The Numbers News - September 2014

September 30, 2014

September is over and while it got off to a bad start, a really, really, truly terrible start, it actually ended on a bit of a strong note. Granted, no film has yet to reach $100 million, but The Maze Runner and The Equalizer both could get there in the end. As for October, we might go another month without a $100 million hit. There are a couple of films that have the potential to reach the century mark, Gone Girl and Fury. Hopefully they will get there, but given the recent box office woes, it is probably best to keep expectations low. Last October, there were two films that earned more than $100 million. Bad Grandpa just made it passed that mark. On the other hand, Gravity was a monster hit earning nearly $275 million. It you compare its run to this year's batch of films, it only ranks behind Guardians of the Galaxy. ... There's no way any film opening this month is going to match that. ... There no way the top two films will match that. ... The top three films might not match that. ... 2014 is going to get crushed in the year-over-year comparison and by the end of the month, it will be safe to say its chances of ever catching up to 2013 will be over. It is going to be a depressing month. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for September 30th, 2014

September 30, 2014

Transformers: Age of Extinction leads the pack of new releases this week, at least in terms of sales potential. It is by far not the best movie on this week's list, but it does appear to have to scared away a lot of the competition. Fortunately, the next best selling new release is Chef on Blu-ray Combo Pack, which is a clear contender for Pick of the Week. The main competitor for this title is Once Upon a Time in America on Blu-ray, but I'm going with Chef. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: The Equalizer Has No Equal

September 30, 2014

The Equalizer easily won the race for the top of the box office chart this weekend earning almost as much as the next two films combined. Those next two films were The Maze Runner and The Boxtrolls, both of which exceeded expectations, albeit by tiny margins. The strength of these three films helped the overall box office reach $106 million, which is 4% higher than last weekend. On the other hand, this was 2% lower than the same weekend last year. Year-to-date, 2014 has pulled in $7.51 billion, which is a massive amount when you look at it without context. However, it is nearly $400 million or 4.9% lower than last year's pace, which is also a massive amount. It is technically possible for 2014 to catch up to 2013 before the end of the year, but only if October is a really strong month at the box office. It won't be. More...

Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Chef

September 30, 2014

Jon Favreau's career behind the camera started out with smaller movies. He co-wrote Swingers and wrote and directed Made. However, recently he has directed a number of major movies. He was the one behind the camera for the first two Iron Man movies, for instance, and the average budget for his three most recent films he directed is close to $175 million. With his latest film, Chef, he went the opposite direction and created a much, much smaller film. Was he able to still maintain his usual high level of quality? Or does he need the spectacle to make a compelling movie? More...

Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Transformers: Age of Extinction

September 29, 2014

If you look at our list of franchises, none have made more money in as few installments as Transformers has earned. On the other hand, if you look at the top ten franchises, none of them have earned as much critical scorn as the Transformers films have earned. Only the first one managed to come close to overall positive reviews. Depending on who you talk to, the most recent installment, Transformers: Age of Extinction, has been called the best of the sequels or the worst of the sequels. Which camp do I fall under? More...

Limited Releases You Can Take Pride In

September 26, 2014

The list of new releases is a little calmer this week than it was last week. There are still a few movies that could do well. The Two Faces of January has some of the best reviews and has an impressive cast, but it is also playing on Video on Demand, so its box office numbers might not shine. On the other hand, I think Pride will turn its excellent reviews into a long run on limited release. It might even find a significant measure of mainstream success. More...

Contest: Get These Prizes Before They are Gone

September 25, 2014

October finally begins next week and Gone Girl should have no trouble leading the way at the box office. (Annabelle should be a midlevel hit, while Left Behind will be left behind at the box office.) Since Gone Girl could open with more than the other two films combined, it 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 Gone Girl.

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 Decoding Annie Parker 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 Decoding Annie Parker 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 The Equalizer Equal Success?

September 25, 2014

The Equalizer and The Boxtrolls opens wide this week. They are an action film and a family flick and the last weekend of September has been kind to both genres. The Equalizer could become the fastest opening film of the month, which might be enough to get it all the way to $100 million during its entire run. The Boxtrolls, on the other hand, is a Stop-motion animated film, which rarely rises above the midlevel hit. This weekend last year, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 opened with $34.02 million, which is right in the middle of the expected range for The Equalizer, plus the depth is better this year, so 2014 should win the year-over-year competition. More...

