Box office report
For the second week in a row, a comedy about a bumbling security guard stumbled to the top of the box office.
“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” earned $21.5 million to grab No. 1 for the second straight week, according to the Associated Press.
The comedy, starring Kevin James, has grossed a two-week total of $64.8 million and should pass the $100 million mark.
In the second slot was the third installment of the vampire vs. werewolf “Underworld” series. The prequel “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” made $20.7 million. The two previous films - “Underworld” and “Underworld: Evolution” – made $21.7 million and $26.8 million, respectively, in their debut weekends, according to the AP.
Though it was based on the best-selling novel by Cornelia Funke, the family-friendly fantasy adventure “Inkheart” made an unmagical $7.7 million in its opening, the AP reported.
Films that received Academy Award nominations last week performed well at the box office as film studios expanded their release.
My personal favorite, “Slumdog Millionaire” earned $10.6 million this weekend as the movie screened in more than 1,400 theaters. That was good enough to make it No. 5 at the box office. Studio executives said the film has made nearly $56 million, boosted by its plethora of award nominations and wins.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” re-entered the Top 10, earning $6 million to increase its total to $111 million. The film received 13 Oscar nominations, including best actor for Brad Pitt. “The Wrestler” and “Frost/Nixon” also drew big crowds this weekend, according to the AP.
Here is the weekend top 10, from the AP:
1. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” $21.5 million.
2. “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans,” $20.7 million.
3. “Gran Torino,” $16 million.
4. “Hotel for Dogs,” $12.4 million.
5. “Slumdog Millionaire,” $10.6 million.
6. “My Bloody Valentine 3-D,” $10.1 million.
7. “Inkheart,” $7.7 million.
8. “Bride Wars,” $7 million.
9. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” $6 million.
10. “Notorious,” $5.7 million.
-BAM
List of SAG Award winners
Irrfan Khan, Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor and Freida Pinto accept the outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture prize at Sunday night’s Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The Screen Actors Guild presented its Actor awards for outstanding film and primetime TV performance Sunday night at the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles.
The honorees were selected by the about 100,000 active members of the Screen Actors Guild nationwide.
Here are the winners:
James Earl Jones in “Field of Dreams”
- Screen Actors Guild Awards 45th Annual Life Achievement Award
James Earl Jones
Sean Penn in “Milk”
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
SEAN PENN, Harvey Milk, “MILK,” Focus Features
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
MERYL STREEP, Sister Aloysius Beauvier, “DOUBT,” Miramax Films
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
HEATH LEDGER, Joker, “THE DARK KNIGHT,” Warner Bros. Pictures
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
KATE WINSLET, Hanna Schmitz, “THE READER,” The Weinstein Company
- Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Motion Picture
“SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE,” Fox Searchlight Pictures
RUBINA ALI, Youngest Latika
TANAY HEMANT CHHEDA, Middle Jamal
ASHUTOSH LOBO GAJIWALA, Middle Salim
AZHARUDDIN MOHAMMED ISMAIL, Youngest Salim
