Box Office Results: The Final Destination kills the competition

Studio Estimates for August 28-30:

1.  The Final Destination – $28.3 million
2.  Inglourious Basterds – $20 million
3.  Halloween II – $17.4 million
4.  District 9 – $10.7 million
5.  G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – $8 million

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The 3-D experience of The Final Destination was the winner between two horror movies this weekend, grossing an impressive $28.3 million, the best opening for the franchise.  Meanwhile, Halloween II landed the third spot with a $17.4 million gross.  Inglourious Basterds had a strong second weekend with $20 million, good enough for the runner-up spot.  And District 9 ($10.7 million) and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra ($8 million) rounded out the Top 5.

Check back next weekend when three new releases hit the theaters:  Comedies including All About Steve and Extract, plus the action/thriller Gamer.

Box Office Predictions (August 28-30)

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In the last weekend of August we have ourselves a battle of the horror movies.  In one corner, the reboot-sequel of the popular Halloween franchise.  In the other corner, the fourth installment of the gruesome and formulaic films with leading role, Death.  Oh, and there’s a Woodstock film.

But first, Halloween II, directed by Rob Zombie.  His reboot of the franchise opened to over $30 million two summers ago.  How will Mike Myers do this time around?

With direct competition in The Final Destination, it’s hard to tell which film will come on top.  The Final Destination franchise has been around for a decade with each film opening bigger and bigger.  The last film grossed over $19 million its opening weekend.  Now in 3-D, Death might be able to triumph the box office.

Oscar-winning director, Ang Lee, has thrown the public a wide variety of movies.  His latest film, Taking Woodstock, tackles the events of the 1969 festival.  Starring Demetri Martin, Emile Hirsch, and Liev Schreiber, this film certainly has a limited audience.  Since it’s only opening in about 1,300 theaters, it won’t be a threat in the Top 5.

Here are our predictions…

My Predictions:

1.  Halloween II – $24 million
2.  Inglourious Basterds – $19 million
3.  The Final Destination – $18 million
4.  District 9 – $11 million
5.  G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – $7 million

Sheehan’s Predictions:

1.  Inglourious Basterds – $29 million
2.  Halloween II – $25 million
3.  The Final Destination – $24 million
4.  District 9 – $14 million
5.  G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – $8 million

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Sheehan and I agreed on a lot of things this weekend.  We both believe Halloween II will gross more than The Final Destination.  We both believe District 9 and G.I. Joe will land the last two spots on the Top 5.  But his gross estimates are a lot higher than mine and he thinks Inglourious Basterds will win the box office for a second straight weekend.  We’ll see who’s right and who’s wrong.

AOL TV: Best ’60s TV Shows

Here is a list by AOL Television for the Top 40 Television Programs from the 1960’s.  If you’re someone like me, in their mid-20’s, then a number of the shows are notable but I haven’t watched the majority.  This was a list that my parents utterly enjoyed and took them back to memory lane.  Nonetheless, check it out here:  http://insidetv.aol.com/2009/08/24/best-60s-tv-shows/

Review: (500) Days of Summer

(500) Days of Summer – (2009)
95 minutes
Rated PG-13
Directed by Marc Webb
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel

Grade:  A

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Like the opening narration states, (500) Days of Summer is not a love story.  That being said, people with the wrong impression might feel the need to get up out of their seats and exit the theater.  But trust me, remain seated.  This is a marvelous little film that does just about everything right.

Given that bit of information, the viewer should realize this is going to be a movie that doesn’t follow the romantic comedy rules of Hollywood.  No, not all on-screen relationship end in marriage.  Fate and destiny is just a wishful dream for hopeless romantics.  But the rom-com genre makes us feel good inside when boy and girl finally get together.  Disclaimer, this movie does the opposite.  Although there are “aww” moments, you’re not left with that good, warm feeling.

The story is told in Tom’s (Gordon-Levitt) perspective.  The order of events jump frantically back and forth, starting with the end where it is shown that his relationship with Summer (Deschanel) does not conclude happily.  But don’t get too down quite yet, because the film throws us into Day (1).

Tom works in an office writing cute and catchy greeting card sayings.  He’s good at his job because he’s smart, but hates it because he knows he’s wasting his time by not fulfilling his dream to be an architect.  But being the romantic he is, he believes that it was fate that kept him at that job because that is exactly where he meets the girl of his dreams, Summer.

Summer remains a mystery throughout the entire film.  She’s wonderfully unique, beautiful, and fun.  She wants to be friends with Tom because she finds him “interesting.”  Her view on relationships and marriage doesn’t suit Tom’s dream really well.  She’s her own woman who does what she wants for her own reasons.  She even tells Tom all of this but he doesn’t care, at first.

