Month: March 2014

Categories
Movies

Nope, no movies for me again this weekend…even though there are films out there that I actually want to see.

Box office report: ‘Noah’ wreaks Old Testament havoc on its competitors

Russell Crowe’s grungy beard — presumably as well as other elements of Noah – drew in $44 million this weekend, perching it atop a Mount Ararat of box office receipts with a moderately impressive sum by any measurement (including cubits). Darren Aronofsky’s Biblical bonanza took the No. 1 spot, knocking all the films from last week’s Top 5 down one slot. The theologically loose adaptation fared better than the last time Crowe went gallivanting around in a tunic, in 2010′s Robin Hood. (That period epic only made $36 million in its first weekend.) However, there wasn’t exactly a rainbow at the end of the storm, considering audiences gave Noah a “C” CinemaScore rating.

The Divergent Games: City of Bones — er, Divergent – couldn’t quite muster enough YA fandom or non-reader interest to push its to-date take over the $100 million mark. The fantasy drama sits comfortably in a distant second with $26.5 million for the weekend, making for a grand total of $95.3 million. With a reported budget of $85 million, this certainly isn’t a dystopian scenario for the proposed trilogy, but it is less than half of what both films in The Hunger Games series had made by the end of their second weekends.

In third place, Muppets Most Wanted slipped only 33 percent from its opening weekend to $11.4 million, bringing its total up to $33.2 million. The film — a sequel to the 2011 reboot of the beloved Jim Henson characters — isn’t performing quite as strongly as its predecessor, but as Kermit knows, it ain’t easy making green. The other family-friendly film on offer, DreamWorks Animation’s Mr. Peabody and Sherman, followed up in fourth with $9.5 million.

Putting Judeo-Christian-based films both on the top and bottom of this weekend’s Top 5, the pro-deity tract God’s Not Dead found an additional $9.1 million in the collection plate this Sunday, bringing it to more than $22 million all together. Ah-nold’s drug bust thriller Sabotage, on the other hand, seems to have been forsaken, belly-flopping into seventh place with only $5.3 million — pretty dismal for a movie with so much supposed star power.

Here’s the Top 5:
1) Noah – $44 million
2) Divergent – $26.5 million
3) Muppets Most Wanted – $11.4 million
4) Mr. Peabody and Sherman – $9.5 million
5) God’s Not Dead – $9.1 million

Categories
The Couch Potato Report

It’s cold again, so warm yourself with FROZEN!!

The Couch Potato Report – March 22nd, 2014

Too often kid’s movies come out that the young ones watch repeatedly for days and at a time, that offer little to no entertainment value for adults. But every once in a while, one comes out that is good for the whole family. An animated film that everyone can watch, repeatedly.

This week is one of those once in a whiles as the Academy Award winning Best Animated Feature FROZEN is now available to watch at home.

Believe it or not, with their decades of groundbreaking animation history, prior to FROZEN winning Best Animated Feature at this year’s Oscars, Walt Disney’s Animation Studios had never won that award.

Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen, and featuring the voices of Kristen Bell from VERONICA MARS, Idina Menzel from WICKED and ENCHANTED, and Josh Gad of THE BOOK OF MORMON, FROZEN is about young princess Ana who must try and convince her estranged sister, Queen Elsa, to reverse the spell she has unleashed that turned their kingdom to eternal winter.

There is so much to love about FROZEN, but the two main things I enjoyed the most were the songs, including the Academy Award winning song LET IT GO.

And the other thing I really enjoyed about FROZEN was snowman sidekick Olaf, who loves warm hugs and can’t wait to experience his first Summer.

FROZEN is fun for the whole family and I can highly recommend it both for one viewing, and one hundred, on repeat.

Even the special features are fun!!

No, prior to winning the Oscar for FROZEN, Disney had never won the Best Animated Feature trophy. But the studio has won Academy Awards over the years, many of them, including five in 1965 for MARY POPPINS. This film about a magic nanny who goes to work for a cold banker’s unhappy family is a true classic.

The film made about the making of MARY POPPINS may not be a classic itself, and it may not all be true, but it is pretty good.

This is SAVING MR. BANKS.

This story about the making of MARY POPPINS, featuring the man the studio is named after, was made by the Walt Disney studio, so you know that it isn’t overly critical. Instead it offers up the story of how Disney convinced the reluctant author of the books to give him the rights with plenty of sweetness and sugar.

