Safe House rises to the top as the newbies struggle at the Box Office

Over the four day Presidents Weekend Holiday, audiences declared their love for violence and Denzel Washington as his action thriller, Safe House costarring Ryan Reynolds, rose a notch to the top of the box office. It took in another $28 million for a two week take of $82 million. That’s good news for the expensive film (a reported $85 million production budget and that’s before marketing costs) which now looks like it can turn a little profit…. Definitely turning a profit is last week’s chart topper, The Vow, which cost only $30 million and has now amassed $ 88 million. Both films (and Journey 2) beat the three newcomers as Nicholas Cage’s Ghost Rider sequel landed an ok $25.7 million while the Reese Witherspoon/Tom Hardy/Chris Pine action comedy This Means War opened to just $22 million. We’ll see if either can turn a profit depending onhow they hold up in the weeks ahead. The final new entry was the Oscar nominated Japanese animated feature The Secret World of Arriety which opened to a paltry $ 8 million. Luckily it has made a ton outside the U.S…. 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 2 Safe House Uni. $28,400,000 -29.3% 3,121 +2 $9,100 $82,600,000 $85 2
2 1 The Vow SGem $26,600,000 -35.4% 2,958 – $8,993 $88,527,000 $30 2
3 3 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island WB $26,400,000 -3.4% 3,500 +30 $7,543 $59,516,000 $79 2
4 N Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Sony $25,700,000 – 3,174 – $8,097 $25,700,000 $57 1
5 N This Means War Fox $20,400,000 – 3,189 – $6,397 $22,010,000 $65 1
6 4 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (in 3D) Fox $10,150,000 -54.8% 2,655 – $3,823 $36,023,000 – 2
7 5 Chronicle (2012) Fox $9,200,000 -23.9% 2,556 -352 $3,599 $52,679,000 $12 3
8 N The Secret World of Arrietty BV $8,102,000 – 1,522 – $5,323 $8,102,000 – 1
9 6 The Woman in Black CBS $7,920,000 -21.6% 2,559 -297 $3,095 $46,530,000 – 3
10 7 The Grey ORF $3,768,000 -25.3% 2,107 -694 $1,788 $48,661,000 $25 4

The Box Office Pledges its love for “The Vow”

Just a few days before Valentine’s Day, moviegoers declared their love for The Vow as the new romantic tearjerker beat 3 other new releases for the top of the box office chart. Pulling in a big $41.7 million, the film starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum way over performed and looks to have a great run ahead of it, especially with Vday on Tuesday…. It wasn’t the only good news as the three other films also opened well. Most notably, the Ryan Reynolds/Denzel Washington action film Safe House (which I gave a “B” grade to) opened in second with a strong $39 million. Following in third was the sequel family film Journey 2: the Mysterious Island with $27.5 million while the 3D version of Star Wars: the Phantom Menace took in $23 million. All in all, it was a huge weekend for Hollywood at the turnstiles. 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 The Vow SGem $41,700,000 – 2,958 – $14,097 $41,700,000 $30 1
2 N Safe House Uni. $39,300,000 – 3,119 – $12,600 $39,300,000 $85 1
3 N Journey 2: The Mysterious Island WB $27,550,000 – 3,470 – $7,939 $27,550,000 $79 1
4 N Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (in 3D) Fox $23,000,000 – 2,655 – $8,663 $23,000,000 – 1
5 1 Chronicle (2012) Fox $12,300,000 -44.1% 2,908 +1 $4,230 $40,167,000 $12 2
6 2 The Woman in Black CBS $10,300,000 -50.7% 2,856 +1 $3,606 $35,456,000 – 2
7 3 The Grey ORF $5,080,000 -45.4% 2,801 -407 $1,814 $42,822,000 $25 3
8 4 Big Miracle Uni. $3,900,000 -49.7% 2,133 +4 $1,828 $13,200,000 $40 2
9 8 The Descendants FoxS $3,500,000 -23.1% 1,581 -457 $2,214 $70,729,000 – 13
10 5 Underworld Awakening SGem $2,500,000 -54.6% 1,657 -979 $1,509 $58,900,000 $70 4

2011′s Acting Overachievers

It seemed everywhere you turned in 2011, there was a gorgeous new actress tearing up the screen. Whether playing a dim bulb Southern belle, a long-suffering wife, a young Mossad agent or a Shakespearean muse, Jessica Chastain was pretty much flawless. And it’s likely she’ll grab an Oscar nomination for her role in The Help (though some have championed her work in The Tree of Life). Regardless, Chastain is 2011′s biggest overachiever with roles in 7 films…. However, she’s not alone. Take a look at this list of the year’s biggest stars and their multiple film roles.

