Scott Mendelson's Blog
Open Salon's resident movie nerd and box office geek.
Scott Mendelson
- Location
- Woodland Hills, California, United States
- Birthday
- April 02
- Bio
- A ten-year Salon reader, Mendelson also has a film and politics blog/column at Mendelon's Memos: located at: http://scottalanmendelson.blogspot.com/.
He is also a free lance voice over artist and occasionally contributes film reviews for www.ValleySceneMagazine.com.
MY RECENT POSTS
- The Dark Knight didn't
*really* inspire grim
blockbusters.
May 21, 2012 02:39PM - Why's Rihanna in Battleship
instead of a minority
*actress*?
May 15, 2012 12:52PM - The Avengers's debut is even
more impressive than you
think.
May 07, 2012 12:10PM - Why I don't care if today's
kids know about the Titanic...
April 16, 2012 04:44PM - 9 female directors who should
direct a Hunger Games sequel.
April 11, 2012 01:14PM
MY RECENT COMMENTS
- “10 - "the departed" -
saw it, liked it, put it on my
2006
best-of
list.…”
May 07, 2012 05:47PM - “Hate to tell you this,
but I saw The King's Speech
four
months ago, back when
it…”
March 14, 2011 10:34AM - “There is a single press
screening for The Rite
tomorrow
night, but other
responsi…”
January 24, 2011 02:42PM - “I don't watch either MTV
show, so I may be very
wrong
here.
But when
16 and Preg…”
January 11, 2011 02:06PM - “Yes, I am perhaps
unintentionally slighting
Carpenter's
creepy ghost
story, but &…”
December 14, 2010 11:26AM
Scott Mendelson's Links
I've discussed this a few times over the years, so while
debunking the concept in question I must accept guilt for believing
it uncritically on prior occasions. If you've been reading reviews
and general commentary for The Avengers, you've probably
read at least a few pundits talk about… Read full post »
I am not the first person to bring this up. Heck, Samuel
L. Jackson went on a mini-tirade about this a decade ago,
regards to male actors. But in a day-and-age where meaty
roles for black actresses are incredibly scarce, especially in
big-budget studio films,
… Read full post »
Ten years ago,
Spider-Man shocked the industry by grossing more than $100
million in a single weekend. Five years ago,
Spider-Man 3 broke the $150 million weekend barrier.
This weekend,
The Avengers has blown through the $200 million barrier,
delivering a record opening weekend… Read full post »
"Oh no!", shouts America. There are kids on Facebook
and/or Twitter
who didn't realize that James Cameron's Titanic was
based on a true story! Obviously this is a prime example of
the dumbing-down of America and proof that educational standards in
America have hit rock-bottom,
The Playlist doesn't break news all that often,
merely seeing fit to be a one-stop shop for the movie news that
everyone else breaks during the day (I don't mean that as an
insult, The Playlist is the site I go to if I only have
time… Read full post »
About a week after Rush Limbaugh's (insert
negative adjective HERE) comments about Sandra Fluke, a
law student who testified before Congress regarding the ongoing
'debate' about contraception, the longtime right-wing talk-radio
host
has lost 30 sponsors from his show as a result
… Read full post »
FEBRUARY 28, 2012 4:33PM
Why getting a PG-13 for Bully outweighs fighting the MPAA.
You can't have more than one 'f-word' in your movie and still
get a PG-13. There have been a few exceptions over the years,
but generally it's one 'f-word' in a non-sexual context.
Anymore than that, and its an automatic R-rating.
We can debate the morality/pract… Read full post »
JANUARY 18, 2012 1:18PM
The 'problem' w/ BEAUTY & THE BEAST is the Beast, not Belle.
Note -For what it's worth,
the 3D conversion left me unimpressed. If you want to see it,
do it because you want to see the picture on the big screen again,
not because the 3D conversion adds any real value. If you
want to read a similar retrospective… Read full post »
NOVEMBER 10, 2011 12:46PM
When explicit slurs become part of everyday language...
I don't think Brett Ratner is a homophobe, at least not
from the current evidence. He may be an ignorant or
thoughtless person, but I no more think he is a homophobe for using
the word 'faggot' then I do believe that any of you
are homophobes for using the wo
… Read full post »
OCTOBER 28, 2011 10:51AM
When studios blew the best chance to legitimize the NC-17.
As seems to happen every year, bloggers, critics, and pundits
are up-in-arms over an Oscar-bait film being awarded or threatened
with an NC-17. As usual, the film in question is a
critically-acclaimed adult film with strong sexual content.
