US release: 22nd September 1972
Japan release: 7th April 1973
£0 $0
$0At the UK box office this weekend, Friday, 27th September 2019, there are 4 new releases looking to take your attention at the local multiplex and knock Downton Abbey from the top of the UK box office chart next week.
First up at cinemas this week is Hotel Mumbai, a History movie from director Anthony Maras who is directing for the first time.
It stars Dev Patel who last starred in The Wedding Guest (2019) and Armie Hammer who last appeared in On The Basis Of Sex (2019).
Next on the new release schedule is The Goldfinch, this new Dramatic movie stars Oakes Fegley and Ansel Elgort.
The film is brought to us by John Crowley.
Next up this week is Ready Or Not which is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett directing together.
It stars Samara Weaving and Adam Brody.
Also this week there is Poms from director Zara Hayes marking a directorial debut,
The film features Diane Keaton and Jacki Weaver in starring roles.
-Check back on Monday to see where these cinema releases end up on the Weekend Box Office Chart.
-Come back next week when there are 2 new releases. -
Sorry about the late report this week, Easter holidays has delayed things.
This week Captain America: The Winter Soldier returns to the top of the UK box office, surprisingly knocking Rio 2 down to third, surprisingly because it's the Uk Easter holidays and the one big kids film seems to have died at the box office, although Captain America does have teenage appeal.
Highest new film this week is a return from Hammer Horror. The film The Quiet Ones is Hammers first film since the Daniel Radcliffe hit The Woman in Black, and although being no where near as big a hot as that film still does well landing at 6 with £681,305.
Other new films on this weeks chart are: - Calvary - The Raid 2: Berabdal - Khumba a Zebras Tale - The Lunchbox
One year ago Oblivion starring Tom Cruise entered the chart at the top knocking The Croods down to second place.
Five years ago Fast and Furious hit the top spot on it's debut knocking Monsters Vs. Aliens into the runner up spot.
Ten years ago Scooby Doo 2 Monsters Unleashed held the top spot keeping 50 First Dates from debuting at 2
Fifteen years ago The Rugrats Movie spent it's 3rd week at the top while The Faculty debuted at 2.
Daniel Radcliffe, for the immediate future anyway, is always going to be Harry Potter, for 10 years he lived and breathed the character and to millions of adoring fans he is the image of the boy wizard, which is why it is an achievement that while watching The Woman in Black Harry Potter hardly crossed my mind.
The story, set in an Edwardian era, centers around Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) who is a solicitor sent to clear up the paperwork of a recently deceased woman. Kipps himself has a 4 year old child and is a widow, his wife having died during child birth.
Kipps arrives in the village of Crythin Gifford where he is to spend the next couple of days working before his son arrives to join him for a holiday. During his train journey Kipps meets the local wealthy man who he befriends and then is given a lift in his car (noted as being the first car in the village) to the inn where he is booked in to stay.
The welcome Kipps gets from everyone else is far from friendly, and as he goes about his business the next day he is more or less told to leave town. What ensues from there is a traditional ghost story with scares and jumps at every opportunity.
As I first mentioned Radcliffe, fresh from the Potter franchise where he IS the boy wizard, manages to detach himself from that completely, not sure if it's the side burns or the fact that his character spends a lot of time alone and doesn't say a lot, or maybe it's the low budget film not being laden with special effect but it's a good move.
I'm showing my age now but I remember the Hammer Horror films of the 70's and 80's which at the time were scary as hell, and the TV show had me hiding behind the sofa more than Doctor Who did, and this film, which is produced by Hammer and filmed in the UK captures the spirit of the old Hammer perfectly.
The film is jumpy if a little corny in places, not too long and has a story which is acceptable for a horror film of this type. I started the question things when a seemingly normal guy decides to spend the night in the creepiest looking house in England that is cut from mainland during for large part of the day and he'd already experienced minor paranormal activity (I'd never have gone anywhere near the house in the first place) and some of the jumpy scenes were far too predictable and came off as amusing but on the whole it's an enjoyable scary horror harking back to the glory days of Hammer.
Good: Decent screenplay from Jane Goldman and some genuinely scary moments. Well directed by James Watkins and a good supporting cast.
Bad: Does get predictable and some of the scares are funny. Too many unanswered things happen and the ending although good could have been better.
25thframe.co.uk rating: