The #1 movie – “Madagascar 2″ wasn’t just #1, it was a smash hit with $63 million – that’s a bigger opening than these other family movies: “High School Musical 3″ ($42 million)… more than “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” ($29 million)… “Horton Hears a Who!” ($45 million)… …only “WALL-E” ($63 million) and “Kung Fu Panda” ($60 million) had opening weekends as big !!!!   Its actually the 5th biggest opening of the year!

The weekend’s #2 movie “Role Models” cruised in with a solid showing of nearly $20 million… as the alternative choice to “Madagascar 2″.

TOP 10 WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (ACTUAL results):

1. “Madagascar 2: Ecsape to Africa” – $63.11 million (1st week)

2. “Role Models” – $19.17 million (1st week)

3. “High School Musical 3” - $9.16 million
(3rd week, was #1 last week, lost 40% of its audience from last week)

4. “Changeling” - $7.25 million
(3rd week, was #4 last week, lost 22% of its audience from last week)

5. “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” - $6.27 million
(2nd week, was #2 last week, lost 37% of its audience from last week)

6. “Soul Men” – $5.40 million (1st week)

7. “Saw V” - $4.07 million
(3rd week, was #3 last week, lost 58% of its audience from last week)

8. “The Haunting of Molly Hartley” - $3.32 million
(2nd week, was #5 last week, lost 39% of its audience from last week)

9. “The Secret Life of Bees” - $3.09 million
(4th week, was #7 last week, lost 23% of its audience from last week)

10. “Eagle Eye” - $2.54 million
(7th week, was #9 last week, lost 27% of its audience from last week)

11. “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” - $2.49 million
(6th week, was #6 last week, lost 49% of its audience from last week)

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

“Madagascar Escape 2 Africa” poster courtesy Paramount-DreamWorks

TOP 10 WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (actual results):

1. “High School Musical 3” - $15.31 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 64% of its audience from last week)

2. “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” - $10.07 million (1st week)

3. “Saw V” - $9.74 million
(2nd week, was #2 last week, lost 68% of its audience from last week)

4. “Changeling” - $9.35 million (1st week of wide release)
(2nd week, was #20 last week, gained 1800% of its audience from last week)

5. “The Haunting of Molly Hartley” - $5.42 million (1st week)

6. “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” - $4.86 million
(5th week, was #4 last week, lost 29% of its audience from last week)

7. “The Secret Life of Bees” - $4.01 million
(3rd week, was #6 last week, lost 34% of its audience from last week)

8. “Max Payne” - $3.69 million
(3rd week, was #3 last week, lost 53% of its audience from last week)

9. “Eagle Eye” - $3.48 million
(6th week, was #8 last week, lost 31% of its audience from last week)

10. “Pride and Glory” - $3.36 million
(2nd week, was #5 last week, lost 46% of its audience from last week

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

“High School Musical 3″ poster courtesy Disney

New movies last Friday: “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”, “Saw V”, ”Pride and Glory”

This was a REALLY GOOD WEEKEND for theaters and studios, the total grosses were up 40% from last weekend…. the top 12 grossed more than $100 million ($119.84 million) for the first time since the weekend of August 15-17 (opening weekend for “Tropic Thunder”/5th week for “Dark Knight”)… its also about 40% higher than this time last year !!!

TOP 10 WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (actual results):

1. “High School Musical 3” - $42.03 million (1st week)

2. “Saw V” - $30.05 million (1st week)

3. “Max Payne” - $7.60 million
(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 57% of its audience from last week)

4. “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” - $6.88 million
(4th week, was #2 last week, lost 40% of its audience from last week)

5. “Pride and Glory” - $6.26 million (1st week)

6. “The Secret Life of Bees” - $6.05 million
(2nd week, was #3 last week, lost 43% of its audience from last week)

7. “W.” - $5.09 million
(2nd week, was #4 last week, lost 52% of its audience from last week)

8. “Eagle Eye” - $5.05 million
(4th week, was #5 last week, lost 28% of its audience from last week)

9. “Body of Lies” - $4.06 million
(3rd week, was #6 last week, lost 40% of its audience from last week)

10. “Quarantine” - $2.58 million
(3rd week, was #7 last week, lost 58% of its audience from last week)

My Box Office Predicitions were 7 out of 10, mostly because I thought ”Pride and Glory” would do better than 5th place… I was also close on the $$ amounts for all but ”Pride and Glory”.

