Who’s Ready for Another “Hangover?”

Like many other moviegoers, I thought The Hangover Part II was a bit of a disappointment. Sure, it was funny, but it was derivative and lost a lot of the fun flair of the original. That said, it was a giant hit and, of course, a third film was greenlit. Now the final film in the trilogy, The Hangover Part III, is set to hit theaters on Memorial Day weekend and the first full length trailer just hit the web. From one quick viewing, I have to say I am pleasantly surprised and a little excited. It looks like they may turn things around for the franchise with a hilarious finale. All of the usual suspects are back including Zach Galifinakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong and recent Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper plus Heather Graham, Melissa McCarthy and the brilliant John Goodman. Check out the shenanigans when the film opens May 24th and take a look at the new trailer below. Are you ready for another Hangover?

The Hangover Part III trailer:

“Identity Thief” Steals Back the Box Office

With a couple of lackluster new films in the marketplace and Oscar weekend taking away moviegoers, a three-week old comedy was able to return to the top of the box office as Identity Thief stole away with another $14 million. The Melissa McCarthy/Jason Bateman hit has now pulled in $93 million and will give McCarthy her second consecutive $100 million grosser after Bridesmaids. I bet the actress makes it a three-peat with this summer’s buddy cop comedy The Heat co-starring Sandra Bullock in June… As for the newbies Thief defeated, The Rock’s latest Snitch opened best with an ok $13 million while the Keri Russell horror flick Dark Skies tanked with just $8 million. Also crashing hard in its second week was the latest Die Hard film which tumbled nearly 60 %. Perhaps word of mouth is really hurting this one? … For more on all the numbers, head to Box Office Mojo here and take a look at the new top ten below.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 2 Identity Thief Uni. $14,017,085 -40.8% 3,222 +57 $4,350 $93,619,615 $35 3
2 N Snitch Sum. $13,167,607 – 2,511 – $5,244 $13,167,607 – 1
3 4 Escape From Planet Earth Wein. $10,682,037 -32.8% 3,353 +65 $3,186 $34,812,699 $40 2
4 3 Safe Haven Rela. $10,454,713 -51.1% 3,223 – $3,244 $47,916,357 $28 2
5 1 A Good Day to Die Hard Fox $10,165,633 -59.1% 3,555 +2 $2,860 $51,967,897 $92 2
6 N Dark Skies W/Dim. $8,189,166 – 2,313 – $3,540 $8,189,166 $3.5 1
7 8 Silver Linings Playbook Wein. $5,750,866 -7.9% 2,012 -190 $2,858 $107,176,012 $21 15
8 5 Warm Bodies Sum. $4,825,388 -45.6% 2,644 -253 $1,825 $58,243,441 – 4
9 6 Beautiful Creatures (2013) WB $3,608,333 -52.4% 2,950 – $1,223 $16,570,598 $60 2
10 7 Side Effects (2013) ORF $3,357,039 -46.5% 2,070 -535 $1,622 $25,099,555 – 3

