The Numbers News - June 2014
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Weekend Wrap-Up: Dinobots Propel Transformers to the Top
June 30, 2014
As expected, Transformers: Age of Extinction easily won the race for the top of the box office chart and became the first film released in 2014 to earn more than $100 million during its opening weekend. Granted, it barely made it, but we will take it. This helped the overall box office climb by 20% to $190 million over the weekend. Unfortunately, this was still 8% lower than the same weekend last year when Monsters University repeated at the box office champion. Year-to-date, 2014 has pulled in $5.11 billion, which is 0.3% below 2013's pace of $5.13 billion. This is still close enough that we shouldn't panic, but the trajectory is going in the wrong direction.
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Analysis: Sandra Bullock is Hollywood’s Top Actress
June 30, 2014
With the recent weak performance of films such as Transcendence and Edge of Tomorrow at the box office, there’s been a lot of talk recently about how much actors and actresses are really worth to a film. The poor performance of these films hasn’t come as a huge surprise to followers of the Bankability Index, which produces valuations considerably below the $20 million that Johnny Depp reportedly earned from his lead role in Transcendence, and we thought this is a good opportunity to look at what the Index says about the most valuable actors and actresses in the business.
With Angelina Jolie making headlines for all the right reasons for her starring role in Maleficent, it seemed only fitting to start with an analysis of the most valuable actresses in Hollywood. For this chart, we’ve taken each star’s worldwide Bankability Index and divided it by the number of films they make each year to get an estimate of the average value they bring to a film, as of June, 2014.
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for July 1st, 2014
June 30, 2014
It is a terrible week on the home market. The biggest new release according to Amazon.com is Legend of Korra: Book Two, Spirits, which is coming out on DVD and DVD or Blu-ray. However, according to the people sending me a screener, it doesn't come out till the first week of August. The best release on this week's list is The Grand Budapest Hotel, but it came out last month and the Blu-ray arrived late. The best new release on this week's list, that I know is coming out this week, is The Lunchbox and the Blu-ray Combo Pack is the Pick of the Week.
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Featured DVD Review: No Clue
June 30, 2014
No Clue is a Canadian movie written by and starring Brent Butt, who also created and starred in Corner Gas. Corner Gas was one of the most popular Canadian Sitcoms around during its run (and has spawned a movie that is in the works), so there was a lot of buzz regarding this film, more than most Canadian movies manage. Could it live up to the buzz? Or does Brent Butt's sense of humor work better on TV?
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Weekend Estimates: Transformers On Cusp of $100 Million Weekend
June 29, 2014
Transformers: Age of Extinction is set to deliver the year’s biggest weekend, as it performs to sell-out crowds across the country. Paramount is projecting a weekend total of $100 million as of Sunday morning, which honestly seems like a conveniently round number. Perhaps the studio is playing it safe, and the actual weekend number will be a few million over $100 million? Or maybe they’re hoping that announcing a $100 million weekend will help encourage people to theaters today and push the film over the line? Based on the numbers we’re seeing, it looks more like the latter, and we’ll have to wait until Monday to see if Age of Extinction will actually be the first $100 million opener of the year. At the end of the day, it probably doesn’t matter a huge amount: $99 million versus $101 million is a rounding error, and the film has topped $200 million internationally this weekend, which is a great start towards repaying its reported $210 million production budget.
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel
June 28, 2014
The Grand Budapest Hotel is the latest film from auteur director, Wes Anderson, and it is also his biggest box office hit. I liked some of his earlier films, but after The Life Aquatic and The Darjeeling Limited, I didn't consider myself a fan of his work. Then I saw The Fantastic Mr. Fox and Moonrise Kingdom and I loved both. Because of this, I was super excited to see The Grand Budapest Hotel and its box office success caused my expectations to rise even more. Did they rise too high? Is this Wes Anderson's best movie, as well as his biggest hit?
