Posts Tagged ‘Step Up 3D’

MW on DVDs: Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Romeo and Juliet, Salt, Easy A … and more

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

PICK OF THE WEEK: NEWWall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Three and a Half Stars)
U.S.; Oliver Stone, 2010 (20th Century Fox)
Also, Wall Street Collector’s Two-Pack (Also Blu-Ray) (Three and a Half Stars)Includes Wall Street (Stone, 1986) (Four Stars) and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Stone: 2010) (Three and a Half Stars) (20th Century Fox)Extras: Oliver Stone commentary; Featurettes; Deleted and extended scenes; Conversation with Stone and cast.Oliver Stone’s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps returns us to one of Stone’s great subjects of the 1980s: the glamour and corruption of the American financial markets. A sequel to Stone‘s 1987 Wall Street, this show plunges us back into the seductions and pitfalls of the casino mentality on the trading floors and the stock market, of inside guys making huge, quick profits and the dangerous games and ruinous consequences of playing with other people‘s money, other people‘s lives — and not giving a damn about it.
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Bang Bang Man Moron

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

It was déjà vu all over again as funny buddy cops and stereoscopic hip hoppers joined the summer box office fray. The cruiser bruisers of The Other Guy debuted at the top of the movie charts with an estimated $35.7 million while the foot stompers of Step Up 3D slotted third overall with a disappointing $15.4 million.

A couple of new entries from the majors fulfilled contract obligations sans distinction. Middle Men bowed with $323,000 at 252 venues and the young love Flipped entered three markets to a gross of $233,000 on 45 screens. Both have little chance of more than token expansion.

In the niches there were solid returns of $394,000 for local hero Filiere 13 in Quebec and impressive response for Telegu-lingo Don Seenu of $224,000 while Hindi entry Aisha … Don’t Be Cupid was tepid with box office of $153,000. The dissolute twentysomethings of Twelve failed to register a pulse with just $87,800 from 231 playdates.

Among a raft of exclusive freshmen the best results included Cairo Time with $66,500 at five sites; a $16,100 tally on two screens for Venice prize-winner Lebanon; and a dozen venues posting $68,200 for large screen pictorial The Wildest Dream.

The fragmented marketplace experienced its first downturn in two months and the prognosis for the rest of summer fails to brighten as a handful of wide releases are poised in the wings next Friday. The current weekend added close to $135 million in sales that amounted to a 10% slip from last weekend and an 11% decline from 2009 when debuts of GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Julie & Julia led with respective B.O. of $54.7 million and $20 million.

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg dusted off the buddy cop genre effectively and got essentially anticipated results for The Other Guys. But it’s generally been a brutal season for comic fare and as competition ramps up in August side-stepping commercial pitfalls will only escalate.

Step Up 3D hoped to expand its audience by extending its perspective. But exit polls indicated that the film played to the core crowd who embraced 3D playdates with those engagements comprising 80% of ticket sales that out-distancing conventional showing with averages two and half times more potent.

It’s been 57 years since Kiss Me Kate employed 3D for dance and earlier this year the British StreetDance plumbed Step Up terrain and grossed an impressive $46 million in European and Asian engagements.

“3D is ideal for dance,” observed Step Up choreographer Jamal Simms. “There was very little that had to be altered for the process because you’re always working with foreground and background movement to provide perspective. But when you start to factor in the elements — dust, water — the emotional component ramps up.”

Step Up 3D had day and date openings in 11 countries via Summit and UPI. In the UK it grossed $3.2 million to rank second to Toy Story and was just behind Inception in Australia with $3 million.

Studios appear to be having a tougher time selling movies not targeted toward audiences under the age of 25 … or perhaps they’ve simply given up. Both Middle Men, an unconventional fact-based look at pornography and the internet and the first love Flipped needed a TLC approach the majors seem loathe to devote to make the difference between write off and success d’estime.

One can also disregard the notion that the marketplace is going to thin out anytime soon with news this week of new companies with capitol to produce and distribute films. The volume of movies this summer combined with at least a dozen alternative pictures playing well and holding screens has translated into a very fragmented marketplace. Next weekend’s release of five new national openings should apply the hammerlock to a lot of mainstream titles currently on screen as well as specialized fare that managed to crossover. As one mainstream distributor noted, forget about finding 3,000-screen launches until after Labor Day … there’s no room at the inn.

