(Photo by new Line Cinema/ courtesy Everett Collection)
Considering how often Jackie Chan movie titles were changed on their journey to America, it’s understandable to be confused going through his films – even after you’ve watched them. Like, did Operation Condor 2 come out before the first Operation Condor? Is Supercop actually part of the Police Story franchise? How many “new” Police Stories are there, anyways? This is alleviated by the fact that you could just throw your hands up and pick a random Jackie Chan movie from the ’80s and, chances are, it’s gonna be pretty dang good. Police Story and Police Story 2 were made during this decade (and have been added to The Criterion Collection), along with Project A, Project A2, and Armour of God – all representing an explosive debut of a relentless entertainer willing to leap off buildings, hang on the sides of fast-moving vehicles, avoiding heavy lethal objects at the last second, and do just about every punishing stunt conceivable for our enjoyment.
And the batting average for Jackie Chan movies in the ’90s is nothing to scoff at either. This was the era that brought him international fame, starting with 1995’s Rumble in the Bronx, which led to more eyes on previous films, like Legend of the Drunken Master, and the projects that followed, like Supercop. And Chan resurrected the buddy action/comedy with Owen Wilson in Shanghai Noon, and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour, where people to this day are still hoping for a third sequel. (Fun fact: Rotten Tomatoes founder Senh Duong was inspired to create the site after an inconvenient night searching for reviews on movies like First Strike and Who Am I?. So no Jackie Chan, no Rotten Tomatoes. And then where would we be? The dark ages, that’s where.)
After a string of mediocre big-budget Hollywood affairs (The Tuxedo, The Medallion, and The Spy Next Door among them), Chan has mainly been working in China, continuing to produce, direct, and explore more dramatic roles. And with Rumble in the Bronx celebrating the 25th anniversary of its American release, we’re taking a look back (stretching first, so as to not hurt ourselves) on every Jackie Chan movie and ranking them by Tomatometer!
This week on streaming video, the long-awaited new entry in the Star Wars franchise is available for purchase, while a few Certified Fresh indies and popular shows are available on subscription services. Read on for the full list.
This horror film centers on a man who wakes up one day to find that he’s held hostage in his apartment by mysterious figures in hazmat suits who claim an outbreak is in progress.
Available now on: Amazon Prime
Fred Armisen and Bill Hader deliver a series of half-hour documentary parodies, sending up the likes of Grey Gardens, Nanook of the North, and The Thin Blue Line.
Available now on: Netflix
This Certified Fresh drama stars Gregg Turkington as an aging comedian who performs in a series of hostile clubs across the nation and meets some interesting folks along the way.
Available now on: Netflix
Nominated for several critics awards this year — and a BAFTA — Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s Certified Fresh period martial arts drama stars Shu Qi as an assassin conflicted about her profession who is ordered to kill someone from her romantic past.
Available now on: Netflix
In this martial arts extravaganza, a kid who’s the target of bullies is magically transported to ancient China, where he joins Jackie Chan and Jet Li on a mission to save the Monkey King (Li again) and defeat and evil warlord.
Available now on: Netflix
After a detour into crime during season five, Archer, Lana, and the gang return to familiar themes, working with the CIA in season six.
Available now on: Hulu
Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan star in Hulu’s original drama about a family living within a cultish religious community. The season premieres on Wednesday, March 30th.
Available 3/30 on: Hulu
The latest series from showrunner extraordinaire Shonda Rhimes centers on a private investigator who becomes a victim of fraud when her fiancé cons her.
Available now on: Hulu
You may have heard a thing or two about this one. Daisy Ridley stars as Rey, a capable scavenger who teams up with disgraced soldier Finn (John Boyega) to help locate Luke Skywalker before the First Order, a new evil empire, can track him down. Along the way, they run into some formidable foes and friendly faces.
