Christopher Berg
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'Babel' Towers over Rivals in Golden Globe Nominations
December 14, 2006 6:23am ESTEnsemble drama Babel leads the nominations at next year's Golden Globe Awards, boasting seven nods including Best Dramatic Picture and an acting accolade for star Brad Pitt. The film, spanning several countries telling four interrelated stories, sees Pitt praised in the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category. He'll battle it out alongside Ben Affleck (Hollywoodland) and Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls), as well as The Departed co-stars Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg. The mob thriller earned a total of six nominations today. Babel's Rinko Kikuchi and Adriana Barraza also received supporting acting nods, along with Cate Blanchett for Notes on a Scandal, Emily Blunt for The Devil Wears Prada and Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls. But it's Leonardo DiCaprio who looks most likely to convert an acting nomination into a trophy after being named twice in the Best Actor category. His performances in The Departed and Blood Diamond are up against Peter O'Toole's in Venus, Will Smith's in The Pursuit of Happyness and Forest Whitaker's portrayal of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. Actor-turned-director Clint Eastwood is another star with a double reason to celebrate--Flags of Our Fathers competes against his other war film Letters from Iwo Jima in the Best Director category. Meanwhile, Helen Mirren stands to win three awards at the star-studded Hollywood ceremony next month. Her role as monarch-in-crisis Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen pits her against another veteran British actress, Judi Dench, for Notes on a Scandal. Penelope Cruz is also a strong contender for Best Actress in Volver, as well Maggie Gyllenhaal (Sherrybaby) and Kate Winslet in the suburban drama Little Children. Mirren's other nods are for small-screen work--her roles in Prime Suspect: The Final Act and period piece Elizabeth I could see her pick up a Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Both films will compete for Best TV Mini-Series alongside the star-studded adaptation of Charles Dickens' complicated crime masterpiece Bleak House, Broken Trail and Mrs. Harris. There were no surprises in the most popular TV categories with 24, Big Love, Lost, Heroes, and hospital drama Grey's Anatomy all in with a chance to win the Best Drama Prize, and Desperate Housewives, Entourage, The Office, Ugly Betty and Weeds battling it out for the Best Comedy or Musical. Last month it was revealed Hollywood legend Warren Beatty is to be honored with the 64th Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards. It will be Beatty's sixth Globe. The awards are given out annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and are a key indicator of which movies will compete for the Academy Awards, the film industry's top honors. Click "next" for full list of nominations. COPYRIGHT 2006 WORLD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS NETWORK LTD. All Global Rights Reserved. Best Motion Picture – Drama Babel Anonymous Content Production/Una Producción De ZetaFilm/Central Film Production; ParamountPictures/Paramount Vantage Bobby Bold Films; The Weinstein Company The Departed Warner Bros. Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures Little Children New Line Cinema; New Line Cinema The Queen A GranadaProduction; Miramax Films Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture – Drama Penélope Cruz Volver Judi Dench Notes On A Scandal Maggie Gyllenhaal Sherrybaby Helen Mirren The Queen Kate Winslet Little Children Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Drama Leonardo Dicaprio Blood Diamond Leonardo Dicaprio The Departed Peter O’toole Venus Will Smith The Pursuit Of Happyness Forest Whitaker The Last King Of Scotland Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical Borat: Cultural Learnings Of AmericaFor Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan One America;Twentieth Century Fox The Devil Wears Prada Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox Dreamgirls Dreamworks Pictures/Paramount Pictures; DreamworksPictures/Paramount Pictures Little Miss Sunshine Big Beach/Bonafide Productions; Fox Searchlight Pictures Thank You For Smoking Room 9 Entertainment/David O. Sacks Production/ContentFilm; Fox Searchlight Pictures Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture –Comedy Or Musical Annette Bening Running With Scissors Toni Collette Little Miss Sunshine Beyoncé Knowles Dreamgirls Meryl Streep The Devil Wears Prada Renee Zellweger Miss Potter Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – ComedyOr Musical Sacha Baron Cohen Borat: Cultural Learnings Of AmericaFor Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan Johnny Depp Pirates Of The Caribbean:Dead Man’s Chest Aaron Eckhart Thank You For Smoking Chiwetel Ejiofor Kinky Boots Will Ferrell Stranger Than Fiction Best Animated Feature Film Cars Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studio; Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Happy Feet Kingdom Pictures, Llc; Warner Bros. Pictures/VillageRoadshow Pictures Monster House ColumbiaPictures; Sony Pictures Releasing Best Foreign Language Film Apocalypto (USA) Touchstone Pictures/Icon Productions; Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Letters From Iwo Jima(USA/Japan) Warner Bros. Pictures/Dreamworks Pictures; Warner Bros.Pictures The Lives Of Others (Germany) Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduktion; Sony PicturesClassics Pan’s Labyrinth (Mexico) Estudios Picasso/Tequila Gang/Esperanto; Picturehouse Volver (Spain) El Deseo; Sony Pictures Classics Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In AMotion Picture Adriana Barraza Babel Cate Blanchett Notes On A Scandal Emily Blunt The Devil Wears Prada Jennifer Hudson Dreamgirls Rinko Kikuchi Babel Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In AMotion Picture Ben Affleck Hollywoodland Eddie Murphy Dreamgirls Jack Nicholson The Departed Brad Pitt Babel Mark Wahlberg The Departed Best Director – Motion Picture Clint Eastwood Flags Of Our Fathers Clint Eastwood Letters From Iwo Jima Stephen Frears The Queen Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu Babel Martin Scorsese The Departed Best Screenplay – Motion Picture Guillermo Arriaga Babel Todd Field & Tom Perrotta Little Children Patrick Marber Notes On A Scandal William Monahan The Departed Peter