The Numbers News - March 2014
| ← February 2014 | April 2014 → |
DVD and Blu-ray Releases for April 1st, 2014
March 31, 2014
The home market isn't terrible this week and there are a couple of releases on top that could sell well. However, it is not a very deep week and even the second page of the new releases over on Amazon.com has some releases I would call filler. Anchorman: The Legend Continues on 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack is the best-selling new release of the week and it is arguably the best as well. The Pirate Fairy on Blu-ray Combo Pack is the second best-selling new release of the week and also a contender for Pick of the Week. Meanwhile, I'm really looking forward to seeing Knights of Badassdom but the Blu-ray Combo Pack is still on its way.
More...
Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: The Pirate Fairy
March 31, 2014
The Tinker Bell franchise began in 2008 and while they've never received a full theatrical release domestically, they've become huge hits on the home market. The latest installment is The Pirate Fairy, which is the fifth film released in six years. Has the franchise finally run out of stream? Or is this film just as entertaining as the past ones?
More...
Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Anchorman: The Legend Continues
March 30, 2014
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy came out in theaters nearly a decade ago. It earned good reviews and did well at the box office managing nearly $90 million worldwide on a $25 million budget. However, it became a classic on the home market and many think it is among Will Ferrell's best movies. Rumors of a sequel persisted for quite a while before Anchorman: The Legend Continues finally came out. It earned better reviews and nearly doubled the first film's numbers at the worldwide box office. Is this because the quality is also better? Or did it unduly benefit from nearly ten years of demand?
More...
Featured TV on DVD Review: Due South: The Complete Series
March 29, 2014
Due South started in 1994 and was a rare beast. It was a Canadian TV movie that debuted on American TV, as well as up here in Canada. The TV movie was a hit and it was turned into a series. However, while the ratings started out well, the American network kept moving it about the schedule and soon it was no longer pulling in the numbers needed to thrive and it was canceled in America and sadly mostly forgotten. Echo Bridge Home Entertainment has the rights to the show and recently re-released The Complete Series on DVD. Is it worth picking up for fans of the show? Will those who never saw it originally enjoy it?
More...
Limited Releases: No Mistake
March 28, 2014
It's quite a good week for limited releases, as there are several that are earning overwhelmingly positive reviews. Finding Vivian Maier, Hide Your Smiling Faces, and Mistaken for Strangers are all earning excellent reviews. The Raid 2 is also earning excellent reviews, but it also possesses the buzz needed to thrive in limited release.
More...
Contest: Winter is Coming
March 28, 2014
Next weekend is the first weekend in April, which can only mean one thing... Game of Thrones returns. ... Also, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is opening wide. In fact, it is the only wide release of the week, so it is the only choice for the target film for this week's box office prediction contest. In order to win, one must simply predict the opening weekend box office number for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going over, will win a copy of Birds of Paradise on DVD, which is a Walmart Exclusive this week.
Meanwhile, whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going under, will also win Birds of Paradise on DVD.
Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay!
More...
Weekend Predictions: Will Noah Wash Away the Competition?
March 27, 2014
The final weekend in March is a busy one with two wide releases, possibly two wide expansions, and a semi-wide release that could reach the top ten. Noah is the wider of the two wide releases and should have little trouble earning first place over the weekend. On the other hand, there is a chance Sabotage won't reach the top five. Both Bad Words and The Grand Budapest Hotel are expanding wide, or widish. The Grand Budapest Hotel should pop into the top five, but not everyone thinks Bad Words will reach the top ten. Finally, Cesar Chavez is opening in more than 600 theaters and there is a chance it will reach the top ten. This weekend last year was led by G.I. Joe: Retaliation with just over $40 million. Noah could get there, but even if it does, I don't think the other films will hold their end of the bargain and 2014 will finally lose in the year-over-year comparison.
More...
International Box Office: Speed Races Around the World
March 26, 2014
Need for Speed remained in first place on the international chart with $29.2 million in 55 markets for a two-week total of $96.1 million. This includes $10.5 million over the weekend in China, and $24.22 million for the full week. After two weeks of release, the film has $45.54 million in that one market. The film opened in first place in Germany with $2.91 million on 455 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $3.06 million. The film opens in Spain and France, among other markets, in April, while by the time it debuts in Japan, it might have covered its production budget internationally.
More...
Contest: Converge on the Winner: Winning Announcement
March 26, 2014
The winners of our Converge on the Winner contest were determined and they are...
More...
Per Theater Chart: Thrills are Not Cheap But Grand Still Rules
March 25, 2014
The Grand Budapest Hotel expanded once again, but still managed to lead the way on the per theater chart with an average of $22,329 in 304 theaters. The overall number one film, Divergent, was in second place on the per theater chart with an average of $13,874. Rob the Mob was right behind with $13,833 in its lone theater. Jodorowsky's Dune opened in three theaters earning an average of $12,006. God's Not Dead was the big surprise of the weekend with an average of $11,852 in 780 theaters.
More...
Weekend Wrap-Up: Divergent Results
March 25, 2014
This weekend, there were two new wide releases at the box office. One was a big hit and the other struggled. Also, one was a hit with critics and one was not. Sadly, the critical miss was a box office hit with Divergent earning more than $50 million while Muppets Most Wanted failed to reach $20 million. Overall, the total box office this weekend was $141 million, which is 24% more than last weekend. It is also more than the same weekend last year, but by less than 2%. Year-to-date, 2014 is 8% ahead of 2013 at $2.16 billion to $2.01 billion.
More...
DVD and Blu-ray Releases for March 25th, 2014
March 25, 2014
It is a good, but very shallow week on the home market. The Wolf of Wall Street is leading the pack, with the Blu-ray Combo Pack earning first place and DVD earning second. This is a $100 million hit and a multi-Oscar nominee, so it is not surprising it is earning the top two spots. On the other hand, third place currently belongs to Monster High: Frights, Camera, Action! on DVD. That's a real sign that it is a shallow week. That's not to say some of the smaller releases are not worth picking up. Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXIX is certainly a contender for Pick of the Week, but in the end I went with The Wolf of Wall Street. On a side note, Continuum: Season 2 on Blu-ray earned the Puck of the Week, for Best Canadian Release.
More...
Oscar Contest: Winners Announcement
March 24, 2014
The Numbers Oscar Contest once again proved to be uncannily accurate at predicting Oscar winners this year, with no less than 21 of the top vote-getters in the contest going on to win the Oscar on the night. That includes all the major awards, including Best Picture 12 Years a Slave, and Best Animated Feature, Frozen. Those correct predictions bring our tallies to 14 out of 17 for Best Picture and 11 out of 13 for Best Animated Feature, for an average of over 80%.
The only categories where entrants in the contest missed the winner were Best Documentary Feature, where The Act of Killing lost out to 20 Feet From Stardom, and two of the short categories (always the hardest to predict): Best Animated Short and Best Live Action Short.
With the consensus of contest participants being so close to the actual winners, the winners had to score incredibly highly.
In fact, five people scored 23 out of 24 Oscar winners correctly, meaning that we needed to go to the tie-breaker to determine the
winners. These are the people who came out on top:
More...
Featured DVD Review: The Punk Singer
March 24, 2014
The Punk Singer was made in 2010 and focuses on Kathleen Hanna, who is not only a punk singer, but a lot more and helped influence a movement. At least she did till she left the spotlight in 2005. Do we get enough insights into her work? And will the documentary appeal to a wider audience?
More...
Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Welcome to the Jungle
March 24, 2014
Welcome to the Jungle is a comedy that opened in limited release with weak reviews. When it hit theaters, it failed to find an audience. Now it is coming out on DVD and Blu-ray. Does it deserve a second chance on the home market? Or is there a reason it failed to entice moviegoers?
More...
Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: The Wolf of Wall Street
March 23, 2014
The Wolf of Wall Street is the latest film from Martin Scorsese and stars Leonardo DiCaprio. Not surprisingly, it was considered an Awards Season favorite from the time it was announced. The last time Martin Scorsese directed a movie that didn't earn at least overall positive reviews was Boxcar Bertha back in 1972, which is so long ago that we don't even have it in our database. That's a winning streak that is probably second to none. Since the year 2000, he has released six movies (not counting documentaries) and five of those six have earned multiple Oscar nominations. Combined, they have earned 14 Oscar wins. On the other hand, this film earned weaker reviews than expected and was shut out on Oscar night. So is this film weaker than than average for his recent work? Or has he simply made so many great movies that the expectations are just too high?
More...
Weekend Estimates: Diverse Winners at the Box Office
March 23, 2014
Once more, the Summit division of Lionsgate is showing the rest of the industry how to successfully bring a Young Adult novel to the screen, with Divergent delivering an impressive $56 million on its opening weekend. While that's a long, long way short of the $152.5 million posted by The Hunger Games on its debut, it is in the same ballpark as the $69.6 million enjoyed by Twilight when it came out in 2008, in spite of being from a book with a smaller fanbase. It's also the second-biggest weekend of the year so far after The LEGO Movie, and bodes well for an impressive final tally, and sequels to come.
But that's not the only piece of good news on a weekend where the theme is diversity.
More...
Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: The Book Thief
March 23, 2014
I don't think it is unfair to call The Book Thief Oscar-bait. It's a costume drama that deals with the Holocaust, albeit indirectly. Unfortunately, its reviews were mixed, to be kind, so becoming an Awards Season player was out of the question. It did pick up a few nominations here and there, mostly for the score, but also a few for Sophie Nelisse's performance. In the end, it earned more than $20 million, which is amazing for a film that started in limited release. So were critics right in giving the film mixed reviews? Or is there a reason so many people saw it in theaters?
More...
Limited Releases: Thrilling or Just Cheap?
March 21, 2014
There are quite a few limited releases this week, including Nymphomaniac: Volume 1, which is earning the loudest buzz. Its reviews are great, but not as strong as the buzz, plus it has been playing on Video on Demand. The best reviews go to Cheap Thrills (Reviews) and Jodorowsky's Dune (Reviews). Hopefully both films will find an audience this weekend, but limited release is a rough go even with the best reviews.
More...
Contest: It's Raining Prizes
March 21, 2014
Noah opens next week and it could be a massive hit, or it might be an expensive flop. The film reportedly cost $160 million to make, so the studio will be pushing it hard. However, the buzz is mixed, at best. That said, it should crush the only other wide release of the week, Sabotage, which feels like an afterthought. There's a clear choice for the target film for this week's box office prediction contest. In order to win, one must simply predict the opening weekend box office number for Noah.
Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going over, will win the first Frankenprize of the week, which I'm expanding. You can choose between three DVDs / Blu-rays, four TV on DVD releases, or six single-disc TV on DVD releases, usually kid's movies.
Meanwhile, whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going under, will win the second Frankenprize.
Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay!
More...
Weekend Predictions: Divergent Opinions on the New Releases
March 20, 2014
Another week, another pair of wide releases. That's becoming a common thing to say. It is also a good thing to say, because too many movies tend to hurt all films involved and it is much better to have one big release and the counter-programing film. This week the big release is Divergent, which the studio is hoping will be the start of a new franchise. The box office tracking for the film looks good, even if the reviews do not. The counter-programing this week is Muppets Most Wanted, which is also opening with a saturation level theater count and it looks to do as well as The Muppets did. Last year there was also a strong one-two punch with The Croods topping Olympus has Fallen $43.64 million to $30.37 million. I'm not sure that Muppets Most Wanted will hold up its end of the bargain, but Divergent is poised for an opening of at least $50 million. It looks likes 2014 will again win over 2013.
More...
International Box Office: Speed Races Around the World
March 20, 2014
Need for Speed performed a lot better internationally than it did domestically earning first place with $45.6 million in 40 markets. Unfortunately, $21.09 million was earned during its opening weekend in China. I say unfortunately, because studios only get about 20% of the box office haul in that market, compared to 40% in most other international markets and 60% domestically. It also earned first place in Russia with $5.84 million on 1,050 screens and in the U.K., with $3.35 million on 469. The surprise result came in Malaysia where it earned $1.89 million on 184 screens. On the other hand, the film had a trio of third place debuts in Australia ($1.38 million on 457 screens); Brazil ($1.29 on 335); and Italy ($1.07 million on 426). The film opens in Germany this weekend, while it doesn't open in Japan till June. It likely topped its production budget worldwide by Monday, so as long as its legs are not really short, it should break even sometime on the home market.
More...
Contest: Speed It Up: Winning Announcement
March 19, 2014
The winner of our Speed It Up contest was determined and it is...
More...
Per Theater Chart: Grand Still the Grandest of Them All
March 19, 2014
Despite expanding from 4 to 66 theaters, The Grand Budapest Hotel held on well enough to lead the per theater chart with ease. In fact, its average of $55,122 was the second best per theater average for the year, behind only its opening weekend. Bad Words came in second place with an average of $18,884 in six theaters. This is a good opening, but not one that suggests it could naturally expand wide. Fortunately, the film already has a wide release scheduled and as the ad campaign for the wide release ramps up, it should at least become a midlevel hit when compared to its production budget. Enemy was right behind with an estimated $18,000 in its lone theater. Le Week-End was the final film in the $10,000 club as it earned an average of $14,536 in three theaters during its opening weekend of release.
More...
Weekend Wrap-Up: Peabody and Sherman Travel to the Top
March 18, 2014
The weekend box office didn't shake out as expected with the new films failing to live up to the low end of predictions. Need for Speed didn't earn first place, in fact, it only managed third place. Tyler Perry's Single Mothers Club barely managed fifth place and was the worst opening for Tyler Perry in his directing career. On the positive side, Mr. Peabody and Sherman held on better than expected allowing it to rise to first place. The overall box office sank compared to last weekend, down 21% to $114 million. This is still above last year's box office total by 6%. Year-to-date, 2014 has pulled in almost $2.00 billion, which is 11% ahead of 2013's pace.
More...
DVD and Blu-ray Releases for March 18th, 2014
March 17, 2014
It's a good week / bad week on the home market. The good news is there are four films coming out this week that earned some level of Awards Season buzz. The bad news... there are four films coming out this week that earned some level of Awards Season buzz and they scared away the competition. Two of those four films are strong enough to be contenders for Pick of the Week, Frozen on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack and American Hustle on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack. Unfortunately, I'm still waiting for the screeners for both of those movies, so I'm not sure which of those two is the Pick of the Week. Fortunately, the screener for 12 Years a Slave arrived and the Blu-ray is Pick of the Week material.
More...
Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Here Comes the Devil
March 17, 2014
Here Comes the Devil is a Mexican horror film that opened last year in limited release. Horror movies rarely do well in limited release, and worse still, this one was saddled with weak reviews. Needless to say, the film struggled in theaters. Does it deserve a second chance on the home market? Or were moviegoers smart to give this film a pass the first time around?
More...
Featured Blu-ray review - The Jungle Book 2
March 17, 2014
I previously reviewed The Jungle Book 2 back when it came out on DVD in 2008. At the time I considered it an unnecessary sequel. Has my opinion changed? Does the film film shine on Blu-ray?
More...
Featured TV on DVD Review: Doc McStuffins: Mobile Clinic
March 16, 2014
This is the third Doc McStuffins DVD I've gotten the chance to review. I've enjoyed the other two and I think they are above the usual offerings for preschool kids. What episodes are on Mobile Clinic? And is the overall value still strong?
More...
Weekend Estimates: Peabody Beats Out Action Trio
March 16, 2014
An over-abundance of action movies this weekend split the market for moviegoers looking for such entertainment, allowing the animated family adventure Mr. Peabody and Sherman to sneak in and win the weekend. Peabody will be down a decent 34% from last weekend at $21.2 million, according to Fox, and will hit $63 million by the end of the weekend. Its legs will take it past 300: Rise of an Empire, which will be down 58% to $19.1 million for the weekend, and $78.4 million after two. Both films will top new release Need for Speed. Disney's debutant will post around $17.8 million for the weekend, a number undoubtedly squeezed by competition with 300 and Non-Stop, which will post $10.6 million in its third weekend, for $68.8 million in total.
More...
Featured DVD Review: The Horror at 37,000 Feet
March 16, 2014
The Horror at 37,000 Feet is a TV movie starring, among others, William Shatner as an ex-priest on a plane that is attacked by an ancient demon. There's no way this movie will be good, at least not in the traditional sense of the word. But will it be entertaining?
More...
Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: 12 Years a Slave
March 15, 2014
12 Years a Slave recently won the Best Picture Oscar. This creates huge expectations. I am a little worried the expectations are so great the film will be weak by comparison. Is that the case? Or is the film really as good as its reviews and accolades would indicate?
More...
Limited Releases: Will Bad Words bring Good News?
