By Bill Bonfanti on 9/29/2008 10:52 AM

Eagle Eye blasted into theatres this weekend grossing $29M and became the fourth largest September opening ever behind Sweet Home Alabama ($35.6M), Rush Hour ($33M) and The Exorcism of Emily Rose ($30M). It was a nice opening but not quite at the level that I had expected. Nights in Rodanthe, the new Richard Gere- Diane Lane romantic drama opened to decent numbers grossing $13.5M. Spike Lee’s war epic, Miracle at St. Anna failed to excite audiences and grossed a paltry $3.5M. The real surprise in the top 10 this weekend was the success of Kirk Cameron’s (yes, the former Mike Seaver of Growing Pains) firefighter drama, Fireproof. I’ll be honest… I didn’t even know this movie was coming out. The film is about a hero firefighter who has one last chance to save his failing marriage before his impending divorce. This film was heavily marketed to Christian groups and proves that they are a viable audience...

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By Bill Bonfanti on 9/25/2008 3:55 PM

I’m going to go out on a limb this week. Eagle Eye is going to open bigger than expected. Most predictions I’ve seen range from $25M to $30M, most towards the lower end of that spectrum. I think it will do more. Let’s take a look at it. Eagle Eye stars Shia LaBeouf, who in my opinion is on target to become one of the biggest box office stars of all time. The kid is great in everything he does and he has tremendous charisma. He is like the love child of Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks, with a little of John Cusack’s DNA mixed in for good measure. Not to mention that Steven Spielberg loves him… and really… is there much that Mr. Spielberg is ever wrong about. Not really. Shia helped Disturbia open to $22M, and that was before he starred in the colossal hits, Transformers and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The movie is also generating good reviews and that never hurts. There is no other film currently...

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By Bill Bonfanti on 9/22/2008 10:25 AM

                                   

The new Samuel L. Jackson thriller, Lakeview Terrace, seized the top spot at the box office this weekend, grossing $15.6M. Dane Cook’s latest romantic comedy, My Best Friend’s Girl, opened lower than my expectations, making a slim $8.3M. Other than that, my predictions were very close this weekend. Take a look at the chart below.             &

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By Bill Bonfanti on 9/19/2008 2:51 PM

The 6oth annual Emmy awards are this Sunday, September 21st and I thought it would be fun to predict the winners. So without further ado, here are my guesses.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY

Curb Your Enthusiasm Entourage The Office 30 Rock * Two and a Half Men

I can’t honestly even believe that Curb was nominated. I feel like that show has been out of juice for the last two seasons. To me it comes down to either The Office or 30 Rock, with 30 Rock having the edge.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA

Mad Men * House Lost Dexter Boston Legal Damages

I would love to say that Lost is going to win because it is my favorite show of all time, but I don’t think it will. Many perceive the fourth season of Lost as a creative resurgence after an uneven season three (I don’t think the show ever suffered in quality and has been brilliant the whole way through), so it could win, but I think the nomination was the award in this case. Dexter is too dark to win (Although it is quite incredible), Boston Legal...

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By Bill Bonfanti on 9/18/2008 11:37 AM

As I’m about to write my predictions for this weekend’s box office, I find myself in a quandary. I’m having a difficult time writing my predictions in a way that is both my own voice and is also in a professional manner. You have to remember I’m new to this whole telling the world what I think thing, and it’s not quite the same as telling my friends what I think movies will make. When I tell them, it is conversational and laced with a couple of F bombs (I’ll avoid those here) and so it has been difficult for me to shift gears. You also have to understand where my predictions come from. I don’t do a lot of research. The new Sam Jackson flick, Lakeview Terrace opens this weekend, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to research how all of Sam’s recent movies performed. I don’t do that. For me it’s all about my gut. I don’t know where the numbers come from, they just pop in my head. With that being said, let’s take a look at what the movies have in store for us this weekend. Okay, so, Lakeview Terrace. I have to be honest,...

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By Bill Bonfanti on 9/18/2008 10:28 AM

Every now and again, I’ll be talking about movies, TV shows or books etc. that I’m currently enjoying. Whenever I discover or rediscover something that excites me I like to share it with the world. So without further ado, these are the things that have been bouncing around in my head recently.

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By Bill Bonfanti on 9/15/2008 1:07 PM

The Coen brothers scored the largest debut of their career and had their first ever number 1 opening this weekend with Burn After Reading, which grossed $19.4M. Tyler Perry’s latest offering The Family That Preys finished second with a very nice $18M and Righteous Kill starring De Niro and Pacino grossed a respectable $16.5M.  

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By Bill Bonfanti on 9/11/2008 11:08 AM

Four new films open at multiplexes this weekend and will try to give a boost to a sagging box office. First up is Righteous Kill, starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. This is the first time in 13 years that the two Oscar winners have starred in a film together, and the first film that they share many scenes together. Fans of the two legendary actors are sure to be excited about this film and that should help Righteous Kill take the top spot at the box office this weekend with about $17M. 

Tyler Perry’s latest offering, The Family That Preys, starring Alfre Woodard and Kathy Bates also opens this weekend. This is Perry’s third film release in less than a year and he may find that he is over saturating the market. Sometimes less really is more. Still, his core audience of African American females should come out in force and help The Family That Preys gross about $16M this weekend.

This weekend the Coen brothers follow up their Oscar winner No Country For Old Men with the comedy Burn After Reading. The...

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By Bill Bonfanti on 9/8/2008 5:06 PM

Nicholas Cage led the box office this weekend with his new movie Bangkok  Dangerous. Overall the weekend after Labor Day proved to be a weak frame as per usual.

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By Bill Bonfanti on 9/4/2008 12:19 PM

The first weekend after the end of the summer movie season is generally one of the slowest weekends at the box office and is traditionally a dumping ground for movies the studios have no confidence in. The only film opening this weekend is the Nicolas Cage action film, Bangkok Dangerous.

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