MovieGoods Blog

Movie Box Office: March 28 - March 30, 2008

The 2008 weekend box office receipts continued to stumble, as the theaters saw their lowest attendance in nine years. Of the four new releases, there was only one clear winner, as the blackjack crime caper, "21" managed to score first place with a solid $23.7 million. Sony's marketing campaign targeted a younger crowd than the usual heist movie audience, and the numbers reflected it with the demographics showing 53 percent male and under 25 years old.

Although "Superhero Movie" managed a third place finish with $9.5 million, the spoof parody movie only did half the business of the similar genre movie "Meet the Spartans" from two months ago.

The other two new release floundered, as the war drama "Stop-Loss" pulled in just $4.5 million at 1,291 theaters. And Simon Pegg tripped with the comedy "Run, Fat Boy, Run" with a thirteenth place finish with just around $2.4 million in receipts.

Last weekend's full top 10 was as follows:
1. 21 - $23.7 M
2. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! - $17.4 M
3. Superhero Movie - $9.5 M
4. Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns - $7.8 M
5. Drillbit Taylor - $5.8 M
6. Shutter - $5.3 M
7. 10,000 B.C. - $4.9 M
8. Stop-Loss - $4.5 M
9. College Road Trip - $3.5 M
10. The Bank Job - $2.8 M

Street Kings Movie Poster

"Street Kings" opens in theaters on April 11, 2008 from Fox Searchlight Pictures. Directed by David Ayer ("Harsh Times"), it's a crime drama starring Keanu Reeves as a veteran LAPD Vice Detective who is on a quest to discover the killers of his former partner, Detective Terrance Washington (Terry Crews).

Also starring is Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie and Chris Evans.

Buy a Street Kings Movie Poster here.

88 Minutes Movie Poster

Hoo-hah! Al Pacino's latest action thriller is coming to theaters on April 18th, 2008. Pacino stars as forensic expert who receives death threat claiming he has only 88 minutes to live. Can he figure out who the killer is before time runs out? The suspects include a disgruntled student, a jilted former lover, and a serial killer who is already on death row. Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski and Benjamin McKenzie also star.

Buy a 88 Minutes Movie Poster here

Opening This Weekend: March 28 - March 30, 2008

Opening in theaters this weekend is the crime caper "21" which is based on the true story of how a group of gifted MIT students learned how to turn blackjack odds to their favor, and took Vegas for millions. Released by Columbia Pictures (Sony), it stars Jim+Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne and Kevin+Spacey.

"Run, Fat Boy, Run" is a new comedy starring Simon Pegg ("Shaun of the Dead") and directed by David Schwimmer. Pegg plays an overweight guy who must complete a marathon in order to prove to his true love that he is the right man for her.

In "Stop-Loss", Ryan Phillippe is a soldier who comes home from Iraq, but refuses to return for another tour when he is recalled back to battle.

And "Superhero Movie" is another of those comedy/parody movies from the creators of "The Naked Gun" and "Scary Movie", and starring Leslie Nielsen, Pamela Anderson and Brent Spiner.

Buy 21 posters and memorabilia here >>
Buy Run, Fat Boy, Run posters and memorabilia here >>
Buy Stop-Loss posters and memorabilia here >>
Buy Superhero Movie posters and memorabilia here >>

Quantum of Solace Movie Poster: Bond is Back

Quantum of Solace is the newest James Bond flick opening later this year on November 7, 2008 from Columbia Pictures (Sony)and MGM. Daniel Craig returns as the blonde Bond, as the action continues on from 2006's "Casino Royale".

Betrayed by Vesper (Eva Green), the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. He allies with old friends in a battle to uncover the truth behind the blackmailing of Vesper, and as he gets closer to finding the man responsible, 007 must keep one step ahead of the CIA, the terrorists and even M (Judi Dench), to unravel the sinister plan.

Buy a Quantum of Solace Movie Poster here

Movie Box Office: March 21 - March 23, 2008

Moviegoers were still listening as"Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" remained at the top of the box office with just over $25 million.  Featuring the voice talents of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, the movie has now raised its 10-day total to almost $86 million.

Tyler Perry scored with another winner with "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns" opening in second place with around $20 million.  The comedy drama had a per theatre average of almost $10,000 in this tale of a single mom who connects with previously unknown relatives at her father's funeral.  Perry has a built in fan base that has kept his streak going, which include past hits like "Madea's Family Reunion" and "Why Did I Get Married?".

Two other new movies opened in third and fourth place respectively, as the horror thriller "Shutter" pulled in $10.7 million, and the Owen Wilson comedy "Drillbit Taylor" managed just over $10 million.

"Under the Same Moon" was a surprise hit, opening at 266 theatres in tenth place, for a per theatre average of $9,781. With Ugly Betty's America Ferrera in the cast, it was a record opening weekend for a Spanish-language film.

