The Nose couldn't decide which of last weekend's two big new movies to go see, so it went to both.
Downton Abbey, the feature film continuation of the incredibly popular PBS series, is the number one movie in the country. Its $31 million opening was the biggest ever for the studio that made it, Focus Features. Not bad for a PG-rated, special effects-free drama made for grownups.
James Gray's Ad Astra is kind of at the opposite end of a number of spectrums. As a huge, expensive space adventure that travels to Neptune and back, its #2 opening is underperforming its budget a bit. But it's also being called, "one of the most ruminative, withdrawn, and curiously optimistic space epics this side of Solaris," and, "also one of the best."
Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take:
- Hefty launches 'talking trash bags' for millennials, with phrases like 'I'm so trashy' and 'Feed me tacos & tell me I'm pretty'
- Vox Media Acquires New York Magazine, Chronicler of the Highbrow and Lowbrow
- Mattel helped define gender norms for decades with Barbie and Ken. Now it’s defying them.
- Billy Joel Anthology TV Series in the Works (Exclusive)
- Danny DeVito, Never Retire (Bitch)
- Glitter Pumpkin Butts Are the NSFW Halloween Trend You Need to See
- The Hyphen Affair
Why grammar nerds keep getting so furious with the Associated Press -- and why they're wrong. - Ashton Kutcher Pushes For Trump Impeachment After Meeting Ukrainian President
- Eddie Murphy Is Bringing Eddie Murphy Back
In a wide-ranging interview, the star explains why he's returning to stand-up and the big screen, why he regrets leaving and why it's hard to watch himself in "Raw" these days. - On Airlines, Window Shades Are the New Reclining Seats
- Is Donald Trump Really Just Andy Kaufman in Disguise? An Investigation
GUESTS:
- Tom Breen - Film critic and reporter for the New Haven Independent; host of WNHH radio's Deep Focus
- Lucy Gellman - Editor of The Arts Paper; host of WNHH radio's Kitchen Sync
- Pedro Soto - An aerospace executive working on a secret project
Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