A hero flies into North American multiplexes aiming to kickstart what should be an explosive summer movie season. Paramount’s Iron Man is first up to bat this year and is ready to rock the box office and get moviegoers back into the theaters after a lackluster spring season. As a non-sequel, it won’t reach the dizzying heights of last May’s trio of threequels, but the comic book flick will create a new franchise and give audiences starving for excitement something to rally behind. Sony offers an alternative in the form of the wedding-themed romantic comedy Made of Honor which hopes to play to an older and more female crowd. The overall box office will be nowhere near the towering levels of last year when Spider-Man 3 shattered the all-time opening weekend record, but the summer movie season will still get off to a solid start nonetheless with many more blockbusters right around the corner.
Marvel Studios unveils its first self-financed film with Iron Man which stars Robert Downey Jr. as billionaire playboy Tony Stark who becomes the metal-clad super hero after a near-death experience. The PG-13 film also stars Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges while Gwyneth Paltrow snags the coveted ‘and’ credit. Directed by Jon Favreau, the action film will play to a broad audience although males should outnumber the ladies. The Iron Man character is not as universally known as Spider-Man or Superman so many moviegoers may wait on the sidelines at first. But the comic crowd is big enough that those with a sense of urgency will power the film to stellar numbers this weekend. The marketing push from Paramount and from the film’s promotional partners has been loud and aggressive.
The first weekend of May represents one of the most valuable pieces of real estate on the calendar. History has shown that the right tentpole film can pull in astounding amounts of money given the public’s hunger for a great event film coupled with the fact that no other big movies are out yet. With all other summer contenders still on deck, a film can grab that fourth or fifth screen within a multiplex to absorb all consumer demand upfront. Studios plant their flags early to scare away the competition which is why it should come as no surprise that Fox has already claimed the frame next year for its X-Men Origins: Wolverine while Disney will get May 2010 going with The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Opening weekend grosses for the biggest early May blockbusters that kicked off the summer before last year include $114.8M for 2002’s Spider-Man, $85.6M for 2003’s X2: X-Men United, and $68.1M for 2001’s The Mummy Returns. All those films were effects-driven action titles that faced zero competition when they debuted and seized control over the maximum possible screens within multiplexes. At today’s ticket prices, those figures would be roughly $135M, $97M, and $82M respectively. Iron Man is in a similar situation as it has a built-in audience even though it’s not a sequel.
Many in the media have speculated that this week’s release of the Grand Theft Auto IV video game will soften Iron Man‘s opening weekend potential because of the vast overlap in audiences. While some small impact may be felt, this should not be too much of an issue since the super hero film is a must-see event movie and fans will find the time to go and see it over the weekend.
Critics have been praising Iron Man as well as its star and director. Strong reviews certainly can’t hurt, but they do not necessarily indicate how big of a blockbuster this will be. The nation’s top critics are mostly in the over-40 demographic which is certainly not the major group that buys tickets for these kinds of movies. So just because Richard Roeper gives a thumbs up, it doesn’t mean that the 15-year-old in Atlanta, the 20-year-old in Phoenix, or the 25-year-old in St. Louis will be satisfied with the product. Sure Downey’s acting is solid as usual, but the film does not pack as much action as fans are expecting and that could hurt in the long run.
Adding to the mix on opening weekend are the early previews that begin at 8pm on Thursday night. Hardcore fans will no doubt rush out to these shows and open up seats over the Friday-to-Sunday period to others who are not in as much of a rush. Last May ahead of the Memorial Day holiday session, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End pulled in a gargantuan $13.2M from its heavily-advertised Thursday night shows starting at the same time. Given the higher anticipation levels and the later date when more college students were on break, that figure will not be matched by Iron Man. Transformers also launched a night early with 8pm shows last July taking in $8.8M on a Monday when students of all ages were out of school. Tony Stark may also come in lower than that figure too given the calendar differences.
Blasting off in more than 3,800 theaters, Iron Man could open to about $77M over the Friday-to-Sunday period and around $83M when adding in Thursday night grosses.
