases:
The Wedding Planner--1/$13.5 million/$60.4 million/39/17%/33--Jennifer Lopez, who would spend much of the aughts making romantic comedies, and Matthew McConaughey, who would spend much of the aughts making romantic comedies, made their first romantic comedy of the decade with each other. She's the titular wedding planner, he is the groom of the wedding she's planning, will they end up together or will McConaughey marry Bridgette Wilson-Sampras? Do you even have to ask? At least it had a solid supporting cast, including Justin Chambers, Judy Greer, Alex Rocco, Joanna Gleason, Fred Willard, Kevin Pollock, and Kathy Najimy. It also got decent box office, despite awful reviews.
Director: Adam Shankman
Sugar & Spice--5/$5.9 million/$13.3 million/124/28%/48--This comedy, the dark side of Bring It On, starred Marley Shelton as a high school cheerleader who becomes pregnant. In order to support her and the baby, her friends on the squad, including Mena Suvari, begin committing armed robberies. James Marsden played Shelton's clueless boyfriend, Marla Sokoloff played a suspicious rival, and Sean Young played Suvari's mother.
Director: Francine McDougall
Expanding:
Chocolat--13/$3.4 million
Twenty-Five Years Ago--January 26, 1996:
#1 Movie:
Mr. Holland's Opus--$8.3 million
New Wide Releases:
Bed of Roses--2/$6.1 million/$19 million/87/19%/NA--Romantic drama about a lonely woman (Mary Stuart Masterson) who receives a bouquet of flowers from an anonymous person, who turns out to be florist and widower Christian Slater. Can he learn to love again? Can she learn to love, period? Again, do you have to ask? Pamela Aldon (then billed as Pamela Segall) played Masterson's best friend, Josh Brolin played Masterson's ex-boyfriend, and familiar actors like Debra Monk, Mary Alice, Ally Walker, and Gina Torres play supporting roles. This would be Masterson's last lead role in a major film to date.
Director: Michael Goldenberg
Screamers--9/$2.9 million/$5.7 million/143/29%/NA--Not to be confused with Scream, which would open at the end of the year, this sci-fi thriller, based on a Phillip K. Dick story, involved a group of surviving solders from a devastating civil war who discover that the A.I. robot solders have begun to build even better A.I. solders that can easily pass for human--and that they've declared war on both sides. Peter Weller was the most well-known person in the cast. Critics and audiences were indifferent.
Director: Christian Duguay
Big Bully--19/$1.1 million/$2 million/181/0%/NA--The first of three megaflop Tom Arnold vehicles of 1996 (the other two would open in August), and, other than a straight-to-video Honey, I Shrunk the Kids sequel, the final live-action movie of Rick Moranis to date, the year's second-lowest-grossing wide release was this comedy about a man (Moranis) whose return to his hometown prompts his former bully (Arnold) who had become mild-mannered, to revert to his old ways. The film did have a decent supporting cast, including Carol Kane, Jeffrey Tambour, Faith Prince, and Don Knotts. It's kind of hard to blame Moranis for retiring after this one.
Director: Steve Miner
New Limited Releases:
Angels & Insects--$3.4 million/167/71%/NA--This British drama starred Mark Rylance, in one of his first leading roles, as a naturalist who falls for the daughter (Patsy Kensit) of his benefactor (Jeremy Kemp) in the late 1800s. After the wedding, he is confused by her behavior, and greatly annoyed by her brother (Douglas Henshall). Kristin Scott Thomas played the household's governess. The film received solid reviews and was a moderate hit on the art house circuit. It was also the first Oscar nominee of 1996 to be released, as it was nominated for Costumes.
Director: Philip Haas
Thirty Years Ago--January 25, 1991:
#1 Movie:
Home Alone--$7.3 million
Expanding:
The Grifters--6/$3.3 million
Thirty-Five Years Ago--January 24, 1986:
#1 Movie:
The Color Purple--$4.4 million
New Wide Releases:
My Chauffeur--3/$3.6 million/$4.8 million/111/NA/37--This comedy starred Deborah Foreman as the first female chauffeur for a limo service. Forced to put up with chauvinistic behavior from both her co-workers and the clients, she eventually finds she's attracted to one of her regular passengers (Sam Jones), who is also attracted to her, but is also, unbeknownst to her, the son of her boss (E.G. Marshall). Howard Hesseman played the limo company manager, and Penn & Teller have cameos.
Director: David Beaird
Forty Years Ago--January 23, 1981:
New Limited Releases:
Altered States--$19.9 million/34 (1980)/85%/58--William Hurt made an auspicious film debut in this sci-fi psychological thriller about a scientist whose desires to learn more about other states of consciousness leads him to increasingly dangerous experiments on himself. Ken Russell brought his usual visual flair to the project, which would be the final project for screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky, who (under a pseudonym) adapted his own novel. Bob Balaban and Charles Haid played Hurt's fellow scientists, five-year-old Drew Barrymore also made her film debut as Hurt's daughter, George Gaynes played another doctor, John Laroquette played an X-ray technician, and Blair Brown played Hurt's wife. Critics were quite positive about the movie, and it did decent business. It picked up two Oscar nominations, for Sound and Score.
Director: Ken Russell
Blood Beach--NA/NA/0%/NA--This low-budget horror flick, whose premise is one of the more clever rip-offs of Jaws, has various people being sucked under the sands of a Santa Monica beach by some unknown creature. You'd think that would encourage people to stay in the water and off the beach, but apparently not. David Huffman, Burt Young, and John Saxon play various cops trying to figure out exactly what is going on. Reviews were less than complementary, with many critics complaining about the lack of gore, despite the film's title.
Director: Jeffrey Bloom
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