There’s no “Rush” to see the Newcomers at the Box Office

This weekend proved a really sad one for Hollywood as all three new releases tanked and The Expendables 2 easily won a second week on top despite a 52% drop. The action film took in $13.5 million and now has a total of $52 million. This week’s newcomers included the bike messenger thriller Premium Rush starring the awesome Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who was brilliant in last year’s 50/50 and this summer’s The Dark Knight Rises) which fared the best of the worst with only $6.3 million while the new Dax Shepard/Kristen Bell comedy Hit and Run stumbled in tenth place with just $4.6 million. Luckily the latter film had a low production budget and should break even. The same can’t be said for the final new entry, the horror film The Apparition, which didn’t even make the top ten pulling in a sad $2.9 million… For more on these numbers, head to Box Office Mojo here and check out the new top ten below.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 1 The Expendables 2 LGF $13,500,000 -52.8% 3,355 +39 $4,024 $52,314,000 $100 2
2 2 The Bourne Legacy Uni. $9,300,000 -45.5% 3,654 -99 $2,545 $85,500,000 $125 3
3 3 ParaNorman Focus $8,546,000 -39.3% 3,455 +26 $2,474 $28,274,000 – 2
4 4 The Campaign WB $7,440,000 -43.3% 3,302 +47 $2,253 $64,543,000 – 3
5 6 The Dark Knight Rises WB $7,150,000 -35.1% 2,606 -551 $2,744 $422,188,000 $250 6
6 7 The Odd Life of Timothy Green BV $7,125,000 -34.2% 2,598 – $2,742 $27,080,000 – 2
7 N Premium Rush Sony $6,300,000 – 2,255 – $2,794 $6,300,000 $35 1
8 13 2016 Obama’s America RM $6,238,000 +401.2% 1,091 +922 $5,718 $9,075,000 – 7
9 8 Hope Springs Sony $6,000,000 -34.1% 2,402 +41 $2,498 $45,000,000 – 3
10 N Hit and Run ORF $4,675,000 – 2,870 – $1,629 $5,868,000 $2 1

The Artist and Michelle Williams have the Independent Spirit

Oscar front-runner The Artist continued to dominate this awards season as it picked up four awards at today’s Independent Spirit Awards honoring the best in independent cinema. The films all had to be made and financed in the U.S. with a budget under $20 million to be eligible (hence, Hugo, War Horse and The Help, etc were not in contention… nor was British funded The Iron Lady). Along with Best Feature, The Artist took home Best Director, Cinematography and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin (who I think will nab tomorrow’s Oscar). In the other acting fields, Michelle Williams followed up her Golden Globe win for My Week with Marilyn in the Lead Actress category while Christopher Plummer won Supporting Actor for Beginners as he has done pretty much everywhere this season. Oscar snubbed Shailene Woodley won Supporting Actress for The Descendants which also took home the screenplay prize. For more on all the winners, head to the Indie Spirit site here and check out all the winners below.

2012 Independent Spirit Award Winners:

Best Feature Film: The Artist
Best Director: Michael Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Best Actress: Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley (The Descendants)
Best Screenplay: The Descendants
Best Cinematography: The Artist
Best International Film: A Separation
Best Documentary: The Interrupters
Best First Feature: Margin Call
Best First Screenplay: 50/50
John Cassavetes Award for Best Feature (under $500,000 budget): Pariah
Robert Altman Award (given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast): Margin Call

Weekend Wins Big with the LGBT Critics!

The brilliant gay relationship drama Weekend won big with the national Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association today as it was named both the best film of the year and the best LGBT film of 2011. The group made up of over 50 gay and lesbian critics also named Meryl Streep the performance of the year for The Iron Lady and 50/50 as the most unsung film of the year. The documentary, We Were Here, about the origins and the ongoing battle with the AIDS crisis won two awards as well….Check out all the winners, including TV faces like Glee, below.

 

2012 GALECA Winners~

Film of the Year: Weekend
LGBT Film: Weekend
Performance of the Year: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
We’re Wilde about you Rising Star of the Year: Michael Fassbender (Shame, X Men: First Class, Jane Eyre, A Dangerous Method)
Unsung Film of the Year: 50/50
Best Documentary: We Were Here
Best LGBT Documentary: We Were Here
Campiest Film: The Muppets

TV~
Drama of the Year: American Horror Story
Comedy of the Year: Glee
TV Performance of the Year: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
TV Musical Program of the Year: TIE~ Glee and Lady Gaga Presents The Monsters Ball Tour
Unsung TV Show: Suburgatory
Wilde Wit of the Year: Kathy Griffin
Timeless Star: Betty White
Campiest TV Show: Revenge