And as we learned from Mary Poppins herself, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.

The cast of SAVING MR. BANKS is what ultimately saves the film from just being a Disney story about a Disney story. Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks and especially Paul Giamatti are all great and while the film itself is not great, I still enjoyed it and can recommend it.

The first time I saw director David O. Russell’s AMERICAN HUSTLE, I said to the friends I was with that I knew I would really enjoy it the second time.

Between the weight that came with it as Russell’s follow up to Academy Award winning films THE FIGHTER and SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, and the all-star cast, my expectations were so high the first time that it couldn’t have met them.

But that second time, that second time I loved AMERICAN HUSTLE!!

Christian Bale and Amy Adams are con artists who are forced by an FBI agent – played by Bradley Cooper – to set up an elaborate sting operation on corrupt politicians, including the mayor of Camden, New Jersey, who Jeremy Renner from THE AVENGERS brings to life. Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence plays the blunt, very unpredictable wife of Bale’s character.

AMERICAN HUSTLE is smart and funny and interesting and one that you shouldn’t miss…and if you don’t like it the first time, come back to it and give it a second shot. THat second time around is what counts with this one.

“Long Walk to Freedom” is the name of Nelson Mandela’s autobiography. First published in 1995, it profiles his early life, coming of age, education and the 27 years he spent in prison.

Under the apartheid government, Mandela was regarded as a terrorist and jailed on the infamous Robben Island for his role as a leader of the then-outlawed African National Congress.

Upon his release he achieved international recognition for his leadership as president in rebuilding the country’s once segregated society.

The last chapters of the book describe his political ascension, and his belief that the struggle continues against apartheid in South Africa.

The book is 656 pages long, so it has the room to cover his whole life. The movie based on the book – MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM – tries to do the same, cover his whole life, but movie scripts are usually about 100-120 pages so it has to leave a lot out, and it should have left a lot more out, because some of what it covers, happens way too fast to make much of an impression.

MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM is not a bad movie, and it features some tremendous performances from Idris Elba and Naomie Harris, but it tries to cover way too much and ultimately it is hard to connect with the movie.

The man himself is a true icon, the film about him is only okay.

My suggestion, skip the movie, read the man’s autobiography instead, and then share it with a friend.

The last film I have for you this week is a true classic, the 1965 Academy Award nominated drama THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY.

Directed by Academy Award winner Carol Reed – who also gave us THE THIRD MAN – THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY stars Charlton Heston as Michelangelo and Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II.

Partly based on Irving Stone’s biographical novel of the same name this is the story of the conflicts between the two men during the painting of the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling.

THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY starts with a great twelve minute history lesson on Michelangelo and his work, and I enjoyed every second of that, and the film itself.

It is now available on blu-ray in HD and I highly recommend it.

The still classic film THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY; the well-meaning and well-acted, but not great biopic MANDELA LONG WALK TO FREEDOM; the great crime drama AMERICAN HUSTLE; the mildly entertaining Disney history lesson SAVING MR. BANKS and the great – for the whole family – Academy Award Winning Frozen are all available now, either on disc or on demand.

And that’s this week’s COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I’ll see you back here again next time on The Couch!

Categories
Movies

DIVERGENT…I could care less.

Box office report: ‘Divergent’ heads straight for $56 million win; ‘God’s Not Dead’ inspires $8.6 million

Divergent was dauntless at the box office this weekend, easily winning the top spot with an estimated $56 million. Meanwhile, the Muppets failed to take multiplexes in Muppets Most Wanted, earning $16.5 million, and the faith-based indie God’s Not Dead inspired an awesome $8.6 million from just 780 theatres.

Starring Shailene Woodley and Theo James as rebels in a dystopian future, the PG-13 action film Divergent aimed for the same moviegoers who gave The Hunger Games a surprise $152.5 million opening weekend in March, 2012. With a $56 million debut, Divergent didn’t reach those heights — and even fell slightly below the predictions of some analysts, who had pegged the movie for a $60 million-plus debut.

