Friday, April 16, 2010

Kick Ass In Theaters This Week 16th April 2010

Kick Ass
Copyright © 2010 Lionsgate Pictures

A twisted, funny, high-octane adventure, director Matthew Vaughn brings Kick-Ass to the big screen.

Kick-Ass tells the story of average teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a comic-book fanboy who decides to take his obsession as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. As any good superhero would, he chooses a new name -- Kick-Ass -- assembles a suit and mask to wear, and gets to work fighting crime. There's only one problem standing in his way: Kick-Ass has absolutely no superpowers.



Death At A Funeral
Copyright © 2010 Screen Gems (Sony)

A re-imagining of "Death at a Funeral," the 2007 MGM comedy directed by Frank Oz. The plan is to make an ensemble comedy about a funeral ceremony that leads to the digging up of shocking family secrets, as well as misplaced cadavers and indecent exposure. While the original was set in Britain, the new film will take place in an urban American setting.




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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Blu-ray 13th April Releases

Apollo 13 (15th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]

Universal Studios / 1995 / 140 Minutes / Rated PG
Street Date: April 13, 2010


Overall Grade 4.5 out of 5Highly recommended




Genres: Sci-fi, thriller

Starring: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, and Gary Sinise
Director: Werner Herzog

Plot Synopsis:

Nominated for nine Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, Apollo 13 blasts off onto Blu-ray™ Hi-Def for the first time ever with Blu-ray™ exclusive bonus features. Produced by Academy Award® winner Brian Grazer and directed by Oscar® winner Ron Howard, Apollo 13 stars two-time Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise and Ed Harris in the inspiring and riveting story of the real-life space flight that gripped a nation and changed the world.

Disc Features:

  • Commentaries by Ron Howard and Jim and Marilyn Lovell
  • Lost Moon: The Triumph of Apollo 13 (SD, 58 min) – This fantastic documentary has been carried over from the previous DVD release. Every person of the cast and crew is interviewed in depth about the project.

  • Conquering Space: The Moon and Beyond (SD, 48 min) – Carried over from the recent Anniversary DVD release, this documentary gives us some insights into the space race and why it was so vital at that time.
  • Lucky 13: The Astronauts' Story (SD, 12 min)

Back Catalogue/ Other Blu-ray Releases:
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Monday, April 12, 2010

Date and Titans Battle in Tight Race for #1

Television comics Steve Carell and Tina Fey scored a disputed win at the North American box office on Sunday, as "Date Night" narrowly beat last weekend's champion "Clash of the Titans."

The duo's romantic comedy earned $27.1 million during its first weekend, said its distributor 20th Century Fox, coming in at the high end of pundits' forecasts.

"Clash of the Titans" grossed $26.9 million, said Warner Bros. But the studio said it estimated a $26 million weekend for "Date Night." Two rival studios also gave the edge to "Clash," while another said the race was too close to call.

"It does seem a little bizarre that they squeezed it out," Warner Bros. domestic distribution president Dan Fellman said of Fox's estimate. Fox declined to respond.

A clear winner will emerge on Monday when the studios release final data for the Friday-to-Sunday weekend.

Box office estimates are based on executives poring through the history books to research the trajectories of similarly themed films at the same time of year. The Sunday component is particularly open to revision since the studios release their three-day estimates early in the day.

Either way, the sales for both films were at the high end of industry forecasts. Pundits had predicted "Date Night" would open in the $23-27 million range, with "Clash" seen earning about $25 million.

Internationally, it was no competition. "Clash" led the field for a second weekend with sales of $54 million from 31 countries, taking its total to $119.2 million.

The mythological epic opened at No. 1 in Russia, France and Germany, Warner Bros. said. "Date Night" earned a modest $7.1 million in 35 markets, led by a $2 million contribution from a No. 3 opening in Australia, Fox said.

'DATE NIGHT' EARNS $7.1 MILLION OVERSEAS

Carell ("The Office") and Fey ("30 Rock") star in "Date Night" as a suburban couple pursued by crooks in a case of mistaken identity. Shawn Levy ("Night at the Museum") directed the critically acclaimed film. Fox, a unit of News Corp, said the $55 million movie skewed to older couples.

"Clash of the Titans," the latest action film to jump on the lucrative 3D bandwagon in the wake of the success of "Avatar," has earned $110.5 million after its first 10 days. It lost 56 percent of its opening-weekend audience, a slightly smaller drop than pundits had forecast. Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc.