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Limited Releases: Begin the Weekend with a Limited Release
June 27, 2014
There are more than a dozen limited releases on this week's list, including two films that are opening in limited release this week with a scheduled wide expansion next week. Unfortunately, I don't have high hopes for either of those two films. There are some films worth checking out, including a pair of documentaries, The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz and Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger, both of which are also playing on Video on Demand. The film I hope has the best start is Snowpiercer, a South Korean film that is earning amazing reviews.
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Contest: Fracking Prizes
June 26, 2014
Next weekend there are three wide releases and two limited releases that are scheduled to expand wide. However, only Tammy has a shot at being more than a midlevel hit. It might make more than the other four films make combined. As such, Tammy is the 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 Tammy.
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 FrackNation on DVD.
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 FrackNation on DVD.
Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay!
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Weekend Predictions: Are we Witnessing the Extinction of a Franchise?
June 26, 2014
There is only one wide release of the week, but it is a potential monster hit. It is also potentially the last in a very profitable franchise. Transformers: Age of Extinction is the fourth film in the Transformers franchise, a franchise that has averaged more than $350 million at the box office. However, they have also averaged well below 50% positive reviews and the poor critical response could finally be taking its toll. It will still crush the competition this weekend, but it likely won't live up to past installments in the franchise. It will also beat last year's new releases and more than double the first place film; however that might not be enough to save 2014. Last year there were five films that pulled in $20 million or more. This year there will be only one. In fact, there will be only four films that pull in $10 million or more.
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International Box Office: Bewitching the Box Office
June 25, 2014
Maleficent rose to first place with $47.9 million in 54 markets for totals of $340.8 million internationally and $526.7 million worldwide. It became the first live-action film in Angelina Jolie's career to reach the $500 million mark. The film opened in first place in China with $22.01 million. Up next for the film is Japan and if it does well there, it could top Kung Fu Panda 2 as Angelina Jolie's biggest hit.
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Contest: Stop Thinking: Winning Announcement
June 24, 2014
The winners of our Stop Thinking contest were determined and they are...
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Per Theater Chart: Putting Thought in the Per Theater Chart
June 24, 2014
There were three films in the $10,000 club. They were led by the number one film on the overall chart, Think Like a Man Too, with an average of $13,142 in more than 2,000 theaters. Venus in Fur was close behind with an average of $12,381 in two theaters. The final film in this list was Le Chef with $11,290 in one theater.
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Weekend Wrap-Up: Think Sinks, But Still Comes out on Top
June 24, 2014
This weekend was a disaster. Think Like a Man Too couldn't even live up to the original's opening, which is terrible for a sequel. Jersey Boys opened on the low end of lower expectations. Unfortunately, the holdovers weren't able to take advantage of the weak openings and the overall box office plummeted 22% to just $146 million. Compared to last year, the overall box office was down 39%. That's a disaster. There's no other way to describe it. Last year's number one film, Monster University made more money during its opening day than Think Like a Man Too made during the full weekend. It made more during its opening weekend than the top three films this year made. Even worse, 2014 has lost its lead over 2013. Granted, it is still close at $4.86 billion to $4.88 million, or just 0.3%, but it wasn't that long ago that 2014 was on a record-setting pace. Transformers: Age of Extinction should help turn things around next weekend, but I don't think that film will help in the long run.
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for June 24th, 2014
June 23, 2014
There's very little on the home market that stands out. 300: Rise of an Empire is the biggest movie coming out this week, but it is far from the best new release. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of new releases in competition for Pick of the Week. The A Hard Day's Night Criterion Collection Blu-ray is absolutely worth picking up, but there are no new extras for the Blu-ray, so that is a strike against it. Masters of Sex: Season One earned great reviews, but the extras on the DVD or the Blu-ray are only good. Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season Six is loaded, but its price is just too high. In the end, I rolled a dice and Star Trek: The Next Generation came out on top, but it really is a close race.
