Based on Friday’s grosses, Weekend #11 of 2013 is the second weekend in a row up somewhat from prior years: $103 million for the top 12 films Friday-Sunday (up 6% from the same weekend last year).  Oz continues to carry Hollywood on its back.  Opening this weekend, Steve Carrell and Jim Carrey flopped in The […]

Ten days into the three-week holiday movie season, 2012 is now 9% behind the average 10-day total over the last several years ($264 million this year for the first ten days versus $290 million on average 2004-2011).  However, 2012 remains 16% behind the last time Christmas fell on a Tuesday (2007 — $316 million the […]

Twelve days into the three-week holiday movie season, 2012 is now 9.0% behind the average for the same period over the last several years ($362 million this year versus $398 million on average 2004-2011).  Further, 2012 is 12.1% behind the last time Christmas fell on a Tuesday (2007’s $412 million over this period).   After […]

WORLDWIDE STUDIO SCORECARD.  Year to date, Warner Brothers has pulled ahead thanks to the opening of 300: Rise of an Empire and recent overseas grosses from The LEGO Movie, as it really kicks into gear outside North America. Scroll down for domestic and overseas grosses for each film individually so far in 2014.   YEAR TO DATE […]

Weekend #24 of 2015 is looking like $180 million for the top 12 films this weekend, somewhat above the norm for the same weekend the past few years. Jurassic World from Universal should open with a $117.0 million three-day weekend. Early reviews at RottenTomatoes are solid: 70% positive overall so far. Jurassic World is on track for around $295 million domestic. Overseas […]

> After what seemed as long as a presidential primary season, the Oscar nominations are finally here. What do they tell us? THE ARTIST Is Still The Film To Beat. There were plenty of surprises sprinkled throughout today’s nominations, but none that seriously challenged the conventional wisdom. If Martin Scorsese were still looking for his […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, Weekend #26 of 2013 looks like an okay $181 million for the top 12 films, even with or slightly down from the same weekend in recent years.  Not a bad weekend at all, just not the blistering pace of the last two weekends. Opening at 3,181 theaters Friday, The Heat from 20th Century Fox […]

  Warning:  this piece will discuss details of the storyline of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES as well as the other Batman films.  GIANT SPOILERS WILL ABOUND; proceed at your own risk. Christopher Nolan is remarkable among the great directors of action films–Steven Spielberg, David Lean, James Cameron, John Ford, certainly Michael Bay–in that while working […]