In my head, Tom looking dramatically over his shoulder was supposed to come off kind of like Bigger Than Cheeses’s CSI: Miami comic. I know it’s not the same thing. I’m just telling you how it played out in my head.

Believe it or not, Box Office Mojo is reporting that Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs actually TIED at the box office this weekend with a tally of $42.5 million each.

Granted, I haven’t been following box office reports for all that long, but I can’t think of another time where that has ever happened before. Next thing you know the two movies will start fighting over who had the idea to use a colon in their title rather than call their film “Transformers 2” or “Ice Age 3”.

There is one qualifier, of course. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs actually came out on Wednesday. So if you count the 5-day tally, the box office is in it’s favor – $67.5 million. But the story isn’t interesting if you include that. So everyone is choosing to focus on the 3-day weekend in stead. Ho hum.

Something I said I’d do but never really got around to last week was talk a little bit more about Public Enemies (which, incidentally, came in 3rd this weekend with $26 million).

I looked at my original synopsis – that the film was good but overlong, that Bale hardly leaves an impression and that he and Depp barely share screen time together – and thought “Was there more I wanted to add to this?” But I suppose I officially have to chime in on director Michael Mann’s decision to shoot the film with digital video.

For me, it’s an anachronism that distracts me somewhat. But more glaring was the poor quality of the video. I don’t have a problem with a period film using digital video. But in Public Enemies I thought things were blurry, pixelated and fundamentally inferior. For someone who can pick a shot as well as Mann can, I don’t understand why he’s resorting to such a crude method of capturing his film.

Probably the greater anachronism for me were Mann’s musical selections. Sometimes there would be sweeping orchestra work. Sometimes there would be radio hits from the late 20’s and early 30’s. But during the heists in particular, he would sometimes go with an electric guitar riff that left me asking myself “Were people playing electric guitars back then?” Maybe I’m ignorant, but it felt really out of place.

There were also some strange overlaps, historically speaking. Did John Dillinger really pull all of these heists with Alvin “Creepy” Karpis and Baby Face Nelson? It kind of felt like some kind of greatest hits tour, or something. I don’t know a lot about that era, but it seems to me these guys wouldn’t pal around with each other if they could help it.

I guess more than anything, it’s been interesting reading people’s reaction to the movie. Some people feels like it doesn’t connect and that Mann has lost his touch completely. Others consider Public Enemies to be some kind of art film.

Whatever it is, Mann has not made a conventional Hollywood caper flick. Maybe if this one had found it’s way into theaters later in the year instead of over the 4th of July weekend, it would have played differently. The grit and steel in Marion Cotillard’s performance would perhaps raise the specter of a Best Supporting Actress nomination if it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.

It’s odd. For as wrapped up in the movie as I was, I didn’t really enjoy it and I’m not sure I could recommend it to others. It’s not a bad film, but it’s not blithely entertaining, either. I guess you could say I respect it, but even that feels like a left-handed compliment.

I’m sure we’ll be talking about Public Enemies and much, much more tonight on The Triple Feature podcast at 9PM CST. Be sure to listen to us live! Don’t forget to submit your questions to our Facebook group. Sign up as a member and we’ll send you a reminder of when the show is recording so you can join us during the show.

Thanks and have a great Monday!