The latest: The Color Purple celebrates 40 years.
Rotten Tomatoes is celebrating the work of Black filmmakers and performers and the stories they have brought to our theaters over the past 20-plus years. In this guide to the best-reviewed African American movies of the 21st Century – that’s from 2000 all the way to now – you’ll find some of the most incredible voices working in movies today, and some of the most game-changing, industry-shaking films to hit theaters in decades. Think titles like Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther, the fourth highest-grossing movie of all time at the U.S. box office. Or Gina Prince-Bythewood’s seminal star-making romance, Love and Basketball. Or Moonlight, which made history as the first film with an all-black cast to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2017. Or Ava DuVernay’s Selma, one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time.
Alongside the work of longtime industry veterans like Spike Lee, you’ll find incredible debut features, like Dee Rees’ Pariah, Justin Simien’s Dear White People, Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You, Phillip Youmens’ Burning Cane, which he directed while still in high school, and, of course, Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning social thriller Get Out and his follow-up, Us. You’ll also discover documentaries that have stirred the national conversation – DuVernay’s 13th, Ezra Edelman’s O.J.: Made In America – alongside recent mega hits that, like Black Panther, alerted Hollywood’s decision-makers to the fact that there was a huge audience for stories made by Black filmmakers, featuring Black actors, telling Black stories: Malcolm D. Lee’s Girls Trip, F. Gary Gray’s Straight Outta Compton.
To compile our list, we chose the top Certified Fresh Black films, according to the Tomatometer, released in theaters since 2000. We defined Black films as those that centered on African American stories and African American characters, or – as in the case of Black Panther – were made by Black filmmakers and were embraced by African American audiences; there are instances of films here made by non-Black filmmakers (Django Unchained, Detroit, and Get On Up for example), but the top half of the list is dominated by Black writers and directors.
Then we listed the movies by release, with the latest being Ryan Coogler’s Golden Globe-nominated Sinners.
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Looking to enrich your kid’s viewing habits? Or if you’re under 13 yourself, love movies, and you want to watch some of the best ever made, take it from us when we list 50 Essential Movies For Kids!
These are not just great children’s movies, but movies that play well for the curious and growing mind. While all these movies are classics and can be seen at any age, some have stronger themes than others that would play better during upper years. So, we separated the movies in suggested age categories:
Ages 1-5: Kids may not actively recall everything from this age, but a good baseline is fundamental in developing a healthy appetite for movies. Here we feature colorful classics (The Wizard of Oz), fun adventures (Chicken Run), and tales as old as time (Beauty and the Beast).
Ages 6-9: As more time is devoted to school and outside life, movies become more of an escape, and their power to transport starts to become apparent. Don’t miss out on epic quests (Star Wars), wish fulfillment (Home Alone), and dazzling fantasies (Spirited Away).
Ages 10-12: The magic window, the time in life when movies can move and change tweens, and stick for the rest of time. A good era for the classic portrayals of youth (The 400 Blows), face-melting action (Raiders of the Lost Ark), and romance (Romeo & Juliet).
Whether you’re a parent looking for a moral, entertaining movie night with your kids, or you’re a young student of movies making the leap on your own, check out these 50 Essential Movies For Kids! —Alex Vo
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London Has Fallen arrives in theaters this weekend, returning Gerard Butler to action as intrepid Secret Service agent Mike Banning — and bringing back Angela Bassett as his boss, Director Lynne Jacobs. It’s always a treat seeing Ms. Bassett on the big screen, so in honor of her return, we decided to dedicate this week’s list to a fond look back at some of the brighter critical highlights in her formidable filmography. It’s time for Total Recall!
One of the most sadly prescient films to come out of Hollywood in the last 25 years, writer-director John Singleton’s Boyz N the Hood illustrated the conditions in South Central Los Angeles during a time when most filmgoers didn’t know anything about the area. Singleton, who was 24 when Boyz was released and would ultimately go on to become the youngest person (and first African-American) to earn a Best Director Academy Award nomination, outlined the area’s struggles through the stories of a group of young men: Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.), Ricky (Morris Chestnut), and Doughboy (Ice Cube). As Tre’s mother, Bassett made the most of an opportunity to play an overmatched single mom — and delivered her share of memorable moments in an early 1990s classic about the growing list of problems facing urban American communities. A hit at Cannes, the box office, and multiple awards associations, Boyz presaged the “hood film” genre — as well as endless cycles of the violence it depicted. “Singleton had his fingers on the pulse of South Central at a time when it desperately needed help,” wrote Filmcritic’s Matt McKillop. “It’s too bad we didn’t listen to him soon enough.”
Producer Marvin Worth struggled for years to mount a film adaptation of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, with a long list of on- and offscreen talent filtering through the project over a period of several decades before director Spike Lee finally came aboard in 1991. Fortunately, he found himself with the bones of a solid script — and ended up commanding a strong cast that included Denzel Washington as the slain activist and Bassett, who earned an Image Award for her appearance as his wife Betty Shabazz. For all the difficulties leading up to its release, Malcolm X ultimately ended up reaping almost universal critical acclaim; as David Ansen wrote for Newsweek, “Lee and company have performed a powerful service: they have brought Malcolm X very much to life again, both as man and myth.”
After proving she could carry a picture with What’s Love Got to Do with It, Bassett continued her successful mid-1990s run with Waiting to Exhale, an adaptation of the Terry McMillan novel about the unsettled love lives of a group of female friends. Part of a talented ensemble that included Whitney Houston, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon (not to mention Gregory Hines and Dennis Haysbert on the other side of this battle between the sexes), Bassett helped propel Exhale to over $81 million at the box office, marking first-time director Forest Whitaker as a talent to be reckoned with behind the cameras and setting the stage for her subsequent starring role in the McMillan-inspired How Stella Got Her Groove Back three years later. Although it wasn’t as popular with critics as it was with audiences, it did earn a number of positive reviews, including one from Roger Ebert, who called it “An escapist fantasy that women in the audience can enjoy by musing, ‘I wish I had her problems’ — and her car, house, wardrobe, figure and men, even wrong men.”
Any discussion of Angela Bassett’s filmography would be incomplete without a look at How Stella Got Her Groove Back, the 1998 romantic dramedy — inspired by author Terry McMillan’s best-selling autobiographical novel — about a woman who falls for a much younger man (played by Taye Diggs) while on a Jamaican vacation. While critics were largely reluctant to groove along with the picture, it proved a somewhat modest success at the box office, turning in just under $40 million against a reported $20 million budget, and it did earn a share of acclaim, including Bassett’s NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture. If reviews were ultimately largely negative, Bassett’s work received plenty of critical acclaim; as Margaret A. McGurk wrote for the Cincinnati Enquirer, the movie “Gives Angela Bassett the full star treatment, and she gives it right back.”
