Who Wants to Win the Soundtrack to 'The Gambler' AND Get Free Passes?

You read that right, the good folks at Paramount decided it wasn't enough just to let you see the flick for free, they also wanted us to make sure you could jam out on the way home with the official soundtrack!

Soundtrack Album On Republic Records

Jim Bennett (Academy Award®-nominee Mark Wahlberg) is a risk taker.  Both an English professor and a high-stakes gambler, Bennett bets it all when he borrows from a gangster (Michael Kenneth Williams) and offers his own life as collateral.  Always one step ahead, Bennett pits his creditor against the operator of a gambling ring (Alvin Ing) and leaves his dysfunctional relationship with his wealthy mother (Academy Award®-winner Jessica Lange) in his wake.  He plays both sides, immersing himself in an illicit, underground world while garnering the attention of Frank (John Goodman), a loan shark with a paternal interest in Bennett’s future.  As his relationship with a student (Brie Larson) deepens, Bennett must take the ultimate risk for a second chance…

We are going to be choosing six winners at random, this is a one-day contest that closes at 4PM today so get your entries in NOW! All you need to do is send your full name and preferred email address to punchdrunkcritics@gmail.com. 

Motion Picture Artwork, Photos ©2014 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights Reserved. This compilation ℗2014 Republic Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. 1755 Broadway, New York, NY 10019. Distributed by Universal Music Distribution. All rights reserved.

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'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' Starts 2015 Off With a First Place Finish

1. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies- $21.9M/$220M
I've yet to fully understand the decision to split the one book of 'The Hobbit' into three movies..how am I kidding, of course I do....money. Personally I think it was a mistake and it shows. It's easy for us to sit in our suburban homes criticizing the sell-outs of Hollywood but let's be honest. If you have a property that you can stretch in to three 9 figure paydays as opposed to one are you really going to take the artistic route? Didn't think so.

2. Into the Woods- $19M/$91M
The silver screen adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical was all the rage amongst it's audience. Wondering if your in that audience? Do you have Once Upon a Time DVR'd? You're in that audience. Personally I found the film to be a bit more than a let down but it would appear that enough of you disagreed to keep it in the #2 spot.

3. Unbroken- $18.3M/$87.8M
The film's mantra of "If you make it, you can take it" must have wiggled into the real world as Angelina Jolie's story of an Olympic champion turned Japanese POW wills itself into the number three spot in it's second week of release.

4. The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death- $15.1M
The follow up to Daniel Radcliffe's first post-Potter outing failed to make a huge splash but at $15 million it's definitely a respectable take for a lower budget horror movie in the black hole that is early January.

5. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb- $14.4M/$89.7M
When you consider this is the fourth entry in the series and Ben Stiller is about 6 years past time as a "Hot" hollywood actor the $89.7M total take over three weeks is definitely respectable but given the ensamble (most of which are also past their Hollywood expiration date) and the lack of family friendly competition, it's not all that surprising. I'm just thankful that Robin Williams has another film coming out...I'd hate to see him go the way of Raul Julia who's final film was Street Fighter.

6. Annie $11.4M/$72.6M
Really? Annie hasn't broken the $100M mark after three weeks? I have to be honest this is one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. A time honored film updated with the adorable and talented Quvenzhané Wallis and it doesn't blow the Christmas competition away? I mean, come on!

7. The Imitation Game $8.1M/$30.8

8. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1- $7.7M/$323.8M
Seven weeks later and Katniss Everdeen still holds a place in the top 10. I think it's safe to say that fandom for The Hunger Games isn't waning.

9. The Gambler- $6.3M/$27.5M
No records are being broken but Mark Whalbergs gamble on this oscar bait movie have paid off as it passes it's budget of $25 million this week. Whalburgers all around!

10. Big Hero 6- $4.8M/$211
Disney does it again as Baymax and company break back into the top ten showing the greatest staying power of the list with 9 total weeks in theaters, and a well deserved stay it is!

