The 2009 Academy Awards: Live Commentary
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Awards
After a year away from live Oscars coverage, I’m thrilled to be back for the 2009 Academy Awards.
Even though Dark Knight‘s snub will probably keep a number of viewers away (how many can honestly say they’ve seen The Reader?), I’m eagerly anticipating several moments from this evening’s broadcast.
Will Heath Ledger’s family bring the house to tears? Is Mickey Rourke going to make the producers wince? Will the cameras pan to Brangelina after Jennifer Aniston’s presentation? Are Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron really (really?) going to do a song and dance number?
To find out if this will be the year of the Slumdog or the underdog, stay tuned here for the live results!
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Box Office Breakdown: Friday the 13th Slashes the Holiday Competition
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Horror, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists
Twelve turned out to be a lucky number for good old #13.
Blood-thirsty audiences helped push Friday the 13th into the record books this holiday weekend. (There’s no better way to spend a Valentine’s Day than scared in your honey’s arms.) The franchise’s twelfth installment scared up $43.6 million over the last four days to become the top horror opener of all time. Friday also had the second best showing ever for a President’s Day weekend debut. (Ghost Rider pulled in $52 million in 2007.)
The horror film wasn’t the only newsmaker this February. Paul Blart: Mall Cop, this week’s sixth-place finisher, added on another $13.8 million to officially break the $100 million mark. (The comedy currently stands at $112.3 million.) That’s the first time a January opener has ever done that.
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Read More | Variety
Box Office Breakdown: He’s Just Not That Into You Debuts on Top
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Fox Searchlight, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie may have returned home with more losses this weekend, but Jennifer Aniston was a big winner.
For the third time in a row, the Friends star found herself in a familiar position. Although it is technically an ensemble piece, He’s Just Not That Into You became the 39-year-old’s latest chart topper. (The Break-Up and Marley & Me also debuted at #1.) The adaptation’s $28 million gross helped push another romantic comedy offering, New in Town, completely out of the Top Ten. (The Renee Zellweger film had only been there for one week.)
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Box Office Breakdown: Audiences are Taken with Liam Neeson
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adventure, Drama, Family, Horror, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists
While it would seem logical to find a female-oriented movie on top after Super Bowl Sunday, an action thriller proved there was more than enough testosterone to go around. Taken, starring Oscar-nominee Liam Neeson, took in $24.7 million making it the second best opener ever during the same football period. (Last year’s Hannah Montana concert film grossed $31.1 million.)
Meanwhile, a romantic comedy starring an actual Oscar winner, failed to do what counterprogramming options are meant to do: score a touchdown. New in Town, starring Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr., earned $6.7 million and a disappointing 8th place. (Apparently Academy Awards don’t guarantee future success.) The romantic comedy raked in about 1/2 as much as Zellweger’s Leatherheads did…and that’s saying a lot.
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Read More | Variety
Box Office Breakdown: New Life for Oscar Contenders
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Family, Horror, Music, Period, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers
Nominations? Clint Eastwood doesn’t need any stinkin’ nominations…
Although the 78-year-old was recently overlooked by the Academy, the actor/director still got some respect from the paying public. This past weekend, Gran Torino landed softly into third place and, most importantly, topped the actual Best Picture contenders.
But that’s not to say a nomination is pointless. Last week’s #10, Slumdog Millionaire, jumped 5 positions this week after nabbing 10 nods on Thursday. (It also bested Torino’s per screen average.) Meanwhile, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - thanks to 13 nominations - found itself reentering the Top Ten.
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Read More | Variety
Box Office Breakdown: Mall Cop Rolls Over Clint Eastwood
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Adaptation, Drama, Family, Horror, Music, Period, Romance, Comedy, Box Office, Lists
Mall Cop? Mall Cop?
As strange as it may sound, Kevin James just took down Clint Eastwood, Notorious B.I.G. and a serial killer to become the current box office champ. Paul Blart: Mall Cop‘s $40 million take was the second biggest ever for a January opener. (Cloverfield took in $46.1 million at this same time last year.) The comedy was also partially responsible for giving the industry its largest MLK weekend of all time.
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Box Office Breakdown: Marley & Me Ends 2008 on Top
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Fox Searchlight, MGM, Miramax, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Family, Foreign, Foreign Language, Period, Religious, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists
Aside from a few changes at the bottom of this week’s Top Ten, every single movie remained planted in their positions from last Monday. Since Friday’s new entries (Good, Defiance) were only offered in limited release, there really wasn’t much of a battle.
Over the last three days, Marley & Me tacked on another $24 million and officially crossed the $100 million mark. The Fox adaptation became the 25th film from 2008 to accomplish that. Meanwhile, the only new charter was #10’s Slumdog Millionaire. Although it was only shown in 612 theaters (that’s down two from last week), the Fox Searchlight feature helped push The Spirit down to #13. The probable Oscar contender also earned a better per screen average than all the films ahead of it.
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Read More | Variety
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