ANIL KAPOOR, Prem
IRRFAN KHAN, Police Inspector
AYUSH MAHESH KHEDEKAR, Youngest Jamal
TANVI GANESH LONKAR, Middle Latika
MADHUR MITTAL, Oldest Salim
DEV PATEL, Older Jamal
FREIDA PINTO, Older Latika
Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney in “John Adams”
PRIMETIME TELEVISION
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
PAUL GIAMATTI, John Adams, “JOHN ADAMS,” HBO
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
LAURA LINNEY, Abigail Adams, “JOHN ADAMS,” HBO
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
HUGH LAURIE, Dr. Gregory House, “HOUSE,” FOX
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
SALLY FIELD, Nora Walker, “BROTHERS & SISTERS,” ABC
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN, Jack Donaghy, “30 ROCK,” NBC
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
TINA FEY, Liz Lemon, “30 ROCK,” NBC
- Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
“MAD MEN,” AMC
BRYAN BATT, Salvatore Romano
ALISON BRIE, Trudy Campbell
MICHAEL GLADIS, Paul Kinsey
JON HAMM, Don Draper
CHRISTINA HENDRICKS, Joan Holloway
JANUARY JONES, Betty Draper
VINCENT KARTHEISER, Pete Campbell
MARK MOSES, Herman “Duck” Phillips
ELISABETH MOSS, Peggy Olson
JOHN SLATTERY, Roger Sterling
RICH SOMMER, Harry Crane
AARON STATON, Ken Cosgrove
- Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
“30 ROCK,” NBC
SCOTT ADSIT, Pete Hornberger
ALEC BALDWIN, Jack Donaghy
KATRINA BOWDEN, Cerie
TINA FEY, Liz Lemon
JUDAH FRIEDLANDER, Frank Rossitano
JANE KRAKOWSKI, Jenna Maroney
JACK McBRAYER, Kenneth Parcell
TRACY MORGAN, Tracy Jordan
MAULIK PANCHOLY, Jonathan
KEITH POWELL, Toofer
SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES
- Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“THE DARK KNIGHT,” Warner Bros. Pictures
WADE ALLEN
RICK AVERY
DEAN BAILEY
RICHARD BURDEN
FRANK CALZAVARA
MARK CHADWICK
BRIAN CHRISTENSEN
GEORGE COTTLE
TOBIASZ DASKIEWICZ
JUSTO DIEGUEZ
MARIE FINK
JEAN-PIERRE GOY
MARK HARPER
ADAM HART
JAMES HEISNER
SY HOLLANDS
TERRY JACKSON
PAUL JENNINGS
LUKE KEARNEY
MATT LeFEVOUR
RICK LeFEVOUR
TOM LOWELL
TONY LUCKEN
DANIEL MALDONADO
JON MALDONADO
JAMES MAMMOSER
KEVIN MATHEWS
TOM McCOMAS
TIM McHENRY
NATALIE M. MEYER
RICK MILLER
MARK MOTTRAM
CHRIS NOLTE
ANDY NORMAN
CARL PAOLI
LINDA PERLIN
BRIAN PETERS
SCOTT PHILYAW
BUSTER REEVES
KEN REMER
RICHARD RYAN
JEFF SHANNON
KEVIN SORENSEN
JODI STARNES
TOM STRUTHERS
TODD ROGERS TERRY
JIM WILKEY
RICH WILKIE
- Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
“HEROES,” NBC
ROBERT ALONZO
HEATHER ARTHUR
ALLISON CAETANO
CHRIS CARNEL
DANE FARWELL
TIM GILBERT
TROY GILBERT
RYAN JAMES HAPPY
CHRIS HOWELL
HORACE KNIGHT
WILL LEONG
JIM LEWIS
RICK MARCUS
AUSTIN PRIESTER
SIMON RHEE
MARK RICCARDI
PAT ROMANO
SPIKE SILVER
LEE SMITH
ERIK STABENAU
NANCY THURSTON
XUYEN “SAMMY” VALDIVIA
MARK WAGNER
MARCUS YOUNG
-BAM
AC/DC playing Tulsa tonight, despite icy weather
Despite the icy weather, tonight’s AC/DC show in Tulsa is still on, according to a BOK Center spokeswoman.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The show starts at 8.
Coincidentally, the show is part of the venerable band’s “Black Ice World Tour.” It will feature AC/DC, touring in support of their hit 2008 album “Black Ice,” and Irish hard rock band The Answer.
For more information, including a list of hotels and covered parking areas near the BOK Center, go to www.bokcenter.com.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Jan. 26
AC/DC
UPDATE: The AC/DC show featuring The Answer is still on for tonight at the BOK Center in Tulsa, according to a spokeswoman for the venue.
