Jacob Hall
Weekend Box Office Report: ‘The LEGO Movie’ Constructs a Big Opening
And here we are: five weeks into the new year and we already have our first major blockbuster of 2014. Early estimates had 'The LEGO Movie' opening big, but the animated adventure shattered all expectations this weekend, with universally positive reviews and word of mouth sending the film to a massive opening.
Weekend Box Office Report: ‘Ride Along’ Drives Away With the Weekend
In the first truly busy weekend for new releases in 2014, Ice Cube and Kevin Hart took the competition, bent them over the knee and gave them a good spanking. Okay, you probably didn't want the image of those two spanking animated squirrels, demonic babies or Chris Pine in your head, but how else are we going to talk about the opening weekend for 'Ride Along'?
Weekend Box Office Report: ‘Lone Survivor’ is the Weekend’s Lone Victor
New releases have a habit of floundering in January, which tends to be one of Hollywood's biggest dumping grounds. Even this year's big January horror release, which is commonly a sure thing, floundered. What does tend to do well are the prestige pictures that opened late in the previous year (often in limited release) and finally expand in the new year, riding awards momentum to solid box office.
Weekend Box Office Report
Over the past few years, the 'Paranormal Activity' series has established itself as one of the most inexpensive and reliable horror franchises around. Produced for (non-literal) pennies, they've consistently opened strong at the box office, ensuring a fast and efficient turnaround. The latest film, 'Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones,' has already accomplished that goal, but it did so without gr
Weekend Box Office Report: ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ and More Battle It Out
Although you'd think people would spend the holidays in their homes catching up with their families and what-not, they actually tend to go to the movies after opening gifts and having awkward conversations. And Christmas Day moviegoers had a bunch of options this week, with recent releases (and not-so-recent releases) still going strong and a whole bunch of new releases arriving to coincide with t
Hobbit Rules Box Office
If it's set in Middle Earth, it's going to open at number one. That's common knowledge. The big question is always how big or how small it's going to open at number one. 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' did open at number one this weekend, but it's a number that's going to feel controversial for people who like to bicker about box office numbers. Is it good? Is it bad? Is it disappointing? Ho
‘SNL': John Goodman, Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone are the Three Wise Guys
It’s not every day that an actor of John Goodman’s caliber hosts ‘SNL,’ but whatever the odds, it’s not nearly as uncommon as him being joined by Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro for a holiday-themed sketch that sees the three silver screen icons re-imagined as tough-talking guys on the way to visit the baby Jesus. Yep, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas …
Weekend Box Office Report: ‘Frozen’ Heats Up, ‘Catching Fire’ Cools Down and ‘Out of the Furnace’ Freezes
The weekend following a major holiday is always a little slow. The boost from vacationing moviegoers is gone, so everyone tends to take a major dip. Some films end up okay. Some die on the vine. This weekend saw two films weather the storm perfectly fine and one new release collapse on the starting line.
‘Fight Club 2′ Is on the Way…in Comic Book Form
Since its 1999 release, David Fincher's 'Fight Club' has gone from box office disappointment to one of the most influential films in recent memory. When the film first achieved its cult sensation status, you just know that conversations were held about crafting a sequel. Now 'Fight Club 2' finally is coming, but it's coming from author Chuck Palahniuk who wrote the original novel, and, surprisingl