January 2013 Content at BoxOfficeProphets.com

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What Went Wrong

This will contain the odd spoiler so if you haven’t seen Jennifer’s Body, then just keep in mind that it’s a body that stays mostly clothed.

BOP Interview

Director Jonathan Levine sure loves his coming-of-age movies with a messed up twist.

The 400-Word Review

Crime tropes collide in Stand Up Guys, the lighthearted action flick from journeyman director/producer/actor Fisher Stevens.

Comics Weekly

Comic books are like novels except that you are only able to read one chapter each month.

Top Chef Power Rankings

There was almost another cataclysmic shakeup at the top of the power rankings this week.

Watchlist

I’m a fan of underdogs, especially when it comes to movies. I don’t mean underdog characters, I mean underdog movies

Monday Morning Quarterback

It's a blah box office weekend, but we still have some things to say.

How Well Do You Know: Numbers in Movie Titles, Part 1

Numbers. Despite our best efforts, they are everywhere. They even winnow their way into movie titles. We'll give you a movie title, and ask you to supply the number that completes it. Put away your calculators (for now) and see how well you know Numbers in Movie Titles.

Top Chef: Seattle Recap

Previously on Top Chef, a miscarriage of justice led to the elimination of the season’s best player, Kristen.

Viking Night

With Mulholland Dr., David Lynch takes a satirically bleak shot at the creative infrastructure he's been distancing himself from his whole career.

Overpaid Jerks: 1/21/13-1/27/13

An eventful week saw a head coach pay up, a slew of college basketball upsets, tennis down under and strange football allegations that don't involve Te'o. Here comes our sports trivia quiz for the 5th week of 2013.

Review: Broken City

Broken City is neither a good movie nor a bad movie. Everything about it feels mediocre - the plot, the characterizations, the performances.

Review: The Last Stand

The Last Stand would have fit right in among the action movies of late 1980s and early ‘90s, or the vertex of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career.

Weekend Wrap-Up

It’s the post-Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and the openers suck. So what else is new?

Friday Box Office Analysis

Surprisingly not the strangest concept among the wide releases this weekend, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters tops the box office on Friday with $6.1 million.

This is So Last Week: 1/18/13-1/24/13

The last week in celebrity/entertainment news brought us singers at the inauguration, a reality show offer, TV cancellations and a warning to Taylor Swift. Here's our pop culture trivia quiz for the 4th week of 2013.

The 400-Word Review

Ever get really into something new — perhaps flower arrangement or tae kwon do — and wish that there was something more you could do with your newfound affinity?

This Weekend, Watch This

New movies are released into theaters every weekend. How do you decide which movie to watch?

Weekend Forecast

The ridiculously mixed bag of films this January has provided continues this week.

How Well Do You Know: Firefly Quotes, Part IV

We're wrapping up our series on quotes from the gone-too-soon TV series Firefly. So, enjoy these now, before your only option is to....find them in our never-deleted archives. From Wash quips to to philosophizin' of Shepherd Book see how well you know your Firefly quotes.

Guilty Pleasures

If you’re talking to someone wearing a fanny pack or sporting a mullet, chances are you’re going to pretend to listen but really you’ll be snickering to yourself.

How Well Do You Know: Demolition Man

The year is 2032 and there's a mad man on the loose. Fittingly, only one man can stop him. Wesley Snipes and Sylvester Stallone star in this futuristic action-packed film, in which only one man will be left standing. Now Simon says, proceed to quiz taking. How well do you know the Demolition Man?

How Well Do You Know: Futurama, Season 3 Episode 13: Bendin’ in the Wind

After being crippled in a terrifying magnet accident, Bender finds a new career as a monster of vaguely-folkish alterna-rock. But his newfound interest in caring for other broken robots is swiftly terminated when he has a miraculous recovery. How Well Do You Know Futurama: Bendin’ in the Wind? (Federal law prohibits changing the channel)

Monday Morning Quarterback

Have you heard that two brothers will be coaching against each other in the super bowl? We didn't think so.

Part One
Part Two

Comics Weekly

Deadpool Killustrated is released today. This is officially the greatest comic book title of all time.

Top Chef Power Rankings

With Kristen’s shocking elimination last week, the top of the leaderboard requires a lot more consideration.