March 14, 2014
There could be as many as two-dozen limited releases opening this week, which is insane. That's so many that I'm going to have to limit the ones I talk about to those that I can easily find release dates and / or theater listings for on official sites. (I should really do this every week, because too many times I talk about a film opening in limited release, only to never hear about the movie again.) The competition is overwhelming, but there are a few that rise above the crowd. Veronica Mars is opening wider than any other film and its reviews are pretty good. On the other hand, it is also playing on Video on Demand, so its box office numbers might be really weak. Bad Words is only opening in six theaters tonight, but since it already has a wide expansion planned for the 28th, one could say it is the biggest release of the week. There are several other films on this week's list that could find an audience (Enemy, Exposed, On My Way, etc.) but the competition will likely prove to be too much.
More...
Contest: Converge on the Winner
March 14, 2014
Next week should be the biggest weekend of the month with Divergent debuting. A lot of box office analysts think the film will be the biggest hit of the month, including myself. Muppets Most Wanted is also opening wide, and while I really, really, really want it to be a big hit, it has no realistic chance to open in first place. There's a clear choice for the target film for this week's box office prediction contest. In order to win, one must simply predict the opening weekend box office number for Divergent.
Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going over, will win a copy of 12 Years a Slave on Blu-ray.
Meanwhile, whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going under, will also win a copy of 12 Years a Slave on Blu-ray.
Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay!
More...
Weekend Predictions: Will 2014 Keep Speeding Along?
March 14, 2014
Another week, another pair of wide releases. This time around, Need for Speed is competing with Tyler Perry's Single Mothers Club. Neither film is expected to be a huge hit, but Need for Speed has a better chance at earning first place. 300: Rise of an Empire does have a shot at repeating on top, but it could also collapse due to mixed reviews and direct competition. Last year, the box office was led by Oz the Great and Powerful with $41.25 million during its second weekend of release. No single film is going to come close to that figure this weekend. On the other hand, 2014 has better depth than 2013 had, so it could still come out on top.
More...
International Box Office: Empire Conquers the World
March 13, 2014
300: Rise of an Empire dominated the international box office earning first place with $87.8 million on 14,478 screens in 58 markets during its opening weekend of release. The film earned first place in Russia with $8.43 million on 1,441 screens. It only managed second place in France, but with a still strong $6.08 million on 454 screens. It also had a string of first place finishes in a number of other major markets, including South Korea where it made $5.49 million on 720 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $6.42 million. Brazil was next with an opening of $5.64 million on 869 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.92 million, while Mexico was close behind with $5.47 million on 2,048. Germany took in $4.75 million on 580 screens over the weekend for a very healthy debut of $5.23 million. The U.K. earned a similar result with $4.62 million on 487, but that is one of the weaker results given the size of the market. Other major markets include Spain ($3.69 million on 710 screens); Italy ($3.33 million on 580); and Australia ($2.91 million on 467). The film has yet to open in China and Japan, but given its start in these markets, it hardly matters how well in does in those.
More...
Contest: Travel Back in Time: Winning Announcement
March 12, 2014
The winners of our Travel Back in Time contest were determined and they are...
More...
Per Theater Chart: Grand, Grandeur, Grandest
March 12, 2014
The Grand Budapest Hotel led the way on the per theater chart with an average of $202,792 in four theaters. This is the best per theater average this year and the best per theater average since Frozen's debut last year. It is also the best per theater average for a live action film of all time, beating The Master's old record of $147,262 in five theaters set in 2012. The film will clearly expand wide enough to earn a significant measure of mainstream success, if it doesn't expand truly wide. Particle Fever was next with an average of $14,323 in three theaters over the weekend, while its total since Wednesday is $49,869. The only wide release to top $10,000 on the per theater chart was 300: Rise of an Empire, which earned an average of $13,006. Interior. Leather Bar. was a surprise entrant in the $10,000 club earning $10,902 in one theater.
More...
Weekend Wrap-Up: 2014 Rises Thanks to Empire and Peabody
March 11, 2014
The box office weekend was a little stronger than expected with 300: Rise of an Empire earning $45 million while Mr. Peabody and Sherman earned $32 million. Overall the box office pulled in $143 million, which was 17% more than last weekend. It was also 2% more than the same weekend last year. Granted, that's not a lot. In fact, it is probably less than ticket price inflation. Then again, any win, even a close win, is amazing since we were up against Oz the Great and Powerful's massive opening last year. Year-to-date, 2014 has amassed $1.84 billion, putting it 11% ahead of 2013, which had earned $1.65 million by this point in the year. It won't be long till 2014 hits $2 billion and there are some pretty big hits coming out this summer to look forward to.