– Leonard Klady


Weekend Estimates: August 6 – August 8, 2010

Title Distributor Gross (average) % change * Theaters Cume
The Other Guys Sony 35.7 (9,780) New 3651 35.7
Inception WB 18.5 (5,420) -33% 3418 227.6
Step Up 3D BV 15.4 (6,340) New 2435 15.4
Salt Sony 10.9 (3,290) -44% 3317 91.8
Dinner for Schmucks Par 10.4 (3,470) -56% 3004 46.7
Despicable Me Uni 9.4 (2,740) -40% 3413 209.4
Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore BV 6.8 (1,840) -44% 3705 26.4
Charlie St. Cloud Uni 4.6 (1,700) -63% 2725 23.4
Toy Story 3 BV 3.0 (1,730) -42% 1714 396.2
The Kids Are All Right Focus 2.6 (2,600) -27% 994 14
Grown Ups Sony 2.4 (1,370) -47% 1769 155.7
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice BV 2.3 (1,310) -48% 1766 57
Twilight: Eclipse Summit 2.3 (1,330) -43% 1704 293.1
Ramona and Beezus Fox 1.5 (1,040) -59% 1478 21
The Last Airbender Par .67 (1,050) -63% 639 128.9
The Karate Kid Sony .63 (1,460) 6% 432 173.9
The Girl Who Played with Fire Music Box/Alliance .45 (2,600) -17% 173 4.2
Shrek Forever After Par .43 (1,400) -25% 308 237.2
Predators Fox .41 (900) -62% 454 50.5
Filiere 13 Alliance .39 (4,610) New 85 0.6
Middle Men Par Vantage .32 (1,280) New 252 0.32
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) $127.10
% Change (Last Year) -11%
% Change (Last Week) -10%
Also debuting/expanding
Flipped WB .23 (5,180) New 45 0.23
Don Seenu Great India .22 (8,960) New 25 0.22
Get Low Sony Classics .21 (8,210) 143% 26 0.34
Aisha … Don’t Be Cupid Viva .15 (3,260) New 47 0.15
Restrepo Nat.Geo .11 (2,270) 48% 49 0.81
Twelve Hannover .09 (380) New 231 0.09
The Concert Weinstein Co. .09 (3,470) 95% 27 0.19
The Wildest Dream National Geo 68,200 (5,680) New 12 0.07
Cairo Time IFC 66,500 (13,300) New 5 0.07
Disappearance of Alice Creed Anchor Bay 49,700 (4,140) New 12 0.05
Lebanon Sony Classics 16,100 (8.050)

New

2 0.01
The Sicilian Girl Music Hall 5,900 (5,900) New 1 0.01
Death of Alice Blue Toothin 3,300 (3,300) New 1 0.01
Brotherhood Olive 2,250 (2,250) New 1 0.01

Domestic Market Share: January 1 – July 23, 2010

Distributor (releases) Gross Market Share
Paramount (10) 1144.1 17.30%
Fox (13) 1143.3 17.30%
Warner Bros. (18) 1024.5 15.50%
Buena Vista (11) 1003.5 15.20%
Sony (18) 615.1 9.30%
Universal (10) 560.1 8.50%
Summit (9) 408.4 6.20%
Lionsgate (8) 242.9 3.70%
Fox Searchlight (4) 69.9 1.00%
Overture (4) 67.4 1.00%
MGM (1) 50.4 0.80%
CBS (2) 50 0.80%
Sony Classics (12) 40.4 0.60%
Weinstein Co. (4) 34.7 0.50%
Other * (201) 159.8 2.40%
* none greater than 0.4% 6614.5 100.00%

Top Domestic Grossers: January 1 – July 23, 2010

Title Distributor Gross
Avatar * Fox 466,085,966
Toy Story 3 BV 370,499,039
Alice in Wonderland BV 334,191,110
Iron Man 2 Par 310,401,894
Twilight: Eclipse Summit 272,641,092
Shrek Forever After Par 234,620,150
How to Train Your Dragon Par 217,581,231
The Karate Kid Sony 170,612,858
Clash of the Titans WB 163,214,888
Despicable Me Uni 137,600,845
Grown Ups Sony 134,812,086
Shutter Island Par 128,051,522
The Last Airbender Par 119,091,769
Valentine’s Day WB 110,509,442
Sherlock Holmes * WB 106,967,985
Robin Hood Uni 104,945,305
Inception WB 100,158,412
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel Fox 98,887,330
Date Night Fox 98,344,369
The Book of Eli WB 94,885,859
* does not include 2008 box office

Disney’s 2010 Preview

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

When in Rome – Jan 29
Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Will Arnett, Alexis Dziena, Jon Heder, Dax Shepard, Kate Micucci, Bobby Moynihan, with Danny DeVito and Anjelica Huston

An ambitious young New Yorker, disillusioned with romance, takes a whirlwind trip to Rome, where she defiantly plucks magic coins from a fountain of love, inexplicably igniting the passion of those who threw them in: a sausage magnate, a street magician, an adoring painter and a self-admiring model. But when a charming reporter pursues her with equal zest, how will she know if his love is the real thing?