Like many buzzy films, it started strong out of the gate: A teen-targeted marketing blitz transformed the movie into an event for young fans, who turned out in droves for late-night Thursday screenings that grossed $4.9 million even before the official start of the weekend. Critical reaction has been lackluster, though the film earned a solid A CinemaScore and praise from EW’s Owen Gleiberman, who called it an “agreeably rousing, sensitive-teen-in-Amish-linen-finds-her-inner-tattooed-jock-to-fight-the-power formula dystopian thriller.” Regardless, a sequel, Insurgent, has already been greenlit by Lionsgate for release on March 20, 2015. The trilogy’s finale, Allegiant, is scheduled for March 18, 2016, showing Hollywood’s continued faith in spring as a box-office launchpad after the success of recent March hits like The Hunger Games ($408 million total) and Oz the Great and Powerful ($234 million). (However, after the first Hunger Games installment’s release, Lionsgate did bump the remainder of the trilogy into the more competitive Thanksgiving time frame.)

The weekend’s other wide release, Muppets Most Wanted, proved that it’s still not easy being green — at least at the box office: Budgeted at a reported $50 million, Disney’s kid-friendly adventure made $16.5 million in its debut. Despite a pack of big-name, live-action co-stars (Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, et al), Kermit and his gang failed to bring in the same crowds who racked up a $29.2 million opening for the 2011 franchise reboot, The Muppets. (That film stalled at $88.6 million domestically, and its co-writer-star Jason Segel wasn’t involved in Most Wanted.) Jim Henson’s beloved characters have a long and troubled big-screen history, stretching back to 1979′s The Muppet Movie; 2011′s The Muppets is the highest grosser in the series, while the 1999 flop Muppets From Space marks the group’s low point, with a $16.6 million total.

Part of the Muppets’ problem might’ve been the holdover success of Mr. Peabody and Sherman (also featuring the voice of Ty Burrell), which offered stiff competition for family audiences and came in third with $11.7 million. Now in its third weekend, the DreamWorks Animation adventure has drawn up $81 million and is a likely candidate for a sequel. In fourth place, the R-rated 300: Rise of an Empire slayed another $8.7 million in ticket receipts, lifting its cumulative gross to $93.8 million.

The biggest surprise of the weekend is undoubtedly the success of God’s Not Dead, an inspirational drama about a college student who defends his belief in God against a non-believing professor. With no marquee stars (Kevin Sorbo and Dean Cain appear in the film, as does Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson) and little mainstream press, the film earned $8.6 million from just 780 theaters.The Freestyle Releasing title benefited from a highly specific marketing plan that involved drumming up social buzz (the film has over 1 million likes on Facebook) and partnering with the Christian music festival Winter Jam to raise awareness in its target audience. 2014 is shaping up to be a bellwether year for faith-based films: Last month, the religious-themed Son of God opened to an impressive $25.6 million, while Darren Aronofsky’s biblical opus Noah hits theaters next weekend amid a swirl of controversy.

Here’s how the top five played out:
1. Divergent – $56 million
2. Muppets Most Wanted – $16.5 million
3. Mr. Peabody and Sherman – $11.7 million
4. 300: Rise of an Empire – $8.7 million
5. God’s Not Dead – $8.6 million

In limited release, The Grand Budapest Hotel welcomed $7 million worth of new sales thanks to an expansion from 66 to 304 theaters. With a $13.2 million total in its third week of release, the whimsical dramedy is already hot on the heels of director Wes Anderson’s biggest hits, Moonrise Kingdom (final gross: $45.5 million) and 2001′s The Royal Tenenbaums ($52.4 million).

Categories
People

He was always great. May he rest in peace.

‘Homeland’ Actor James Rebhorn Dead at 65

The industry veteran, who passed away at home on Friday, played memorable supporting characters on film and TV.

James Rebhorn, the busy character actor who played the father of Claire Danes’ troubled CIA officer Carrie Mathison on the Showtime drama Homeland, has died. He passed away on Friday, his agent Dianne Busch confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 65.

“He died from melanoma, which had been diagnosed in 1992,” Busch stated. “He fought it all this time. He died Friday afternoon at his home in New Jersey, where he had been receiving hospice care for a week and a half.”

Rebhorn also had a recent recurring role on the USA Network hit White Collar as Special Agent Reese Hughes, head of the FBI’s Manhattan white-collar crime unit.

During his prolific five-decade career, the Philadelphia native also was memorable as the district attorney that sent Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer to jail on the Seinfeld finale in 1998 and as the prosecution’s FBI expert automotive witness in the hilarious film My Cousin Vinny (1992). He also had stints as attorneys on the David E. Kelley shows The Practice and Boston Legal and recurring roles on Third Watch, The Book of Daniel, Law & Order and Big Lake.