12 Days of Box Office: Requiem

Now that the holidays are past us, it's time to take a look at the Twelve Days of Box Office and how they impacted the films in release over the Christmas season.

How Well Do You Know: Snow White and the Huntsman

Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron and Chrim Hemsworth put their stamp on the classic fairy tale in Snow White and the Huntsman. The film combines some impressive visuals, a heavy dose of fantasy and a bit of action-adventure. You may think that bathing a queen is worth the risk, but how well do you know Snow White and the Huntsman.

Movie Review: Mama

Consider the following shot from Andrés Muschietti’s Mama...

Top Chef: Seattle Recap

Previously on Top Chef, Restaurant Wars was stretched into a pair of episodes.

Movie Review: Pitch Perfect

Pitch Perfect is the kind of movie that, next day, leaves me perplexed.

Overpaid Jerks: 1/14/13-1/20/13

This week: The Super Bowl is set, a basketball game for the dogs, father vs. son and baseball legends. Test your retention level with out sports trivia quiz for the 4th week of 2013.

TiVoPlex

From the obscure to the obscurest to the merely overlooked or underappreciated; they all have a home in the TiVoPlex!

Movie Review: Gangster Squad

If a conventional crime drama got together with a conventional superhero movie, their child would be Gangster Squad.

Are You with Us?

What I appreciate most about writing this column is that I have the opportunity to catch up on movies that I have always meant to see. Case in point: Black Hawk Down.

Weekend Wrap-Up

This is NOT a good weekend to be Arnold Schwarzenegger, as the former governor gets no love at the weekend box office.

Friday Box Office Analysis

Three weeks into 2013 and we've got our second disposable horror film of the year topping the box office on Friday.

This is So Last Week: 1/11/13-1/17/13

This week: The Golden Globes, Miss America, speaking in tongues and coming clean. Embrace the pop culture madness and try our entertainment/celebrity quiz for the 3rd week of 2013.

This Weekend, Watch This

New movies are released into theaters every weekend. How do you decide which movie to watch?

Weekend Forecast

The third weekend of the year is positively flooded with new content.

How Well Do You Know: Futurama, Season 3 Episode 12: The Route of All Evil

After Dwight and Cubert start their own delivery company and take over Planet Express, Hermes and the Professor are miserable. The children grew up so fast. They just wanted a few more years of being better than them. But when things go wrong, a little father-son weaselling out fixes everything. How Well Do You Know Futurama: The Route of All Evil? (disclaimer: any resemblance to real robots would be really cool)

How Well Do You Know: The Parent Trap (1961)

Hayley Mills and Hayley Mills play Sharon and Susan, two twin sisters who meet by accident and decide to switch places. Hijinks galore ensue as these two sisters try to bring their parents back together while trying to push out an evil stepmother wannabe. So let's get together, yeah yeah yeah, and will be having lots of fun. How well do you know Disney's The Parent Trap?

Review: The Gatekeepers

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has waged on for so long that the reasons why the two groups continue to fight have become a bit hazy.

What Went Wrong

2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the Astro Boy anime. I feel awful commemorating this event by delving into a What Went Wrong look at the Astro Boy film.

How Well Do You Know: Midnight Run

Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin make for an unexpectedly brilliant comic duo in Midnight Run, perhaps the swearing-est buddy comedy ever. You may be pursued by the dumbest bounty hunters you've ever seen, but how well do you know Midnight Run?

Comics Weekly

Comics are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Top Chef: Seattle Recap

Previously on Top Chef, John Tesar was eliminated in what is tantamount to a graceful exit by his standards.

Top Chef Power Rankings

As much as I like Brooke, Kristen has separated herself from the rest of the competitors.

How Well Do You Know: Firefly Quotes, Part III

The quotability of the brilliant-but-canceled Firefly helped cement its place in pop culture lore. We have another cargo crate full of Firefly quotes for you to enjoy. From Wash quips to to philosophizin' of Shepherd Book see how well you know your Firefly quotes.

Classic Movie Review

After America entered World War II in the wake of Pearl Harbour, there was a raft of Hollywood films dedicated to making the case for war in ways both subtle and not.

