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Box Office: Audiences Find Paul Blart Arresting

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:15:08 -0800

Over a weekend that produced way higher box office returns than expected, the Kevin James comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop was the big winner, debuting to the tune of $33.8 million. This is just counting the Friday-Sunday box office, and studios will rake in even more on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Across the board, the box office for this holiday weekend is up 31% over last year (and again, this is just Friday-Sunday). The 3-D horror flick My Bloody Valentine opened in third place with $21.9 million, just barely pushing out another newcomer, Notorious, which earned $21.5 million. As Lionsgate points out, "3-D runs turned in revenues four times greater than conventional runs, thanks to higher ticket prices."

Ahead of both of those with $22.2 million, however, is the little Clint Eastwood film that could: Gran Torino. And rounding out the top five in fifth place is the new family film, Hotel for Dogs with $17.7 million.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Buzz News Roundup, 9/26

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:37:31 -0700

"Nashville" is the first new series to be yanked from the TV schedule this fall, writes Zap2it, though Fox claims it will be rescheduled down the line.
Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon are looking to finance The Human Factor, the Nelson Mandela film starring Morgan Freeman as Mandela, writes ComingSoon. Eastwood would also direct the film and Damon might star in it alongside Freeman.
Reba McEntire is enjoying the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for the first time ever with her album Reba Duets, Billboard reports. She beat out both Kanye and 50 Cent.
Set your TiVos for Bravo's mini-marathon of six "30 Rock" episodes on Sunday afternoon! The Futon Critic has the details.
According to Variety, The Nielsen Company is looking to launch an "online social network" where TV enthusiasts can discuss what they think is working and not working - with studios and networks listening in.
Bright Eyes has been working hard to prepare for the concert this weekend in which he'll play with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, writes Billboard.
"Nip/Tuck" creator Ryan Murphy has a new show headed for Fox, Zap2it reports, while the Hollywood Reporter says the network also has two cop series in the works.
Meanwhile, over at NBC, a new reality show called "My Dad is Better Than Your Dad" will soon be in the lineup, and all the details are at the Futon Critic.
Kevin James will write, produce and star in a comedy titled Mall Cop, writes Hollywood Reporter.
Jay-Z's Rocawear brand is among the bidders for naming rights to the New Jersey Nets' arena, the Associated Press reports.
And finally: Remember that whole thing where Apple claimed it wouldn't sell new NBC shows on iTunes? Curiously, "Chuck" and "Journeyman" are available there now anyway.

Photo courtesy of Fox

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:30:19 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. Check out this week's picks!

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
I admittedly wasn't a fan of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past when it came out in theaters, but it may be worth considering if you're in the mood for a romantic comedy that doesn't make you think too much. The premise: When playboy Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) attends his brother's wedding, he runs into his first love Jenny (Jennifer Garner), setting off a Christmas Carol-like chain of events, complete with ghosts. Yes, the plot's contrived and Connor is incredibly smarmy, but I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, especially Emma Stone as an 80's ghost with a bad perm and Michael Douglas as Connor's Lothario uncle.

27%

Two more up next, so read more.

Observe and Report
Observe and Report follows a self-important, semi-delusional mall security cop (Seth Rogen) who flips out when he realizes he may not become a police officer - or win over the makeup counter girl of his dreams (Anna Faris). When I first reviewed it, I was surprised by how dark the film turned out to be for a Rogen and Faris comedy. Still, it does have a few laugh-worthy moments, and Rogen fans will probably want to add this to their must-see list.

51%

Lymelife
Set in the 1970s, Lymelife is an ensemble drama that follows two families in a Long Island neighborhood dealing with a Lyme disease scare. It boasts a decent ensemble cast, including Cynthia Nixon, Alec Baldwin, and Timothy Hutton, but Rory Culkin (yes, Macaulay's brother) is the heart of the film as a 15-year-old struggling in the midst of messed-up chaos. (Emma Roberts also turns in a memorable performance as his crush.) The reviews were mixed when the film released in theaters, but if twisted suburbia is your thing (i.e., American Beauty or The Ice Storm), then Lymelife is worth checking out. Bonus material includes an alternate ending.

54%