NOT “KING OF THE WORLD”… YET:

20. “The Dark Knight” – $0.30 million (total gross: $527.82 million)
(15th week, was #20 last week, lost 28% of its audience from last week)

“The Dark Knight” isn’t going to catch “Titanic” ($600.78 million) for the highest grossing movie ever in the U.S. right now, but it might after the planned re-release in January (for Academy Award push and of course.. more $$$$ !!!

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Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

“High School Musical 3″ poster courtesy Disney

“The Dark Knight” poster courtesy Warner Bros.

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“Eagle Eye”

(2008) (rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, and for language) (1 hr, 58 min)

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Billy Bob Thorton, Rosario Dawson, Michael Chiklis, Anthony Mackie, Ethan Embry

Genre: Action/Mystery/Thriller

The Plot: Jerry and Rachel are two strangers thrown together by a mysterious phone call from a woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, she pushes Jerry and Rachel into a series of increasingly dangerous situations, using the technology of everyday life to track and control their every move.

MY TAKE (spoiler free):

Like most good action/thrillers this movie doesn’t take long to get going or to jump into the main storyline… the story and plot twists are solid, the acting is good – with no roles or actors wasted, the high-tech parts of the movie aren’t difficult to understand, the effects and stunts help the story and don’t distract from it…  BUT BE READY TO BE AN ACTIVE VIEWER - the movie is constantly throwing a lot of information at you to process quickly.

If they aren’t household names yet, up and coming actors Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan should be after this movie – both jump right into the roles as civilians on the run from the government and being led by a mysterious voice - they are totally believeable and play the roles as if this is real people going through everything – they pull of these roles with no weaknesses !!!

Michael Chiklis has been a household name for awhile, and while he isn’t in much of this movie – his role is not wasted – he was great and totally believable in this role as a Defense Secretary walking the thin line between tracking down the bad guys and not getting the wrong guys.

Billy Bob Thorton is good as the old salty FBI agent who is chasing LaBeouf and Monaghan.

While it might seem wierd, the director builds in enough reasons for why the characters feel they need to follow the mysterious voice on the other end of the phone line.

I also like how Director D.J. Caruso has a lot of camera shots from overhead (to build in that feeling of big brother watching us)… but much like “Enemy of the State” did in 1998, he also uses a lot of the technology to show the scene too.. as we watch through security cameras, cell phones, and computers.

THE BOTTOM LINE: 

The story is tight, the editing is tight, the acting is tight… this is an edge of your seat, what happens next thriller that keeps you guessing and interested all the way through… I give it 8.5 out of 10…. a great effort that furthers the careers of LaBeouf and Monaghan and Director D.J. Caruso.

So what did you think?  Please post a comment!

“Eagle Eye” poster courtesy Dreamworks SKG

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New movies last Friday: “Max Payne”, “W.”, “The Secret Life of Bees”, “Sex Drive”

The total box office of $84.76 million is down 2% from last weekend… marking two weeks of decline, but it is $6 million more than this time last year ($78.48 million) !!!

TOP 10 WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (actual results):

1. “Max Payne” - $17.64 million (1st week)

2. “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” - $11.42 million
(3rd week, was #1 last week, lost 35% of its audience from last week)

3. “The Secret Life of Bees” - $10.53 million (1st week)

4. “W.” - $10.51 million (1st week)

5. “Eagle Eye” - $7.03 million
(3rd week, was #4 last week, lost 36% of its audience from last week)

6. “Body of Lies” - $6.82 million
(2nd week, was #3 last week, lost 47% of its audience from last week)

7. “Quarantine” - $6.08 million
(2nd week, was #2 last week, lost 57% of its audience from last week)

8. “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” - $3.69 million
(3rd week, was #5 last week, lost 43% of its audience from last week)

9. “Sex Drive” - $3.61 million (1st week)

10. “Nights in Rodanthe” - $2.66 million
(4th week, was #7 last week, lost 42% of its audience from last week)

CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT (10/14/08) 

20. “The Dark Knight” – $0.41 million (total gross: $527.36 million)
(14th week, was #19 last week, lost 22% of its audience from last week)

CHASING HISTORY:

“The Dark Knight” still has a long way to go to close the gap between itself ($527.36 million) and “Titanic” ($600.78 million) for the highest grossing movie ever in the U.S. !!

