Sunday, October 31, 2010

Box Office Report: Saw Saws See Saw. 3D

Dude here again. Happy Halloween! The box office reports have been sporadic, for this I apologize. Lots of changes going on in my life. Suffice it to say, it involves massive amounts of guns, strippers, booze, cars, and shenanigans. But who needs shenanigans when we have money to talk about?

That's the lesson I learned from that movie that's out now.

This weekend, a return to Halloween normalcy. Let's go to the numbers, shall we? (All in millions, remember, and these are the studio estimates. The actuals will be available on Monday).

1. Saw 3D (LGF) - $22.5, 2808 screens, week 1, $24.2 total

2. Paranormal Activity 2 (ParV) - $16.5, 3239 screens, week 2, $65.6 total

3. Red (Sum)- $10.8, 3349 screens, week 3, $58.9 total

4. Jackass 3-D (Par)- $8.4, 3139 screens, week 3, $101.5 total

5. Hereafter (WB) - $6.3, 2424 screens, week 3, $22.1 total

6. Secretariat (BV) - $5.0, 3072 screens, week 4, $44.7 total

7. The Social Network (Sony)- $4.7, 2767 screens, week 5, $79.7 total

8. Life As We Know It (WB)- $4.0, 2860 screens, week 4, $43.4 total

9. The Town (WB)- $1.9, 1608 screens, week 7, $87.6 total

10. Conviction (FoxS) $1.8, 565 screens, week 3, $2.3 total

So those are the numbers, but what do they mean? Well, it means that going the 3D route was the shot in the arm the Saw franchise needed to end out on top. Sure, it will probably be "Rebooted" in a year or so, but let's enjoy this while we can.

Paranormal Activity in second place. Remember that nonsense when the director of Saw 6 was gonna make that Paranormal Activity, then the Saw guys were all "Screw you, pal, you gotta make this last Saw movie"? You think they're gonna ask that guy to make the third Paranormal Activity?

Conviction made its way to the top ten, huh? Good job. No idea what it is aside from Sam Rockwell is probably involved.

Fun Fact: actor Richard Crenna invented tartar sauce!

Below the radar, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest, the third in the popular line of Swedish translations of those books you see everyone have at the airport and the starbucks, it opened up on 153 and took in $915,000. Also opening was Monsters, which opened on 3 screens and took in $21,000. (That one may also be available on your On Demand station. Technology!)

So there, you have my amazing break down. Next week, Megamind and Hangover 2. I mean Due Date. But you know I really mean Hangover 2. 

Until next weekend....
(All Numbers courtesy of Box Office Mojo)

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Box Office Report: The Return

Dude here again. Some may say I missed last week's box office report because I was recovering from a Tandori wedding hangover, but I was merely protesting that far too many people voluntarily elected to see Life As We Know It. Rarely do I question the taste of the populace, but this was one of those times.

Seriously, who could willingly see that?

This weekend, the world is right again. Let's go to the numbers, shall we? (All in millions, remember, and these are the studio estimates. The actuals will be available on Monday).

1. Jackass 3-D (Par)- $50.0, 3081 screens, week 1, $50.0 total

2. Red (Sum)- $22.5, 3255 screens, week 1, $22.5 total

3. The Social Network (Sony)- $11.0, 2868 screens, week 3, $63.1 total

4. Secretariat (BV) - $9.5, 3072 screens, week 2, $27.5 total

5. Life As We Know It (WB)- $9.2, 3150 screens, week 2, $28.8 total

6. Legend of the Guardians (WB) - $4.2, 2502 screens, week 4, $46.0 total

7. The Town (WB)- $4.0, 2368 screens, week  5, $80.5 total

8. My Soul To Take (Uni) - $3.1, 2529 screens, week 2, $11.9 total

9. Easy A (ScrGms) - $2.6, 2314 screens, week 5, $52.3 total

10. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Fox) $2.3, 2045 screens, week 4, $47.8 total

So those are the numbers, but what do they mean? Well, it means that finally, good sense prevails, and the number one movie is the most deserving. The Jackass boys blew away their previous openings (some will accuse the inflated 3-D prices) and proved once again that the world loves movies where idiots get hit in the junk.

Opening in second is Red, Bruce Willis and other older actors firing machine guns, and hopefully swearing up a storm. Just noticed the PG-13 rating, so it's probably just Grumpy Old Men with weaponry. Which is not a bad thing. Anyway, it, was an impressive opening, especially for Bruce WIllis, because if we elect to see him in other movies, the possibilities of Die Hard 5 are slimmer and slim… Nevermind, just read that it's fast-tracked. There is no justice.

Everything else is slipping silently. Social Network continues to chug along nicely. Finally saw it, but was more than a little disappointed at the lack of Farmville jokes.

Fun Fact: There is a scene in Wall Street 2 where money, in fact, DOES sleep!

Below the radar, no small release indie horror flicks, but more Oscar-bation as Hereafter, starring Matt Damon and directed by Clint Eastwood, opened on 6 screens and took $231,000. Also, Conviction, starring Hilary Swank, opened on 11 screens to take in $110,000. Time will tell if these movies will win numerous awards.

So there, you have my amazing break down. Next week, a popular horror movie released this time last year gets a sequel, and the word Saw is not involved. Thankfully, neither is the phrase "3-D". However, that will happen the following week.
I had fun with the Michael Bay app thingie.
Until next weekend....

(All Numbers courtesy of Box Office Mojo)

Thursday, October 14, 2010

So, I went and did this.

Decided to try something new.