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Alice in Wonderland – March 5
Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, and Mia Wasikowska as Alice.  Voice cast:  Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Christopher Lee, Paul Whitehouse, Barbara Windsor

19-year-old Alice returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat and, of course, the Mad Hatter. Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.

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The Last Song – April 2
Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, Bobby Coleman, Hallock Beals, Nick Lashaway,Carly Chaikin, Nick Searcy, Kate Vernon, with Kelly Preston and Greg Kinnear

Set in a small Southern beach town,  an estranged father gets a chance to spend the summer with his reluctant teenage daughter, who’d rather be home in New York. He tries to reconnect with her through the only thing they have in common—music—in a story of family, friendship, secrets and salvation, along with first loves and second chances.

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Oceans – April 22

Disneynature, the studio that presented the record-breaking film “Earth,” brings Oceans to the big screen on Earth Day, 2010. Nearly three-quarters of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, and Oceans boldly chronicles the mysteries that lie beneath. Directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud dive deep into the very waters that sustain all of mankind, exploring the harsh reality and the amazing creatures that live within. Featuring spectacular, never-before-seen imagery captured by the latest underwater technologies, it’s an unprecedented look beneath the sea.

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Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – May 28
Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina

An epic action-adventure set in the mystical lands of Persia. A rogue prince reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess, and together, they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world.

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Toy Story 3 – June 18
Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Estelle Harris, John Morris, Laurie Metcalf, R. Lee Ermey, Jodi Benson, Ned Beatty, Bonnie Hunt, Timothy Dalton, Jeff Garlin, Whoopi Goldberg and Michael Keaton

As Andy prepares to depart for college, Buzz, Woody and the rest of his loyal toys are troubled about their uncertain future. The toys land in a room full of untamed tots who can’t wait to get their sticky little fingers on these “new” toys. It’s pandemonium as they try to stay together, ensuring “no toy gets left behind.” Meanwhile, Barbie comes face to plastic face with Ken (yes, that Ken).

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The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – July 16
Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer, Monica Bellucci, Toby Kebbell

Horvath. Balthazar can’t do it alone, so he recruits Dave Stutler, a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protégé. The sorcerer gives his unwilling accomplice a crash course in the art and science of magic, and together, these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of darkness. It’ll take all the courage Dave can muster to survive his training, save the city and get the girl as he becomes The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

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Step Up 3D – Aug 6
Adam Sevani, Alyson Stoner, Rick Malambri, Sharni Vinson, Keith “Remedy” Stallworth, Kendra Andrews, Stephen “Twitch” Boss, Joe Slaughter

New York’s intense street-dancing underground comes alive in eye-popping digital 3D in the third installment of the “Step Up” franchise as the raw, passion-fueled culture goes global. A tight-knit group of street dancers, including Luke and Natalie, team up with NYU freshman Moose and find themselves pitted against the world’s best hip-hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever.

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You Again – Sep 24
Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, Odette Yustman, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber and Betty White

No matter how old you are, you never get over high school. Successful PR pro Marni heads home for her older brother’s wedding and discovers that he’s marrying her high school arch nemesis, who’s conveniently forgotten all the rotten things she did so many years ago. Then the bride’s jet-setting aunt bursts in and Marni’s not-sojet-setting mom comes face to face with her own high school rival. The claws come out and old wounds are opened in this crazy comedy about what happens when you’re reunited with the one person you’d like to forget.

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Secretariat – Oct 8
Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Dylan Walsh, Scott Glenn, Dylan Baker, Margo Martindale, Nelsan Ellis, Otto Thorwarth, Fred Thompson, AJ Michalka, Kevin Connolly, Eric Lange, James Cromwell

Based on the remarkable true story, Secretariat chronicles the spectacular journey of the 1973 Triple Crown winner. Housewife and mother Penny Chenery agrees to take over her ailing father’s Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. Against all odds, Chenery—with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time.

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Rapunzel – Nov 12Walt Disney Pictures presents Rapunzel, an action-packed, swashbuckling, animated musical comedy about the girl behind 70 feet of magical, golden hair. A princess stolen from her parents’ castle as a baby, Rapunzel  is locked in a hidden tower longing for adventure. Now an imaginative and determined teenager, she takes off on a hilarious, hair-raising escapade with the help of a dashing bandit. With the secret of her royal heritage hanging in the balance and her captor in pursuit, Rapunzel and her cohort find adventure, heart, humor, and hair… lots of hair.

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Tron: Legacy – Nov 17
Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Beau Garrett and Michael Sheen

A 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn, the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn, looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the digital world of Tron where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin’s loyal confidant Qora, father and son embark on a life-and-death journey of escape across a visually stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.