At the start, Tom didn’t mind.  But as their relationship got deeper and more significant, the mystery grew more painful for Tom.  He was holding on to the slim hope that he could change Summer’s perspective.  He felt he could convert her away from her free-spirited state of living and to settle down.  But Summer had absolutely no intention to change.

What is most interesting about the story is how we see what Tom wants us to see through his skewed, “she’s better than the girl of my dreams because she’s real” goggles.  The audience already knows that the relationship will be doomed, which makes it more painful to see Tom follow around Summer like a clueless puppy.  But the film isn’t about the end result, instead it’s about the road in-between.  Told with bravery, truth, and a hint of cynicism, (500) Days of Summer is a romantic-comedy gem.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are pitch perfect in their roles.  I’ve been impressed by Gordon-Levitt’s performances in the film-noir Brick and crime-thriller The Lookout, but he’s able to show an entirely different side to him here.  One who is vulnerable but charming, naive but ambitious.  And Deschanel excels as Summer.  She has all the important qualities that made Summer so balanced.  If given to the wrong actress, Summer could’ve easily come off as unlikable and deceiving.  But instead, Deschanel focuses in on the good-spirited and joyous personality of Summer, one whom any guy would fall head over feet for.

The screenplay was incredibly unique and witty, penned by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber.  And in Marc Webb’s directorial debut, he takes chances and allows the quirks to be memorable, such as the use of split screens, black and white images, and a musical-dance number.  I’m still marveling over Summer’s rooftop party scene where Tom’s “Expectation” versus “Reality” was displayed.  These were the things that kept the audience on their toes with their eyes glued to the screen.

(500) Days of Summer was an outstanding accomplishment for everyone who was involved.  It does something truly spectacular: even when knowing how the movie was going to end, we still wanted to know what will happen next.  You don’t come across a romantic comedy of this caliber too often, so it’s highly recommended that you catch this film.

Box Office Results: Inglourious Basterds blow up the box office.

Studio Estimates for August 21-23:

1.  Inglourious Basterds – $37.6 million
2.  District 9 – $18.9 million
3.  G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – $12.5 million
4.  The Time Traveler’s Wife – $10 million
5.  Julie & Julia – $9 million

6.  Shorts – $6.6 million
10. Post Grad – $2.8 million

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Quentin Tarantino’s epic, World War II tale, Inglourious Basterds topped the box office this weekend with $37.6 million.  Despite its lengthy runtime and the gruesome, R-rated brutality, Inglourious Basterds was praised by critics and accepted by the public.  The combination of marquee names like Tarantino and Brad Pitt outweighed the rest of the competition and proved to be one of the highest-grossing opening weekends for a WW2 movie.

Runner up to the Basterds was District 9 with $18.9 million.  G.I. Joe took the third spot with $12.5 million, Time Traveler’s Wife grossed $10 million, and Julie & Julia made $9 million to round out the Top 5. 

The other three new releases this weekend weren’t able to make a dent in the box office.  The family film Shorts opened with $6.6 million, Post Grad opened with $2.8 million, and the X-Games documentary made $800,000.

Check back on Friday for our new predictions when two horror films hit the silver screen:  The Final Destination and Halloween 2.  Also, Taking Woodstock debuts this weekend in a semi-wide release.

Box Office Predictions (August 21-23)

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As Summer is winding down, the studios are still bumping out multiple wide releases trying to cash in.

First, Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds starring Brad Pitt as the leader of a pack of Nazi killers during World War II.  The reviews are very positive with some critics praising it’s Tarantino’s best film since Pulp Fiction.  But how public-friendly is this 153-minute war saga?

Next is Robert Rodriguez’ PG-rated family film, Shorts.  The premise is that a group of boys stumble upon a magical rock that grants wishes, although it’s not exactly what they want.  This is the kid film with the best chance of landing a Top 5 spot in my opinion.

Then there’s Post Grad, starring Alexis Bledel in this PG-13 teenie-chick-flick.  Haven’t heard much about this film?  You’re not alone.  It’s opening in less than 2,000 theaters.  With no major stars and unfriendly reviews, I’d be surprised if this film makes the Top 5.

Finally, a documentary in 3-D?!  X-Games 3-D: The Movie drops in over 1,000 theaters this weekend.  What’s it about?  Just a doc showing the number of X-Games athletes competing in their sports.  Probably includes behind-the-scene footage… and hopefully some nasty spills.