Today’s featured event:
TULSA – Catch the “Rock ‘n’ Roll Train” when rock legends AC/DC, with special guest The Answer, thunders into the BOK Center, 200 S Denver, at 8 tonight. The show is the latest stop of AC/DC’s long-awaited “Black Ice Tour.”
For more information, go to www.bokcenter.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Taylor Lautner anticipates playing “cool” character in “New Moon”
Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black in “Twilight”
Now that Taylor Lautner has been confirmed for “New Moon,” I went back to my notes from my interview with the young star from the “Twilight” junket last fall in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Lautner plays Jacob Black, pal of heroine Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), in “Twilight.” In the second book, “New Moon,” Jacob begins turning into a werewolf. The transformation puts Bella between two loyalties: her boyfriend, Edward (Robert Pattinson) is a vampire, and vampires and werewolves are enemies.
Chris Weitz, who is directing the film version of “New Moon,” recently tapped Lautner for the sequel, after determining that the teen star would be convincing in the role. In “New Moon,” Jacob grows bigger and stronger as he transforms into a werewolf. Lautner has been bulking up for months in preparation to play Jacob in the sequel.
“Jacob’s character gets so cool. It is so more in-depth in the rest of the series. When he turns into a werewolf it is like he has two separate personalities. When he’s himself he’s this nice outgoing guy and when he goes werewolf on you he’s super intense and Bella’s just blown away like ‘what is with this freak now,’” Lautner said in the interview.
Lautner said he was unfamiliar with Stephenie Meyer’s mega-best-selling “Twilight” books until he tried out for the role.
“I had not even heard about ‘Twilight’ until I auditioned for it and then as soon as I was cast I was like, what am I getting myself into? I was blown away and so incredibly excited,” he said.
Lautner received a great deal of support from “Twilight” fans, which undoubtedly helped him keep the role. Now, the excitement continues for the young star – and the fans who love him as Jacob.
- BAM
Twice is nice for seeing “Twilight” film
I went last weekend with a group of gal pals to see the film version of “Twilight.” It was my second time to see it since I watched the screening at the film junket in Beverly Hills, Calif., the week before the film opened.
When I saw the film the first time, I was most of the way through “Twilight,” the first book in Stephenie Meyer’s four-book mega-best-selling saga. I liked the movie but didn’t love it.
Since November, I’ve discovered what millions of Meyer’s fans know: Man, those books are addictive!
After I finished the book “Twilight” back at the hotel after the film screening, I made the mistake of reading the first chapter of “New Moon” included in the back of the first book. I reiterate: big mistake. The first chapter ends in a cliff-hanger if you don’t have the rest of the book, and there I was in California without the second book. It drove me crazy for the next few days until I could get out and buy a copy.
I raced through “New Moon” and soon picked up “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn.” I stayed up until 5 a.m. reading “Breaking Dawn.” I hadn’t stayed up that late reading a book since “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” ended that page-turning series.
I really love Meyer’s books, so when a group of friends invited me to go see “Twilight” again, I took them up on the offer.
My assessment of the movie basically remained unchanged after seeing it the second time: I thought it was a faithful adaptation of Meyer’s book but that it had its awkward moments and the special effects and makeup were cheap and cheesy.
But the experience of seeing it after reading all four books was richer and more satisfying. There was a sense of anticipation knowing what was going to happen to the characters after the credits rolled.
Plus, seeing it with a group of like-minded friends – some have seen the movie so often they refused to reveal precise numbers – was plain fun.
I have recommended the books to several other people since I finished them, and some have become fellow fans.
And my friends and I already have a party in the works for when the film comes out on DVD.
-BAM
Forest Whitaker to present SAG’s Lifetime Achievement Award to James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones (Associated Press photo)
The 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony will be simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS at 7 tonight. from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. An encore presentation will air on TNT at 10 p.m.
