Sony is currently negotiating a two-year deal with Clooney and his production partner Grant Heslov. Clooney has spent the last eight years at Warner Bros. producing the films Michael Clayton and Good Night and Good Luck among others. His previous production company, Section Eight which he ran in conjunction with director Steven Soderbergh, was also housed on the Burbank lot.

Smokehouse’s most recent property The Informant, starring Matt Damon and directed by Soderbergh is scheduled for a fall release Warner Bros. Next year Overture Films will debut the Clooney’s Men Who Stare at Goats from director Heslov and pairing Clooney with the talented Ewan McGregor.

Source:
Entertainment Weekly

#1 Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen from Paramount/Dreamworks ties for the #1 spot this weekend earning $42.5 million in 4234 theaters. Budget for Revenge of the Fallen was $200 million.

#3 Public Enemies from Universal debuts at #3 this weekend bringing in $26.1 million in 3334 theaters. Budget for Enemies was $100 million.

#4 The Proposal from Buena Vista. drops again this weekend earning $12.7 million in 3099 theaters. Budget for The Proposal was $40 million.

#5 The Hangover from Warner Bros. drops to #5 this weekend earning $10.4 million in 3070 theaters bringing total earnings to $204.1 million. Budget for The Hangover was $35 million.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 Up Weekend Gross: $6,579,000 down 49% / Theaters: 2656, down 831 / Gross $264,873,000 / Budget: $175 million

#7 My Sister’s Keeper Weekend Gross: $5,255,000 down 57% / Theaters: 2606 / Gross $25,964,000 / Budget: $30 million

#8 The Taking of Pelham 123 Weekend Gross: $2,500,000 down 54% / Theaters: 1908, down 1087 / Gross $58,471,000 / Budget: $100 million

#9 Year One Weekend Gross: $2,100,000 down 61% / Theaters: 2240, down 784 / Gross $38,088,000 / Budget: $60 million

#10 Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian Weekend Gross: $2,100,000 down 42% / Theaters: 1419, down 831 / Gross $167,763,000 / Budget: $150 million

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:

Box Office Mojo

… and there you have the premise to Public Enemies detailing the cat-and-mouse pursuit of John Dillinger and the newest movie from director Michael Mann. I have to say, when I first saw the trailers to this, I was real excited for the film with visions of Mann’s crime epics like Heat and the TV series Crime Story in my head, though the reality after seeing Public Enemies is more along the lines of Mann’s tepid re-make of his own Miami Vice into a film…

Sorry to say that, but this was disappointing to say the least and and way too padded out, so much so that it’s more sleep-inducing than exciting, though to be fair, there’s a few good set pieces along the way. But good set pieces just do not make a good overall movie, and what this lacks is character (which Heat had in droves) and a fun/excitement factor that would just keep you glued to the screen. I was left at the end wishing this had been more Brian DePalma’s The Untouchables more than anything else.

In Heat, there’s a lot there that basically illustrates why our protagonists are the way they are and while this didn’t have to go to the same depths that Heat does, what’s here leaves you with protagonists that are very one and two dimensional. Dillinger is given the greater emphasis and a lot of that is basically pointing you to a direction of “Well, he wasn’t really that bad a guy” at the end. Now that would be fine I think if the same consideration had been given to the other side- the law- especially because there is an equal amount of time given to both, but here Purvis and his crew are given very little other than just the acts of finding Dillinger (though some members of Purvis’ squad are shown in a blood-thirsty capacity, that’s be fine if there was more to it, but here it’s more to enforce sympathy with John Dillinger more than anything else).

I can’t fault the actors with this, Johnny Depp is Dillinger and Christian Bale is Purvis and both do decent jobs with the material that’s given. The standout to me was actually Billy Cruddup in some brief scenes playing J. Edgar Hoover. The least here is Marion Cotillard who really just didn’t leave anything lasting for me in the end.

The fault here is clearly Mann’s who wants to underplay this so much that it loses any sort of sense of fun or excitement that this should have about it. On top of that, at least to me, there’s a lot of times where it’s hard to figure out just where you’re at in the film- location-wise anyway and how all of it coordinates together. I’ve read online of a lot of technical inaccuracies to what really happened and honestly, that doesn’t really matter a lot to me in the end for something like this, as long as what you have in the end turns out to be fairly exciting.

Public Enemies doesn’t do that though, and instead, there were more times where I had to fight off sleep more than anything else. Reviews are all over the map on this, so some out there may very well like this and think it’s the greatest thing to ever hit, but for myself… I think I’ll sit back tonight and pop in DePalma’s The Untouchables again…

#2 The Proposal from Buena Vista. drops to #2 this weekend earning $18 million in 3058 theaters. Budget for The Proposal was $40 million.

#3 The Hangover from Warner Bros. drops to #3 this weekend earning $17.2 million in 3525 theaters bringing total earnings to $183.2 million. Budget for The Hangover was $35 million.

#4 Up from Disney drops to #4 earning $10 million in 3487 theaters bringing total earnings to $250.2 million. Budget for Up was $175 million.

#5 My Sister’s Keeper from Sony debuts at #5 this weekend earning $12 million in 2606 theaters. Budget for Year One is unknown.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 Year One Weekend Gross: $5,800,000 down 70% / Theaters: 3024, up 2 / Gross $12,030,000 / Budget: $60 million

#7 The Taking of Pelham 123 Weekend Gross: $5,400,000 down 55% / Theaters: 2995, down 82 / Gross $53,406,000 / Budget: $100 million

#8 Star Trek Weekend Gross: $3,606,000 down 34% / Theaters: 1823, down 484 / Gross $246,225,000 / Budget: $150 million

#9 Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian Weekend Gross: $3,500,000 down 55% / Theaters: 2250, down 712 / Gross $163,248,000 / Budget: $150 million

#10 Away We Go Weekend Gross: $1,678,000 up 92% / Theaters: 495 up 363 / Gross $4,056,000 / Budget: $17 million

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:

Box Office Mojo

Check out our reasons why and let us know what you think.