Woody Allen marks his 20th Bid with the Writers Guild Nominations

Woody Allen is a writing machine. The iconic filmmaker grabbed his 20th nomination this morning for this year’s Writers Guild Awards. His nod for Midnight in Paris could be his 5th win. However, he’ll have to fight off those plucky Bridesmaids, a man fighting cancer (50/50), down on his luck coach (Win Win), and an alcoholic mean girl (Young Adult). Missing from the list are presumed Oscar front runners The Artist and Beginners who were inelligible to compete due to strict WGA rules about scripts being written under Guild guidelines…. In the Adapted Screenplay race, front runners Moneyball, The Help and The Descendants will face off against Hugo and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo… Among the big films that were snubbed despite being eligible were J. Edgar, War Horse, The Tree of Life and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Take a look at all the nominees below.

2012 Writers Guild Film Award Nominees:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“50/50,” Written by Will Reiser; Summit Entertainment
“Bridesmaids,” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig; Universal Studios
“Midnight in Paris,” Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics
“Win Win,” Screenplay by Tom McCarthy; Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni; Fox Searchlight
“Young Adult,” Written by Diablo Cody; Paramount Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“The Descendants,” Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash; Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemming; Fox Searchlight
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian; Based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, originally published by Norstedts; Columbia Pictures
“The Help,” Screenplay by Tate Taylor; Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett; DreamWorks Pictures
“Hugo,” Screenplay by John Logan; Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick; Paramount Pictures
“Moneyball,” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin; Based on the book by Michael Lewis; Columbia Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
“Better This World,” Written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega; Loteria Films
“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front,” Written by Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek; Oscilloscope Pictures
“Nostalgia for the Light,” Written by Patricio Guzmán; Icarus Films
“Pina,” Screenplay by Wim Wenders; Sundance Selects
“Position Among the Stars,” Script by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich; HBO Films
“Senna,” Written by Manish Pandey; Producers Distribution Agency

My Top 20 Movies of 2011

With box office grosses down and a ton of lackluster films in the marketplace, you’d think it might be hard to find 20 good movies from the past year. But I did. In fact, there were a lot of good movies released in 2011. They just tended to be smaller indie films like Martha Marcy May Marlene or Beginners. However, there were some big studio films that were hits with critics, audiences and me like The Help and the final Harry Potter. So, just what made my end of the year list? … Take a look below.

* First, I have to say there are a few that I haven’t seen yet. I know, bad me… Those films are:  Shame, Rango and We need to Talk About Kevin…
now, the list…

My Top 20 Movies of 2011:
1. The Help
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
3. War Horse
4. 50/50
5. The Artist

6. Drive
7. Beginners
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
9. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
10. Bridesmaids
11. Crazy Stupid Love
12. Martha Marcy May Marlene
13. Albert Nobbs
14. The Iron Lady
15. The Muppets
16. My Week with Marilyn
17. We Were Here
18. Super 8
19. The Ides of March
20 TIE:  Margin Call  & Midnight in Paris

Honorable Mention: The Whistleblower, Jane Eyre, Gun Hill Road, Warrior, Moneyball

Best Acting Performance of 2011: Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Best Movie that I saw at Festival: The Green
Best Comedy: Bridesmaids
Best Family Film: The Muppets
Best Super Hero Movie: Thor

Worst 5 Movies I saw:
1. Paul
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
3. Cowboys & Aliens
4. Limitless
5. Larry Crowne

There is my list. I may be changing it as I catch up with a few more Oscar contenders, but heck it’s January 3rd. I had to post it already. What are your thoughts? What are your faves? Sound off below.

Happy New Year from Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Well 2011 is fast fading away and while I will still have a few recap blogs for you in the days ahead, I wanted to say Happy New Year! Thanks for reading all year-long my blog fans! And for a special New Years treat, please enjoy recently Golden Globe nominated friends and stars of (500) Days of Summer, Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50) dueting on a special holiday treat. Here’s to a great 2012 everyone!

“What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”- Zooey Deschanel & Joseph Gordon-Levitt

The Top Ten Film Ensemble Casts of 2012

We all know that it takes a village to make a great movie and luckily, 2012 had its share of wonderfully talented ensembles that made for some fantastic films. So, I decided to compile my own list of what I consider the best ensembles, top to bottom, of films over the last year. As a SAG voter, I will get to choose between the casts of The Artist, Bridesmaids, The Help, Midnight in Paris and The Descendants for Best Ensemble. Interestingly, only 2 of those films make my list… and I wonder if you can guess which ones… With that said, take a look at my choices for the Best Casts of 2012.