2011′s Big Screen Overachievers:

1. Jessica Chastain: She’s the undisputed breakthrough star of the year and is being hailed as the heir to the Meryl Streep/Cate Blanchett throne.
Her output this year~ The Help, Take Shelter, The Tree of Life, The Debt, Corolianus, Texas Killing Fields, Wild Salome

2. Michael Fassbender: this sexy star first turned our heads in Inglorious Basterds. Now, he has three potential Oscar contenders and should grab his first nomination for his soul and body baring role in Shame.
His films: Shame, A Dangerous Method, X Men: First Class, Jane Eyre

3. Robin Wright: the critically respected actress finally parted ways with Sean Penn a while back and has been working nonstop in critically respected films big and small turning out amazing work this year, especially in Rampart as a conflicted boozy litigator and as the stoic woman being held responsible in the assassination of Lincoln in The Conspirator.
Wrights films: The Conspirator, Rampart, Moneyball, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

4. Daniel Craig: Mr. James Bond had a rather roller coaster year with a big summer bomb (Cowboys & Aliens) and a smash end of the year hit (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Craig’s films: Cowboys & Aliens, Dream House, The Adventures of Tin Tin, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

5. Matt Damon: the guy just never stops working and he’s always good even when the movies are bad…
Damon’s films: The Adjustment Bureau, Contagion, Margaret, Happy Feet 2, We Bought a Zoo

And some honorable mentions go to these busy actors over the past year…

Kate Winslet: Carnage, Contagion and the epic miniseries Mildred Pierce
Ryan Reynolds: poor guy was bomb central with The Green Lantern, Fireflies in the Garden (what?) and The Change Up
Emma Stone: The Help, Friends with Benefits, Crazy Stupid Love
Chris Evans: Puncture, What’s Your Number, Captain America: The First Avenger
Dame Judi Dench: Jane Eyre, My Week with Marilyn, J. Edgar

And I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few, so if you want to add to the list, hit me up in the comments. And who do you think will be 2012′s overachiever?

Glee sings with the People’s Choice Awards

Glee is having a critically resurgent season this fall and tonight is their big “First Time” episode featuring a couple of big “firsts” in the romantic lives of their couples Kurt (Chris Colfer) & Blaine (Darren Criss) and Rachel (Lea Michelle) and Finn (Cory Monteith). So, it’s fitting that today the show has more to celebrate as it lead this morning’s People’s Choice Award nominations garnering 7 nods including Favorite Comedy and bids for stars Colfer, Monteith, Michelle, Jane Lynch and guest stars Kristin Chenowith and Gwyneth Paltrow. We’ll see how the show fares when the awards are handed out on CBS on January 11th, 2012 live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles…. Leading the music nominees were the ladies with Katy Perry, Beyonce, Adele, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga all garnering multiple nods. On the movie side, The Help, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Bridesmaids and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 led the charge. One interesting note came with the four nominations for Ryan Reynolds despite all of his movies tanking this year…. To vote for your favorites, head to the People’s Choice site here and check out all the nominees below.

Favorite TV Competition Show

American Idol
America’s Got Talent
Dancing with the Stars
So You Think You Can Dance
The Voice

Favorite Network TV Comedy

The Big Bang Theory
Glee
How I Met Your Mother
Modern Family
Two and a Half Men

Favorite TV Comedy Actor

Alec Baldwin
Chris Colfer
Cory Monteith
Jim Parsons
Neil Patrick Harris

Favorite TV Comedy Actress

Courteney Cox
Jane Lynch
Kaley Cuoco
Lea Michele
Tina Fey

Favorite Song of the Year

The Edge Of Glory, by Lady Gaga
E.T, by Katy Perry featuring Kanye West
Moves Like Jagger, by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
Party Rock Anthem, by LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennet and GoonRock
Rolling in the Deep, by Adele

Favorite Band

Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Linkin Park
Maroon 5
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Favorite Male Artist

Blake Shelton
Bruno Mars
Eminem
Enrique Iglesias
Justin Bieber

Favorite Country Artist

Blake Shelton
Keith Urban
Lady Antebellum
Rascal Flatts
Taylor Swift

Favorite Book Adaptation

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Help
I Am Number Four
Soul Surfer
Water For Elephants

****

Favorite Network TV Drama

The Good Wife
Grey’s Anatomy
House
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries

Favorite TV Drama Actor

David Boreanz
Hugh Laurie
Ian Somerhalder
Nathan Fillion
Patrick Dempsey

Favorite TV Drama Actress

Blake Lively
Ellen Pompeo
Emily Deschanel
Eva Longoria
Nina Dobrev

Favorite Cable TV Drama

Dexter
Game of Thrones
Pretty Little Liars
True Blood
White Collar

Favorite Cable TV Comedy

Hot In Cleveland
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Nurse Jackie
Royal Pains
Weeds

Favorite TV Crime Drama

Bones
Castle
Criminal Minds
CSI
NCIS

Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show

Fringe
Supernatural
True Blood
The Vampire Diaries
The Walking Dead

Favorite Daytime TV Host

Al Roker, Anne Curry, Matt Lauer, Natalie Morales, Savannah Guthrie (The Today Show)
Anderson Cooper (Anderson)
Ellen DeGeneres (The Ellen DeGeneres Show)
Kelly Ripa, Regis Philbin (Live with Regis & Kelly)
Rachael Ray (Rachael Ray Show)

Favorite Late Night TV Host

Conan O’Brien (Conan)
David Letterman (Late Show with David Letterman)
Jay Leno (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno)
Jimmy Fallon (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)
Jimmy Kimmel (Jimmy Kimmel Live)

Favorite TV Guest Star

Gwyneth Paltrow (Glee)
Jim Carrey (The Office)
Katy Perry (How I Met Your Mother)
Kristin Chenoweth (Glee)
Michael J. Fox (The Good Wife)

Favorite TV CelebReality Star

Gene Simmons
Giuliana Rancic
Kathy Griffin
Kim Kardashian
Tia and Tamera Mowry

Favorite New TV Drama

A Gifted Man
Grimm
Hart Of Dixie
Once Upon A Time
Pan Am
Person Of Interest
Prime Suspect
Revenge
Ringer
The Secret Circle
TerraNova
Unforgettable

Favorite New TV Comedy

2 Broke Girls
Allen Gregory
Last Man Standing
Man Up!
New Girl
Suburgatory
Up All Night
Whitney

Favorite Female Artist

Adele
Beyoncé
Katy Perry
Lady Gaga
Taylor Swift

Favorite Album of the Year

21, by Adele
4, by Beyoncé
Born This Way, by Lady Gaga
Femme Fatale, by Britney Spears
Own The Night, by Lady Antebellum

Favorite Pop Artist

Beyoncé
Demi Lovato
Katy Perry
Lady Gaga
Rihanna

Favorite Hip Hop Artist

B.o.B
Eminem
Jay-Z
Nicki Minaj
Pitbull

Favorite R&B Artist

Beyoncé
Bruno Mars
Chris Brown
Ne-Yo
Rihanna

Favorite Music Video

Judas, by Lady Gaga
Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.), by Katy Perry
Party Rock Anthem, by LMFAO featuring Goonrock and Lauren Bennett
Rolling in the Deep, by Adele
Run The World (Girls), by Beyoncé

Favorite Tour Headliner

Bon Jovi
Katy Perry
Taylor Swift
U2
Usher

Favorite Movie

Bridesmaids
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Help
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Favorite Movie Actor

Daniel Radcliffe
Hugh Jackman
Johnny Depp
Robert Pattinson
Ryan Reynolds

Favorite Movie Actress

Anne Hathaway
Emma Stone
Jennifer Aniston
Julia Roberts
Reese Witherspoon

Favorite Movie Icon

George Clooney
Harrison Ford
Morgan Freeman
Robert DeNiro
Tom Hanks

Favorite Action Movie

Fast Five
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Thor
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
X-Men: First Class

Favorite Action Movie Star

Hugh Jackman
Ryan Reynolds
Shia LaBeouf
Taylor Lautner
Vin Diesel

Favorite Drama Movie

The Adjustment Bureau
The Help
Limitless
Moneyball
Water for Elephants

Favorite Comedy Movie

Bad Teacher
Bridesmaids
Crazy Stupid Love
Friends With Benefits
The Hangover Part II

Favorite Comedic Movie Actor

Adam Sandler
Ashton Kutcher
Bradley Cooper
Ryan Reynolds
Steve Carell

Favorite Comedic Movie Actress

Cameron Diaz
Emma Stone
Jennifer Aniston
Mila Kunis
Natalie Portman

Favorite Movie Star Under 25

Chloe Moretz
Daniel Radcliffe
Emma Watson
Rupert Grint
Tom Felton

Favorite Ensemble Movie Cast

Bridesmaids
The Hangover Part II
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
X-Men: First Class

Favorite Animated Movie Voice

Anne Hathaway as Jewel (Rio)
Jack Black as Po (Kung Fu Panda 2)
Johnny Depp as Rango (Rango)
Katy Perry as Smurfette (The Smurfs)
Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen (Cars 2)