If it's too weird and upsetting let me know. I'm still not 100% on it and I'm gonna fool around with it for a bit.

Not too much, though. We all know what happens when there's too much tinkering.

We get multiple editions on outdated media.

Anyway, let me know what you think. Like I said, it's not always gonna be like this. But figured I'd give it a whirl.

Fun Things To While Away the Hours at Work.

Here's a video for a band, or something. They're called Hollerado. My friend Daphne was involved in the video's creation.



Fun Fact: She also appears in the video, in the box on the bottom row, second from the left.

Here's a link to the preview for The Revenged, an Ed Klau joint. I didn't edit the trailer that runs, but I edited the scene that I have to finish cutting so we can put it on the site. Also, note that the trailer starts right up when you click the link, just be warned in case of weird noises.

And here's a video of a bullet spinning on ice, after being shot. I assume this means you shouldn't try it at home, but lord knows you want to.

You really really want to.


Talkin Tweeners: in case anybody cares, I still haven't seen Facebook movie, but I did see The Town (Quite Solid), Let Me In (Very Solid, if wholly unnecessary) and Resident Evil 4, which I summed up as the greatest Tool video ever made.

Looking back at that paragraph, I think I have to devise some sort of review system, something akin to "Thumbs Up", yet incorporating the word "Solid."

ie. "Fuckin Solid" = 5 stars
"Quite Solid" = 4 stars
"Solid"= etc.

I don't know, just something to think about.


WERE YOU AWARE... that the majority of traffic directed to this site randomly from Google Search is the word "Kuato" the misspelled "Cuato"?

So let's give the people what they want. More Cuato!!!
Open Your Mind


(For what it's worth, I always hoped I would be searched out for that Karl Urban quote fixation I had awhile back).
I did too, Dude - K.U.

Are there any Wes Anderson fans out there? Here's a nifty link to some early work he did while still in school. I found it interesting, but I also haven't subscribed to the hipster notion that he sucks isn't at the level he used to be. Again, I don't subscribe to it.

And speaking of Wes Anderson...



(Didn't think you'd get away without that, did you?)

Monday, October 11, 2010

Also, there's this now

It's Grover doing the Old Spice commercial. Which is kinda fantastic, really.

Box Office Report: Out of Facebook puns

So, Facebook movie is number one.

I was at a weekend event, and didn't get around to writing the report.

So instead, enjoy this video of a sexy lady pole dance with a ninja sword.

EMBED-Hot Chick Is A Pole-Dancing Ninja - Watch more free videos

Remarkably, it's fine for work.

Sunday, October 03, 2010

Box Office Report: How Do I Unlike?

Dude here again. Has anyone been watching the current crop of new television shows? They're just as disappointing as all the summer blockbusters were this past summer. What the hell is going on? Are we just in a creative lull? Are people caring about other, more important things?

Like the upcoming elections taco salad? .

This weekend, the Facebook movie finally came out, along with two spoooooky movies. Because it's October, so we get horror movies and Oscar-Bation flicks. Let's go to the numbers, shall we? (All in millions, remember, and these are the studio estimates. The actuals will be available on Monday).

1. The Social Network (ScrGms)- $23.0, 2771 screens, week 1, $23.0 total

2. Legend of the Guardians (WB) - $10.8, 3575 screens, week 2, $30.0 total

3. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Fox) $10.1, 3565 screens, week 2, $35.8 total

4. The Town (WB)- $10.0, 2935 screens, week  3, $64.3 total

5. Easy A (ScrGms) - $7.0, 2974 screens, week 3, $42.4 total

6. You Again (BV) - $5.5, 2548 screens, week 2, $16.4 total

7. Case 39 (ParV)- $5.35, 2211 screens, week 1, $5.35 total

8. Let Me In (Over)- $5.30, 2020 screens, week 1, $5.30 total

9. Devil (Uni) - $3.6, 2392 screens, week 3, $27.3 total

10. Alpha and Omega (LGF)- $3.0, 2303 screens, week 3, $19.0 total

So those are the numbers, but what do they mean? Well, it means that some audiences managed to go to a theater, and tweet their status to "Seeing the Facebook movie" on their iPhones while watching the Facebook movie. Sure, it's being heralded as one of the best movies of this year, but I still feel it's been far too overhyped, and this weaker than predicted open kind of makes it the Kick-Ass of Oscar Bait.

More interesting is the case of Case 39, a movie filmed four years ago and finally now seeing the light of day. (Or darkened room, technically). It opened up to somewhat expected business (Probably better than anyone involved hoped), but also makes almost the same amount of money as Let Me In, the American remake of the Swedish horror hit from two years ago. How odd.

The case with Let Me In also begs the question, do audiences not care for these remakes? Or was there not even a big enough audience, because the vampires actually killed people instead of brooded and sparkled and pined for the mumble queen?

These are the questions we should be asking. 

Way to go Snyder Owls! (Really just wanted to say that). 

Fun Fact: After 12 weeks, Inception dropped off the top ten, but on Arthur's dream level it will take another year and a half to actually fall.

Below the radar, more horror movies opened up in limited release, including Chain Letter, which took in $143,000 on 406 screens, with a sad per screen average of $352. Hatchet 2 also opened, (UNRATED!!!), but only made $62,000 on 68 screens. This does not bode well for more unrated releases. In documentary releases, Freakonomics, an adaptation of the best selling non-fiction book, took in $33,000 on 17 screens. 

So there, you have my amazing break down. Next week, more of the same, as more horror flicks and Oscar Bait hopefuls are released.

Until next weekend....
(All Numbers courtesy of Box Office Mojo)