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This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: October 5, 2010

The Karate Kid on DVD/Blu-rayHere are some of the options available this Tuesday:

  • Beauty and the Beast (Diamond Edition): DVD/Blu-ray Combo
  • The Exorcist (Extended Director’s Cut): DVD, Blu-ray
  • Grindhouse (Special Edition): Blu-ray
  • The Human Centipede: DVD, Blu-ray
  • The Karate Kid: DVD, Blu-ray
  • The Last of the Mohicans (Director’s Definitive Cut): Blu-ray
  • Mad Max: DVD/Blu-ray Combo
  • The Maltese Falcon: DVD, Blu-ray
  • The Mission: DVD, Blu-ray
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010): DVD, Blu-ray
  • Robocop (Trilogy): Blu-ray

Click to continue reading This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: October 5, 2010

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Box Office Breakdown: The American Defeats Machete

The American

Although it lacked Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan and Robert De Niro, did have two things Machete didn’t: George Clooney and a box office win.

Despite only grossing $13.2 million over the weekend ($16.3 million since Wednesday), the Focus Features entry hit its target. The movie - which was produced for approximately $20 million - managed to top the Robert Rodriguez-actioner by less than $2 million. The American also became Clooney’s best opener - outside of any Brad Pitt-related project - since The Perfect Storm in 2000.

, based on a trailer included in the film Grindhouse, came very close to matching the earlier movie. The Danny Trejo starrer debuted to a modest $11.4 million—about $200,000 short of Grindhouse‘s premiere in 2007.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: The American Defeats Machete

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Box Office Breakdown: Takers Takes the (Close) Win

Takers movie

Although early reports had in first place this weekend, the final numbers told a different story. When the dust finally settled on Monday, Lionsgate’s had squeaked out a slim lead. (Less than $200,000 separated the two films.)

Exorcism, though, did not walk away a loser. The movie “documenting” a priest’s final exorcism earned just over $20 million—and it only cost $1.8 million to produce. The PG-13 flick also surpassed The Unborn‘s 2009 debut ($19.8 million), though it did fall short of The Exorcism of Emily Rose. (That 2005 release opened to $30 million.)

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Takers Takes the (Close) Win

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Box Office Breakdown: The Switch Fails to Light Up

The Switch

Maybe a quick trip to Cougar Town is something Jennifer Aniston could use right now.

Days after blurting out the R-word on television, Aniston is dealing with another ding in her career: the box office disappointment. The Switch, co-starring Jason Bateman, produced only $8.4 million over the past three days while narrowly escaping eighth place. The good news? The movie raised slightly more than Jen’s Love Happens did back in September. The bad news? The comedy earned about $4 million less than Jennifer Lopez’s baby movie, The Back-Up Plan, did in April.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: The Switch Fails to Light Up

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In Theaters This Weekend: August 20, 2010


Here are a few selections in theaters this weekend:

  • Lottery Ticket (PG-13): starring Bow Wow, Ice Cube, Brandon T. Jackson (directed by Erik White)
  • Nanny McPhee Returns (PG): starring Emma Thompson, Ralph Fiennes, Maggie Gyllenhaal (directed by Susanna White)
  • Piranha 3D (R): starring Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O’Connell, Ving Rhames (directed by Alexandre Aja)
  • The Switch (PG-13): starring Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Jeff Goldblum (directed by Josh Gordon, Will Speck)
  • Vampires Suck (PG-13): starring Matt Lanter, Chris Riggi, Ken Jeong (directed by Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer) **opens Wednesday**

Click to continue reading In Theaters This Weekend: August 20, 2010


It’s All in the Family: Hollywood Nepotism

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Casting, Celebrity Gossip, Filmmaking,

Hollywood sign

In most places of business, nepotism is frowned upon. In Hollywood, it’s part of standard casting policies. Why is it okay for La La Land to offer opportunities to unknown - but well-connected - actors, when hiring regulations are in place for every other industry in the country? Let’s dip our toes into the Tinseltown gene pool and see how many family trees we can count.