Dempsey has a chance to test his solo starpower at the box office now that’s he’s risen to stardom again thanks to Grey’s Anatomy. However female starpower is lacking as Monaghan is no major draw. Bad reviews will turn away some folks too. Competition will come mostly from Universal’s pair of hit comedies Baby Mama and Forgetting Sarah Marshall which are both pulling in healthy numbers simultaneously. Honor‘s overall marketing push has been strong and has targeted women effectively. Long-term prospects could be iffy given the debut next week of What Happens in Vegas starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. But for now, a solid second place opening right behind the main guest of honor seems appropriate. Entering 2,729 theaters, Made of Honor could collect around $14M this weekend.
Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay scored a solid debut but will face a sharp decline because of the new super hero flick. Plus as a sequel, much of the total audience showed up early. Still by the end of its first full week in theaters it should beat out the $18.2M take that its predecessor Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle earned in its entire theatrical run. Sales could fall by 55% to around $7M putting New Line and Warner Bros. at $26M in ten days.
Universal’s breakup comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall has been holding up well so a 35% drop could be in order. That would give the R-rated hit $7M for the frame and lift the cume to $45M. The Jackie Chan–Jet Li adventure The Forbidden Kingdom should fall harder and decline by 50% to roughly $5.5M. Total would climb to $47M.
LAST YEAR: Demolishing box office records, Spider-Man 3 kicked off the movie season with a jaw-dropping opening weekend gross of $151.1M smashing the all-time record and commanding a stunning 80% of all ticket sales in the marketplace. Sony’s global blockbuster went on to capture $336.5M domestically making it the top-grossing film of 2007, but also the lowest-grossing installment in the webslinger franchise. Overseas was a different story as its international total of $555M and worldwide sum of $892M were both the best in Spidey history. A few scraps were left over for the other films led by three-time chart-topper Disturbia which ranked far back in second with $5.8M. Rounding out the top five were Fracture with $3.7M, The Invisible with $3.3M, and Next with $2.9M. The female-skewing new release designed as counter-programming was the Warner Bros. flop Lucky You which bowed poorly in sixth with $2.7M on its way to a pitiful $5.8M.
Author: Gitesh Pandya, www.BoxOfficeGuru.com
Two new buddy comedies enter the marketplace during the final weekend of the spring box office hoping to cash in on what business is left in the last week before Iron Man flies into theaters kicking off the summer blockbuster season. Targeting women is Baby Mama starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler while males get John Cho and Kal Penn reuniting in Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay. Adding to the mix is the less commercial dramatic thriller Deception boasting a dynamic duo of its own – Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor. The overall box office will easily outperform last year’s comparable frame which was one of the worst in all of 2007.
After finding success as a lead in the sitcom world, Tina Fey heads to the movie biz as the headliner in Baby Mama with frequent collaborator Amy Poehler at her side. The PG-13 film finds a successful and uptight businesswoman hiring a free-spirited underachiever to be the surrogate for her baby. Adult women over 30 will be the main audience here but male appeal is not so lacking though. Fey and Poehler have built up a fan following over the years since their Saturday Night Live days and aim to prove that it’s not just men that come out of that camp to become box office stars.
Competition will be a factor as the second weekend of Universal’s other adult-skewing comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall will tap into much of the same folks. And though it’s a different kind of comedy, Harold & Kumar will have some level of impact too with those looking for a laugh. But reviews for Mama have generally been good plus the clever title and decent starpower will help pull in ticket buyers. Its strategic opening night slot at the Tribeca Film Festival this week also helped to generate lots of extra press. Debuting in 2,542 theaters, Baby Mama could open to roughly $13M this weekend.
Lionsgate may see sales get sliced in half for the ancient Chinese tale leaving a $11M gross and a ten-day tally of $38M. Universal will not have it totally easy though. Competition from the weekend’s new comedies, especially from studio stablemate Baby Mama, will cut into the numbers. Still, the well-liked Sarah might drop 40% to about $10.5M and push the cume to $35M after ten days.
Prom Night should suffer another sizable drop in its third killing. The Sony thriller looks to fall by 50% to around $4.5M and lift its 17-day sum to $38M.