Trying to catch up, and you know, someday we might even get caught up.

Also featured in this episode is a promo for Technorama and a review of Opie gets Laid.

Today I’m releasing the movie that earned Sean Penn an Academy Award for his portrayal of Harvey Milk.

Tomorrow, we’ve got an episode in wherein we discuss a former President of the United States.

Sunday, an episode where we compare two movies that were written by the same screenwriter… and which are ridiculously similar.

UPDATE: CNN has just confirmed with the LA coroner that Jackson has in fact died.

Firefighters were called to the popstar’s home around midday on reports that he was not breathing. A spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department told CNN that rescuers were called to Mr. Jackson’s home at 12:21 p.m. Pacific. “When paramedics went on the scene, they treated the patient, then they immediately transported the patient to UCLA.”

Television news is showing images of large crowds gathering outside the UCLA Medical Center with security blocking all entrances to emergency room. The reports of Mr. Jackson’s death rocketed around the world at the speed of the internet with the news leading Friday morning newscasts in Japan.

The pop music icon from Gary, Indiana, widley known as the “King of Pop, was attempting a comeback after years of tabloid headlines, most notably his trial and acquittal on child molestation charges in 2005. Jackson was scheduled to perform as many as 50 sell-out concerts in the O2 arena in London, beginning in July and continuing into 2010. The shows were widely seen as a possible comeback for the “King of Pop”, with the potential to earn him up to $50 million.

The seventh child of the famous Jackson family, Michael started in the music business at the age of 11 as a member of the Jackson 5 with his brothers. The group had a number of hits at Motown in the 1970s. Five of his solo albums are counted among the top-selling albums of all time: Off the Wall, 1982’s Thriller, Bad, Dangerous and HISstory. He was twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and had 13 Grammy awards and 13 number one singles. He has sold over 750 million albums worldwide and his total earnings have been estimated at $500 million dollars.

Jackson has three children, Prince Michael I, Paris and Prince Michael II.

Sources:
Variety
NY Times
LA Times
CNN

Bob Dylan 1978-1989 Both Ends of the Rainbow features extensive commentary on one of the most fascinating and controversial periods in Dylan’s career, a period marked by the three recordings that brought Dylan’s new Christian faith to light: Slow Train Coming (1979), Saved (1980) and Shot of Love (1981).

This Special Edition 2 Disc Set from Chrome Dreams and Pride examines this contentious and often misunderstood time in Dylan’s long career, beginning in the late ’70s and culminating with the release of his 1989 album OH MERCY. The set features rare archive footage of Dylan in concert and performing some of his best tracks as well as exclusive interviews with producers, musicians and associates who worked with him throughout the period. The collection also includes material which many say was notably laking in the first including over an hour of incredible audio interviews with Dylan, in which he discusses his conversion to Christianity and his feelings concerning the criticism he received for that conversion. He also speaks at length of the enlightenment this change of faith had brought him.

This documentary is unique in its focus on this period in Dylan’s creative life, a period that is all too often overlooked when it comes to the well documented yet ever elusive man that is Bob Dylan and for the sheer depth of insight into ’80s-era Dylan.

Retailing at only $21.95 and available from SeeOfSound.com This collection is a must have for any Dylan aficionado.

#2 The Hangover from Warner Bros. drops to #2 this weekend earning $26.8 million in 3545 theaters bringing total earnings to $152.9 million. Budget for The Hangover was $35 million.

#3 Up from Disney drops to #3 earning $21.3 million in 3832 theaters bringing total earnings to $224.1 million. Budget for Up was $175 million.

#4 Year One from Sony debuts at #4 this weekend earning $20.2 million in 3022 theaters. Budget for Year One was $60 million.

#5 The Taking of Pelham 123 from Sony drops to #5 this weekend earning $11.3 million in 3077 theaters. Budget for Pelham was $100 million.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian Weekend Gross: $7,300,000 down 24% / Theaters: 2962, down 403 / Gross $155,953,000 / Budget: $150 million

#7 Star Trek Weekend Gross: $4,700,000 down 13% / Theaters: 2307 down 331 / Gross $239,444,000 / Budget: $150 million

#8 Land of the Lost Weekend Gross: $3,976,000 down 55% / Theaters: 2945 down 589 / Gross $43,672,000 / Budget: $100 million

#9 Imagine That Weekend Gross: $3,100,000 down 43% / Theaters: 3011 up 3 / Gross $11,351,000 / Budget: $55 million

#10 Terminator Salvation Weekend Gross: $3,070,000 down 35% / Theaters: 1920, down 730 / Gross $119,513,000 / Budget: $200 million

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:

Box Office Mojo

Chace Crawford signed on to star after teen heartthrob Zac Efron decided in March against toplining another musical after High School Musical 3 and Hairspray. The original version of Footloose became a sensation and rocketed Kevin Bacon to stardom nearly overnight.

Plans are for this to be a more mature version of Footloose. Dylan Sellers is producing alongside Kenny Ortega (High School Musical), Craig Zadan, one of the producers of the original Footloose and Neil Meron.

Filming is set to begin in March ‘10

Sources:
Variety

#2 Up from Disney holds steady at #2 earning $30.5 million in 3886 theaters bringing total earnings to $187 million. Budget for Up was $175 million.

#3 The Taking of Pelham 123 from Sony debuts at #3 this weekend earning $25 million in 3047 theaters. Budget for Pelham was $100 million.

#4 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian from Fox holds at #4 this weekend earning $9.6 million in 3365 theaters. Budget for Museum was $150 million.