Favorite Movie Superhero

Chris Evans as Captain America
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
James McAvoy as Professor X
Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique
Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern

The Box Office~ Apes Soar while The Change Up Tanks

Beware the power of scientifically altered apes… Despite following Tim Burton’s dreadful last incarnation in the Planet of the Apes series, Fox scored a surprise hit with a big $54 million opening for Rise of the Planet of the Apes. That number far exceeded expectations (most pundits had it coming in around $35 mill) for the film starring James Franco and Freida Pinto, and audience reaction and reviews have been quite good. So the new franchise rebirth looks like a success… However positive news for the monkeys lead to bad news for the sad monkey business of the body switch comedy The Change Up which tanked with only $13.5 million for its opening frame. That gives Universal three stinkers in a row alongside Larry Crowne and the ultra expensive Cowboys & Aliens which crumbled 57% in its second week. And it also gives poor Ryan Reynolds two bombs in a row after the huge expensive disappointment that was The Green Lantern… Holding up far better in their sophomore frames were The Smurfs which is sizing up to be a big family hit dropping only 41% and the wonderful Crazy Stupid Love (I give it a “A” grade) which only slid 36% for the second best hold in the top ten. Speaking of the top ten, check it out below and for more on all the numbers, head to Box Office Mojo here.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 N Rise of the Planet of the Apes Fox $54,000,000 – 3,648 – $14,803 $54,000,000 $93 1
2 2 The Smurfs Sony $21,000,000 -41.0% 3,395 – $6,186 $76,202,000 $110 2
3 1 Cowboys & Aliens Uni. $15,748,000 -56.8% 3,754 +4 $4,195 $67,368,000 $163 2
4 N The Change-Up Uni. $13,502,000 – 2,913 – $4,635 $13,502,000 $52 1
5 3 Captain America: The First Avenger Par. $13,000,000 -49.1% 3,620 -95 $3,591 $143,182,000 $140 3
6 4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 WB $12,160,000 -44.7% 3,175 -970 $3,830 $342,801,000 – 4
7 5 Crazy, Stupid, Love. WB $12,100,000 -36.7% 3,020 – $4,007 $42,185,000 $50 2
8 6 Friends with Benefits SGem $4,700,000 -49.3% 2,398 -528 $1,960 $48,538,000 $35 3
9 7 Horrible Bosses WB (NL) $4,620,000 -35.7% 2,025 -485 $2,281 $105,162,000 $35 5
10 8 Transformers: Dark of the Moon P/DW $3,015,000 -50.5% 1,854 -750 $1,626 $344,173,000 $195 6

Green Lantern flickers out at the Box Office

It’s a sad thing to say a film that opens to $52 million at the box office is a disappointment, but that’s the case this weekend for Green Lantern. The ultra expensive comic book movie tumbled under expectations by at least $10 to $15 million for a lower opening than Thor and X Men: First Class which both had little starpower compared to this well-known comic entity starring the red-hot (and deserving of a better movie) Ryan Reynolds. Now, the opening was far from a disaster but due to bad reviews and word of mouth, the film has an uphill battle towards profitability in the weeks ahead…. Another film that opened under expectations this weekend was Jim Carrey’s latest Mr. Popper’s Penguins which took in a decent but not great $18.2 million and landed in third behind Super 8 which held up quite well. At least Carrey’s film could have good legs as many family films do in the summer. However, it will have to fight off Cars 2 this coming weekend…. Other films holding up well include Bridesmaids, the sleeper hit of the year, and Woody Allen’s most  in successful movie in decades, Midnight in Paris. For more on these films and 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 Green Lantern WB $52,685,000 – 3,816 – $13,806 $52,685,000 $200 1
2 1 Super 8 Par. $21,250,000 -40.1% 3,408 +29 $6,235 $72,781,000 $50 2
3 N Mr. Popper’s Penguins Fox $18,200,000 – 3,339 – $5,451 $18,200,000 $55 1
4 2 X-Men: First Class Fox $11,500,000 -52.3% 3,375 -317 $3,407 $119,925,000 $160 3
5 3 The Hangover Part II WB $9,635,000 -45.5% 3,460 -215 $2,785 $232,674,000 $80 4
6 4 Kung Fu Panda 2 P/DW $8,700,000 -47.4% 3,469 -460 $2,508 $143,343,000 $150 4
7 6 Bridesmaids Uni. $7,487,000 -25.6% 2,573 -349 $2,910 $136,840,000 $32.5 6
8 5 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides BV $6,236,000 -43.0% 2,742 -691 $2,274 $220,337,000 $250 5
9 8 Midnight in Paris SPC $5,237,000 -10.2% 1,038 +94 $5,045 $21,799,000 $30 5
10 7 Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer Rela. $2,241,000 -63.1% 2,524 – $888 $11,167,000 $20 2

Check out the hilarious new comedy Masculathon~ Do you have what it takes to be a Man?

