February 14th, 2011
It's another really slow week for DVD / Blu-ray releases with a total of one first run release of note. There are a few other smaller releases, as well as catalog titles, etc., The biggest release of the week is also arguably the best, Unstoppable on Blu-ray. And while the release date is bizarre, Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol on Blu-ray is also worth picking up. Also of note is Despicable Me, which came out a couple months ago, but the Blu-ray Combo Pack just arrived last week.
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November 23rd, 2010
The overall box office leader, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, also led the way on the per theater chart, pulling in an average of $30,307 in more than 4000 theaters. Last week's winner, Tiny Furniture, was a distant second place, with $16,384 in one theater. Made in Dagenham opened with a disappointing average of $12,521 in three theaters. This should be enough to expand somewhat, but its chances of earning a significant measure of mainstream success took a hit over the weekend. White Material was right behind with an average of $11,538, also in three theaters.
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November 2nd, 2010
Again, there was only one film that reached the $10,000 mark on the per theater chart. Inspector Bellamy opened with an average of $10,318 in two theaters. However, Waste Land came very close with $9,806 in its one theater.
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October 19th, 2010
Clint Eastwood's latest film, Hereafter, topped the per theater chart over the weekend with an impressive average of $36,720 in six theaters. It expands wide on Friday, so this fast start was important. The overall box office leader, Jackass 3D, was well back in second place with an average of $16,343, but that's amazing for this type of movie and this time of year. Vision managed $11,406 in its lone theater, while Carlos opened with an average of $10,003 in two theaters, which is literally one ticket away from missing the $10,000 mark.
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September 28th, 2010
There were three films that topped $10,000 on the per theater chart, including one that topped $30,000. That film was Waiting for Superman, which pulled in an average of $34,758 in four theaters. However, its prospects for a wide expansion are limited, since it is a documentary. Second place went to You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger with and average of $26,684 in six theaters, but it likely has a better chance at significant expansion. The final $10,000 film was Enter the Void with an average of $14,550 in three theaters.
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September 26th, 2010
Twenty-three years after the opening of the original, Wall Street 2 marked the successful return of Gordon Gecko this weekend with a good (though hardly blockbusting) $19 million opening.
Intervening years of inflation and radical changes in theatrical distribution make a comparison between the openings of the two movies virtually meaningless, but it is noteworthy that the first Wall Street was more a of cultural icon than a box office hit.
It earned $43,848,100 - very respectable for the time, but less than, for example, Outrageous Fortune, Dragnet or La Bamba, which were all also released in 1987.
Wall Street 2 looks headed for similar respectability.
Whether it'll catch the national mood in the same way is more doubtful.
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September 24th, 2010
It's the last weekend of September, which means Awards Season could start any weekend now. (In fact, it might have started last weekend with the release of Never Let Me Go.) There are a few films that look like they might have been made to be Awards Season contenders, but of those only Waiting for Superman has a real chance. On the other hand, Buried will likely be the biggest box office hit, mainly because it is already scheduled for a wide expansion in a couple weeks.
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