#5 Land of the Lost from Universal drops to #5 this weekend earning $9.1 million in 3534 theaters. Budget for Land was $100 million.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 Imagine That Weekend Gross: $5,700,000 / Theaters: 3008 / Gross $5,700,000 / Budget: $55 million

#7 Star Trek Weekend Gross: $5,600,000 down 32% / Theaters: 2638, down 564 / Gross $232,028,000 / Budget: $150 million

#8 Terminator Salvation Weekend Gross: $4,695,000 down 43% / Theaters: 2650, down 654 / Gross $113,831,000 / Budget: $200 million

#9 Angels & Demons Weekend Gross: $4,200,000 down 35% / Theaters: 2436, down 489 / Gross $123,300,000 / Budget: $150 million

#10 Drag Me to Hell Weekend Gross: $3,864,000 down 45% / Theaters: 2273, down 237 / Gross $35,146,000 / Budget: unknown

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:

Box Office Mojo

That’s the basic plot of any version of The Taking of Pelham 123 adapted from the novel by John Godey (and no I’ve never read the novel- though in this case, if one day I ever get the chance I certainly will). First given theatrical life in 1974 by director Joseph Sargent and starring Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw, it’s since appeared in a more forgettable TV movie and now re-made again for theatrical release by director Tony Scott and starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta.

Now generally speaking, I really don’t mind the practice of re-makes, if something fresh can be made from an existing property and I’m interested in said property, then I’m more than willing to give the filmmakers a chance with it. This is one instance though when I’ve had my own trepidation about this, because the 1974 version of Pelham 123 is right up there as a movie that’s really special to me and knowing what Tony Scott does with his films- bringing in a higher-pitched energy that sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t, well for myself, there was reason for concern. The thing that I like about the original, is that it is of the moment and very matter-of-fact in what it does. On top of that, the New York “feel” is extremely authentic to the timeframe the original is shot in, Matthau, Shaw and all of the other characters have a lived-in quality to them that doesn’t really require any sort of expansion, and everything unfolds in a highly logical way. Plus it’s got this tremendous score from David Shire that’s used very effectively and not at all overdone. And “overdone” was the thing that I was most concerned about with Tony Scott’s version of the film.

I still have a huge preference for the original, but I have to say, for bringing this property to the forefront with a modern audience in mind, I think Scott and scripter Brian Helgeland have done a pretty decent job and fortunately they’ve avoided some of the traps that I thought they’d play up- this being Scott’s overdone style and a modern convention of doing something a little more wise-assed with some of the passengers held hostage (basically making sure that one of the passengers would have to be like Alan Ruck in Speed).

Other than the basic plot though and the lead character’s last name- everything here is different from the original- the character name in common is Garber, that was Walter Matthau in the original (Zachary Garber), who was playing a Transit Authority cop, in this Denzel Washington plays Walter Garber (undoubtedly a tip of the hat to Matthau) and he’s no cop, but a transit authority employee currently acting in a dispatching capacity. The biggest difference here is that I suspect Scott and Helgeland have seen messageboards and seen that a common complaint that comes up is “Where’s the character development?” and so they decided to add a lot more weight to the basic character’s of Garber and the antagonist Ryder, played by John Travolta, than what’s shown in the original film- basically going for a more personal connection to these characters than what Sargent did in the original, which was make the situation one that was more black and white, and what Scott and Helgeland have opted for is something with a lot more shades of grey.

Fortunately, it works here, though my one caveat is the fact that the connection between Ryder and Scott is made pretty high-opera personal by it’s end and that’s something that I don’t think needed to be done, but at least here it’s more a moot point than what it might be with other movies.

The other thing that I have to give Scott credit for is holding back quite a bit on his style- oh sure, things are still highly kinetic, but not necessarily in the way Domino was, but still not as held back as Crimson Tide (my own personal favorite of Tony Scott’s movies). It’s not at all a distraction to this movie, so my hat’s off for that.

Of the cast, well I think Denzel Washington is solid as a rock, and I give him kudos for choosing a role like this that isn’t necessarily as proactive as others that he’s done. John Travolta does a real nice job as Ryder, and coming off of the death of his son when making this, I think he manages something here that’s pretty interesting, if quite a bit more over-the-top than what Robert Shaw did in the original. The original film also plays a lot more with the other three gunmen, and that’s something that’s not really dealt with here, but again this is going for something a little different than the original, so I won’t hold that against this. Filling out the cast is John Tuturro as an NYPD negotiator and James Gandofini as the Mayor of New York, Gandolfini is solid as expected and it’s really nice to see Tuturro play a part where he’s not a douchebag. Tuturro’s character also adds to what Garber has to do here, basically splintering off the function of what Matthau’s character did with the original.

I saw this with three other friends, two of which have seen the original film and one which hadn’t but plans to. My friend who hadn’t seen the original really had a good time with this, and I suspect that others who haven’t seen the original will probably have a pretty decent time with it as well. I’ve seen the original, and as I stated at the top, certainly had my fears going into this, but I don’t think the remake does anything to tarnish the original by any means, and other than the basic plot, it’s a pretty different movie. With that said, the remake of The Taking of Pelham 123 is a pretty taut thriller and I do recommend seeing it. But also, if you haven’t seen the 1974 original and like to watch 70s films, then by all means if you have the chance, catch that as well…

#2 Up from Disney just misses the #1 spot this weekend dropping to #2 and earning $44.1 million in 3818 theaters. Budget for Up was $175 million.

#3 Land of the Lost from Universal debuts at #3 this weekend earning $18.8 million in 3521 theaters. Budget for Land was $100 million.

#4 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian from Fox drops to #4 this weekend earning $14.6 million in 3807 theaters. Budget for Museum was $150 million.

#5 Star Trek from Paramount holds at #5 this weekend earning $8.3 million in 3202 theaters. Total earnings for Trek is $222 million. Budget for Trek is unknown.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 Terminator Salvation Weekend Gross: $8,248,387 down 49% / Theaters: 3304, down 298 / Gross $105,568,008 / Budget: $200 million

#7 Drag Me to Hell Weekend Gross: $7,040,550 down 55% / Theaters: 2510, up 2 / Gross $28,233,230 / Budget: unknown

#8 Angels & Demons Weekend Gross: $6,550,282 down 42% / Theaters: 2925, down 539 / Gross $116,174,931 / Budget: $150 million

#9 My Life in Ruins Weekend Gross: $3,223,161 / Theaters: 1164 / Gross $3,223,161 / Budget: unknown

#10 Dance Flick Weekend Gross: $1,958,725 down 58% / Theaters: 1707, down 752 / Gross $22,625,733 / Budget: $25 million

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:

Box Office Mojo

… and of course, their latest film, Up is no exception. It’s just fantastic on every level…

This is the story of an average man, Carl Frederickson, who as a child yearned for adventure, and found the same in a young girl named Ellie. But life got in their way, and though they managed to have a wonderful life together, complete with it’s ups and downs, that spirit of adventure eluded them and Carl, now in his later years, and having lost his wife, gets ready to go for broke and pursue that adventure in a big and fantastical way… with the help of a young boy scout named Russell.

I’m not going to say anything further than that, the rest of Up should simply be seen in a theatre and enjoyed, pretty simple as that… and when you go to the theatre to see this, you’re in for a heart-warming experience, with great adventure, absolutely wonderful characters in Carl and Russell (and the friends they get along the way), a lot of very funny situations, and of course, the sheer technical proficiency that Pixar is known for.

Carl is a terrific character, just an absolute classic for Pixar, designed to seem like a cartoonish version of the legendary Spencer Tracy and wonderfully voiced by Ed Asner, this old man is engaging in a big way and you’re with him every step of the way of his adventure. The bond he forms with the young Russell, is very natural, never forced, and it’s easy to see, as Carl certainly sees a lot of himself in the young Russell.

We saw this last night in digital projection and with the full Disney Digital 3D experience, and while I would recommend that to anyone planning to see Up, seeing it in 3D isn’t an absolute necessity. Up is so confident in it’s story, that it doesn’t have to rely on 3D to draw the audience in by any means, it’s pretty much incidental to what’s there. Oh, it’s still well done, and nice to see if you have that opportunity, but hardly necessary for the enjoyable experience that comes from this fantastic movie.

Along with the main feature, as usual with a Pixar film, you get a short film with it, the wonderful little fantasy Partly Cloudy which is a clever little piece dealing with birth and storks and clouds, and it’s a satisfying appetizer to the main course that you’re about to receive.

Don’t miss Up, easily one of the best movies that I’ve seen for the year and right now, leading the way at the top of the list…

#2 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian from Fox drops to #2 this weekend earning $24.3 million in 4101 theaters. Budget for Museum was $150 million.

#3 Terminator Salvation from Fox drops to #3 this weekend earning $16.4 million in 3602 theaters. Budget for Salvation was $200 million.

#4 Drag Me to Hell from Sam Raimi and Universal debuts at #4 this weekend earning $15.8 million in 2508 theaters. Budget for Drag is unknown.

#5 Star Trek from Paramount drops to #5 this weekend earning $12.6 million in 3507 theaters. Total earnings for Trek is $209 million. Budget for Trek is unknown.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 Angels & Demons Weekend Gross: $11,353,340 down 47% / Theaters: 3464, down 63 / Gross $104,913,439 / Budget: $150 million

#7 Dance Flick Weekend Gross: $4,743,636 down 55% / Theaters: 2459, up 9 / Gross $19,084,907 / Budget: $25 million

#8 X-Men Origins: Wolverine Weekend Gross: $3,873,377 down 52% / Theaters: 2263, down 920 / Gross $170,843,712 / Budget: $15o million

#9 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past Weekend Gross: $1,911,401 down 50% / Theaters: 1450, down 805 / Gross $50,021,779 / Budget: unknown

#10 Obsessed Weekend Gross: $657,001, down 66% / Theaters: 679, down 924 / Gross $67,500,481 / Budget: $20 million

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:

Box Office Mojo

That’s the basic premise to Sam Raimi’s newest movie, Drag Me To Hell, which finally has the acclaimed director returning to his roots with over-the-top, tongue-firmly-in-cheek horror, and I have to say I was just entertained with this movie from start to finish. Raimi mad a name for himself with the Evil Dead movies and further with the Spider-Man films, and with Drag Me To Hell he really looks like he’s having a lot of big-ass fun getting back to his roots.

Now, there’s things here that you know will happen, that almost has to happen and while some might find that familiarity tiresome, I thought it was a really fun ride getting there. This is over-the-top, but a few shades less than say what Sam did in Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness but still it has those moments when you know you’re for sure watching a Sam Raimi horror movie. To me as well, this follows the path of old E.C. Comics as well, and when you’re doing this kind of horror movie, those comics are always great templates to go by.

Allison Lohman plays Christine Brown, and it’s pretty much her film. she’s got a delicate line to cross here, in both being sympathetic and at the same time totally deserving of what’s going to happen to her, and I think she does a pretty good job. I could only imagine how this was pitched to her- “Now, Allison, we’re going to have a lot of fun with this movie, but there’s one catch- you’re going to end up with a lot of gross stuff literally in your face, so hopefully, kiddo, you’re up for that…” And I have to say, Lohman had to be a good sport on this film, as she does just that, end up with having a face full of grossness at least five or six times during the film. she’s backed up with Justin Long as her boyfriend, and David Paymer serving a supporting term as the bank manager, as well as others. But probably the other biggest presence in the film is the old lady, Sylvia Ganush, played by Lorna Raver, and she’s pretty much felt throughout the film, though she’s not on-screen the same way Lohman is.

Whenever I’ve talked horror movies with people in the past, the question of whether something is scary often comes up. I don’t really get “scared” by horror movies any more (that kind of went away in my mid teens) and find that the more effective films usually have a more disturbing quality to them more than anything else. I don’t really see Drag Me To Hell as that much of a “scary” affair and I don’t necessarily think it’s supposed to be- it is predictable, but really most horror films like this are supposed to be and when they’re really well put together, then for me, the ride is really enjoyable. The ending that this movie has is the ending that it has to have and when the moment comes, I was genuinely entertained by it, and for a big studio made film, I think this one really delivers the goods.

#2 Terminator Salvation from Fox debuts at #2 this weekend earning $43 million in 3530 theaters. Budget for Salvation was $200 million.

#3 Star Trek from Paramount drops to #3 this weekend earning $22.7 million in 4053 theaters. Total earnings for Trek is $184 million. Budget for Trek is unknown.

#4 Angels and Demons from Sony drops from #1 to #4 this weekend earning $21.8 million in 3527 theaters. Budget for Angels was $150 million.

#5 Dance Flick from Paramount opens at #5 this weekend earning $10.7 million in 2450 theaters. Budget for Dance was $25 million.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 X-Men Origins: Wolverine Weekend Gross: $7,950,000 down 45% / Theaters: 3183, down 709 / Gross $163,204,000 / Budget: $15o million

#7 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past Weekend Gross: $3,810,000 down 42% / Theaters: 2255, down 895 / Gross $45,948,000 / Budget: unknown

#8 Obsessed Weekend Gross: $1,975,000, down 57% / Theaters: 1603, down 1031 / Gross $65,883,000 / Budget: $20 million

#9 Monsters Vs. Aliens Weekend Gross: $1,417,000, down 55% / Theaters: 1434, down 517 / Gross $193,063,000 / Budget: $175 million

#10 17 Again Weekend Gross: $1,010,000 down 70% / Theaters: 1107, down 1343 / Gross $60,319,000 / Budget: unknown

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:

Box Office Mojo

That’s a very brief synopsis for Terminator Salvation the fourth movie in the Terminator franchise, and the start of a new direction for the franchise while trying to maintain some of the same elements that have kept this venerable series strong- and I think it’s just a terrifically fun movie…

The director who goes by the name McG is responsible for this, and I know that name didn’t exactly give me the greatest confidence in the world going in, but I have to say, I think he’s made a hell of a piece here- a great action ride with an emotional center that to me is reminiscent in a way of the original James Cameron films, but also moving in some new directions, though it’s ultimate resolution (in future movies) should just be in one direction.

This is a terrific looking movie, with some solid action set pieces (a couple of which puts me in the mind of George Miller’s Mad Max films and a nice weaving of both Connor’s and Wright’s story’s, though Wright’s story is the bigger deal. Everything works really well on a technical level and that of course is really cool to see. McG is well aided with a nice score from Danny Elfman that certainly knows it’s part of a bigger story, and uses Brad Fiedel’s original Terminator music as well.

There’s certainly been a lot of press lip service about Christian Bale, mostly around his now infamous confrontation with a crew member on the set, which really meant a whole lot of nothing to me, as just a point used by the press and the internet community to bring this big star down a peg or two. What really matters is what’s on-screen, and while this may not rack up to what Bale has accomplished with the Batman movies, what he does here is set a solid foundation for (hopefully) what’s to come in future movies. Bale’s outshone in this movie, by actor Sam Worthington who plays Marcus Wright, and Worthington is just solid gold here, as both an action presence and being the real emotional center of the film. Anton Yelchin, who’s really having a good summer with this and the Star Trek movie, plays the young Kyle Reese, and he’s obviously looked at what Michael Biehn has done with the original, and does a great job with the part. There’s solid support work from Bryce Dallas Howard (playing Connor’s wife Kate), Michael Ironside, Common and Moon Bloodgood (what a name). Helena Bonham Carter and Jane Alexander are also in the movie, in real glorified cameos, though Carter’s is the bigger part and the more meaningful one here- Alexander’s is more a walkthrough, but I see it as a set-up again for future installments. Still, this is a solid cast…

… and as I said at the top of this, a really fun movie with a lot of very cool nods to the other films (mostly the first), lots of great action bits and a new direction to take this in to what should be it’s ultimate resolution once all is said and done. I’ve heard that it’s getting all sorts of bad reviews, but I just don’t get it, I was solidly entertained by this new direction and think the set-up is there for more cool stuff in the future and of course this is, from me anyway, a highly recommended film…

#2 Star Trek from Paramount just loses the #1 spot this weekend earning $43 million in 3860 theaters. Total earnings for Trek is $147 million. Budget for Trek is unknown.

#3 X-Men Origins: Wolverine from Fox drops to #3 this weekend earning $14 million in 3892 theaters bringing its total to $150 million. Budget for Wolverine was $150 million.

#4 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past from Warner Bros. slips to #4 this weekend earning $6.6 million in 3150 theaters bringing total earnings to $39.8 million. Budget for Ghosts is unknown.

#5 Obsessed from Screen Gems drops to #5 this weekend earning $4.5 million, bringing its total to $62 million in 2634 theaters. Budget for Obsessed was $20 million.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 17 Again Weekend Gross: $3,368,189 down 20% / Theaters: 2450, down 453 / Gross $58,363,111 / Budget: unknown

#7 Monsters Vs. Aliens Weekend Gross: $3,182,085, down 2% / Theaters: 1951, down 234 / Gross $190,733,766 / Budget: $175 million

#8 The Soloist Weekend Gross: $2,402,801 down 39% / Theaters: 2022, down 68 / Gross $27,505,154 / Budget: unknown

#9 Next Day Air Weekend Gross: $2,244,878, down 45% / Theaters: 1139, up 1 / Gross $7,613,221 / Budget: unknown

#10 Earth Weekend Gross: $1,697,956, down 36% / Theaters: 1,584, down 210 / Gross $29,088,771 / Budget: unknown

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:

Box Office Mojo

That’s a real simplified premise for Angels & Demons, Ron Howard’s sequel to The Da Vinci Code both adaptations of Dan Brown’s books, and at least in my opinion, a better movie than The Da Vinci Code.

Howard packs quite a bit in this film and even with a 2 hour and 20 minute run time, it runs at a pretty brisk pace, especially in comparison to the prior film, and the main reason for that is more a focus on keeping this closer to an action film, and it doesn’t hurt here at all.