More...
DVD and Blu-ray Releases for March 11th, 2014
March 10, 2014
If you look over at Amazon.com, the best-selling new release of the week is The Book Thief. This film made just over $20 million at the box office, which is amazing for a limited release. However, it is still a limited release on top of the new releases. That tells you how slow this week is on the home market. Fortunately, last Friday The Hunger Games: Catching Fire came out on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack and I'm including it on this week's list as well. There are a number of other releases that are worth picking up, including The Patience Stone on DVD, In Fear on DVD, and Inside Llewyn Davis on Blu-ray. However, while there is some competition, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire on Blu-ray Combo Pack is the Pick of the Week.
More...
Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Beyond Outrage
March 10, 2014
Beyond Outrage is the latest film from Takeshi Kitano, who has made some great films in the past, like The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi. It is also a sequel to Outrage, which earned overwhelmingly positive reviews. Can this film live up to its predecessor? Or should fans of the genre stick to the earlier work?
More...
Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Out of the Furnace
March 9, 2014
Out of the Furnace came out the weekend after Thanksgiving, which is a dead zone at the box office. Despite being in the heart of the winter holidays (Thanksgiving through New Year's Day) the weekend after Thanksgiving is often times among the worst weekend of the year for wide releases. That was certainly the case in 2013 and Out of the Furnace was part of the problem. Is it as bad as its box office numbers would indicate? Or did it fail to find an audience in part because of the release date?
More...
Featured TV on DVD Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutagen Mayhem
March 9, 2014
The latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series started in 2012. After the 1987 cartoon ended in 1996, there have been a number of attempts to reboot the franchise on TV as well as in theaters. Not all of them worked. (The less said about the Saban series, the better.) Can the latest series thrive where some of the others have failed?
More...
Weekend Estimates: 300 and Peabody in Shadow of Budapest Hotel
March 9, 2014
Two movies with very different audiences top this weekend's box office chart, according to studio estimates released on Sunday morning, but the really eye-popping numbers are to be found lower down the rankings. 300: Rise of an Empire leads the charge with a very solid $45 million or so from 3,470 theaters. While that's a long way behind the $70.9 million earned by 300 on its opening weekend, it's an impressive showing for a film that hasn't been earning particularly strong reviews and doesn't share much of the cast, nor the director, from the original movie. In second place, Mr. Peabody & Sherman will land at around $32.5 million for Fox. Playing in 3,934 theaters, the family animated adventure will have a decent $8,361 theater average, and its legs over the next few weeks will be closely watched -- it'll need them for any chance of a sequel.
The main story for the weekend, however, lies lower in the chart.
More...
Featured TV on DVD Review: Big History
March 9, 2014
Please don't suck. Please don't suck. Please don't suck. I've been burned by a number of History Channel shows in the past. Some are quite good, like How the Earth was Made, but others that I had high hopes for didn't live up to expectations. (And that's not counting the complete crap on the network, like the shows that deal with ghosts, aliens, or preppies pretending to be hicks.) I hope Big History is one of the better shows and the setup sounds intriguing. Does it live up to its promise? Or was I burned again?
More...
Featured Blu-ray review - Samson and Delilah
March 7, 2014
This will be a short review. Samson and Delilah made its DVD debut less than a year a ago and I reviewed it then. This week, it makes its Blu-ray debut. My opinion of the movie hasn't changed since then, but how does the Blu-ray look and sound compared to the DVD?
More...
Featured TV on DVD Review: Bubble Guppies: Animals Everywhere!
March 7, 2014
The latest Bubble Guppies DVD to find its way to my desk is Animals Everywhere!. What episodes are found on the DVD? Are there any extras? And is the overall value worth the asking price?
More...
Limited Releases are Looking Grand
March 7, 2014
This week the list of limited releases includes The Grand Budapest Hotel, which is earning amazing buzz and arguably better reviews. It will likely dominate the per theater chart so much so that the rest of the films might suffer as as result. This would be too bad, because there are several other films that deserve to find an audience. Grand Piano and In Fear are both earning great reviews, but as horror films playing on Video on Demand, their box office numbers will be nothing more than an afterthought. There are also a couple of comedies I'm interested in seeing, Journey To The West and No Clue, although the latter is only playing in Canada.