Here are our predictions…

My Predictions:

1.  Inglourious Basterds – $33 million
2.  District 9 – $19 million
3.  Shorts – $14 million
4.  G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – $10 million
5.  The Time Traveler’s Wife – $9 million

Phil’s Predictions:

1.  Inglourious Basterds – $30 million
2.  District 9 – $18 million
3.  The Time Traveler’s Wife – $10 million
4.  Post Grad – $8 million
5.  Julie & Julia – $5 million

Sheehan’s Predictions:

1.  Inglourious Basterds – $40 million
2.  District 9 – $33 million
3.  G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – $19 million
4.  Shorts – $18 million
5.  The Time Traveler’s Wife – $15 million

Box Office Results: District 9 is Number One

Studio Estimates for August 14-16:

1.  District 9 – $37 million
2.  G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – $22.5 million
3.  The Time Traveler’s Wife – $19.2 million
4.  Julie & Julia – $12.4 million
5.  G-Force – $6.9 million

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The sci-fi, alien satire District 9 grossed an impressive $37 million (impressive because the budget was only $30 million) its opening weekend, which was good enough to nab the #1 spot.  This feat is worth mentioning because it was a lot more than just an alien-action film and there were no big actors in the cast. 

The movie was able to beat out the high-flying action blockbuster, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra during its second weekend.  The Time Traveler’s Wife made a solid $19.2 million and behind it was another female-friendly flick, Julie & Julia with $12.4 million.  Rounding out the Top 5 was G-Force with $6.9 million. 

Three of the five new releases didn’t make the Top 5, including The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard ($5.4 million), Ponyo ($3.5 million) and Bandslam ($2.3 million).

As for our predictions, Phil was the only one to predict District 9 as the top film of the weekend, but my predictions were the most accurate with 4 out of the Top 5 movies and the least off on the gross estimates.

Check back on Friday for our new predictions when three new films hit the theaters:  Inglourious Basterds, Post Grad, and Shorts.

Box Office Predictions (August 14-16)

Box Office Predictions (August 14-16)

There’s an interesting occurance this weekend… FIVE new releases!  There is absolutely no reason for anyone to avoid going to the theaters this weekend since there is literally a movie for every genre.  Let’s get to it.

First up, the sci-fi thriller District 9, which I am very excited to catch this weekend.  This R-rated film is produced by Peter Jackson, so there’s atleast some credibility to the title.  The trailers and commercials have been very intriguing, although I honestly don’t know what the movie is about.  Who cares.  Aliens and humans living together and then go to war (is that accurate?)… I’m in!  The reviews have been great thus far (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and the word of mouth has been strong.  But for the type of film it is, and with no big-name actors, can it draw in people outside of its target audience?  That will decide its ranking in the box office.

Next… the fantasy/romance based on the best-selling novel of the same name, The Time Traveler’s Wife.  Get out your tissues and hankerchiefs because this one looks like a tear-fest.  Starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, this PG-13 will be appearing in about 3,000 this weekend.  This film might see some competition among females with Julie & Julia, but the younger audience should side with The Time Traveler’s Wife.

And then we have Bandslam, a high school film about students playing music and competing in a battle of the bands contest.  Starring Vanessa Hudgens in a role other than High School Musical, yet still keeping up with the music theme… the main attraction for this film seems to be the highly advertised Twilight Saga: New Moon trailer that will debut before Bandslam.  Isn’t that sort of a smack in the face to the movie?  Anyway, let’s see if Vanessa Hudgens can lead a film to success like her HSM counter-part, Zac Efron, has proven.

Batting clean-up in my summary of new releases is the R-rated comedy, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard.  Starring Jeremy Piven, the trailers and commercials offer a decent amount of laughs but there’s just something about it that’s keeping me away.  Only appearing in about 1,500 theaters, I don’t expect The Goods to do any major damage at the box office.

Finally rounding out the new releases for this weekend is Japan’s legend of animation, Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo.  Only debuting in under 1,000 theaters, this film can’t battle it out with the bigger blockbusters but I’m really eager to catch this movie.

Here are our predictions…

My Predictions:

1.  G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – $32 million
2.  District 9 – $28 million
3.  The Time Traveler’s Wife – $15 million
4.  Julie & Julia – $12 million
5.  Bandslam – $9 million

Sheehan’s Predictions:

1.  G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – $35 million
2.  District 9 – $30 million
3.  The Time Traveler’s Wife – $25 million
4.  The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard – $20 million
5.  Julie & Julia – $14 million

Phil’s Predictions:

1.  District 9 – $40 million
2.  The Time Traveler’s Wife – $35 million
3.  G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – $27 million
4.  The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard – $15 million
5.  Julie & Julia – $9 million

Poster: Shutter Island (2009)

I am so freakin’ excited for this movie.

Trailer: The Lovely Bones

Based on the best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones comes out in theaters on December 11.  Directed and co-written by Peter Jackson, with a stellar cast:  Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Saoirse Ronan, Susan Sarandon, Jake Abel, and Michael Imperioli… when do we start the Oscar talk (did I just jinx it)?  I’m in the process of reading the novel and so far it’s one hell of a book.  Check out the trailer below… this looks like it’s going to be one hell of a movie: