Blogcritics

Box Office Update 1/2-1/4: Marley & Me Stays on Top to Open 2009 Campaign

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 15:34:47 EST

This week, just like the last one.
2009 got off to a pretty good start this past weekend with a chart that almost perfectly mirrors the lineup that closed out 2008. No new films entered wide release so there was little competition. What I find surprising is how well all of the returning films did. Across the board the films showed strongly compared to last week. Even the one film...

Box Office Udate 12/26-12/28: Marley & Me Charms the Holiday

Chris Beaumont — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:27:58 EST

2008 goes out with a flash of life.
We are in the home stretch of 2008. The final weekend of the year showed some signs of life as the top four films topped the $20 million mark. Frankly, I find myself rather surprised by the surprising potency of the weekend, although I guess I shouldn't be. There is a nice blend of art house and mainstream gracing the cineplex and there are...

Box Office Update 12/19-12/21: Jim Carrey's Yes Man Tops Tepid Box

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:54:38 EST

December's box office trudges on.
To say this December's box office is a little on the light side would be an understatement. This month is becoming less and less impressive. Of course, the cinematic offerings Hollywood has been giving us are less than stellar on the national scale. On the small scale there are worthwhile (presumably) films out there like Milk, Slumdog...

Box Office Update 12/12-12/14: The Day the Earth Stood Still Rises to the Top

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:50:11 EST

Lackluster box office shines a dull light on December.
This weekend, and December in general, is off to a rather weak start. It is a state that is likely to carry through the end of the year as the slate of offerings seems to be less compelling than we would like. This weekend was topped by the opening of the expected blockbuster The Day the Earth Stood Still, a science fiction remake of a great film...

Box Office Update 12/5-12/7: Four Christmases Holds Strong

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 9 Dec 2008 18:08:16 EST

Christmas takes the top spot while action flounders.
The box has been counted and the numbers are out and they are not pretty. Well, not as pretty as many would like them to be, but they are up over the past few years when viewed as a whole rather than in parts. You see, despite the relatively low grosses of the individual films in the top ten, this past weekend is generally seen as the transitional...

Box Office Update 11/28-11/30: Four Christmases Proves to be a Winner

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 2 Dec 2008 06:42:48 EST

Twilight slips while Vince and Reese ride high.
This holiday weekend was not a big winner, as it slipped below last week's combined total, but it was not a complete bust as three films topped the $25 million mark. I have to say that the overall state of mainstream cinema is not all that great. Yes, there are good films but we're missing that spark that a big, tent-pole style film would...

Box Office Update: Twilight Leads the Way

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:23:42 EST

Toothless vampires rule the weekend.
Twilight has turned out to be quite the phenomenon, no? The tween vampire adaptation has turned into a monstrous hit, filling the hole (at least for one weekend) left by the moving of Harry Potter to warmer climates. The romance nearly topped the $70 million mark, making it the fifth biggest November open of all time. This is also the third...

Box Office Update 11/14-11/16: James Bond Finds His Quantum of Solace

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:05:29 EST

This weekend was all Bond.
This weekend James Bond was off to the races. The highly anticipated sequel to the 2006 hit Casino Royale proved to be a big hit with audiences although it needs to be said that it seems that the film's esteem among Bond-o-philes is coming in lower than among non-die hards. I understand where the sentiment is coming from, although I also...

Box Office Update 11/7-11/9: Madagascar 2 Escapes to the Top

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:58:13 EST

November gets off to a pretty good start with its new animated offering.
As expected, Dreamworks' latest animated feature climbed to the top of the box office heap in what can be termed a decisive victory. Its opening weekend gross is more than triple that of its nearest competitor. It may not be the best example of the genre, but it does show that families are thirsty for entertainment and the Chihuahua craze has...

Box Office Recap 10/31-11/2: High School Musical 3 Retains the Top Spot

Chris Beaumont — Tue, 4 Nov 2008 17:32:56 EST

Musicals, pornos, and gore. Quite the combination.
Last week's box office chart was topped by strong openings for both High School Musical 3: Senior Year and Saw V. Both sold out shows at theaters across the nation on their way to a comfortable spot atop the charts and a commanding lead over all other nationally released films. This week saw one of those two, High School Musical 3, retain a...