On FilmCrunch: Antichrist Lacks Scares, Boasts Biblical Allegory

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: No Sluggish Start for Zombieland

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

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Box Office Breakdown: Meatballs Rolls to Another Victory

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

This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: September 29, 2009

Monsters vs. Aliens DVDHere are some of the options available this Tuesday:

  • Away We Go: DVD, Blu-ray
  • The Dark Crystal: Blu-ray
  • Filth and Wisdom: Blu-ray
  • Fireproof: Blu-ray
  • The Girlfriend Experience: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer: Blu-ray
  • Labyrinth: Blu-ray
  • Management: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Monsters vs. Aliens: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Shrink: DVD
  • Snakes on a Plane: Blu-ray
  • The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003): Blu-ray
  • The Wizard of Oz (70th Anniversary Edition): DVD, Blu-ray

Make sure to also check out the TV-on-DVD options for this week.

Read More | Amazon

Box Office Breakdown: Chance of Meatballs is Winning Recipe

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

In Theaters This Weekend: September 18, 2009

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


Jennifer Aniston’s Dad Discouraged Acting

Jennifer Aniston and John Aniston

‘s father didn’t want her to be an actress.

The Bounty star recently revealed that John Aniston - Days of Our Lives’ Victor Kiriakis - begged her to choose a “less iffy” career. “My dad did not want me to do this at all. It wasn’t that he didn’t think I could, but he just thought that it was such an iffy thing,” the 40-year-old star said.

But instead of being discouraged, Jennifer says her father’s disapproval spurred her to go to even more auditions. “I think there was a part of his discouragement that kind of fueled my drive in a way,” she told People magazine.

Click to continue reading Jennifer Aniston’s Dad Discouraged Acting

Read More | People

Jennifer Aniston Wants Men in Tighty-Whities

Jennifer Aniston wants her guys in tighty-whitiesFellows, listen up: Jennifer Aniston likes men to wear “tighty-whities.”

The 40-year-old actress, who is divorced from Brad Pitt and is rumored to be dating Gerard Butler, hates it when guys don baggy underwear, preferring to see them in skintight briefs.

“I like tighty-whities on a man. Not boxers. I don’t like boxers. Boxer briefs.”

Jennifer is just as adamant about the clothing she likes to see on women, and is even considering bringing out a fashion range to make her chosen style more readily available: “I’d love to do a bathing suit line. I always have a hard time finding a good bathing suit and so I usually end up tailoring bathing suits. You should be able to mix and match your bottoms. For men, I like surf shorts. I think that’s beautiful.”

Jennifer can soon be seen on the big screen in Love Happens, about a widower who writes a book about coping with grief which becomes a bestseller, in which she has a terrible date with co-star Aaron Eckhart.

Click to continue reading Jennifer Aniston Wants Men in Tighty-Whities


Jennifer Aniston to Become a Country Singer

Jennifer Aniston is getting her pipes warmed up to start performing in the Goree Girls, a female country music group. She’s not switching career paths - she’s working on her next film role.

Aniston will star in The Goree Girls, a movie about the band which maintained a popular radio show in the 1940s. The Goree All Girl String Band was somewhat different from other musical acts, and not just because they were an all-female country-singing group. They were also convicted felons, serving time in Texas for various crimes including robbery and murder.

I’m already interested in the movie even without Aniston, but now I’m sure it’s going to be a hit.

Read More | E! Online

First Look: Aniston and Eckhart in Love Happens


The day Jennifer Aniston attempts a new genre in film is the day she does something drastically different with her hair. But when the object of her affections is Aaron Eckhart, who could blame her?

In Love Happens, love happens between a self-help guru and a hotel florist. Eckhart plays the widowed motivational speaker who finds himself opening up after meeting Aniston at a grief seminar. (BTW - did anyone else think of Notting Hill when they saw they saw the trailer?)

The Universal feature premieres on September 18.


This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: June 2, 2009

Defiance DVDHere are some of the options available this Tuesday:

  • Air Force One: Blu-ray
  • Anaconda: Blu-ray
  • Bruce Almighty: Blu-ray
  • Defiance: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Eddie Murphy: Delirious (25th Anniversary Edition): DVD
  • Fletch: Blu-ray
  • Glory: Blu-ray
  • The Graduate: Blu-ray
  • He’s Just Not That Into You: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Inside Man: Blu-ray
  • Navy Seals: Blu-ray

Click to continue reading This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: June 2, 2009

Read More | Amazon

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