Target, Walmart hosting “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” release parties tonight
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. To read my interview with “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” director Bill Condon, click here.
Target, Walmart hosting “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” release parties
Forget vampires vs. werewolves: Friday night’s anticipated DVD release of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1” is setting up an epic battle between big-box giants Target and Walmart.
“Breaking Dawn — Part 1” drops on DVD and Blu-ray at the stroke of midnight Saturday, with release parties planned Friday night (tonight) at Walmart and Target locations across the country, including many Oklahoma stores.
Nearly 500 Target stores nationwide, including the Midwest City, Norman and Quail Springs locations, will extend their hours to 1 a.m. Saturday morning for the release events. Beginning at 11 p.m. Friday, fans will be shown an exclusive, world-premiere scene from the fifth and final film, “Breaking Dawn — Part 2.”
At midnight, fans can purchase the Target exclusive, limited edition DVD of “Breaking Dawn — Part 1” that includes an authentic prop flower from the wedding scene encased in an acrylic keepsake, according to a news release.
For more information, go to Target.com/Twilight.
More than 2,700 Walmart stores across the country, including several across Oklahoma, will have giveaways, trivia games and “Twilight”-theme bakery treats at release parties beginning at 11 p.m. Friday. The stores will feature a cameo by Cullen vampire Rosalie (Nikki Reed) on their in-store TV feed during the lead-up to the release, according to Home Media Magazine.
Walmart also will be selling an exclusively packaged version of the movie, the “Bella’s Wedding Special Edition,” featuring collectible wedding dress packaging, a fabric poster of Bella and Edward’s big day and music videos from Bruno Mars and Christina Perri.
For more information, go to www.walmart.com/moviecenter.
— BAM
Bill Condon takes on twice the challenges with “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” movies; “Part 1″ to be released on DVD at midnight Saturday
From left, Robert Pattinson, Bill Condon andTaylor Lautner attend a Nov. 17, 2011, film premiere of "The Twilight Sage: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1" in Barcelona, Spain. AP photo
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Bill Condon takes on twice the challenges with “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” movies
The “Chicago” and “Dreamgirls” director made “Breaking Dawn — Part 1,” which will be released on DVD and Blu-ray at midnight Saturday, and “Breaking Dawn — Part 2,” due in theaters Nov. 16, at the same time.
LOS ANGELES — Director Bill Condon’s initiation into the global pop culture phenomenon known as “The Twilight Saga” began with a literal honeymoon period.
Adapting “Breaking Dawn,” the fourth and final book in Stephenie Meyer’s supernaturally popular vampire-romance series, involved dividing the weighty character- and milestone-packed novel into two movies that were filmed simultaneously. But the process started with just Kristen Stewart, who plays human heroine Bella Swan, and Robert Pattinson, who plays her courtly vampire sweetheart Edward Cullen, filming their characters’ honeymoon in Brazil.
“We started this big movie very small. It was only Rob and Kristen plus a couple other actors for half a day … We were starting on a honeymoon. It was kind of a dreamy thing to do, you know. I found it great,” Condon said during a fall press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel. “We had some weather problems and got rained in, socked in, and all had to sleep in bathtubs and things at the honeymoon house. But everything about it was magical.”
“Twi-hard” fans of the series seemed to agree: “Breaking Dawn — Part 1” has grossed nearly $702 million worldwide since it opened in theaters Nov. 18.
The penultimate film in the blockbuster franchise drops on DVD and Blu-ray at the stroke of midnight Saturday, with release parties planned Friday night (tonight) at Walmart and Target locations across the country, including many Oklahoma stores. For more information on the release parties planned at the retail giants, click here.
“The biggest challenge is that these books are so beloved by so many people that you want to make sure that it’s your take on the material but that it doesn’t betray what people’s expectations are and yet still becomes a fully cinematic experience,” said Condon, 56, who became the fourth director to work on “The Twilight Saga” when he took the helm of the final two movies.
“Making two movies at once wasn’t fun, either. Well, it was fun. It was hard, though. It was hard ‘cause it was such a big thing,” he added. “Kristen … would be young Bella, high school girl, in the morning and then a vampire in the afternoon and then a pregnant mother in the evening. She had days like that. It was crazy.”
Condon, who won an adapted screenplay Oscar for the 1998 biopic “Gods and Monsters,” is best known for directing the movie musicals “Dreamgirls” and “Chicago,” as well as the fact-based drama “Kinsey.” Part of the appeal of the “Twilight” films, he said, was the chance to helm an old-fashioned melodrama.