Morgan The Queen Best Original Score – Motion Picture Alexandre Desplat The Painted Veil Clint Mansell The Fountain Gustavo Santaolalla Babel Carlo Siliotto Nomad Hans Zimmer The Da Vinci Code Best Original Song – Motion Picture “A Father’s Way” — The Pursuit Of Happyness Music By: Seal And Christopher Bruce Lyrics By: Seal “Listen” — Dreamgirls Music & Lyrics By: Henry Krieger, Anne Preven, ScottCutler And Beyoncé Knowles “Never Gonna Break My Faith” — Bobby Music & Lyrics By: Bryan Adams, Eliot Kennedy AndAndrea Remanda “The Song Of The Heart” — Happy Feet Music & Lyrics By: Prince Rogers Nelson “Try Not To Remember” — Home Of The Brave Music & Lyrics By:Sheryl Crow Best Television Series – Drama 24 (Fox) Imagine Television And 20th Century Fox Television I.A.W.Real Time Prods. Big Love (HBO) Anima Sola And Playtone Prods. I.A.W. HBO Entertainment Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) Touchstone Television Heroes (NBC) Nbc Universal Television Studios I.A.W. Tailwind Prods. Lost (ABC) Touchstone Television Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series –Drama Patricia Arquette Medium Edie Falco The Sopranos Evangeline Lilly Lost Ellen Pompeo Grey’s Anatomy Kyra Sedgwick The Closer Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Drama Patrick Dempsey Grey’s Anatomy Michael C. Hall Dexter Hugh Laurie House Bill Paxton Big Love Kiefer Sutherland 24 Best Television Series – Comedy Or Musical DesperateHousewives (ABC) Touchstone Television Entourage (HBO) Leverage And Closest To The Hole Prods. I.A.W. HboEntertainment The Office (NBC) Deedle Dee Prods. WithReveille I.A.W. Nbc Universal Television Studio Ugly Betty (ABC) Touchstone Television Weeds (Showtime) Showtime I.A.W. Lionsgate Television And Tilted Prods., Inc. Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series –ComedyOr Musical Marcia Cross Desperate Housewives AmericaFerrera Ugly Betty Felicity Huffman Desperate Housewives Julia Louis-Dreyfus The New Adventures Of Old Christine Mary-Louise Parker Weeds Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – ComedyOr Musical Alec Baldwin 30 Rock Zach Braff Scrubs Steve Carrell The Office Jason Lee My Name Is Earl Tony Shalhoub Monk Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television Bleak House (PBS) Bbc And Wgbh BostonProd. I.A.W. Deep Indigo Broken Trail (AMC) Butchers Run Films And Once Upon A Time Films I.A.W. SonyPictures Television Elizabeth I (HBO) Company Pictures And Channel 4 I.A.W. Hbo Films Mrs. Harris (HBO) Killer Films, Number 9 Films And John Wells Prod. I.A.W. HboFilms Prime Suspect: The Final Act (PBS) GranadaAnd Wgbh-Boston Prod. Best Performance By An Actress In A Mini-Series Or MotionPicture Made For Television Gillian Anderson Bleak House Annette Bening Mrs. Harris Helen Mirren Elizabeth I Helen Mirren Prime Suspect: The Final Act Sophie Okonedo Tsunami, The Aftermath Best Performance By An Actor In A Mini-Series Or MotionPicture Made For Television André Braugher Thief Robert Duvall Broken Trail Michael Ealy Sleeper Cell: American Terror Chiwetel Ejiofor Tsunami, The Aftermath Ben Kingsley Mrs. Harris Bill Nighy Gideon’s Daughter Matthew Perry The Ron Clark Story Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In ASeries, Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television Emily Blunt Gideon’s Daughter Toni Collette Tsunami, The Aftermath Katherine Heigl Grey’s Anatomy Sarah Paulson Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip Elizabeth Perkins Weeds Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In ASeries, Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television Thomas Haden Church Broken Trail Jeremy Irons Elizabeth I Justin Kirk Weeds Masi Oka Heroes Jeremy Piven Entourage
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The Notorious Bettie Page Review
April 14, 2006 5:24am ESTAs the real-life 1950's pin-up girl Bettie Page actress Gretchen Mol shakes her moneymaker in this true-American-story drama. Page a Tennessee-raised religious cutie moves to New York in 1949 for a new life when college dreams don't materialize. She's a trusting soul who loves to pose for strangers' cameras and naturally falls into modeling. In no time she's wearing suggestive lingerie and trading spankings with other models. To Bettie the bondage get-ups are silly not prurient. But despite efforts to expand herself and learn acting she remains a pin-up girl. In Bettie's most famous picture she's posing nude in a Santa hat in a 1955 Playboy magazine. After testifying at Congress amid the sexual Puritanism of the '50s Bettie realizes her "notorious" reputation. She quits the biz for her religious beliefs and disappears from the public eye for good. Mol's performance is described in press materials as "incandescent." It is brave to say the least. The actress’ movie career has needed a jolt since she was labeled the next “It” girl in the late ‘90s after starring with Matt Damon in the 1998 Rounders. Her last film was Neil LaBute’s 2003 The Shape of Things. But Mol finds her niche in Notorious. She plays Bettie as she was--a simple-minded and free-spirited character which can be a dangerous combination. The actress doesn't add impresario nuances to the pliable young woman beyond the Southern accents but it is an incandescent performance nonetheless. Lili Taylor (I Shot Andy Warhol) brings her rough features to Paula Klaw Bettie's tough-minded manager transitioning from the Emmy-nominated success of HBO’s Six Feet Under. Mol and Taylor play off each other very well. Recent Oscar-nominee David Strathairn (Good Night and Good Luck) also sneaks in there as a Southern senator calling for pornography investigations. In the hands of director/writer Mary Harron and writer Guinevere Turner Notorious snaps along like an old crime noir quick like a paperback on the beach. It is ironic and biting smoldering with sexuality but the melodramatic intentions are obvious. The dialogue lapses into clunky spots occasionally but they seem deliberate. The script's potency should not be understated. It's a statement about government's role in bedroom matters and the side effects of an American society prudish about its sexuality. Harron seems a sharp-edged journalist a chronicler of 20th century America and recruited Oscar-nominated researcher Sam Green (The Weather Undergound) to strengthen the movie's veracity such as recreating '50s-era Times Square. Bygone technical methods such as Super 8 cameras are used to match the classy black-and-white photography. Notorious is a little rough but fairly successful in its mission.