More...
Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
March 7, 2014
The Hunger Games came out in 2012 with high expectations. Many thought it was going to be a good movie and do very well, especially for a spring time release. Instead, it broke records, including best mid-night screening for a non-sequel, biggest March weekend, biggest weekend for a non-sequel, etc. And thanks to its high quality, it had better than expected legs. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire came out last fall and earned even more money at the box office. Is it as good as its predecessor? Or can it be even better?
More...
Contest: Speed it Up
March 6, 2014
Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), regardless if they go over or not, will win the Snickers' prize pack.
Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay!
More...
Weekend Predictions: Greeks and Persians vs. Peabody and Sherman
March 6, 2014
There are two wide releases this week, 300: Rise of an Empire and Mr. Peabody and Sherman. Mr. Peabody and Sherman is opening in nearly 4,000 theaters and is earning better reviews, but 300: Rise of an Empire will likely open faster at the box office. The three holdovers in the top five, Non-Stop, Son of God, and The LEGO Movie, should also do well earning more than $10 million each over the weekend, so overall the box office should be strong. Unfortunately, this weekend last year, Oz the Great and Powerful earned just shy of $80 million over the weekend. There's no way either new release will match that. In fact, it is likely both new releases combined won't match that. 2014's winning streak will end, but not to panic, it still has a large lead and while March doesn't look great, April should be better.
More...
International Box Office: RoboCop Rises to the Top
March 5, 2014
RoboCop debuted in China this past weekend and that helped it climb into first place internationally with $30.2 million in 75 markets for a total of $136.0 million internationally after a month of release. The film opened in top spot in China over the weekend with $20.67 million. The film also remained in first place in Brazil with $2.4 million on 756 screens over the weekend for a total of $7.3 million after two.
More...
Contest: Don't Not Stop: Winning Announcement
March 5, 2014
The winner of our Don't Not Stop contest was determined and it is...
More...
Per Theater Chart: Wind Rises to the Top
March 5, 2014
There were three films in the $10,000 club this past weekend, two that were not a surprise, but one that was a huge surprise. Leading the way was The Lunchbox with an average of $14,847 in three theaters. This film earned 94% positive reviews. Likewise, Ernest & Celestine earned 100% positive reviews, so its start of $13,078 in one theater is also to be expected. In between those two films was The Bag Man, which earned an average of $14,616 in two theaters, but only managed 9% positive reviews.
More...
Weekend Wrap-Up: Non-Stop Starts Fast
March 3, 2014
Non-Stop led the way at the box office this weekend and like nearly every film in the top five, it beat expectations. Son of God did so well that it reached second place. Even The LEGO Movie had reason to celebrate, as it hit $200 million over the weekend. This helped the overall box office rise 7% from last weekend reaching $118 million. Meanwhile, this was 8% higher than the same weekend last year. Year-to-date, 2014 has earned $1.65 billion putting it 11% or $163 million ahead of 2013.
More...
DVD and Blu-ray Releases for March 4th, 2014
March 3, 2014
This week there are a couple massive releases on the home market. 12 Years a Slave just earned the Best Picture Oscar, so it's the perfect time to release it on DVD or Blu-ray. The biggest release of the week is The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, but it doesn't come out on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack till Friday, so I will get the review online in a couple of days. On the flip side, those two releases seem to have scared away most of the competition, because there's almost nothing else worth talking about. (There's an exercise video in the top five new releases on Amazon.com. That almost never happens.) As for the Pick of the Week, it's 12 Years a Slave on Blu-ray. It's not the only release coming out on Tuesday that's worth buying. I recommend picking up Girl Rising on DVD as well, while Venture Bros.: Season Five on DVD or Blu-ray is also worth the money.
More...
Featured DVD Review: Girl Rising
March 3, 2014
Girl Rising is a documentary that opened last March. Its opening weekend per theater average was only mixed, but it stuck around in theaters long enough to top $1 million. That's a great run for a documentary. Is it also one of the better documentaries I've seen during the past year?
More...
