January 11th, 2015
The BAFTA nominations were announced yesterday and unlike most other Awards Season voters, the BAFTA voters gave us some real surprises. For instance, Birdman didn't lead the way. In fact, it was a comedy, The Grand Budapest Hotel, that earned the most nominations at 11. Granted, Birdman and The Theory of Everything were tied for second place with ten each, but it is still strange to see a comedy leading the way.
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December 6th, 2014
The Independent Spirit Awards nominations were announced last week and I'm getting to them a little late, because I needed to organize the whole Awards Season stories. Firstly, I've decided to use the year the movies were released not the year the awards are handed out, unlike what we did last year. This means both will have 2014 as the year. Not ideal, but it is better to fix the mistake now than carry on making it. Secondly, the headlines are just going to be the name of the Awards and either nominations or winners. This will make it easier for readers to find later on. As for the Independent Spirit Awards nominations, Birdman led the way with 6 nods, while Boyhood, Nightcrawler, and Selma were right behind with 5 each.
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November 19th, 2014
There are no summer tentpole releases making their home market debuts this week, but that doesn't mean it is a bad week on the home market. 22 Jump Street is leading the way, while there are four other first run releases among the new releases, ranging from If I Stay to Sin City: A Dame to Kill For in terms of box office numbers. Not only that, but this week there are a trio of Hayao Miyazak releases, including his more recent film, The Wind Rises, which is coming out on DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack. That film, along with the double-shot, are the Picks of the Week. However, they are not the only films worth picking up. If you like horror / comedy, give Housebound on DVD or Blu-ray a try.
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September 24th, 2014
Awards Season might have begun, as there were six new releases in the $10,000 club this past weekend. Leading the way was Yellow Day, with an estimated $31,000 in one theater. 20,000 Days of Earth was close behind with $27,879 over the weekend and $30,969 over five days, also in one theater. Pump! earned an average of $14,059 in three theaters, which is particularly good for a documentary. A fellow documentary, Art and Craft, was next with an average of $11,500 in two theaters. Not Cool debuted with $10,329 on one theater, which is surprisingly strong, given its lack of reviews. Likewise, Hector and the Search for Happiness earned bad reviews, but still managed an average of $10,212 in four theaters.
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September 21st, 2014
The Maze Runner will be the first film to top $30 million at the box office in six weeks, bringing a welcome boost to the industry at the beginning of the Fall season. With $32.5 million projected for the weekend, and overall positive reviews, Fox could have a modest new franchise on its hands. Things look less rosy for the weekend’s other wide releases. A Walk Among the Tombstones will have a disappointing debut around $13 million—the worst result for a wide release starring Liam Neeson since K-19: The Widowmaker back in 2002, or, if one takes inflation into account, the 1998 version of Les Miserables. This is Where I Leave You lands with a projected $11.86 million, and reviews that aren’t good enough to give it much hope of redemption via word of mouth.
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September 19th, 2014
It's an overly busy week for limited releases with nearly two-dozen films on this week's list. There are a number of films on this week's list that are earning outstanding reviews, like 20,000 Days on Earth, or strong buzz, like The Zero Theorem. But there are not a lot earning both. Films like Stop the Pounding Heart or The Guest will likely not live up to their Tomatometer Scores. Tracks is probably the film with the best chance at breakout success.
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