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Latest Video: FilmCrunch 067: Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, Premonition reviewed

Veronica Santiago and Neil Estep review Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, and Premonition in this episode of FilmCrunch.
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Casting Corner: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gwyneth Paltrow and More

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Sony, Warner Bros, Adaptation, Animation, Biopics, Drama, Family, Independent, Period, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Casting, Celeb News, Rumors, Upcoming Releases

Jake GyllenhaalGwyneth Paltrow

Here’s a quick look at some of the casting announcements made recently:

Jake Gyllenhaal: The Jarhead star may be prepping to play another military man in Source Code, a sci-fi thriller. The movie, which will be directed by Duncan Jones (Moon), centers on a soldier who wakes up as a commuter on a train. The passenger is forced to relive the experience again and again until the mystery behind a bombing is determined. Shooting should start in early 2010.

Click to continue reading Casting Corner: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gwyneth Paltrow and More


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Box Office Breakdown: Saw Outdone by Paranormal Activity

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: DreamWorks, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Remakes, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Paranormal Activity

Have audiences seen enough Saw?

Although Jigsaw is known for slaying his competition, the serial killer was no match for Katie Featherstone and Micah Sloat. This weekend, those two unknowns saw their small project, , finally top the box office charts. The movie, which was produced for approximately $15,000, reached that position after a steady climb up the ranks. (Aren’t films supposed to go down?) The horror flick also had a higher per screen average than any entry in the Top 10 despite fewer engagements.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Saw Outdone by Paranormal Activity

Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: The Wild Things Are #1

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Science Fiction, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, Technology

Where the Wild Things Are

Who knew a 10-sentence long story could do so well?

It may have taken over three years for Where the Wild Things Are to officially debut, but the long journey was apparently worth the wait. The Spike Jonze project, which was once rumored to be too scary for children, finally unfolded over the weekend and soared to first place. The Maurice Sendak adaptation, which earned approximately $32.7 million, also gave Warner Bros. its best October open ever.

Even though Gerard Butler didn’t bother to promote during his recent Saturday Night Live stint, the film managed to survive on its own. The actioner, which also starred Jamie Foxx, raked in just over $21 million and won a close race for 2nd place. Meanwhile, word-of-mouth hit Paranormal Activity grossed another $19.6 million and moved up one rung to the third spot.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: The Wild Things Are #1

Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: Audiences Escape to Couples Retreat

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, Fox Searchlight, MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Documentary, Family, Independent, Music, Political, Remakes, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Sports, Box Office, Lists

Couples Retreat

Depending on how you look at the numbers, the winner this weekend was either or Paranormal Activity.

In the comedy corner, we have a Peter Billingsley-directed film that earned $35.3 million and a first-place finish. The movie - which combined the efforts of Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau and Jason Bateman - pulled in the best numbers for any Columbus Day weekend entry ever. It also gave Vaughn his 2nd best opening behind The Break-Up.

Meanwhile, on the horror front, made a huge splash despite being in limited release. The Blair Witch-esque movie scared up a shocking $49,000 per screen average. It also raked in nearly 500 times more than its budget. (It only cost less than $16,000 to produce.)

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Audiences Escape to Couples Retreat

Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: No Sluggish Start for Zombieland

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, Fox Searchlight, MGM, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Documentary, Drama, Family, Horror, Independent, Music, Political, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists

Zombieland

Watch out, vampires…there’s still life in the other undead.

Although he was previously known as a director for Jimmy Kimmel Live, Ruben Fleischer now has a new title: box office champ. This past weekend, Ruben saw his first major feature, , attack the competition with a $24.7 million debut. The movie - which only cost approximately $24 million to make - had the highest open for any zombie-themed flick since Dawn of the Dead in 2004.

Meanwhile, another director had an entirely different result with her debut feature. , a roller derby comedy helmed by Drew Barrymore, rolled into 6th place finish with only $4.7 million. (When your film’s been topped by Pixar entries from 10+ years ago, there might have a problem.) Hopefully in a few more weeks, the Ellen Page vehicle will at least cover its $15 million production tab.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: No Sluggish Start for Zombieland

Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: Meatballs Rolls to Another Victory

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Disney, Lionsgate, Sony, Touchstone, Universal, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Documentary, Drama, Family, Horror, Independent, Music, Period, Remakes, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

was no substitute for meatballs.