Tom Hanks returns to play the part of Langdon, and while this is no real stretch of Hanks’ skills, he’s rock solid in the part. He’s backed up with an international cast including Ewan McGregor, Avelut Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard and Armin Mueller-Stahl and they all do what’s asked of them here pretty well, especially McGregor and Skarsgard, though really this doesn’t necessarily ask that much of them, other than to fill the stock parts of a thriller.

I’ve not read the books, so I can’t say anything as to how faithful they are. And even though I enjoyed this, I do have one complaint and that’s that it’s red herring ending is a little too obvious when it happens- this moment happens, seems like it could be logical, but deep down you know it’s not and that more has to come about . It still works here, but just seems a little too familiar.

Still though, Angels & Demons is a nice diversion and I do recommend it, but your mileage may vary depending on what you thought of both the books and the prior adaptation of The Da Vinci Code. From what I’ve read, it you’re expecting a hardcore adaptation, you might really be disappointed. I wouldn’t really say that this is “must see” summer movie viewing, but still I had a good time with it.

Starring Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz and Robert Pattinson Unbound Captives will mark Stowe’s directorial debut and is based on an original script she wrote. Gil Netter and Grant Hill will produce along side Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment.

Stowe originaly wrote the script in conjunction with her husband Brian Benben in 1993 (under the pseudonym O.C. Humphrey) as a star vehicle for herself. Fox offered her $3 million and then later $5 million for the property, with Ridley Scott set to direct and Russell Crowe to star, but she refused both offers because there was no guarantee that she would get anything more than a screenwriter credit, deciding instead to helm the piece herself. The offer represented one of the highest sums ever offered to a new writer

The movie concerns a woman (written for Stowe, now to be played by Weisz) whose husband is killed and her two children kidnapped by a Comanche war party in 1859. She is rescued by a frontiersman, to be played by Jackman. Pattinson is set to play the son.

The movie is scheduled to begin shooting at the end of the year.

Source:

Variety

#2 X-Men Origins: Wolverine from Fox holds on to a solid #2 this weekend earning $27 million in 4102 theaters. Budget for Wolverine was $150 million.

#3 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past from Warner Bros. slips to #3 this weekend earning $10.4 million in 3175 theaters bringing total earnings to $30.2 million. Budget for Ghosts is unknown.

#4 Obsessed from Screen Gems drops to #4 this weekend earning $6.6 million, bringing its total to $56 million in 2602 theaters. Budget for Obsessed was $20 million.

#5 17 Again from Warner Bros drops to #5 earning $4.4 million for a total of $54.1 million. 17 showed in 2903 theaters. Budget for 17 is unknown.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 Next Day Air Weekend Gross: $4,000,000 / Theaters: 1138 / Gross $4,000,000 / Budget: unknown

#7 The Soloist Weekend Gross: $3,605,000 down 36% / Theaters: 2090, up 57 / Gross $23,501,000 / Budget: unknown

#8 Monsters Vs. Aliens Weekend Gross: $3,379,000, down 41% / Theaters: 2,185, down 441 / Gross $186,892,000 / Budget: $175 million

#9 Earth Weekend Gross: $2,488,000, down 42% / Theaters: 1794, down 10 / Gross $26,086,000 / Budget: unknown

#10 Hannah Montana The Movie Weekend Gross: $2,414,000, down 42% / Theaters: 2301, down 518 / Gross $74,083,000 / Budget: unknown

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:

Box Office Mojo

… oh yeah, it’s also the re-vamp of a very tired franchise from one of the hottest creative forces in Hollywood today…

… and yes, it’s very good, really very good, I’m talking Wrath of Khan good…

Star Trek from director J.J. Abrams has been much anticipated by yours truly since he first heard that Abrams was involved with it. And the ideas that Abrams had about using a very young cast, re-casting the roles of the original series was to me anyway, the shot in the arm that this venerable franchise really needed. I originally wanted him to go further and pretty much ignore everything but the basics and just put his stamp on it. But Abrams and his writing team of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (his co-conspirators on Fringe) decided to tie it in with original continuity as well, and though I thought it might hurt it to saddle it with that, I’ve got to say that I thought the end result was very satisfying- they’ve essentially found a way to do a new version and still keep the continuity of the old intact.

This is a packed movie- there’s a lot that’s happening here and to Abrams’ credit, I’m amazed at how much he does pack into this slightly over two hour long film. Every one of the main characters gets their shot on the screen with obviously Kirk and Spock getting the most time, but still no one else is left wanting. On top of that, the ideas of the future that Gene Roddenberry had are still very much intact, but this is paced in such a way, that at least in my eyes, it becomes a Star Trek that’s made more for an audience that’s more weened on and accepting of the Star Wars movies more.

The look of the movie is very fresh for the franchise, it’s bright and colorful and goes for shots that you haven’t necessarily seen before in the series. It retains some familiarity with the basic shape of the Enterprise, the structure of such things as the bridge of the ship and the transporter room, but allows itself to get a little more industrial with the engineering section. My favorite salute to the original series though is retaining the look of the classic series uniforms, though there are differences there too, but here, they look fresher than they ever have before.

High marks also for frequent Abrams co-conspirator Michael Giacchino’s music score, who keeps things sounding majestic and exciting and waiting until the exact right moments before some familiar sounds come to the forefront.