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Box Office: Strong Debuts by 'Unbroken' and 'Into the Woods' can't Topple 'The Hobbit 3'

1. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies- $41.4M/$168.5M
Turns out audiences haven't grown bored of Middle Earth quite yet. Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies dominated the 5-day Christmas holiday with $54M overall, $41M over the weekend. Overall it will have passed the $500M worldwide mark probably by tomorrow, and when all is said and done it should be right up there with Guardians of the Galaxy as the top earners of the year.
2. Unbroken- $31.7M/$47.3M
Angelina Jolie's sophomore directorial effort, Unbroken, got off to the kind of powerhouse opening Academy voters will love with $47M over the holiday. The film, which stars breakout actor Jack O'Connell as Olympian and WWII hero Louis Zamperini, was built for this time of season and it showed. In an extremely crowded week, its $47M debut counts as the third best ever for Christmas week. Jolie's name was pretty much what the movie was promoted on, not that she spends a single moment in front of the camera, and clearly she turned out to be just as much of a draw as the inspiring true story being told.
3. Into the Woods- $31M/$46.1M
Disney's star-studded musical Into the Woods nearly sang its way past Jolie but just fell short with $46M over the 5-day week. The film boasts more superstars than anything in theaters right now with Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, and more as iconic fairy tale characters. Does this count as a much-needed win for Depp, who has had four flops in a row? Probably not. He only appears in the film for a hot second as the Big Bad Wolf, and this one was all about the ensemble, anyway. Sorry, Depp. Better look forward to Mortdecai (which looks awful) for Depp's next chance to rebound. Anyway, it's a big win for Disney and a good month for musicals overall with the Annie remake also performing well. More on that later.
4. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb- $20.6M/$55.3M
Showing why so many family-friendly movies open around Christmas, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb bounded 20% from last week for $20.6M. Considering the mediocre start from last week this makes things look somewhat better.
5. Annie- $16.6M/$45.8M
And continuing to sing its way to our hearts is Annie, the hip-hop remake starring Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhane Wallis, and Cameron Diaz. It didn't seem to be fazed by having another high-profile musical like Into the Woods opening, as the film earned $16.6M, nearly 5% up from last week.
6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1- $10M/$306.6M
7. The Gambler- $9.3M/$14.3M
A Mark Wahlberg-led remake of a 1974 James Caan film few remember? The Gambler was always going to have a tough go of it, especially this time of year with audiences looking for something relatively harmless, but the film still managed to perform well with $14M over the holiday. Once eyed as a potential Oscar contender, The Gambler probably won't meet those expectations, but the $25M flick has a solid performance by Wahlberg that has gained it some solid word of mouth. It's a good film, worth checking out if you can get away from the kiddies.
8. The Imitation Game- $7.9M/$14.6M
Booming to over 740 theaters, an increase of 800%(!!!), The Imitation Game is clearly being positioned as a Best Picture frontrunner. This is pretty much how things went with The King's Speech a few years ago, rolling out small in November before going huge a month later. We'll see if Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley can bring the story of heroic mathematician Alan Turing some gold.
9. Exodus: Gods and Kings- $6.75M/$52.5M
10. Wild- $5.4M/$16.3M

Told you this was a crowded week. There were a number of major films that had tiny platform releases worth mentioning. Ava DuVernay's MLK Jr. drama Selma opened in 19 sites for $912K, which isn't bad at all for a film many (like me) perceive as the best of the year. It will expand in a few weeks. Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper's American Sniper, in which Cooper gains a Texas accent and mad sharpshooting skills, got off to an incredible start with $610K at only 4 locations. That's another one many are looking at as an Oscar candidate, both for Eastwood and Cooper.

Tim Burton's art world dramedy Big Eyes earned $4.4M over the 5-day holiday, opening in just over 1300 theaters. That's pretty small by Burton standards, but consider that it was only supposed to get a small Christmas release by Sony until they were forced to scramble after the whole fiasco with The Interview.

Speaking of which, The Interview did $2.85M of business in its 331 locations. Of course the film also opened on VOD, and we won't have those numbers for awhile, but no matter what Sony is going to eat it big time on this one. If they had just left well enough alone and kept it in the original number of theaters (likely 3000 or more) it probably would have made back the $40M+ production budget. Now it doesn't have a prayer, not even when the Blu-Ray release hits.

