July 15, 2018

Bruce Willis Says ‘Die Hard’ Isn’t a Christmas Movie

If you’ve literally ever seen “Die Hard” referenced online or by a certain kind of movie buff out in the wild, you’re no doubt familiar with the argument that it’s not only a Christmas movie but one of the best of its kind. During his Comedy Central Roast last night, Bruce Willis set the record straight by saying the beloved action flick isn’t a Christmas movie — “it’s a god damn Bruce Willis movie!”

As is tradition, Willis didn’t say much else during the taping; that task was left to the likes of Edward Norton, Lil Rel Howery, host Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and even Willis’ ex-wife Demi Moore. It sounds as though Moore’s surprise appearance got the best reaction, which is unsurprising given lines like this: “I was married to Bruce for the first three ‘Die Hard’ movies, which makes sense because the last two sucked.” She also joked that their 12-year marriage provided “some of the best times of my life” and lauded Willis as “easily one of my top three husbands.”

He did briefly take the stage at the end, however. “If you’re a fan of Bruce Willis movies and I know you are, then you know how this works,” the actor said. “I get the shit beat out of me for about an hour and a half, and then at the end I come back and whip everybody’s ass.” The Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis airs on July 29.

Source: IndieWire film

July 15, 2018

‘Eighth Grade’ Scores as ‘Sorry to Bother You’ Breaks Out at Specialty Box Office

Narrative live action has struggled at the 2018 specialty box office; so far the top titles are either animated or documentary. But that has suddenly changed. “Eighth Grade” (A24) had a sensational two-city initial response. And “Sorry to Bother You” (Annapurna) expanded rapidly with continued strong results. Meantime serious drama “Leave No Trace” (Bleecker Street) successfully added more theaters to bring the indie count to three non-documentary hits.

Not that documentaries have peaked. “Three Identical Strangers” (Neon) is also breaking through to a wider public.

Yes, there were several major successes, but this summer lineup offered narrow appeal, leaving out more sophisticated fare. It’s too soon to celebrate. But after a worrisome first half of the year, summer brings upbeat news.

Opening

Eighth Grade (A24) – Metacritic: 90; Festivals include: Sundance, South by Southwest 2018

$252,284 in 4 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $63,071

Top level reviews (at the level of “The Rider” and “First Reformed”) clicked big time in initial four city dates. Among films to only open in New York and Los Angeles, “Eighth Grade” is the top specialized opener for the year (its PTA is better than “Isle of Dogs” and “Sorry to Bother You” because those films took more cities initially).

This marks another initial triumph for A24, which not coincidentally also plays to a younger rather than conventional older art house crowd. Its shared experience of late middle school trauma, particularly among women, clearly resonated initially.

What comes next: This looks like it has the credentials to quickly expand and face the sequel-dominated studio releases.

Sundance

Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot (Amazon) – Metacritic: 68; Festivals include: Sundance, San Francisco, Seattle 2018

$83,120 in 4 theaters; PTA: $20,780

This is veteran director Gus Van Sant’s best limited opening since “Milk” nearly a decade ago. The director returns to his roots for this adaptation of the autobiography of a Portland-based cartoonist with a drinking problem who resists change even after a catastrophic accident lands him in a wheelchair. A top cast including Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, and Jonah Hill add to the appeal. Reviews were Van Sant’s best since “Milk.” This got top theater play in its initial New York/Los Angeles dates, with the certainty that Amazon will aggressively market this ahead. The initial results are a bit less than half of their earlier 2018 release of the Phoenix-starring “You Were Never Really Here.”

What comes next: The national expansion starts this Friday.

Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti (Cohen) – Metacritic: 55

$35,607 in 9 theaters; PTA: $3,956; Cumulative: $43,820

Veteran French actor Vincent Lindon portrays the artist in his South Pacific days. This film centers on his relationship as a middle-aged man with a teenage local girl. It opened last Wednesday in New York, with some added theaters Friday. The reviews were mixed at best, with grosses following suit.

What comes next: This opens at other top art houses over the next few weeks nationally.

Milford Graves Full Mantis (Cinema Guild) – Metacritic: 78; Rotterdam, South by Southwest 2018

$8,515 in 1 theater; PTA: $8,515

This week’s entry about an avant-garde jazz pioneer joins the array of documentaries about important but not widely known creative figures. It opened at Manhattan’s Metrograph Theater to some good reviews (including a New York Times critics’ pick) and positive initial gross.

What comes next: Los Angeles and San Francisco open on July 27 with limited engagements in other cities ahead.

Dark Money (PBS) – Metacritic: 67; Festivals include: Sundance 2018

$8,100 in 1 theater; PTA: $8,100

This documentary about the impact of unrestricted campaign financing on Montana’s elections opened to a decent response in one Manhattan theater.

What comes next: Washington opens this Friday, with other large cities opening over the summer. It will eventually show on PBS, but seeing it in theaters is recommended since that outlet normally edits its films to fit a 90 minute slot (this film is 99 minutes).

 

Week Two

Sorry to Bother You (Annapurna)

$4,258,000 in 805 theaters (+789); PTA: $5,289; Cumulative: $5,323,000

The quick expansion of Boots Riley’s genre-bending comedy a la “Get Out” managed to land at #7 overall despite playing in only 805 theaters. The gross is similar to that of another Oakland-set film, Ryan Coogler’s breakout “Fruitvale Station,” when it went national in its third weekend. These are strong numbers, but it will take another week before we get a sense of its ultimate appeal.

Roadside Attractions

Whitney (Roadside Attractions)

$535,385 in 408 theaters (-43); PTA: $1,115; Cumulative: $2,358,000

One documentary not getting top results, the second weekend for this close look at Whitney Houston’s life is performing at a level that suggests it has taken in most of its gross.

Yellow Submarine (Abramorama) (reissue) Week 2

$84,739 in 79 theaters (-109); PTA: $1,068; Cumulative: $460,961

50 years after its initial release, the classic Beatles animated movie was released as a special event last Sunday, with this weekend seeing some holdover dates adding revenue.

 

Ongoing/expanding (grosses over $50,000)

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Focus) Week 6

$1,885,000 in 868 theaters (-25); Cumulative: $15,823,000

The Fred Rogers documentary continues to hold well, falling only about 25 percent as it settles in at theaters, down slightly from its widest point. This will easily top $20 million.

Three Identical Strangers (Neon) Week 3

$1,181,000 in 170 theaters (+119); Cumulative: $2,518,000

The third-week expansion for this documentary about separated triplets continues strong. The number is close to the second weekend for “RBG” at the same number of theaters. This looks like it is already breaking out with a shot at becoming the third documentary of the year to top $10 million.

Leave No Trace (Bleecker Street) Week 3

$1,159,000 in 311 theaters (+274); Cumulative: $2,122,000

Debra Granik’s first film since “Winter’s Bone” in only its third weekend goes to more than double the widest point since that Best Picture nominee. It had a decent Saturday night uptick, which suggests it is finding its core older audience. Bleecker quickly expanded, with major competition from other recent openers ahead. This looks like Bleecker’s best limited opening title since “The Lost City of Z” last spring.

RBG (Magnolia) Week 11    12518 in 176

$(est.) 240,000 in 125 theaters (-51); Cumulative: $(est.) 12,757,000

Nearly three months into its release, the Ruth Bader Ginsberg documentary continues to find new viewers.

Hearts Beat Loud (Gunpowder & Sky) Week 6

$131,025 in 131 theaters (-38); Cumulative: $2,116,000

Another Sundance premiere had some impact, as this father/daughter musician story should top $2.5 million.

The Cakemaker (Strand) Week 3

$(est.) 95,000 in 23 theaters (+13); Cumulative: $(est.) 246,000

The early stages of this poignant Israeli film with a gay twist are showing signs of real interest and the chance that this could end up among the top specialized subtitled releases of the year.

American Animals (The Orchard) Week 7

$78,408 in 78 theaters (-57); Cumulative: $2,714,000

The late stages of this true crime recreation look to get it close to a $3 million take.

Boundaries (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4

$77,667 in 145 theaters (-79); Cumulative: $557,169

Christopher Plummer’s west coast family caravan is having a quick fade with a gross below a million looking likely.

The Catcher Was a Spy (IFC) Week 4

$52,178 in 46 theaters (-6); Cumulative: $578,104

Based on a true story, this thriller about the major league player who worked undercover during World War II took a big drop after some steady numbers at limited theaters.

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Source: IndieWire film

July 15, 2018

Spike Lee Directed Five Short Films for Uber Because He Just Loves Brooklyn That Damn Much — Watch

There are many ways to fight the power, and one of them is directing short films for Uber. Spike Lee has teamed up with the ride-sharing company for “Uber Presents Da Republic of Brooklyn,” a series of five shorts highlighting the men and women behind the wheel in the filmmaker’s favorite borough of New York — and lest you fear that this is another example of Uber not doing right by its employees, the company has specified that all drivers were compensated for their participation in the project.

“I was attracted to this project because I know a lot of people who drive on the Uber platform and it gives them the flexibility they need to pursue their dreams,” Lee says in a statement. “That’s how we do it in Brooklyn – that’s the Brooklyn hustle.” 2018 has proven to be Lee’s best year in quite some time, as his “BlacKkKlansman” premiered at Cannes and won great acclaim — as well as the festival’s coveted Grand Prix.

The five films — “Malka,” “Sunny,” “Domingo,” “Keith,” and “Rodney” are all available to watch on Uber Presents. “BlacKkKlansman,” meanwhile, arrives in theaters on August 10.

Source: IndieWire film

July 15, 2018

Disney Will Control 40% of the Box Office If It Buys Fox, Becoming the ‘Walmart of Hollywood’

Disney spent a whopping $71.3 billion to acquire most of 21st Century Fox, and by most accounts the Mouse House getting a lot of bang for its buck: “Avatar,” “Deadpool,” and the “X-Men” franchise are all part of the deal. If the acquisition ultimately goes through, according to CNN’s number-crunchers, Disney will control a full 40 percent of the box office.

That’s good news for fans who want to see Wolverine in a Marvel movie, but not everyone is celebrating.

“They’ll have so much share, that it will seem to give them leverage up and down the supply chain,” Barton Crockett of FBR Capital Markets tells CNN. “It’s what happens in a world where one studio, mainly Disney, is having outsized success in doubling down on its investments, and most of the other studios seem to be on their heels a bit when it comes to making movies.”

Some of Disney’s most profitable properties are acquisitions: It bought Lucasfilm for $2.2 billion in 2012 and Pixar for an all-stock deal of $7.4 billion in 2006.

“If they continue to grow their share of domestic box office, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that they’d have leverage over time to get an even higher share of movie receipts,” Crockett adds, saying it would make Disney the “Walmart of Hollywood.”

“If a major studio suddenly disappears, that’s a huge concern for theater owners,” Jeff Bock  a senior box-office analyst at Exhibitor Relations, says. Fox stockholders will vote on whether or not to approve that happening on July 27.

Source: IndieWire film

July 14, 2018

10 Things You Should Do to Your New Camera Before You Shoot

You just got a new camera? Sweet! But before you go out and shoot, you might want to do these 10 pretty boring things.There’s nothing quite like the …
Source: CW’s Flipboard Feed