Rebhorn played the school’s headmaster Mr. Trask in Scent of a Woman (1992) and was President Signoff in The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000).

His vast film résumé also includes Silkwood (1983), The House on Carroll Street (1988), Desperate Hours (1990), Regarding Henry (1991), Shadows and Fog (1991), Basic Instinct (1992), Lorenzo’s Oil (1992), Guarding Tess (1994), Independence Day (1996), The Game (1997), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Snow Falling on Cedars (1999), Meet the Parents (2000), Far From Heaven (2002), Cold Mountain (2003), Real Steel (2011) and The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012).

Rebhorn was a mainstay of the Roundabout Theatre Company and most recently starred as a father stricken with Alzheimer’s in Too Much, Too Much, Too Many, which opened in November at the Black Box Theatre in New York.

He appeared onstage in the original production of I’m Not Rappaport in 1985 and in the revivals of Our Town, The Man Who Had All the Luck, Dinner at Eight, Twelve Angry Men and Prelude to a Kiss.
He also was seen on the TV shows Kate & Allie, The Equalizer, Wiseguy, Enlightened and 30 Rock.

“USA Network is deeply saddened about the passing of James Rebhorn, who so brilliantly played Reese Hughes on White Collar. Our sympathies go out to his family, friends and loved ones,” the TV network said in a statement.

Rebhorn is survived by his wife, Rebecca, and daughters Hanna and Emma.

Categories
Television

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!

‘Saturday Night Live’: Louis C.K., Anna Kendrick and Seth Rogen to host

“Saturday Night Live” has announced three new episodes airing in March and April. Louis C.K., Anna Kendrick and Seth Rogen will be the hosts, while Sam Smith, Pharrell and Ed Sheeran will be the musical guests for these dates.

Louis C.K. is up first, hosting “SNL” for the second time on March 29. His hosting gig was announced earlier, but the addition of British artist Smith — making his show debut as the musical guest — is new.

Kendrick follows on April 5 in her “SNL” hosting debut. Pharrell is the musical guest, making his first solo appearance on the show.

Rogen gets the April 12 episode for his third hosting gig. British singer Sheeran will join Rogen as the musical guest.

Categories
Movies

As long as Brad Bird makes it, then this is AWESOME NEWS!!!

Disney makes it official: ‘The Incredibles’ is finally getting a sequel

It is the day fans have been asking for since 2004, and for many years, it was a day that I was sure would never happen.

In the decade since the first film was released, Brad Bird has probably answered the question about whether or not there would be an “Incredibles” sequel a hundred times, and each time, he’s been very blunt. The problem was always coming up with a story that was worth telling again with those characters. It would be easy to crank out a dozen movies where we just spend time with Bob, Helen, Dash, Violet, and the deeply freaky Jack Jack, and I’m sure audiences would have been happy to watch those films.

But Brad Bird is not a guy who had a lot of patience for business as usual. Before “The Iron Giant,” I knew Brad primarily from his work on “Family Dog” and as a screenwriter, and I got to know him as a film fan because he was a regular at Dave’s Video. Talking to him about the business twenty years ago, he already had a fairly healthy sense of disgust towards the calculated business side of things, and it was obvious that for him, story and character are everything. He wants to tell good stories. He wants to make things that connect with people on some real level. He is not the guy you go to if you want someone to churn out indifferent product to satisfy the stockholders.

It just so happens, though, that Bird’s films have found an audience, and that he is now in a position to develop material the way he wants to develop it. I have complete faith in “Tomorrowland” because I know he wouldn’t have made it unless he really loved it. When he has repeatedly said that he didn’t have the right idea for “The Incredibles 2,” I believed him.

And if Robert Iger says today that “The Incredibles 2” is happening, then I have to believe that Bird finally found a story he wanted to tell, and that is exciting news. Today’s announcement was made at the annual shareholders meeting, which is also attended by D23 members, and while Iger didn’t say Bird’s name today, I find it very hard to believe Pixar would move ahead on the sequel without Bird’s involvement. I would guess that they could do so contractually, but Bird’s relationship with these guys pre-dates Pixar and they are a tight-knit group of artists. It seems impossible to me that they would burn that relationship down just to slap a number on one of their IPs.

