Author Archive
 

 

Behind the US/Worldwide Weekend Box Office – 12/6/15

  OPENINGS:  Little was expected from KRAMPUS (Legendary/Universal), and looked at in that light, it modestly overdelivered with a $16M opening weekend.  That’s virtually identical with the $15.8M opening for Unfri...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

SHOWBUZZDAILY Season Finale Review: “The Leftovers”

  At what point does unconventional storytelling become perversity for its own sake, a collection of curlicued narratives that operate like the showrunner version of The Emperor’s New Clothes?  It’s a question...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

SHOWBUZZDAILY Series Finale Review: “The League”

  In an era when even network sitcoms often try to Say Something Meaningful, let’s take a moment to appreciate THE LEAGUE, which devoted 7 prosperous seasons to ingeniously and hilariously being nothing but rude.  J...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

SHOWBUZZDAILY Season Finale Review: “You’re The Worst”

  Nobody saw Season 2 of YOU’RE THE WORST coming.  Season 1 of Stephen Falk’s series had been high-risk enough, a rom-com that spat on the genre’s conventions while also quietly incorporating them, cente...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

EARLY FRIDAY BOX OFFICE: “In the Heart Of the Sea” Founders As Audiences Await The Force

  Tossing IN THE HEART OF THE SEA (Village Roadshow/Warners) onto what is historically one of the weakest box office weekends of the year–and this year also just days ahead of the arrival of cinema’s Death Star...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

Behind the US/Worldwide Weekend Box Office – 12/13/15

  OPENINGS:  Let’s be clear:  the decision to greenlight a $100M production budget for IN THE HEART OF THE SEA (Village Roadshow/Warners)–a period whaling adventure that features about 10 minutes of a CG whal...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

SHOWBUZZDAILY Season Finale Review: “Fargo”

  Noah Hawley handily retained his status as the Third Coen Brother with a second masterful season of FARGO.  This go-round may have been even more ambitious than the first:  not only did Hawley once again capture the sp...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

SHOWBUZZDAILY Season Finale Review: “Finding Carter”

  In its second season, MTV’s FINDING CARTER made a disappointingly dim argument for sustaining itself beyond its initial premise.  The series remains well-acted, and it has its emotionally pursuasive moments, but i...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

EARLY FRIDAY BOX OFFICE: “Force Awakens” Shreds the Record Books

  There was never any doubt that STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (Lucasfilm/Disney) was going to be huge.  The issue was almost existential:  how big was it possible for a December opening to be, when the month–which ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

SHOWBUZZDAILY Review: “Saturday Night Live” with Tina Fey & Amy Poehler

  Lorne Michaels does know how to throw a party.  The 2015 finale of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE closed with a rollicking “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, joined by the cas...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

Behind the US/Worldwide Weekend Box Office – 12/20/15

  OPENINGS:  Here’s the crazy thing about the official record-busting $238M weekend estimate for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (Lucasfilm/Disney), which smashed the previous weekend record by more than 12%, and nearl...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

SHOWBUZZDAILY Season Finale Review: “Into the Badlands”

  The first season of AMC’s INTO THE BADLANDS felt entirely predigested.  It was Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by way of Game of Thrones by way of every post-apocalyptic Chosen One fantasy you’ve ever seen. ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

EARLY WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: “Force Awakens” Sets More Records; “Hateful 8″” & “The Revenant” Slide

  Another day, another record or two for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (Lucasfilm/Disney).  According to preliminary numbers at Deadline, its Saturday was no less than $55M, which tidily dispatched the biggest 2d Saturday ...
by Mitch Salem
 

 
 

SHOWBUZZDAILY Series Premiere Review: “Cooper Barrett’s Guide To Surviving Life”

  COOPER BARRETT’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING LIFE:  Sundays 8:30PM on FOX – Change the Channel The first network TV premiere of 2016 is FOX’s COOPER BARRETT’S GUIDE TO SURVIVING LIFE on Sunday (already av...
by Mitch Salem
 

 

 

SHOWBUZZDAILY Series Premiere Review: “Second Chance”

  SECOND CHANCE:  Wednesdays 9PM on FOX (pilot also available via VOD/streaming) – If Nothing Else Is On… There’s not much spark to FOX’s SECOND CHANCE, a spin on Frankenstein (at one point it was ...
by Mitch Salem