“I’m … a big fan of classic Hollywood genres. And that’s a genre that’s sort of fallen out of fashion. … I think like other things like detective stories it became something that TV took over, and it became devalued. But some of our greatest directors worked in that forum. And it allows you to immerse yourself in emotion, you know, and to do that both with camera and music, with design and color, so I very much embraced and didn’t fight against (that),” he said. “It’s a valuable genre that I think because it often puts women and women concerns in the center, gets devalued too, which is too bad.”
Along with Edward and Bella’s highly anticipated wedding and honeymoon, “Breaking Dawn — Part 1” includes the dramatic arrival of their daughter, Renesmee. The birth not only threatens Bella’s life — an emergency vampire conversion is her only hope for survival — it also endangers the Cullen clan’s pact with the local werewolves of the Quileute Tribe, including Bella’s best pal, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).
“That’s a good example of the challenges because obviously it’s very, very kind of powerfully described in the book, and you want to be true to that experience. But how do you show some of those things? As with a lot of other things, I think the key to doing it and being able to have that experience is to tell it from Bella’s point of view,” Condon said.
“Once Bella’s on that slab, we’re only gonna see what she can see as these things are happening to her — and we’re only gonna see it through her eyes as she gets weaker, as the morphine takes over.”
The harrowing birth of Renesmee and rebirth of Bella as a vampire set up the series’ eagerly awaited finale in “Breaking Dawn — Part 2,” due in theaters Nov. 16. When they learn the baby has been targeted by the corrupt vampire peacekeepers known as the Volturi, the Cullens gather other covens to make a stand and protect the child.
“I remember we would have scenes with the Cullens and you’d have eight or nine vampires in a room and I was thinking, ‘Oh, good, this is an easy day.’ Because we had so many scenes with literally 27 people in a room,” he said. “It’s huge that way. But we have such good actors and it is important that everybody get their moment to define who they are. It’s a real challenge …. about the second movie. But we gather these vampires from around the world, and we want to know as we get into the climax of that movie what each of them represents and what their powers are and who they are.”
-BAM
New releases for Feb. 7, 2012: David Cook, Cady Groves, Van Halen, Paul McCartney, Dierks Bentley, “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″, “Phantom of the Opera”
Season 7 “American Idol” winner David Cook, who has Tulsa ties, has released today an EP titled “This Quiet Night” exclusively through Walmart. The CD includes acoustic performances of five songs from his 2011 album “This Loud Morning.”
Emerging pop singer-songwriter Cady Groves, who grew up in Marlow, Cache and Yukon, also is released today her “This Little Girl” EP.
Featuring tracks including her popular first single “This Little Girl” the digital EP will be available at all digital service providers and will include fan-favorite track “We’re The Sh*t” as well as Groves cover of Adele’s “Someone Like You”. The physical version will be available www.cadygroves.com and will include the same tracks as the digital version with the addition of Groves duet “Oh Darlin’” with Plug in Stereo.
Groves, who was just spotlighted in Seventeen Magazine’s “Ultimate Guide To Music” will be joining her labelmates and friends Hot Chelle Rae in select North American markets in February and March. (See the full list of tour dates after the break; it looks Dallas will be the closest she comes to Oklahoma.).
Among LPs, this week boasts new releases from Van Halen, Paul McCartney and Dierks Bentley. To read my review of Dierks’ latest, click here.
This week’s new DVDs include the 25th anniversary performance of “The Phantom of the Opera,” which I’ll be reviewing in the coming days; the excellent documentary “Project Nim,” which made my top 10 movies of 2011 list; and oh yeah, a little blockbuster called “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1,” which will be released in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
CDs
David Cook, “This Quiet Night” EP (Walmart exclusive)
Van Halen, “A Different Kind of Truth.”
Paul McCartney, “Kisses on the Bottom.”
Dierks Bentley, “Home.”
The Fray, “Scars & Stories.”
Various artists, “Waylon: The Music Inside, Volume II.”
Tony Bennett, “Isn’t It Romantic.”
Steve Tyrell, “I’ll Take Romance.”
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, “Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall: In Celebration of 25 Years.”
Air, “Le Voyage Dans La Lune” (CD/DVD).
Edith Piaf, “Edith Piaf” (3-CD special edition).
