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Box Office: ‘The Blind Side’ Almost Topples ‘New Moon’

Posted on November 30, 2009

The Blind Side posterThis week we will be looking at the weekend box office as well as the 5-day holiday, which includes totals for Wednesday through Sunday. There were some interesting developments regarding the international box office scene as well, so this will be a jumbo sized report. New releases barely made a blip, it was the holdovers that led this weekend to the highest grossing Thanksgiving weekend ever.

The Twilight Saga:  New Moon continued to dominate on the domestic and international side. Playing on over 4,000 screens, it grossed $42.5 Million domestically. Over the five day stretch, it grossed $66 Million. No matter your thoughts on the movie, you have to admit we are witnessing a cultural phenomenon unfold in real-time.  Its domestic cumulative take for 10 days now stands at $230.7 Million.

Nipping at the heels of New Moon was The Blind Side. The movie grossed $40.1 Million for the weekend, and $57.5 Million for the five day, with that weekend total being higher than its opening weekend total of $34 Million. Wide releases rarely see an increase in ticket sales from one weekend to the next so this is unusual. This movie is getting exceptionally positive word of mouth, which is bringing more people into the theaters — a topic we discussed on the most recent edition of The Flickcast podcast.

The Blind Side drove over the $100 Million mark as well. Not too shabby for a family friendly film made for around $30 Million. I’m also starting to hear the “O” word casually mentioned regarding this film, as in Oscar. Sandra Bullock seems to be edging her way into consideration for best actress.

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MGM Celebrates 85 Years With Digital Downloads of Classic Films

Posted on November 30, 2009

mgm-85-logoTo celebrate its 85 year history of films and filmmakers, MGM has teemed with Warner Bros. to make it even easier to watch many of its classics without even having to head to your local video store or get the titles via a service such as Netflix. Instead, they will begin offering 100 of their classic films online for On Demand and Digital Download.

Some of these classic titles include The Wizard of OZ, Singin’ In The Rain, Gone With The Wind, and other favorites such as Poltergeist, North By Northwest, 2001: A Space Odyssey and more. If you’ve never seen these classic films this is yet another way to get a chance to experience them.

Many of these are essential viewing for anyone who wants to understand the magic and power of movies. Plus, its a great way to get some entertainment without having to do much except click your mouse a few times. Then, just sit back, relax and enjoy some great movies.

For more, check out all the info and the official site or visit the MGM 85 store on iTunes. Finally, be sure take a look at what the pros call a “sizzle reel” highlighting this event and the films after the jump.

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Benjamin Bratt Talks ‘Law and Order’ Return

Posted on November 30, 2009

benjamin brattSometimes when actors leave a popular television show they go on to careers in the movies and become even more successful. George Clooney, who got his start on TV would be a good example of that. Of course, sometimes the opposite happens and they try movies and it doesn’t go so well. David Caruso, I’m talking to you. Of course, it may also be the case that they just miss their friends and colleagues from a particular show and want to come back.

We don’t really know the reason but Benjamin Bratt is heading back to Law and Order to help commemorate the show’s 20th season — and we’ve got video where he discusses it to share with you today. Bratt, who played Detective Rey Curtis on the NBC series from 1995-99, will reprise his role in an episode set for later this season. The episode will feature him reuniting with his former boss, Lt. Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson).

NBC hasn’t set an airdate for the episode yet. In the meantime, check out the interview after the jump.

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‘Superman’ Continues to Face Legal Kryptonite

Posted on November 27, 2009

Lex with KryptoniteThe Superman franchise continues to struggle as more details emerge from Warner Brothers.  In short, Warner Brothers still isn’t doing anything with the project. According to Warner Brothers insiders:

“The studio is still seeking the right direction. No writers are working on a Superman script. ‘We’re working on a strategy for DC,’ says one Warners exec. ‘Superman is the trickiest one to figure out.’ “

Still “seeking the right direction”? No writers? Tricky to figure out? How “tricky” can this be?  You only have several movies and hundreds of comics to draw inspiration from. Get it together Warner Brothers.

Now, there is the legal matter to deal with which is rather tricky. I can appreciate the fact WB wants these legalities with the Siegel Estate put to rest but seriously, get moving. Providing some indication that you’re actively developing a new movie could certainly help your case instead of simply squandering time.

Sadly, the only direction left for this property is the dreaded “r” word-reboot. Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns hardly met the studios expectations (but I for one liked it).  Having made $391 million worldwide it cost $232 million to make. Do the math and you can’t even compare that film to something like Christopher Nolan‘s billion dollar Batman movie, The Dark Knight.

As we’ve noted on The Flickcast before the Siegel family will reclaim the Superman rights in 2013.  That means at a minimum film production has to start by 2011 (and that’s pushing it). The clock is ticking. Time to start moving faster than a speeding bullet Warner Brothers.

New ‘Chuck Season’ 3 Preview Video Features Epic Kung-Fu Fighting!