Despite competition from a Bruce Willis film, a music-based remake and a sci-fi horror entry, remained the theatergoers’ order of choice for the second week in a row. The children’s book adaptation had Sony dining to the tune of $25 million—over $10 million more than the second place finisher.

Many thought Willis, who hasn’t had a major role since 2007’s Live Free or Die Hard, was on track to take first this weekend. Unfortunately, his hair movie was considered a big letdown given its $15 million gross and $80 million budget. Meanwhile, , a remake of the 1980 hit, had no one feeling like they wanted to live forever. The MGM feature only rung up $10 million for third place.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Meatballs Rolls to Another Victory

Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: Chance of Meatballs is Winning Recipe

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Lionsgate, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Period, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

While it may not have had a Damon, an Aniston or a Fox, had something no other film did this weekend: a win. The animated adaptation raked in $30.3 million over the weekend easily pushing it to the top of the charts. The PG-rated entry towered over the box office and nearly tripled its nearest competitor (The Informant). The 3-D film also gave Sony Pictures Animation its biggest debut to date.

Elsewhere, two Hollywood beauties were struggling to make a respectable showing. Despite (or because of) a number of notable quotes, Megan Fox failed to muster any interest in her first starring vehicle. Jennifer’s Body, a horror film penned by Diablo Cody, raised a whopping $6.9 million for a fifth-place finish. (I’m not even sure that would be enough to fund one day of a Transformers production.) Megan Fox might not be a fan of Michael Bay, but she better be grateful she met him.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Chance of Meatballs is Winning Recipe

Read More | Variety

This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: September 22, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Lionsgate, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros, Animation, Drama, Family, Foreign, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Home Entertainment, Lists, New Releases

Observe and Report DVDHere are some of the options available this Tuesday:

  • Battle for Terra: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Ghosts of Girlfriends Past: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Hot Fuzz: Blu-ray
  • Lymelife: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Observe and Report: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Shaun of the Dead: Blu-ray
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection: DVD
  • Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country: DVD, Blu-ray

Click to continue reading This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: September 22, 2009

Read More | Amazon

In Theaters This Weekend: September 18, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, IFC Films, Magnolia, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Adaptation, Animation, Biopics, Documentary, Drama, Family, Foreign, Horror, Period, Religious, Romance, Comedy, Sports, Lists, New Releases

Matt Damon in The Informant

Here are a few selections in theaters this weekend:

  • Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (PG): starring Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Andy Samberg (directed by Chris Miller, Phil Lord)
  • The Informant! (R): starring Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale (directed by Steven Soderbergh)
  • Jennifer’s Body (R): starring Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody (directed by Karyn Kusama)
  • Love Happens (PG-13): starring Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston, Dan Fogler (directed by Brandon Camp)

Click to continue reading In Theaters This Weekend: September 18, 2009


Anna Faris to star in Chipmunks sequel as voice of a Chipette

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: 20th Century Fox, Animation, Family, Music, Comedy, Casting, Rumors, Upcoming Releases

Anna Faris Chipmunks is set to star in the new Chipmunks movie.

Faris is going provide her voice for Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel by playing one of the Chipettes - Brittany, Jeanette or Eleanor. , who was the voice of head chipmunk Alvin in 2007’s Alvin and the Chipmunks, revealed: “Anna Faris called me. I hadn’t talked to her in awhile, and I was like ‘Hey, what’s up?’ She said ‘You’re doing the Squeakquel!’ and then something happened and we couldn’t talk anymore. So, I’m pretty sure she’s doing it.”

Justin - who also revealed Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney would return to provide the voices of Alvin’s brothers Simon and Theodore - said Christina Applegate could join Anna as one of the Chipettes. He said: “I heard Christina. And then there’s a third; and I’m not quite sure who that is.” However, he denied rumours it would be his reported girlfriend Drew Barrymore. He told MTV Movies: “No, I don’t think she’s doing it.”


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