“Identity Thief” Steals Away with the Box Office

Mostly bad reviews and a giant storm on the East Coast couldn’t stop the power of Melissa McCarthy‘s hilarity as her new comedy co-starring Jason Bateman, Identity Thief, opened big at # 1 with $36 million. The film way over performed most estimates and proved that the Bridesmaids star has some box office power. Thief also easily outdid the new Steven Soderbergh drama Side Effects starring Jude Law, Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum which just managed $ 10 million… Also landing in the top ten, or I should say returning to the top ten, was the Oscar front-runner Argo which added a ton of theaters and pulled in $2.5 million for a new total of $123 million… Take a look at the brand new top ten below and head to Box Office Mojo for more on all the numbers.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 N Identity Thief Uni. $36,593,000 – 3,141 – $11,650 $36,593,000 $35 1
2 1 Warm Bodies Sum. $11,500,000 -43.5% 3,009 – $3,822 $36,652,000 – 2
3 N Side Effects (2013) ORF $10,015,000 – 2,605 – $3,845 $10,015,000 – 1
4 3 Silver Linings Playbook Wein. $6,908,000 -10.7% 2,809 – $2,459 $90,002,000 $21 13
5 2 Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters Par. $5,750,000 -39.0% 3,285 -90 $1,750 $43,833,000 $50 3
6 4 Mama Uni. $4,323,000 -34.4% 2,677 -104 $1,615 $64,046,000 $15 4
7 5 Zero Dark Thirty Sony $4,000,000 -22.7% 2,562 -309 $1,561 $83,600,000 $40 8
8 11 Argo WB $2,500,000 +23.2% 1,405 +470 $1,779 $123,734,000 $44.5 18
9 8 Django Unchained Wein. $2,288,000 -23.8% 1,502 -275 $1,523 $154,501,000 $100 7
10 6 Bullet to the Head WB $1,980,000 -56.5% 2,404 – $824 $8,171,000 – 2

Melissa McCarthy~ Movie Star!

Three time Emmy nominee and a one time winner for Mike & Molly, Melissa McCarthy is comedy gold. She’s not only a tv veteran and a beloved character actor, but she’s an Oscar nominee for her side-splitting turn in last year’s Bridesmaids. Now, it looks like she is going to become a bona fide movie star with two high-profile and hysterical new movies. Melissa first hits the screens on February 8th in Identity Thief playing a con artist who steals Jason Bateman‘s identity. Then on April 5th, she teams up with Oscar winner Sandra Bullock for a female buddy cop comedy called The Heat. Both look like a riot and should cement McCarthy’s status as the funniest actress working in film today. Take a look at both trailers below and while you wait for the films to hit in 2013, catch McCarthy Monday nights on Mike & Molly on CBS.

Identity Thief

The Heat

The 2nd Annual Comedy Award Nominations are Crazy about “Crazy Stupid Love” and “Bridesmaids”

This morning, the2nd Annual Comedy Award Nominations were announced and they were feeling the “love”…. the Crazy Stupid Love, that is as the film picked up 5 nominations tying the Oscar nominated smash Bridesmaids. Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy will be competing against her Oscar nominated costar Kristen Wiig in the film actress category while Oscar winner The Artist also picked up 3 nominations… On the TV front, 30 Rock and Modern Family each picked up 5 nominations… My favorite nod of the day has to be for my current favorite comedy, Happy Endings, which landed a nod for Comedy Series. Take a look at all the nominees below and for more on the show which will air May 6th on Comedy Central, head here.

2nd Annual Comedy Award Nominations~

FILM
Comedy Film
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Horrible Bosses
Midnight in Paris

Performance by an Actor
Jason Bateman – Horrible Bosses
Steve Carrell – Crazy, Stupid, Love
Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Zach Galifianakis – The Hangover Part II
Owen Wilson – Midnight in Paris

Performance by an Actress
Jennifer Aniston – Horrible Bosses
Cameron Diaz – Bad Teacher
Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
Emma Stone – Crazy, Stupid, Love
Kristen Wiig – Bridesmaids

Comedy Director
Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris
James Bobin – The Muppets
Paul Feig – Bridesmaids
Glen Ficarra and John Requa – Crazy, Stupid, Love
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist

Animated Comedy Film
Cars 2
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss In Boots
Rango
Rio

TELEVISION
Comedy Series
30 Rock
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Happy Endings
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation

Performance by an Actor
Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock
Ty Burrell – Modern Family
Louis C.K. – Louie
Steve Carell – The Office
Larry David – Curb Your Enthusiasm

Performance by an Actress
Zooey Deschanel – New Girl
Tina Fey – 30 Rock
Amy Poehler – Parks and Recreation
Kristen Wiig – Saturday Night Live
Sofia Vergara – Modern Family