I haven’t been crazy about Pixar’s sequels so far. They announced the inevitable “Cars 3” today as well, and we’ve still got “Finding Dory” coming. But just because I don’t care for “Cars 2” doesn’t mean “The Incredibles 2” is going to be automatically a weaker film. Hopefully they’ll have more details about this one soon, because it’s just leapt onto the list of the things I am most curious about in production, and I can’t wait to see where Bird pushes the genre next time.

“Tomorrowland” is in theaters May 22, 2015.

Categories
Nirvana

That is too bad for Chad. Poor guy.

Former Nirvana drummer Chad Channing will not be inducted into Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

Original Nirvana drummer Chad Channing will not be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, despite his recent claims that he would be.

The drummer contributed to Nirvana’s debut album ‘Bleach’ and also laid down parts for the song ‘Polly’ on the band’s second album ‘Nevermind’ before his departure from the band in 1990 when he was replaced by Dave Grohl. Last week, he said he would be inducted officially alongside the surviving members of Nirvana.

However, in an interview given to Radio.com, Channing revealed that he had heard from officials at the Hall of Fame, via a text message sent to Nirvana’s manager, Michael Meisel, that he would not be a part of the induction next month (April). “Can you tell whoever looks after Chad Channing that he isn’t being inducted,” reads the message Channing was sent. “It is just Dave, Krist and Kurt.”

Speaking to Radio before he received the news that he was officially not invited to the induction ceremony, Channing said he had the band’s permission to attend. “I got a call from Michael Meisel, he said that he had a ticket for me. I also talked to Krist about it a few weeks ago and he definitely thought I should be there, and was gonna help make sure that I was.”

Nirvana, Kiss, Peter Gabriel, Hall And Oates, Cat Stevens and Linda Ronstadt will be inducted at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on April 10, while The E Street Band will be given the Award For Musical Excellence. Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record, meaning Nirvana, who released debut album ‘Bleach’ in 1989, have been nominated at the first possible opportunity.

Categories
The Couch Potato Report

Here are my reviews from last week, I forgot to post them before now. SORRY!!

The Couch Potato Report – March 15th, 2014

At last weekend’s Canadian Screen Awards – recognizing accomplishments in film, television, and digital media – THE ART OF THE STEAL had two nominations: Jonathon Sobol was nominated for ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY and Jay Baruchel received a nod for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.

Neither man won a Screen Award, but their film is a winner and one that I can easily recommend.

I love heist flicks! Whether the thieves in the film are trying to steal money, diamonds, cars, paintings, or just about anything, I tend to enjoy even the most mediocre films in the genre.

The made in Hamilton and Niagara Falls flick THE ART OF THE STEAL isn’t an instant classic – like OCEAN’S ELEVEN, THE TOWN or RESERVOIR DOGS – but it has a great cast, an interesting story, and you can’t see the ending coming a mile away…all important ingredients for heist films.

The great Kurt Russell of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK stars in THE ART OF THE STEAL as a motorcycle daredevil and part-time art thief who teams up with his brother to steal one of the most valuable books in the world, even though that same brother ratted him out on their last job, sending him to jail for five and a half years.

Matt Dillon plays the brother and Jay Baruchel of the Academy Award winning film MILLION DOLLAR BABY is Kurt Russell’s closest friend and confident.

THE ART OF THE STEAL has more than a few really smart scenes, and some well-done action. This is a very good heist flick and I easily recommend it.

I also recommend – highly recommend – INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, although I know many movie fans will disagree with me and not like it.

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS is the latest film from Joel and Ethan Coen, the brothers who also gave us O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU, FARGO, THE BIG LEBOWSKI and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.

But this one is not in the same league with those great, more accessible Coen Brothers films. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS is more for people who enjoyed A SERIOUS MAN, INTOLERABLE CRUELTY and BARTON FINK.

Llewyn Davis is an exceptionally talented young singer trying to make it in the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961, but he can’t seem to catch a break.

However, he isn’t a cinematic hero you root for, someone you hope rises above his position in life and beats the odds to succeed. Instead, he’s actually kind of a jerk, someone who maybe doesn’t deserve to be successful.

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS is – as you’d expect from Joel and Ethan Coen – exceptionally well written and populated with a unique cast of characters, and I really enjoyed it – even its flawed ending.

I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the Coens or likes their films to be a bit challenging.

AND if you love the roots style folk music featured in the film, the blu-ray and DVD comes with the bonus concert film “Another Day Another Time: Celebrating the Music of Inside Llewyn Davis” that features Joan Baez, Marcus Mumford, Patti Smith, and Jack White, as well as the star of the film Oscar Isaac.

I loved the concert just as much as the film!!

I have two releases for you now that are based on well received books, but neither film is worth the time of anyone who hasn’t read them.

Fans of the literary version may really enjoy them, but I did not.

No, I did not enjoy THE BOOK THIEF, the war drama based on the novel of the same name by Markus Zusak. I was interested in seeing it, and the story is interesting, but the film is so boring.

THE BOOK THIEF takes place during World War II in Germany. A young girl finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others, especially her foster Father and the Jewish refugee who is being hidden by her foster parents in the basement of their home.

Add to that interesting plot the fact that the film – and the book – are narrated by Death, during a place and time when he notes he was extremely busy.

First published in 2005, THE BOOK THIEF has won numerous awards and was listed on The New York Times Best Seller list for over 230 weeks. The film stars Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush and Oscar nominee Emily Watson.

A great pedigree and cast, but the filmmakers failed to capitalize on all of that. They failed convince me the movie was taking place in wartime, and that the little girl aged at all, even though she’s supposed to as the story lasts over the course of a few years and as it went on I just couldn’t wait for it to end.

Now, that said, in conversations I’ve had this week on Facebook and Twitter, you can find me at Facebook.com/saskweekend and on Twitter I’m @DanReynishCBC, in those conversations it seems that those who’ve read the book also really enjoyed the movie, and those who didn’t did not.

I did not, and – as I’ve said many times before – if you have to read a book to fully enjoy a movie, then that movie has failed.

As I’ve not read the book, I can’t profess it a failure, but THE BOOK THIEF is not a movie I recommend

I also don’t recommend the movie ENDER’S GAME, based on Orson Scott Card’s military science fiction novel of the same name, although it too has an interesting premise and a great cast – that includes Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Viola Davis, Abigail Breslin, and Ben Kingsley.

This is the story of a young boy named Ender Wiggin. Before he’s even a teenage he is recruited by the International Military to lead the fight against the Formics, a genocidal alien race that nearly annihilated the human race in a previous invasion.

Ender doesn’t think he’s ready to lead, and just about everyone agrees with him, but the Colonel, played by Harrison Ford thinks he’s the only one who can save the human race.

ENDER’S GAME is not awful, but it is never great and – since I haven’t read the book – it just seemed like a version of STARSHIP TROOPERS for kids.

The novel won the Nebula Award for best novel in 1985, and the Hugo Award for best novel in 1986, considered the two most prestigious awards in science fiction, but the movie was a bit too slow and boring for me to recommend.

But if you love the book, check it out. You may very well love it!

Finally this week, less a review than a chance for me to let fans of the television series NEWHART know that THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON is now available on DVD.

NEWHART was a comedy series that aired from October 25th, 1982 to May 21st, 1990, and starred comedian Bob Newhart and actress Mary Frann as an author and wife who owned and operated an inn located in a small, rural Vermont town that was home to many eccentric characters.

Season Two highlights include Dick fighting against the advances of a celebrity author, Joanna challenging the town’s historical practice of the men and women eating separately during the town’s potluck dinners, and more!

I laughed out loud at THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON of NEWHART this week, and fans of the show shouldn’t miss this great three-disc set!

THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON of the still great series NEWHART; the slow and boring teenager’s sci-fi flick ENDER’S GAME; the very slow and also boring adaptation of the bestseller THE BOOK THIEF; the great, but not for everyone Coen Brothers film INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS; and the very good Canadian Screen Award nominated heist picture THE ART OF THE STEAL are all available now, either on disc or on demand.

Hey, coming up inside the next Couch Potato Report is the Box Office smash FROZEN, which features the Academy Award winning song “Let It Go”!

For now, that’s this week’s COUCH POTATO REPORT.

Enjoy the movies and I’ll see you back here again next time on The Couch!

Categories
Movies

I need to see that Number One Flick!!

Box office report: ‘Mr. Peabody and Sherman’ beats ‘Need for Speed’ to finish line with $21.2 million; Tyler Perry flops

It was not a good weekend to be a new movie in wide release at the box office. The world’s smartest animated dog took the lead this weekend and left Need for Speed in the dust, while Tyler Perry’s The Single Mom’s Club missed the mark and now has the dubious honor of being his lowest opening ever.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman came out on top in its second weekend in theaters with $21.2 million from 3,951 locations. The $145 million DreamWorks Animation pic dropped 34.2 percent from last week’s opening, putting its domestic total at $63.2 million. The real test will be how it stands up to Muppets Most Wanted next weekend — its first real new competition. That could be an indicator of its longterm theatrical legs.

