After I personally doubted that a third big summer blockbuster in a row could fizzle, Men in Black 3 has managed to do it. Don’t get me wrong: this is nowhere near as bad a horror story as Dark Shadows or Battleship. Men in Black 3 managed to take in $17.7 million on opening day, which should compute […]
Friday Box Office: Men in Black 3 underwhelms Read More »
By now, you may have already seen this video of Andy Samberg addressing the graduating class at Harvard — a role that has been filled in prior years by important figures like Mother Teresa and Bill Clinton. Samberg lightens the tone considerably, with some really, really funny jokes. If only Saturday Night Live were this
Andy Samberg delivers hysterical Harvard address Read More »
TBS is best known for Conan O’Brien’s late-night talk show and a litany of Tyler Perry spin-offs, but the successful premiere of the cable giant’s new sitcom “Men at Work” suggests that they may have a future in producing shows as bland and uninspired as those of the networks. “Men at Work” is from Breckin Meyer (“Road Trip,” “Franklin
“Men at Work” premieres to strong numbers at TBS Read More »
Hello and welcome back to Box Office Beat, the column in which I have experienced a total slump in correctly predicting weekend box office numbers as of late. Two weeks ago, I decided to stick with the general consensus on Dark Shadows rather than going with my gut, which told me to predict a more
Box Office Beat: Weekend of May 25 Read More »
When 23-year-old River Phoenix died of a drug overdose in 1993, he was working on a movie entitled “Dark Blood,” directed by George Sluizer. The project, which Sluizer said was 80 percent finished, was put to rest. The insurance company wanted all the footage destroyed, but Sluizer refused and kept it for himself. Now 79
Director aims to finish “Dark Blood,” River Phoenix’s final movie, via crowd-funding Read More »
When Baz Luhrmann announced that he would be helming a new adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”–in 3-D, no less–nobody expected it to be a straightforward, classical treatment of the material. (That was already attempted in 1974 by Jack Clayton and Francis Ford Coppola, and the result was less than satisfactory.) Nonetheless, I
New trailer for Luhrmann, DiCaprio’s “Great Gatsby” Read More »
Most Hollywood films are made for profit, not artistic reasons, but rarely do they make their financial motives as transparent as Kirk Jones’ “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” does. The film’s desire to win ticket-buyers, rather than admirers is evident in every element of its existence, right down to the title — which, taking
Review: “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” Read More »
Today, teasers for two of the most anticipated upcoming films–which couldn’t be more different from one another–hit the web. The more exciting of the pair is the one for Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, starring Joaquin Phoenix in his return to formal acting. The teaser does exactly what it should — it doesn’t let you
Teaser Monday: First glimpses of PTA’s The Master and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Read More »
The reason this piece doesn’t need a sub-headline is because you already knew that The Avengers took the #1 spot, zooming over everyone else ala Iron Man in the photo above. Let’s just get to the chart already. No. Title Weekend Per Theater Average Total 1 Marvel’s The Avengers $55.1M $12.958 $457.1M 2 Battleship $25.3M $6,856 $25.3M
Weekend Box Office: Sub-headline? We don’t need no stinkin’ sub-headline Read More »
Boy, am I getting tired of having to report that The Avengers has once again taken the #1 spot at the North American box office! Are moviegoers ever going to stop flocking to the Marvel juggernaut? All three new openers got crushed; Battleship sunk, The Dictator fell, and What to Expect… over-expected. In fact, the only movie really worth