Late Night Comedy Series
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Show with David Letterman
Real Time with Bill Maher

Comedy Writing
30 Rock
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Louie
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation
Saturday Night Live

Breakout Performer of the Year
Zooey Deschanel
Josh Gad
Donald Glover
Melissa McCarthy
Jason Sudeikis

Animated Comedy Series
Archer
Family Guy
The Life & Times of Tim
The Simpsons
South Park

A Few Thoughts on today’s Oscar Nominations…

This morning Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) announced this year’s contenders and as always we saw the front runners like The Artist and Hugo grab headlines. However, we also saw some shocking snubs and some interesting inclusions. I already posted the full nominee list, so let’s take a look at a few thoughts I have on those who will be contending for this year’s Oscar.

Favorite Nomination: Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)… I was so happy to see her included in this hilarious film. She gave a wonderfully hysterical performance that had way more layers than you might expect. Comedy needs more representation at the Oscars, so this is a nice start. (Also kudos to Kristin Wiig and her Oscar nominated script for the film).

Best Surprise: Rooney Mara and all the love for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This fantastic film nabbed 5 nods in total. I just wish it was up for Best Pic and Director (David Fincher).
Biggest Snub: Michael Fassbender (Shame)… apparently his great performance may have been overlooked by his hot nekkid body? Or he cancelled himself out with other great turns in A Dangerous Method and Jane Eyre.

Other Big Snubs:
Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar)… looks like academy members really didn’t like this film, which is a shame because Leo was great
Armie Hammer (J. Edgar)
Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin)… another film that may have been too dark and unlikable to get it’s great star a nod.
Albert Brooks (Drive)
Drive in all other categories (except sound)
Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt and Young Adult… apparently this acerbic dark comedy just didn’t resonate with Oscar voters. I’m sad, cuz it was a good flick.
Steven Spielberg (War Horse) for Director
Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and Alan Rickman (Harry Potter) both proved its hard to get nominated for big popcorn action films… oh and motion capture performances may never get nominated.
Elizabeth Olsen and Martha Marcy May Marlene… this great indie introduced us to a major acting star in Olsen and still got bupkiss
50/50 and Joseph Gordon Levitt… another great indie that should’ve gotten some love
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 in all big categories…. why oh why couldn’t this amazing franchise ever pull out a Best Pic nom? Especially when the final installment was clearly one of the best films of the year.

More Snubs: Shailene Woodley (The Descendants), Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus), Ryan Gosling (Drive, The Ides of March), The Adventures of Tin Tin (in Animated film), Carey Mulligan (Shame), the casts of The Ides of March and Midnight in Paris, Beginners for Screenplay and Director (Mike Mills)

~ And a Big Boo to the voters for dissing The Help for Screenplay, Score, Song, Costume Design and Director… That wonderful film should’ve had 9 noms, not just 4.

~While I’m complaining, I just have to say yuck to all the nods for The Tree of Life. Oy vey!

Other nice inclusions:
~Demian Bichir (A Better Life)… this wonderful performance in this small indie broke through with a SAG nod and he made the list today. I’m thrilled.
~Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)… can you believe this is his first nomination? I just wish it was for a better film.
~Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and Max Von Sydow... I’m so happy one of my fave films of the year finally got some love. And I was kinda shocked to see it among the 9 nominees for Best Picture.
~Moneyball grabbed more noms that The Descendants, hehe….
~W.E. got into costume design. Yes, a film by Madonna got an Oscar nod. (I just wish her Golden Globe winning song “Masterpiece” had been eligible)

Speaking of Best Song….
What the heck is wrong with that category? By having a ridiculously difficult rule of the songs needing to rate 8.5 or higher by the music branch (out of 10), only 2 songs made the cut… And the one from The Muppets wasn’t even the best song from that film…
Look at all the snubbed songs that should’ve gotten mentioned:
“Life’s a Happy Song” (The Muppets)
“Pictures in My Head” (The Muppets)
“Bridge of Light” (Happy Feet 2) by P!nk
“Hello Hello” (Gnomeo & Juliet) by Elton John
“The Living Proof” (The Help) by Mary J. Blige
“Lay Down Your Head” (Albert Nobbs) by Glenn Close, etc