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Enemy
June 22, 2014
Enemy is the latest film from Denis Villeneuve and Jake Gyllenhaal. It was actually made before Prisoners was, but that was a lot more mainstream movie and it earned a theatrical release first. There are many words that can be used to describe Enemy, but mainstream isn't one of them. Is it worth checking out for fans of the unusual? And is the Blu-ray worth picking up?
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Weekend Estimates: Think Like a Man Rolls to Weekend Win
June 22, 2014
Mid-Summer weekend will produce a near tie at the box office, according to estimates released on Sunday, with Sony in first and second place. Think Like a Man Too will come out top with about $30 million, according to the studio—basically in line with the $33 million earned by the first film in the franchise. That portends a total that will fall short of the $91.5 million earned by the previous outing domestically, and with limited international appeal, this installment will be solidly, but not spectacularly profitable. Enough for a third film? Probably.
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: FrackNation
June 22, 2014
FrackNation is an environmental documentary, and there have been a lot of those that have come out in recent years. It is forgivable if the average moviegoer can't tell them apart anymore. How does it compare to the other film's in this genre? Does it stand out?
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Featured TV on DVD Review: Dora the Explorer: Dora's Magical Sleepover
June 21, 2014
The latest DVD from Dora the Explorer is Dora's Magical Sleepover. This franchise has been around for so long, the girl who provided the voice for Dora, Kathleen Herles, turns 24 this year. I don't think I need to explain what the show is, so let's get right to the episodes.
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Featured TV on DVD Review: Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season Six
June 21, 2014
This is the penultimate season for Star Trek: The Next Generation and the end of what most people would call the golden age of the seasons. (Season seven wasn't bad. It was better than the first two seasons, but it was certainly not as good as seasons three through six.) So what are the highlights of season six? Are there many lowlights? And is the Blu-ray worth upgrading to?
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Featured TV on DVD Review: Star Trek: The Next Generation: Chain of Command
June 21, 2014
Ever since The Best of Both Worlds came out, there has been a two-part episode released for each season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. For Season Six, they chose Chain of Command as the episode to elevate to is own release. Did that make the right choice? And is it worth the price to buy separately?
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Limited Releases: Every Third Person Should See a Limited Release
June 20, 2014
There are a dozen limited releases on this week's list, including five films that are earning overwhelmingly positive reviews. Unfortunately, I don't think any of them will be monster hits. There's a Code Black, documentary, which is a genre that rarely finds breakout success. There's Coherence, a high concept Sci-fi movie that will likely be too out there to find an audience. Norte, the End of History, a four-hour foreign-language film, which will reduce its target demographic and the number of screenings that can be shown. A Summer Tale, a French film from 1996, which is making its theatrical debut. And finally Venus and Fur, which is probably going to be the biggest limited release hit of the weekend, but I really doubt it will expand wide enough to find a measure of mainstream success.
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Contest: LEGO My Prize
June 20, 2014
There's only one wide release next weekend, Transformers: Age of Extinction, so it is clearly 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 Transformers: Age of Extinction.
Interestingly, Transformers: Age of Extinction will likely be the biggest hit of the year so far, while the current leader, The LEGO Movie, is featured as the prize. You can upload six-second clips to YouTube by using this App.
Weekend Predictions: Think or Swim
June 19, 2014
There are two wide releases coming out this week, but none of them are expected to be monster hits. Think Like a Man Too could eventually get to $100 million, while Jersey Boys might become a midlevel hit, but no more than that. There are a couple of holdovers that should be very big players at the box office, as both How to Train Your Dragon 2 and 22 Jump Street will earn close to $30 million over the next three days. On the other hand, this weekend last year there were two monster hits, Monster University and World War Z, as well as a holdover, Man of Steel, that will make more than either of the two new releases this year will make. 2014 is going to get crushed in the year-over-year comparison.
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: RoboCop
June 19, 2014
When the RoboCop remake was announced, a lot of people thought it would be a disaster. The original RoboCop is widely considered a classic that not only offers a lot of action, but is also a smart satire. Some where expecting the film to be a complete train wreck. That wasn't the case, at least not with critics. Granted, 49% positive isn't a good score, but it is better than expected. Will I like it more than I thought I would? Or will I recommend skipping this movie and sticking with the original?
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Featured TV on DVD Review: Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey
June 19, 2014
Cosmos debuted on TV in 1980 and featured Carl Sagan, who was arguably the most famous science communicator ever. When it was announced that the show was being re-booted as a mini-series, I was super excited, even more so when it was announced Neil deGrasse Tyson was the host, my anticipation grew even more. But did it grow too much? Could the show possibly live up to my expectations?
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International Box Office: Trio Top the Charts
June 18, 2014
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There were three films that were in a virtual tie for top spot on the international top ten. Godzilla squeaked out a win with $38.4 million in 62 markets for totals of $248.7 million internationally and $440.2 million worldwide after a month of release. This includes a $37.00 million opening weekend in China. Needless to say, it earned first place in that market. The film finishes its international run in Japan at the end of July and it should jump over $500 million worldwide when it does.
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Contest: Training Wheels: Winning Announcement
June 18, 2014
The winners of our Training Wheels contest were determined and they are...
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Per Theater Chart: Jumping over the Competition
June 18, 2014
There were three films in the $10,000 club, including the top two on the overall chart. 22 Jump Street led the way with an average of $17,263. The Rover was wedged between the two wide releases with an average of $13,860 in five theaters. Next up was How to Train Your Dragon 2 with an average of $11,627. This is good, but lower than expected.
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for June 17th, 2014
June 17, 2014
It's a good week / bad week on the home market. There are several releases coming out this week that are absolutely worth picking up. But there are also several of these where I'm still waiting for screeners to arrive, some of which are contenders for Pick of the Week, like The Grand Budapest Hotel or House of Cards. Other potential Pick of the Week contenders include Ernest and Celestine on Blu-ray Combo Pack and The LEGO Movie on Blu-ray Combo Pack. It was literally a coin toss and Ernest and Celestine won. Meanwhile, No Clue on DVD wins the Puck of the Week, for the best Canadian release of the week.
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Weekend Wrap-Up: Dragons Soar but Jump Higher
June 17, 2014
How to Train Your Dragon 2 missed lofty expectations and that allowed 22 Jump Street to earn first place. Both films opened well and their respective studios should be happy, while the overall box office rose by 15% compared to last weekend hitting $187 million. Unfortunately, this is still 8% lower than this weekend last year. Had How to Train Your Dragon 2 matched higher expectations, 2014 would have won on the year-over-year comparison. Year-to-date, 2014 has earned $4.64 billion, putting it 3.0% ahead of 2013's pace of $4.50 billion, so this weekend's loss isn't a big deal.
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Featured DVD Review: A Measure of the Sin
June 16, 2014
A Measure Of The Sin is brought to us by BrinkVision, which specialize in ultra-low-budget films. I saw a couple of trailers for this film on DVDs I've previously reviewed and I was intrigued in a, "What the hell did I just watch?" kind of way. It likely won't appeal to mainstream audiences, but will fans of more unique cinema want to check it out?
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Featured DVD Review: Jimmy P.
June 16, 2014
Jimmy P. came out in February, which isn't a great time of year to release a limited release. It earned mixed reviews and struggled to find an audience in theaters. Now that it is getting a second chance on the home market, will it perform better? Or are the weak reviews and weak box office numbers deserved?
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Ernest and Celestine
June 15, 2014
Pretty much every year, the Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature includes one surprise nomination. I don't mean one film that didn't earn strong enough reviews to be an Oscar-contender (although that also happens a lot) but a film that most mainstream moviegoers haven't heard of before the nominations are announced. Last year, that film was Ernest and Celestine. The film only got a token release in theaters, but it is coming out on DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack this week. Did it earn the nomination? And is the Blu-ray Combo Pack worth picking up?
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Weekend Estimates: Jump Street and Dragon Share Spoils
June 15, 2014
Moviegoers are spoiled for choice this weekend, with the two major openers both scoring over 90% positive reviews, and a wealth of returning films that are definitely worth watching. Top of the heap will be 22 Jump Street, which is set to post a $60 million opening weekend—well ahead of the $36.3 million debut posted by the first film in the franchise. With foreign territories also doing significantly better than last time around, 23 Jump Street is surely just a matter of time (my money’s on two years).
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Featured TV on DVD Review: Power Rangers: Megaforce: Ultra Defenders
June 14, 2014
I've previously reviewed a couple of DVDs from Power Rangers: Megaforce and thought it was one of the best installments in the franchise. The latest DVD is Ultra Defenders. What episodes are here? And is the DVD worth the price?
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Cheap Thrills
June 14, 2014
Cheap Thrills came out in theaters and on Video on Demand in March and it did well during its opening weekend, but its legs were really short. Normally this would suggest poor word-of-mouth, but the reviews were excellent. Then again, it is a black comedy, which is a hard genre to market. Now that it is out on the home market, will it perform better?
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Limited Releases: Signaling Defeat
June 13, 2014
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Just a quick look at the list of limited releases coming out this week you will find more than a few that are earning great reviews. However, you will also find more than a few that are earning more negative reviews than positive ones. Of the ones earning fantastic reviews, most don't have a lot of buzz. I'm not sure any will be a breakout hit. Both The Amazing Catfish and Burning Bush are earning perfect reviews, so hopefully they will at least do relatively well.
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Contest: Stop Thinking
June 13, 2014
Next weekend, Think Like a Man 2 and Jersey Boys open. It appears that Jersey Boys is going to open much wider that Thinking Like a Man 2, but Thinking Like a Man 2 is very likely to top Jersey Boys on the weekend chart. As such, it is the 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 Think Like a Man 2.
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 Non-Stop on Blu-ray Combo Pack.
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 Non-Stop on Blu-ray Combo Pack.
Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay!
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Weekend Predictions: Can Dragon Get the Jump on the Competition?
June 13, 2014
This weekend, there are two potential monster hits coming out. How to Train Your Dragon 2 and 22 Jump Street both look to improve upon the box office numbers their respective predecessors managed. Thanks to the sequel effect, they should both start fast. Additionally, both should have better legs than most sequels, thanks to their incredible reviews. The rest of the top five should all earn more than $10 million helping the overall box office. This weekend last year there were only three films to earn more than $10 million. One of them was Man of Steel, which earned more than $116 million by itself. No film this weekend will match that total, but the depth this year is much better. It should be strong enough for 2014 to win in the year-over-year comparison.
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International Box Office: Sharpening the Edge
June 12, 2014
Edge of Tomorrow rose to first place with $82 million in 63 markets for a two-week total of $111 million. This includes a first-place, $25.68 million opening in China. It also opened in first place in South Korea with $10.52 million on 801 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $16.28 million. In Russia, the film opened on top spot with $7.41 million on 1,649, while in France it also earned first place, but with just $2.82 million on 585. It only managed second place in Australia with $2.88 million on 477 screens, while it could do no better than third place in Mexico with $2.88 million on 1,301 screens over the weekend for a total of $3.19 million. Its best holdover was in the U.K. where it added $2.08 million on 460 screens for a two-week total of $7.21 million.
Contest: Young Love: Winning Announcement
June 11, 2014
The winners of our Young Love contest were determined and they are...
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Per Theater Chart: It is Obvious Who Won
June 11, 2014
Obvious Child led the way on the per theater chart with $77,000 in three theaters for an average of $25,772. The Fault in Our Stars earned an average of $15,128, which was surprisingly strong. The final film in the $10,000 club was Citizen Koch, which earned $10,200 in one theater.