After rejuvenating his career with the first two chapters in the Scream trilogy, director Wes Craven took a surprising turn into uplifting, reality-based drama with 1999’s Music of the Heart, the story of a Harlem violin teacher (played by Meryl Streep) whose dogged determination (and incredible luck) helped save a school arts program — and put her fundraising concert on stage at Carnegie Hall. It’s just the kind of true story that Hollywood loves to coat with corny melodrama, and while most critics agreed that Craven wasn’t immune to that impulse, they ultimately felt that Streep’s Oscar-nominated performance — along with solid work from a talented ensemble that included Bassett as her character’s principal — helped distinguish Music from similar films. “Some movies you want to see. Some movies you need to see,” wrote Liz Braun for Jam! Movies. “Music of the Heart is one of the latter.”
Writer-director John Sayles offered Bassett a pair of early film roles in City of Hope (1991) and Passion Fish (1992), and while her appearances in both movies were brief, they helped give her a springboard into projects like Boyz N the Hood — so even if Sayles’ script for 2002’s Sunshine State had been subpar, it’s easy to imagine that Bassett would have jumped at the opportunity to work with him again. Happily, quality wasn’t an issue with this ensemble dramedy, which surveys events at pivotal moments in an array of intertwining lives in a small Florida town. Bassett won an Image Award for her work in the film, which the Washington Post’s Ann Hornaday described as “A densely layered, always absorbing whole.”
From the instant you look at the poster, you know Akeelah and the Bee is going to be another one of those feel-good pictures about someone (in this case, a cute little girl) overcoming the odds to achieve an unlikely triumph in the final act. But as Roger Ebert is fond of pointing out, it isn’t a formula unless it works, and this is a perfect example of familiar ingredients being used in all the right ways. The story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), an 11-year-old girl whose gift for spelling earns her a shot at national acclaim — but places stress on her relationship with her widowed mom (Angela Bassett) — Bee gave Bassett a chance to reunite with frequent co-star Fishburne, who played Akeelah’s coach. We probably don’t need to tell you how it all turns out, but what it lacks in surprises, it more than makes up in a smart script, some sensitive direction from Doug Atchison, and typically strong work from its cast. As the Denver Post’s Michael Booth put it, “Akeelah and the Bee carefully diagrams every cliche we’ve absorbed from sports movies, urban dramas, mentor flicks and precocious-children portraits. Yet it works.”
Bassett‘s made a number of TV appearances throughout her career, both as an episodic series guest and as a cast member in network movies, but she’s become more of a fixture in recent years. After booking a 16-episode arc on ER, she joined the cast of American Horror Story: Coven in 2013 — and evidently had quite a bit of fun, as she returned for AHS: Freak Show the following year and again for AHS: Hotel in 2015-’16. Of course, she’s far from alone on that front — Horror Story‘s long list of talented performers includes Jessica Lange, James Cromwell, Kathy Bates, and Connie Britton — and critics have largely enjoyed the ride; as an appreciative Brian Lowry wrote for Variety, “Where too many TV series become stale after a season or two, Horror Story has a proven ability to transform itself — not just season to season, but also episode to episode and sometimes even scene to scene — built into its creative DNA.”
More than 20 years after they united to award-winning effect with Malcolm X, Bassett and director Spike Lee teamed up again for Chi-Raq, a politically motivated satirical musical drama that uses Aristophanes’ Lysistrata as the basis for a story that imagines the gangbanger molls of Chicago banding together to deny their significant others sex until they agree to halt the city’s endless cycle of violence. It’s a story that seeks to balance an unwieldy assortment of tones, and its occasionally light treatment of real-life tragedies left some pundits disgruntled even before the movie made its premiere, but the end result enjoyed widespread critical acclaim. “It’s messy in places, as Lee’s movies tend to be. But there isn’t a moment that Chi-Raq isn’t alive,” wrote Stephanie Zacharek for TIME. “This is a deeply serious, biting picture that also has joy in its heart.”
For the fourth consecutive weekend, four or more new wide releases will cram into multiplexes trying to get at their piece of a dwindling box office pie.
Nicolas Cage targets his second trip to the top spot this year with the action film "Next," rival actioner "The Condemned" counters with Stone Cold Steve Austin in the lead, horror fans get yet another creepy tale with "The Invisible," and Jamie Kennedy goes for some laughs with "Kickin’ It Old Skool."
Mostly garbage titles were programmed into this weekend’s menu since any studio with a decent film would not risk getting crushed on the second weekend by the webslinger sequel. Including these newest films, the first four months of 2007 boasts 64 wide releases hitting the marketplace, up slightly from last year’s 60 but up sharply from the 42 over the same period in 2005. With a mass quantity of weak April films, look for the North American box office to plunge to its lowest point of the year this weekend during what is essentially the calm before Sandman’s storm hits next Thursday night at midnight.
Following his Marvel Comics hit "Ghost Rider," Nicolas Cage once again plays the action hero card with the sci-fi thriller "Next." The PG-13 film finds the Oscar winner playing a man with the ability to see into the future who is called in to foil a terrorist plot before it happens. Directed by Lee Tamahori ("Die Another Day," "Along Came A Spider"), "Next" has the advantage of having the most screens and the most starpower of any new release this weekend. Plus with current films rotting away quickly (9 of the 16 holdovers in the Top 20 last weekend plunged by more than 55%), competition will not be too fierce. Paramount has been giving "Next" a decent amount of marketing, that is for a film being dumped into the final weekend of a month starting with the letter A. In almost any other time of year this would get clobbered, but given the current alternatives it will make for the only reasonable choice for many moviegoers. Hence, a number one opening by default and quite possibly the weakest one of the year. Crashing into over 2,500 theaters, "Next" could reach the top with around $13M.
Cage and Biel required an escort when exiting the "Next" premiere.
"The Condemned" offers a reality show idea not likely to be on any network’s fall schedule. In the weekend’s sole R-rated film, death row inmates duke it out to the death in order to avoid being executed, all while television cameras capture every brutal moment. World Wrestling Entertainment head Vince McMahon produces behind the scenes while former superstar grappler Steve Austin stars in front of the camera. Other WWE stars who headlined recent feature films include Kane in last May’s "See No Evil" ($4.6M debut) and John Cena in last fall’s "The Marine" ($7.1M bow). Both films averaged less than $4,000 on their opening weekends. Young men will make up the only audience segment for the new Lionsgate title and "Next" will provide some direct action competition. Still some hardcore wrestling fans will turn up to theaters since a movie ticket will be cheaper than ordering a pay-per-view event. But overall, prospects seem bleak. "The Condemned" will attack 2,310 theaters and may end up with $6M.
Steve Austin and some unfortunate soul in "The Condemned."
As if moviegoers don’t have enough scary films to choose from, Buena Vista offers up one more with the supernatural thriller "The Invisible." The PG-13 film follows a high school student whose spirit wanders after a brutal accident. Fright flicks have been flopping left and right recently and there is no reason to believe that this one will turn things around. The marketing volume has been stuck on low as this remake of a Swedish pic is more of a spring cleaning film tossed into the marketplace hoping to be forgotten soon. With no starpower, there will be almost nothing driving in traffic. "The Invisible" will appear in over 2,000 theaters this Friday, but might only collect roughly $5M.
One of them is "The Invisible."
Jamie Kennedy headlines the new comedy "Kickin’ It Old Skool" playing a 1980s breakdancer that falls into a coma and awakens two decades later to a much different world. Yari Film Group is targeting teenagers with this PG-13 pic which essentially offers the same laughs as the comedian’s 2003 film "Malibu’s Most Wanted." That modest hit bowed in late April to $12.6M from 2,503 theaters on its way to a $34.4M domestic final. "Skool" does not have a big studio marketing push behind it but it may grab the attention of some young dudes killing time before Peter Parker busts into theaters. DVD is where most people will find this one. Breaking into 1,600 theaters, "Kickin’ It Old Skool" could find itself with around $5M over three days.
Jamie Kennedy and Webster kick it "Old Skool."
Among holdovers, two-time champ "Disturbia" will find it difficult to hold onto its crown given the arrival of Nicolas Cage. But Paramount won’t care as it should still claim the number one film for the fifth consecutive weekend. A 40% decline would give the Shia LaBeouf pic about $8M for the frame and a healthy $51M after 17 days. The Anthony Hopkins–Ryan Gosling thriller "Fracture" has been well-received and competition is not too fierce so a 40% drop could be in order as well. That would leave New Line with $6.5M and a ten-day tally of $21M.
LAST YEAR: Three new flicks topped the charts led by the family comedy "RV" starring Robin Williams which opened at number one with $16.4M. The Sony hit enjoyed stellar legs and went on to collect $71.3M. Universal followed in second with the 9/11 thriller "United 93" which debuted in half as many theaters with $11.5M. The critically acclaimed pic went on to gross $31.5M. Buena Vista’s gymnastics film "Stick It" bowed in third with $10.8M on its way to $26.9M. Rounding out the top five were "Silent Hill" with $9.3M and "Scary Movie 4" with $7.8M. Also opening was the spelling drama "Akeelah and the Bee" with a weak $6M leading to a $18.8M final for Lionsgate and its promotional partner Starbucks.
Author: Gitesh Pandya, www.BoxOfficeGuru.com
This week at the movies brings us the profound discoveries of a great Kazak journalist ("Borat," starring Sacha Baron Cohen), a battle between Santa and Jack Frost ("The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause," starring Tim Allen), and a tale of rats in the sewer ("Flushed Away," featuring the voice work of Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman). What do the critics have to say?
Jagshemash! Here in U.S and A., what do critic say about "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan?" They like! In fact, the scribes are almost universally pleased with the film, and some are going as far as calling it one of the funniest comedies ever. Part satire, part shockumentary, "Borat" follows the gleefully sexist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic title character (Cohen) on a cross-country trek to learn more about our strange nation; along the way he dredges up the seamy underbelly of American prejudice and ignorance. At 95 percent on the Tomatometer, "Borat" is not only Certified Fresh, it’s the best reviewed wide release of the year, topping such acclaimed movies as "Dave Chappelle’s Block Party," "The Departed," and "United 93." That’s a good thing, since Borat himself has said if the movie doesn’t do well, he will be execute.
Borat loves the U.S. and A.
It doesn’t sound like the most auspicious subject for a film: mice and rats are flushed down a toilet, where they find a bustling municipality in the sewer. However, in the hands of Aardman Productions, the endlessly imaginative company responsible for "Chicken Run" and "Wallace and Gromit," anything is possible. And so it is with "Flushed Away," which tells the upstairs-downstairs tale of a coddled mouse who finds action and adventure after a trip through the plumbing. Critics say that while "Flushed Away" may not achieve the dizzying heights of "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" (which scored 95 percent on the Tomatometer), it’s an eccentric, inventive family film with plenty of laughs. At 76 percent on the Tomatometer, "Flushed Away" is critically sanitized for your viewing pleasure.
Dive in! It’s fresh!
"The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause," was barely screened for critics, much like star Tim Allen‘s last flick, "Zoom." The big difference is that "Clause" at least has a couple good reviews, whereas "Zoom" had none. The story of Santa’s duel with Jack Frost for control over Christmas, "Clause" hasn’t exactly enchanted the critics who have seen it; they say the movie is labored and mostly mirthless. It’s currently at 29 percent on the Tomatometer.
Yes, Virginia, there is a "Santa Clause 3."
Also opening this week in limited release: "Commune," a documentary about the Black Bear Ranch in California, is at 100 percent; "Romantico," a heartbreaking documentary about a musician working illegally in the U.S., is at 100 percent; Pedro Almodovar‘s "Volver," starring Penelope Cruz in a complex tale of womanhood, is Certified Fresh at 90 percent; "Wondrous Oblivion," the story of a boy and his neighbor who bond over the game of cricket, is at 60 percent; "Death & Texas," a death penalty satire, is at 60 percent; the twisty thriller "Unknown," starring Greg Kinnear, is at 29 percent; "Shottas," a based-on-true-events Jamaican crime flick, is at 20 percent; and "Zerophilia," a gender-bending rom-com, is at 18 percent.
Pedro Almodovar and Penelope Cruz take a spectral walk down memory lane with "Volver." Check out our retrospective of the Spanish director’s work here.
Finally, we’d like to bestow props upon the whimsically monikered killthemall4444, who correctly predicted that the equally whimsical "Saw III" would wind up with a Tomatometer of 28 percent. Congrats, ktm4444.
Best Reviewed Wide Releases of 2006:
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95% — Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
93% — Dave Chappelle’s Block Party
93% — The Departed
90% — United 93
88% — Inside Man
84%– Akeelah and the Bee
83% — Slither
83% — The Descent
80% — A Prairie Home Companion
79% — Catch a Fire
Recent Tim Allen Movies:
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0% — Zoom (2006)
28% — The Shaggy Dog (2006)
4% — Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
55% — The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
22% — Who Is Cletis Tout? (2002)
Recent Sacha Baron Cohen Movies:
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72% — Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
55% — Madagascar (2005)
55% — Ali G Indahouse: The Movie (2002)
This week at the movies, we’ve got cops and robbers in Boston ("The Departed," starring Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon), chainsaw massacres in Texas ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning," starring Jordana Brewster), and retail employees in New Mexico ("Employee of the Month," starring Jessica Simpson and Dane Cook). What do the critics have to say?
Is Martin Scorsese America’s greatest living filmmaker? He’s certainly bolstering his case with "The Departed." The film, which is a loose remake of the Hong Kong thriller "Infernal Affairs," tells the story of two moles, one of whom (DiCaprio) a cop undercover within a Boston crime family led by Jack Nicholson, and the other (Damon) a hood who has infiltrated the police department. Critics say Scorsese has created a crime drama with the gritty authenticity and soupy morality that infused such past triumphs as "GoodFellas," with outstanding work from an excellent cast. At 96 percent on the Tomatometer, "The Departed" may signify a new arrival for the master director; Scorsese’s best reviewed wide release since "GoodFellas." And it’s not only Certified Fresh, but it’s also the best reviewed wide release of the year.
"Wait a minute… you’re telling me I ripped that ‘how do you like them apples’ line off from you?"
The lives of wage slaves are often grist for the cinema’s mill, whether comic ("Clerks"), dramatic ("One Hour Photo") or both ("The Good Girl"). Now comes "Employee of the Month," starring Cook as a slacker at a Costco-like box store who whips himself into shape when attractive new hire (Simpson) comes on board. Critics say the movie has a few good laughs, but Cook and Simpson lack chemistry, and the film doesn’t do much beyond showing employee antics. At 25 percent on the Tomatometer, audiences may want to hire a different "Employee."
"And these are called ‘numbers.’ I know, it’s confusing."
For horror fans who are interested in the origin of Leatherface, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" provides some back story on the Lone Star State’s scariest resident. It also provides oodles of gore, and a style reminiscent of the original. Unfortunately, the critics say it doesn’t provide enough scares to make the experience worthwhile. The plot involves a group of young adults headed to Mexico for a good time before two brothers go to fight in Vietnam; naturally, Leatherface curtails their enjoyment in a hurry. The scribes say the film is a little too rote, and at 14 percent on the Tomatometer, this "Chainsaw" doesn’t cut very deep. (Read RT’s interview with director Jonathan Liebesman here.)
"The unsuspecting teenagers wail/ along the trail/ deep in the heart of Texas"
Also opening this week in limited release: "Blood Tea and Red String," a handmade stop-motion fairy tale 13 years in the making, is at 100 percent on the Tomatometer; "So Goes the Nation," a documentary about the 2004 election season in Ohio, is at 100 percent; "49 Up," the latest in Michael Apted‘s remarkable documentary series about growing and changing in England, is at 94 percent; "Black Gold," a documentary about the global effects of the coffee trade, is at 88 percent; "Little Children," a tale of suburban angst starring Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson and Jennifer Connelly, is at 79 percent; "Shortbus," John Cameron Mitchell‘s warmhearted exploration of unconventional sexuality, is at 68 percent; and "Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner," a documentary about the eponymous Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning scribe, is at 55 percent. And "The Queen," which is expanding this week, is at 98 percent, making it the third best reviewed limited release of the year.
"Blood Tea and Red String":"The King of Cartoons!"
Recent Martin Scorsese Movies:
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92% — No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005)
89% — The Aviator (2004)
77% — Gangs of New York (2002)
100% — My Voyage to Italy (2001)
72% — Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
Texas Chainsaw Massacres:
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86% — The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
50% — The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
23% — Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 (1989)
16% — The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994)
37% — The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Best Reviewed Wide Releases Of 2006
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(Releases with at least 40 reviews)
96% — The Departed
93% — Dave Chappelle’s Block Party
93% — Little Miss Sunshine
90% — United 93
88% — Inside Man
84% — Akeelah and the Bee
83% — Slither
83% — The Descent
80% — A Prairie Home Companion
78% — The Devil Wears Prada
Best Reviewed Limited Releases Of 2006
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(Releases with at least 40 reviews)
98% — Kekexeli: Mountain Patrol
98% — The War Tapes
98% — The Queen
96% — Army of Shadows
95% — Wordplay
93% — Fateless
93% — Little Miss Sunshine
92% — The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
92% — An Inconvenient Truth
92% — Lassie
Magneto and his fellow mutants attracted a record-breaking audience to theaters across North America as the super hero sequel X-Men: The Last Stand became a juggernaut at the box office opening at number one over the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend.
No other studio dared to debut a competing film in wide release so last week’s top movies The Da Vinci Code and Over the Hedge placed second and third with muscular numbers of their own. Playing to different audience segments, the three hits joined forces to sell nearly $200M worth of tickets over the long Friday-to-Monday span making it the second largest Memorial Day weekend ever trailing 2004’s record frame by a slim margin.
Blasting past expectations, the third X-Men film dominated the scene grossing an estimated $120.1M over the long weekend from an ultrawide 3,690 venues. The Fox sequel averaged a jaw-dropping $32,554 over four days and set a new record for Memorial Day weekend beating two previous giants. Steven Spielberg‘s The Lost World held the opening record for this holiday with $92.7M over four days (including Thursday night previews) in 1997 while Shrek 2 held the record for the biggest overall gross for the frame when it brought in $95.6M while in its second weekend in 2004. Last Stand’s gross, which included roughly $5.9M from the first midnight shows on Thursday night, easily crushed both figures to claim the new record. However, based on ticket price increases over the years, Lost World still sold more tickets over its holiday bow. Utilizing the industry’s average ticket prices for today and 1997, the dinosequel sold about 20 million tickets compared to roughly 19 million for the new mutant pic.
During the Friday-to-Sunday portion of the holiday weekend, the new X-Men pic grossed a stunning $103.1M making it the fourth largest bow in history after three other May smashes – Spider-Man ($114.8M in 2002), Star Wars Episode III ($108.4M in 2005), and Shrek 2 ($108M in 2004). According to Fox, Friday opened with $45.5M which ranks as the second largest opening day in history (after the $50M Thursday debut for Episode III) and the biggest Friday gross ever. Saturday saw sales slump a troubling 29% to $32.1M while Sunday experienced a reasonable 20% drop to $25.5M. Monday is estimated to bring in about $17M. The three-day average soared to an amazing $27,947. Super hero sequels typically draw immense numbers on the first day due to fan hysteria so a Saturday drop was expected. But, the decline was extraordinarily large and could indicate that fans are not liking the new film as much as the first two.
2002’s "Spider-Man"
The latest X-Men tale flexed more muscle than industry watchers had predicted opening above the highest of expectations. As Tom Cruise learned recently, many fans can often lose interest in a franchise by its third installment. But Wolverine and pals kept getting mightier beating the $85.6M debut of 2003’s X2: X-Men United and the $54.5M of 2000’s X-Men. Those films went on to reach $214.9M and $157.3M, respectively. Given its gargantuan start, The Last Stand stands an excellent chance of becoming the highest-grossing pic in the trilogy joining rare hits like The Return of the King and Austin Powers in Goldmember which were also tops in their franchises.
Fox and Marvel Entertainment managed to reteam the major players from the previous X-Men films to star in the third installment. Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Rebecca Romijn all were back once again and were joined by two new players. Kelsey Grammer appeared on screen as the blue mutant Beast while behind the scenes, Brett Ratner took over the director’s chair from Bryan Singer who was hired to helm Superman Returns which opens in a month. The production cost for The Last Stand was $165M. Overseas, the mutant sequel launched in almost all markets and grossed an estimated $80M giving Fox a $200M global debut. Unlike most action films, the X-Men films have actually grossed more domestically than internationally with the first two installments both collecting 53% of their global grosses from North America.
The road ahead is not too bumpy for The Last Stand. Large drops are expected, of course. However, next weekend will see only one new film enter wide release – The Break-Up starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. In fact, studios have filled the June weeks between X-Men and Superman with a string of comedies so as to not compete against the comic book titans. June 9 will have the animated comedy Cars open, Jack Black‘s Nacho Libre launches on June 16, and Adam Sandler‘s Click debuts on June 23. Fox is hoping the lack of action and sci-fi competition will help X-Men: The Last Stand hold up in the weeks ahead to surpass the studio’s other hit sequel, Ice Age: The Meltdown, to become the year’s top-grossing film.