If you haven’t heard by now, Will Smith’s son is going to become the next A-list, must-have child star. He’s starring in the new Karate Kid reboot (a movie that’s unnecessary at best), and now he’s putting his on display in a movie soundtrack tie-in. Like it’s not already great being Will Smith’s kid, Jaden, 11, is now forging a strong career in the “family business.” Which just happens to be multi-million-dollar movie and recording contracts. Nice.

Is Jaden Smith the most talented kid for the ? Are his rap skills so superior that he deserves the outpouring of press he’s been getting for his involvement with the film’s theme song?

Frankly, it doesn’t f&*^ing matter. The Karate Kid reboot (which, we hate to break it to you, does

not

feature karate) is produced by and from its inception was intended as a Jaden Smith vehicle. No one else ever auditioned for the role of the Karate Kid, not that anyone else had a snowball’s shot in hell of landing it anyway.

Hollywood has always been the land where dreams come true…if you’ve already got an “in.”

Click to continue reading It’s All in the Family: Hollywood Nepotism


This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: April 20, 2010

AvatarHere are some of the options today:

  • 44 Inch Chest: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Avatar: DVD, Blu-ray  **releases on April 22/Earth Day**
  • The Basketball Diaries: Blu-ray
  • Batman: Blu-ray
  • Batman Forever: Blu-ray
  • Batman Returns: Blu-ray
  • Cheech & Chong’s Hey Watch This!: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Crazy Heart: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Fist of Legend: Blu-ray
  • Homecoming: DVD
  • The Horse Boy: DVD
  • The Lovely Bones: DVD, Blu-ray

Click to continue reading This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: April 20, 2010

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Box Office Breakdown: Wonderful Start for Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

Something tells me we’ll be seeing more collaborations between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton soon.

, the latest project from the famous movie-making team, unfolded to a whopping $116 million over the Oscar weekend. Disney’s 3-D adaptation had the best open ever for a non-sequel and the largest debut for any winter release outside of the holiday season. (And we thought Passion of the Christ‘s $83.8 million looked good six years ago.)

Tim Burton’s entry gave the director his best first weekend to date (compared to the $68.5 million Planet of the Apes grossed in 2001). The movie did, though, come in second to Johnny Depp’s personal high. (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men’s Chest raked in $135.6 million in 2006.)

Alice also topped all 3-D openers…including Avatar. (Granted, James Cameron did have a blizzard to contend with at the time.)

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Wonderful Start for Alice in Wonderland

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Box Office Breakdown: Cop Out Misses Out

Cop Out

When is a second place finish considered good news? When it’s the biggest debut you’ve had in your career.

Despite recently being kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight and losing out to Shutter Island, Kevin Smith still has something to smile about. His latest directorial project, , opened to $18.2 million over the weekend. That figure surpasses his previous best of $11.1 million for 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

And while Bruce Willis has clearly seen better days, he hasn’t in some time. Fortunately, his comedic partnership with Tracy Morgan raised over $3 million more than his last major outing, Surrogates, did last September.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Cop Out Misses Out

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Box Office Breakdown: Shutter Island the Weekend’s Top Destination

Shutter Island

Avatar may have finally bested Titanic, but Leonardo DiCaprio still has reason to smile.

, Leo’s latest collaboration with Martin Scorsese, earned $41 million over the past three days—more than twice what it’s nearest competitor pulled in. The gross was not only the actor’s personal best (2002’s Catch Me If You Can earned $30.1 million) but Scorsese’s as well. (The Academy Award winner rang in $26.9 million with 2006’s The Departed.)

Another Oscar-winning helmer, , also had a bit of success at the box office this weekend. The director, who has been at the center of legal drama recently, saw his film The Ghost Writer rake in $183,009 while in limited release. That amount equates to a $45,000 per screen average.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Shutter Island the Weekend’s Top Destination

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