DVD
Anonymous
Downton Abbey: Season 2
Father Dowling Mysteries: The First Season
Fireflies in the Garden
Project Nim
The Rebound
The Sunset Limited
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (midnight Saturday)
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
A Warrior’s Heart
Books
Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman
Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success by Rory Vaden
Kill Shot (Mitch Rapp)by Vince Flynn
Ali in Wonderland: And Other Tall Tales by Ali Wentworth
Hilarity Ensues by Tucker Max
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, death, and hope in a Mumbai undercity by Katherine Boo
-BAM
New releases for Feb. 7, 2012: David Cook, Cady Groves, Van Halen, Paul McCartney, Dierks Bentley, “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″, “Phantom of the Opera”
New releases for Jan. 17, 2012: Ani Difranco, Martina McBride, “Dirty Girl,” “The Ides of March” and more
Juno Temple in "Dirty Girl"
“Dirty Girl,” writer-director Abe Sylvia’s ’80s era indie drama partially set in Norman, is out on DVD today, along with George Clooney’s political drama “The Ides of March,” the faith-based film “Courageous” and “Twilight” heartthrob Taylor Lautner’s actioner “Abduction.”
In “Dirty Girl,” Danielle is labeled the ” dirty girl of Norman High” in 1987, and when she gets banished to special ed, she meets a shy, friendless, closeted gay boy. California, here they come, with the mismatched misfits played by Juno Temple and Jeremy Dozier setting off on a road trip. (Although the story is partially set in Norman, according to IMDB, it was all filmed in California.)
Here is a list of more CDs, DVDs and books out this week, as listed on Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Ani Difranco, “Which Side Are You on.”
Martina McBride, “Hits and More.”
Coldplay, “Mylo Xyloto (Special edition box set).”
Michael W. Smith, “Decades of Worship.”
Kathleen Edwards, “Voyageur.”
Guided By Voices, “Let’s Go Eat the Factory.”
Girls Generation, “Boys.”
Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian, “Further Explorations.”
Bombay Bicycle Club, “Different Kind of Fix.”
DVDs
Abduction
Arena
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star
Cold Sweat
Courageous
Dirty Girl
The Ides of March
Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain
Killing Bono
Merlin: The Complete Third Season
Mysteries of Lisbon
Sliders: The Fifth and Final Season
Undocumented
Books
Raylan: A Novel (Raylan Givens) by Elmore Leonard
Death of Kings: A Novel (Saxon Tales) by Bernard Cornwell
Shadows in Flight by Orson Scott Card
The Rope: An Anna Pigeon Novel (Anna Pigeon Mysteries) by Nevada Barr
The End of Illness by David B. Agus
-BAM
Film projecting: The Oklahoman’s anticipated movies of 2012 list
A version of this story appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman and was a joint effort of George Lang, Matthew Price and me.
Film projections: 2012′s big-screen bright spots
Hollywood is a big circus, and as the film industry has proved every year since “Jaws” took a bite out of the box office in 1975, it cannot put on a circus without “tentpoles.” That is, of course, the business term for movies that hold everything up, and after a year in which every one of the top 10 films was a sequel, remake or adaptation, prepare for more unsubtle familiarity keeping the tent over everyone’s head.
But are there new trends? Just follow the breadcrumbs, boys and girls, to a plethora of princesses, dwarves, giants and witches, all imbued with the kind of darkness that could only happen after “Twilight.” Yes, fairy tales such as “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters” (March 2), “Mirror, Mirror” (March 16), “Snow White and the Huntsman” (June 1) and “Jack the Giant Killer” (June 15) are the gold rush du jour, and only time and box office receipts will tell whether audiences decided to bite into these apples or if they just stayed home and watched “Once Upon a Time” or “Grimm.”
But if fairy tales do not make the studios live happily ever after, the slate of big movies for 2012 proves there is more than one way to spin a web, go to space, deal with vampires or survive the apocalypse.
This is not a complete list, but these are the films that spark our childlike wonder. They give us hope that there is still some magic under the big top.
“Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
Given the beloved source material, it’s amazing how barely lovable to downright intolerable most of the Dr. Seuss big-screen adaptations turned out to be — the Mike Myers version of “The Cat in the Hat” should have been euthanized. “Despicable Me” director Chris Renaud is on board for this version of Seuss’ environmental fable with Danny DeVito voicing the Lorax, but time will tell if the love story and the other non-canonical subplots will make sense to anyone who grew up loving Truffula Trees and Bar-ba-loots in their Bar-ba-loot suits. (March 2)
“John Carter”
Oscar-winning Pixar helmer Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo,” “WALL-E”) makes the jump to live-action filmmaking to adapt Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic novel about a war-weary soldier (Taylor Kitsch) who is mysteriously transported to Mars (AKA Barsoom), where he becomes entangled in an epic conflict among the planet’s denizens. Hopefully, Stanton will have as much success working in live-action as his Pixar counterpart Brad Bird did with last year’s spy spectacle “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol.”