Viking Night

Put your ear to the ground. Do you hear that? There’s an unspeakable menace coming, barreling toward your happy home like a slavering horde of barbarian savages!

Monday Morning Quarterback

The BOP staff discusses the latest in movies.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

Overpaid Jerks: 1/7/13-1/13/13

College basketball madness, defeat/jaws/victory, breakfast cereal and the BCS championship. Test your mettle with our sports trivia quiz for the 3rd week of 2013.

Review: Parental Guidance

What’s perhaps most irksome about a movie like Parental Guidance is that it shows potential at the beginning but keeps letting you down the longer it goes on.

TiVoPlex

From the obscure to the obscurest to the merely overlooked or underappreciated; they all have a home in the TiVoPlex!

Shop Talk

If that's the future, I'm all in.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Academy Awards nominations were revealed on Thursday, and they directly impacted weekend box office for half the movies in the top ten.

Friday Box Office Analysis

This week was anticipated to be the moment of triumph for Zero Dark Thirty.

This is So Last Week: 1/4/13-1/10/13

This week: Oscars and other award news, drug usage, a cult favorite and celebrities in danger. Plus: the perils of wearing a backpack. Test your entertainment smarts with our pop culture quiz for the 2nd week of 2013.

This Weekend, Watch This

New movies are released into theaters every weekend. How do you decide which movie to watch?

Weekend Forecast

Perhaps ironically, it's one of the films that's seen its Oscar hopes damaged most that should lead the way at the box office this weekend.

The 400-Word Review

One can almost imagine the terrible interpretations of the bin Laden hunt that many Hollywood directors would’ve happily supplied.

The 400-Word Review

How to tackle Gangster Squad? The conquering story here is the film’s inescapable, accidental ties to mass violence.

How Well Do You Know: White Men Can't Jump

Get ready for a fast-paced, in-your-face, slam-dunk comedy starring Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes. This unlikely duo are in the hustling business and will do anything trying to make a buck playing basketball. You may know that screwing isn't just for carpenters, but how well do you know White Men Can't Jump?

Movie Review: This Is 40

After three feature films, Judd Apatow has taken the old adage, “Write about what you know,” a tad too far.

Movie vs Reality

Whether looking at the work of Hunter S. Thompson, William S. Burroughs or countless others, it seems that drug use has had a recurring role in the history of literature.

MMQB Part IV

In today's Monday Morning Quarterback, we discuss Parental Guidance, Jack Reacher, This Is 40 and The Guilt Trip.

This Weekend, Watch This

New movies are released into theaters every weekend. How do you decide which movie to watch?

How Well Do You Know: Futurama, Season 3 Episode 11: Insane in the Mainframe

After becoming an accomplice to a bank robbery, Fry is committed to an insane robot asylum on the grounds that they hired the Hyper-Chicken to represent them. It has a happy ending though – after Fry starts to believe he is a robot, he is released due to his sanity. How Well Do You Know Futurama: Insane in the Mainframe? (Bender’s humor by Microsoft Joke)

How Well Do You Know: Back to the Future II

Back to the Future, Part II picks up immediately where the original leaves off, and hurls Doc Brown and Marty McFly both forward and backward through time. The duo must sidestep time paradoxes and prevent a disastrous future (and present, for that matter). You may know Biff Tannen from Griff Tannen, but how well do you know Back to the Future, Part II?

Comics Weekly

Fanboys meet zombies, Batman goes through the looking glass and Alice can't be too far behind. It's a good week to love comics.

Top Chef Power Rankings

With Lizzie narrowly avoiding elimination last week, Kristen is now the only Top Chef: Seattle contestant who has never been in the bottom group.

MMQB Part III

Today, we look at the Christmas releases Django Unchained and Les Miserables.

How Well Do You Know: 1980s Bands by Lead Singer 4

Let's return once more to the golden age of the 1980s...when the new wave was getting its groove on, rap was born and the world was Justin Bieber-less for at least a few more years. We'll give you a lead singer of an 80s act, and ask you to identify the band he or she fronted. How well do you know 80s Bands by Lead Singer?

Before you send in angry emails, yes, we know that acts listed in this quiz may have had careers before or after the 1980s....we just picked some bands that are most identified with that era.

