This has been a month of big swings by big studios, as well as big misses by big studios.
We'll see how audiences respond to the latest big swing; I attended an afternoon screening yesterday that kept younger moviegoers in their seats until the post-credits scene.
I think the Spider movie can take care of itself, so we'll turn our attention to a couple independent pictures that deserve full audiences in theaters this weekend.
And then we'll get to the Spider movie.
I Want Your Sex
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing.
Olivia Wilde and Cooper Hoffman star in Gregg Araki's new film.
Our review by Mel Valentin: "For all of its deliberately confrontational sex talk and frank imagery, not often seen outside of streaming porn, I Want Your Sex isn't quite as radical or outrageous as Araki and his White Bird in a Blizzard co-screenwriter, Karley Sciortino, apparently intended for their decade-in-the-making follow-up."
Official synopsis: "When fresh-faced Elliot (Hoffman) lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder."
The Samurai and the Princess
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Janus Films.
Master filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa continues to expand his horizons.
Official synopsis: "When Lord Murashige Araki (Masahiro Motoki) rises up against the tyrannical Nobunaga Oda (Bando Shingo), he finds himself besieged within the walls of his own castle. Isolated, he is confronted with a series of mysterious crimes that shatter the fragile order of his court, plunging the fortress into fear and suspicion.
"With Oda's army closing in and a traitor hiding among his ranks, Murashige is forced into an uneasy alliance with Kanbei Kuroda (Masaki Suda), a brilliant yet dangerous strategist held prisoner in the dungeon. Helped by his wife Chiyoho (Yuriko Yoshitaka) and his most loyal generals, Murashige must uncover the truth before the castle falls."
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via Marvel.
Our comprehensive review by Mel Valentin: "The story here of Peter's growth and maturity, of navigating inevitable twenty-something ups-and-downs, and recalibrating yourself for an uncertain future, is a worthwhile addition to Spider-Man canon in the MCU."
Official synopsis: "Fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man in a world that doesn't remember him--and the pressure of seeing his old friends move on without him--sparks a change in Peter he may not have the power to control. But that transformation might also be the only thing that can stop a shocking new threat to the city and those he loves--a powerful villain no one can even see."
Pinocchio: Unstrung
The film is now playing, only in movie theaters, via .
Full disclosure: Based on watching the trailer, I nursed a modicum of hope that this dark thriller might be entertaining. Sadly, those hopes were smashed by our faithful UK-based correspondent.
Our review by Simon Ramshaw: "If the recent boom of public domain horror has proven anything, it's that making something scary that wasn't originally scary rarely makes it truly scary. ...
"While there is enough in the way of innovative production design mounted at a very low budget to keep you intrigued on just how they pulled a lot of it off, Pinocchio: Unstrung disappointingly remains tethered to the depressing nastiness that has defined almost every individual part of this public domain-pilfering enterprise thus far, backsliding into old habits that were tired in their first instance."
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