“The Hunger Games”
May the odds be ever in the favor of Oscar-nominated it girl Jennifer Lawrence (“Winter’s Bone,” “X:Men: First Class”), who will fight to the death in the film version of Suzanne Collins best-selling novel, the first of a trilogy that has sold 16 million copies in the U.S. alone. In the not-too-distant future, North American society has collapsed and been replaced by Panem, where every year two teenagers from each of the country’s 12 districts are summoned to the corrupt Capitol to participate in the deadly “Hunger Games,” a spectacle televised throughout the land. (March 23)
“The Avengers”
Marvel’s heroes will gather en masse to battle threats no one of them can handle alone in this expected blockbuster to be directed by Joss Whedon (“Serenity”). The film will bring together actors from the casts of “Iron Man” (Robert Downey Jr.), “Iron Man 2” (Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson), “Thor” (Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner) and “Captain America: The First Avenger” (Chris Evans), adding in Mark Ruffalo as the new Hulk for good measure. (May 4)
“Dark Shadows”
As Tim Burton is wont to do these days, “Dark Shadows” is the latest in the quirky director’s remaking and reimagining of the classics. Originally a Gothic soap opera that played on ABC from 1965 to 1971, Burton’s new version stars Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins, the vampire who returns to his estate after 200 years to find the place in ruins and occupied by dysfunctional descendants. In addition to Depp, “Dark Shadows” also stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Grace Moretz, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter and Jackie Earle Haley. (May 11)
“Men in Black III”
A decade after the last installment, the Men in Black are back. The movie series, based on the comic book written by Lowell Cunningham and illustrated by Sandy Carruthers, stars Will Smith as Agent J and Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K. The agents are members of a secret task force that monitors alien activity on Earth. In “MIB 3,” Agent J must travel back in time to the 1960s to prevent Agent K (played in the 1960s era of the film by Josh Brolin) from being assassinated.
“Men in Black III” also stars Alice Eve, Emma Thompson and Johnny Knoxville. (May 25)
“Prometheus”
This might be an act of misdirection, but Ridley Scott now indicates that “Prometheus” is not a prequel to the “Alien” films but contains some of the same elements as that landmark series. So far, little is known beyond the basic premise involving a late-21st century space exploration delving into the origins of the human species. The film stars Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, and probably not Sigourney Weaver, but everyone will know for sure on June 8.
“Brave”
Pixar’s animation wizards look back to ancient times for their first fairy tale, the story of courageous and impetuous Scottish princess Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald), a skilled archer who defies a venerable custom and inadvertently causes chaos in the kingdom of her parents, King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane and Kevin McKidd also lend their brogues to the Highland adventure. (June 22)
“Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter”
Benjamin Walker stars as the 16th President of the United States in this film from “Wanted” director Timur Bekmambetov. But this is a version that you didn’t read about in history class. Based on the 2010 mashup novel “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter” by Seth Grahame-Smith, the film posits that Lincoln was secretly a vampire hunter. (June 22)
“The Amazing Spider-Man”
Has there ever been a more appropriately named director than Marc Webb? The “(500) Days of Summer” director takes over for Sam Raimi as the Spider-films are rebooted, with Andrew Garfield (“The Social Network”) signing on as timid teen Peter Parker, who becomes the Amazing Spider-Man following an encounter with an unusual spider. Webb told the LA Times that Peter’s outsider status remains, though the idea of what it means to be a geek has changed since the Raimi films.
“Nerds are running the world. Andrew Garfield made a movie about it. Nerds are no longer pariahs and knowing how to write computer code is longer a [mocked] quality. What was important in those early comics was this notion that Peter Parker is an outsider and how we define that in a contemporary context.” (July 3)
Alliance of Women Film Journalists name “The Artist” the best film of 2011
"The Artist"
The Alliance of Women Film Journalists, of which I’m a member, have announced the winners of its EDA Annual Achievement Awards.
“The Artist,” writer-director Michel Hazanavicius’ tribute to the silent film era, earned best film along with best director.