After a mammoth opening weekend of its own, Sony’s The Da Vinci Code slipped to second place in its sophomore frame but still managed to sell an estimated $43M in tickets over four days boosting its stellar 11-day cume to $145.5M. Over the Friday-to-Sunday portion however, the Ron Howard blockbuster tumbled a disturbing 56% indicating that the religious thriller may not last too long. Last year, Star Wars Episode III, which also launched on the weekend before the Memorial Day holiday frame, dropped 49% in its sophomore session while 2004’s Shrek 2 dipped 33%.
Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou in "The Da Vinci Code"
Still, Da Vinci continues to be a major force in the industry here and abroad where it hauled in an additional $92M this weekend. That boosted the international total to $320M giving the Tom Hanks film a jaw-dropping worldwide tally of $465M in less than two weeks. Overseas, the holds have been better even though Code has had to battle X-Men in most major markets. France was down 30%, Japan slipped just 19%, Germany was off only 18%, and Holland was actually up 9%, according to studio data. Domestically, the $125M production should find its way past the $200M mark while globally, it may shoot past the $700M milestone.
"Over the Hedge"
Kidpic Over the Hedge enjoyed a terrific second weekend raking in an estimated $35.3M from families with extra time off for the holiday. The three-day portion witnessed a decline of only 30% for Paramount which is good news since the animated film did not open as powerfully as other recent digital toons. After 11 days, Hedge has collected a solid $84.4M. By comparison, 2004’s Shark Tale grossed $87.4M in its first ten days on its way to $160.8M while last year’s Chicken Little took in $80.4M in its first ten days leading to a $135.4M final. Hedge, which will have no real competition to deal with until the June 9 release of Cars from Disney and Pixar, could be on a course to reach the neighborhood of $150M from North America.
A pair of underperforming action flicks from early May rounded out the top five. Paramount’s Tom Cruise vehicle Mission: Impossible III dropped to an estimated $8.6M to boost its cume to $115.8M. Warner Bros. followed with the disaster film Poseidon which took in an estimated $7M in its third voyage to put its total at just $46.6M to date.
Sony saw its four-day gross for the family comedy RV rise 6% compared to last weekend’s three-day take. The Robin Williams hit laughed up an estimated $5.3M pushing the sum to $57.2M. Seventh place went to the Lionsgate horror entry See No Evil which grossed an estimated $3.2M giving the fright pic a modest $9.2M in 11 days.
The Lindsay Lohan flop Just My Luck collected an estimated $2.3M in eighth place giving Fox only $13.9M to date. Universal took in an estimated $1.1M with its 9/11 thriller United 93 lifting the cume to $29.9M. The spookfest An American Haunting rounded out the top ten with an estimated $937,000. The total for the Freestyle Releasing title is a mere $14.9M.
Al Gore in "An Inconvenient Truth"
Setting the limited release box office on fire was the global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth which opened in only four theaters but grossed a hefty $366,000, according to estimates. That gave the Al Gore pic a stunning average of $91,447 per location over four days. Distributed by Paramount Vantage, the new incarnation of Paramount Classics, Truth collected $282,000 over the Friday-to-Sunday portion averaging a scorching $70,585. Total since Wednesday stands at $489,000. Opening this weekend on multiple screens at a pair of theaters in both New York and Los Angeles, Truth will add about 60 more playdates on Friday and expand throughout June hoping to become the dominant doc of the summer.
The spelling bee drama Akeelah and the Bee dropped out of the top ten after a decent four-week run. In its fifth frame, the Lionsgate release grossed an estimated $830,000 over four days to boost its cume to $17M. The distributor teamed up with Starbucks to finance and promote Akeelah which did not perform especially well. However, the PG-rated film had low expectations to begin with so it is difficult to tell whether the involvement of the coffee giant had any real impact.
The top ten films over the four-day span grossed an estimated $226.8M which was up 1% from last year when Star Wars Episode III remained at number one with $70M over the holiday; but off 4% from 2004 when Shrek 2 stayed in the top spot with a then-record $95.6M in four days.
Author: Gitesh Pandya, www.BoxOfficeGuru.com
Tom Cruise‘s spy sequel Mission: Impossible III remained the most popular film in North America for the second straight weekend while the big-budget disaster film Poseidon opened in second place to disappointing results.
The frame’s other new releases, the Lindsay Lohan comedy Just My Luck and the soccer drama Goal! The Dream Begins, opened miserably as well giving the industry little to celebrate. Overall ticket sales fell behind those of the comparable weekend in each of the last four years as a sluggish marketplace waits for that one true summer blockbuster that draws the masses into the multiplexes.
Despite a weaker-than-expected opening weekend, Paramount’s MI3 enjoyed a respectable sophomore frame dropping 49% to an estimated $24.5M to retain its standing as the number one film. Playing in an ultrawide 4,059 theaters, the Ethan Hunt actioner averaged a solid $6,039 per location and raised its ten-day total to $84.6M. The decline was very similar to the 48% second weekend fall for last summer’s big spy flick Mr. & Mrs. Smith which grossed $26M in its sophomore shot after a $50.3M bow. The Pitt-Jolie vehicle, however, captured a more muscular $96.7M in its first ten days thanks in part to a June release when more students were out of school.
With so many action sequels tumbling by 55% or more on the second weekend, Mission: Impossible III managed to hold up relatively well. Competition from Poseidon was not formidable so moviegoers were not drawn away to another big event pic. The latest Ethan Hunt film will face its true test this Friday when the much-anticipated thriller The Da Vinci Code starring that other Tom opens followed a week later by the mutant juggernaut X-Men: The Last Stand. At its current pace, look for MI3 to reach $130-140M domestically making it the lowest grossing installment of the decade-old franchise. The first Mission: Impossible grossed $181M in 1996 while MI2 took in $215.4M in 2000. Overseas, MI3 jumped to $129.2M in foreign sales putting the worldwide tally at $213.8M in under two weeks. The global box office gross looks to be on a trajectory to hit $350M.
Failing to sink Cruise’s ship, the ocean liner disaster pic Poseidon settled for the runner-up spot this weekend opening with an estimated $20.3M from 3,555 locations. Warner Bros. generated a decent but not impressive per-theater average of $5,717 with its first pricey entry of the summer movie season. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen (The Perfect Storm, Air Force One), the PG-13 film was a remake of the 1972 picture The Poseidon Adventure and starred Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, and Richard Dreyfuss as passengers on a luxury ship who must fight to survive after a rogue wave capsizes the vessel. Poseidon opened weaker than other big-budget maritime action films like 2003’s Master and Commander ($25.1M), 2000’s The Perfect Storm ($41.3M), and even 1995’s infamous Waterworld ($21.2M).
Although audiences in years past have flocked to May disaster films like Twister, Deep Impact, and The Day After Tomorrow, this time Poseidon lacked the goods to draw in a paying audience. Reviews were not kind which also made the adult-skewing picture a tough sell. Varying reports on the film’s budget put the production cost in excess of $160M so a stellar run internationally and on DVD will be needed in order to turn a profit. Poseidon set sail in a handful of Asian countries to the tune of $4.4M this weekend, but will open in most foreign territories in June and July.