International Box Office: Maze Runs Down Competition

September 24, 2014

Just as it did on the domestic chart, The Maze Runner earned first place on the international chart. It did so with $38.0 million in 51 markets for an early total of $50.7 million. Its biggest market was Russia, where it placed first with $5.59 million on 1,748 screens, while South Korea was close behind with $4.88 million on 648 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $5.41 million. It also earned first place in Australia with $3.19 million on 305 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $3.31 million. The final major market debut of the weekend was Brazil, where it earned first place with $1.96 million on 316 screens. It slipped to second place in Mexico with $1.73 million on 996 screens over the weekend for a two-week total of $5.92 million. More...

Contest: Dynasty in the Making: Winning Announcement

September 24, 2014

The winners of our Dynasty in the Making contest were determined and they are... More...

Per Theater Chart: Yellow Day Opens in the Black

September 24, 2014

Awards Season might have begun, as there were six new releases in the $10,000 club this past weekend. Leading the way was Yellow Day, with an estimated $31,000 in one theater. 20,000 Days of Earth was close behind with $27,879 over the weekend and $30,969 over five days, also in one theater. Pump! earned an average of $14,059 in three theaters, which is particularly good for a documentary. A fellow documentary, Art and Craft, was next with an average of $11,500 in two theaters. Not Cool debuted with $10,329 on one theater, which is surprisingly strong, given its lack of reviews. Likewise, Hector and the Search for Happiness earned bad reviews, but still managed an average of $10,212 in four theaters. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for September 23rd, 2014

September 23, 2014

This is both a great week on the home market, as well as an amazing week on the home market. There are by my count, at least a dozen releases that could be considered must haves or perfect Christmas gifts, which is great. What makes it amazing is the lack of filler. There are a couple of weak releases here and there, but the hit to miss ratio is as good as I can remember. The biggest release of the week, according to Amazon.com, is the Halloween Complete Collection, but it is not the best release. Contenders for Pick of the Week include a couple of limited releases: Ida - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray and We Are the Best! - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray. However, in the end I went with a TV on DVD release, Modern Family: Season Five - Buy from Amazon: DVD. More...

Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: The Rover

September 23, 2014

The Rover opened in limited release and opened really well, but the next weekend, its per theater average collapsed as it tried to expand and it barely crossed $1 million before leaving theaters. Is this a sign that the film only has appeal to a very limited audience? Or did the distributor try and expand the film way too soon and way too fast? More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Maze Runs Laps Around Competetion

September 22, 2014

The Maze Runner easily won the weekend box office race this past weekend beating expectations by a little bit with $32.51 million. Unfortunately, the other new releases were not as strong and their combined totals were about 25% lower than the number one film. Overall, the box office was $103 million, which is 14% higher than last weekend and 18% higher than the same weekend last year. This is a fantastic result, given the box office troubles of the past several weeks. Year-to-date, 2014 is still behind 2013 by a large margin at $7.38 billion to $7.75 billion, which is a 4.8% deficit. Hopefully this win will help the box office going forward and the fall will be better than the summer was. More...

Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Neighbors

September 22, 2014

This summer was terrible at the box office with no $250 million hits throughout the summer until Guardians of the Galaxy opened in August. That said, there were a number of smaller movies that did quite well at the box office. Neighbors, for instance, cost less than $20 million to make, but pulled in $150 million at the box office. Was it a hit because of its quality? Or did it benefit from the weakness in the tentpole releases? More...

Featured DVD Review: Game of Assassins

September 21, 2014

Last week, I reviewed Warrior Princess, a film I had never heard of before that was coming out direct-to-DVD by Lionsgate. This didn't set up the highest expectations and that film failed to rise above them. This week I'm reviewing Game of Assassins, which is a direct-to-DVD release by Lionsgate. Again, expectations are low. Will this film be a surprise hit? Or will I be disappointed again? More...

Featured TV on DVD Review: Key and Peele: Season Three

September 21, 2014

Key and Peele stars Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele, hence the name of the show. I previously reviewed Season One of the show and loved it. Is season three just as good? More...

Weekend Estimates: Maze Runner Boosts Box Office

September 21, 2014

The Maze Runner will be the first film to top $30 million at the box office in six weeks, bringing a welcome boost to the industry at the beginning of the Fall season. With $32.5 million projected for the weekend, and overall positive reviews, Fox could have a modest new franchise on its hands. Things look less rosy for the weekend’s other wide releases. A Walk Among the Tombstones will have a disappointing debut around $13 million—the worst result for a wide release starring Liam Neeson since K-19: The Widowmaker back in 2002, or, if one takes inflation into account, the 1998 version of Les Miserables. This is Where I Leave You lands with a projected $11.86 million, and reviews that aren’t good enough to give it much hope of redemption via word of mouth. More...

Between Zero and 20,000 Limited Releases

September 19, 2014

It's an overly busy week for limited releases with nearly two-dozen films on this week's list. There are a number of films on this week's list that are earning outstanding reviews, like 20,000 Days on Earth, or strong buzz, like The Zero Theorem. But there are not a lot earning both. Films like Stop the Pounding Heart or The Guest will likely not live up to their Tomatometer Scores. Tracks is probably the film with the best chance at breakout success. More...

Contest: All Things Being Equal

September 19, 2014

Next weekend is the last weekend of September and there are two wide releases that are trying to avoid the September doldrums. The Boxtrolls and The Equalizer should both do relatively well at the box office, but The Equalizer has the best chance at being a breakout hit and because of that, it is the best 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 The Equalizer.

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 SpongeBob ScaryPants Collection on DVD. Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going under, will win Dora the Explorer: Celebrate With Dora on DVD. Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay! More...

Weekend Predictions: Which New Release Will Get Off to a Running Start?

September 18, 2014

There are a trio of new wide releases this week, led by The Maze Runner, which is expected to top the box office chart and it is also currently earning the best reviews, although it is so close that it could change with a single new negative review. (It did change about five minutes after writing that, as it fell to second place.) The buzz for A Walk Among the Tombstones hasn't grown like I thought it would, but it still looks on pace to become a midlevel hit. On the other hand, This is Where I Leave You's chances are weakening and it looks like it won't finish in the top three. There is some good news. This weekend last year, Prisoners was the only film to earn more than $20 million, while Insidious Chapter 2 was the only other film to earn more than $10 million. This weekend, we could have five films earning more than $10 million and the number one film could earn more than $30 million. More...

International Box Office: Another Week, Another Milestone for Lucy

September 17, 2014

Since this time last week, Lucy topped $200 million internationally. Considering a significant number of people thought it wouldn't reach $200 million worldwide, this is a great result. Over the weekend, it remained in first place with $24.9 million in 59 markets for totals of $230.6 million internationally and $354.1 million worldwide. The film opened in first place in Russia with $9.77 million on 1,013 screens, which was more than $9 million more than the second place film. More...

Contest: Tale for Two: Winning Announcement

September 17, 2014

The winners of our Tale for Two contest were determined and they are... More...

Per Theater Chart: Skeletons Eat Their Fill

September 17, 2014

There were a number of films in the $10,000 club this weekend, led by The Skeleton Twins, which earned an average of $25,379 in 15 theaters. The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby was next up with an average of $19,295 in four theaters. Both of these films have lots of room to expand. My Old Lady also did well with an average of $11,335 in 11 theaters, which is more impressive, because it was a Wednesday release. On the other hand, its reviews are merely good and likely not good enough to thrive in limited release. No Good Deed was right behind with an average of $11,150 in nearly 2,200 theaters. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Deed has a Good Opening, but Box Office is still Bad

September 16, 2014

No Good Deed led the box office this weekend with a surprisingly robust opening of $24.25 million. This was more than double last week's number one movie, Guardians of the Galaxy. Dolphin Tale 2 also topped last week's number one film, even though it didn't live up to expectations. Overall, the box office pulled in $90 million, which was 37% more than last weekend. Unfortunately, this was still 13% lower than the same weekend last year. Year-to-date, 2014 has pulled in $7.26 billion, which isn't an insignificant amount. However, it is 5.2% or nearly $400 million behind last year's pace. 2014 still has a chance to catch up to last year, but the odds of it doing so are getting slimmer and slimmer each week. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for September 16th, 2014

September 16, 2014

The Christmas Shopping Season is kicking into high gear with a great mix of first-run releases, as well as TV on DVD releases. The biggest release of the week is Godzilla and while it is worth picking up on DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, or 3D Combo Pack, it isn't quite Pick of the Week material. For that, we turn to The Fault in Our Stars on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack and Eraserhead on Blu-ray (Criterion Collection). It was a close call, but in the end, I went with The Fault in Our Stars. More...