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Review: 'The Gambler' starring Mark Wahlberg

There's no real mystery to being a smart gambler. If you're smart you bet with the money you have, not with the money you don't. To do anything else is to court disaster. The worst bettors recognize when they're in a sinking pit but continue to dig themselves further into a hole. By this simple measure, Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) shouldn't be allowed near a bet. The Gambler is an interesting film in that it remakes one of James Caan's finest, but least appreciated performances in the 1974 film penned by James Toback. Toback; his name alone implies a certain cinematic grittiness that this redo never quite captures. It still remains an entertaining vehicle for Wahlberg even if the two films couldn't be more different from a character standpoint.

In Toback's film, Caan's character has this innate need for the high stakes bet; it's ingrained into his very DNA. We don't quite get that from Wahlberg. Jim is more like a rich brat on a bender; the kind who would scream "affluenza" if ever called out on his bullsh*t. It's still fun to watch the speeding train wreck that is his life, but there's no real depth beyond that despite all of the eloquent speeches penned by writer William Monahan. Jim is a literature professor with a single novel to his credit, but he has no desire to see it further than that. One is enough. When his wealthy father (George Kennedy) dies he leaves Jim absolutely nothing. We already know he's desperate; we saw him lose everything in the opening scene. With no prospects as an author, no desire for love, and a deep resentment for his students, Jim turns himself wholly to games of chance.

While director Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) captures the seediness of the backroom poker match and the adversarial slant of blackjack, there's a pretty big problem that he and Monahan can never quite overcome. Jim is a hopeless case right from the start, and there's very little arc to his story. Or at least there isn't a believable one. He continues to dig himself further into debt, borrowing money from dangerous bookies (Michael K. Williams, John Goodman, Alvin Ing) with quirks to spare. Goodman dominates the screen as an eloquent purveyor of wisdom and promised acts of violence. Jim even borrows from his rich mother (Jessica Lange) who has grown fed up with her son's inexplicable actions. His actions don't make much sense to us, either. It all boils down to some vague idea about masculinity, or at least it appears to be the case. When Jim hooks up with Amy (Brie Larson), the one student he thinks has potential, we see it as a potential life line. But that would require she have more than the barest personality. Women rarely get a solid break in movies like this, and Larson definitely doesn't. She and Wahlberg simply don't click.

Wahlberg's better on his own, anyway, and his deeply skeptical attitude about literally everything is one of the film's finer qualities. He's the kind of professor students love to hate; his scorn for them is obvious but he's also brilliant, calls people out on their crap, and is often right about what he espouses. It's what makes his downward spiral so much fun to watch. He just doesn't seem to give a rat's behind about any of it. Wyatt, kind of an odd choice to direct a film like this, manages to ratchet up the tension in every dealt card, every turn of the roulette wheel, aided by Theo Greene's thumping, soulful soundtrack. The Gambler doesn't dig far below the surface of Jim's addiction, but there's still entertainment value in watching a man go down in flames. The house always wins in the end.

 Rating: 3 out of 5

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'The Gambler' Trailer Finds Mark Wahlberg Risking Everything

Does Mark Wahlberg have what it takes to fill James Caan's shoes in one of his most unappreciated roles? That's what Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and Paramount are hoping for with The Gambler, a remake of the 1974 film. Penned by William Monahan (The Departed), the story finds Wahlberg as a college professor whose personal and professional life are in jeopardy due to his gambling addiction. We haven't seen Wahlberg take a role like this in a long time, and judging by this trailer there's good reason why some are eying him as a possible Best Actor candidate.

Also starring Brie Larson, John Goodman, Michael K. Williams, and Jessica Lange, The Gambler opens December 19th in limited release, expanding January 2nd 2015.