EDA stands for Excellent Dynamic Activism. This year, the EDA Awards included standard best-of categories and AWFJ’s unique Female Focus Awards in which we honor the year’s outstanding achievements by women working in film – and have some fun pointing out which actress is most in need of a new agent, which actress or actor gave the bravest performance, and what were the most memorable and most shameful film moments of 2011.
EDA ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Best Film:
The Artist
Best Director:
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Best Screenplay, Original:
Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen
Best Screenplay, Adapted: (TIE)
The Descendants – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim RashMoneyball – Steven Zallian and Aaron Sorkin
Best Documentary:
Buck
Best Animated Film:
Rango
Best Actress:
Viola Davis as Abileen in The Help
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: (TIE)
Janet McTeer as Hubert Page in Albert NobbsOctavia Spencer as Minny Jackson in The Help
Best Actor:
Michael Fassbender as Brandon Sullivan in Shame
Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Christopher Plummer as Hal Fields in Beginners
Best Ensemble Cast:
Bridesmaids
Best Editing:
Hugo – Thelma Schoonmaker
Best Cinematography:
The Tree of Life – Emmanuel Lubezki
Best Film Music Or Score: (TIE)
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Original ScoreHanna – The Chemical Brothers, Original Score
Best Non-English-Language Film:
A Separation – Ashgar Farhadi, Iran
Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS
Best Woman Director:
Lynne Ramsey – We Need To Talk About Kevin
Best Woman Screenwriter:
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo – Bridesmaids
Kick Ass Award For Best Female Action Star: (TIE)
Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander in Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Saoirse Ronan as Hanna in Hanna
Best Animated Female:
Isla Fisher as Beans in Rango
Best Breakthrough Performance:
Elizabeth Olsen as Martha in Martha Marcy May Marlene
Female Icon Award:
Glenn Close as Albert Nobbs in Albert Nobbs
Actress Defying Age and Ageism:
Helen Mirren as Rachel Singer in The Debt
This Year’s Outstanding Achievement By A Woman In The Film Industry:
Jessica Chastain for performances in four highly acclaimed films
AWFJ Award For Humanitarian Activism:
Angelina Jolie for UN work and making In The Land of Blood and Honey to raise awareness about genocide.
Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
EDA SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS
AWFJ Hall Of Shame Award:
The Hollywood Reporter for failing to invite any women to join the Directors Roundtable
Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent:
All actresses in New Year’s Eve
Movie You Wanted To Love But Just Couldn‘t:
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Unforgettable Moment Award:
The Artist – The sound of the glass clinking on the table.
Best Depiction Of Nudity, Sexuality, or Seduction: (TIE)
Melancholia – Justine in the moonlight.Shame – Opening sequence on the subway train.
Sequel Or Remake That Shouldn’t Have Been Made Award:
The Hangover Part II
Most Egregious Love Interest Age Difference Award: (TIE)
Albert Nobbs – Glenn Close (64) and Mia Wasilkowska (22)Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part I – Bella (18) and Edward (Over 100)
-BAM
New releases for Dec. 13, 2011: “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “Kung Fu Panda 2,” “Fright Night,” “The Walking Dead, Vol. 15″
There are less than two weeks left until Christmas, and for cinephiles, several soundtrack albums and well-reviewed movies are out this week for home listening and viewing.
In the CD section, movie soundtracks dominate, from the score from the blockbuster “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ to Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa’s music from and inspired by “Mac & Devin Go to High School.” Jonsi’s music for “We Bought a Zoo,” John Williams’ for “The Adventures of Tintin” and Hans Zimmer’s from “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” also are due.
Among the new DVDs, most critics praised the sleeper hit “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” the remake “Fright Night,” the animated sequel “Kung Fu Panda 2″ and Chinese director Hark Tsui’s Sherlock Holmes-esque “Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame.”
For comics fans, “The Walking Dead, Volume 15,” Marvel’s “X-Statix Omnibus” and the finale “Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 27″ are among the new selections on the bookshelf.
Here are more options for new CDs, DVDs and books out this week, from Amazon.com, VideoETA.com and BarnesandNoble.com:
CDs
Carter Burwell, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, The Score.”
Rammstein, “Made in Germany.”
Anthony Hamilton, “Back to Love.”
John Williams, “Music from the Motion Picture The Adventures of Tintin.”
Charlotte Gainsbourg, “Stage Whisper.”
Hans Zimmer, “Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.”
Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa, “Mac & Devin Go to High School: Music From and Inspired by the Movie.”
Smokey Robinson, “The Solo Albums: Volume 6.”
Jonsi, “Music from the Motion Picture We Bought a Zoo.”