And once again, the many people arguing… Read full post »
OCTOBER 26, 2011 12:39PM
Review: Puss In Boots (2011)
Puss In Boots
2011
90 minutes
rated PG
by Scott Mendelson
Puss In Boots could have just been a 'one-off'
picture from the prolific Dreamworks Animation department. As
a spin-off for a popular supporting character from the
Shrek series, it has arguably more… Read full post »
OCTOBER 2, 2011 1:41PM
Weekend Box Office review (10/02/11)
Four new releases fought for a piece of the box office
pie and, with the exception of a lower-profile Christian drama
playing in 1,100 screens, none of them had much bite. The top
three movies from last weekend were the top three movies
this weekend as well, just… Read full post »
SEPTEMBER 30, 2011 9:15AM
Why Jason Statham won't break out of B-action movies.
For all intents and purposes, Jason Statham has been an action
star since 2002, when Fox released the Luc Besson-produced The
Transporter. Yes, more hardened film fans knew him from
his Guy Ritchie work and from his supporting role in The
One (a Jet Li vehicle from late 2001, the… Read full post »
Editor’s Pick
SEPTEMBER 28, 2011 4:29PM
Why it matters if Patty Jenkins gets hired to direct Thor 2.
Variety has
apparently confirmed that Marvel Studios is indeed in talks
with Patty Jenkins to
replace departing Kenneth Branagh in directing Thor
2, which is due for release on July 26th, 2013 (review of
Thor
HERE). I generally don't comment on news about who is 'in
talks' or… Read full post »
AUGUST 12, 2011 1:37AM
What forcing Bert and Ernie to wed teaches about homophobia.
There is at least
one petition out right now with 5,000 signatures requesting
that Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie get
married. You've probably
read about it and maybe it seems like harmless amusement from
people whose heart is in the right place in the realm of
gay-mar… Read full post »
Captain America: The First
Avenger
2011
124 minutes
rated PG-13
by Scott Mendelson
Joe Johnston's Captain America is a gloriously
old-fashioned bit of shoe-leather adventure. While there are
plenty of elaborate special effects, the emphasis remains on
character and narrative. &nbs… Read full post »
JULY 7, 2011 6:36PM
Why I won't read Roger Ebert's reviews before seeing a film
He is arguably the father of modern film criticism and the
most recognizable and well-renowned film critic on
the planet. He is the only movie reviewer to be awarded
a Pulitzer Prize. He is the man who introduced
countless young readers such as myself t
… Read full post »
JULY 4, 2011 2:12PM
Why Independence Day still holds up 15 years later...
I'm sorry if this makes you feel old. But it's been
fifteen years since Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin blew up the
White House with a giant flying saucer. It's been fifteen
years since Will Smith punched out an alien, exclaimed "Welcome to
Earth!" and became the biggest movie sta… Read full post »
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
2011
154 minutes
rated PG-13
by Scott Mendelson
On a relative scale, the third time is the charm for the
Michael Bay robot-smashing series. This second sequel
basically gives us the apocalyptic Transformers epic
we've been waiting for since… Read full post »
JUNE 5, 2011 11:49AM
Open Salon weekend box office in review (06/05/11)
For better or worse,
X-Men: First Class performed like an X-Men
picture in its debut
weekend, at least in terms of staying power. Like
X-Men parts 1, 2, and 4, it had just over a 2.5x weekend
multiplier (X-Men: The Last Stand had a mere 2.2x
weekend multiplier). Actually,… Read full post »
JUNE 3, 2011 10:43AM
3D isn't dying, consumers are getting more 2D options.
The sky is not falling in the realm of 3D films. There
has been much handwringing over the last couple weeks as moviegoers
have embraced their right to choose to see the latest summer
tentpoles in 2D over the higher-priced 3D venues. For the
record, over the last… Read full post »
X-Men: First Class
2011
132 minutes
rated PG-13
by Scott Mendelson
I have no idea how 20th Century Fox plans to fit X-Men:
First Class into the mythology of the previous X-Men
pictures. It theoretically works as a prequel to the first
three films, even as… Read full post »
MAY 24, 2011 10:49AM
Open Salon review: Kung Fu Panda 2 (3D)
Kung Fu Panda 2
2011
90 minutes
rated PG
by Scott Mendelson
Kung Fu Panda 2 is a textbook example of how to do a
sequel right. It remembers that it is a second chapter and
allows the characters to grow and change accordingly.
It… Read full post »
MAY 18, 2011 9:23AM
Equating Bridesmaids to Hangover isn't sexist, just lazy.
With the solid $26.2 million opening weekend of
Bridesmaids (review) officially cementing the film as
a genuine hit, let us take a moment to examine one of the
more consistent bits of absurdity that has surrounded the
film's release, that the film was some kind of female version
o… Read full post »
APRIL 28, 2011 1:53AM
Open Salon review: Fast Five (2011)
Fast Five2011
130 minutes
rated PG-13
by Scott Mendelson
Fast Five is frankly something of a miracle.
Here is the fifth entry of a ten-year old franchise that has
rarely surpassed mediocrity, but which now offers up a chapter that
borders on genuine greatness. Here… Read full post »
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