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Undiscovered Review
August 29, 2005 12:37pm ESTLuke (Steven Strait) and Brier (Pell James) first cross paths on a New York City subway before the doors shut on their instant attraction to one another. Of course it is immediately and abundantly clear that they will naturally meet up again before long but where and how? The answers: L.A. and well it's complicated. Each having forgotten about the other Brier a top model in NYC decides she needs a change of scenery and tells her agent (Carrie Fisher clearly in it for the paycheck) she's heading out to L.A. to pursue acting while Luke and his brother Euan (Kip Pardue) decide to move to the West Coast as well. Once there Brier befriends Clea (Ashlee Simpson) and on her first night in town takes Brier to a local dive bar where Luke works as a struggling "musician." Wow that's some coincidence. There is an instant re-connection between Luke and Brier but she refuses to get involved with musicians since her rock-star ex mistreated her. Instead she shifts her focus on generating buzz for Luke. Eventually Luke gets the big recording contract becomes the rock-star jerk he'd swore he'd never become and loses it all. But all is well when Brier decides she can no longer resist Luke's ballads and Metallica-guitarist-circa-'85 hair. The theme of Undiscovered could apply to its cast. Each of the four leads are on the cusp of being on the cusp and certainly they hope this movie will take them one step closer. For James that might happen. She is a natural on screen and gives a breakthrough performance as the comely Brier. Strait is also a relative newcomer. After turning his debut performance in this summer's Sky High he holds his own in Undiscovered but seems to be relegated to taking his shirt off to make the teenyboppers swoon. Finally there's Simpson who is also making her major-role debut. It's awkward to see her on-screen and yes subconsciously you wait for her to make a noticeable mistake (or butcher a voice-over due to acid reflux). Of course it doesn't happen; she moves along pretty smoothly but is at times subjected to dialogue that seems beyond her especially when she has to words big words such as "banter." And certainly it's not her fault when she describes Luke--a musician best left struggling--as "a cross between Jeff Buckley and Elvis Costello." That's just someone else's words she reciting. Prolific music-video director Meiert Avis is making his feature film directorial debut with Undiscovered--and his obvious greenness shows. At times the film is more like a music video surrounded by a weak storyline than a cohesive film. His expertise in the rather linear realm of music videos doesn't exactly qualify him for the complexities of a 90-minute film contrived and straightforward as his debut may be. Avis tries to employ every possible clichéd obstacle for the characters to overcome--which reeks of inexperience but could also be the screenwriter's fault. No doubt Avis feels at home with newcomers such as Strait and Simpson who--for all intents and purposes--sing and act but the plethora of singing scenes feel forced. That is forced into the script to showcase the soundtrack when the movie goes undiscovered at the box office.
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Friday Night Lights Review
October 08, 2004 9:39am ESTBased on H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger's bestselling book of the same name Friday Night Lights tells the true story of the dusty West Texas town of Odessa where nothing much happens until September rolls around. That's when the town's 20 000 or so denizens pour into Ratliff Stadium the country's biggest high school football field every Friday night to watch the Permian Panthers Odessa's "boys in black " take to the field. All the town's hope and dreams are pinned on the padded shoulders of these young gridiron heroes--including insecure quarterback Mike Winchell (Lucas Black); cocky self-assured running back Boobie Miles (Derek Luke); headstrong self-destructive tailback Don Billingsley (Garrett Hedlund) who must contend with an overbearing abusive dad (Tim McGraw--yes that Tim McGraw the country singer); and the team's spiritual leader middle linebacker Ivory Christian (newcomer Lee Jackson). The Panthers begin their season with one thing on their minds--winning their fifth straight championship for the first time in the team's 30-year history--but for their coach Gary Gaines (Billy Bob Thornton) it also means instilling a love and joy of the game in the boys' hearts amidst tremendous pressures and expectations. Easier said than done. There isn't a false note in any of the performances and no one falls back on clichéd versions of their characters as is so easy to do in rah-rah sports movies. Thornton does a particularly good job as Gaines keeping you guessing whether he's going to be a hardass insensitive to his players' emotional needs (like so many movie football coaches before him) or if he truly means to coach his boys in a fair and decent way. Gaines too has to deal with his own pressures especially from the townsfolk who are likely to string him up if the team loses the championship. As for Gaines' players Black (the oh-so-serious kid from Thornton's Sling Blade) is all grown up and buffed out and still very serious. It works for the young actor though as the beleaguered Winchell struggles with the love-hate relationship he has with his chosen sport. Other standouts include Luke (Antwone Fisher) as the star player Boobie whose cocksureness leads him to an injury; Hedlund as the volatile Billingsley trying desperately to please his father; and McGraw making his film debut as the father a former Permian Panther champion who sure hasn't given up his competitive spirit basically beating it into his son. First Faith Hill (McGraw's real-life wife) in The Stepford Wives and now McGraw--who knew country singers could act? From All the Right Moves to Varsity Blues to Remember the Titans Friday Night Lights unfortunately doesn't completely distinguish itself from the pack of football movies before it--like those this is all about how the young players--be they underdogs second-string nobodies or stars--rising above the mounting pressure and playing the best they can bless their hearts. Still there's no question the sports genre--particularly football--always gets the juices pumping with FNL being no exception. It might have something to do with our sick fascination with watching bone-crunching hits and body-punishing tackles. It's dangerous out there for these guys; no other sport (besides maybe hockey) can elicit such wince-inducing emotion and actor/director Peter Berg (The Rundown) exploits that. Obviously influenced by Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday Berg effectively paints his own gritty documentary-style picture of the competitive sport without relying on too many trite gushy over-the-top moments. And to give it credit the film does not necessarily have a feel-good "let's win one for the Gipper" ending; it is based on a true story after all and as we know real life isn't all sunshine and roses especially in the bloodthirsty world of Texas high school football.