Once again scoring the best hold among all wide releases was the Robin Williams family comedy RV which dipped a mere 14% in its third weekend to an estimated $9.5M. The Sony hit has collected a solid $42.8M in 17 days.
Ticket buyers ignored Lindsay Lohan’s new film Just My Luck which flopped in its opening weekend grossing a mere $5.5M, according to estimates. The Fox release averaged an unlucky $2,165 per location and played almost exclusively to a teen girl audience. Studio research showed that the crowd for Luck was a remarkably high 80% female and 70% under the age of 25. Critics, not surprisingly, panned the film.
Horror flick An American Haunting enjoyed a solid sophomore session dropping only 36% to an estimated $3.7M for fifth place. Distributed by Freestyle Releasing, the PG-13 thriller has banked $10.9M in ten days and should scare its way to a mediocre $17-19M. Universal’s 9/11 thriller United 93 followed with an estimated $3.6M, down just 33%, lifting the cume to a decent $25.6M.
The teen gymnastics pic Stick It dropped 41% to an estimated $3.2M to land in the number seven spot with a total to date of $22.2M for Buena Vista. Fox’s animated sequel Ice Age: The Meltdown, still the top-grossing film of 2006, grossed an estimated $3M sliding just 29% in its seventh weekend. No other film has spent as many weeks in the top ten this year. Cume stands at $187.4M domestically and over $600M worldwide.
Sony’s fright pic Silent Hill placed ninth with an estimated $2.2M, off 45%, for a sum of $44.5M thus far. The New Line flop Hoot fell 37% to an estimated $2.1M in its second outing as the total inched up to a dismal $6.2M. Last weekend, the owl film had the distinction of suffering the worst opening in history for a film debuting in over 3,000 theaters. Hoot’s puny $3.4M bow in 3,018 sites beat out the dismal $6M launch from 3,006 theaters of 2004’s New York Minute starring the Olsen Twins for that unfortunate honor.
Another film failing to connect with kids was Buena Vista’s new soccer drama Goal! The Dream Begins which kicked off its run with a weak estimate of only $2M. The PG-rated film failed to qualify for the top ten this weekend and averaged a poor $1,989 from 1,007 locations.
Two April releases fell from the top ten this weekend. The spoof comedy Scary Movie 4 dropped 44% to an estimated $2.1M in its fifth frame. With $86.6M to date, The Weinstein Co. release looks to finish with roughly $90M which would not be far off from the $110M of its predecessor 2003’s Scary Movie 3. The Lionsgate family drama Akeelah and the Bee declined 41% to an estimated $2M in only its third turn. Cume sits at just $13.6M and should reach $16-18M.
Opening in limited release this weekend, Miramax’s family reunion comedy Keeping Up with the Steins grossed an estimated $621,000 from 138 locations for a respectable $4,500 average. The PG-13 film stars Garry Marshall, Jeremy Piven, and Daryl Hannah. The Swaziland-set drama Wah-Wah debuted in 25 theaters and grossed an estimated $57,000 for a mild $2,270 average. Starring Gabriel Byrne, Miranda Richardson, and Emily Watson, the R-rated film is distributed by Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn Films.
Among indie films expanding into more markets, Sony Classics grossed an estimated $1.2M from its comedy Art School Confidential after widening from 12 to 762 theaters across the country. That left the John Malkovich–Anjelica Huston starrer with a pitiful $1,593 average per venue as it failed to register with moviegoers on a national level. Cume is $1.4M. Fox Searchlight expanded its Indian drama Water from 36 to 62 locations and grossed an estimated $257,000 for a $4,138 average. Total sits at $593,000 with more markets opening on Friday.
The top ten films grossed an estimated $77.7M which was down 15% from last year when Monster-in-Law opened at number one with $23.1M; and down 23% from 2004 when Troy debuted in the top spot with $46.9M.
Author: Gitesh Pandya, BoxOfficeGuru.com
Tom Cruise climbed into his usual number one spot at the box office with his heavily-hyped spy sequel Mission: Impossible III, however ticket sales fell below most industry expectations as the debut was not spectacular.
The weekend’s other new releases, the horror flick An American Haunting and the kid drama Hoot, both generated lukewarm openings. But thanks to a weak early May in 2005, the overall marketplace still beat out last year for the seventh consecutive frame.
Paramount claimed the top spot with MI3 which invaded a staggering 4,054 theaters collecting an estimated $48M in ticket sales over the Friday-to-Sunday period. The third installment in the decade-old franchise averaged a potent $11,846 per venue. But Tom Cruise’s box office muscles were expected to lift the tally much higher given all the factors that were working in the $150M film’s favor. The newest Mission pic obviously had plenty of starpower but with its early May bow, it had virtually no competition in the multiplexes to deal with. Plus the studio’s marketing hype was deafening, the pic opened in the second highest number of theaters in history for a live-action film (behind Spider-Man 2‘s 4,152), and even the reviews were mostly favorable. That was a welcome bonus as critics are rarely kind to big-budget action sequels.
According to studio research, MI3 connected with the same audience that the previous two did. Men made up 56% of the crowd and 64% were age 25 or older. Joining Cruise in the PG-13 film’s cast were Ving Rhames, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Keri Russell, and recent Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Openings for other high-profile action films debuting on the first weekend of May include $68.1M for 2001’s The Mummy Returns, $85.6M for 2003’s X2: X-Men United, and $51.7M for 2004’s Van Helsing. MI3 didn’t even reach the level of Van Helsing. In fact, its opening gross was even weaker than that of Mission: Impossible 2 which launched over Memorial Day weekend six years ago with $57.8M over three days, $70.8M over four days, and $91.8M over its six-day Wednesday-to-Monday span. Even with higher ticket prices, a Friday bow, and hundreds of more theaters, MI3 still failed to reach the heights of MI2. Adjusting for inflation, MI3’s opening was the weakest among the Ethan Hunt flicks. The first Mission bowed to $74.9M over its six-day holiday frame in May 1996 including $45.4M over the Friday-to-Sunday span.
Instead, the new J.J. Abrams-directed IMF saga opened in the same neighborhood as other recent star-driven spy films like last summer’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith ($50.3M), 2004’s The Bourne Supremacy ($52.5M), and 2002’s James Bond film Die Another Day ($47.1M). Although opening near the $50M mark over three days is an impressive feat, Cruise’s new film was backed by one of the most expensive marketing campaigns in recent memory. The highly-paid star/producer attended premieres all around the world, popped up on major talk shows and magazine covers, and press coverage, not surprisingly, was non-stop.
Industry watchers must now wonder – was there too much marketing? Were audiences sick and tired of hearing and seeing Tom Cruise everywhere? Did they really want to spend money seeing even more of him? Media-saavy moviegoers voted with their dollars and those who seemed to have had enough chose to stay away. The MI3 hype machine brought back memories of Sony’s Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle from three years ago. That action sequel also arrived in theaters on a disturbingly loud wave of promotion revolving around its flamboyant stars and Demi Moore‘s relationship with Ashton Kutcher which was constantly covered on the airwaves. Despite the pricey marketing investment, Throttle debuted weaker than expected with $37.6M and crumbled 63% in its sophomore frame.
Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle
Paramount was pleased with the international results for Mission: Impossible III as the actioner took in an estimated $70M over the weekend opening in almost all major markets around the world except for Japan. The spy sequel blanketed the globe with roughly 9,500 theaters in 55 markets putting its worldwide opening weekend tally at $118M. The ratio between sales outside and within North America remained the same as with previous Mission pics. The 1996 original grossed 61% of its $465M global tally overseas while MI2 took in 60% of its $538M internationally. This weekend, 60% of MI3’s dollars came from abroad.
With no major competition for the family audience, the Robin Williams comedy RV enjoyed the smallest decline in the top ten easing just 32% to an estimated $11.1M. The Sony release dropped one notch following its top spot bow and has grossed a solid $31M to date. In just ten days, RV has already become the second biggest live-action grosser for Williams in the past seven years after the $67.4M of 2002’s Insomnia. Look for the $50M road trip flick to end its journey in the neighborhood of $60M.
R.V.
Opening in third place was the supernatural thriller An American Haunting which scared up an estimated $6.4M in ticket sales in its first three days. The PG-13 film averaged a decent $3,825 from 1,668 theaters. Reviews were mostly negative for the Donald Sutherland–Sissy Spacek starrer about a possessed young woman in the 1800s. Distributor Freestyle Releasing’s weekend estimate included an unusually low Saturday-to-Sunday decline of less than 5%. Final grosses released on Monday could see the figure come down.
"An American Haunting," "Stick It," and "United 93"
The gymnastics comedy Stick It tumbled 49% in its second weekend to an estimated $5.5M giving Buena Vista $18M in ten days. Look for the teen pic to reach $27-29M which is commendable for its genre. After a solid takeoff last weekend, the 9/11 hijack thriller United 93 declined a substantial 55% in its sophomore frame and grossed an estimated $5.2M. After ten days, Universal’s $15M pic has collected $20.1M and should find its way to roughly $30M domestically.
Fox’s Ice Age: The Meltdown dropped 45% to an estimated $4M in its sixth frame to boost its cume to $183.3M. Crumbling 58% in its third spook was Sony’s fright flick Silent Hill which grossed an estimated $3.9M lifting the cume to $40.8M.
"Ice Age: The Meltdown," "Silent Hill," and "Scary Movie 4"
The spoof sequel Scary Movie 4 fell 52% to an estimated $3.8M and brought its total to $83.7M. The Starbucks-promoted kid drama Akeelah and the Bee enjoyed a respectable second weekend hold dropping 43% to an estimated $3.4M. After ten days, the Lionsgate release has still only grossed $10.7M and seems likely to finish close to $20M.
Opening to dismal results with an estimated $3.4M from 3,018 theaters was the kid drama Hoot from New Line. The PG-rated story of a group of boys who set out to save endangered owls averaged a pitiful $1,127 per location. Fans of the best-selling book apparently avoided the film adaptation and critics for the most part were unimpressed.
"Akeelah and the Bee," "Hoot," and "The Promise"
A handful of films opened in limited release to mixed results. Warner Independent debuted the Chinese epic The Promise in 213 theaters but grossed only $271,000 according to estimates for a poor $1,272 average. The Golden Globe-nominated adventure was China’s official submission to this year’s Oscars and is reportedly that country’s most expensive film ever made. U.S. critics were not very pleased.
Sony Classics bowed its indie comedy Art School Confidential which grossed an estimated $142,000 from a dozen sites in New York and Los Angeles averaging a strong $11,833 per site. The Terry Zwigoff-directed film expands to nearly 800 theaters in most major markets on Friday. ThinkFilm debuted its Edward Norton starrer Down in the Valley to an estimated $26,000 from three New York houses for a solid $8,770 average. The film widens to three more cities on Friday before gradually expanding throughout May.
"Art School Confidential"
Among holdovers, Fox Searchlight expanded its widow drama Water from five to 36 theaters and grossed an estimated $188,000 for a $5,222 average. The ten-day total stands at $270,000 and this Friday the Deepa Mehta film will widen to about 60 sites. The distributor’s indie sensation Thank You for Smoking collected an estimated $1.1M, off 40%, for a $20M cume.
Three April releases were pushed out of the top ten this weekend. The Michael Douglas political thriller The Sentinel took a big hit from MI3 and crashed 62% to an estimated $3M putting its 17-day cume at $30.9M. Fox should find its way to about $36M. Disney’s underperforming toon The Wild slumped 46% to an estimated $2.6M. With only $32M in the bank, the animated film looks to conclude with $36-38M. Sony, on the other hand, has generated solid numbers for its sports comedy The Benchwarmers which grossed an estimated $2M this weekend. Down 54%, the Rob Schneider–David Spade film has taken in $55.6M thus far and is set to end with just under $60M.
The top ten films grossed an estimated $94.7M which was up a healthy 24% from last year when Kingdom of Heaven opened at number one with $19.6M; but off 4% from 2004 when Van Helsing debuted in the top spot with $51.7M.
Author: Gitesh Pandya, BoxOfficeGuru.com
Proving that farcical family vacations are more enticing than gymnastics, spelling bees, and historical plane crashes, Sony’s "RV" landed atop the weekend box office tally by grossing an estimated $16.4 million from over 3,600 theaters. Because nothing says "box office hit" like a good septic tank gag.
Debuting in second place (and 1,800 theaters) was Universal’s lauded and controversial "United 93," which managed about $11.6 million in its opening frame, while Disney’s gymnastics flick "Stick It" was a close third, grossing approximately $11.2 million from just over 2,000 theaters.
Fourth and fifth place went to a pair of horror-related hangers-on: Sony’s "Silent Hill" added another $9.3 million to its $34.2 million total, and Dimension’s "Scary Movie 4" yanked another $7.8 million out of moviegoers’ pockets, giving it a grand total of $78.1 million.
Lionsgate’s "Akeelah and the Bee" debuted to relatively meager numbers by pulling in only $6.2 million from 2,200 theaters.
The summer movie officially kicks off next weekend with the arrival of Paramount’s "Mission: Impossible III," New Line’s family flick "Hoot," and Freestyle’s fact-based chiller "An American Haunting."
For a closer peek at the weekend numbers, click on over to the Rotten Tomatoes Box Office Page.
This week we have "United 93," a somber movie about 9/11. We also have lighter fare in "RV," "Stick It" and "Akeelah." What do the critics have to say?
Is it too soon for the studios to make movies about the terrorist attacks on Sept 11, 2001? Directed by Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday) with a cast of unknowns, "United 93" re-enacts the hijacking of United Airlines flight 93 and its eventual crash into a field in Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board. Critics say, while difficult to watch, "United 93" is made with skill and treats the subject matter with respect, never resorting to the aggrandizement Hollywood is known for. As of this writing, "United 93" is Certified Fresh with a Tomatometer reading of 93%, the best-reviewed drama of 2006 for movies with at least 50 reviews.