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for June 10th, 2014
June 11, 2014
This week's list of new DVD and Blu-rays includes a couple of first run releases, but neither are really must haves. Of all of the theatrical releases coming out this week, Alan Partridge on DVD or Blu-ray is the one I'm most interested in seeing, but the screener is still late. I'm also waiting for the screener for Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, but I saw every episode on TV and the DVD or Blu-ray is clearly a contender for Pick of the Week. So is True Detective: Season One on DVD or Blu-ray. It was a bit of a coin toss, but in the end I went with Cosmos.
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Featured DVD Review: Haunt
June 10, 2014
Haunt is an incredibly generic name for a horror movie. It is not surprising it struggled to find an audience with a name like that. However, was that the only reason? Or is the movie as generic as the name?
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Featured DVD Review: Adult World
June 10, 2014
Adult World came out on Video on Demand and in theaters in February. It earned mixed reviews and opened below the Mendoza line. Now that it is hitting the home market, is it worth a second look for those who missed it the first time? And is the DVD worth picking up?
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Weekend Wrap-Up: Fanboys Propel Fault to the Top
June 9, 2014
As expected, The Fault in Our Stars won the box office race this past weekend, while its opening weekend was on the very high end of expectations. (It did so with a surprisingly strong opening Friday, but more on that later.) The other wide release of the week, Edge of Tomorrow, did about as well as expected, which is to say it really struggled compared to its production budget. Overall, the box took in $163 million, which is 2% lower than last weekend. On the other hand, it is 9% higher than the same weekend last year, which is the far more important number. Year-to-date, 2014 has pulled in $4.38 billion, putting it 3.3% ahead of last year's pace of $4.24 billion. This is still a good margin and hopefully it will last.
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Featured TV on DVD Review: True Detective: Season One
June 9, 2014
True Detective earned a lot of pre-release buzz and opened with great reviews. The series debut earned more than 2 million viewers and by the end of its 8-episode run, its ratings grew by more than 50%. On the other hand, there were many people who were let down by the ending. Did I get drawn into the show like most critics were? And did the ending let me down?
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
June 8, 2014
I previously reviewed the Jack Ryan box set when it came out on Blu-ray last year. When I got a chance to review the latest installment, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, it seemed like the natural thing to do. But can this reboot live up to the past installments in the franchise? Or was there a reason it was dumped during the early part of the year?
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Weekend Estimates: Almost Faultless Opening
June 8, 2014
After a big win for Maleficent over A Million Ways to Die in the West last time around, this weekend we had another battle between female-friendly and male-friendly films, and once more the women have won by a large margin. The Fault in Our Stars is set to open with $48.2 million, according to Fox’s Sunday morning estimate. That tops Noah’s $43.7 million debut to make the film the biggest drama opener of the year so far. Edge of Tomorrow will be a distant third with $29.1 million, per Warner Bros., which is fairly disastrous for a film costing $178 million. However, in spite of the big difference in performance between the two films, The Fault in Our Stars does have one fairly surprising weakness compared to the sci-fi actioner.
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Non-Stop
June 8, 2014
It has become almost a yearly ritual for there to be a Liam Neeson action film coming out early in the year. This year, it was Non-Stop. How does it compare to other such Liam Neeson action films? Is the Blu-ray worth picking up?
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Featured TV on DVD Review: Ray Donovan: Season One
June 7, 2014
Ray Donovan began last year on Showtime and broke the record for biggest premiere on that cable channel. It maintained its viewership numbers throughout the season, while earning great reviews. Now that it is coming out on DVD and Blu-ray, is it worth checking out for those who don't have Showtimes? Is the Blu-ray worth picking up for those who like the show?
