Andrew Bujalski’s COMPUTER CHESS has a great setting for a comedy.  The time is circa 1980, and the place is an anonymous hotel where a group of nerds–back before nerds were cool–have gathered for their yearly conference and contest among the computer programs they create to enable their machines to play chess with increasing […]

THE WEEK.  For the recently completed week ending Sunday (January 21-27, 2013), FOX pulled into first place with a 2.56 adult 18-49 rating, thanks to American Idol, a solid premiere for The Following and a lot of repeats on CBS, as it rests for Super Bowl week. CBS dropped to a second place with a preliminary 1.75 adult 18-49 rating, down […]

Even the one football game no one cares about can score well enough to win the night. NBC:  The PRO BOWL, a game so uninteresting that there’s been recurring discussion about ending it altogether, had a 3.3 in preliminary numbers (down around 10% from last year), but that was sufficient for NBC’s last Sunday win […]

Django Unchained is pouring it on overseas, adding $63 million since last week’s report to $112 million overseas to date and a projected $277 million worldwide.  Les Miserables is slowing down a bit overseas, up $25 million since last week to $176 million overseas and a projected $326 million worldwide. Skyfall and Life of Pi also continue to gross significantly […]

With Saturday’s grosses now tallied, Weekend #4 of 2013 is looking like $88 million for the top 12 films (up significantly from the $80 million estimate yesterday but still down 13% from the comparable weekend average).   Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters now looks like a $19 million opening weekend, up from the $16 million estimate […]

Based on Friday’s grosses, Weekend #4 of 2013 is pretty much a disaster: only $80 million for the top 12 films (20% behind the pace for the same weekend the last few years).   Opening at 3,372 theaters Friday, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters grossed $6 million Friday and is on track for a $16 million opening […]

The fourth weekend of 2013 should total just under $100 million for the top 12 films, a bit off the normal pace for this weekend but close to last year’s tally.  Three new films will open this weekend, none of which have any hope of making an impact. Opening in about 3,000 theaters Friday, Hansel […]

With CBS in re-reruns last night, it was one grim night on network TV Tuesday.  ABC won the night with a 2.0 adult 18-49 rating from 8-11 pm, slightly above the 1.7 season-to-date rating for ABC Tuesday.    The network premiered The Taste with Nigella Lawson, Anthony Bourdain and others from 8-10 pm, scoring a 2.2 rating. […]