Forest Whitaker will present Screen Actors Guild’s 45th Life Achievement Award to James Earl Jones at the SAG Awards, executive producer and director Jeff Margolis announced in a news release.
Whitaker joins a growing roster of actors who will honor their colleagues at the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards that already includes Christina Applegate, Angela Bassett, Jon Hamm, John Krasinski, Eric McCormack, Kyra Sedgwick and William Shatner.
Screen Actors Guild is honoring James Earl Jones for his career achievement and humanitarian accomplishments. Past recipients of SAG’s Life Achievement Award include Charles Durning, Julie Andrews, Shirley Temple Black, James Garner, Karl Malden, Clint Eastwood, Edward Asner, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, Kirk Douglas, Elizabeth Taylor, Angela Lansbury, Robert Redford and George Burns.
Forest Whitaker and James Earl Jones first starred together in 1996 in the television biopic “Rebound: The Life of Earl ‘The Goat’ Manigault,” which won a San Francisco International Film Festival Award and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. They collaborated again in 2001 in the Emmy Award-winning television adaptation of Anne Rice’s “Feast of All Saints.”
Whitaker’s definitive performance as Ugandan military dictator Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland” earned him his first Actor, as well as an Oscar, Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Film Award, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award and an NAACP Image Award, among others. Whitaker has also received two Actor nominations for his work on the made-for-television movies “Deacons for Defense” and “The Enemy Within.” He received Emmys for his guest starring performance on “ER” and as co-executive producer of the TNT telefilm “Door to Door.”
His prolific credits include the critically-acclaimed films “The Great Debaters,” “Bird” and “The Crying Game,” as well as box office hits such as “Panic Room,” “Phenomenon,” “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “A Rage In Harlem,” “Platoon” and “The Color of Money.” As a director, he helmed box office hit “Waiting To Exhale,” starring ensemble cast Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine and Lela Rochon, in addition to the Sandra Bullock starrer “Hope Floats” and “First Daughter,” starring Katie Holmes. In 2008, Whitaker wrapped filming on “Where the Wild Things Are” with director Spike Jonze. Whitaker is also in post-production for the film “Winged Creatures,” and recently completed filming “Powder Blue” and “Repossession Mambo.” Whitaker can next be seen in the upcoming “Hurricane Season,” and is currently filming “My Own Love Song” opposite Renee Zellweger.
Jones’ work in front of the cameras and on stage is as imposing as his magnificent basso profundo. He has appeared in countless television, film and stage productions over his 53-year career, including such films as the “Star Wars” trilogy, the “Lion King” films, “Primary Colors,” “Jefferson in Paris,” “The Sandlot,” “Clear and Present Danger,” “The Hunt for Red October” and “Patriot Games,” “Gang Related,” “Field of Dreams,” “Coming to America,” “The Greatest,” “Claudine,” and many others. His stature as one of the greatest actors of the past half-century has been underscored by numerous accolades. He received the National Medal of Arts in 1992 and a decade later was a Kennedy Center Honoree. Screen Actors Guild previously honored Jones in 1995 with an Actor nomination for his portrayal of South African priest Stephen Kumalo in the film adaptation of the Alan Paton classic, “Cry, the Beloved Country.” His role as Gabriel Bird on the television series “Gabriel’s Fire” earned him an Emmy, NAACP Image Award, and a Golden Globe nomination.
In 1969, Jones won a Tony for his breakthrough role as boxer Jack Johnson in the Broadway hit, “The Great White Hope.” His work in the 1970 film adaptation also garnered him an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe and landed him on the cover of “Newsweek.” He won a second Tony in 1987 for August Wilson’s “Fences,” in which he played a former baseball player who finds it difficult to communicate with his son, and a Tony nomination in 1995 for the critically acclaimed revival of “On Golden Pond,” playing crotchety Norman Thayer opposite Leslie Uggams. Jones returned to Broadway this year to portray Big Daddy in a revival of “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof,” starring with Terrance Howard, Anika Noni Rose and Phylicia Rashad.