Jim Bennett (Academy Award® nominee Mark Wahlberg) is a risk taker. Both an English professor and a high-stakes gambler, Bennett bets it all when he borrows from a gangster (Michael Kenneth Williams) and offers his own life as collateral. Always one step ahead, Bennett pits his creditor against the operator of a gambling ring (Alvin Ing) and leaves his dysfunctional relationship with his wealthy mother (Academy Award® winner Jessica Lange) in his wake. He plays both sides, immersing himself in an illicit, underground world while garnering the attention of Frank (John Goodman), a loan shark with a paternal interest in Bennett’s future. As his relationship with a student (Brie Larson) deepens, Bennett must take the ultimate risk for a second chance…

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There are No Rules for Mark Wahlberg in 'The Gambler' Red Band Trailer

Is Mark Wahlberg finally on the verge of that elusive first Best Actor win? Obviously he's not going to get it for Transformers, but later this year he'll make a grab at the gold in The Gambler, a remake of the 1974 film that stands as one of James Caan's defining roles. Directed by Rupert Wyatt and co-starring Brie Larson, John Goodman, Michael K. Williams, and Jessica Lange, the film has Wahlberg as a teacher with the kind of gambling problem that leads to some serious problems with some bad people.

The first trailer has been released and it's pretty vulgar, hence the red band tag, but it also does a nice job of showing the desperation and compulsion in Wahlberg's character, and the quality of his performance. This is big gear shift for Wyatt who last directed Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and he appears to be right on point. Will it stand up to the original, though? For that we'll have to wait until December 19th to find out. Check out the trailer below.

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First Look at Mark Wahlberg in 'The Gambler'; Plus Honest Trailer for 'Transformers: Age of Extinction'

It doesn't seem to matter which Mark Wahlberg we get, audiences still love him and will pay to see it. And to his credit, Wahlberg has been amazingly versatile over the years, even though he'll probably never be recognized for it. The fact remains he's not only one of the top action stars working today, but as films like Pain & Gain, The Fighter, and The Other Guys prove, he's got  some serious dramatic and comedic skills. So you never know which Wahlberg you're going to get, and today we're getting the first look at his latest dramatic film, a remake of The Gambler. And at the same time Wahlberg's going to get torn apart by an Honest Trailer for Michael Bay's Transformers: Age of Extinction.

First up, USA Today has released the first images from The Gambler, directed by Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) as a redo of the 1974 film led by James Caan. Wahlberg plays a literature professor (don't laugh!!) who lets his gambling problem get away from him, sending his professional and personal life into a tailspin. If he looks gaunt compared to what we're accustomed to it's because the role required him to drop 40lbs. Also starring in the film are Brie Larson, Jessica Lange, and John Goodman with a release date set for December 19th for a potential Oscar run.

And the Screen Junkies are back to pick the low hanging fruit with another Honest Trailer, this time picking the lowest fruit of them all, Transformers: Age of Extinction. This is probably the least-inspired takedown they've done yet because we know all the jokes already. The plot is stupid, Bay likes to blow stuff up, etc. etc. etc. And yep, Wahlberg takes his share of heat, too, with his character called a "Boston native Texan" who is "fighting against all odds to sound intelligent." Yikes. So grab your American flag, bone up on your Chinese, and check out the trailer below.


Honest Trailers - Transformers - Age of Extinction (變形金剛4 灭绝重生). by TrailerNow

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'The Gambler' Adds John Goodman; William Hurt is a 'Midnight Rider'; Olivia Thirlby in 'The White Orchid'

 
* John Goodman has been busy of late, as he can currently be seen in Inside Llewyn Davis, and will soon be a part of George Clooney's Monuments Men. The sought-after actor never stays idle for long, and has now joined Mark Wahlberg, Brie Larson, and Jessica Lange in a remake of The Gambler. Directed by Rupert Wyatt, the original 1974 film centered on an English professor who gets into gambling debt with the mob, but can't kick the habit because of the thrill gambling provides. The Gambler is expected to open in 2015. [TheWrap]

* CBGB director Randall Miller is moving on to another music biopic, only this one centers on the Allman Brothers. He's directing Midnight Rider, and coming aboard to play the older version of Gregg Allman is William Hurt. Tyson Ritter of All-American Rejects fame is playing the younger version, and the story will have the older Gregg looking back on his career as he attempts to get clean. [THR]