Last weekend's full top 10 was as follows:
1. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! - $25.1 M
2. Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns - $20 M
3. Shutter - $10.7 M
4. Drillbit Taylor - $10.2 M
5. 10,000 B.C. - $8.6 M
6. Never Back Down - $4.9 M
7. College Road Trip - $4.6 M
8. The Bank Job - $4.1 M
9. Vantage Point - $3.8 M
10. Under the Same Moon - $2.6 M

Movie Box Office: March 14 – March 16, 2008

Horton was heard last weekend at the box office, and managed to improve the box office returns which were on a downward spiral for the past few weeks. With the biggest opening this year in both ticket sales and the number of screens it was shown on, "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!" captured just over $45 million. From Blue Sky Studios, the makers of "Ice Age", "Ice Age: The Meltdown" and "Robots", the computer-animated comedy had an above average start, but surprisingly exit polls showed that families made up only 53 percent of the audience, a low number for this type of film.

"Never Back Down", a teen drama marketed with a flashy hip hop feel opened with a passable $8.6 million - good enough for third place this week, while the apocalyptic "Doomsday" fizzled with just $4.9 million.

Last weekend's full top 10 was as follows:
1. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! - $45.0 M
2. 10,000 B.C. - $16.8 M
3. Never Back Down - $8.6 M
4. College Road Trip - $7.8 M
5. Vantage Point - $5.5 M
6. The Bank Job - $5.0 M
7. Doomsday - $4.9 M
8. Semi-Pro - $3.0 M
9. The Other Boleyn Girl - $2.9 M
10. The Spiderwick Chronicles - $2.3 M

Movie Box Office: March 7 – March 9, 2008

The slide at the box office continued last weekend, with the lowest attendance for an early March in 17 years. The prehistoric action adventure "10,000 B.C." logged a solid $35 million on 5,100 screens. Warner Brothers marketed it in a similar way to last years successful launch of "300", but ended up with only half the ticket sales.

The family comedy "College Road Trip" from Disney and starring Martin Lawrence didn't have a strong opening by Disney standards, but with over $13 million was good enough for second place in a weak top ten list.

The other new release to crack the top ten was the heist movie, "The Bank Job", starring Jason Statham which ended up in fourth place with $5.9 million.

Last weekend's full top 10 was as follows:
1. 10,000 B.C. - $35.9 M
2. College Road Trip - $13.6 M
3. Vantage Point - $7.4 M
4. The Bank Job - $5.9 M
5. Semi-Pro - $5.8 M
6. The Spiderwick Chronicles - $4.7 M
7. The Other Boleyn Girl - $4.0 M
8. Jumper - $3.7 M
9. Step Up 2 the Streets - $3.1 M
10. Fool's Gold - $2.8 M

Chicago 10 Movie Poster

The U.S. was polarized 40 years ago, when the Chicago Police department repeatedly clashed with protestors during the 1968 Democratic Convention. The week long event turned into riots that were witnessed live by a television audience of over 50 million. Ultimately, the government, eager to find a scapegoat, charged and held eight of the most vocal activists and brough them to trial a year later.

The "Chicago 10" is a modern documentary that details the events - mixing archival footage, original animation and voiceovers to present the history in an unique and visual way.

Three of the defendants were Abbie Hoffman (voiced by Hank Azaria), Jerry Rubin (Mark Ruffalo) and David Dellinger (Dylan Baker). Seven of the defendants were represented by Leonard Weinglass and famed liberal attorney William Kunstler (Liev Schreiber), who went head-to-head with prosecution attorney Thomas Foran (Nick Nolte). The eighth defendant, Bobby Seale (Jeffrey Wright), co-chair of the Black Panther Party, insisted on defending himself and was bound, gagged and handcuffed to his chair by Judge Julius Hoffman (Roy Scheider).

Directed and written by Brent Morgen, Chicago 10 had a limited release on February 29, 2008 from Roadside Attractions.

Buy a Chicago 10 Movie Poster here

New Movies: March 7 - March 9, 2008

"10,000 B.C." will probably top the weekend box office, but some of the early reviews aren't that positive. The action adventure is an epic tale of early man, following the adventures of a young hunter from a primitive tribe and his journey through uncharted territory to secure the future of his tribe.  It stars Steven Strait, Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis, Omar Shariff and Timothy Barlow.

Also opening is the crime thriller, "The Bank Job" with Jason Statham leading a bank heist crew targeting a room full of safety deposit boxes worth millions in cash and jewelry, but which also contain a treasure trove of dirty secrets.

Martin Lawrence is back with a new comedy, "College Road Trip" playing an overprotective father who insists on escorting his daughter on a road trip to prospective colleges.  It should make the teens happy as it co-stars favorite actress Raven.

Opening in limited release is the drama "Snow Angels" starring Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell. They are cast as a separated couple in an intertwining story of love lost and found in a small town.

Buy 10,000 B.C. posters and memorabilia here >>
Buy College Road Trip posters and memorabilia here >>
Buy Snow Angels posters and memorabilia here >>
Buy The Bank Job posters and memorabilia here >>