DVDs
Circumstance
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
Family Guy: Volume 9
Fright Night
Kill Katie Malone
Kung Fu Panda 2
A Legend Is Born: Ip Man
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
The Smell of Success
Tanner Hall
Books
The Walking Dead, Volume 15: We Find Ourselves by Robert Kirkman
Covert Warriors (Presidential Agent Series #7) by W. E. B. Griffin
D. C. Dead (Stone Barrington Series #22) by Stuart Woods
The Devil’s Elixir by Raymond Khoury
Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 27 by Hiromu Arakawa
X-Statix Omnibus by Peter Milligan
Vampire Academy: The Ultimate Guide by Michelle Rowen
Star Wars The Old Republic Explorer’s Guide: Prima Official Game Guide by Mike Searle
Once Upon a Time: A Collection of Classic Fairy Tales by Brothers Grimm
-BAM
Box office report for Dec. 12, 2011: “New Year’s Eve” tops worst weekend since 2008
“New Year’s Eve” was quiet at the box office, with director Gary Marshall’s star-studded romantic follow-up to his 2010 hit “Valentine’s Day” opening at No. 1 with a weak $13 million, according to the Associated Press.
The tepid opening for “New Year’s Eve,” which stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Ashton Kutcher, Katherine Heigl, Lea Michele, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Hilary Swank and Seth Meyers, reflected the overall revenues for the weekend, the worst for Hollywood in three years.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, overall box revenues for the weekend totaled an estimated $78 million, the lowest number since early September 2008, when revenues only reached $68 million over the Sept. 5-7 weekend. This weekend was down 15 percent from the same frame a year ago and 4 percent from last weekend.
Although early and mid-December are often slow times at the box office because everyone is busy with holiday shopping and events, the sluggish results this weekend were in keeping with the downward box-office trend that has persisted through most of 2011. Pundits predicted “New Year’s Eve” to make $20 million or more in its opening weekend, but it fell far short.
Opening to No. 2 was 20th Century Fox’s comedy “The Sitter,” starring Jonah Hill in an R-rated gender-switched take on the 1987 box-office hit “Adventures in Babysitting.” The film debuted to $10 million, in line with pre-weekend tracking, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Thee Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ fell to No. 3 after holding on to the top spot the three consecutive weekends. The fourth and penultimate film based on Stephenie Meyer’s supernaturally popular book series grossed $7.9 million for a domestic total of $259.6 million.
There’s hope left for Hollywood even as 2011 rushes to its end, starting with this weekend, when Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law return as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” Guy Ritchie’s sequel to his 2009 holiday blockbuster.
Her are the top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters last weekend, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, from the AP:
1. “New Year’s Eve,” Warner Bros., $13,019,180, 3,505 locations, $3,714 average, $13,019,180, one week.
2. “The Sitter,” Fox, $9,851,435, 2,750 locations, $3,582 average, $9,851,435, one week.
3. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1,” Summit, $7,819,402, 3,604 locations, $2,170 average, $259,402,669, four weeks.
4. “The Muppets,” Disney, $6,978,870, 3,328 locations, $2,097 average, $65,742,128, three weeks.
5. “Arthur Christmas,” Sony, $6,510,486, 3,272 locations, $1,990 average, $33,400,598, three weeks.
6. “Hugo,” Paramount, $6,050,309, 2,608 locations, $2,320 average, $33,414,719, three weeks.
7. “The Descendants,” Fox Searchlight, $4,380,138, 876 locations, $5,000 average, $23,630,561, four weeks.
8. “Happy Feet Two,” Warner Bros., $3,690,304, 2,840 locations, $1,299 average, $56,790,405, four weeks.
9. “Jack and Jill,” Sony, $3,085,098, 2,787 locations, $1,107 average, $68,527,385, five weeks.
10. “Immortals,” Relativity Media, $2,461,227, 2,299 locations, $1,071 average, $79,868,732, five weeks.
-BAM
Box office report for Dec. 5, 2011: “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn” stays No. 1 for third week
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1,” the fourth and penultimate movie in the blockbuster franchise based on Stephenie Meyer’s supernaturally popular book series, continued its rule of the domestic box office, bringing in another $16.9 million to stay in the No. 1 spot for the third straight weekend.
According to the Associated Press, the third No. 1 finish for “Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ came during one of the year’s slowest weekends at the box office.
Domestic revenues totaled just $82 million, which barely put it ahead of Hollywood’s worst haul of the year, when revenues were $81.5 million over the second weekend in September, reported to the AP.