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Limited Releases: Earning Your Trust
June 6, 2014
It's a pretty good week for limited releases with a few films that are earning good reviews and strong buzz. This includes The Case Against 8 (Reviews), but documentaries are rarely break-out hits. Borgman is earning very strong reviews and the buzz is good, but it is too bizarre for mainstream audiences. This leaves Obvious Child (Reviews) as the most likely break-out hit on this week's list. On the other hand, I really want to see Trust Me (Reviews), but I'm a Fanboy of a particularly strong type and Clark Gregg is part of my preferred Fandom.
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Featured TV on DVD Review: Perry Mason: Movie Collection: Volume 1
June 6, 2014
After the Perry Mason TV series ended, the show was mostly dormant till the 1980s when a series of TV movies came out. I got a chance to review Volume Two and this week I'm reviewing Volume One, sort of. The six movies from Volume One are be released as Double-Features, for those who liked one or two of the movies, but not all of them. Are they worth picking up? Or is the full volume a better deal?
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Contest: Training Wheels
June 5, 2014
Next weekend we could have the biggest hit of the year opening wide. How to Train Your Dragon 2 likely won't have the biggest opening of the year, but it could become the first film of the year to reach $300 million, eventually. It should certainly open better than 22 Jump Street will, which is the film's only competition next weekend. As such, it is the 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 How to Train Your Dragon 2.
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 Hitler & The Nazis on DVD, as well as one previously reviewed DVD or Blu-ray.
Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going under, will win two previously reviewed DVDs or Blu-rays.
Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay!
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Weekend Predictions: Are the New Releases Faulty?
June 5, 2014
This weekend, there are two wide releases coming out, one of which is the obvious potential monster hit and the other being the obvious counter-programing. On paper, Edge of Tomorrow is the obvious potential monster hit. It is a Sci-fi action film with a production budget that is nearly $200 million. The Fault in Our Stars is the obvious counter-programing. It is about two teen cancer patients who fall in love, which couldn't be farther away from a popcorn flick. However, the buzz really suggests The Fault in Our Stars could win. In fact, it could break the record for biggest opening for a romantic drama. This weekend last year, The Purge won with $34.06 million, while no other film earned more than $20 million. This year, three films might top $30 million and the winner could pull in more than $40 million. I think 2014 will win this weekend in the year-over-year competition.
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Featured Blu-ray review: Napoleon Dynamite
June 5, 2014
In 2004, Napoleon Dynamite was a small independent film that earned buzz at the Sundance Film Festival and was picked up by MTV films. MTV pushed the film hard and it worked, as the film earned more than $40 million starting in limited release. I didn't get a chance to see it, but saw it when it came out on DVD and really liked it. A few months later, I watched it a second time and I wasn't as impressed. Now that it has been ten years since it came out, will I like it like the first time, or has it aged poorly?
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International Box Office: Century Opening for Maleficent
June 4, 2014
Maleficent opened on top of the international chart with $106.1 million in 47 markets, making it the latest movie to open with more than $100 million on the international chart. The film opened in a number of major markets, but individual results were mixed. The film opened in first place in Mexico with $14.05 million on 2,892 screens and in Russia with $13.06 million on 1,733 screens. In the U.K. it pulled in $11.04 million on 486 screens. It didn't crack $10 million, but did earn first place in Italy ($5.87 million on 650 screens); in Brazil ($5.63 million on 452); and in Germany ($4.87 million on 525 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.26 million); and Spain ($4.29 million on 625). It had to settle for second place in Australia with $3.76 million on 530 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $3.90 million. It only managed third place in France ($5.01 million on 550 screens) and in South Korea ($3.38 million on 631 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $3.81 million). The film has yet to open in China and Japan and given this start, it should reach $500 million worldwide before it is done.
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Contest: Sweet Prizes: Winning Announcement
June 3, 2014
The winner of our Sweet Prizes contest was determined and it is...
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Per Theater Chart: Maleficent Holds Off Trio of Limited Releases
June 3, 2014
The overall box office leader, Maleficent, also led the way on the per theater chart with an average of $17,586 in nearly 4,000 theaters. Korengal was the best of the limited releases earning $14,630 in one lone theater. Night Moves was close behind with an average of $12,050 in two theaters. The final $10,000 film was Elena with $10,341 in one theater.