First Honorable Mentions…

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: a fierce and ferocious Rooney Mara, a sexy and introspective Daniel Craig, a creepy fantastic Stellan Skarsgaard plus solid support from Robin Wright, Joely Richardson, Christopher Plummer and more

Midnight in Paris: Woody Allen’s best film in years gave us Owen Wilson‘s best performance everywhere plus a luminous Marion Cottilard and a strong group of vets like Kathy Bates, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Adrien Brody, Kurt Fuller, Allison Pill and Corey Stoll

My Week with Marilyn: while Michelle Williams is deservedly gaining the most applause for her brilliant turn as Marilyn Monroe, the rest of the cast was tremendous starting with likely Oscar nominee Kenneth Branaugh and then Eddie Redmayne, Julia Ormond, Emma Watson, Toby Jones, Dominic Purcell and Oscar winner Dame Judi Dench

Now onto the top tier…

Top Ten Film Ensembles of 2012:

10: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: while I didn’t love the film, the cast was pretty flawless. Gary Oldman’s stoic and simmering lead agent anchored a cast of great Brits including Benedict Cumberpatch (my have in the film), Toby Jones (again), Christian McKay, Tom hardy, Cirian Hinds and Oscar winner Colin Firth.

http://www.youtube.com/user/tinkertailormovie?v=VW-F1H-Nonk&feature=pyv&ad=15309858702&kw=tinker%20tailor%20soldier%20spy%20trailer

9. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: with a wonderful central performance from newcomer Thomas Horn and some beautiful work from Oscar winner Sandra Bullock and Oscar nominee Viola Davis, this 9/11 tribute film really socked me in the gut. Plus Max Von Sydow, Jeffrey Wright, John Goodman, Zoe Caldwell and Tom Hanks were great, not to mention a ton of small character actors that gave weight and authenticity to New York City. (This is something the film did great unlike The Descendants which cast non-actors for authenticity reasons in Hawaii and it backfired by taking you out of the scene with their poor performances).

8. 50/50: I sure hope this hilarious and heartbreaking film gets some Oscar traction next month because it deserves it. Joseph Gordon Levitt (a Golden Globe nominee) would make my final five Best Actor contenders for his triumphant performance as a young man fighting cancer. Plus the film gave us Seth Rogan’s best performance ever and great turns by Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Phillip Baker Hall, Matt Frewer and Independent Spirit nominee Anjelica Huston.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ90H5HCgCw

7. The Ides of March: this political thriller had so many great elements~ a great script, strong direction and a pitch perfect cast led by Golden Globe nominee Ryan Gosling. Standouts in the supporting cast for me were Phillip Seymour Hoffman and a surprisingly great Evan Rachel Wood. Also delivering nice turns were the always reliable Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Wright and director/star George Clooney.

6. Rampart: this dark and edgy thriller gave us a no holds barred brilliant turn by Woody Harrelson as a mess of a corrupt cop. But it also gave us a magnificent supporting cast with Brie Larson, Anne Heche, Cynthia Nixon and an especially dynamic Robin Wright as the women mixed up in his life. Plus there was Ben Foster, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi, Audra MacDonald, Ned Beatty, and Ice Cube.

5. Crazy Stupid Love: the best romantic comedy of the year was hilarious, original and refreshing and boasted a flawless ensemble of cinema pros like Steve Carrell, Marisa Tomei (again), Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, Emma Stone and the sexiest man on film in all of 2012, Ryan Gosling.

4. Margin Call: in this fast paced and fascinating thriller about the financial crisis of the past few years, it was hard to pick just who stood out the most. I’d give Oscar winner Kevin Spacey the slight edge, but hey it also featured Demi Moore’s best work in ages and a wily and wonderfully corrupt Jeremy Irons… not to mention Zachary Quinto showed strong leading man potential, Penn Badgely in his best role to date, and great work from Paul Bettany, Mary McDonnell, Simon Baker and Stanley Tucci.

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2: the final chapter in the Harry Potter franchise was by far the best. The film was magnificent on every level and the cast was just perfect. They all rose to the occasion and we will miss them tremendously. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Gint all grew into wonderful actors over the year and I’m sure the great supporting cast of talents like Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Julie Walters and every British luminary around helped inform their performances. But I have to single out Alan Rickman’s Oscar worthy turn as Snape as the film’s highlight. Seriously, nominate him now Academy voters!