Featured TV on DVD Review: Awkward.: Season Three

September 15, 2014

Season four of Awkward. began in April, so I don't know why Season Three is coming out this week. I'm just glad they are releasing a full-season set after releasing season three in two volumes. If you are a fan of the first two seasons, is season three worth picking up? Or is the show's quality starting to wane? More...

Featured TV on DVD Review: Burning Bush

September 14, 2014

Burning Bush is a three-part, four-hour TV mini-series that was made and first aired in the Czech Republic. It is about the resistance to the Soviet occupation of the then Czechoslovakia. It was recut as a movie, which came out in limited release this summer. This week, the full mini-series is being released on DVD. Will it appeal to those who are interested in the historical events? Will the mini-series appeal to those who are unfamiliar? More...

Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Faust

September 14, 2014

Faust came out in limited release last year before coming out on DVD in June. This week it comes out on Blu-ray. I'm not sure why the DVD release came out so much earlier than the Blu-ray. I tried to get the DVD, but there were not enough screeners to go around, but the Blu-ray showed up. Was it worth the wait? More...

Weekend Estimates: No Good Deed Enjoys Surprise Win

September 14, 2014

Movie fans are ignoring the critics this weekend and turning out in big numbers to see No Good Deed. The thriller, starring Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson will easily win the weekend with an estimated $24.5 million, in spite of earning only 17% positive reviews from critics. Audiences are giving the film a 71% positive score so far, which represents a huge difference of opinion. Dolphin Tale 2, which was considered the more likely weekend winner, and is enjoying excellent reviews from critics and moviegoers alike, is under-performing at the box office and should make about $16.5 million according to Warner Bros., down from the $19.2 million opening for the first film in the franchise. More...

Featured TV on DVD Review: Denver The Last Dinosaur: Complete Series

September 14, 2014

Denver The Last Dinosaur debuted on TV in 1988 and ran for 50 episodes. This week, for the first time ever, the full series is coming out on DVD. (The first 20 episodes were released as two volumes seven years ago, but they apparently didn't sell well enough to continue the releases.) Is it worth picking up for those who missed it the first time? More...

Featured TV on DVD Review: South Park: Season 17

September 13, 2014

I've reviewed a number of season of South Park and my opinion is starting to sound like a broken record. It has been roughly seven years since the last truly classic episode (Make Love, Not Warcraft). They've come close a few times since then, but they've also had more episodes that were just not funny. Does the series return to its heights? Or is it continuing its slow decent into mediocrity? More...

Featured DVD Review: Warrior Princess

September 13, 2014

Warrior Princess is an Asian action / adventure film that takes place in the 17th century. It is being released on DVD by Lionsgate, which is a company that releases a ton of movies direct-to-DVD. Some of these are hidden gems, but others will remained buried. Is this film a pleasant surprise? More...

Limited Releases: Skeleton Key to Box Office Success

September 12, 2014

There's a large number of limited releases, including a few that are earning good reviews and strong buzz. One of these is The Drop, but it is opening in too many theaters and I think that will hurt it at the box office. If I were to guess, The Skeleton Twins will be the biggest hit on this week's list. More...

Contest: Dynasty in the Making

September 12, 2014

Three new releases enter the marketplace next weekend: The Maze Runner, This is Where I Leave You, and A Walk Among the Tombstones. I don't think any of them will be breakout hits, but The Maze Runner has the best chance to earn first place, even if its legs likely won't be very long. Because of this, it is the best 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 The Maze Runner.

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 Dynasty: The Final Season - Vol 1 & 2 Pack on DVD. Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going under, will win a previously reviewed TV on DVD release. Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay! More...

Weekend Predictions: Box Office set to Bounce Back

September 11, 2014

Last weekend was the worst weekend in more than a decade. This weekend the box office will bounce back, because it has to. It can't possibly get worse. There are two wide releases debuting this weekend: Dolphin Tale 2 and No Good Time. Neither film is expected to become a big hit; in fact, if either film earns more than $20 million over the weekend, I will be impressed. That said, they will still be a step up from what happened last weekend. The biggest news of the weekend will come from Guardians of the Galaxy, which will become the first film released in 2014 to top $300 million. This weekend last year, Insidious Chapter 2 opened with more than $40 million and the combined openings of the two new releases this weekend will likely be below that. Worse case scenario has neither film opening above last year's number two film, The Family. There's almost no chance 2014 will win in the year-over-year comparison. More...

