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 will give 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
Ghostbusters
Director: Paul Feig
Stars: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon
Current RT Meter: 75% Fresh
My box office prediction last Sunday: $49,000,000
Nick’s box office prediction: $56,000,000
Possibly the biggest brouhaha in all of 2016’s pop culture landscape, Ghostbusters is going to make your social media unbearable for the next few days. Most people have already decided whether or not they want to check this out, but the mostly positive reviews might have swayed a few folks who were on the fence. The film will likely fall into the same category as a lot of remakes — inoffensive with some bright spots but mostly forgettable — and there’s nothing that seems downright terrible. It’s got a talented cast and a sizable budget, so why not give this one a chance?
The Verdict: This is the most talked about film of 2016 so far. You have to see it even if it’s just in an attempt to validate your preconceived opinion.
The Infiltrator
Director: Brad Furman
Stars: Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger
Current RT Meter: 64% Fresh
So, maybe Nick and I forgot about this movie and that’s why there isn’t a box office prediction. To be fair, The Infliltrator released on Wednesday and has made about as much of an impacted as expected for a small-scale adult crime thriller. The reviews are pretty middle-of-the-road and there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to the movie as far as a necessary theatrical experience is concerned. Still, it’s a nice bit of counter-programming for those who don’t want to bust any ghosts or find out what’s so secret about their pet’s life.
The Verdict: This’ll probably make a great rental one night when you want to feel like a grown-up.
On the Tube
Stranger Things
Netflix debuts this ode to the two Steves that ruled the ’80s: King and Spielberg. The previews look like a blast and Netflix has an unbelievable track record when it comes to their original programming. We’ll be doing a watch-along so you know we’re excited for this one!
The Verdict: The necessary viewing of the weekend.
Vice Principals
Jody Hill is a caustic comedy genius. Eastbound and Down is a treasure of vulgarity and Observe and Report is one of the best films of the last decade. Vice Principals looks like it’s really amping up the ridiculous factor, so the adds have pushed something that might be less cartoony than it looks. Regardless, Danny McBride and Walton Goggins headlining a foul-mouthed comedy series? There’s no way this one doesn’t work on some level.
The Verdict: It’s only going to last for two seasons, so you might as well give it your time.
Ballers
Is anyone watching Ballers? Obviously, the answer is yes, but it doesn’t feel like it’s a big part of the cultural conversation. You’d think that having Dwayne “Oh Please, He’s Always The Rock” Johnson at the front of an HBO series would be a big selling point, but has his popularity helped make the show a must-see? There’s been little to glom on to as far as the trailers are concerned, and the premise of a dramedy about the world of football agents seems incredibly niche. Maybe this season will spark some discussion about the show, but as of now, it feels like it’s barely there.
The Verdict: The Rock fans, football fans, and fans of watching rich people should dig this. Everyone else, Stranger Things and Vice Principals has you covered.
For the Gamers
ADR1FT (PS4)
This writer is a fan of the “first-person experience” genre of gaming, so ADR1FT is sounding like one of the coolest games of the year right now. Possibly inspired by the film Gravity, the tension and mood that we’ve seen look phenomenal, but if it’s bogged down by too many non-interactive cutscenes, that could drag the whole experience down. The game released earlier this year to very middling reviews, but the PS4 might help smooth out some of those problems.
The Verdict: It’s a very narrow fan base for these kinds of games, but if you like them this is one to check out.
Monster Hunter Generations (3DS)
Monster Hunter is a phenomenon in the gaming community, and any new game is met with feverish anticipation. The reviews for Monster Hunter Generations have been mostly positive, so it sounds like the series will continue its winning streak. The simple fun of hunting down monsters is hard to screw up, so if you’ve got a 3Ds, this is a good time to jump on the bandwagon.
The Verdict: If you’re a Monster Hunter fan, you’re probably playing it as we speak.