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Eurotrip Review
March 12, 2004 3:34am ESTIt's graduation day for Scotty (Scott Mechlowicz) but the celebration comes to an abrupt end when his girlfriend Fiona (Kristin Kreuk) dumps him by blatantly announcing she has been unfaithful to him--over and over again. At a graduation party that night Fiona makes her point by jumping on stage during rockers Lustra's performance of "Scotty Doesn't Know " which goes something like this: "Scotty doesn't know that Fiona and me do it in my van every Sunday..." Dumbfounded Scotty gets drunk and goes home to confide in his Berlin-based computer pen pal Mieke (Jessica Boerhs) who suggests coming to America for a "rendezvous." Scott rudely rebuffs him (and that's putting it mildly) not aware that Mieke is not a guy but actually a really hot high school girl. He tries to make amends but Mieke won't read his e-mails so his pal Cooper (Jacob Pitts) convinces him to go to Berlin and meet her face-to-face. Short on cash they take a cheap courier flight to London where they meet up with twin pals Jenny (Michelle Trachtenberg) and Jamie (Travis Wester) before hopscotching to Amsterdam Bratislava Rome Vatican City and finally Berlin. Of course the chase is always better than the kill and Eurotrip is no different: Whether Scotty gets Mieke is beside the point; the amusement is all in the journey there. Who knew for example that you could spend the night in a five star hotel and partake in a night of clubbing in Eastern Europe on $1.87 U.S.-and still have 27 cents left over when it's all over? Newcomer Mechlowicz is perfectly cast as the lead here playing a character that is simple-minded daring sympathetic and charming. But it's Mechlowicz's personal spin--his bewildered expressions--that really nails the role for him whether he is witnessing the twins accidentally making out on the dance floor in a drunken stupor or waking up to find a strange passenger cozying up to him on a train. As his buddy Cooper Pitts (K-19: The Widowmaker) plays the wisecracker of the bunch and although he doesn't go over the top with the crassness there is a little too much David Spade influence in his delivery (and the similar haircuts don't help the matter either). Like the rest of the cast Wester is careful not to typecast his character Jamie a meticulous planner who can't travel without Frommer's by loosening him up slightly. Jamie for example knows when it's time do drop the book and experiment even if it means nude sunbathing. Trachtenberg (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer) also infuses her twin character Jenny with the perfect blend of sexuality and innocence. The result is a cast of mishmash characters that are just so darn likeable. Look for a surprise cameo from Matt Damon as well as small but hilarious performances from Vinnie Jones as Mad Maynard a Manchester United soccer hooligan; Lucy Lawless as S&M mistress Madame Vandersexxx; and Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen credited as "the creepy Italian guy." Jeff Schaffer makes his directorial debut here from a screenplay co-written with his longtime partners scribes Alec Berg and David Mandel. And ads touting it as a comedy "from producers of Road Trip and Old School " may be exactly what Eurotrip a comedy starring relative unknowns needs to draw the coveted teen crowd. After all Ivan Reitman the producer responsible for catapulting low budget comedies into box-office gold territory has secured quite a following--and fans won't be let down with this latest offering. Unlike its predecessors Eurotrip isn't afraid to be crass and while the characters are sweet the storyline is anything but. In this Euro-centric tale writing trio Schaffer Berg and Mandel proudly embrace every stereotype imaginable but do so at the expense of the inexperienced foursome which makes the material funny rather than offensive. Nude beaches the young Americans discover aren't necessarily packed with hot gorgeous women and Amsterdam's sex industry isn't exactly the stuff young male fantasies are made of. With one hilarious gag after another as well as funky map graphics with dotted lines that transport viewers from city to city the film maintains its fast-moving pace throughout. Surprisingly the film was shot entirely on location in the Czech Republic with Prague doubling as London Paris Berlin Amsterdam Rome Vatican City Bratislava--and even Hudson Ohio with landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower the Coliseum and Big Ben added using CGI. Accompanied by an awesome soundtrack featuring Lutsra's "Scotty Doesn't Know " Chapeaumelon's "My Generation" and The Salads "Get Loose " this film succeeds on all levels.
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Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat Review
November 21, 2003 10:37am ESTThe original Seuss story is a wonderful--albeit simple --children's tale about two bored kids left alone in their house on a cold wet day. They're visited by a six-foot-tall talking adventure-seeking feline who's looking for a little fun (OK maybe a lot of fun). Against the warnings of the children's seriously repressed pet goldfish the Cat (with the help of a couple of troll doll look-a-likes called Thing One and Thing Two) turns the house upside down then puts it all right-side-up again before the kids' mother gets home. The question for Hollywood is how to turn a story like this one that's left an indelible impression on millions of readers young and old since 1957 into a major motion picture? While the film thankfully keeps to this original's plot talking fish and all it obviously tries to flesh things out adding some new characters and tacking on a few life lessons. The kids now have very distinct personalities: Wild older brother Conrad (Spencer Breslin) plays fast and loose with the rules while sister Sally (Dakota Fanning) an uptight control freak has driven all her friends away with her rigidity. Their mother Joan (Kelly Preston) works at the town's real estate office run by the anal retentive Mr. Humberfloob (Sean Hayes) and she's dating the guy next door Quinn (Alec Baldwin) a superficial scumbag who wants to send Conrad to military school. On the particular cold wet day in question Joan leaves instructions not to mess up the house since she's having an important business meet-and-greet there later that night. When the Cat (Mike Myers) arrives he quickly assures Sally and Conrad they can have all the fun they want and nothing bad will happen. Ignoring vocal opposition from the Fish (voiced by Hayes) the Cat quickly puts into motion a series of events that will a) prove his point b) destroy the house and c) teach the kids a sugary-sweet but valuable lesson about being responsible while living life to the fullest. Just as Jim Carrey immortalized the Grinch Mike Myers seems born to play the Cat in the oversized red-and-white striped hat--he has the sly slightly sarcastic wholly anarchistic thing down cold. Myers' impersonations of a redneck Cat mechanic (with requisite visible butt crack) an infomercial Cat host and a zany British Cat chef are outrageous as are the hilarious little asides he spouts although they'll probably go over kids' heads: "Well sure [the Fish] can talk but is he really saying anything? No not really." But even though Myers has some fun moments he just isn't the Barney type and when he turns on the come-on-kids-let's-have-fun charm and adopts a dopey laugh he seems uncomfortable. As for the kids Fanning and Breslin (Disney's The Kid) do a fine job reacting to the wackiness the Cat surrounds them with although Fanning basically plays the same uptight character she created in the recent Uptown Girls. Of the supporting players Baldwin has the most fun as the villainous Quinn a bad-guy role that while a little superfluous gives Baldwin plenty of opportunities to chew the scenery. Hayes is also good in his dual role; he stamps Humberfloob indelibly on our brains then kicks butt as the voice of the beleaguered Fish. It must have been a no-brainer for producer Brian Grazer to do another Dr. Seuss adaptation after all the fun magic and profits the 2000 hit How the Grinch Stole Christmas generated. With Cat in the Hat however he didn't collaborate with his usual directing partner the Grinch's Ron Howard. Instead Grazer took a chance on first-time director Bo Welch who previously served as production designer on Tim Burton's Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands and has three Oscar nods to his credit for production design on other films. Welch certainly takes his quirky cue from Burton when it comes to the look of Cat in the Hat especially Sally and Conrad's suburban Southern California neighborhood with its lilac frames and blue roofs. The gadgets are cool too from the Cat's Super Luxurious Omnidirectional Whatchamajigger or S.L.O.W vehicle to the Dynamic Industrial Renovating Tractormajigger or D.I.R.T. mobile for cleaning up the house. When we enter the Cat's bizarre world though the film's Seussian look starts to have problems possibly because there's nothing of this place in the original book. Hidden within the feline's magical crate the Cat's world can produce "the mother of all messes " and in keeping with that purpose there's some effort at making it look like a fragmented Cubist painting. But it's more plastic than Picasso and in the end it's about as interesting as a Universal Theme Park ride (a fact the movie actually mentions).