International Box Office: Lucy Makes a Return Trip to the Top

September 10, 2014

Lucy reclaimed top spot on the international chart with $26 million in 54 markets for totals of $193 million internationally and $314 million worldwide. I don't think a lot of people thought this movie would reach $300 million worldwide, so this is a great run. The film opened in second place in South Korea with $7 million, but includes weekday numbers. The film remained in first place in the U.K. with $1.96 million on 506 screens over the weekend for a total of $17.26 million after three weeks of release. Lucy opens in Russia and China this weekend and could remain in first place. More...

Contest: These Prized on Fire: Winning Announcement

September 10, 2014

The winners of our These Prized on Fire contest were determined and they are... More...

Per Theater Chart: Last Days of Limited Releases

September 10, 2014

There was only one film in the $10,000 club this weekend, Last Days in Vietnam, which earned an average of $15,225 in two theaters. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Guardians Fail to Protect Box Office

September 9, 2014

The weekend box office was an unmitigated disaster. Guardians of the Galaxy was the only film to crack $10 million over the weekend and there were no other releases that came close. The only new "wide" release was The Identical, and it missed the top ten. Overall, the box office fell 40% from last weekend to just $66 million. It goes without saying that this is the worst box office of the year so far. In fact, it is the fifth worst box office weekend since 2000 running 23% lower than the worst weekend from last year. The worst weekend from last year was this weekend last year, so that makes the comparison so much easier. Year-to-date, 2014 has pulled in $7.15 billion, which is 5.1% lower than the last year's pace. Things better turn around soon, or we can say goodbye to any chance to catch up to last year. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for September 9th, 2014

September 9, 2014

The Christmas shopping season has begun in full force. Even if Captain America: The Winter Soldier were the only new release this week, it would be a great release, as the Combo Packs are clearly pick of the week contenders. It's not the only Pick of the Week contender. Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 1 is also a prime contender, although I'm still waiting for the screener for that release. At the moment, I'm giving the win to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but when I get a chance to review the screener, that might change. More...

Featured TV on DVD Review: Blue Bloods: Season Four

September 8, 2014

Blue Bloods' ratings improved last season, at least with respect to the rest of CBS's lineup. It was no longer the lowest rated show on CBS that earned a renewal. It wasn't even its lowest rated show on Friday night. (On a side note, I think Hawaii Five-0 might be ending soon. It's ratings are low and I seriously doubt it is a cheap show to make.) Overall, the ratings are very reliable. Is the quality of the show as reliable as its ratings are? More...

Featured DVD Review: Sabrina - Secrets of a Teenage Witch: A Witch and the Werewolf

September 7, 2014

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch has been around for more than 50 years, starting as a comic book character in the 1960s. The character and its world have been turned into TV shows in the 1990s starring Melissa Joan Hart, which is probably the incarnation most people know the best. This time last year, the latest installment in the long-running franchise debuted. It is a digitally animated series with Ashley Tisdale providing the voice for the titular witch. This week, a DVD is coming out. Is it worth checking out for fans of Sabrina? Or is it best to stick with some of the previous versions? More...

Featured Blu-ray Review: Star Trek: The Compendium

September 7, 2014

Star Trek fans are never at a loss for things to buy. The studio seems to know the fans will buy everything they put out, so they put out a lot of otherwise questionable releases. Is this one of those questionable releases? Or is there real value here? More...

Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

September 6, 2014

Captain America: The Winter Soldier was the latest in an unending string of hits for Marvel Studios. It was for quite a while the biggest hit of the year, but was recently overtaken by Guardians of the Galaxy. Is this film worth checking out for those who have enjoyed the previous Avengers films? And if you've never seen any of the previous Avengers films, is this a good place to start? More...

God Help These Limited Releases

September 5, 2014

Awards Season starts soon. If you are a fan of limited releases, just keep repeating that. To be fair, there are two limited releases earning overwhelmingly positive reviews, No No: A Dockumentary and Wetlands, but neither are really likely to find audiences outside of the art house circuit. There are a couple films that are earning good reviews, but not great reviews. This includes God Help the Girl, which I'm rooting for, but I don't think any film here will top $10,000 on the per theater average. One last note, Forrest Gump is getting an IMAX release this weekend in 337 theaters. More...

