The Numbers News - May 2014
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Limited Releases are the Best
May 30, 2014
It's a mixed bag for limited releases with a number of movies earning weak reviews or that have almost no chance at the box office. There are also some that are good enough to thrive, like Elena - Reviews or Lucky Them - Reviews. But the best movie according to critics is We are the Best! - Reviews.
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Contest: Young Love
May 29, 2014
Next weekend, Edge of Tomorrow and The Fault in Our Stars opened wide and while I think the former will start out faster, I think the latter will have the legs to become the bigger hit overall. It is also closer in theme to our prizes, so I'm going with The Fault in Our Stars as 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 The Fault in Our Stars.
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 Endless Love 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 Endless Love 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: Will the New Releases Die at the Box Office?
May 29, 2014
The weekend after a long weekend is never the best time of year to release a new movie, but at this point, summer vacation has begun for a lot of people, so both new releases should still have a lot of potential at the box office. Maleficent is the origin story for the villain from Sleeping Beauty. It should earn first place with ease. A Million Ways to Die in the West is the latest from Seth MacFarlane, but it is not earning as much praise as Ted did and its box office chances are not as strong as a result. The box office will certainly be lower than it was last weekend. However, we are more concerned with the comparison with last year. This weekend last year, there were two wide releases, Now You See Me and After Earth, but neither opened with more than $30 million. Granted, Fast and Furious 6 earned $35 million over the weekend, but that's still lower than usual for a number one film during summer weekend. The top three films this weekend should be better than the top three films last weekend, but I think 2014's depth will hurt it in the year-over-year comparison.
International Box Office: Looking Forward to the Future
May 28, 2014
X-Men: Days of Future Past dominated the international box office chart with $171.08 million in 71 markets for a total opening of $191.00 million. This includes China, where it earned first place with $39.35 million on 6,000 screens. It also earned first place in the U.K. with $15.39 million on 537 screens, while in South Korea it earned $11.78 million on 1,056 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $14.15 million. Mexico contributed $9.39 million on 3,034 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $11.02 million. The film's debut in Russia was very similar with $9.90 million on 2,230 screens. France was right behind with $9.29 million on 620 screens, while in Brazil it pulled in $8.38 million on 507. The film earned $7.80 million on 684 screens in Australia. It struggled a little more in Germany and Spain with $4.03 million on 579 screens and $3.19 million on 650 respectively.
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Contest: Righting Your Wrongs: Winning Announcement
May 28, 2014
The winners of our Righting Your Wrongs contest were determined and they are...
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Per Theater Chart: The Full Picture
May 28, 2014
There were only two films in the $10,000 club this weekend. X-Men: Days of Future Past led the way with an average of $22,729 in nearly 4,000 theaters. The only other film was The Dance of Reality with an average of $12,384 in two theaters. However, if one were to include holiday Monday, Words and Pictures would also reach the $10,000 club with an average of $11,544 in ten theaters.
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Weekend Wrap-Up: X-Men Earn Monster Opening, but Overall Box Office Still Down
May 27, 2014
X-Men: Days of Future Past easily won the weekend race at the box office earning more than $100 million over the four-day weekend. That's great news and it helped the overall box office grow by 5% to $187 million over the three-day weekend from last week. That's the good news. The bad news the other new release, Blended, bombed and the three-day weekend was down 27% from the same weekend last year. In fact, this year's four-day weekend total of $231 million was 9% lower than last year's three-day total and 26% lower than the four-day weekend from last year. That's a devastating collapse. The only saving grace is last year was a record-breaking Memorial Day long weekend, so a sharp drop-off isn't that unexpected. So far, 2014 has pulled in $3.95 billion, which is 4% more than 2013's running tally of $3.80 billion.
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for May 27th, 2014
May 26, 2014
While summer time is a great time for theatrical releases, it is a terrible time on the home market. This week, there are nearly no first-run releases, and the one that came out, Endless Love, earned terrible reviews and failed to find an audience in theaters. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of other releases to make up for the lack of first-run releases. There are some catalog releases, like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which is coming out on Blu-ray. There are also some summer shows coming out on DVD ahead of the premiere of the latest season, like Suits: Season Three. There's not much in the way of contenders for Pick of the Week. Cheap Thrills is one such contender, but I'm still waiting for the DVD or the Blu-ray screener to arrive. This leaves Journey to the West on Blu-ray as the only choice for Pick of the Week.