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Box Office Analysis, Oct. 19: Leatherface Massacres Competition
October 19, 2003 1:46pm ESTThere was lots of slicing and dicing at the box office this weekend as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's Leatherface took on Kill Bill's Bride, proving that samurai sword is no match for a grungy power tool. New Line Cinema proved with its remake of Tobe Hooper's low-budget 1974 cult horror film Texas Chainsaw Massacre that there is strength in a name. The thriller, rated R for strong horror violence/gore, language and drug content, took in an insatiable $29.1 million* over the weekend, which is not surprising considering the film scored very well in its preview screenings, especially with under-25 horror aficionados. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's bloody take was also enough to make it the second best October opener of all time, bumping the comedy 2000 comedy Meet the Parents to third place. TCM follows the likes of October champ Red Dragon, which debuted in 2002 with $36.5 million; the 2000 comedy Meet the Parents, with $28.6 million; the 2002 comedy Jackass: The Movie, with $22.7 million; and the 2001 drama Training Day with $22.5 million. Last week's box office champ, Quentin Tarantino's equally brutal R rated thriller Kill Bill Vol. 1, wasn't able to fend off Leatherface's onslaught. The film came in second with a tame $12.5 million. This week's only other new wide release, the courtroom thriller Runaway Jury, debuted in third place with an expected $12.1 million, while the Jack Black comedy School of Rock rolled into fourth place with a rockin' $11.3 million. Clint Eastwood's Oscar buzz pic Mystic River, which took in an impressive $45,491 per-screen average when it debuted in 13 theaters last week, rounded out the Top Five in its first week of wide release with $10.3 million. THE TOP TEN New Line Cinema's R rated horror The Texas Chainsaw Massacre debuted with an ESTIMATED $29.1 million in 3,016 theaters with a tangible $9,649 per theater average-the highest of any film playing wide this week. In the film, a free-spirited road trip across Texas runs headlong into madness for five friends when they encounter a bizarre family and a chainsaw-wielding man known as Leatherface. Directed by Marcus Nispel, it stars Jessica Biel, Eric Balfour, Mike Vogel, Erica Leerhsen and Andrew Bryniarski. Miramax Films' R rated Kill Bill Vol. 1, last week's box office champ, came in second in its second week with an ESTIMATED $12.5 million (-43%) in 3,102 theaters (unchanged, $4,030 per theater). It's cume is approximately $43.3 Directed by Tarantino, it stars Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah and David Carradine. Twentieth Century Fox's R rated courtroom thriller Runaway Jury opened in third place with an ESTIMATED $12.1 million in 2,815 theaters with a $4,298 per theater average. In the film, the latest Grisham adaptation, a young widow brings a civil suit against a powerful gun manufacturing corporation she holds responsible for the death of her husband. Directed by Gary Fleder, it stars John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman and Rachel Weisz. Paramount Pictures' PG-13 rated comedy School of Rock, dropped two positions to No. 4 in its third week with an ESTIMATED $11.3 million (-27%) in 2,951 theaters (+22 theaters; $3,829 per theater). Its cume is approximately $55.1 million. Directed by Richard Linklater, it stars Black, Joan Cusack and Michael White. Warner Bros.' R rated drama Mystic River expanded in its second week to round out the Top Five with an ESTIMATED $10.3 million in 1,467 theaters (+1,454 theaters; $7,059 per theater). Its cume is approximately $13.4 million. The film centers on three childhood friends who share a tragic event from the past and cross paths again 25 years later when one of the men's daughters is found brutally murdered. Directed by Clint Eastwood, it stars Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden. MGM's PG rated canine comedy Good Boy! fell three spots to come in sixth in its third week with an ESTIMATED $9 million (-31%) in 3,225 theaters (unchanged; $2,791 per theater). Its cume is approximately $25.7 million. Directed by John Hoffman, it stars Liam Aiken and the vocal talents of Matthew Broderick, Brittany Murphy, Carl Reiner and Vanessa Redgrave as the dog Hubble and his four-legged friends. *Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc. Universal Pictures' PG 13 rated romantic comedy Intolerable Cruelty dropped three rungs to place seventh in its second week with an ESTIMATED $6.8 million (-45%) in 2,570 theaters (+6 theaters, $2,680 per theater). Its cume is approximately $23 million. Produced by Ethan Coen and directed by Joel Coen, it stars George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones. MGM Pictures' R rated police thriller Out of Time fell three notches to eighth place in its third week with an ESTIMATED $4.1 million (-52%) at 2,344 theaters (-732; $1,749 per theater). Its cume is approximately $35.3 million. Directed by Carl Franklin, it stars Washington, Eva Mendes, Sanaa Lathan and Dean Cain. Buena Vista's PG-13 rated romantic comedy Under the Tuscan Sun fell five notches to No. 9 in its fourth week with an ESTIMATED $3.4 million (-31%) in 1,663 theaters (-38 theaters; $2,044 per theater). Its cume is approximately $33.7 million. Directed by Audrey Wells, it stars Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Vincent Riotta and Raoul Bova. Universal Pictures' PG-13 rated jungle actioner The Rundown fell three rungs in its fourth place week to round out the Top Ten with an ESTIMATED $2.8 million (-45%) in 2,099 theaters (-724 theaters; $1,355 per theater). Its cume is approximately $44.5 