Last week’s box office winner 300: Rise of an Empire placed second with an estimated $19.1 million from 3,490 locations. That’s down about 57.6 percent from its opening. The $110 million sword-and-sandals epic now boasts a $78.3 million domestic total for Warner Bros. and Legendary. The first film had made $130 million domestically by the close of its second weekend in theaters in 2007.

Need for Speed (B+ Cinema Score) failed to meet analyst expectations by a significant margin and opened in third with a disappointing $17.8 million from 3,115 locations. 3-D showings accounted for about 43 percent of the gross. Most predictions put the Aaron Paul-led pic in the mid-$20 million range. The audience skewed heavily male (70 percent), and about 56 percent of attendees were between the ages of 18 and 34. Internationally, the video game adaptation is faring much better. It opened in 40 territories, including Italy, the U.K., Brazil, Mexico, China, Russia and Australia and took in about $45.6 million ($21.2 million of which came from China). Disney’s Dave Hollis told EW: “Overall, having a $63 million weekend worldwide when the movie cost what it did — it cost $66 million — we’re off to a fine start. The domestic number is a little disappointing.”
The tracking agencies were counting on attendance from the youngest segment of the audience who did not, on the whole, end up turning out this weekend. Moviegoers aged 12 to 17 made up 13 percent of the audience. ”They’ve been really — and not even for just this movie, but for the industry — the toughest audience segment to predict and the toughest to depend on following through because of distractions that exist in their space. We’re still trying to figure out how we’ll get them into theaters,” says Hollis. Distributor Disney is looking to the ones who did attend to spread the word about the film and hopes that spring break might see a domestic boost for the pic.

Liam Neeson’s thriller at 30,000 feet Non-Stop took fourth place with an estimated $10.6 million from 3,183 locations, bringing its domestic total to $68.8 million. Considering it’s the film’s third weekend in theaters and the fact that it has had to deal with significant new competition from flashy action newcomers like Need for Speed and the 300 sequel, the Joel Silver-produced pic is doing quite well.
Finally, Tyler Perry’s The Single Moms Club (A- Cinema Score) opened in fifth place with $8.3 million from 1,896 locations — a career low for Perry. The comedy follows five struggling single moms who find comfort in friendship and stars Nia Long, Amy Smart, Cocoa Brown, and Wendi McLendon-Covey. A whopping 79 percent of the opening weekend audience was female and 80 percent was over 25 years old. Marketing focused heavily on reaching women, Latinos, and African-Americans, and put a particular emphasis on networks like OWN, but this is a sure miss for Perry. His previous lowest opener was 2007′s Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls, which bowed at $11.2 million.

Here are the top 5:
1. Mr. Peabody and Sherman – $21.2 million
2. 300: Rise of an Empire – $19.1 million
3. Need for Speed – $17.81 million
4. Non-Stop – $10.6 million
5. Tyler Perry’s The Single Moms Club — $8.3 million

In the speciality box office world, Jason Bateman’s vulgar spelling bee comedy Bad Words took in $120K from six locations. The Grand Budapest Hotel expanded in its second weekend in theaters and earned approximately $3.64 million from 66 locations — an impressive $55.2K per theater average.

Finally, the Kickstarter-funded Veronica Mars movie opened in 291 theaters and took in about $2 million across the weekend.

Categories
Television

Great news!!

‘The Big Bang Theory’ renewed for three more years

At this rate, maybe we will see a Sheldon-Amy wedding! CBS has renewed The Big Bang Theory through the 2016-17 season.

“Comedy is a big part of our schedule, and The Big Bang Theory is the biggest comedy force on television,” said CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler in a statement. “This multi-year deal further strengthens our network’s position for future seasons and marks another chapter in the great partnership CBS enjoys with Warner Bros. Television for delivering audiences the best in comedy. We’re proud to work with and showcase the incredible talents of Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro and this amazing cast every week.”

TBBT has ranked as the No. 1 sitcom among viewers since the 2010-11 season and continues to hold the top spot in key demographics for the second straight year. It’s currently averaging 19.79 million viewers (up 4% versus last year),a 6.1 rating in adults 18-49, and a 7.8 in adults 25-54.