Is it me or are there a heck of a lot of funny Canadians in Hollywood? From SCTV to Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy to Jim Carrey and Mike Myers to the Kids in the Hall and now Ryan Reynolds, the funny Canadians are everywhere… and I don’t think it’s just because they say “Sorry” funny. It’s because they are funny.

And now a new import from Canada is about to tickle your funny bone to no end, the hilarious new webseries Masculathon. Brought to you from Josh Levy and The Levy Brothers, this series stars Kids In The Hall’s Paul Bellini as “The Man”, a crazy woodsman who claims to be the living embodiment of the spirit of manhood. The Man gathers 11 average Joes in the wilderness to compete in a series of bizarre events designed to determine the Ultimate Man. Sounds hysterical right? And it is. Check out some clips below … They will be posting new episodes weekly throughout  2011 and are currently on the film fest and comedy festival circuit (including a stop at the LA Comedy Festival in May). There’s even a short video featuring The Man’s weird, albeit helpful advice, entitled “Mantras”…. You can also follow Masculathon on twitter and Facebook. For all the info you need, head to their website here. And take a peek at the clips below. I dare ya. Do you think you’re man enough?

Masculathon trailer

Latest Masculathon episdoe:

Will Jason Bateman ever have a hit Comedy Movie again?

What happened to Jason Bateman? His film career was flourishing with hits like the fantastic Oscar nominees  Juno  and Up in the Air and even the dreadful but high grossing Couples Retreat… Then all of a sudden, he’s like the comedy kiss of death. He’s had three big bombs in a row: Extract, The Switch and the absolutely horrendous and offensive Paul from earlier this year. So, the question is… will he ever have a hit comedy film again? Well, this summer he has two more films coming to theatres that could help his cause. The first and I think more promising film is called Horrible Bosses and stars Bateman alongside Jason Sudekis (Saturday Night Live) and Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) as three guys who hate their horrific bosses so much they decide to kill them. Sounds pretty interesting so far. And it only gets better when you find out actors playing the bosses: Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell and Jennifer Aniston. Color me intrigued. Unfortunately, no trailer is yet available for this film which hits theatres on July 8th, but I’ll post one as soon as I see it… Bateman’s second film due August 5th is called The Change Up and features Bateman and Ryan Reynolds as a frustrated married guy and a swinging bachelor who end up switching bodies. It’s like Big except with adults, hehe… Kinda lame. However, it’s an R rated comedy from the kids who brought us The Hangover and costars Olivia Wilde (Tron Legacy, Cowboys and Aliens), Leslie Mann (Knocked Up) and Oscar winner Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine). So that bodes well. What doesn’t bode well is the fact that it’s a Universal picture and practically all of their films for the past few years have been terrible films and big failures and the new totally unfunny trailer. Check it out below.

The Change Up

Now, don’t fret Bateman fans. If both of these films strike out, he still has the highly anticipated Arrested Development movie in the works. At least we know that one will be funny…

Your Superhero Summer Movies

Every summer the studios trot out big movies full of action and superheroes hoping to start a big successful franchise. But for every Iron Man and Batman, there’s a stinker like The Punisher. This summer is no different as we have four giant superhero movies coming at you. First out of the gate on May 6th is Thor starring Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek) and Oscar winners Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman. Then you have the newly rebooted XMen franchise offering X Men: First Class starring James MacAvoy (Wanted), Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds), January Jones (Mad Men), Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man) and recent Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) which looks at the origins of these people with extraordinary powers. Two weeks later on 6/17) Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively hook up in The Green Lantern which unfortunately looks like it might just as bad as this winter’s Seth Rogan mess The Green Hornet. (FYI Hollywood~ perhaps you should avoid comic book characters with the word “green” in the title, just some friendly advice…). Finally on 7/22, Captain America comes to town in the guise of Chris Evans (Fantastic Four). Of these films, I’m most excited about the X Men film with Captain America a close second. Looking at the trailers for the other two, I’m left rather skeptical to say the least…. But now, I want to know which comic book superhero you want to see. Check out the trailers for all the movies below and then vote in my poll

. Enjoy

 

Thor

X Men: First Class

The Green Lantern

Captain America