million. Directed by Peter Berg, it stars The Rock, Seann William Scott, Rosario Dawson and Christopher Walken. OTHER OPENINGS Buena Vista' PG rated biopic Veronica Guerin debuted in 472 theaters with $603,000 with a soft $1,278 per theater average. In the film, set in the mid-1990s, journalist Veronica Guerin covers the powerful drug lords battling for control of the street of Dublin, Ireland. Directed by Joel Schumacher, it stars Cate Blanchett, Gerard McSorely and Ciaran Hinds. Focus Features' R rated biopic Sylvia debuted in three theaters with an ESTIMATED $52,000 with an impressive $17,333 per theater average. The film is a biopic of American poet Sylvia Plath and her turbulent marriage to a future poet laureate of England, Ted Hughes. Directed by Christine Jeffs, the film stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig. United Artists' PG-13 teen drama Pieces of April opened in six theaters with $48,000 with a strong $8,000 per theater average. In the film, 21-year-old April Burns invites her estranged, straight-laced family for Thanksgiving dinner for a disastrous evening. Directed by Peter Hedges, it stars Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson, Oliver Platt and Derek Luke. WEEKEND COMPARISON The Top 12 films this weekend grossed an ESTIMATED $105.2 million, up 7.5 percent from last weekend's $73.5 million. The Top 12 movies were also up 43 percent from this time last year when they took in $97.9 million. Last year, Dreamworks' R rated thriller The Ring debuted at No. 1 with $15 million in 1,981 theaters ($7,580 per theater); Buena Vista's PG-13 rated comedy Sweet Home Alabama also stayed in second place in its fourth week with $9.5 million in 3,282 theaters ($2,913 per theater); and Universal's R rated thriller Red Dragon followed in third place in its third week with $8.7 million in 3,307 theaters ($2,650 per theater).
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The Rundown Review
October 10, 2003 2:05pm ESTBeck (The Rock) is a "retrieval expert " someone who is paid to collect debts from deadbeats who don't pay up what they owe. Thanks in part to his physical prowess he is great at what he does but inside his hard-hitting physique is an aspiring chef: Beck occupies his time on stakeouts listening to Emeril jotting down recipes and noting pertinent information about the characteristics of porcini mushrooms. He wants to get out of his present line of work and open a restaurant but needs to (A) scrape together a lot of cash (B) break his ties with a powerful kingpin and (C) ...there is no "C." The Rundown faithfully follows The Final Mission Stratagem the plot cliché in which the protagonist must perform "one last job" that will subsequently free him from his subjugator and allow him a crime-free existence. For Beck this last task entails retrieving his boss's wiseass son Travis (Seann William Scott) from Brazil. But Travis isn't about to leave without a fight especially since he's closing in on a prized artifact deep in heart of the jungle. Beck also has some competition including Mariana (Rosario Dawson) a rebel leader posing as a downtrodden bartender and Hatcher (Christopher Walken) a maniacal despot trying to control the region who both need Travis to get to them the treasure. What makes The Rundown more entertaining than other films of its genre are the wonderful performances by stars The Rock and Scott. The Rock who made his feature acting debut in the limited role of the Scorpion King in the sequel The Mummy Returns eventually received top billing in the trilogy's third installment The Scorpion King--but his performance was marred by the shoddy dialogue. Here The Rock gets to flex his acting and comedic muscles as well as the anatomic ones. In fact moviegoers may be surprised at The Rock's range; he is convincing in the dramatic scenes the action sequences and in his comedic banter with his co-star Scott. Perhaps his training as the trash-talking WWE star--complete with signature moves like "the People's Eyebrow" (raising his right eyebrow)--makes him such a charismatic presence on the screen. Looking buffer than ever Scott best known for his role as Stiffler in the American Pie movies also churns out a truly funny performance here as Travis. The chemistry between the two stars is obvious and the humor works because neither of them is trying to be over-the-top funny. The Rundown also includes good performances by Dawson and Walken-who brings a certain credibility to the film. Actor turned writer-director Peter Berg (Very Bad Things) crafts a surprisingly entertaining actioner that delivers laugh after laugh. The adventure story based on a screenplay by James Vanderbilt (Basic Darkness Falls) is reminiscent of the Indiana Jones films-minus the xenophobic imperialist and misogynistic elements. Sure it's formulaic but there are enough surprise twists and turns to keep it interesting. Vanderbilt's script unlike the rash of buddy pics that inundated theaters this past year doesn't strays into race territory; the banter between The Rock and Scott for example has more to do with their differences in muscle mass than typical cultural innuendos and misunderstandings. What's more the two stars transform the scripted comedy into hilarious physical slapstick. In one scene Travis and Beck unsuspectingly eat a poisonous fruit (actually a chayote but it works anyways) that temporarily paralyzes them leaving the two to fend off advances from horny rain forest monkeys using menacing glares. Berg also does a fantastic job recreating this Brazilian jungle for the film which was mostly shot on the Hawaiian island of Oahu the Los Angeles Arboretum and soundstages in Van Nuys Calif.
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Box Office Analysis, Oct. 5: Jack Black Rocks!
October 05, 2003 11:25am ESTForget the Battle of the Bands! Moviegoers felt the noize this weekend as the musical comedy School of Rock won the battle at the box office with a tuneful $20.2 million*. Opening to positive reviews, the Jack Black vehicle easily outperformed Out of Time, starring Oscar winner Denzel Washington. The police thriller took in a sensible $17 million to place second. "I think it has more to do with the subject matter than the stars," Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations, told The Associated Press Sunday. "School of Rock has a younger, school-age appeal. Black's like a big kid, like an Adam Sandler-type persona. Irreverent, funny, bucks the establishment. That brings in younger audiences." Indeed. School of Rock's melodious take was also enough to make it the fifth best October opener ever, ousting the sci-fi comedy K-Pax. School of Rock follows the likes of October champ Red Dragon, which debuted in 2002 with $36.5 million; the 2000 comedy Meet the Parents, with $28.6 million; the 2002 comedy Jackass: The Movie, with $22.7 million; and the 2001 drama Training Day with $22.5 million. Last week's box office topper, the jungle actioner The Rundown, dropped to third place with $9.7 million, followed by the sun-drenched romantic comedy Under the Tuscan Sun with $7.9 million. The family drama Secondhand Lions rounded out the Top Five with tame $5.3 million. The Station Agent and Wonderland, which opened in limited runs in New York City and Los Angeles, also showed strong debuts with high per theater averages. THE TOP TEN Paramount Pictures' PG-13 rated rock 'n' roll comedy School of Rock debuted at the top of the box office this week with an impressive ESTIMATED $20.2 million in 2,614 theaters, averaging $7,728 per theater. In the film, funnyman Jack Black stars as a hell-raising guitarist who impersonates a substitute teacher and turns a class of fifth-grade high-achievers into high-voltage rock 'n' rollers. Directed by Richard Linklater, it stars Black, Joan Cusack and Michael White. MGM Pictures' R rated police thriller Out of Time premiered in second place with an ESTIMATED $17 million at 3,076 theaters, averaging $5,527 per theater. In the film, Academy Award winner Denzel Washington plays a Florida police chief whose life unravels as he begins to investigate a brutal double homicide. Directed by Carl Franklin, it stars Washington, Eva Mendes, Sanaa Lathan and Dean Cain. Universal Pictures' PG-13 rated jungle actioner The Rundown, last week's box office champ, dropped to third place in its second weekend with an ESTIMATED $9.7 million (-47%) in 3,154 theaters (+2 theaters; $3,100 per theater). Its cume is approximately $32.7 million. Directed by Peter Berg, it stars The Rock, Seann William Scott, Rosario Dawson and Christopher Walken. Buena Vista's PG-13 rated romantic comedy Under the Tuscan Sun fell two notches to No.4 in its second week with an ESTIMATED $7.9 million (-19%) in 1,697 theaters (+471 theaters; $4,661 per theater). Its cume is approximately $20.9 million. Directed by Audrey Wells, it stars Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Vincent Riotta and Raoul Bova. New Line's PG rated family drama Secondhand Lions only dropped one spot to round out the Top Five in its third week with an ESTIMATED $5.3 million (-35%) in 3,032 theaters (-6 theaters; $1,773 per theater). Its cume is approximately $30.8 million. Directed by Tim McCanlies, it stars Haley Joel Osment, Robert Duvall and Michael Caine. Sony Picture's R rated supernatural thriller Underworld tumbled three positions to take sixth place in its third week with an ESTIMATED $4.8 million (-49%) at 2715 theaters (-213 theaters; $1,768 per theater). Its cume is approximately $44.5 million. Directed by Len Wiseman, it stars Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman. *Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc. Focus Features' R rated dramedy Lost In Translation climbed three positions to place seventh in its fourth week with an ESTIMATED $4.2 million (+16%) in 864 theaters (+376 theaters; $4,393 per theater average). Its cume is approximately $14.1 million. Directed by Sofia Coppola, it stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. Paramount Picture's PG-13 rated musical comedy The Fighting Temptations dropped three rungs to No. 8 in its third week with an ESTIMATED $3.2 million (-49%) in 1,762 theaters (-264 theaters; $1,864 per theater). Its cume is approximately $24.7 million. Directed by Jonathan Lynn, it stars Cuba Gooding, Jr., Beyonce Knowles, Mike Epps and Steve Harvey. Sony Pictures' R rated sequel Once Upon a Time in Mexico fell three notches to ninth place in its fourth week with an ESTIMATED $2.5 million (-49%) in 2, 097 theaters (-825theaters; $1,216 per theater). Its cume is approximately $52.9 million. Directed by Robert Rodriguez, it stars Antonio Banderas, Johnny Depp, Salma Hayek and Willem Dafoe. Buena Vista's R rated thriller Cold Creek Manor slipped two spots to round out the Top Ten in its third week with an ESTIMATED $2.5 million (-43%) at 1,398 theaters (-97 theaters; $1,290 per theater). Its cume is approximately $18.3 million. Directed by Mike Figgis, it stars Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone, Stephen Dorff and Juliette Lewis. OTHER OPENINGS Lions Gate Releasing's R rated biopic Wonderland premiered in five theaters in New York and Los Angeles with an ESTIMATED $90,000, averaging $18,000 per theater. Directed by James Cox, it stars Val Kilmer, Lisa Kudrow, Kate Bosworth, Dylan McDermott and Josh Lucas. Miramax's R rated drama The Station Agent, meanwhile, premiered in three theaters in New York and Los Angeles with an ESTIMATED $55,500, averaging a strong $18,500 per theater. Directed by Tom McCarthy, it stars Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale, Patricia Clarkson and Michelle Williams. WEEKEND COMPARISON The Top 12 films this weekend grossed an ESTIMATED $82.1 million, up 2.9 percent from last weekend's $79.8 million. The Top 12 movies, however, were down 18.67 percent from this time last year when they took in $101 million. Last year, Universal's R rated thriller Red Dragon came in at No. 1 in its opening week with $36.5 million in 3,357 theaters ($10,855 per theater); Buena Vista's PG-13 rated comedy Sweet Home Alabama came in second place in its second week with $21.3 million in 3,303 theaters (+10 theaters; $6,456 per theater); and DreamWorks' PG-13 rated comedy The Tuxedo finished third in its second week with $10 million at 2,051 theaters (unchanged; $4,893 per theater).
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Box Office Analysis, Sept. 28: The Rock "Run"s Away With It
September 28, 2003 12:35pm ESTThis weekend's box office competition has been Rundown. The action-comedy The Rundown, starring the formidable The Rock, premiered at the top of the box office this weekend with $18.5 million*, while the sun shined on another newcomer, the escapist Under the Tuscan Sun, which opened in second place with $9.406 million. The Rundown shoved last week's headliner Underworld back to No. 3 with $9.4 million, while the sappy Secondhand Lion only tepidly growled into fourth place with $8.2 million. The toe-tappin' The Fighting Temptations rounded out the top five with $6.4 million. The other wide release, the mean-spirited Duplex, only managed seventh place with a measly $4.4 million, while the indie tearjerker My Life Without Me opened in limited theaters with $40,199. THE TOP TEN Universal Pictures' PG-13-rated The Rundown reigned supreme in its opening weekend with an ESTIMATED $18.5 million in 3,152 theaters, averaging $5,869 per theater. The Rock plays a bounty hunter who heads to Brazil to retrieve his kingpin boss's son. But before long, the two must team up in order to escape hidden traps and obstacles they encounter in the jungle. Directed by Peter Berg, it also stars Seann William Scott, Rosario Dawson and Christopher Walken. Buena Vista's PG-13-rated Under the Tuscan Sun made a sweet debut at No. 2 with an ESTIMATED $9.4 million in a much smaller release--only 1,226 theaters--making its $7,672 per theater average the highest of any film playing wide this week. In this romantic comedy, a wounded divorcee searches for true love when she pulls up roots and impetuously buys a villa in scenic Tuscany. Directed by Audrey Wells, it stars Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Vincent Riotta and Raoul Bova. Sony Picture's R-rated supernatural thriller Underworld went back under, relinquishing its top spot to take No. 3 with an ESTIMATED $9.4 million (-57%) at 2,928 theaters (+13 theaters; $3,210 per theater). In its second week, the vampires vs. werewolves thriller has accumulated approximately $37 million. Directed by Len Wiseman, it stars Kate Beckinsale and Scott Speedman. New Line's PG-rated Secondhand Lions fell two spots to fourth with an ESTIMATED $8.2 million (-32%) in 3,038 theaters (+25 theaters; $2,716 per theater). In its second week, the family drama about two grumpy uncles and their precocious nephew has taken in approximately $23.4 million. Directed by Tim McCanlies, it stars Haley Joel Osment, Robert Duvall and Michael Caine. Paramount Picture's PG-13-rated The Fighting Temptations dropped two rungs to fifth place in its second week with an ESTIMATED $6.4 million (-45%) in 2,026 theaters (unchanged; $3,196 per theater). The church choir singin', finger snappin' musical has accumulated $20.2 million. Directed by Jonathan Lynn, it stars Cuba Gooding, Jr., Beyonce Knowles, Mike Epps and Steve Harvey. *Box office estimates provided by Exhibitor Relations, Inc. Sony Pictures' R-rated sequel Once Upon a Time in Mexico came in sixth place in its third week with an ESTIMATED $5.1 million (-54%) in 2.922 theaters (-367 theaters; $1,745 per theater). Its cume is approximately $49 million. Directed by Robert Rodriguez, it stars Antonio Banderas, Johnny Depp, Salma Hayek and Willem Dafoe. Miramax's PG-13-rated black comedy Duplex debut at No. 7 with an ESTIMATED $4.4 million in 2,189 theaters, with a $2,018 per theater average. A young New York couple buys the perfect brownstone duplex--too bad they have to share it with a nasty old lady who lives upstairs. Directed by Danny DeVito, it stars Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore. In another dream-house-turned-nightmare, Buena Vista's R-rated thriller Cold Creek Manor slipped three spots to eighth place in its second week with an ESTIMATED $4.3 million (-48%) at 2,035 theaters (unchanged; $2,113 per theater). Its cume is $14.5 million. Directed by Mike Figgis, it stars Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone, Stephen Dorff and Juliette Lewis. Warner Bros.' PG-13-rated drama Matchstick Men dropped three places in its third week to take the No. 9 position with an ESTIMATED $4.2 million (-43%) in 2,666 theaters (-45 theaters; $1,607 per theater). Its cume is approximately $30.6 million. Directed by Ridley Scott, it stars Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell and Alison Lohman. In its third week of release, Focus Features' R-rated dramatic comedy Lost In Translation rounded out the Top Ten for the second week in a row with an ESTIMATED $3.5 million (+34%) in 488 theaters (+305 theaters; $7,217 per theater average). It cume is approximately $8.4 million. Directed by Sofia Coppola, it stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. OTHER OPENINGS Sony Pictures Classics' R-rated My Life Without Me opened in seven theaters with an ESTIMATED $40,199, earning a $5,743 per theater average. The film follows the life of a 23-year-old woman who has two kids, lives in a trailer and works a blue-collar job. When she's told she only has a few months to live, she decides to live what time she has left to the fullest. Directed by Isabel Coixet, it stars Sarah Polley, Scott Speedman, Deborah Harry and Mark Ruffalo. WEEKEND COMPARISON Overall, the box office numbers fell considerably from last weekend. The Top 12 films this weekend grossed an ESTIMATED $79 million, down 12.26 percent from last weekend, when they grossed $91.7 million. The Top 12 movies were also down nearly 14 percent from this time last year when they took in $90.1 million. Last year's top three included: Buena Vista's PG-13-rated romantic comedy Sweet Home Alabama premiered in the top spot with $35.6 million in 3,293 theaters ($10,826 per theater); Dreamworks' PG-13-rated spy comedy The Tuxedo debuted in second place with $15 million in 3,022 theaters ($4,980 per theater); and MGM's riotous PG-13-rated Barbershop slipped to No. 3 in its third week with $10 million in 2,051 theaters (+ 157 theaters; $4,880 per theater).