Former champion "How to Train Your Dragon" was a close No. 3 with $25.4 million, falling just 13 percent from last weekend. The DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc production has earned $133.9 million after three weekends.

Rounding out the top five were filmmaker Tyler Perry's sequel "Why Did I Get Married Too?" with $11 million, and the Miley Cyrus drama "The Last Song" with $10 million. Both in their second weekends, they have tallied $48.5 million and $42.4 million, respectively.

"Why Did I Get Married Too?" was released by Lionsgate, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. "The Last Song" was released by Walt Disney Pictures, a unit of Walt Disney Co. [Source from: reuters.com]

# Title Apr 9 - 11


Weeks
Cumulative Distributor










1 Date Night $ 27,100,000


1
$ 27,100,000 Fox
2 Clash of the Titans 26,875,000


2
110,468,000 Warner Bros.
3 How To Train Your Dragon 25,350,000


3
133,891,000 Paramount
4 Why Did I Get Married Too? 11,000,000


2
48,520,000 Lionsgate
5 The Last Song 10,018,000


2
42,441,000 Buena Vista
6 Alice in Wonderland 5,615,000


6
319,323,000 Buena Vista
7 Hot Tub Time Machine 5,430,000


3
36,969,000 MGM
8 The Bounty Hunter 4,300,000


4
56,001,000 Sony
9 Diary of a Wimpy Kid 4,100,000


4
53,757,000 Fox
10 Letters to God 1,250,000


1
1,250,000 Vivendi
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Friday, April 9, 2010

Date Night In Theaters This Week 9th April 2010


Date Night
Copyright © 2010 20th Century Fox

In New York City, a case of mistaken identity turns a bored married couple's attempt at a glamorous and romantic evening into something more thrilling and dangerous.








After Life
Copyright © 2010 Anchor Bay Films

After a horrific car accident, Anna (Christina Ricci) wakes up to find the local funeral director Eliot Deacon (Liam Neeson) preparing her body for her funeral. Confused, terrified and feeling still very much alive, Anna doesn’t believe she’s dead, despite the funeral director’s reassurances that she is merely in transition to the afterlife. Eliot convinces her he has the ability to communicate with the dead and is the only one who can help her. Trapped inside the funeral home, with nobody to turn to except Eliot, Anna is forced to face her deepest fears and accept her own death. But Anna’s grief—stricken boyfriend Paul (Justin Long) still can’t shake the nagging suspicion that Eliot isn’t what he appears to be. As the funeral nears, Paul gets closer to unlocking the disturbing truth, but it could be too late; Anna may have already begun to cross over the other side. With an unrelenting edge of menace, After.life is a stylish psychological thriller which provocatively questions the line between life and death.


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Thursday, April 8, 2010

Blu-ray 6th April Releases

The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Theatrical Editions) [Blu-ray]

Warner Home Video / 2001 / 550 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: April 06, 2010









Disc Features:
Disc 1 The Fellowship of the Ring Feature
Trailers: "The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest" Game Trailer, "The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy Supertrailer
Disc 2 Welcome to Middle-Earth: Houghton Mifflin In-Store Special
Quest for the Ring: FOX TV Special
A Passage to Middle-Earth: SCI-FI Channel Special
Finding Hobbiton
Hobbiton Comes Alive
Believing the World of Bree
Ringwraiths: The Fallen Kings
Rivendell: The Elven Refuge
Languages of Middle-Earth
Two Wizards
Music of Middle-Earth
Enya "May it Be" Music Video
Special Extended DVD Edition Preview
Behind the Scenes Preview of "The Two Towers"
Disc 3 The Two Towers Feature
Trailers; "The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest" Game Trailer, "The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy Supertrailer
Disc 4 On the Set "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" - Starz Encore Special
Return to Middle-Earth: WB Special
"The Long and Short of It" A Short Film Directed by Sean Astin
The Making of "The Long and Short of It"
Forces of Darkness
Designing the Sounds of Middle-Earth
Edoras: The Rohan Capital
Creatures of Middle-Earth
Gandalf the White
Arms and Armor
The Battle of Helm's Deep
Emiliana Torrini "Gollum's Song" Music Video
Special Extended DVD Edition Preview
Behind the Scenes Preview of "The Return of the King"
Disc 5 The Return of the King Feature
Trailers: "The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy Supertrailer, "The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest" Game Trailer
Disc 6 The Quest Fulfilled: A Director's Vision
A Filmaker's journey: Making "The Return of the King"
National Geographic Special - "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
Aragorn's Destiny, Minas Tirith: Captial of Gondor
The Battle of Pelennor Fields, Samwise the Brave
Eowyn: White Lady of Rohan, Digital Horse Doubles
Heart/Frodo, Every Path, Test, Aragorn, Time, Every Step, Sword, Decided
Special Extended DVD Edition Preview