2. Bridesmaids: the funniest movie of the year also gave us one of the best female ensembles in ages. Golden Globe nominee Kristin Wiig was a terrific ring leader for this riotous crew including Emmy nominee Rose Byrne, Wendi McLoven-Covey, Maya Rudolph, Ellie Kemper and the standout~ SAG nominee, and soon to be Oscar nominee if you ask me, Melissa McCarthy. There were a few other funny guys in it too I have to recognize~ Jon Hamm, Chris O’Dowd, and Ben Falcone. Cant wait for a sequel!

1. The Help: I don’t think it’s a surprise that this incredibly talented and transcendent group of women are at the top of the list. (Hey, when was the last time two primarily female ensembles anchored two of the best movies of the year? Fantastic!… and it’s about time…) Led by surefire Oscar nominees Viola Davis (heartbreaking and resplendent), Octavia Spencer (fiery, hilarious and explosive) and Jessica Chastain (who gave a million amazing performances this year), the women in this film left an indelible mark. I mean you could also make a case for nominating Emma Stone (again), Cicely Tyson, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek and wondrously evil Bryce Dallas Howard. You know which film is getting my vote for the SAG Best Ensemble!

George Clooney, The Artist and The Descendants lead the Golden Globe Nominations

It was a good morning for George Clooney as the Oscar and Golden Globe winner heard his name four times when today’s Golden Globe Nominations were announced. Clooney is up for Best Actor (The Descendants) and writing, producing and directing The Ides of March. Conventional wisdom is that he’ll at least take one of those home. Along with The Descendants, also leading the way with a boatload of nominations was The Artist with six bids followed by The Help with five. Take a look at all of the nominees and check back here later today for more analysis.

2012 Golden Globe Nominations:

MOVIES~

Best Drama
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse

Best Comedy/Musical
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Carnage
Midnight in Paris
My Week with Marilyn

Best Animated Film
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Rango
Puss in Boots
The Adventures of Tintin

Best Foreign Language Film
The Flowers of War
In the Land of Blood and Honey
The Kid With a Bike
A Separation
The Skin I Live In

Best Actor in a Drama
George Clooney, The Descendants
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar

Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris

Best Supporting Actor
 in a Motion Picture
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method

Best Actress in a Drama
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy
Jodie Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Kate Winslet, Carnage

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help

Best Director

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, Kaui Hart Hemmings, The Descendants
Steve Zallian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin, Michael Lewis, Moneyball
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, The Ides of March

Best Original Score in a Motion Picture
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Abel Korzeniowski, W.E.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Howard Shore, Hugo
John Williams, War Horse

Best Original Song in a Motion Picture
“Hello Hello,” Gnomeo & Juliet
“The Keeper,” Machine Gun Preacher
“Lay Your Head Down,” Albert Nobbs
“The Living Proof,” The Help
“Masterpiece,” W.E.

TV~

Best TV Drama
American Horror Story
Boardwalk Empire
Boss
Game of Thrones
Homeland

Best TV Comedy or Musical
Enlightened
Episodes
Glee
Modern Family
New Girl

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
The Hour
Mildred Pierce
Too Big To Fail

Best Actor in a TV Drama
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Jeremy Irons, The Borgias
Kelsey Grammer, Boss

Best Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
David Duchovny, Californication
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Made-for-TV Movie
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Idris Elba, Luther
William Hurt, Too Big To Fail
Bill Nighy, Page Eight
Dominic West, The Hour

Best Supporting Actor in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Paul Giamatti, Too Big To Fail
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
Tim Robbins, Cinema Verite
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Best Actress in a TV Drama
Claire Danes, Homeland
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Madeleine Stowe, Revenge
Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness

Best Actress in a TV Musical or Comedy
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Made-for-TV Movie
Romola Garai, The Hour
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Best Supporting Actress in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie

Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce

Quick Take~ Fall Movie Reviews

It’s fall and the Oscar movies are starting to hit the theatres. We’ve already seen some good ones (50/50 and The Ides of March), but along with the good comes the bad. So, what have I seen lately and how did I grade them? Take a look below at these quick take fall movie reviews.

50/50: In this dramedy about a young man diagnosed with cancer, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a revelation. He’s hilarious and heartbreaking in a performance that should be considered at Oscar time. Along with great support from Anna Kendricks (as his bumbling new therapist) and Angelica Huston (as his over-protective mom) not to mention Seth Rogan (as slovenly womanizing best friend) in his best screen performance to date. Somehow this movie (based on the screenwriter’s own experience) blends comedy (even sex jokes) and beautiful honest drama seamlessly. I highly recommend it. Grade: A

