>Through Thursday, Team Metcalf’s lead in the ShowBuzzDaily Summer Movie Draft stands at almost $115 million.  This weekend Team Salem opens Rise of the Planet of the Apes, while Team Metcalf has no movies left to open.  Check back Monday for the update with the weekend’s numbers, and click “Read more” to see the updated chart. […]

> Deadline has a more complete set of Saturday numbers, and the news just gets better and better for RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.  It now appears the picture didn’t drop at all from Friday, and it could edge as high as $55M for the weekend.  (No such luck for CHANGE-UP, still looking […]

> In just her second feature film as a director (her first was 2006’s Oscar-nominated Away From Her), Sarah Polley demonstrates that she’s already a filmmaker with rare grace and sensuality in TAKE THIS WALTZ, which premiered tonight at the Toronto Film Festival.  Blessed with yet another superb lead performance by Michelle Williams, Polley’s film […]

> THE SOCIAL NETWORK fell only 31% in its second weekend, so MONEYBALL, which is headed for a fall closer to 40% (after a lower opening), continues not to be in Network‘s league financially.  The timing of a movie like this is tricky, because if it’s out of theatres when the awards discussions start to […]

> Deadline has preliminary Saturday boxoffice numbers, and IMMORTALS seems to have followed the fanboy-genre pattern of extreme front-loading, with a 2d day reported as $10.6M, down 25% from Friday.  It should still win the weekend easily with a $30-32M total, but considering the much bigger movies about to flood the market, it’s unlikely to […]

> The last 2 weeks of the year will almost certainly bring better news for Hollywood, for reasons of tonnage alone:  there are 6 wide openings to come next week, compared to only 3 in the final weeks of 2010.  But for now, the stocking-stuffer of choice is coal. SHERLOCK HOLMES:  GAME OF SHADOWS (Warners):  […]

> Due to the Martin Luther King holiday on Monday, all studios are estimating low Sunday drops, although some are projecting more aggressively than others. UNIVERSAL:  CONTRABAND held almost even on Saturday, which is good for an action movie, and is projecting a reasonable (given the holiday) 21% drop on Sunday.  It should get to […]

>THIS MEANS WAR: Not Even For Free – This Means Crap No expense has been spared in making THIS MEANS WAR one of the worst pictures of recent years. A dreadful mash-up of the romantic-comedy and action-adventure genres, this thing has been in development for years, and although only 3 writers are credited (Timothy Dowling […]