The first weekend of December often presents a lull in between big Thanksgiving releases and the onslaught of year-end blockbusters that arrive a bit later. But this big a slowdown is surprising because of the big crop of strong new films, particularly family fare such as “The Muppets,” ”Hugo” and “Arthur Christmas.”
Hollywood executives usually blame bad weekends on a weak crop of movies, but all three of the kid-friendly releases earned great reviews.
“It’s tough to blame it on the product when the product is pretty good and the films are solid,” Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian told the AP. “While the post-Thanksgiving weekend is typically slow, it’s not usually this slow.”
The dreary weekend comes after a relatively quiet Thanksgiving holiday at movie theaters, despite analysts’ predictions of potential holiday records because of a great lineup of films. But more fans might be thinking twice about heading out to theaters given the new entertainment options they have with Apple’s iPad, Amazon’s Kindle products and other gadgets, along with their big-screen home setups for movies and television.
Or it could be that Hollywood has temporarily neglected its mainstay audience of young males, according to the AP. Dergarabedian said there’s little out there now for guys looking for thrills and laughs.
That will change in the coming weeks as Jonah Hill’s comedy “The Sitter” opens Friday, followed by a rush of action tales: Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol,” Robert Downey Jr.’s “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” and Steven Spielberg’s “The Adventures of Tintin.”
Women and families continue to drive the dismal business at theaters now. Summit Entertainment’s female-driven blockbuster “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1″ raised its domestic haul to $247.3 million, reports the AP. “Breaking Dawn” added $40.2 million overseas, taking it to a tally of $341 million internationally and $588.3 million worldwide.
Coming in second again was Disney’s “The Muppets” with $11.2 million, lifting the family film’s domestic total to $56.1 million.
Paramount’s family adventure “Hugo,” an acclaimed saga directed by Martin Scorsese, finished third with $7.6 million, raising its domestic take to $25.2 million.
Sony’s animated holiday comedy “Arthur Christmas” was fourth with $7.4 million, pushing its total to $25.3 million.
Here are the top 10 movies from the weekend, according to the AP:
1. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1,” $16.9 million ($40.2 million international).
2. “The Muppets,” $11.2 million ($1.8 million international).
3. “Hugo,” $7.6 million.
4. “Arthur Christmas,” $7.4 million ($11.4 million international).
5. “Happy Feet Two,” $6 million ($16.3 million international).
6. “Jack and Jill,” $5.5 million ($3.2 million international).
7. “The Descendants,” $5.2 million.
8. “Immortals,” $4.4 million ($4 million international).
9. “Tower Heist,” $4.1 million ($4 million international).
10. “Puss in Boots,” $3.1 million ($23 million international).
-BAM
Box office report for Nov. 28, 2011: “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ holds top spot with “The Muppets” in second place
For the second straight week, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1″ maintained its supernatural hold on the domestic box office.
The fourth and penultimate film based on Stephenie Meyer’s paranormally popular books took in $42 million domestically over the three-day weekend and $62.3 million in the five-day Thanksgiving boom time from Wednesday to Sunday, according to the Associated Press.
It’s strong Thanksgiving showing raised the movie’s domestic total to $221.3 million, while the Summit Entertainment release added $71.5 million overseas to lift the international total to $268 million and the worldwide take to $489.3 million.
Debuting at No. 2 was the holiday comeback movie “The Muppets,” the first film for the pack of music-and-comedy-inclined puppets since 1999′s largely ignored “Muppets from Space.” The first Muppet movie under the Disney auspices took in $29.5 million for the three-day weekend and $42 million over the five-day holiday, according to the AP.
Three other family films rounded out the top-five: the Warner Bros. sequel “Happy Feet Two” at No. 3 with a three-day total of $13.4 million and $18.4 million for five days; Sony’s animated comedy “Arthur Christmas,” which debuted at No. 4 with $12.7 million for three days and $17 million for five days; and Paramount’s period adventure “Hugo,” which bowed at No. 5 with $11.4 million for three days and $15.4 million for five days.
Between “Breaking Dawn” and the blitz of family films, analysts thought Hollywood had a shot at record revenue over Thanksgiving, one of the year’s busiest weekends at movie theaters. But viewers did not come in anywhere close to record numbers, according to the AP.
“I was pretty surprised by this. I just thought this was the perfect combination of films in the marketplace,” Paul Dergarabedian, analyst for box-office tracker Hollywood.com, told the AP. “Maybe there was just too much out there.”
