America really loves a “Jackass”

In a shockingly giant debut weekend at the box office, Johnny Knoxville and his Jackass buddies destroyed the competition pulling in a ridiculously strong $50 million. Even with added 3D prices, the take for Jackass 3D was far above expectations and the film should easily outgross the previous two in the series. Looks like Americans we’re looking for a good, painful, and painfully stupid laugh. But hey, congrats to Paramount. This one only cost $20 million to make and should turn a hefty profit. Also heading towards profitability was the # 2 movie, Red. The somewhat geriatric-themed action pic starring Oscar winners Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman, Oscar nominee John Malkovich, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Mary Louise Parker and Mr. Bruce Willis took in a stronger than expected $22.5 million over the weekend proving you don’t need young starlets to bring in crowds. There was further proof of that with the good hold for Diane Lane’s  Secretariat which only dropped 25% from last weekend the best hold in the top ten. For all your box office needs, head to Box Office Mojo here. And check out the top ten below.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 N Jackass 3-D Par. $50,000,000 – 3,081 – $16,228 $50,000,000 $20 1
2 N Red Sum. $22,500,000 – 3,255 – $6,912 $22,500,000 $58 1
3 1 The Social Network Sony $11,000,000 -28.8% 2,868 +97 $3,835 $63,119,000 $50 3
4 3 Secretariat BV $9,503,000 -25.1% 3,072 – $3,093 $27,517,000 $35 2
5 2 Life as We Know It WB $9,200,000 -36.6% 3,150 – $2,921 $28,865,000 $38 2
6 4 Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole WB $4,235,000 -38.5% 2,502 -723 $1,693 $46,002,000 $80 4
7 6 The Town WB $4,040,000 -37.0% 2,368 -352 $1,706 $80,574,000 $37 5
8 5 My Soul to Take Uni. $3,161,000 -53.8% 2,529 -43 $1,250 $11,907,000 $25 2
9 8 Easy A SGem $2,650,000 -38.2% 2,314 -533 $1,145 $52,334,000 $8 5
10 7 Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps Fox $2,350,000 -48.9% 2,045 -784 $1,149 $47,882,000 $70 4

James Franco~ A double Oscar contender?

James Franco is one of the most fascinating actors working in the biz today. He’s an actor, filmmaker, novelist and soap star (did you see his recent stint as a loony tunes killer on General Hospital?) He’s extremely talented, wildly unpredictable, massively intelligent and, let’s face it, kinda weird. He’s been nominated for SAG and Emmy Awards and won a Golden Globe for playing James Dean. Now, he might even find himself in the Oscar race for two upcoming roles. The actor, who was sadly snubbed by the Academy for his brilliant work in Milk, stars first in the upcoming introspective biopic docudrama Howl about beat poet Allen Ginsberg and the obscenity case surrounding his poem “Howl”. The film co starring Jon Hamm, Mary Louise Parker, David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels, Treat Williams and Broadway stud Aaron Tveit (Next to Normal) played to raves at Sundance and Outfest and having seen it, I can tell you Franco is brilliant. However, he may top himself with his performance in director Danny Boyle’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, the drama 127 Hours. Here, Franco plays a real life mountain climber, Aron Ralston, who became trapped under a boulder and went to extreme measures to save himself after being trapped for 127 hours. (Email me if you want to know just what those extreme measures are. Let me tell ya it’s a bloody good story!). With this performance Franco will explore the depths of fear, despair and the sheer force of will to survive and I’m betting under Boyle’s expert tutelage it will be an amazing portrayal in a great film. Check out a taste of the film which also features Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia) and Kate Mara (Brokeback Mountain) below. And for more on Howl, click here.

127 Hours trailer

Weeds is back!

Showtime’s Emmy nominated dark comedy Weeds is back for season 6 when it premieres Monday night August 16th along with the new show The Big C starring Emmy winner Laura Linney. This should make for one night of great television. And now, you can have a taste of the new season as the new trailer featuring Golden Globe and Emmy winning star Mary Louise Parker just hit the web. Take a look at their latest shenanigans below.

Weeds Season 6 trailer

Bruce Willis teams up with Helen Mirren?

That title says it all… Bruce Willis is teaming up with Academy Award winner Helen Mirren on the action thriller, with a hint of comedy, Red, as former CIA agents. They’re joined by Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, Academy Award nominee John Malkovich, and Golden Globe and Emmy winner Mary Louise Parker in the film as they forge a team trying to figure out who’s trying to assassinate Willis’ character. From the looks of the trailer, it actually seems like it could be some good fun and who doesn’t want to see The Queen of England toting a machine gun? Check out the trailer below and catch Red in theatres October 15.

Red trailer:

The Emmys: Which Funny Leading Actresses deserve a nod?

 This is the first in a series of posts I will be doing on this year’s Emmy Award nominations. As most of you know, I’m a huge Awards show obsessive and I love to handicap each of the contenders. The first column will focus on the funny ladies vying to grab that golden girl, the Emmy Award. I’ll break  their chances down by category, then list my favorites and my predictions. Take a look and let me know your thoughts and predictions in the comments below. 

The locks for a nomination: 

Toni Collette: She won the triple crown of awards with the Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG trophies over the past year for her work as a woman struggling with multiple personalities on Showtime’s United States of Tara. Remember, she’s also a previous Oscar nominee for The Sixth Sense and the Emmys love a “slumming” movie star! 

 

Edie Falco: A Golden Globe & SAG nominee for this role, Falco looks to contend for her first lead Comedy Emmy (after winning 3 times in Drama for The Sopranos). She’s my favorite to win for her fantastic and subtle work on Nurse Jackie.  

  

Tina Fey: this multiple Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG award winner can’t be counted out for her continuing hilarious work on arguably the funniest show on television. 30 Rock. (However I bet Modern Family has something to say about that). If she doesn’t get a nom, it would be a “lizaster”! 

Jessica Miglio/© NBC Universal, Inc.

The likely contenders:

Julia Louis-Dreyfuss: this former Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG award winner defines consistency with her outrageous “go for broke” work on The New Adventures of Old Christine. 

 

Lea Michelle:  she belts out   like nobody’s business on Broadway and on my favorite new show of the 2009-2010 season, the brilliant Glee. She grabbed a Golden Globe nod for her role and she could be the latest Emmy ingenue to break through. 

 

Courtney Cox-Arquette: she has been riding the high of a big comeback with Cougar Town and she recently grabbed Globe and SAG award noms. Hopefully Emmy will follow suit, and, did you know, she was tragically the only member of the Friends cast to never receive an Emmy nom! 

 

Amy Poehler: In its second season Parks and Recreation has become appointment TV and often outshines the show it’s most compared to, The Office. Poehler anchors the show’s shenanigans perfectly. A previous Emmy nominee for SNL, I think she’ll be back in the running for this year’s most improved show. 

 

Mary Louise Parker: she’s been nominated for the Emmy for every season of Weeds so far, but has yet to take home the award. She does have a Golden Globe for the role though and a Globe, SAG and Emmy award for her work in the brilliant Angels in America miniseries. 

 

The outside shot: 

America Fererra: she won the Emmy for the first season of Ugly Betty and was nomm’d for season 2. However, despite having won the Globe and SAG awards as well, Fererra didn’t grab a nod last year. I hope she returns to the race for this final wonderful and critically acclaimed season of Betty. 

 

Felicity Huffman: a surprise Emmy winner for the first season of Desperate Housewives and a former Oscar nominee (Transamerica), Huffman handles the intricacies of drama and comedy her show requires with ease and grace. Her storyline dealing with the loss of one of her unborn twins could put her back in the running again this year. 

 

Eva Longoria Parker: For some reason poor Longoria can’t get any respect. She’s the only original Desperate Housewives star to not grab an Emmy nomination. It’s a shame too because she has consistently been the funniest one on the show for the past few years. Perhaps, voters will forget the sexpot image and reward her talent for once. 

 

Long Shots: 

Marcia Cross: A two-time Emmy nominee for her role as Bree on Desperate Housewives, the incomparable Cross does uptight repression like nobody’s business. Criminally, she has never won any of the big three awards for this role despite nominations for all of them. Perhaps she will end that streak this year? Hell, if voters remember her pulling off that wig as Kimberly on Melrose Place, they’d know they shouldn’t mess with Marcia Cross! 

 

Brooke Elliott: another former Broadway baby livens up Lifetime’ s cruelly underappreciated wonder Drop Dead Diva with equal doses hilarity and heart. If ever there was a deserving dark horse nominee, it is definitely Elliott. 

 

Their names are on the ballot, but not gonna happen: 

Patricia Heaton (The Middle), Jenna Elfman (Accidentally on Purpose), Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives), 

Here’s how I’d rank them if I got to pick the nominees: 

1. Edie Falco 

2. Lea Michelle 

3. Toni Collette 

4. Tina Fey 

5. Courtney Cox-Arquette 

6. Amy Poehler 

7. Julia Louis Dreyfuss 

8. America Ferrera 

9. Brooke Elliott 

10. Eva Longoria Parker 

And here are my CURRENT OFFICIAL Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Nominee Predictions: 

Toni Collette (United States of Tara), Courtney Cox Arquette (Cougar Town), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Lea Michelle (Glee), Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)