So, there are just a few thoughts for you… Now, let’s see who is gonna win… I’d say The Artist is still out in front despite Hugo landing the most noms…. I still have hope for The Help too.. and Meryl better win… With that said, what are your favorite noms? And who is the worst snub? Sound off below and watch for more on the Oscars in the weeks ahead.

My Big Bold SAG Award Nomination Predictions

This one is all about the actors… It’s time for my big bold SAG Award Nomination predictions. The nods will be announced tomorrow morning and I expect to hear a lot of names from The Help, The Descendants, Modern Family, Mildred Pierce and Breaking Bad.  And just who do I think will take home the most nods for an individual? I’m going with Melissa McCarthy who I say will grab two nods for Bridesmaids and one for Mike & Molly. Take a look at my picks below and check back here tomorrow for all the official nominees that are chosen by the actors themselves (including me~ a proud SAG member since 1998).

My Big Bold 2012 SAG Award Nomination Predictions:

MOVIES~

BEST ACTOR:
George Clooney (The Descendants), Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
~spoilers: Woody Harrelson (Rampart), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Ryan Gosling (Drive)

BEST ACTRESS:
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (The Help), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), Charlize Theron (Young Adult), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
~spoilers: Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Kenneth Branaugh (My Week with Marilyn), Albert Brooks (Drive), Patton Oswalt (Young Adult), Christopher Plummer (Beginners), Max Von Sydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)
~spoilers: Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Nick Nolte (Warrior), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Jessica Chastain (The Help), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs), Octavia Spencer (The Help), Shailene Woodley (The Descendants)
~spoilers: Carey Mulligan (Shame), Vanessa Redgrave (Corolianus), Sandra Bullock (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close), Bernice Bejo (The Artist)

BEST FILM ENSEMBLE:
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
~spoilers: The Ides of March, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Midnight in Paris

TV~

TV COMEDY ACTRESS:
Julie Bowen (Modern Family), Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly), Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) , Betty White (Hot in Cleveland)
~spoilers: Tina Fey (30 Rock), Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Jane Lynch (Glee)

TV COMEDY ACTOR:
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Steve Carrell (The Office), Chris Colfer (Glee), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
~spoilers: Eric Stonestreet (30 Rock), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Ed O’Neil (Modern Family)

COMEDY ENSEMBLE:
The Big Bang Theory, Glee, Hot in Cleveland, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation
~spoilers: 30 Rock, The Office

DRAMA ACTOR:
Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Hugh Laurie (House)
~spoilers: Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), Timothy Olyphant (Justified)

DRAMA ACTRESS:
Glenn Close (Damages), Clare Danes (Homeland), Juliana Marguiles (The Good Wife), Margo Martindale (Justified), Kyra Sedgewick (The Closer)
~spoilers: Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights), Mirielle Enos (The Killing), Kathy Bates (Harry’s Law)

DRAMA ENSEMBLE:
Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, The Good Wife, Homeland
~spoilers: The Closer, Game of Thrones, The Killing

TV MOVIE/MINISERIES ACTRESS:
Patricia Clarkson (Five), Diane Lane (Cinema Verite), Maggie Smith (Downtown Abbey), Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce), Evan Rachel Wood (Mildred Pierce)
~spoilers: Elzabeth McGovern (Downtown Abbey), Melissa Leo (Mildred Pierce)

TV MOVIE/MINISERIES ACTOR:
Laurence Fishburne (Thurgood), William Hurt (Too Big To Fail), Guy Pearce (Mildred Pierce), Barry Pepper (The Kennedys), Tom Wilkinson (The Kennedys)
~spoilers: Greg Kinnear (The Kennedys), Idris Elba (Luther), James Woods (Too Big To Fail)