Puss In Boots: in this formulaic yet rather entertaining animated caper, Antonio Banderas deftly reprises his role as the swashbuckling kitty from the Shrek franchise, Puss in Boots. He sets out on a caper to right an old wrong and we also get his character’s back story plus appearances by fairy tale faves Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty and more. It’s a funny film, if overly long and somewhat obvious. However kids and cat lovers should enjoy. Grade: B

The Ides of March: George Clooney writes, directs and costars in this political thriller that explores the machinations behind the campaign and the people who make them happen. It’s a sturdy and well executed film with vibrant performances from Ryan Gosling as the campaign expert torn between two warring camps, Phillip Seymour Hoffman (brilliant!) as Clooney’s campaign manager, Paul Giamatti as a rival manager, Marisa Tomei as a pushy journalist and a surprisingly fantastic Evan Rachel Wood as the compromised intern. While it may not be the Oscar front-runner, it certainly has a good shot in a number of categories. Grade: A-

In Time: well, this film is just ridiculous. Despite one of the most beautiful casts in film history (Alex Pettyfer, Olivia Wilde, Matthew Bomer, Justin Timberlake, and Amanda Seyfreid to name a few), this sci-fi yarn about people who stop aging at 25 and must steal time to survive is a waste of time. The dialogue is clunky. It’s predictable. The performances are just ok (except Bomer who’s wonderful as a conflicted man who’s living much much longer than the average person) and it doesn’t really make any sense. Grade: C-

Martha Marcy May Marlene: I already reviewed this one a few weeks back, but wanted to include it again because it’s that good. Elizabeth Olsen is an immediate Best Actress Oscar contender in this dark moody thriller playing a woman who escapes a cult. It follows the next few weeks in her life while flashing back to her experiences in the scary commune run by an incredibly effective and creepy John Hawkes (who should also merit Oscar attention). The film leaves you wanting more and is a must see. Grade: A

Tower Heist: with such a great cast and a fun premise, this film should’ve been much better. Alas, it’s just mildly entertaining and takes too long to get going. Eddie Murphy is the standout as crook who helps a bunch of regular joes (Ben Stiller, Matthew Broderick, Michael Pena, Casey Affleck and a rather funny Gabourey Sidibe) try to steal back their pensions that were lost by big money magnet criminal Alan Alda. Once the scheme gets under way, the film improves, but it still is a rather rote adventure. Grade: C

That’s it for now. Watch for more movie reviews in the coming weeks including George Clooney’s other Oscar hopeful The Descendants and the theatrical adaptation of Carnage.

Paranormal Activity scares up a Record at the Box Office

Paramount has got to be so grateful for the Paranormal Activity series. The micro-budgeted films have turned a huge profit for the studio and the third installment just broke the record for the highest grossing opening for a horror film with a big $54 million (and hello, the budget was only $ 5 million!). That film easily trounced the rest of the competition with the other newbies tanking out of the gate. Landing with a thud in fourth was The Three Musketeers (in 3D~ blech) with only $8.8 million while the Johnny English Reborn sequel barely mustered up $3.8 million. (Luckily for Johnny, the film is a ridiculously big smash overseas having taken in over $100 million already)…. So, aside from the Paranormal film, what did audiences watch? Well, most of the strongly acclaimed and/or family films held up very well including The Ides of March, Real Steel, Moneyball, A Dolphin Tale, Footloose and 50/50 (which I saw this weekend and loved. Fantastic performances in this wonderful dramedy. Grade: A)… For more on all the numbers, head to Box Office Mojo here and check out the new top ten below.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 N Paranormal Activity 3 Par. $54,020,000 – 3,321 – $16,266 $54,020,000 $5 1
2 1 Real Steel BV $11,319,000 -30.5% 3,412 -28 $3,317 $67,226,640 – 3
3 2 Footloose (2011) Par. $10,850,000 -30.3% 3,555 +6 $3,052 $30,863,031 $24 2
4 N The Three Musketeers (2011) Sum. $8,800,000 – 3,017 – $2,917 $8,800,000 – 1
5 4 The Ides of March Sony $4,900,000 -31.1% 2,042 -157 $2,400 $29,159,326 – 3
6 5 Dolphin Tale WB $4,200,000 -32.6% 2,858 -428 $1,470 $64,390,675 $37 5
7 6 Moneyball Sony $4,050,000 -25.8% 2,353 -487 $1,721 $63,708,894 $50 5
8 N Johnny English Reborn Uni. $3,800,000 – 1,552 – $2,448 $3,800,000 $45 1
9 3 The Thing (2011) Uni. $3,115,000 -63.3% 2,995 -1 $1,040 $14,100,000 – 2
10 7 50/50 Sum. $2,800,000 -34.3% 1,932 -459 $1,449 $28,800,000 $8 4