MCN Weekend Archive for December, 2013
The DVD Wrapup
Una Noche, Sweetwater, Berlin File, Bellman Equation, Love Marilyn, Zombie Hamlet, Hell Baby, Wolfblood and so much more.
Read the full article »The Weekend Report
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug got the hat trick as it edged ahead of Frozen to lead weekend box office with an estimated $29.8 million. The record-breaking holiday session saw a lot of new films opening Christmas day, but for the industry it appeared that Santa had stuffed a lot of coal in its stocking. The top opener was the freewheeling The Wolf of Wall Street , with a first-weekend gross of $18.4 million (all box office 3-day figures) that ranked fifth overall. The remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was a couple of daydreams back with $13 million and the beleaguered 47 Ronin sliced off $9.9 million.
Read the full article »Friday Box Office Estimates
Frozen pulls out ahead of Hobbit: Smaug, not only for Friday, but for the total domestic runs of both films. Solid numbers continue for Anchorman 2, American Hustle, and The Wolf of Wall Street. In limited, August: Osage County looking at a 30k per-screen for the 3-day weekend and Lone Survivor should beat that, but on 3 fewer screens.
Read the full article »Wilmington on DVDs: A Christmas Carol (1951); It’s a Wonderful Life
It’s one of those movies that almost all moviegoers know, many love and a few (the unhappy few) pooh-pooh. But Capra‘s populist gem deserves its primal place in our Christmas memories. It‘s a stirring, exhilarating mix of Norman Rockwell and film noir.
Read the full article » 1 Comment »The Weekend Report
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug once again held top position with an estimated $31.7 million in its second weekend. However, there was colorful competition from the debuting Ron Burgundy with his Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues taking a deep $26.3 million bow. The session’s only other national debut was the animated Walking with Dinosaurs that lumbered toward the tar pits with $7.3 million. Following last week’s appetizer, both American Hustle and Saving Mr. Banks rapidly expanded with respective box office of $19.3 million and $9.3 million, keeping both titles in the race. And also hot on the awards trail, Her bowed on six screens and wooed an impressive $259,000.
Read the full article »Wilmington on Movies: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Will Ferrell and Adam McKay created what became a classic movie character: the cheerfully narcissistic Ron Burgundy. a mirthfully-mustachioed would-be super-stud San Diego TV news anchor, whose ego and self-delusions were as immense as his (temporarily) high San Diego ratings (or, in Ron‘s slightly demented translation “Sawn Dee-ah-go“) and the erections he could never quite disguise.
Read the full article »The DVD Gift Guide Wrapup
“Omnibus” was one of the most enlightening, prestigious and fondly remembered series in the history of television. In a very real sense, the 1950s’ variety show was “The Ed Sullivan Show” for intellectuals and people who spell “culture” with a capital-C. The only thing like it today is “CBS News: Sunday Morning,” which is buried so deep on the television grid even Tivo can’t always find it.
Read the full article »Friday Box Office Estimates
It’s Bilbo with a slight lead over Burgundy with the new dinosaurs pulling up the rear.
Read the full article »The DVD Wrapup
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Lone Ranger, Prisoners, Elysium, Family, Percy Jackson, Justified, Devil’s Pass and so much more.
Read the full article » 2 Comments »The Weekend Report
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug handily dominated weekend box office with an estimated debut frame of $73.7 million. The session’s only other national release, A Madea Christmas made merry with $16 million and ranked third in the lineup.
Read the full article »Wilmington on Movies: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
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Read the full article » 1 Comment »Friday Box Office Estimates
Don’t cry for Smaug, b.o. talkers. Naysayers are abundant and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug‘s opening may be only the 114th best day in the history of movies. But December box office is different and Hobbit 2‘s opening day is the third best single day ever in the month of December, behind only Hobbit 1 and Return of the King… both $300m+ domestic grossers and billion $+ worldwide grossers.
Read the full article »Wimington on Movies — The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Books were my first love, movies my second. Yet, someday, I may get around to reading Suzanne Collins’ mega-selling young adult novel “Catching Fire,” for the moment the big-money blockbuster movie adapted from it—The Hunger Games: Catching Fire—will have to suffice.
Read the full article »Wilmington on DVDs: Taken/Taken 2: We’re the Millers
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Read the full article »The DVD Wrapup
Mary Poppins, Despicable Me, Adore, Vic, Jump, Jane Mansfield’s Car, Gundown, Doctor Who, Mitty, Berberian Sound Studio and so much more.
Read the full article »The Weekend Report
Not unexpectedly, a Friday lead for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was not nearly enough to hold off family-friendly Frozen for the 3-day weekend.
Read the full article »Friday Estimates
Fire still burns while Frozen yearns.
Read the full article »DVD Geek: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
One of the greatest aspects of Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies was the astounding sweep and gripping nature of its action scenes. They were stupendous, as great as anything ever created for the cinema, and nothing in An Unexpected Journey comes close. There are many smaller moments that are joyful, and several scenes that are legitimately thrilling, but the movie is missing the tentpole moments that made the other three films so exceptional.
Read the full article » 3 Comments »The DVD Wrapup
F&F6, Wolverine, City of Bones, Mandy Lane, Inch’Allah, Red Obsession, Mr. Angel, Saturn 3, Carmen Jones and more.
Read the full article »The Weekend Report
It was a rewrite for the record books weekend as The Hunger Games: Catching Fire set a new benchmark for the Thanksgiving holiday with an estimated $75.2 million.
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