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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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Box Office Breakdown: Audiences Say Yes to Jim Carrey

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Family, Foreign, Period, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists

Yes Man

How will remember Winter Solstice 2008? As the weekend he placed second.

Prior to Friday’s premieres, number crunchers were already predicting a close race between headliners Jim Carrey and Will Smith. Unfortunately for Warner Bros., ‘s ultimate victory felt slightly hollow. The comedy’s $18.2 million gross was nowhere near the figures Carrey used to generate. (Bruce Almighty‘s premiere earned $68 million in 2003; Liar Liar took in $31.4 million in 1997.) Yes did, though, do better than 2005’s Fun with Dick and Jane. (That film raked in $14.1 million during its open.)

Will Smith didn’t have much to celebrate over the last three days either. His latest film, , only took in $14.8 million. That’s a number almost unheard of in Smith-land. The drama, directed by Pursuit of Happyness’ Gabriele Muccino, was the actor’s lowest grosser since Ali. (That film earned $14.7 million when it debuted in December 2001.)

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Audiences Say Yes to Jim Carrey

Read More | Variety

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Box Office Breakdown: The Day The Earth Stood Still Stands Tall

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Period, Political, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Mediocre reviews couldn’t keep from vaulting into first place this weekend.

The sci-fi remake starring Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly earned $30.5 million over the last three days, more than doubling the take of its nearest competitor. Although Earth had the smallest debut for a #1 film since October 17th (when Max Payne grossed $17.6 million), the Fox feature only cost a reported $80 million to make. It was also the studio’s best open since Horton Hears a Who unfolded in back in March.

The only other new entries in this week’s Top Ten were Nothing Like the Holidays and . Holidays took in $3.5 million and scored itself a 7th place finish. Meanwhile, Milk - which had actually reached #10 before - reentered the charts at #9.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: The Day The Earth Stood Still Stands Tall

Read More | Variety

In Theaters This Weekend: December 12, 2008

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, IFC Films, Magnolia, Miramax, Warner Bros, Yari Film Group Releasing, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Foreign, Period, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Thrillers, Lists, New Releases

Nothing Like the Holidays

Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:

Box Office Breakdown: Another Festive Weekend for Four Christmases

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Family, Music, Period, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists

Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon

Faced with little competition, last week’s #1 lived to see another win. took in $16.8 million over the last three days - a 46% drop from its first outing - to bring its cumulative total to $69.8 million. The comedy was only one of two films to pass the $10 million mark this weekend.

The only new entries in the Top Ten were and Punisher: War Zone. Despite a relatively small opening (it only hit 687 theaters), Cadillac averaged $5,015 per theater for a 9th place finish. Meanwhile, Punisher took in a disappointing $4.3 million, less than 1/3 of what the first film did in 2004.

Despite premiering at #22, was actually this weekend’s top performer. Ron Howard’s film earned a whopping $60,236 per screen average from only 3 theaters.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Another Festive Weekend for Four Christmases

Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: Number One for Four Christmases

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Disney, Miramax, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Family, Independent, Period, Political, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Four Christmases

Theatergoers still recovering from Thanksgiving had no problem getting into the Christmas spirit this last weekend.

Despite horrible reviews, - a holiday feature starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn - managed to pull in over $31 million over the past three days. (The comedy’s five-day total was $46 million.) That was enough to tame some hungry vampires and give Reese her best opening since Sweet Home Alabama. (The 2002 film had a $35.6 million debut.)

But even with Witherspoon and Vaughn’s combined wattage, Christmases still wasn’t the brightest spot on the box office tree. This weekend’s top performer was actually a political drama with a very limited release. Although it was only seen in 35 theaters, , starring Sean Penn and James Franco, found itself sitting in 10th place. The Gus Van Sant film also averaged $40,385 per theater…nearly $31,000 more than the laugher did per screen.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Number One for Four Christmases

Read More | Variety

In Theaters This Holiday Week (11/26)

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Lionsgate, New Line, Action, Adventure, Drama, Foreign, Period, Political, Religious, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Lists, New Releases

Sean Penn in Milk

Here are some possible suggestions for your Thanksgiving weekend:

  • Australia (PG-13): starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham (directed by Baz Luhrmann)
  • Four Christmases (PG-13): starring Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Duvall (directed by Seth Gordon)
  • Transporter 3 (PG-13): starring Jason Statham, Robert Knepper, Justin Rodgers Hall (directed by Olivier Megaton)
  • Milk* (R): starring Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin (directed by Gus Van Sant)
  • Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye!* (NR): starring Abhay Deol, Paresh Rawal, Neetu Chandra (directed by Dibakar Banerjee)
  • The Secrets* (R): starring Fanny Ardant, Ania Bokstein, Michal Shtamler (directed by Avi Nesher)

*limited and/or gradual release


In Theaters This Weekend: October 24, 2008

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, Lionsgate, New Line, Sony, Universal, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Family, Foreign, Horror, Independent, Music, Musicals, Sequels, Thrillers, Lists, New Releases

Description

Here are some possible suggestions for your upcoming weekend:

  • High School Musical 3 (G): starring Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale (directed by Kenny Ortega)
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas in 3-D (PG): starring Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey (directed by Henry Selick)
  • Pride and Glory (R): starring Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight (directed by Gavin O’Connor)
  • Saw V (R): starring Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson (directed by David Hackl)

    • Click to continue reading In Theaters This Weekend: October 24, 2008


    Marvin the Martian Landing in Theaters

    Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Warner Bros, Adaptation, Animation, Family, Upcoming Releases

    Marvin the MartianGiven the recent success of , other studios are now jumping on the live-action/CGI bandwagon.

    has just announced that Marvin the Martian will be the next cartoon character up for the big screen treatment. The Looney Tunes character - which was first introduced 60 years ago - will reportedly get his own Christmas-time feature.

    Although Marvin’s plans to destroy the Earth were usually ruined by Bugs Bunny, it doesn’t appear the carrot chomper will be included in the adaptation. As the film is currently conceived, the white-gloved one will become trapped in a gift during his attempt to ruin the holiday.

    No target date has been announced for the project.

    Read More | Variety

    Daniel Day-Lewis Marks Return With ‘Blood’

    Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Paramount, Adaptation, Drama, Casting, New Releases

    There Will Be Blood- Daniel Day LewisKnown for his odd little ways, his do-or-die acting methods, and his fabulous skill, has enjoyed a stellar film career - though by Hollywood standards, he makes films infrequently. Missing from the big screen since 2005, the award-winning actor has made a triumphant return to films today in Paul Thomas Anderson’s . Very different from the bevy of family-oriented holiday flicks currently clogging up the theaters, this feature film deals in avarice, oil, madness and, of course, blood.

    is known for dramatic films like Magnolia and break-out film Boogie Nights, but isn’t like either one of these previous efforts. Day-Lewis (whose own unique brand of method acting has labeled him as truly eccentric and maybe even a little ’round the bend) plays Daniel Plainview in a performance that’s being heralded by the critics (he’s already received a , too).  Plainview is involved with oil in a century-old setting, a man who will do whatever he has to do to get his own way.

    Yahoo! reviewers have called the dramatic epic a “masterpiece” and granted the film three and a half stars (on a scale of four total).  Why is the film this good? Because Daniel Day-Lewis is in it.

    Read More | Yahoo! News

    Amy Adams’ Enchanted Life

    Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Disney, Animation, Family, Casting, Celebrity Gossip, New Releases, Upcoming Releases

    Amy AdamsThough I have to admit I was personally shocked, the flick , which offered a meld of cartoon melodrama and live-action sequences which were amazingly even more over-the-top, became one of the biggest stars of the early . , who played the princess, even snagged a jaw-dropping (on my end) . But now Adams isn’t sure where to take her career.

    The thirty-three year old film star pondered the definition of success in a recent Newsweek interview, in which she said she has neither children nor a wedding ring. Adams now has two pictures in the works which couldn’t be more different from cartoonish Disney. will show the story of two nuns who grapple with the heady issue of sexual abuse, while features two crime scene cleanup sisters.

    Read More | Yahoo! News

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