Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Matt Damon's 'The Martian' Is Big on Buildup, Little Else
- The CW's Hottest Guys, Ranked by Hotness
- Aziz Ansari, Amy Schumer, Jennifer Lawrence & Chris Pratt Are Our New #SquadGoals
- Jon Voight Joins 'Harry Potter' Spinoff 'Fantastic Beasts'
- Pepsi Perfect from 'Back to the Future Part II' Is Becoming a Reality
- Emilia Clarke and Jason Momoa's 'Game of Thrones' Reunion Is Too Cute
- 'The Flash' Movie Lands Director Seth Grahame-Smith
- What's New on TV, Netflix, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: October 5-11
- 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Gets an Amazing Disney Mashup
- Watch 'Spectre' Star Christoph Waltz Evade the Blofeld Question With Spectacular Charm
- Donald Trump Reacts to SNL Premiere (Including Hillary Clinton's Impression)
- Watch Tom Hiddleston Do a Classic Robert De Niro Impression, in Front of De Niro
- 'The Good Wife' Feud: Archie Panjabi Calls BS on Julianna Margulies Interview
- '90210' Stars Share Funny, Angry, Juicy Reactions to 'Unauthorized' Story
- The 'Fear the Walking Dead' Season 1 Finale Would've Made T-Dog Happy
- Tom Bergeron Skips 'Dancing With the Stars' to Be at Father's Bedside
- William Shatner's 5 Favorite Halloween Movies
- Why 'The Martian' Stomped All Over 'The Walk' at the Box Office
| Matt Damon's 'The Martian' Is Big on Buildup, Little Else Posted:  Last Friday night, local movie theaters were packed in anticipation for the space-thriller showing of Matt Damon's new film, "The Martian." The buzz was ridiculous. Regardless of the hype, I was planning on seeing the film. Who would I be kidding if I didn't see such a star-studded film that included Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, and Jeff Daniels? I know, with a cast of that magnitude its got to be a must watch... but no.Sorry to disappoint. The Ridley Scott-directed "The Martian," based on Andy Weir's best-selling novel of the same name, follows astronaut Mark Watney as he struggles to survive when left behind on Mars. The film fares well initially, with drama and a good build up. The protagonist's wit and charm via Damon is welcoming. However, with all of those ingredients, by the time the end credits roll, there's no satisfaction. A big frustration from the Drew Goddard-penned film is the lack of strong setbacks. There are no moments that will have you on the edge of your seat like "Interstellar" and "Gravity." The only real obstacle is the premise of the film, which is getting Watney back home. Each hurdle he faces is predictable. There's really not much character development other than Watney's. We're given bits and pieces, but not enough. The biggest frustration is the mysterious love-relationship between Kate Mara's character Beth Johanssen and Sebastian Stan's Chris Beck. The only attention brought to this is a goodbye wave and a kiss on Beck's helmet, which is so frustrating because there is little-to-no additional insight into their lives. There's buzz surrounding a potential Best Picture nomination for this film, and I'm not sure I totally agree. Watching "The Martian" was like going up on the most feared, deadly rollercoaster of all time and finding out there's no drop. Khalid Moalim is a student at Ohio State University and a contributor to Moviefone's Campus Beat. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The CW's Hottest Guys, Ranked by Hotness Posted: It's premiere week on the CW, and the return of our favorite shows got us thinking: Nearly everyone on the network is really, really, ridiculously good-looking. Thanks to some excellent casting and even more excellent program scheduling, we can feast our eyes on some eye candy while getting our TV fix almost every night of the week. That's what we like to call a win-win situation. Because we are serious journalists concerned with scientific pursuits, we've undertaken the task of ranking the CW's hottest male stars by their hotness. It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it. From the stars of "Arrow" to "iZombie," here are the CW's finest.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Aziz Ansari, Amy Schumer, Jennifer Lawrence & Chris Pratt Are Our New #SquadGoals Posted:
Schumer also shared her own video of Ansari and Lawrence (who's mentioned in the caption, but not seen) waking up Caramele, who doesn't seem too thrilled. Does she not realize that that's a New York Times bestselling author and an Oscar winner knocking down her door? The official explanation for why the foursome was together in the first place is a bit boring: Ansari and Schumer were in Atlanta performing at the Oddball Comedy Festival, and Lawrence -- with whom Schumer is writing a comedy movie script -- is in Atlanta shooting "Passengers" with Pratt. We'd like to imagine that the actors are all just such good BFFs that they hang out all the time regardless of location. Either way, we haven't been this jealous of a hangout since Schumer and Lawrence had the best vacation ever and crashed a Billy Joel concert. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Jon Voight Joins 'Harry Potter' Spinoff 'Fantastic Beasts' Posted: According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jon Voight has been added to the ensemble in an undisclosed role. He joins fellow Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne, who's playing protagonist Newt Scamander, a magizoologist who penned the titular tome, a textbook used by Hogwarts students in the "Potter" series. In addition to Voight's casting, THR also has the scoop that two other actresses have also been cast. They are Gemma Chan, a star of TNT series "Humans," and Carmen Ejogo, who starred in "Selma." Like Voight, their roles are being kept under wraps for now. The script for "Fantastic Beasts" is being penned by "Potter" author J.K. Rowling, and while there have been no real plot details divulged yet, Rowling did tease on Twitter that the American version of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will be featured in some way in the flick. "Beasts" takes place in New York City approximately 70 years before the events of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" also stars Colin Farrell, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller, and Samantha Morton. It's due in theaters on November 18, 2016. [via: The Hollywood Reporter] Photo credit: Getty Images for SHOWTIME This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Pepsi Perfect from 'Back to the Future Part II' Is Becoming a Reality Posted:  Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the "Back to the Future" series, Pepsi is getting in on the marketing game by actually producing its fictional product, Pepsi Perfect, from "Back to the Future Part II."The drink, which Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) purchases for $50 at the Cafe '80s when he travels to the year 2015, will be priced at $20.15 and only be available in a limited run of 6,500 bottles to be sold online. It will be the same shape and feature the same logo as the bottle that Marty drinks in the flick, though Pepsi notes that it will feature the formula found in Pepsi Made with Real Sugar, a variety that is available now. "Fans have always been a little crazy about it," said Lou Arbetter, PepsiCo's senior director of marketing, in a statement about the drink. "So we wanted to take advantage of the fact that Marty traveled to the future, to this month, and wanted to actually come out with the product." And Pepsi isn't stopping there. The company plans to host a "Back to the Future"-themed panel discussion at New York Comic Con later this month, and will also have a booth recreating Cafe '80s, where Pepsi Perfect will be provided free of charge to fans who dress up like Marty. Check out a promo for Pepsi Perfect below. The drink goes on sale on October 21 -- the same date that Marty arrived in the future, and the same date that a special edition re-release of the entire "Back to the Future" trilogy is planned.
[via: Pepsi, The Hollywood Reporter] Photo credit: Pepsi/Facebook This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Emilia Clarke and Jason Momoa's 'Game of Thrones' Reunion Is Too Cute Posted:
[via: Emilia Clarke, Jason Momoa] Photo credit: Emilia Clarke/Instagram This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'The Flash' Movie Lands Director Seth Grahame-Smith Posted: The Hollywood Reporter writes that Grahame-Smith -- who's penning the "LEGO Batman" script -- is currently in negotiations to both write and direct "The Flash," which follows the superhero adventures of the young speedster Barry Allen. The flick, which was at one time being developed by "The LEGO Movie" directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller (who abandoned the project to direct Disney's upcoming Han Solo "Star Wars" spinoff film), is part of studio Warner Bros.'s big rollout of the DC Comics superhero properties, which is set to start with next spring's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." Lord and Miller left behind a story treatment for Grahame-Smith, who would make his feature directorial debut on the project, and the movie already has a locked-in release date for early 2018. Actor Ezra Miller has been tapped as the titular "Flash" star, and will make his first appearance as the character is "Dawn of Justice," before hopping over to "Justice League Part 1," then headlining his own film. (Unfortunately for fans of The CW's hit "Flash" series -- not to mention its star, Grant Gustin -- the flick is completely unrelated to that show.) "The Flash" is due to hit theaters on March 3, 2018. [via: The Hollywood Reporter] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What's New on TV, Netflix, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: October 5-11 Posted:  At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.New on DVD and Blu-ray "Magic Mike XXL" Not everyone went out to see this one in a crowded theater of tittering fans. Perhaps you were waiting until Channing Tatum was available for a private showing at home? Ready or not, he's grinding your way October 6. The sequel features the usual suspects, plus Amber Heard, Donald Glover, Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, Michael Strahan, Andie MacDowell, Elizabeth Banks, and Jada Pinkett Smith. The DVD and Blu-ray combo pack both include the special features "The Moves of Magic Mike XXL" and "Georgia," and the Blu-ray also has an Extended Malik Dance Scene. "Batkid Begins" This should warm your heart. "Batkid Begins" is out on DVD on October 6. The documentary follows the one day, in one city, when the world came together to grant one 5-year-old cancer patient named Miles his wish. The movie looks at the "why" of this good-news phenomenon. Source it, bottle it, and spread it through the water system! "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" This winner of the 2015 Sundance Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD October 6. The funny, uplifting story follows quirky teenager Greg Gaines, who is trying to get through high school while making film parodies with his "coworker" Earl. When he is forced to spend time with a terminally ill classmate, he finally learns to let his guard down and connect with the people around him. Both the DVD and Blu-ray editions come with several extras, including deleted scenes with commentary.  "Home Alone: 25th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Christmas Edition" Can you believe it's been 25 years since they forgot Macaulay Culkin's Kevin McCallister back at the house? To celebrate the milestone, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is issuing this ultimate collector's edition on Blu-ray and DVD on October 6. The gift set features all five films packaged together for the first time in a collectible paint can full of limited edition movie memorabilia. New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only "Paper Towns" "Paper Towns" -- another adaptation from John Green, author of "The Fault in Our Stars" -- arrives on Digital HD on October 9, before the Blu-ray/DVD drop on October 20. Nat Wolff stars in the coming-of-age story about a high school senior who has been in love with his enigmatic neighbor Margot (Cara Delevingne) since childhood. Follow them on an all-night adventure, followed by Margo's sudden disappearance, and trail of cryptic clues. "Red Oaks" The first season of Amazon's original comedy series will start streaming to Prime members starting Friday, October 9. Watch all 10 episodes of the half-hour coming-of-age dramedy set in suburban New Jersey in 1985. "Red Oaks" -- which someone has ingeniously dubbed "The Graduate meets Caddyshack" -- stars Craig Roberts, Paul Reiser, Jennifer Grey and Richard Kind. Check out the trailer: "Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th" Just in time for Halloween -- and just following the passing of Wes Craven -- "Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th" is arriving on Digital October 6. Inspired by the critically-acclaimed book, the tribute takes viewers behind the mask on a journey into the making of the landmark horror franchise-from its beginnings in 1980 at a New Jersey summer camp to the blockbuster release of its 2009 "reboot." The movie combines hundreds of rare and never-before-seen photographs, film clips, outtakes, archival documents, conceptual art and behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with more than 150 cast and crew members spanning all twelve films and the television series. The film stars Sean S. Cunningham, Corey Feldman, Wes Craven, Robert Englund, Alice Cooper, Frank Mancuso Jr., Adrienne King, Amy Steel and more. New on Netflix This is a big week for Fall TV premieres, and Netflix will start streaming the previous seasons of several shows in time for their TV returns. For example, on Tuesday, October 6, Netflix is offering "American Horror Story: Freak Show" (one day before the debut of "American Horror Story: Hotel") plus the first seasons of "iZombie" and "The Flash" and the second season of "The Originals." On October 7, Netflix will start streaming "Arrow" Season 3 and "Supernatural" Season 10. Why not binge your way into a full catch-up so each season will be fresh in your mind before you start watching them "live"?  TV Worth Watching "The Walking Dead" (Sunday on AMC at 9 p.m.) When Season 5 ended, Rick shot Pete and Morgan showed up in Alexandria just in time to watch. (Awkward!) We'll see the old friends reunite for the first time since Season 3 in Season 6, Episode 1, "First Time Again." The 90 minute will show "Rick and the group continue to have trouble assimilating into Alexandria. Multiple threats lead the community to adopt a mindset of hardness, while Rick's group must take a step back from the violence they've come to embrace." "American Horror Story: Hotel" (Wednesday on FX at 10 p.m.) Welcome to the Hotel Cortez, where Lady Gaga is in charge and you may or may not be sewn into your bed at night. In the first episode, appropriately titled "Checking In," detective and family man John Lowe (Wes Bentley) investigates a chain of gruesome murders in Los Angeles, and a mysterious tip points him to the mysterious Hotel Cortez. "The Vampire Diaries" (Thursday on The CW at 8 p.m.) Are you ready for life without Elena? In the Season 7 premiere, "Day One Of Twenty-Two Thousand,Give Or Take," Damon (Ian Somerhalder) is forced to navigate his new reality without the love of his life. A newly empowered Bonnie (Kat Graham) has decided that she will be Damon's moral compass and keeps a close eye on him as he, in turn, cautiously keeps tabs on Alaric (Matt Davis), following the loss of his fiancée Jo. Meanwhile, as he waits for Caroline (Candice King) to sort out her emotions, Stefan (Paul Wesley) takes an active role in protecting the town from Lily (Annie Wersching) and her family of Heretics, who have wasted no time wreaking havoc in Mystic Falls. "Billy on the Street" (Thursday on truTV at 10:30 p.m.) Comedian Billy Eichner returns to the streets of NYC -- and starts his run on truTV -- on October 8. In the first episode, Tina Fey joins Billy as they hit the pavement to find Tina a friend. Plus, Billy ambushes pedestrians with the news that Emma Stone seems down to earth. (It's true!) Other games include "For a Dollar" and a new "Lightning Round." This season will feature multiple A-listers, including Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Anna Kendrick, Julianne Moore, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bill Hader, and Jason Sudeikis. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Gets an Amazing Disney Mashup Posted:
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| Watch 'Spectre' Star Christoph Waltz Evade the Blofeld Question With Spectacular Charm Posted:  Earlier this year, we visited the Mexico City set of the latest Daniel Craig-as-James Bond adventure, "Spectre" (the follow-up to "Skyfall," the most successful James Bond movie ever). It was an incredible experience, which required 1,520 locals and took five months of preparation, and much of what we saw on location can be seen in the latest "Spectre" trailer, which is the moodiest and most intense look at the Sam Mendes film yet. But we did more than just watch a complicated helicopter stunt while in Mexico City, we also talked to many of the Spectre principles, including Christoph Waltz, Dave Bautista, and Léa Seydoux.In this three-minute mash-up of our interviews, you can hear Seydoux talk about the differences between her character and the role she played in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" (she's the only actress to appear in both franchises), Bautista joke about how everyone automatically assumed that he'd been cast as a henchman, and watch as Waltz tries, with every fiber of his being, to deny that he is actually famous Bond baddie Blofield. The movie might be a month away now, and still quite cloaked in secrecy, but at the time very little was known about the movie, so it was fun to try to squeeze details out of the actors. Watch and let us know what you're most looking forward to about "Spectre," whether or not Waltz was being truthful, and if we can just crown Seydoux the world's most adorable human being already. "Spectre" hits theaters November 6th. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Donald Trump Reacts to SNL Premiere (Including Hillary Clinton's Impression) Posted:
Shots fired, Hillary! She was too busy having fun to retaliate. She just kept retweeting links from the show: What did you think of the SNL premiere? And who has the better Donald Trump impression -- Taran Killam or Jimmy Fallon?Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Watch Tom Hiddleston Do a Classic Robert De Niro Impression, in Front of De Niro Posted:
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| 'The Good Wife' Feud: Archie Panjabi Calls BS on Julianna Margulies Interview Posted:  By now, fans of "The Good Wife" are probably familiar with the controversy over that final scene between BFFs Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies) and Kalinda Sharma (Archie Panjabi). The two actresses weren't even in the same room together, which was awkward to watch. In a new interview with Vulture, Julianna weighed in on the rumored "feud" they had behind-the-scenes, and tried to explain how they shot the split screen scene without each other. (Spoiler alert: Archie will not agree with this.)First, here's Julianna, via Vulture, at the New Yorker Festival on Sunday: Vulture ended with "case closed" but Archie Panjabi re-opened the case with this reaction tweet: That was her first tweet since September 21, so it's not even like she comments on everything. She went out of her way to set the record straight, at least from her perspective. Previously, when asked about the "faked" scene, she told E!, "All I can say is this: The decision-making process is not something I'm privy to." Fans are now pushing her to explain more, because if she was ready to do the scene, what happened? Why would anyone want the stars to shoot separately unless there was a particular reason? It was a frustrating scene for many fans, and if this explanation is not true, it would be good to know what really happened to create such a letdown for the characters.Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| '90210' Stars Share Funny, Angry, Juicy Reactions to 'Unauthorized' Story Posted:
In case you don't know, that's Mr. and Mrs. Walsh, and Mondale was Brandon's beloved first car. Here are more great tweets from Ian, who kept a good sense of humor about the whole thing (which is fitting, since he's also in the cheese-fest of "Sharknado"): Shannen, who wasn't given the kindest of treatments, used some salty words to share her displeasure: Jason admitted to getting a bit nostalgic and started answering some fan Qs about the show, and other things. He also retweeted and responded to people who bashed the Unauthorized story, so it's not like he was a fan. And he also weighed in on Tori Spelling's whole lie detector thing, which was happening around the same time. They slept together? #goodgossip: These Lifetime stories may be kind of ridiculous, but they prompt the real stars to share real feelings about what actually happened .... so it's all worth it?Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The 'Fear the Walking Dead' Season 1 Finale Would've Made T-Dog Happy Posted:
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| Tom Bergeron Skips 'Dancing With the Stars' to Be at Father's Bedside Posted:  Tonight, "Dancing With the Stars" Season 21 is celebrating its Most Memorable Year theme, with the celebs paying tribute to an important time or experience in their lives. Tom Bergeron will miss the show so he can spend memorable time with one of the most important people in his life: his father. Tom's father is ill and the host is staying with him, so he'll miss the Fall 2015's season's fourth week of dancing: Tom has been with the show since Season 1, unlike the many changing co-hosts around him, and his live quips have won him an Emmy and the affection of fans. People announce that Season 19 winner Alfonso Ribeiro will step in as host this week, alongside co-host Erin Andrews. Alfonso was a guest judge on DWTS last week and he is the new host of Tom's "America's Funniest Home Videos," so it's no big surprise to see him back again. It's like he's slowly taking over!But in all seriousness, fans are concerned about Tom and his dad and sent their love. Tom thanked viewers for their support: It's been an emotional season so far, from Kim Zolciak being forced to withdraw last week, thanks to her mini stroke and doctor's no-fly diagnosis, and Alek Skarlatos returning home to Roseburg, Oregon after the mass shooting. (At least there was some good news: Pro dancer Witney Carson got engaged.) Here's hoping everyone stays safe this week, with best wishes to Tom and his father.Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| William Shatner's 5 Favorite Halloween Movies Posted: It's that time of year again! Yes, you got it right: Halloween! And William Shatner is ready to get his spook on. He may be best known for playing Captain Kirk on "Star Trek," but now he's tackling a more terrifying role in "A Christmas Horror Story." To celebrate the release of his new movie, Shatner told us the five movies he watches when he's getting into the Halloween spirit. Be sure to check out "A Christmas Horror Story," out now.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Why 'The Martian' Stomped All Over 'The Walk' at the Box Office Posted:  On the surface, things played out as expected at the weekend box office.As analysts predicted, "The Martian" won the top spot with an estimated $55 million, coming within spitting distance of the October record set two years ago this weekend by the similar "Gravity." Art-house crime drama hit "Sicario" expanded wide and grossed $12.1 million, as expected, and finished in third place. And "The Walk," playing only on a few hundred large-format screens before it expands wide next week, earned $1.6 million, debuting at No 11. Behind the scenes, however, this week's results reflect the ongoing fight for your premium-ticket dollar -- the surcharge you pay for 3D, IMAX, and other large-format screenings. With the moviegoing audience dwindling, the effort to wring more cash from every ticket buyer is the theater owners' last hope for increasing revenue -- and their last major battleground. These days, most U.S. moviegoers are used to coughing up a few extra bucks for enhanced moviegoing experiences like 3D and giant screens (or both). But in recent years, as the multiplexes were saturated with mediocre 3D movies, 2D movies with poor 3D transfers, and 3D movies exhibited poorly on underlit projection systems, ticket buyers have been less and less willing to pay extra to rent the glasses. We'll do it for certain visual spectacle films -- movies that really demand to be seen in 3D, like "Gravity" -- but otherwise, given the choice between seeing a particular new release in 2D or 3D, we'll usually choose 2D. At the same time, we still haven't grown disenchanted with the immersive nature of the ultra-large screen. For decades, IMAX-branded screens had this market to themselves, but in the last few years, the theater chains have invented their own floor-to-ceiling screen systems, meaning they don't have to share revenue with IMAX. There are several different such formats, but to avoid confusing audiences, they're all marketed under the umbrella designation "PLF," meaning premium large-format. IMAX purists -- including many filmmakers -- grumble that most PLF screens don't measure up to IMAX, which projects from a taller, wider image source; the off-brand PLF screens just blow up the standard image, often resulting in a fuzzier, underlit picture. Nonetheless, audiences have embraced PLF, to the point where, within the last year, the number of PLF screens in North America (374) surpassed the number of IMAX screens (360). In that context, the success of "The Martian" is all the more remarkable. It came in just shy of the record-setting $55.8 million debut of "Gravity." But that 2013 stranded-astronaut adventure had the benefit of 3D, IMAX, and PLF surcharges -- while this October's marooned-spaceman tale had only 3D. It also opened well ahead of last fall's "Interstellar" ($47.5 million), which also had IMAX receipts going for it. Good reviews and very strong word-of-mouth (as measured by its A grade at CinemaScore) suggest that "The Martian" is one of those few movies that really lives up to recommendations to see it in 3D.  Why didn't "The Martian" open in IMAX and PLF as well? Perhaps because "The Walk" has most of the giant screens booked. It opened Wednesday on just 448 screens, but they're all extra-large. Those premium fees, plus the 3D glasses charges, were supposed to yield big bucks -- or at least a top-10 debut. And yet, Robert Zemeckis' docudrama about Philippe Petit's unauthorized 1974 tightrope walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center has earned just under $2 million in five days of release. From Friday to Sunday, it averaged just $3,460 per screen, compared to a $4,609 average for art-house graduate "Sicario" (which has no premium venues) and $14,357 for "The Martian."Why did "The Walk" open with about half its predicted take? It's not that the film doesn't live up to the hype regarding its visuals. At an advance New York Film Festival screening last month, some viewers reportedly found the high-wire segment so realistic and vertigo-inducing that they had to rush to the bathroom to throw up. The film has enjoyed decent (but not stellar) reviews. But "The Martian" was better marketed, and viewers choosing between premium-format visual extravaganzas clearly found the space epic an easier sell than the French-daredevil drama. Still, the idea of releasing "The Walk" at first only on IMAX and PLF screens wasn't a bad one. "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" was the first movie to try such a platform release back in 2011. It came out on 425 super-sized screens and earned $12.8 million (an average of $30,083 per screen), toward an eventual domestic total of $209. 4 million. Of course, that movie starred Tom Cruise and was the fourth in a well-established franchise.  Just last month, "Everest," another eye-filling adventure, tried the same strategy. It opened on 545 lMAX and PLF screens (and in 3D) and earned $7.2 million (a healthy $13,251 per screen), good for a fifth place debut. But in the two weeks since it expanded onto regular screens (it's now playing in 3,009 venues), it hasn't lived up to those initial numbers. This weekend, it earned just $5.5 million, down 58 percent from last week, for a seventh-place finish and a three-week total of just $33.2 million. Given those numbers, some pundits revised their expectations downward for "The Walk," yet it still underperformed even that low bar.Who knows, "Everest" might be doing better if it hadn't yielded most of its large screens to "The Walk." It also seems to be one of those movies that works best in the premium formats, as viewers who've seen it on regular screens seem to be underwhelmed. This scarcity of resources, then, suggests that we'll be seeing the construction of a lot more IMAX and PLF screens in the coming months and years. After all, if they can't bring more people into the theaters, they can still charge more per ticket by satisfying demand for the kind of immersive visual and aural experience that not even the biggest home theater screen and speaker system can provide. Let's just hope we keep getting movies that offer the kind of spectacle that's worth coughing up the extra bucks. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
No offense to 
Their separation in season one of "
Now that Star Wars and Disney are in the same family, it was only a matter of time before someone made a brilliant mashup like this. After all, Disney runs the Happiest Place on Earth and Star Wars covers the Coolest Places in the Galaxy. When they combine you get "Star Wars: Where Dreams Come True," a truly magical mix of the upcoming 
That Loki is impressive as hell. 
The best part of Lifetime's 
It's a shame AMC only made six episodes for the first season of 
You may recall how that Atlanta character occasionally brought up the idea of heading east to the coast. He was always shot down, and the group ended up at the prison, where T-Dog had a heroic death in Season 3. If only he had been with this Los Angeles group. They went west to the Pacific coast and now we get to see how that works.| You are subscribed to email updates from The Moviefone Blog. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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