2014 Awards Season: Oscar Ceremony Live Blog - And the Oscar goes to... 12 Years a Slave
March 2, 2014
The Oscars are being handed out this evening and as usual, we will be live-blogging the event. Here's the last look at the nominations with those chosen by our contest entrants as the likely winners in Bold. If I disagree with the consensus, they are in italics, and sharp-eyed readers will note there are no categories where that's true. Finally, if I am rooting for an underdog, they are underlined. There are only two categories where that is true. I want Chiwetel Ejiofor to win Best Lead Actor for his performance in 12 Years a Slave. I also want Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa to win for Best Hair and Make-up, because Dallas Buyers Club had a hair and make-up budget of $250. Yes it was effective, but the special effects make-up used in Bad Grandpa was just more difficult to pull off, even if the movie wasn't Oscar-bait. Regardless, I don't expect there to be many surprises at this year's awards.
More...
Featured DVD Review: Big Bad Wolf
March 2, 2014
Big Bad Wolf was made under the name Huff. Big Bad Wolf... Huff... Yep, it's a horror film inspired by The Three Little Pigs. This isn't the only horror film with a folktale origin, but I'm not sure there's enough plot in the original story to make a feature-length movie. If not, we could have a generic horror movie with a lame hook. Let's hope for the best.
More...
Breaking News: 12 Years a Slave Predicted Best Picture Winner
March 2, 2014
The Numbers readers are making 12 Years a Slave the hot favorite to win Best Picture at tonight's Oscar ceremony, with 70% of entrants in our Predict the Academy Awards contest giving it the nod. Gravity comes a distant second with 18% of votes.
But Gravity looks likely to have the first laugh, if not the last, with wins predicted for Best Director and most of the technical categories.
Dallas Buyers Club is the dark horse tonight, with wins predicted in 3 categories, equal with 12 Years a Slave.
Full analysis coming this afternoon...
- Predicted winners in each category
- Complete vote tallies in each category
More...
Weekend Estimates: Non-Stop Tops Son of God on Oscar Weekend
March 2, 2014
Even with awards shows dominating industry headlines this weekend, three movies, none of which are nominated for anything, will manage to top $20 million at the box office. Top of the pile will be Liam Neeson actioner Non-Stop, which will debut with a shade over $30 million. That's the best performance for a non-sequel movie Neeson has headlined. Not far behind, Son of God is projected to earn around $26.5 million this weekend, and Fox is projecting it to top the chart on Sunday. The third movie topping $20 million will be The LEGO Movie, which passes $200 million in the process in its 4th weekend in release.
More...
2014 - Awards Season: Slave Top Winners at Spirit Awards
March 2, 2014
Independent Spirit Award handed out the hardware last night and the big winner was 12 Years a Slave, which picked up five of the seven awards it was nominated for.
More...
Featured TV on DVD Review: Venture Bros.: Season Five
March 1, 2014
This is the first time I've gotten a chance to review Venture Bros., but not the first time I've seen it. It is one of the more normal shows in the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim line-up with an actual plot. I didn't get a chance to see season four, but I'm sure I'll be able to catch up right away.
More...
Featured TV on DVD Review: Dora the Explorer: Dora in Wonderland
March 1, 2014
It is been more than six months since I reviewed any Dora the Explorer, but this week Dora in Wonderland comes out on DVD. What episodes are found on the DVD and is it worth the asking price?
More...
2014 Preview: March
March 1, 2014
2014 continued its strong run in February with The Lego Movie beating even the high end expectations and will become the first film released in 2014 to reach $200 million. March doesn't look as strong, as no film is on track to hit $200 million, but there are five films that have a chance at $100 million. Granted, not all of them will get there; in fact, there's a chance only one of them will get there. Divergent is the film I think has the best shot at the century club, but it could be joined by Mr. Peabody and Sherman, for instance, which is earning surprisingly strong reviews. Noah is a big-budget Bible epic and the studio has to be hoping for at least $100 million, but the buzz is quite negative and there have been reports of troubles behind-the-scenes. Last March was led by Oz The Great and Powerful, which pulled in more than $200 million domestically. I don't think any film opening this March will match that figure. In addition, The Croods and G.I. Joe: Retaliation also hit the $100 million milestone, while Olympus Has Fallen came very close. Granted, there were also some big bombs last March, like The Host, but even so, I think 2014 will lose ground in the year-over-year comparison.
More...