Contest: Tale for Two

September 5, 2014

Next weekend, there are two wide releases, Dolphin Tale 2 and No Good Deed. Neither film is expected to be a big hit, but Dolphin Tale 2 is expected to win the weekend box office chart. As such, it is the best 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 Dolphin Tale 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 Bonanza: Official Seventh Season - Volume One & Two on DVD. Whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going under, will win a previously reviewed TV on DVD release. Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay! More...

Weekend Predictions: Will The Top Five be Identical to Last Week?

September 5, 2014

It's the weekend after Labor Day Weekend, which is historically the one of the two worst weekends of the year. Only the weekend after Thanksgiving really competes with it. This year there is only one wide release, The Identical, and it technically not opening truly wide. It is practically guaranteed that Guardians of the Galaxy will win the weekend box office race for the fourth time in its run and there likely won't be many changes in the top five. (As Above, So Below will drop out and The November Man will take its place.) This weekend last year, Riddick opened in first place with $19.03 million. No film this week it going to match that figure and the depth this year isn't going to help. Look for a big loss in the year-over-year comparison. More...

International Box Office: Dawn of a New Day for Apes

September 4, 2014

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes rose from eighth to first place thanks to its debut in China. Overall, the film made $51.2 million in 29 markets for totals of $408.0 million internationally and $613.3 million worldwide. It dominated the box office in China with $45.13 million and if it has any legs in this market, it will reach $500 million internationally and $750 million worldwide is within reach after its run in Japan. More...

Contest: Prize for Above or Below: Winning Announcement

September 3, 2014

The winner of our Prize for Above or Below contest was determined and it is... More...

Per Theater Chart: Lovely and Strange

September 3, 2014

The Last of Robin Hood led the way on the Per Theater Chart with an average of $17,709 in two theaters. Through a Lens Darkly was the only other member of the $10,000 club with $11,764 in its lone theater. This is more impressive, because it opened on Wednesday. More...

Weekend Wrap-Up: Guardians Grab Top, But Summer Ends on a Down Note

September 3, 2014

Labor Day Weekend was dominated by holdovers. The two new releases were As Above, So Below and The November Man, which opened in fourth and sixth places respectively. Guardians of the Galaxy remained in first place over the weekend and climbed into first place for the year in the process, overtaking fellow Marvel Film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Overall, the box office fell 4% from last weekend down to $110 million. Compared to last year, the box office was down 11%, which is troubling. Year-to-date, 2014 is now behind 2013 by a 4.5% margin at $7.07 billion to $7.40 billion. This is the weakest post-Labor Day weekend running tally since 2008 and that's before you look at ticket price inflation. With ticket price inflation, you have to go back to 2005. More...

DVD and Blu-ray Releases for September 2nd, 2014

September 2, 2014

It is officially the start of Christmas shopping season, sort of. It is also the first day of school for a lot of children, so there are not a lot of new releases coming out this week. Draft Day is the biggest first-run release of the week and while its reviews were good, it likely won't appeal to most people. There are also a ton of TV on DVD releases coming out this week, but the only two I'm interested in are It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Complete Season 9 and New Girl: Season 3, and in both cases I'm waiting for the screener. As for Pick of the Week Contenders, only Night Moves - DVD or Blu-ray and Years of Living Dangerously - The Complete Showtime Series - DVD come close. In the end I went with Years of Living Dangerously. More...

2014 Preview: September

September 1, 2014

August was a great month, it is as simple as that. Not only did Guardians of the Galaxy break records, but Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a surprise hit as well. These early gains led to an extended winning streak in the year-over-year comparison. Granted, 2014 is still more than $300 million behind 2013, but this is substantially less than the gap was before the month. Can September maintain this run? I'm not sure. Last September was strong compared to most Septembers with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 earning more than $100 million while Insidious Chapter 2 came relatively close. This year, there likely won't be any $100 million hits, but I think The Equalizer should at least come close. Meanwhile, there are some who think The Maze Runner will be the biggest hit of the month, but I'm not among them. There have been too many similar releases that have struggled to think this one will be a hit. I think September will get off to a terrible start, but overall I think it will be close to last year. More...

The Numbers News - September 2014

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