Posted on November 27, 2009

chuck-newEarlier this week we showed you some new promos for Chuck, which will be starting its third season in early 2010. As Turkey Day is now here we also bring you a brand new behind the scenes look at the new season to feast upon, featuring Chuck’s escapades as he dances, judo chops, and sings his way to keeping the Intersect safe.

Season 2 of Chuck ended on a huge cliffhanger, so it’s very exciting to have it renewed. However, NBC has decided to only order 19 episodes due to low ratings last year. We can only hope it won’t follow in the footsteps of Dollhouse, another small but favorite that was recently canceled.

Chuck will begin its next season on January 10 with two back to back episodes. Proceed with caution, as if you haven’t finished the last season of Chuck, this video will contain massive spoilers! You can watch it after the jump.

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Does ‘The Avengers’ Have its Hawkeye?

Posted on November 27, 2009

Renner and HawkeyeAs casting news about the upcoming Thor film continues to heat up there’s a little film called The Avengers we’re all really interested in too. The comic book mega-film will bring together some of the biggest Marvel heroes ever.  So, it comes with some excitement to be reporting on potential casting news for The Avengers.

Word is Jeremy Renner, star of war drama The Hurt Locker, may be set to play bow and arrow hero, Hawkeye.  When asked about the role, Renner said:

“Hawkeye could be interesting. They’re going to send me some stuff on it, see what it is. But I think they’re pretty awesome, trying to make superhero movies almost plausible and not just some fantasy thing.”

The simple fact that Renner is being sent “stuff” bodes well for his inclusion in the film.  Another advantage is that Renner has a cameo in Thor which means he’s already on the Marvel bandwagon.  While I can’t imagine Hawkeye having a huge role in The Avengers it’s great to find out Marvel recruiting top talent to fill the hero roster.

The Avengers is set to hit theaters on May 4, 2012.

The Pull List Comic Reviews: ‘Blackest Night’, ‘Powers’, ‘Archie’ & More!

Posted on November 26, 2009

Welcome to another edition of The Pull List Comic Reviews! This week, the Blackest Night event takes center stage, Bendis and Oeming make a triumphant comeback and Archie gets married (again). As always, WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD.

PULL OF THE WEEK:

blackest-night-5-coverBlackest Night #5 [of 8]
DC Comics – $3.99 US
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ivan Reis
Score: 9.0

The mastermind behind the dead rising stands revealed as the Blackest Night prophecy inches towards becoming true, but will the unified heroes of the world have enough to stop it? Not if a late dinner guest bearing gifts has anything to say about it.

Geoff Johns welcomes you all to hell. How could he not? In the thirty plus years that I’ve been reading comics, I can’t remember a time when things looked so grim in a story thanks to this issue. The big guns of the Justice League arrive in time to assist the Flashes – Barry Allen and Wally West – in confronting Nekron as the Black Lanterns’ power battery reaches full charge. Fast forward to the end of the issue and only two heroes remain standing while the rest are chomping at the bit, dying to feast on some good, old fashioned heart muscle. And this is only the fifth issue in an eight-issue series?!? Wow.

Johns, along with artist Ivan Reis, are obviously toying with us and giggling madly along the way. The re-emergence of “Bruce Wayne” – his name was in quotations in the issue as well – signaled that the next phase was about to begin, but what he did to heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, etc I don’t think anyone saw coming, characters and readers alike. The sixth issue cannot get here fast enough, if you ask me.

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Holiday Gift Ideas: What To Grab on Black Friday

Posted on November 26, 2009

Screen shot 2009-11-26 at 3.10.38 AMWhile most folks like to sleep in after consuming mass quantities of tryptophan and sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving day, some crazies (myself included) are up at the crack of dawn the next day, waiting in line at the local electronics and DVD store to fight the masses and get the best deals.

Luckily, with the invention of the Internet comes some sly dogs who have posted most of the great Black Friday deals online, mere days before the epic sales. Thanks to sites like BlackFriday.info and GottaDeal.com, we can now sit back in the luxury of our homes to check out some of the great deals we plan on taking advantage of this Friday.

Of the many, many deals going on that day, we’ve decided to break down a few of our favorite picks for the holiday sale, just for you, our loyal readers. One of the best picks, by far, is Best Buy’s Samsung Blu-Ray Player with Netflix and Pandora support for $149.99. If you’re looking to finally upgrade to Blu-ray, that would be the machine to start with.

Once you’ve got the Blu-ray player out of the way, why not grab some good Blu-ray discs? If you don’t want to leave the house, Amazon has got some great deals including Chuck: The Complete First Season for $20.99, the Batman Anthology for $51.99, and even Ocean’s Eleven and Twelve for $9.99.

Switching over to video games, Best Buy seems to have some of the better deals (even the “best”), but only if you’re able to get to the store before noon on Friday. You can pick up Brutal Legend, Left 4 Dead 2, and Dragon Age for the Next Gen systems for only $34.99.

These are just some of the great deals going on Friday, and we hope you’re able to get out to the stores (or not) and take advantage of some of these great sales. Happy Thanksgiving!

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