sandwichjohnfilms

October's new releases continue their disastrous run. Story by Matt Cummings Although the weather has begun its transition into Fall, someone has apparently forgotten to tell moviegoers that it's time to celebrate by seeing newer releases. This week's top 5 welcomed only one new film, while three others continued their 'dominance' in the absence of anything better. In fact, the top spots - The Martian ($10.7m), Goosebumps ($9.2m), and Bridge of Spies ($7.6m) - haven't changed their positions since last weekend. Add Hotel Transylvania 2 at No. 5, and the only newcomer to make a dent was Bradley Cooper's Burnt at $4.7m. But the bigger news continues to be Hollywood's inability to draw significant amounts of moviegoers to newer releases. How bad have October's releases fared? Just consider the following: seven major releases (those premiering on 2,000+ screens) had total openings of just $54.8m. That's only $500k over what T...

Marvel Collector Corps delivers steady returns with its VILLAINS theme. Review by Matt Cummings The subscription box war has seen amazing things lately, with two of the best ever from both Loot Crate and Geek Fuel. But folks, remember that an upstart is making waves as well: Marvel Collector Corps. Ill-content to let money pass along to lesser box companies, Marvel has delivered steady returns for fans in May , June , and August . This sort of 'steady-Eddie' approach might make each box seem a bit...predictable...but its quality and value make it a compelling choice whil.e others ebb and flow with increasing frequency. This month it's VILLAINS. The Promise Before we begin, let's look at the deal again: promising a value of $50, the box would keep the "fluff" (their words) to a minimum with Funko partnering each time to deliver an exclusive figure. Joining at the Founders level would get you an 8" exclusive figure on your one-year ann...

It's one of the closest weekends ever as audiences return to Ridley Scott's epic. Story by Matt Cummings This weekend's box office reminded us of the old saying "Just Because It's New Doesn't Mean It's Great," as audiences stayed away from five new releases, while returning a familiar name to No. 1. Although we discussed the race this weekend on our Inside the Bucket podcast, SJF was unwilling to crown anyone No. 1 because the numbers were so close. In fact, the winner was eventually crowned by the smallest margin of the year - just $219,000. But its return to the top saw many new releases under perform, perhaps fairing worse than the pre-sale of Star Wars: The Force Awakens . Returning to the top is the Ridley Scott/Matt Damon Science Fiction epic The Martian with $15.7m. The Fox space survival film has endured with audiences for a variety of reasons: the terrific science behind the story, and the fact that Author Andy Weir's boo...

After a dismal September decline, Loot Crate's October TIME box is perhaps the best EVER. Review by Matt Cummings OK, don't blame us for being cynical: September's Loot Crate was perhaps the worst sub box we've ever received. It certainly gave February a run for its money, placing en emphatic bookend on a run of very good boxes. We got great boxes in March , April , May , and June , and July , before August began a spell of declining efforts, lacking original thought and quality. But September was the proof we needed to end our subscription and seek the warmer shores of Geek Fuel (read our review HERE ). So when it came to re-up for October, we were more than a little hesitant. Luckily, SandwichJohn convinced us to try one more time, and we couldn't have made a better choice. Loot Crate's October box is the best of the year, and perhaps the best box we've ever received. You think we're kidding? Just read on, but Remember Loot's...

October's Geek Fuel box gets our money and our loyalty. Sorry/Not Sorry, Loot Crate! Review by Matt Cummings After a disastrous September Loot Crate , The USS SJF pulled out of port, searching for a new subscription box to feed our addiction. We were tired of Loot's decision to remove the t-shirt (our reason for joining in the first place), so we wanted a box that offered one without the pricey upsell for which Loot had become notorious. Luckily, we found an alternative right away, as Geek Fuel delivered with a great October box. Before diving in, let's review the details: The cost for a Month to Month is $17.90, $16.90/month for a 3-month subscription, $15.90/month for a 6-month tour and just $13.90/month for a one-year subscription. Shipping $6.00 to the US, Canada, and at least a few other countries. Rather than spend time taking the thing apart, let's allow the pictures to sell how cool this box is, and we'll provide some additional thoughts a...