On a special episode of the BIG show, we take one final look back at the highlights and lowlights as we recap the 2013 Summer Movie season.
Find out which highly-anticipated films fell on their faces and which smaller films overperformed and surprised the critics.
The Hits
Superhero films dominated the box-office once again as Man of Steel and Iron Man 3 both finished at the top of Summer Box Office. Two animated films also finished in top five as Despicable Me and Monsters University also performed to their massive expectations. Fast & Furious 6, Star Trek Into Darkness, World War Z, The Heat and The Great Gatsby also were huge summer hits.
On the Fence
Grown Ups 2, Epic and The Hangover Part 3 all grossed over $100 million but were savaged by the critics. The lead performances of Cate Blanchett and Amanda Seyfried in Blue Jasmine and Lovelace were solid, while their films left us wanting. the ultra-violent and overly-nuanced Only God Forgives divided critics and audiences.
Indie Surprises
Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain eclipsed its $7 million budget in its opening weekend. Films such as Kings of Summer, The Spectacular Now, I’m So Excited, Fruitvale Station, The Grandmaster, Frances Ha, Short Term 12, The To Do List, Much Ado About Nothing, The Acts of Killing and 20 Feet From Stardom particularly stood out.
Disappointments
Several huge titles vastly underperformed leaving a trail of strewn A-list carcasses in their wake. Films such as After Earth, The Internship, Pacific Rim, White House Down, R.I.P.D., Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Mortal Instruments: The City of Bones, Jobs, The Lone Ranger and Kick Ass 2. Even animated films were not immune as both Planes and Turbo also failed to generate any box-office heat.
Guest critics will include former USA Today critic, Susan Wloszczyna (Wa ZIN a), FilmThreat’s Eli Savada, TT Stern-Enzi from the Cincinnati CityBeat and EntertainmentorDie’s Kyle Osborne.
Listen in to find out if your favorites made our list on Episode 214 of Keeping It Reel with FilmGordon.