But where I give this real high marks is in this great cast that Abrams has assembled to reprise some classic roles- Chris Pine, who plays James T. Kirk has said that he hadn’t seen any of what William Shatner had done on the series prior to this, and he offers up something fresh, but thanks to the script and the direction, he has moments that feel you’re seeing that character start out in some familiar ways. Zachary Quinto, who we better know as Sylar from the Heroes TV series is Spock and he’s just dead on, and yet some new elements have been introduced for him that again makes this both familiar and fresh at the same time. Karl Urban plays Dr. Leonard McCoy and next to Simon Pegg playing Scotty, both look like they’re having the most fun in the world with their parts. Zoe Saldana plays Lt. Uhura, and her part is probably the one that gets the most expanded and updated from any of the main cast of the original series- she’s smart and sexy, and obviously gets to do a whole lot more than just open hailing frequencies. John Cho plays Sulu, and though probably the most quiet of the original crew re-vamps still has a strong inner confidence thanks to Cho. My one problem with the movie, and it’s a moot one, is with Anton Yelchin and his dialogue as Pavel Chekov- and it’s probably not so much with Yelchin in the part, but the fact that they insisted on really going overboard with Chekov’s mangling of “v’s” with “w’s” in his dialogue, and I’m just hoping they’ve gotten that out of their systems with this movie, and hopefully moving forward might temper this a bit more- like I said my only problem with the film, but still this is a very satisfying experience.

That’s just the main crew though, and it’s nice to see that Abrams decided to populate the rest of the film with some more familiar faces. Bruce Greenwood is always a rock in whatever he does and he’s no different as Captain Christopher Pike here. Ben Cross and Winona Ryder are quite solid as Spock’s parents, Sarek and Amanda, so no complaints there. but finally though, we have Leonard Nimoy as Spock and Eric Bana as Nero, and I have to say they’re both terrific, though one might’ve wanted one more scene for Bana. His Nero character is adequately explained here, but one more scene to punctuate that wouldn’t have hurt- and Nimoy reprising Spock in the context of this script is just fantastic, his final line… a great passing of the torch moment.

I was a huge Star Trek fan back when I was a younger, not during the original series run, but more discovering it when it ran in syndication and for years it was a huge influence on me. I loved the original crew movies (though will admit that The Final Frontier was the weakest of the bunch) and The Wrath of Khan was at the time a near-religious experience when I first saw it. I liked the Next Generation stuff when it started, more I think just for the excitement of having a new Star Trek again, though there was certainly a lot of good stuff over it’s run, but I thought that Rick Berman eventually drove this franchise into the ground, and it got more tired and antiseptic as other things like Babylon 5, Farscape, Firefly and Battlestar Galactica showed you could be more fresh and exciting with set-ups that owed to what Star Trek originally established. As the Next Generation movies came out, this got more staid and it was sad to see (at least in my eyes).

Well, no more… J.J. Abrams has truly delivered with Star Trek with an exciting story, incredible visual effects and most importantly a fantastic new cast in the parts of the very classic of all of the characters. This is the movie that I’ve been wanting to see for this franchise and it’s just terrific fun and the promise is there again. The only shame is that it will probably be another three years before we see another one, and this cast is so good that I just want to see another one with them a lot sooner than later…

Star Trek is back! And I for one couldn’t be more excited… if you can’t guess, this gets my highest recommendation- don’t miss it!

Dominic DeLuise was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 1, 1933. In the 1960s he had bit parts in a handful of movies, including Fail Safe, but became well known as a regular on The Entertainers. In the ’70s DeLuise became a staple in Mel Brooks’ films, appearing in Blazing Saddles and Silent Movie among several others. He was also famous for playing off straight man Burt Reynolds but he proved he could play more serious roles in the 1980 when he took the lead in Fatso, in which he played an overweight man trying to wean himself from comfort food. The film was directed by Brooks’ then wife, Anne Bancroft. A role which would have really struck home with the actor as he struggled with his own weight. DeLuise told Larry King that after meeting Luciano Pavarotti he realized that he had become powerless over food.

DeLuise was also a talented voice actor appearing in six animated features including An American Tail and The Secret of NIMH.

The multi-talented DeLuise also penned seven children’s books and several cook books.

DeLuise had three sons, Peter, Michael and David, all of whom became actors and directors. He told Larry King that it was the the joy of his life to work with his oldest son, Peter, when he directed the film Second Nature.

Source:
CNN

#2 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past from Warner Bros. debuts at #2 this weekend earning $15.3 million in 3175 theaters. Budget for Ghosts is unknown.

#3 Obsessed from Screen Gems drops to #3 this weekend earning $12.2 million, bringing its total to $47 million in 2514 theaters. Budget for Obsessed was $20 million.

#4 17 Again from Warner Bros drops to #4 earning $6.3 million for a total of $48.4 million. 17 showed in 3255 theaters. Budget for 17 is unknown.

#5 Monsters Vs Aliens from Buena Vista climbs back into the top #5 this weekend earning $5.8 million, bringing total earnings to $182.4 million. Monsters showed in 2626 theaters. Budget for Monsters was $175 million.

Rounding out the top 10 are:

#6 The Soloist Weekend Gross: $5,600,000 down 42% / Theaters: 2033, up 9 / Gross $18,108,000 / Budget: unknown

#7 Earth Weekend Gross: $4,184,000, down 52% / Theaters: 1804 / Gross $21,848,000 / Budget: unknown

#8 Fighting Weekend Gross: $4,173,000 down 62% / Theaters: 2312, up 3 / Gross $17,507,000 / Budget: unknown

#9 Hannah Montana The Movie Weekend Gross: $4,075,000, down 36% / Theaters: 2819, down 412 / Gross $70,857,000 / Budget: unknown

#10 State of Play Weekend Gross: $3,655,000, down 46% / Theaters: 2445, down 362 / Gross $30,883,000 / Budget: unknown

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

Sources:

Box Office Mojo

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a fun little action/adventure ride, that offers up a few nice plot points and easter eggs for X-Men comics fans, and it is a pretty decent ride… there’s lots of nice action bits, and three pretty cool performances from Hugh Jackman in the title role, Liev Schreiber as Victor Creed/Sabretooth and Danny Huston as Major William Stryker, a prequel version of the character that Brian Cox played in the second X-Men movie. Schreiber, in particular, looks like he’s having a real good time with this. There’s some cool nods to the various comic versions of the origins of Wolverine, primarily with the series Wolverine Origin by Paul Jenkins and Weapon X by Barry Windsor-Smith. And I think it has some decent, if not obvious, effects work. I’ve heard some complaints about the effects work here, but they don’t really bother me.

