Looking at the Weekend: Mar. 17-19, 2017

In 1991, Disney’s animated renaissance went into overdrive with Beauty and the Beast, which grossed more than $300 million at the box office (adjusted for inflation), and became the first animated film in history to earn a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. The film received six total nominations, winning two for Original Song for the title track and Original Score. Three years later, Disney brought the film to the Broadway stage yielding over 5,400 performances over a 13-year span and winning one of its nine Tony Award nominations for Costume Design. Ten years after leaving the Broadway stage and 26 years after the original graced the big screen for the first time, a live-action adaptation has arrived directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Bill Condon and starring Harry Potter alum Emma Watson and former Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens among others. There is little doubt that the film will triumph over the weekend, but how big it becomes is the question on everyone’s mind and huge might be just too small a word for it.

Our Highest Rated Films: Beauty and the Beast
Our Best Awards Ratings: Beauty and the Beast (Oscars)

OTHER LIMITED RELEASES

Burn Your Maps

Mar. 17-19, 2017
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
Beauty and the Beast (Wide Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	8.3 Wesley Lovell: (10) Peter J. Patrick: (9) Tripp Burton: (6) Thomas LaTourrette: (8)	5.0 Wesley Lovell: (8,Oscars) Peter J. Patrick: (5,Oscars) Tripp Burton: (3,Oscars) Thomas LaTourrette: (4,Oscars)	Categories: Original Song (WL,TB) Production Design (WL,PP,TB,TL) Costume Design (WL,PP,TB,TL) Makeup (WL) Sound Mixing (WL,PP,TB) Sound Editing (WL) Visual Effects (TB)
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): The original animated film is one of my all-time favorites. The production design alone looks like it’s worth the effort and the trailers have been effective. Unfortunately, early word hasn’t been great, but I’m still excited to see it anyway. Peter J. Patrick (PP): A smash hit as an animated musical and as a Broadway musical, no reason to think the third time around will be any less successful. Tripp Burton (TB): I’m not sure if we really need this remake, but it looks handsomely made and my daughter is pumped for it so I’m sure I’ll be seeing it soon! Thomas LaTourette (TL): Disney has been a bit hit or miss with their adaptations of their classic animated films, but this one looks very good.
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
The Belko Experiment (Wide Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	4.5 Wesley Lovell: (6) Peter J. Patrick: (3) Tripp Burton: (5) Thomas LaTourrette: (4)	Nil Wesley Lovell: (Nil) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Tripp Burton: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: None
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): The concept looks a bit cheesy, but it could be a fun cheesy. Peter J. Patrick (PP): There’s enough real gruesome terror in today’s world, I don’t need to see this manufactured horror in the workplace. Tripp Burton (TB): This looks like a great premise, but I can’t tell from the trailer how great the execution is (no pun intended). Thomas LaTourette (TL): It might be an interesting take on mob mentality, or it may prove just another exploitative thriller.
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
Bluebeard (Limited Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	3.8 Wesley Lovell: (3) Peter J. Patrick: (4) Tripp Burton: (4) Thomas LaTourrette: (4)	Nil Wesley Lovell: (Nil) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Tripp Burton: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: None
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): The trailer doesn’t quite work and the end result is a film that doesn’t look particularly interesting. Peter J. Patrick (PP): Psychological Hong Kong horror movie – a wee bit too bloody for me. Tripp Burton (TB): This doesn’t do much for me, but it could be interesting if the genre is your thing. Thomas LaTourette (TL): The idea of a patient murmuring secrets as he comes out of anesthesia sounds good, but the trailer makes it look like a violent and overdone film.
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
Frantz (Limited Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	6.3 Wesley Lovell: (6) Peter J. Patrick: (9) Tripp Burton: (5) Thomas LaTourrette: (5)	Nil Wesley Lovell: (Nil) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Tripp Burton: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: None
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): Francois Ozon is always an interesting filmmaker, but the trailer doesn’t quite sell the narrative to this film. Peter J. Patrick (PP): Lubitsch’s Broken Lullaby is one of my all-time favorite unsung movies. This remake 85 years later should be right up my alley. Tripp Burton (TB): It’s been a while since a Francois Ozon film has intrigued me, but this one could be a return to form for him. Thomas LaTourette (TL): This film set right after the first World War has a trailer that leaves me with very mixed emotions. It might be good, or…
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
Song to Song (Limited Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	3.3 Wesley Lovell: (5) Peter J. Patrick: (2) Tripp Burton: (3) Thomas LaTourrette: (3)	Nil Wesley Lovell: (Nil) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Tripp Burton: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: None
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): The film released at SXSW this week and it received mostly negative responses. Peter J. Patrick (PP): I’m sorry to say, but this looks like another tortured misstep from the once great Terrence Malick. Tripp Burton (TB): The word out of SXSW is disappointing, like much of Malick’s recent output. Thomas LaTourette (TL): It may star a bunch of Oscar nominees, but the trailer sure makes it look worth skipping.
Film	Our Thoughts	Awards Chances
T2: Trainspotting (Limited Release) See the original CinemaSight Trailer & Poster Preview	4.0 Wesley Lovell: (6) Peter J. Patrick: (2) Tripp Burton: (3) Thomas LaTourrette: (5)	.3 Wesley Lovell: (1,Oscars) Peter J. Patrick: (Nil) Tripp Burton: (Nil) Thomas LaTourrette: (Nil)	Categories: Adapted Screenplay (WL)
	Individual Commentary:
	Wesley Lovell (WL): I would need to re-watch the original before watching this, but nostalgia is a tricky thing. Peter J. Patrick (PP): Unnecessary sequel to a 21-year-old film I didn’t find all that interesting the first time around. Tripp Burton (TB): The first film is one everyone else liked more than I did, so I’ll assume the same is true for this sequel. Thomas LaTourette (TL): I have not seen the first one, so have mixed feelings about the sequel.