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Featured Blu-ray review: Dan Curtis' Dracula
May 25, 2014
Dan Curtis is best know for creating Dark Shadows, a Gothic supernatural soap opera that ran for five years starting in 1966. He also directed a number of other projects, mostly TV projects like a couple of mini-series and TV movies. One such TV movie was Dracula, starring Jack Palance. This TV movie came out 40 years ago this year. How does it compare to other adaptations of Bram Stoker's novel? And has it aged well?
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Journey to the West
May 25, 2014
Stephen Chow wrote, directed, and starred in Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer, which are two amazing movies. When I heard he was making another movie, I was super excited. When Journey to the West was released last year, the film made $200 million internationally, which helped lift expectations. (It made less than $20,000 here, but it was playing on Video on Demand as well as in theaters, so this isn't surprising.) Is the film as good as its predecessors? And is the Blu-ray worth picking up?
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Weekend Estimates: X-Men Joins 2014 $90 Million Club
May 25, 2014
Another weekend, another $90 million opener. This time, there’s an asterisk at least, because X-Men: Days of Future Past will “open” with $110 million, thanks to the four day Memorial Day long weekend, giving Fox an arguable claim to the biggest weekend of the year, and the first $100 million debut. The reality, however, is that it will line up in fourth place when comparing 3-day weekends, with Captain America still out in front, thanks to its $95 million opening back in April. May has seen the three other $90 million-plus weekends, with Godzilla second ($93 million) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 third ($91.6 million).
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Featured Blu-ray review: How to Train Your Dragon
May 24, 2014
How to Train Your Dragon 2 hits theaters in just a few weeks, so the studio is releasing How to Train Your Dragon on a Collector's Edition Blu-ray Combo Pack this week. What's new with the Blu-ray? And is it worth picking up?
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Featured TV on DVD Review: Perry Mason: Movie Collection: Volume 2
May 24, 2014
Perry Mason lasted for nine seasons starting in 1957. After nearly two decades off the air, the show returned, this time in the form of a series of TV movies. Volume One came out last December, and unfortunately I wasn't able to get a screener to review. More recently, Volume Two came out, and while the screener arrived late, I finally got to the review. So how do the TV movies compare to the original series?
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Limited Releases: Talking Pictures
May 23, 2014
It is not a particularly strong week for limited releases. There are a few that are earning good reviews, but almost none are earning good reviews and any buzz. Cold in July is one of the exceptions and its reviews and star power could have resulted in a fast start, but it is also playing on Video on Demand.
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Contest: Sweet Prizes
May 23, 2014
Next weekend, Maleficent and A Million Ways to Die in the West both open wide and while I think both will be hits, Maleficent is tracking better than the competition. As such, 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 Maleficent.
The prize this week is provided by Mars, the candy company, not the planet, who want to know who you would share your Twix with.
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 a TWIX Bites Movie Prize Pack including a $15 gift card for Fandango, as well as two 2.83-ounce sharing size and one 7.0-ounce resealable stand-up pouch.
Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay!
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Contest: Prizes Tailored to You: Winning Announcement
May 23, 2014
The winners of our Prizes Tailored to You contest were determined and they are...
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Weekend Predictions: Will the X-Men Opening be Remembered in the Future
May 22, 2014
It is Memorial Day long weekend and the box office is looking strong. X-Men: Days of Future Past should dominate the box office chart and there are some who think it will have the best opening of the year so far. Blended is playing the role of counter-programing this week and should do well in that role opening in third place. Meanwhile, the rest of the top five will be filled with Godzilla, Neighbors, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, all of which should still pull in $10 million or more. By comparison, this weekend last year, there were six films that earned more than $10 million over the four-day weekend, led by Fast and Furious 6, which earned a four-day opening of $117.04 million There are some who think X-Men: Days of Future Past will top that figure. I really hope so. However, even if it does, last year was a record-breaking Memorial Day long weekend and I don't think 2014 will match it.