It’s a fun ride for what it is and that’s a fun popcorn movie, and there’s really nothing wrong with that, that’s obviously what Fox and Marvel Entertainment are striving for in this movie and for that, it’s a good time, but it also seems like a lesser effort in comparison to last year’s Iron Man and Incredible Hulk movies, though that’s also somewhat expected considering that Marvel has full control over those and not this one. That’s not saying that someone won’t have a good time here, just an observation.

It’s fun for what it is, but considering the sources, especially one of them for me in particular, one wonders just how much more this could’ve been, had those sources been more used. What I’m speaking of is Weapon X by Barry Windsor-Smith, which is in my view anyway, the very best Wolverine story ever told, and not exactly the fodder of what a summer entertainment action movie would be, but something that had it been more used as the focus, could’ve raised the bar considerably for this film. Weapon X is a truly terrifying and horrific story that in itself would make for one hell of a movie, and here, it’s just used as a means to an end for something that’s far more generic in movie terms, and again, there’s really nothing wrong with that. This is the movie that was chosen to be made and perhaps using something like that as the sole source of the film would’ve been too much of taking a chance with this franchise, because it surely isn’t atypical for a summer action movie. But with movies like The Dark Knight and Watchmen raising the bar, I’d kinda like to see the Marvel movies do a little of that as well.

But still it is a good time and it does have those little bits that are fun ties to the X-Men movie continuity. It’s a solid action movie diversion, though in the end, it just may not be as memorable as some of the other movies are.

Taking place about fifty years before the start of the Battlestar Galactica mini-series and before the unification of the twelve colonies, Caprica follows the lives of two men in particular, super-industrialist Daniel Graystone and lawyer Joseph Adams (Adama), the tragedy that brings these two together, and what will give way to the conflict to come and the birth of the Cylons.

This is quite a bit different than what might be expected, and at least in the pilot, doesn’t rely on some of the more crowd-pleasing aspects that Galactica did, being primarily the gung-ho action of that. But what’s here, is some really powerful drama, and a lot of great ideas that should lead to something that has the potential to be just as special as Battlestar Galactica is.

This film is directed by Jeffrey Reiner, who’s best known for his work on Friday Night Lights and apparently producers Ron Moore and David Eick have been trying to get Reiner involved in Galactica for quite awhile, with Reiner having turned them down as far as the main series goes, but having finally jumped on board by getting an opportunity to be more at the main helm (I guess along the same lines that Michael Rhymer was with Galactica) and getting to shape a new series rather than being an important cog in an existing franchise. Reiner’s a good choice here, and he certainly does bring something different to the table with a different look to this series as well as a greater emphasis on the personal drama.

Eric Stolz and Esai Morales head up this cast, respectively playing Graystone and Adama, and man, they’re both just absolutely terrific here, individually for sure, but in the scenes that they’re in together, having some real nice chemistry. They’re just great, and offer up a lot of weight, and yet they’re almost outshone by two young actresses, Alessandra Torresani and Magda Apanowicz, who play Zoe Graystone and her friend Lacy Rand, who are both just as instrumental in the future to come. Both of these young ladies are really tremendous here, and they certainly hold their own with the bigger names of the cast.

I watched this film and was just immediately taken with it, especially after a certain key moment happens, that’s basically the catalyst for what’s to come, and I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest, and if this way-early release of the pilot was supposed to get you further fired up for the new show, well then, it certainly did it’s job with me, and though it might seem that knowing the ultimate end of what’s to come could hamper this for some, I’ve got enough faith in Moore and Eick, to think that they’re going to make this a hell of a ride along the way and probably nowhere near as conventional as it could be.

The DVD extras include four video blogs, a handful of deleted scenes, an episode of Ghost Hunters and a commentary track from Moore, Eick and Reiner. I’ve watched all of the extras except for the Ghost Hunters episode, which doesn’t really interest me. The blogs are basically fluff, but certainly inoffensive as well. Better though are the deleted scenes and the commentary track, and seeing the deleted scenes after watching the whole movie, I certainly can understand why they were deleted, though they are good scenes. The commentary track is excellent, and there’s a lot there talking about the behind-the-scenes, the philosophy of the new show and hints at things to come.

For Battlestar Galactica fans, this is must-viewing and I think for most it will get you fired up for the new series, even though it’s still a year away from premiering. For those that were more casual viewers, well, I still think there’s a lot of meat here, though it doesn’t have the action/adventure trappings (yet) of the prior show, but still worth you’re time if you want to watch some very smart science fiction. Caprica is the good stuff, and highly recommended.

Today is the third anniversary of the posting of the first episode of Fanboy Smackdown (which later became Back Seat Producers.)

It’s been an incredible three years, and we’ve got 99 regular episodes and over a dozen special episodes that are out there (or need to get final editing done so we can release them).

This tag is also going to serve as a reminder to anyone who might not have heard the news.

Saturday, May 2, 2009 from 4PM to 7PM CDT, we are going to be recording and streaming our 100th episode.  We have a couple of special guests confirmed and we are going to, for the first time EVAR open up the BSP skype lines so that fans can ‘call-in’ and be part of the show.  This should be a fantastic episode with tons of laughs.  We hope that you all can join us on Ustream and/or Skype.  For details on how to be part of the fun on Saturday, come to our website and we’ll have all the details for you.

Hope you enjoy this blast from the past!

In addition to Spider-Man 2, new titles added to Crackle’s free service include A Few Good Men, 1941, El Mariachi, Big Fish, The Fan, LaBamba, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Johnny Mnemonic, as well as several titles from the Godzilla franchise bringing the total number of films offered to nearly 100, all absolutely free.

Crackle also recently brokered a content deal with YouTube that it hopes will drive more traffic to its own site.

The site has seen streams increase roughly 84% since the begining of the year, and ranked as the seventh most trafficked entertainment video site in March, according to comScore.

Source:
Variety