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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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Meryl Streep Calls Male Execs Scared of Women

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Columbia Pictures, Universal, Drama, Family, Musicals, Casting, Celebrity Gossip, Rumors

Meryl Streep at the Julie and Julia premiere

Oscar winner Meryl Streep says film studios are “shocked” when her films are popular.

The Julie and Julia star thinks that the industry is “scared” of making films that appeal to women because all the studio executives are men.

The 60-year-old actress said, “It’s always a shock to the studio when a film like Mamma Mia does well because men run the studios and live their own fantasies through them. It’s harder for a man to jump inside a woman character’s mind and imagine, ‘This could happen to me’. They see it and they understand that there is a market and it will make them an enormous amount of money. But we all respond to instinct, ands it’s their inner boy that jumps up and goes, ‘Yeah I wanna see another G.I. Joe!’”

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Box Office Breakdown: Tyler Perry Can Win All By Himself

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Lionsgate, Sony, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Horror, Period, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

I Can Do Bad By Myself

Leave it to Tyler Perry to take on the horror industry.

The actor/writer/director’s latest film, , earned $23.4 million over the weekend—enough to stop The Final Destination from taking its third crown in a row. The urban comedy, starring Taraji P. Henson and Mary J. Blige, more than doubled its nearest competitor since opening Friday and gave Perry his third biggest debut to date.

I Can Do Bad also topped , the newest scare flick to enter the scene. Although the movie boasts more recognizable names (Audrina Patridge, Rumer Willis) than Destination, the R-rater barely scraped up $5.1 million for a 6th place finish.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Tyler Perry Can Win All By Himself

Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: Another Win for Final Destination

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Miramax, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Period, Political, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists

The Final Destination

Ticket buyers ended their summer vacations by booking . For the 2nd time in a row, the horror entry topped all entries with a 1st place finish. Thanks to the $15.3 million added to the pot, Warner Bros. saw its sequel rise above the $50 million mark during the Labor Day weekend

pulled in another $15 million and narrowly missed another win of its own. The WWII movie has now raked in over $95 million domestically and given Quentin Tarantino the 2nd best gross of his career. (Pulp Fiction is still the champ.)

Meanwhile, Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper joined forces for a 3rd place debut. may not have done Proposal or Hangover-esque numbers, but the comedy did walk away with something to brag about. The Fox feature totaled the largest per screen average of any movie in the Top 10.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Another Win for Final Destination

Read More | Box Office Mojo

Box Office Breakdown: Final Destination Has Last Laugh

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: FOCUS, Disney, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Family, Horror, Music, Period, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

The Final Destination

Theatergoers made the destination this weekend.

Even though it had no A-list names and was pitted against another horror film, the fourth Destination installment gave the franchise its best opening to date. The movie, which was boosted by 3D venues and pricing, grossed approximately $27.4 million since its Friday debut. Up until now, the series only saw openings under $20 million.

Warner Bros.’ win meant a loss for . Rob Zombie’s latest splatter-flick scared up nearly $14 million less than 2007’s Halloween grossed. (This could be part of the reason why the director is being replaced for Halloween 3D.) Unfortunately, the $16.3 million take wasn’t even good enough for 2nd place. The sequel was actually topped by a different Weinstein Company film: Inglourious Basterds.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Final Destination Has Last Laugh

Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: Glorious Outing for Inglourious Basterds

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Drama, Family, Horror, Period, Romance, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists

Inglourious Basterds

, Inglorious Bastards. However you spell it, it was still a hit.

The WWII-era tale about a band of Jewish-American soldiers hit the mark this weekend with a $38 million debut. Basterds, which more than doubled its nearest competitor, gave his biggest premiere ever. (Kill Bill, Vol. 2 grossed only $25.1 million in 2004.) The director also raked in his best international turnout to date.

Finding himself even further down the list was Tarantino buddy Robert Rodriguez. The director followed up Planet Terror with a $6.4 million outing for the PG-rated . That was enough to give the Warner Bros. feature a 6th place finish.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Glorious Outing for Inglourious Basterds

Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: Number 1 for District 9

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

District 9

may not have have any big name stars and it may not be based on a story everyone knows, but it does have something no other film has this Monday: a first place finish.

Over the weekend, the R-rated actioner landed on Earth safely with over $37 million in ticket sales. The sci-fi entry also raked in one of the best per screen averages ($12,251) of any film currently in in theaters. (Sony Pictures Classics’ averaged $13,240 while in limited release.)

In the non-alien department, cornered the romantic genre with an $18.6 million total. Meanwhile, Vanessa Hudgens proved she’s nothing without her better half. The Disney star’s new film, Bandslam, failed to even crack the Top Ten. The teen comedy barely managed to gross over $2 million.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Number 1 for District 9

Read More | Box Office Mojo

Julie & Julia Sparks Cookbook Sales

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Columbia Pictures, Adaptation, Books

Mastering the Art of French CookingFive years after her death, Julia Child is once again making news on film, television…and print.

Thanks to last weekend’s release of , the famed chef’s cookbook has received a boost in popularity. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, originally published in 1961, has now been at or near the top of both Amazon and Barnes and Nobles’ best-seller lists.

In the movie, ’ character, Julie Powell, attempts to create all of Mastering’s 524 recipes. Powell’s year-long journey became the basis for her own book, Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen. (That memoir - since retitled Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously - currently ranks #38 on Amazon.)

Read More | MSNBC

In Theaters This Weekend: August 7, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: IFC Films, Paramount, Sony, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Foreign, Comedy, Thrillers, Lists, New Releases

Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

Here are a few selections in theaters this weekend:

  • G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (PG-13): starring Dennis Quiad, Marlon Wayans, Channing Tatum (directed by Stephen Sommers)
  • Julie & Julia (PG-13): starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci (directed by Nora Ephron)
  • A Perfect Getaway (R): starring Timothy Olyphant, Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich (directed by David Twohy)

Click to continue reading In Theaters This Weekend: August 7, 2009


First Look: Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia Trailer

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Columbia Pictures, Adaptation, Drama, Upcoming Releases


In , Doubt costars Meryl Streep and Amy Adams step out of the church and into the kitchen.

The film, an adaptation of two different memoirs, follows the lives of famed chef Julia Child and temp worker Julie Powell. Child’s story is primarily set in the 1940s and 50s when she lived with her husband (Stanley Tucci) in Paris. Meanwhile, Powell embarks on a year-long mission to recreate all 524 recipes in Julia’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Julie & Julia heats up on August 7, 2009.


Getting Into Character: Meryl Streep as Julia Child

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Columbia Pictures, Adaptation, Upcoming Releases

Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

is back at it again.

In the upcoming Julie & Julia, the Oscar winner cooks up another distinctive voice to play famed chef Julia Child. The movie, an adaptation of Julie Powell’s Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, tells the story of a temp worker () who attempts all the recipes in Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The film also recounts Julia’s life with her husband (Stanley Tucci) in Paris during the ‘40s and ‘50s.

The Nora Ephron film will be served up on August 7, 2009.

Read More | Entertainment Weekly

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