MMQB Part 2

We have a lot of catching up to do in MMQB this week. We'll start with chainsaws and fracking, as the religious texts instruct.

Top Chef: Seattle Recap

Previously on Top Chef, Josie irritated everyone. Pretend to be surprised.

Viking Night: Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights has a message for you, and that is to stay away from hardcore pornography and illicit drugs. Sort of.

Overpaid Jerks: 12/31/12-1/6/13

Mediocre wild card games, winning and losing streaks snapped, unexpected bowl game results and Rex Ryan's latest gaffe. See how well you know the world of sports for the 2nd week of 2013.

TiVoPlex

From the obscure to the obscurest to the merely overlooked or underappreciated; they all have a home in the TiVoPlex!

Are You with Us?

When it comes to spoof movies, you get more satisfaction from the jokes if you are more familiar with the films it is skewering.

Monday Morning Quarterback

We've seen a lot of movies lately.

Weekend Wrap-Up

What better way to indicate the end of the holiday season by releasing a Texas Chainsaw movie?

Friday Box Office Analysis

The latest remake in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series comes out of nowhere with a whopping $10.1 million on Friday.

This is So Last Week: 12/28/12-1/3/13

2013 in celebrity/entertainment news starts off with a bang. We had big celeb baby news, a high profile wedding, a secret wedding, and an unexpected retirement. Test your knowledge of pop culture trivia for the 1st week of 2013.

How Well Do You Know: Downton Abbey, Season 2 Recap

Season 2 of the highly-acclaimed series Downton Abbey continues the exploits of the inhabitants and staff of Downton during a turbulent time. Noone is exempt from tragedy and drama, not even the well-to-do Crawleys. Death, war, Spanish flu, paralysis, an unwed pregnancy and blackmail are all part of the Downton drama this year - not to mention what happens to Mr. Bates, seemingly the unluckiest man alive. You may have known that Vera was bad news from the start, but how well do you know Season 2 of Downton Abbey?

This Weekend, Watch This

New movies are released into theaters every weekend. How do you decide which movie to watch?

Weekend Forecast

Now, where were we? After Christmas 2012's subdued orgy of box office gold, things get back to more-or-less normal patterns.

The 400-Word Review

The obvious, inescapable objection to Juan Antonio Bayona’s otherwise excellent The Impossible concerns its protagonists.

How Well Do You Know: 2012: The Year in Movies, Part 5

Wreck-It Ralph? That's My Boy. A Joyful Noise was Pitch Perfect and The Avengers took Flight. 2012 movies dealt with The Dictator, The Raven, The Lucky One and The Lorax. You may know 21 Jump Street from Zero Dark 30, but how well do you know 2012: The Year in Movies?

What Went Wrong

This will contain the odd spoiler, so if you haven’t seen The A-Team, just bear in mind that it features a tank in midair.

Chapter Two: Superman II

It's a farewell Chapter Two. Thanks, Brett.

How Well Do You Know: Honest 2012 Movie Titles III

Movie titles are intended to encapsulate all that is good and pure in the film. Alas, most titles misrepresent the actual product they are encapsulating. So, HWDYK has taken the liberty of renaming them in a manner that better reflects the content. This is going to be fun.

Comics Weekly

Your New Year's Resolution should be to read more comics.

Movie Review: Jack Reacher

Jack Reacher is a police procedural, mystery thriller and action picture all rolled into one serviceable movie.

Top Chef: Seattle Recap

Over at the Top Chef residence, all of the chefs are annoyed with Josie. The contestants are wondering the same thing that we are – why is she even here?

Top Chef Power Rankings

Since Bart fell on the sword for Josie last week, the major change in the power rankings is his removal.

How Well Do You Know: 2012-2013 NFL Playoffs

The Buttfumblers and cellar-dwellers have been swept aside. All that remain are the champions and wild cards. Ready for the NFL playoffs? Think you know all about the teams heading for the postseason? We'll see. Test your knowledge of the 2012-2013 NFL playoffs.

TV Recap: Doctor Who

Ever since "The Christmas Invasion" began the Doctor Who Christmas specials, the series has struggled to deliver episodes with the wit and invention of its holiday outings.

Movie Review: Les Miserables

Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables is the first incarnation of this story I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing.

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