LAST YEAR: It was the only weekend of 2007 when no film broke the $10M mark as studios refrained from opening any good films for fear of being pulverized a week later by the arrival of Spider-Man 3. By default, Disturbia claimed a third session at number one grossing $9M and dipping just 31% for Paramount. Of the new releases, Buena Vista’s horror pic The Invisible fared best with a mild $7.7M debut in second place. Paramount’s Nicolas Cage actioner Next limped into third with just $7.1M giving the action star one of his worst debuts ever. Final grosses reached $20.6M and $18.2M, respectively. New Line’s crime thriller Fracture followed in fourth with $6.8M while Paramount’s comedy hit Blades of Glory rounded out the top five with $5.2M. Late April spring cleaning also saw the dumpings of The Condemned ($3.8M opening, $7.4M final) and Kickin’ It Old Skool ($2.5M, $4.5M) into the multiplexes.
Author: Gitesh Pandya www.boxofficeguru.com
Audiences were fired up for the first-ever showdown between martial arts
legends Jackie Chan and
Jet Li as their
new fantasy actioner The
Forbidden Kingdom opened at number one at theaters across North America.
Those in search of laughs powered the starless breakup comedy Forgetting
Sarah Marshall into second place with a strong debut of its own.
Targeting different audiences, the one-two punch was enough to propel the
overall box office ahead of last year’s levels by a respectable margin.
Lionsgate scored its first top spot debut of the year with The
Forbidden Kingdom which grossed an estimated $20.9M from 3,151
theaters over the weekend. The PG-13 adventure film averaged a solid $6,623 per
location and saw much of its support from young male audiences and fans of
martial arts movies. In the film, an American teen mysteriously travels back to
ancient China and embarks on a quest to free the famed Monkey King.
Chan and
Li, who each got
to play a double role, provided the starpower to pull in paying audiences.
Reviews were mixed.
Opening in second place with a solid debut of its own was the raunchy
relationship comedy Forgetting
Sarah MarshallForgetting Sarah Marshall which grossed an estimated
$17.4M from 2,798 theaters. The R-rated pic about a man coping with being dumped
by his celebrity girlfriend averaged a commendable $6,201 and played best to
adult women. The Sarah bow was below what producer
Judd Apatow
has seen in the past with his R-rated summer comedies
The
40-Year-Old Virgin ($21.4M),
Knocked Up
($30.7M), and Superbad ($33.1M). However, it was stronger than the debuts
of his latest offerings Walk Hard ($4.2M) and Drillbit Taylor
($10.3M). Since the surprise success of Virgin in 2005, studios have used
Apatow’s name and resume to market anything he remotely has been involved in.
Sony claimed three of the next four slots. Last weekend’s number one film Prom Night
crumbled by 56% to an estimated $9.1M and pushed its ten-day tally to $32.6M. A
$45M final seems likely.
The
Al Pacino crime
drama 88 Minutes
was rejected by moviegoers and collected only $6.8M, according to estimates, in
its opening weekend. The Sony release averaged a mild $3,137 from 2,168
locations and was panned by critics from coast to coast. The R-rated pic opened
in numerous other countries around the world last year and was finally dumped
into the late spring graveyard in the North American market.
The kid adventure Nim’s Island
grossed an estimated $5.7M, off 38%, giving Fox $32.9M to date. Sony’s blackjack
hit 21
followed dropping 48% to sixth place with an estimated $5.5M and upped its cume
to $70M.
The Keanu Reeves
cop thriller Street Kings
tumbled in its second weekend falling 68% to an estimated $4M. With $19.9M in
ten days, look for Fox Searchlight to finish with $25-27M. Toon smash Horton Hears a Who
declined by just 41% to an estimated $3.5M leaving the year’s top film with
$144.4M.
Ben Stein‘s new
documentary
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
was a surprise face in the top ten popping into the number nine spot with an
estimated $3.2M. Averaging a mild $2,997 from 1,052 locations, the PG-rated film
about creationism was aimed at Christian audiences by distributor rocky Mountain
Pictures. Expelled was the only film in the top ten to see Saturday sales drop
from Friday so a long life in theaters is not likely.