If you’ve been to a Starbucks lately, you’ll notice that you’re seeing more on the walls and chalkboards than art decor and beverage suggestions. It’s hard to miss those "Akeelah and the Bee" note cards and stickers. That’s because besides making caffeinated beverages, Starbucks is dabbling in movies as well. The movie centers on Akeelah who, through the tutelage of a mentor played by Laurence Fishburne, rises above the odds to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee contest. Despite its predictability, "Akeelah" is doing quite well with the critics, scoring 84% on the Tomatometer. Critics say its star Keke Palmer‘s winning performance makes it easy to forgive the film’s flaws.
If "Stick It" does well at the box office, will we see the writer of "Bring It On" pen a movie about sychronized swimming? For all we know, that script is probably done, just waiting for a greenlight from studio execs. While that movie may hold promise, "Stick It" fails to score well with the critics with a reading of 21% on the Tomatometer. Filled with teen speak and shopworn cliches, the movie may appeal to teenage mallrats, they say.
In Robin Williams‘ latest comedy "RV," his family dreads the prospect of taking an extended road trip with him in a Winnebago, and with a reading of 32% on the Tomatometer, so do the critics. The reason? The movie’s not that funny. While "RV" does have the occasional chuckle, it’s a mediocre effort at best.
Notable Paul Greengrass Movies:
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81% — The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
91% — Bloody Sunday (2002)
59% — The Theory of Flight (1998)
Recent movies about the Spelling Bee:
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41% — Bee Season (2005)
98% — Spellbound (2003)
Sony rode a press blackout to first place with their video game horror flick "Silent Hill." The gothic creepfest earned an estimated $20.2 million from 2,900 theaters, handily knocking last week’s champ, "Scary Movie 4," into second place.
Chapter numero cuatro in the seemingly endless spoof series, "Scary Movie 4" grabbed another $17 million, placing its total somewhere in the range of $67.7 million. Debuting in 2,800 theaters (and third place) was Fox’s secret service thriller "The Sentinel," with $14.7 million.
Silent Hill
Fourth and fifth place went to a pair of animated animal-fests: "Ice Age: The Meltdown" ($12.8 million weekend, $168 million total) and "The Wild" ($8.1 million weekend, $22 million total), respectively.
Keifer Sutherland and Eva Longoria in "The Sentinel"
Arriving next weekend are the last four flicks before May kick-starts the "summer" movie season: Lionsgate’s family drama "Akeelah and the Bee," Sony’s slapsticker "RV," Disney’s tween-sports flick "Stick It," and Universal’s inevitably controversial 9/11 drama, "United 93."
For a more thorough examination of this past weekend’s box office results, please do click by the Rotten Tomatoes Box Office Page.
ShoWest is a convention for people making movies and the people exhibiting them. That’s all well and good, but since Rotten Tomatoes is not making nor exhibiting movies (as least to my knowledge), why are we here? "Cars." "Over the Hedge." "A Prairie Home Companion." "Akeelah and The Bee." Look forward to our reports, but in the mean time check out the hundreds of movie posters for upcoming 2006 films on display.
This annual convention attracts, according to their website, "thousands of delegates from over 45 countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia" where they can network, preview new products, and learn about issues affecting the industry.
This convention may hold little interest for people not in the business of making movies or displaying them, but what goes on here will have an impact on the theatrical experience sometime down the road. For instance, some of the cutting-edge technology on display here will find its way into theaters. Seminars like "Enhancing the Magic of the Moviegoing Experience" will, hopefully, improve the moviegoing experience, whose decline is one of the contributing factors people cited for not going to the multiplexes.
Click here for the ShoWest poster gallery.
In an announcement made Thursday, Starbucks Corp. revealed plans to team with Lion’s Gate Films to promote the upcoming flick, "Akeelah and the Bee."
After a year-long search for the perfect film to make its entry into the movie-distribution business, Starbucks chose "Akeelah," a drama centered on an inner-city girl trying to compete in the National Spelling Bee. Starring Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, and 13 year-old Keke Palmer, the family-friendly film is written and directed by indie filmmaker Doug Atchison, whose screenplay for "Akeelah" won him the Academy’s coveted Nicholl Fellowship back in 2000.
According to Reuters, Lion’s Gate typically spends up to $20 million to market its films; with the unspecified contribution from Starbucks, it shouldn’t be difficult for the corporate partners to cover the paltry $10 million production budget of "Akeelah."
For all you Starbucks addicts who’ve just grown accustomed to the stylishly packaged CDs crowding counters in their retail shops, its XM-radio Hear Music radio station, and the custom hipster playlists heard at each Starbucks round the world, this means an even bigger cross-promotional barrage is in store every time you crave a grande non-fat latte. The "Akeelah" promotions are to include flash-card beverage sleeves (ok, so we’ll learn how to spell better), movie trailer pop-ups for Starbucks wi-fi users (light entertainment for your afternoon coffee break), and free screenings for Starbucks employees (some amateur film criticism to go with your conscientiously-harvested Sumatra blend). Of course, Starbucks will also offer the "Akeelah" soundtrack on CD and, later, the movie on DVD.
The chain, who’s CEO Howard Schultz also sits on the board of DreamWorks Animation SKG, hopes their "Akeelah" venture will launch many more film distribution deals to come. In return for their marketing efforts, Starbucks will receive an undisclosed percentage of the film’s entire revenue.
"Akeelah and the Bee" will be released April 28, 2006, and will arrive at your local Starbucks much, much sooner.
After disappearing from her San Bernardino County home, teen actress Scout Taylor-Compton was found safe only days after the media broke news that she was missing. The sixteen year-old actress, who starred in last summer’s teen comedy Sleepover, had been reported missing by her father and stepmother two weeks ago. County sheriffs, acting on a tip, found the presumed runaway hiding out elsewhere in her home town of Apple Valley; police assume that, following a family dispute, the teenage thesp left home for an extended slumber party of her own. Earlier this summer Taylor-Compton had finished shooting the independent drama, Tomorrow is Today and currently appears on the Bravo series, Hidden Howie.
Jerry Seinfeld said hello to a new son this week, as wife Jessica gave birth this Monday. Named Shepherd Kellen Seinfeld, the baby boy joined young siblings Julian and Sascha; feeling the parental vibe, Jerry Seinfeld is currently working on the upcoming star-studded animated flick, Bee Movie, for which he’s triple-billed as co-writer, producer, and star.
And finally, perhaps signaling a sea change in Hollywood’s latest box office downhill trend, the Academy — yes, that Academy — elected its new President Tuesday night. Producer Sid Ganis, whose expertise lies in years of upper-lever PR, boasts producing credits on such popular films as Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (24% on the Tomatometer), Big Daddy (31%) , Mr. Deeds (23%), The Master of Disguise (02%), and the recently announced screen adaptation, I Dream of Jeannie. Ganis has also served in the executive branches of Lucasfilm, Paramount Pictures, Sony and Columbia, and his production company Out of the Blue…Entertainment is set to release this year’s Akeelah and the Bee. His plans to reinvigorate the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences include establishing a film museum and increasing the relevance of the annual Awards telecast in the lives of Tinseltown denizens as well as the rest of the world.