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans [Blu-ray]

First Look Studios / 2009 / 121 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: April 06, 2010









Genres: Crime Drama

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Val Kilmer
Director: Werner Herzog

Plot Synopsis:

Terence McDonagh (Nicolas Cage), a homicide detective with the New Orleans Police Department, is promoted to Lieutenant after he saves a prisoner from drowning in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. However, during his heroic act, he severely injures his back and is put on prescription pain medication.

A year later, Terence—struggling with his addictions to sex, Vicodin and cocaine—finds himself in the battle to bring down drug dealer Big Fate, who is suspected of massacring an entire family of African immigrants.

Disc Features:

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Photography Book
Photos by Lena Herzog - with Commentary by Lena Herzog
Interviews with Cast and Crew
Director Werner Herzog, Eva Mendes
Alternate Trailer

Back Catalogue/ Other Blu-ray Releases:






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Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Titans Unbeateable At The Box Office


Proving it could attract big bucks from a 2D action film converted to 3D, Warner Bros. conquered the global box office with its epic remake Clash of the Titans which pulled in over $100M from theaters across the world powered by higher-priced tickets for the upgraded format. Audiences in North America had plenty of extra dollars to spare as Tyler Perry's latest hit Why Did I Get Married Too? and the new Miley Cyrus drama The Last Song both connected with their respective fan bases enjoying solid openings. Add in a strong second frame for the 3D toon How To Train Your Dragon and the box office shattered records to become the largest Easter weekend in history as well as the biggest frame ever in the month of April.

3D ruled once again as Clash of the Titans flexed major muscles with a $61.2M debut, according to final studio figures, making it the second highest opening weekend ever in April. The PG-13 film's total counting Thursday night's pre-midnight showtimes that began at 8pm reached an impressive $63.9M. The Greek mythology pic averaged a superb $16,213 from 3,777 theaters including 1,800 that offered 3D screens with added surcharges as high as $5 per ticket. Titans was intended to be a regular 2D release but was converted to 3D which opened the door to higher revenue potential. But with 3D films How to Train Your Dragon and Alice in Wonderland already on the calendar, Warner Bros. had to fight hard to secure 3D screens and even used analog equipment in order to lock in playdates.

Reviews were mostly negative with many critics highlighting how little of the film actually makes entertaining use of the extra-dimensional format. But the studio's marketing materials sold Clash as an epic event film and the 3D element certainly boosted interest in the short-term. Word-of-mouth from moviegoers will be the key to the film's future as marketing can only open the film. Buzz will have to carry it the rest of the way. Still, Clash powered its way to the second best April bow ever trailing only Fast & Furious which debuted to $71M this weekend a year ago which was not the Easter frame.

Overseas, the Perseus adventure collected an estimated $44.2M from 15 territories bringing its global bow to a massive $108M. 3D screens represented 30% of the venues but 55% of the gross. Titans was number one in all markets with several major countries still to open in the coming days like France, Germany, and Russia.

Tyler Perry scored the biggest non-Madea opening of his career with his first sequel Why Did I Get Married Too? which bowed to $29.3M from 2,155 theaters for a sensational $13,591 average. The PG-13 followup on the filmmaker's number one hit from 2007 reunited the cast including Perry and Janet Jackson and shifted the setting from a cold winter cabin to a tropical Bahamas resort. Too's opening was 37% bigger than the $21.4M bow of the first Married which was an October release. Perry's latest hit even came close to the $34.3M debut of last fall's mostly white couples-having-troubles comedy Couples Retreat despite playing in 845 fewer theaters.

Like all of Perry's films, the new Married skewed toward an audience of mature black women. Studio research showed that 80% of the crowd was female, 75% was over 25, and 80% was African American. The director consistently brings his fan base out to theaters with a new offering twice a year. His past eight films have averaged a domestic gross of $53M while being produced for budgets of under $16M. For the month of April, Too ranks as the seventh biggest opener ever and the largest for a film opening in less than 3,000 theaters. Next up for the movie mogul is directing a different writer's story with For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf featuring Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Whoopi Goldberg debuting over Martin Luther King weekend next January.

Following a not-so-ferocious opening, the DreamWorks 3D animated film How To Train Your Dragon took advantage of strong word-of-mouth to enjoy the smallest decline in the top ten dipping only 34% to $29M. All others fell by more than 40%. The PG-rated film boosted its total to an encouraging $92.1M after ten days in theaters and is well-positioned to fly much higher in the weeks ahead. Compared to last spring's 3D offering from DreamWorks Monsters vs. Aliens, Dragon opened 26% behind but after ten days the cume is now trailing by just 12%. And with virtually zero competition for young kids from April's new releases, the Paramount release will easily outgross other non-sequel 3D kidpics like A Christmas Carol, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and G-Force. The final domestic gross for the $165M production could reach $175-185M with overseas markets kicking in an even greater tally.

Miley Cyrus took an important step in her career proving she can pull in business even when not playing Hannah Montana. The teen queen's new romance The Last Song debuted to $16M over three days and $25.4M across its five-day Wednesday-to-Sunday debut period. Disney launched the film mid-week since much of the target audience of young girls was available thanks to spring school closings and the Good Friday holiday. Playing in 2,673 locations, the PG-rated pic averaged a solid $5,989 over three days and $9,501 over five days. Song, like most movies based on books by popular author Nicholas Sparks, was slammed by critics.

Disney's 3D smash Alice in Wonderland followed with $8.2M boosting the total to a stunning $309.7M. With two newer 3D films now in wide release, the Johnny Depp vehicle suffered the worst decline of its run tumbling 54%. But Alice climbed up to number 28 on the list of all-time domestic blockbusters surpassing the $309.4M of 2007's Disney-Depp project Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. A final tally of roughly $325M seems likely for Tim Burton's latest venture.

The R-rated comedy Hot Tub Time Machine held up reasonably well in its second weekend dropping 42% to $8.1M. MGM has grossed a lukewarm $27.9M in ten days and should finish with $40-45M. Sony's The Bounty Hunter dropped 49% to $6.1M raising the cume for the Jennifer Aniston-Gerard Butler action comedy to a solid $48.9M. The middle school comedy Diary of a Wimpy Kid took in $5.3M, off 48%, giving Fox $46M to date.

# Title Apr 2 - 4


Weeks
Cumulative Distributor










1 Clash of the Titans $ 61,235,105


1
$ 63,890,110 Warner Bros.
2 Why Did I Get Married Too? 29,289,537


1
29,289,537 Lionsgate
3 How To Train Your Dragon 29,010,044


2
92,135,916 Paramount
4 The Last Song 16,007,426


1
25,395,041 Buena Vista
5 Alice in Wonderland 8,208,060


5
309,733,753 Buena Vista
6 Hot Tub Time Machine 8,070,716


2
27,910,213 MGM
7 The Bounty Hunter 6,091,907


3
48,853,453 Sony
8 Diary of a Wimpy Kid 5,302,369


3
46,013,347 Fox
9 She's Out of My League 1,516,952


4
28,712,974 Paramount
10 Shutter Island 1,488,403


7
123,440,937 Paramount










11 Green Zone 1,248,395


4
33,118,420 Universal
12 The Ghost Writer 1,127,697


7
11,016,593 Summit
13 Avatar 980,239


16
742,332,678 Fox
14 Our Family Wedding 826,067


4
18,602,225 Fox Searchlight
15 Greenberg 725,294


3
2,293,918 Focus
16 Repo Men 576,180


3
13,156,255 Universal
17 Chloe 512,871


2
1,797,090 Sony Classics
18 Remember Me 482,428


4
18,242,661 Summit
19 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo 455,977


3
1,438,838 Music Box
20 Hubble 3D IMAX 436,714


3
1,968,671 Warner Bros.
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Saturday, March 27, 2010

How To Train Your Dragon In Theaters This Week 26th March 2010

'How To Train Your Dragon' - targeting kids and family, Hot Tub Time Machine - targeting at party loving adults release this week. Both of it are trying their luck to knock down Mad Hatter from the #1 spot in this pre-summer race.
How To Train Your Dragon
Copyright © 2010 Dreamworks Animation

Meet Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, heir of the Viking chiefdom, but a boy with one very big problem: a hero he is not. "How to Train Your Dragon' is the riotous story of Hiccup's quest to hunt down the fiercest dragon, bring it into submission, and-hopefully-pass his initiation. Instead, he ends up with the smallest, most ornery dragon-it's even toothless! Thus begins the hijinx of the world's most lovable, unlikely hero and a most reluctant "beast." Packed with energetic drawings and plenty of action, this boisterous tale is just right for fantasy fans or anyone with a spirit of adventure. Based on the book by Cressida Cowell



Hot Tub Time Machine
Copyright © 2010 MGM Pictures

"Hot Tub Time Machine" follows a group of guys, adults who used to be cads back in their heyday, who, after a night of vodka and Red Bulls in a hot tub, travel back in time and set out to rediscover their "mojo."






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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Blu-ray 23rd March Releases

The Blind Side (Limited-Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

Warner Brothers / 2009 / 128 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: March 23, 2010

Overall Grade 4 out of 5Recommended






Genres: Drama, based on true event

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates, and Quinton Aaron
Director: John Lee Hancock

Plot Synopsis: The Blind Side takes the true story of a young man who went from abandonment to success as a pro-football player and treats it with respect. The movie doesn't oversell what is, on the face of it, already compelling. It's almost impossible to describe the plot without sounding painfully inspirational: Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron, Be Kind Rewind), a hulking but gentle African-American teen in Tennessee, gets taken in by a well-to-do white family; the mother, Leigh Anne Touhy (Sandra Bullock), pushes and mothers the boy, who eventually wins a football scholarship to the University of Mississippi. In the wrong hands, this could have been maudlin, manipulative, and condescending. To the credit of writer-director John Lee Hancock, adapting Michael Lewis's acclaimed book, the result is intelligent, genuine, and alternately funny and moving. Leigh Anne could easily have been grandstanding and virtuous, but Bullock doesn't shy away from her vain and domineering side. The football scenes will be gripping even to non-sports fans because they've been so successfully grounded in Michael's emotional life. The all-around solid cast includes country music star Tim McGraw, pint-sized Jae Head (Hancock), and Kathy Bates as the tutor who guided Michael's academic success. Don't be surprised if you can't keep yourself from watching all the real-life photos of Michael, Leigh Anne, and the rest of the family that are featured in the credits; by the end of the movie, you will care about them all.

Disc Features:
Michael Oher exclusive: rare interview with the pro footballer whose life the film depicts
Sidelines: Conversations on The Blind Side:
-Sandra Bullock and Leigh Anne Tuohy go one-on-one
-Director/screenwriter John Lee Hancock and author Michael Lewis go one-on-one
Acting Coaches: Behind The Blind Side: Six legendary SEC college football coaches come together
The Story of Big Quinton: Actor Quinton Aaron's life story
Additional scenes

The Men Who Stare At Goats [Blu-ray]

Starz/Anchor Bay / 2009 / 94 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: March 23, 2010







Genres: Drama, comedy

Starring: George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Bridges
Director: Steven Soderbergh

Plot Synopsis: In this comedic look at real life events that are almost too bizarre to believe, reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) discovers an experimental top-secret wing of the U.S. military called The New Earth Army, trained to change the ways wars are fought through New Age psychic power. In search of his next big story, Wilton tracks down Lyn Cassady (Academy Award® winner George Clooney), a shadowy figure who claims to be a member of this legion of “Warrior Monks” with unparalleled psychic powers who can read the enemy’s thoughts, pass through walls, and even kill a goat simply by staring at.....

Disc Features:
  • Goats Declassified: The Real Men of the First Earth Battalion
  • Project “Hollywood”: A Classified Report from the Set
  • Audio Commentaries
  • Character Bios
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Digital Copy of the Film
Brothers [Blu-ray]

Lionsgate / 2009 / 105 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: March 23, 2010

Overall Grade 4 out of 5Highly recommended







Genres: Drama, thriller

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire
Director: Jim Sheridan

Plot Synopsis: Captain Sam Cahill (Maguire) is embarking on his fourth tour of duty, leaving behind his beloved wife (Portman) and two daughters. When Sam’s Blackhawk helicopter is shot down in the mountains of Afghanistan, the worst is presumed, leaving an enormous void in the family. Despite a dark history, Sam’s charismatic younger brother Tommy (Gyllenhaal) steps in to fill the family void.

Back Catalogue/ Other Blu-ray Releases:






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