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Weekend Wrap-Up: Maleficent is Magnificent Enough
June 2, 2014
It was a mostly good weekend at the box office with Maleficent earning first place with nearly $70 million, which was on the very high end of expectations. On the other hand, A Million Ways to Die in the West failed to match the low end of expectations. Overall, the box office pulled in $165 million, which is 11% lower than last weekend. That's not bad for a post-holiday weekend. Compared to last year, the box office was higher, albeit by 0.6%, which is much lower than ticket price inflation. Considering I thought it would be worse than this, I'm calling a 0.6% increase a victory. Year-to-date, 2014 remains ahead of 2013, but by $133 million or 3.3% at $4.16 billion to $4.02 billion. If June is as bad as May, then 2014 could slip behind 2013 entirely.
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for June 3rd, 2014
June 2, 2014
It's not a bad week on the home market, given the time of year. Lone Survivor earned more than $100 million at the box office and the Blu-ray Combo Pack is clearly worth picking up. It isn't quite Pick of the Week material, on the other hand. There are a few choices including a pair of documentaries: Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton As Himself - Buy from Amazon and Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction - Buy from Amazon. The third option was Attack on Titan, Part 1 - Blu-ray Combo Pack Regular Edition or Limited Edition. It was essentially a coin-toss between the three, but in the end I went with Plimpton! as Pick of the Week.
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: The Motel Life
June 2, 2014
The Motel Life opened in limited release, as well as Video on Demand, back in November of last year. It earned good reviews, but not great reviews, and failed to find an audience in theaters. Granted, most films that open on Video on Demand fail to find an audience in theaters, but would this film have struggled even if it debuted in theaters without the Video on Demand? Or is it not strong enough for limited release?
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Lone Survivor
June 1, 2014
Lone Survivor came out for an Oscar-qualifying run late in December of 2013, which seemed odd, because it didn't look like the typical Oscar-bait movie. However, it actually picked up a couple of Oscar nominations (for technical categories) and more impressively earned a WGA nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as SAG Award for Best Stunts. This lifts the expectations, but is this for the best? Does the film truly rise above the action genre?
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Weekend Estimates: Maleficent Magnificent
June 1, 2014
Disney’s $180 million gamble on Maleficent looks to have paid off this weekend, with Angelina Jolie’s starring role carrying the film to a $70 million opening weekend, in spite of middling reviews. The film is as much a triumph for Jolie as World War Z was for husband Brad Pitt. They truly are Hollywood’s power couple.
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2014 Preview: June
June 1, 2014
It is too soon to tell how May will end, as this story will be published before the weekend estimates came out. (Maleficent had an excellent start on Friday, unlike A Million Ways to Die in the West.) Overall, it was a good month with at least three movies that are on track to hit $200 million, but there was no really big winner for the month. It was nice and balanced. Unfortunately, last May there was a monster hit, Iron Man 3, and 2014 could not compete with that, so it lost ground to 2013. June hopes to turn things around and there are some reasons to be optimistic. All four weeks there is at least one film opening that at least has a shot at $100 million. There are even two films that at least have a shot at $300 million. Transformers: Age of Extinction should win the monthly box office race while How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a long shot to win, but I wouldn't be completely surprised if it did. Additionally, 22 Jump Street, Edge of Tomorrow, The Fault in Our Stars, and Think Like a Man 2 are all contenders for the century club. Not all of them will get to that milestone, but all of them at least have a short. Last June, there were three films that reached $200 million, including Man of Steel, which nearly reached $300 million. It looks like June of 2014 will be about as strong as June of 2013, more or less. If all films reach their potential, it could win the year-over-year comparison. Unless there are some shocking bombs, it shouldn't struggle so much that 2014 loses its lead over 2013 entirely.