Brad, Michelle and The Artist wow the Boston Critics

We really have a big Oscar race on our hands. With each critics group announcements, we are getting a big variety of winners making for one heck of an awards derby. Yesterday the Boston Society of Film Critics heralded their choices which included The Artist, Brad Pitt, Michelle Williams, Albert Brooks and Melissa McCarthy (yay, that’s two wins for the Bridesmaids star!). Check out all the winners below including the cast of Carnage who won their first big kudo for Best Ensemble.

Boston Society of Film Critics Award Winners:

Best Picture
The Artist

Best Actor
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Actress
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Best Supporting Actor
Albert Brooks, Drive

Best Supporting Actress
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids

Best Director
Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Best Screenplay
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, Moneyball

Best Cinematography
Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life

Best Documentary
Project Nim

Best Foreign-Language Film
Incendies

Best Animated Film
Rango

Best Film Editing
Christian Marclay, The Clock
(awarded in memory of Karen Schmeer)

Best New Filmmaker
Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene
(awarded in memory of David Brudnoy)

Best Ensemble Cast
Carnage   (John C. Riley, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet)

Best Use of Music in a Film
Tie: Drive and The Artist

Meryl, Melissa and The Artist win the New York Online Critics Awards

Meryl Streep added more fuel to her Oscar campaign for The Iron Lady winning Best Actress from the New York Film Critics Online group. They also championed front-runners The Artist for Best Picture and Director and Albert Brooks for Supporting Actor, but there were a few surprise names called as well. Michael Shannon won Best Actor for Take Shelter while Melissa McCarthy pulled out a surprise win for Supporting Actress in Bridesmaids. The latter film also took home the Ensemble prize. Check out all the winners below.

NEW YORK FILM CRITICS ONLINE AWARD WINNERS
Best Picture The Artist
Best Director Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Best Actor Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
Best Actress Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Best Supporting Actor Albert Brooks, Drive
Best Supporting Actress Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Best Screenplay Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Best Ensemble Cast Bridesmaids
Best Foreign Language Film A Separation
Best Documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Best Animated Film The Adventures of Tintin
Breakthrough Performer Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life, The Debt, The Help, Take Shelter, Texas Killing Fields, Coriolanus
Best Cinematography Emmanuel Lubezski, The Tree of Life
Best Use of Music Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Best Debut Director Joe Cornish, Attack the Block

Bridesmaids is the Big Surprise in the AFI Top Ten

This week marks a big week for Awards watcher as the nominees for the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and Critic’s Choice Awards will all be unveiled. Along that way are all the critic’s groups awards and today the AFI weighed in with their top movies and TV shows of the year…. And there was one awesome surprise: Bridesmaids. The raucous female comedy was a huge hit and is seriously amping up its awards cred. It’s a big contender for the SAG ensemble award and Melissa McCarthy is becoming a serious threat in the Supporting Actress race. (She and the cast just picked up wins from the New York Online Film Critics). Watch for it to nab 3 Globe nominations for Picture (Musical/Comedy), Actress Musical/Comedy (Kristen Wiig) and Supporting Actress (McCarthy)later this week…. In the meantime, check out the best of AFI’s list which includes forerunners The Descendants and The Help as well…

TOP 10 FILMS OF 2011
“Bridesmaids”
“The Descendants”
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
“The Help”
“Hugo”
“J. Edgar”
“Midnight in Paris”
“Moneyball”
“The Tree of Life”
“War Horse”

TOP 10 TV SERIES OF 2011
“Breaking Bad”
“Boardwalk Empire”
“Curb Your Enthusiasm”
“Game of Thrones”
“The Good Wife”
“Homeland”
“Justified”
“Louie”
“Modern Family”
“Parks and Recreation”