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Box Office: Quantum Leaps Into First

BuzzSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:30:29 -0800

The new James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, leaped to box office success in its opening weekend, coming in at No. 1 with an estimated $70.4 million. This was a record breaker, in fact: According to Variety, it was "the biggest opening ever for a James Bond title and a major victory for a film franchise nearly half a century old."

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa came in at No. 2, followed by Role Models, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, and Changeling rounding out the top five.

Another movie earning a bunch of buzz, Slumdog Millionaire, also did well over the weekend in a limited opening. I'm excited to see that one myself. Did you head out to see Bond? What did you think?

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Box Office: Madagascar Wins Lion's Share of the Bucks

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:30:09 -0800

The animated sequel Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa was a big hit with audiences over the weekend, earning a whopping $63.5 million. In fact, it set some records and "narrowly scored the best opening of the year for a family toon, as well as the seventh best bow of all time." Madagascar 2 just barely surpassed Wall-E which brought in $63 million its opening weekend.

In the No. 2 spot came the Paul Rudd comedy Role Models that exceeded expectations with an estimated $19.3 million. High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Changeling, and Zack and Miri Make a Porno rounded out the top five followed by Soul Men, which opened at No. 6.

Picture courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Buzz In: What's Your Biggest Movie-going Disaster?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:30:31 -0700

In Utah recently, a movie theater full of parents and kids expecting to watch Disney's family-appropriate High School Musical 3 were instead treated to the beginning of the R-rated flick Sex Drive. Apparently, the opening few minutes of the movie include nudity so parents didn't even have a chance to shield their youngsters. Understandably, folks were horrified:

"I could not carry my little children out before they were exposed to extremely vulgar and sexually explicit material," one parent complained in an e-mail to the Desert News.

That's a pretty big (though kinda amusing) movie-going disaster, I'd say. My disaster stories aren't quite so traumatic, though still entertaining. On the opening weekend of the new Star Wars movie a few years ago (you know, with mega-fans dressed up as characters) the film totally burnt out at a climactic moment toward the end. The audience completely freaked out - l turned around in time to spot a Sith angrily trying to climb into the projection booth. I also once went to a showing of Sin City only to have Million Dollar Baby come onscreen.

What are your movie-going disasters?

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Box Office: High School Musical Dances to No. 1

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:00:23 -0700

We knew High School Musical was a huge television hit but now it's a bona fide silver screen success. The third installment of the perky Disney musical bonanza scored the top spot at the box office over the weekend, earning an estimated $42 million.

Meanwhile, Saw V did excellent business over the weekend as well, earning an estimated $30.5 million in the No. 2 spot. Variety notes that both titles were record breakers:

The top two films each entered record territory. Disney’s High School is by far the biggest musical bow ever, besting Mamma Mia! Lionsgate’s Saw franchise is within $2 million of eclipsing Friday the 13th to become the top-grossing horror series ever.

Max Payne and Beverly Hills Chihuahua came in at No. 3 and No. 4 respectively, with the top five being rounded out by the Ed Norton cop thriller Pride & Glory.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

HSM 3 Heads to Big Screen; Senior Year Is Tough, Step-Ball-Change

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:31:18 -0800

According to a Disney press release, the High School Musical kids are heading to the big screen for their senior year. High School Musical 3: Senior Year will hit theaters Oct. 24 and reunite teeny bopper faves Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman.

Walt Disney Studios Production president Oren Aviv stated, "This latest musical adventure delivers lots of great new entertainment on an even grander scale. Kenny Ortega brings his enormous talents to this project and Peter Barsocchini has come up with a wonderfully inventive script that delivers plenty of delights and surprises."

Surprises! What kinds of surprises? "[The movie] finds high school seniors Troy and Gabriella facing the prospect of being separated from one another as they head off in different directions to college. Joined by the rest of the Wildcats, they stage an elaborate spring musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about their future." If there's anything to be learned from the HSM movies it's that there's nothing in life - or high school! - so difficult it can't be resolved with a reflective musical.

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