Domestic revenue totaled $234 million from Wednesday to Sunday, well below the $273 million record set two years ago, when “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” led the Thanksgiving weekend. Receipts also fell short of last Thanksgiving’s $264 million haul, when “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1″ finished on top.
Studio executives concede it’s growing harder to lure fans into theaters given all the portable games, devices and other electronics people have to fill up their entertainment time. A so-so Thanksgiving on a weekend with such a good variety of movies could be a sign that Hollywood simply has to live with diminished expectations, the AP reports.
“I don’t know that choice is ever a bad thing, and in terms of a weekend for families, this is one of the best,” Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney, told the AP. “The challenge is breaking through and being relevant and meaningful and fresh enough to take the more finicky customers and have them choose you.”
According to the AP, “The Muppets” drew a good mix of families and couples without children who fondly remember Kermit, Miss Piggy and the rest of the gang on “The Muppet Show.” The film stars Jason Segel (who also co-wrote and executive produced) and Amy Adams as fans helping to reunite the Muppets for a telethon to save their declining Muppet Studios from the scheming of an evil oil baron (Oscar winner Chris Cooper).
“The Muppets” also earned stellar reviews, including mine. Plus, look for my feature on Miss Piggy Wednesday.
“Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ was holding close to the pattern set by “New Moon” two years ago – “Eclipse,” the third chapter in the saga, opened last year in the summertime rather than in November – but domestic revenues were off slightly. Factoring in higher ticket prices since “New Moon,” the audience shrank for the first half of “Breaking Dawn,” with “Part 2″ set for November 2012 release.
“I think the audience has changed a bit. Everybody’s grown a little older, and I guess we lose a few of our patrons to age,” Richie Fay, head of distribution for Summit, told the AP.
With no big releases slated for this Friday, all the movies that entered the crowded Thanksgiving time frame will have a little bit of time to rack up ticket sales before a new spate of potential blockbusters arrive later in December.
“Happy Feet Two” has failed to live up to its Academy Award-winning predecessor, a blockbuster that took in nearly $200 million domestically. The sequel about singing and dancing penguins has madejust $43.8 million since opening Nov. 18, a 10-day total that barely matches the opening-weekend gross of the 2006 original, according to the AP.
“Arthur Christmas,” from the British animation unit Aardman that made “Chicken Run” and the “Wallace and Gromit” films, has long-haul potential because of its good reviews and holiday story line. The voice cast includes James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie and Jim Broadbent in a Christmas Eve romp about a child’s present that falls through the cracks in Santa Claus’ high-tech delivery operation.
Paramount has similar long-term hopes for Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” which also garnered great reviews. Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese makes his 3-D filmmaking debut with the film, based on Brian Selznick’s much-admired 2007 junior novel, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret.” Set in the 1930s, the family-friendly mystery stars Asa Butterfield (“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas”), along with Jude Law, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen and Chloe Moretz, in the tale of an orphan boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station.
Critics have rightly praised “Hugo” for Scorsese’s dazzling and immersive use of 3-D. Unlike 3-D fatigue that set in for some other recent movies, whose 3-D business dipped below half of total revenues, “Hugo” audiences have been willing to pay an extra few dollars to see it in three dimensions. About 75 percent of the film’s revenue came from 3-D screenings, according to the AP.
In narrower release, the Marilyn Monroe drama “My Week with Marilyn” opened solidly with a $1.8 million weekend and $2.1 million since opening Wednesday. The Weinstein Co. release stars Michelle Williams as Monroe during her tumultuous time filming Laurence Olivier’s “The Prince and the Showgirl.”
Playing in 244 theaters, “My Week with Marilyn” had a weekend average of $7,266 a cinema, compared with a $10,330 average in 4,066 locations for “Breaking Dawn,” according to the AP.
Here are the top 10 movies over Thanksgiving weekend, from the AP:
1. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1,” $42 million ($71.5 million international).
2. “The Muppets,” $29.5 million ($1.6 million international).
3. “Happy Feet Two,” $13.4 million ($10 million international).
4. “Arthur Christmas,” $12.7 million ($11.9 million international).
5. “Hugo,” $11.4 million.
6. “Jack and Jill,” $10.3 million.
7. “Immortals,” $8.8 million ($8 million international).
8. “Puss in Boots,” $7.5 million ($9 million international).
9. “Tower Heist,” $7.3 million ($7.3 million international).
10. “The Descendants,” $7.2 million.
-BAM