For more information on the awards, go to www.sag.org.
My colleague, George Lang, will be live-blogging the awards on his Staticblog if you want to check that out.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Jan. 25
Shakespeare In The Park’s production of ” Julius Caesar” stars “Cassius” Andi Dema and ” Julius” Paul Armstrong. (Photo by Steve Gooch/The Oklahoman)
Today’s featured event:
Watch the drama unfold when Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park stages “Julius Caesar” at 2 p.m. today at Stage Center, 400 W Sheridan.
For more information, go to www.oklahomashakespeare.com.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
Video: Blake Shelton performs on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton performed his latest hit “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” Thursday night on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” He did a great job on the show and lived up to his placement in People magazine’s Sexy Men issue last fall.
The song, which is one of my personal favorites of his, is currently No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
The string of Oklahoma musical guests on Kimmel’s late-night show will continue with David Cook on Monday. And Coweta hard-rock band Crooked X must have made an impression in their recent debut on Kimmel’s show; the band has been invited back to perform on the Feb. 2 show.
-BAM
Vince Gill’s songs to be made into lullabies
Vince Gill (The Oklahoman Archives photo)
Oklahoma native Vince Gill is latest country music star to have his hits turned into lullabies.
“Hushabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of Vince Gill,” the latest CD of country lullabies in the Hushabye Baby series, will be released Feb. 10.
The instrumental album will feature lullaby renditions of “Feels Like Love,” “The Reason Why,” “Pretty Little Adriana” and some of his more obvious hits.
Produced and performed by accomplished musicians, these children’s music albums are created by traditional country instruments like acoustic guitar, fiddle and pedal steel augmented with celeste, glockenspiel and xylophone. Hushabye Baby CDs are made by the same company that makes the rock-theme Rockabye Baby! lullaby series.
Born in Norman and raised in Oklahoma City, Vince Gill creates music that draws from country traditions yet appeals to contemporary tastes. Once he broke through to stardom in 1989 with “When I Call Your Name,” he became one of the genre’s top stars. He has sold more than 22 million albums and won more Grammy Awards than any other male country artist, boasting a total of 19. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007, Gill has been awarded 18 times by the Country Music Association, including two Entertainer of the Year wins and five as Male Vocalist of the Year.
Hushabye Baby CDs come in packages that are kid friendly with colorful and charming artwork and activities, and eco-friendly, made with 100% recycled materials. Inside each is a mini baby-book, a character bio for a featured farm animal and a baby food recipe created by executive chef Jeff Parker that¹s both tasty and healthy, making Hushabye Baby the go-to baby shower gift for country fans.
The Hushabye Baby series is the newest venture of CMH Records, which over the last 33 years has become one of the most distinguished and successful labels in bluegrass, roots and instrumental music, garnering numerous awards along the way. The CMH legacy of quality American music continues with Hushabye Baby, which utilizes producers and musicians whose work can also be heard on country radio and recordings.
Hushabye Baby has been awarded four “Excellent Product” honors from iParenting Media, the premier product evaluation and testing service in the country for children’s and family products, according to a news release.
CDs featuring lullaby renditions of the songs of Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood, George Strait, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson have already been issued by Hushabye Baby. Lullaby Renditions of Patsy Cline will be released concurrently with the Vince Gill lullabies, and future albums will spotlight the music of Oklahoman Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton and other classic and contemporary country stars.
Further information on the albums and sound samples can be found at www.hushabyebabymusic.com.
Hushabye Baby: Lullaby Renditions of Vince Gill track listing:
1. I Still Believe in You
2. Loving You Makes Me a Better Man
3. Look at Us
4. When Love Finds You
5. Feels Like Love
6. Pretty Little Adriana
7. The Reason Why
8. When I Call Your Name
9. The Heart Won’t Lie
10. Whenever You Come Around
-BAM