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International Box Office: Godzilla Grounds the Competition
May 21, 2014
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Godzilla got off to a milestone start on the international market earning $103.0 million on 16,946 screens in 64 markets during its first weekend of release. It was able to dominate the box office thanks to a string of first place finishes in most of the major markets. Its biggest market was the U.K., where the film pulled in $10.73 million on 550 screens, while Russia was close behind with $8.65 million on 1,814 screens. The film was surprisingly strong in Mexico, pulling in $7.21 million on 2,494 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $8.57 million. It was also strong in Australia with $6.34 million on 498 screens and in France with $5.73 million on 596. The film earned $4.97 million on 584 screens over the weekend in Germany for a total opening in that market of $5.50 million. Brazil was a strong market for Godzilla, as it opened with $4.07 million on 417 screens there. The film's opening in South Korea was nearly the same with $3.65 million on 610 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $4.37 million. Italy was next with $3.55 million on 692 screens. Finally, the film was soft in Spain with an opening of $1.29 million on 427 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $1.55 million, but this was still enough for first place there. Overall, it wasn't as strong internationally as it was domestically, relative to the size of the markets, but it is still on pace to break even before it reaches the home market.
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Per Theater Chart: Godzilla Chows Down on the Competition
May 20, 2014
Godzilla led the way on both the overall box office chart and the per theater box office chart, earning an average of $23,580 in nearly 4,000 theaters. The second best film on the per theater chart was The Immigrant with an average of $14,688 in three theaters. Chinese Puzzle was the final film in the $10,000 club with an average of $11,772 in two theaters.
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IMAX: Godzilla Growls Loud
May 20, 2014
Godzilla's weekend haul was very impressive and this includes its IMAX numbers. The film pulled in $14.2 million on 352 IMAX theaters, while internationally it managed $7 million in 187. Up next is Maleficent, which opens at the end of the month. I don't think it will be as big, but it should still be a significant hit on IMAX.
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Weekend Wrap-Up: Godzilla Helps 2014 Climb Back on Top
May 20, 2014
I thought Godzilla would be a monster hit. I mentioned that possibility in the monthly preview and the weekend predictions. However, I was in the minority and I reduced my expectations. That turns out to be a mistake. Godzilla opened with $93.19 million over the weekend, which is a better opening than The Amazing Spider-Man 2 managed, but it wasn't quite up to Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It also helped the overall box office soar to $178 million, which is 30% more than last weekend. More importantly, it was 16% more than the same weekend last year. 2014 is now ahead of 2013 by a margin of $185 million or 5.3% at $3.66 billion to $3.48 billion.
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for May 20th, 2014
May 19, 2014
It's that time of year, the weakest time of year on the home market. This week there are four first-run releases, but only one of them earned overall positive reviews and only one of them did well at the box office. Fortunately, it was the same film, About Last Night. If you are a fan of romantic comedies, then the DVD or Blu-ray is worth picking up, but it is not Pick of the Week material. For Pick of the Week, I went with Nosferatu the Vampyre on Blu-ray.
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Grand Piano
May 19, 2014
Grand Piano is a thriller that opened in limited release earlier this year. Thrillers rarely do well in limited release and this film proved to be no exception. Despite earning amazing reviews, the film opened below the Mendoza Line and disappeared in a matter of weeks. Granted, it was also playing on Video on Demand, so the theatrical numbers were an after thought. This week, it comes out on the home market, but will those who passed on it in theaters want to check it out now?
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Featured DVD Review: In Secret
May 18, 2014
In Secret is a film based on the novel Thérèse Raquin, which was written nearly 150 years ago. The novel has been adopted into a few theatrical releases, a few TV movies, a few TV mini-series, etc. over the years, but it never really became something that entered the mainstream awareness like Pride and Prejudice did. For instance, this version opened well below the Mendoza Line before quickly disappearing from theaters. Is this film as bad as its box office numbers would indicate? Or would it have thrived had it opened in just a few theaters and expanded with its word-of-mouth?
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: 3 Days to Kill
May 18, 2014
Kevin Costner practically stopped acting in movies after Swing Vote. After appearing in Man of Steel last summer, he has four films this year. Unfortunately, so far none of them have been box office hits. 3 Days to Kill, for instance, earned just over $30 million at the domestic box office. Is it truly a bad movie? Or was this more of a result of a bad release date?
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Weekend Estimates: Godzilla Joins $90 Million Club
May 18, 2014
After a huge start on Friday, estimated at $38.5 million, Godzilla looked as though it might be the first film of 2014 to have a $100 million opening weekend. But the monster movie seems to have run out of energy a little through the weekend, and Warner Bros. is projecting a weekend around $93.2 million, based on figures through Sunday morning. The film’s performance is well ahead of earlier tracking, which pegged its opening around $60 million–$80 million, and impressive for a non-sequel (although clearly Godzilla is a well-established franchise at this point). In fact, it is one of the top 10 non-sequel openers ever (see full list here).
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Featured DVD Review: Strawberry Shortcake: Fun Under the Sun
May 16, 2014
Strawberry Shortcake has been around for decades and the latest incarnation of franchise has been going strong for a little while now. The latest DVD release, Fun Under the Sun, came out last week but the screener arrived a little late. What is it about? And how does it compare to other DVDs from the franchise?
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Limited Releases: New Arrivals
May 16, 2014
There are a number of films on this week's list that could find audience in theaters, including Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case, Chinese Puzzle, The Discoverers, Horses of God, etc. However, if I were to pick just one, it would be The Immigrant. It has amazing reviews and strong buzz.
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Contest: Righting Your Wrongs
May 16, 2014
Like this weekend, next weekend there are two wide releases. But unlike this weekend, both should become box office hits. Blended is aiming for $100 million during its entire run, while X-Men: Days of Future Past could earn $100 million during its opening weekend. (That would be over the four-day opening weekend, while we are only concerned with the three-day weekend for this contest.) I think it is the safe 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 X-Men: Days of Future Past.
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 The Right Kind of Wrong on Blu-ray, as well as a DVD or Blu-ray I previously reviewed.
Meanwhile, whoever comes the closest to predicting the film's opening 3-day weekend box office (Friday to Sunday), without going under, will win two DVDs or Blu-rays I previously reviewed.
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: Godzilla will be Huge, but How Huge?
May 15, 2014
Godzilla is the second of four May releases that at least have a realistic shot at reaching $200 million domestically. The first of these films, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 won't match original expectations, but it is still on pace to reach $200 million. It is very unlikely Godzilla will open as fast as The Amazing Spider-Man 2 did, but even coming close would be a huge boost to the box office. Million Dollar Arm should have a respectable opening as counter-programming and on the high end it could land in third place. Meanwhile, Neighbors is aiming for $100 million and while it won't get there this weekend, it will get there soon enough. This weekend last year, Star Trek Into Darkness earned first place with $70.17 million over the weekend, which is a figure I think Godzilla will top. If it does, and the holdovers hold on well, then 2014 might end its mini-losing streak earlier than I thought it would.
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International Box Office: Spider-man Webs Neighbors
May 14, 2014
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 remained in first place, but saw its weekend box office haul fall to $71.33 million on 26,694 screens in 91 markets. Its international box office rose to $404.72 million and worldwide it has made $550.93 million. The film will need to make about $200 million to $250 million more at the worldwide box office to break even, which is doable. The film had its first full week in China pulling in $46.45 million over the week for a total of $56.38 million in that market.
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Contest: Fine China: Winning Announcement
May 14, 2014
The winners of our Fine China contest were determined and they are...
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Per Theater Chart: Eat It Up
May 14, 2014
It was a good week on the per theater chart with five films in the $10,000 club, led by Chef with an average of $34,160 in six theaters, which is the third best opening average of the year so far. Palo Alto was well back, but was still strong earning an average of $15,865 in four theaters. The overall box office leader, Neighbors, was next with an average of $14,954. There were also a couple of holdovers in the $10,000 club, which is impressive. Ida held on strong earning an average of $12,223 in seven theaters, with room to keep growing. Belle expanded from 4 theaters to 45 theaters, but still managed an average of $10,825. By this time next week, it will have reached its first major milestone, with more to come.
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for May 13th, 2014
May 13, 2014
It's a weird week on the home market. There are more first-run releases on this week's list than last week, as well as some TV on DVD releases and others. That said, it still feels very shallow. Even coming up with a list of ten new releases will include some filler. According to Amazon.com, I, Frankenstein is the biggest selling new release of the week. However, Her is the best new release of the week and the Blu-ray Combo Pack is the Pick of the Week.
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Weekend Wrap-Up: Neighbors were Louder than Expected
May 13, 2014
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Neighbors got off to a much faster start than expected, as did many of the top five films. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 fell more than 60% during its sophomore stint, but that was expected, at least it was inline with my expectations. Overall, the box office still fell from last weekend, but by 11% to $137 million, which isn't as bad as it could have been. It was down 14% from the same weekend last year, but that's a huge improvement from what it was last weekend, so in a small way, it is a bit of a victory. Year-to-date, 2014 has pulled in $3.45 billion, putting it 5.4% ahead of 2013's pace. That's down from its peak, but even if 2014 loses next weekend and the weekend after that, 2014 should still remain ahead of last year's pace.
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Featured Blu-ray review: Crocodile Dundee / Crocodile Dundee II
May 12, 2014
Before I say anything about this Blu-ray... Crocodile Dundee is a trilogy. It is a trilogy, but they are releasing just the first two films. That's a big slight. The first Crocodile Dundee cost less than $10 million, but it made more than $300 million worldwide in 1986. Just two years later, Crocodile Dundee 2 came out, and while it made nearly $100 million less worldwide, it was still a huge hit. Nearly 30 years later, these two films are coming out on a two-disc Blu-ray set. Has it aged well? Will fans of the films want to pick it up?
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Featured Blu-ray review: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
May 12, 2014
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron was an early film from DreamWorks Animation. It cost $80 million to make, and likely another $30 million to $40 million to advertise. However, worldwide it barely matched its combined production budget. On the other hand, it earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature film. (Granted, it was a soft year for animated films and only three films earning a Tomatometer Score of 80% positive or better: Spirited Away, Lilo and Stitch, and The Wild Thornberrys. The last one didn't even pick up an Oscar nomination.) It has been more than a decade since so maybe it has gotten better with time. Is that the case? And is the Blu-ray worth picking up?
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Weekend Estimates: Neighbors Tops $50 Million
May 11, 2014
Comedy triumphs at the box office this weekend, with Neighbors posting an impressive $51 million, according to Universal’s Sunday morning estimate. That’s the 16th-biggest opening ever for a comedy film (depending somewhat on one’s definition of what constitutes a comedy), and comparable to the debut of Ted (which made $54 million in 2012). It’s also easily Seth Rogen’s best weekend, ahead of the $33.5 million debut for The Green Hornet, and Zac Efron’s best, beating High School Musical: Senior Year.
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Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: Big Bad Wolves
May 11, 2014
Big Bad Wolves is an Israeli thriller that came out last year in its native country and earlier this year in America. The buzz was good, as were its reviews, but it opened well below the Mendoza Line and quickly disappeared. Granted, thrillers are not known for success in limited release, but this is still disappointing. Was the film really this bad? Or was it just the wrong genre and should perform better on the home market?
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Featured DVD Review: Tin Can Man
May 10, 2014
Tin Can Man is an ultra-low-budget film from Ireland. It was made in 2007 for a cost of 10,000 Euros, or about $13,000. It recently came out on DVD here. Is it worth checking out? Or does the low budget limit its target audience?
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Limited Releases: What's Cooking?
May 9, 2014
There are a number of limited releases coming out this week that are earning strong buzz and good reviews. Some of the films that have reviews that are strong enough to suggest box office success are Palo Alto and The Double, as well as two documentaries, Fed Up and Llyn Foulkes One Man Band. However, the film with the best combination of buzz and reviews is Chef.
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Contest: Prizes Tailored to You
May 9, 2014
Next weekend there are two wide releases, but the box office will be dominated by Godzilla. (Million Dollar Arm could do well in counter-programming, but its early reviews are merely mixed.) On the high end, Godzilla could earn the highest opening box office of the year so far. Even on the low end, it will double or triple the second place film. Because it will dominate the box office so much, it is really 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 Godzilla.
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 Adventure Time: The Suitor on DVD.
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 Adventure Time: The Suitor 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: Will Neighbors Have a Good Opening?
May 8, 2014
It could be an interesting weekend at the box office as The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is expected to fall far enough that Neighbors could win the box office race. That certainly would be a boost for the new release's box office chances. Earning first place does provide a lot of free publicity. The other two wide releases coming out this week are not expected to be major players at the box office. I've heard some buzz that Mom's Night Out could be a sleeper hit. On the other hand, Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return might not open above the Mendoza Line. This weekend last year, Iron Man 3 led the way with $72.53 million, which is more than all three wide releases will make. In fact, last year's second place film, The Great Gatsby earning $50.09 million, which might be more than all three wide releases make this weekend. On the other hand, depth will be better this time around and that should mitigate the situation a little bit.
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International Box Office: Spider-man's Amazing Weekend Haul
May 8, 2014
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 saw its weekend box office haul explode with $117.38 million on 30,460 screens in 41 markets for totals of $278.23 million internationally and $369.84 million worldwide. The film opened in first place in Brazil with $11.06 million on 1,139 screens and in second place in France with $11.03 million on 837. It broke the record for biggest Hollywood debut in India with $6.9 million on 1,523 screens. The film also opened in China, on Sunday, with $9.9 million on 11,031 screens, which was a record for an opening Sunday.
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IMAX: First Quarter Lacks Big News
May 8, 2014
IMAX announced their first quarter 2014 financial numbers, but there wasn't a lot to get excited about. The first quarter is almost always the slowest, unless there's a monster hit released in late December that lasts in theaters for several months. As a result, there's not much to say this time around. Total box office for the first quarter was $138.5 million, which was higher than first quarter of 2013, but by less than $10 million. Interestingly, two-thirds came from international markets. IMAX has been focusing on expanding its international market penetration recently and it is paying off. In fact, IMAX signed contracts for 36 new theaters during the first quarter, 23 of which were in Europe. There are now 840 IMAX systems around the world, including 707 commercial sites.
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Contest: Too Amazing: Winning Announcement
May 7, 2014
The winners of our Too Amazing contest were determined and they are...
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Per Theater Chart: Belle Has Beautiful Debut
May 7, 2014
Belle led the way on the per theater chart with an opening of just over $100,000 in four theaters for an average of $26,645. Meanwhile, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was relatively close behind with an average of $21,186 in more than 4,000 theaters. The only other film in the $10,000 club on the per theater chart was Ida, which made $55,000 in 3 theaters for an average of $18,479.
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DVD and Blu-ray Releases for May 6th, 2014
May 6, 2014
It's a short list this week, because there's almost nothing worth talking about. The best-selling new release according to Amazon is Veronica Mars, while the first page of new releases is dominated by Godzilla titles, and not even good Godzilla titles. There are not a lot of new releases that are contenders for Pick of the Week, but Still Mine on DVD is the best of what is out there. Meanwhile, another Canadian release, Republic of Doyle: Season 1 earns an honorable mention and is the Puck of the Week.
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Weekend Wrap-Up: Spidey Strong, but not Amazing
May 6, 2014
The summer blockbuster season has begun and it started on a mixed note. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 easily earned first place with more than $90 million. An opening of more than $90 million isn't a bad number, but it is the lowest opening three-day weekend for a Friday debut in the franchise. Worse still, the overall box office was just $153 million, which is substantially lower than last year's number one film, Iron Man 3, opened with. $153 million is 32% higher than last weekend, but the start of summer should be bigger than that. It is also 30% lower than the same weekend last year. You usually only see a decline that sharp when there's a misalignment in a holiday weekend. Granted, 2014 is still ahead of 2013 by a large margin (8.6% or $3.26 billion to $3.01 billion) so we don't have to worry about 2014 losing that lead any time soon. This is just not a great way to start the summer blockbuster season.
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Featured Blu-ray review - The Terminal
May 5, 2014
The Terminal came out in 2004, just after Tom Hanks' record-breaking run of seven $100 million hits in a row came to an end. The streak ended with The Ladykillers, but many thought The Terminal would start a new streak. It didn't. Now that it has been ten years since it came out, does it feel like it underperformed at the box office. Or was this never going to be a big hit with moviegoers?
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Featured Blu-ray review - Amistad
May 5, 2014
I don't think it is unfair to call Amistad Oscar-bait. It is a film based on a powerful real life story that came out in theaters in December, right in the heart of Oscar season. However, it didn't live up to expectations, either with critics or at the box office. It did pick up four Oscar nominations, but it failed to convert any of those into wins. Then again, "Not quite good enough for Oscars." is hardly a damning statement. Was the movie hurt by unrealistic expectations? Has it aged well in the years since it came out? And is the Blu-ray worth picking up?
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Weekend Estimates: Spider-Man Swings into Summer with $92 million
May 4, 2014
The modern tradition is that first weekend in May starts the Summer season with a super-hero action movie. And Hollywood being the industry that lets no tradition go before it's beaten it to death, this year we start Summer, on the first weekend in May, with the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Now, the most amazing fact about the Spider-Man franchise is probably that every movie has done worse at the domestic box office than the one before it, even without adjusting for inflation. This is another tradition that looks like it might continue, with Spider-Man 2 opening with $92 million—without doubt a very good debut, but one that points towards a final box office around $250 million, or perhaps a shade higher. With The Amazing Spider-Man having made $262 million in 2012, a fourth straight decline for the franchise looks like a 50-50 bet right now.
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Featured DVD Review: Separate But Equal
May 4, 2014
Sidney Poitier made a number of movies that dealt with race relations over the years, including Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night. He also starred in the TV mini-series Separate But Equal, which is about the landmark segregation decision. Is it as powerful as some of his previous films? And is the DVD worth picking up?
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Featured TV on DVD Review: I Love Lucy: Season One
May 4, 2014
I've reviewed a number Lucille Ball TV shows over the years, including The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy. I Love Lucy is still the one remembered the most, and loved the most, by people. It is a true classic. Like The Honeymooners, which I just reviewed, there's little need to go over the show itself and this review will focus more on the Blu-ray and how it compared to the DVD.
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Featured TV on DVD Review: The Honeymooners "Classic 39" Episodes
May 3, 2014
The Honeymooners started as a series of sketches on Cavalcade of Stars before, eventually, becoming a TV series of their own. This series only lasted 39 episodes, now called the "Classic 39". While it didn't last long, it is still considered one of the best TV series of all time and went on to inspire such hits as The Flintstones, Roseanne, and pretty much every other working class family sitcom made since then. It is a classic and it is worth owning, there's no doubt about that. However, it has already been released on DVD, so the real question is whether or not the Blu-ray is worth picking up.
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Limited Releases: Belles of the Ball
May 2, 2014
There are a few limited releases coming out this week that are earning good reviews. Of these, two of them stand out as potential hits. There's Belle, a period piece that deals with interracial romance, as well as slavery. Then there's Ida, which is about a young woman discovering her past. Its reviews are incredible, so I hope moviegoers reward it with strong ticket sales.
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Contest: Fine China
May 2, 2014
Next weekend there are three films opening wide, but only one of them, Neighbors, is expected to do well. The other two are expected to bomb and bomb hard. Because of that, there is really only one 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 Neighbors.
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 China Beach: Season 3 on DVD.
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 China Beach: Season 3 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: Will Spidey Swing into Action?
May 2, 2014
It is the official opening of the summer blockbuster season and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 hopes to get the summer off to a fast start. On the positive side, it is the latest installment in one of the most popular comic book franchises. On the negative side, its reviews are below expectations and below the overall positive level. There are no other new releases to pick up the slack should this film fail to live up to lofty expectations at the box office, although The Other Woman should still do well in a counter-programming role. Last year Iron Man 3 dominated the way with $174.14 million during the opening weekend. There's no way The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will match that this weekend. There is a small chance The Amazing Spider-Man 2 won't make that in total.
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2014 Preview: May
May 1, 2014
It has been a great year so far and April was again a strong month. The box office was led by Captain America: The Winter Soldier, as it became the second film of the year to reach $200 million, while Rio 2 is on pace to become the seventh $100 million hit of the year. Big picture, 2014 has already hit $3 billion, which isn't a record for this time of the year, but it is $250 million ahead of 2013. That streak ends in May. Don't get me wrong. There are six films opening this month that at least have a shot at $100 million and two of those should earn more than $200 million and there are two others that at least have a shot at that milestone. Leading the way is The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which is looking to top The Winter Soldier and become the second biggest hit of the year so far. Its main competition this month is X-men: Days of Future Past, while Godzilla also has a shot at $200 million. Unfortunately, this month last year, Iron Man 3 earned more than $400 million, while two other films took in $200 million and seven films in total reached the century mark. That is going to be really hard to replicate this year and 2014 will likely lose some of its lead over 2013. Fortunately, 2014 has such a big lead that unless the box office really slumps, it will end the month with at least a small lead over 2013.
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