Rounding out the top ten was the
George Clooney
flop Leatherheads
with an estimated $3M, down 52%, for a total of $26.6M.
The top ten films grossed an estimated $78.9M which was up 15% from last year
when Disturbia retained the top spot with $13M in its second weekend; but
down 17% from 2006 when Silent Hill debuted at number one with $20.2M.
Action superstar Jackie Chan has acted in, written, directed, produced, and choreographed over 100 films to date, but more impressively, he’s one of only a few Asian names recognizable to — and loved by — American audiences. That crossover appeal, kickstarted a decade ago in 1998’s Rush Hour, will be tested once more with this weekend’s The Forbidden Kingdom, in which Chan faces off with fellow martial arts legend Jet Li.
It’s Hollywood-meets-Hong Kong as Chan and Li play mentor to a hapless teen (Michael Angarano) whose obsession with classic kung-fu movies lands him squarely in ancient China. But what movies shaped Chan into the actor-filmmaker-superstar he is today?
Below, the legendary Jackie Chan shares his five favorite movies of all time. (Hint: only one of them is a Jackie Chan movie.)
“The Sound of Music because I watched it over and over when I was a kid and even though I couldn’t understand everything they were saying, I loved the songs and learned to sing along.”
Analyze This
“Analyze This, because of Robert DeNiro.”
“An Inconvenient Truth, because I think it’s one of the most important films that anyone will ever see.”
“Police Story, because I think it’s one of the best action films ever made.”
RT also sat down with Chan to talk about The Forbidden Kingdom; watch our video interview to hear Jackie describe his off-camera relationship with Jet Li, why it took so long for the two Asian superstars to make a movie together, and all the different kinds of fighting styles he’s learned throughout his four-decade career.
Click to watch our exclusive video chat with Jackie Chan and more clips from The Forbidden Kingdom!
This week at the movies, we’ve got a martial arts extravaganza (The
Forbidden Kingdom, starring
Jackie Chan and
Jet Li), a painful breakup (Forgetting
Sarah Marshall, starring
Jason Segel and
Kristen Bell), and a race against
time (88 Minutes, starring
Al Pacino and
Alicia Witt). What do the
critics have to say?
Martial arts fans have long dreamed of the day
Jackie Chan and
Jet Li would team
up. Well, the wait is over, and critics say
The
Forbidden Kingdom, while
not perfect, is solid matinee fare, with top-notch performances from the stars.
Kingdom tells the story of Jason (Michael Angarano), the target of
bullies who is magically transported to ancient China, where he joins Chan and
Li on a mission to save the Monkey King (Li again) and defeat and evil warlord.
The pundits say Kingdom isn’t perfect; the plot sags a bit between action
scenes. But they also note that the action scenes are exhilarating, filled with
staggering athleticism and more than a little humor, with Chan and Li in fine
form as usual. At 53 percent on the Tomatometer, this Kingdom may not be
heavenly, but it’s certainly not forbidding. (Check out our interview with
Jackie Chan
here, and take a look at
this week’s Total Recall, in which we count
down the 20 greatest fight scenes of all time.)
Trapped in a Jodorowsky movie.
After the disappointing
Drillbit Taylor, the
Judd Apatow comedy machine
is back on track with
Forgetting
Sarah Marshall.
Jason Segel stars as a
musician who goes off the rails after his TV star girlfriend (Kristen Bell)
dumps him; to clear his mind, he flees with friends to Oahu — and runs into his
ex. The critics say Sarah Marshall is a cut below
Knocked Up and
The
40-Year-Old Virgin, but it contains Apatow’s patented mix of gross-out gags
and sweetness, and features strong performances throughout. At 82 percent on the
Tomatometer, Forgetting Sarah Marshall isn’t just Certified Fresh, it’s
one of the best-reviewed wide releases of the year so far. (And check out our
Sarah Marshall field guide, complete with photo gallery and quotes
direct from the stars.)
“I said a hip, hop, a hippity hop…”
There can be little doubt that
Al Pacino is one of American cinema’s greatest
performers. However, even legends can have off-days. And, boy oh boy, do the
critics think 88 Minutes is off. Pacino plays a college professor/
forensics expert who receives a death threat informing him he has — you guessed
it! — 88 minutes to live. As a result, he must use his wits to narrow down the
possible suspects who might want to take his life. The pundits say Pacino is
fine, but with preposterous plotting and poorly-staged action sequences, 88
Minutes is loaded with unintentional comedy. At 15 percent on the
Tomatometer, this one’s out of time. And it’s Pacino’s second-worst-reviewed
topliner ever, behind only the notorious
Revolution (eight percent).
“Step away from the taxi! They don’t take American Express.”
Also opening this week in limited release:
First Saturday in May, a documentary about the Kentucky Derby, is at 80 percent.
The German import
Four Minutes, a drama about a bond between a female
prisoner and older piano teacher, is at 73 percent.
Beyond the Call, a doc about three men who deliver humanitarian aid to
some of the world’s most dangerous places, is at 50 percent.
Zombie Strippers, a story of a deadly virus infiltrating a strip club
starring Jenna Jameson and
Robert Englund, is at 45 percent.
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?, gonzo documentarian
Morgan
Spurlock‘s examination of Middle Eastern politics, is at 40 percent.
The Life Before Her Eyes, starring Uma Thurman as the survivor of a
school shooting, is at 39 percent.
Anamorph, starring
Willem Dafoe as a detective who’s investigating an
art-obsessed serial killer, is at 20 percent.
And the doc
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed,
Ben Stein‘s attack on
opponents of Intelligent Design, is at nine percent.
Recent Jackie Chan Movies:
———————————–
20% — Rush Hour 3 (2007)
31% —
Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
67% — New Police Story (2004)
18% — The Medallion (2003)
65% — Shanghai
Knights (2003)
Recent Al Pacino Movies:
——————————–
70% — Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)
20% — Two For the Money (2005)
71% — The Merchant of Venice (2004)
43% — People I Know (2003)
43% — The Recruit (2003)
After four straight weeks of the box office falling significantly behind last year’s pace, the marketplace is finally set to post a win thanks to a trio of new releases targeting different audience segments. In what could be a close battle for the number one spot, the Jackie Chan–Jet Li actioner The Forbidden Kingdom squares off against the raunchy relationship comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Each has a shot at the top slot. Also opening is the Al Pacino crime drama 88 Minutes which should play to an older audience. Overall, the box office will experience a healthy double digit gain over the same weekend in 2007.
The much-hyped first pairing of martial arts kings Chan and Li is the main selling point behind Lionsgate’s fantasy adventure The Forbidden Kingdom. The PG-13 film tells of an American teen who travels back in time to ancient China where he joins a quest to free the famed Monkey King. Kingdom is practically a must-see for fans of the action stars and of the genre so young males will lead the way. The film comes as a step up for Chan who lately has seen many of his films go directly to DVD. Li on the other hand remains a reliable box office star with most of his pics debuting to averages north of $5,000. However his last film War, a pairing with Jason Statham, debuted to $9.8M and a weaker-than-usual $4,313 average.
The two stars here have tremendous overlap in their fan bases so it may be hard to broaden the audience. However the younger-skewing story should help it pull in more kids and younger teens than past films from the stars. Reviews have been mixed and direct competition should not be too fierce. Kingdom boasts more starpower and screens than Sarah which could allow it to earn a slim victory this weekend. Invading 3,151 theaters, The Forbidden Kingdom may debut with about $17M.
Buzz has been strong on the comedy and reviews have been pretty good too. Plus with the weekend’s other new films offering male-oriented action, Sarah becomes the primary option for young adult women and couples. The spring date crowd won’t be lining up for a kung fu flick. Male appeal is solid so the break-up saga won’t fall into the chick flick category. Landing in 2,798 locations, Forgetting Sarah Marshall could take in about $16M this weekend.
88 should play to the same audience that came out for two other law enforcement roles Pacino took on this decade. 2003’s The Recruit bowed at number one with $16.3M while the previous year’s Insomnia debuted to $20.9M. Both had the help of extra starpower from Colin Farrell and Robin Williams, respectively. Pacino anchors 88 on his own so the grosses will be lower. Negative reviews will also help keep customers away. Opening in 2,168 theaters, 88 Minutes has a lot working against it and could debut to around $8M.
The Keanu Reeves dirty cop thriller Street Kings opened in second last weekend but has been the top grosser every day since. Fox Searchlight may see a 45% drop to roughly $7M and raise the sum to $23M after ten days. 21, the durable spring hit winning over audiences each week, may slide by 35% to about $6.5M. That would push the cume to a commendable $71M for Sony.
LAST YEAR: A sluggish late-April frame was ruled by the sophomore weekend of Paramount’s hit teen thriller Disturbia which grossed $13M. New Line’s crime thriller Fracture bowed in second with $11M on its way to a respectable $39M for New Line. Paramount claimed third with the Will Ferrell hit Blades of Glory with $7.7M and was followed closely by the $7.6M debut of the Sony thriller Vacancy. A $19.4M final resulted. Disney’s Meet the Robinsons followed with $7M. Focus landed in sixth with a solid opening for the cop comedy Hot Fuzz which took in $5.8M and a $7,089 average. It was the best per-theater score in the Top 20 and the final tally reached $23.6M.
Author: Gitesh Pandya, www.BoxOfficeGuru.com
It’s tax week, and RT knows that means most people are pinching pennies and spending hours in line at the post office. So to help you save money and time, we’ve enlisted funnyman Doug Benson (VH1’s Best Week Ever) to give you the inside scoop on upcoming new releases in theaters and on DVD. — Rachel Sandor
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Starring: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, and Mila Kunis
Directed by: Nick Stoller
Synopsis: Depressed schmuck vacations in Hawaii to get over broken heart, only to find his hot ex is staying in the same hotel with her new nymphomaniac rock star boyfriend.
The Forbidden Kingdom
Starring: Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Michael Angarano
Directed by: Rob Minkoff (The Lion King)
Synopsis: Bullied American teen is transported to ancient China to learn kung fu from two masters (Jet Li, Jackie Chan) to restore the entombed Monkey King.
88 Minutes
Starring: Al Pacino, Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski, Amy Brenneman
Directed by: Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes, The War, Red Corner)
Synopsis: College professor/forensic psychologist gets a phone call counting down his life.
Cloverfield
Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas
Directed by: Matt Reeves (The Pallbearer, Felicity)
Synopsis: Giant monster wreaks havoc in Manhattan.
The Orphanage
Starring: Belen Rueda, Geraldine Chaplin
Directed by: Juan Antonio Bayona
Synopsis: Ghosts and imaginary children haunt a woman and her family in the orphanage where she grew up.
Charlie Wilson’s War
Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Directed by: Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Primary Colors, Closer)
Synopsis: The true story of how a playboy Senator, a socialite, and a CIA agent helped end the Cold War.
The Savages
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Linney
Directed by: Tamara Jenkins (Slums of Beverly Hills)
Synopsis: Two bitter middle-aged siblings deal with the deterioration of their elderly father.
Starting Out in the Evening
Starring: Frank Langella, Lili Taylor, Lauren Ambrose
Directed by: Andrew Wagner (The Talent Given Us)
Synopsis: An aging writer strikes up a friendship with a young grad student who thinks she can resuscitate his career.
Doug Benson is featured in the documentary Super High Me, which chronicles his life Morgan Spurlock-style as the regular pot smoker goes 30 days stone cold sober — and follows it with 30 days of unadulterated daily marijuana use. See what happens to Doug (and his stand-up routine) in the the controversial documentary, which of course opens in select cities on April 20 (4/20). Click here for the official Super High Me website.
Doug can be seen reviewing movies at SuperDeluxe.com, where you can watch his previous video installments of I LOVE MOVIES.
And Doug will be at the Hollywood Improv on 4/20.
And Doug is always creeping around on Myspace.