* It's a shame we haven't really seen much of Olivia Thirlby since Dredd, but hopefully that's about to change. She'll star in The White Orchid, a noir thriller from writer/director Steve Anderson that co-stars Jennifer Beals, Nichelle Nichols (the original Uhura from Star Trek!), Brendan Sexton, and John Carroll Lynch. Thirlby will play a social services investigator helping to track down the murderer of a blonde woman known as The White Orchid. [THR]

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Brie Larson Draws 'The Gambler' Opposite Mark Wahlberg

The time is now for Brie Larson, and although she won't be returning for next year's 22 Jump Street, she made a pretty compelling case to be bumped into A-list status for her unforgettable performance in Short Term 12. Even when she's only got one line of dialogue, like in Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Don Jon, she still manages to make an impact, and now she'll hope to do the same in possibly her biggest film yet.

Larson is in talks to join Mark Wahlberg in Rupert Wyatt's remake of The Gambler. The original film starred James Caan as a college professor whose gambling addiction causes his world to unravel, and as he sinks further into debt he takes increasingly desperate measures to stay afloat. William Monahan (The Departed) will pen the updated version but we have no details what his approach will be.  Larson will take on the female lead, and what's more she may be joined by Jessica Lange (American Horror Story), possibly playing Wahlberg's mother.

No word on when production could begin, but with Wahlberg busy on Transformers: Age of Extinction it could be a little while. [Deadline]

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Mark Wahlberg and Rupert Wyatt Bet On 'The Gambler' Remake

One thing is for certain: Paramount really wants to be in the Rupert Wyatt and Mark Wahlberg business. Rumors continue to swirl that the Rise of the Planet of the Apes director could be the guy to take over Star Trek 3, while Wahlberg is currently running from giant robots in Transformers: Age of Extinction. Whether Wyatt takes over 'Trek' is still undecided, but it's clear what the studio wants him to do next, and it's a remake of 1974 drama, The Gambler.

Once set as another Scorsese/DiCaprio jam, they dropped out with The Hangover director Todd Phillips coming aboard in a very odd move. That version never developed, and so now we have Wyatt and Wahlberg, with the actor taking over the role that stands as one of James Caan's finest. Screenwriter James Toback based the story on his own battle with gambling addiction, and follows an English professor who keeps his problem secret as he goes further and further into debt, eventually getting mixed up with some dangerous people.

The updated version will be penned by William Monahan, who worked with Wahlberg, Scorsese, and DiCaprio on The Departed. [Variety]

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Martin Scorsese out, Todd Phillips in to direct 'The Gambler' remake

We've yet to see Todd Phillips step outside of his comedy comfort zone. After a couple of early documentaries most never saw, he made a splash with the Tom Green comedy, Road Trip, and has been following that same course ever since. Of course we know him best as the guy behind The Hangover flicks, with the final leg of the trilogy set to hit theaters next year. But after that's done, it looks like Phillips will be getting serious as THR reports he's in talks to direct a remake of The Gambler.

You might recall that about a year ago Martin Scorsese was in line to direct the film, with his buddy Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role. Scorsese's obviously now out, and likely DiCaprio with him. Maybe Phillips will turn to one of his crop of frequent collaborators, instead? Perhaps Robert Downey Jr, who he worked with on Due Date? I'm betting Phillips makes a play for Bradley Cooper, as it definitely fits the more challenging films he's been undertaking as of late.

The 1974 film starred James Caan as an NYC English professor who named Axel Freed who has a gambling addiction he tries to keep secret. As his problem worsens, he gets further in debt to some dangerous men, and as a last resort is forced to get one of his students to shave points in a game. William Monahan(The Departed) is writing the remake script, with Irwin Winkler, who produced the original, back in the same gig.

This move came out of nowhere, and obviously the pairing of Scorsese and DiCaprio is pure gold. But I'd be lying if the idea of Phillips venturing into such uncharted waters wasn't appealing. The Hangover Part III begins filming next month, and then The Gambler should be next on his plate.

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