Although, there are plans to re-release it in January (for Academy Award push and of course.. more $$$$ !!!

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Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

“Max Payne” poster courtesy 20th Century Fox

“The Dark Knight” poster courtesy Warner Bros.

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/aaronlafferty

New movies last Friday: “Body of Lies”, “City of Ember”, “Quarantine”, “The Duchess” (wider release)

“Quarantine” was 2nd – more than making up its entire $12 million budget in one weekend… which is good because it was disappointing to a lot of viewers, so its numbers ARE GOING TO DROP NEXT WEEKEND… 
“Body of Lies” (15 to see this Fall/Holiday Season) should have opened stronger given the cast of Crowe and DiCaprio, but the subject matter may have kept some away…
“The Express” was 6th – perhaps because the general public didn’t realize it was about more than just college football… 
“City of Ember” made about what I thought it would when I first saw the trailer, but I thought last week’s success of another family movie (”Chihuahua”) would have helped it to higher than 11th place…. 
“The Duchess” move into wide release moved it up from #20 to #9.

TOP 10 WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (actual results):

1. “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” - $17.50 million
(2nd week, 2nd week at #1, lost 40% of its audience from last week)

2. “Quarantine” - $14.21 million (1st week)

3. “Body of Lies” - $12.88 million (1st week)

4. “Eagle Eye” - $10.91 million
(2nd week, was #2 last week, lost 38% of its audience from last week)

5. “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” - $6.42 million
(2nd week, was #3 last week, lost 43% of its audience from last week)

6. “The Express” - $4.56 million (1st week)

7. “Nights in Rodanthe” - $4.54 million
(3rd week, was #4 last week, lost 38% of its audience from last week)

5. “Appaloosa” - $3.32 million
(4th week, was #5 last week, lost 34% of its audience from last week)

9. “The Duchess” - $3.30 million (1st week in wide release)

10. “Fireproof” - $3.14 million
(3rd week, was #8 last week, lost 21% of its audience from last week)

– — –

11. “City of Ember” - $3.13 million (1st week)

CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S BOX OFFICE REPORT – 10/6/08

19. “The Dark Knight” – $0.53 million (total gross: $526.69 million)
(13th week, was #21 last week, lost 36% of its audience from last week)

CHASING HISTORY:

“The Dark Knight” has a long way to go to close the gap between itself ($526.69 million) and “Titanic” ($600.78 million) for the highest grossing movie ever in the U.S. !!

Although, there are plans to re-release it in January (for Academy Award push and of course.. more $$$$ !!!

.

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

“Beverly Hills Chihuahua” poster courtesy Walt Disney

“The Dark Knight” poster courtesy Warner Bros.

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/aaronlafferty

New movies last Friday: “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”, “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”, “Appaloosa” (limited), “An American Carol” (limited), ”Flash of Genius” (limited), “Blindness” (limited)

I didn’t make a prediction going into last weekend, but if I did, I can honestly say that I didn’t think “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” would be your number one movie this week… c’mon people… I know its a fun family movie from the folks over at Disney… and the other good looking movies were in limited release…. but it was #1 by more than $11 million dollars… yikes… at least I know it will get bumped by “Body of Lies” or “City of Ember” this coming weekend.

So make that back to back weeks with a surprise, last week’s surprise #4 – the Christian themed “Fireproof” starring Kirk Cameron was #8 this week… I was hoping for better numbers for 2 of my 15 to see this Fall/Holiday Season:“Appaloosa” and “Blindness” BUT THEY are not in wide release *yet*.

TOP 10 WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (actual results):

1. “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” - $29.30 million (1st week)

2. “Eagle Eye” - $29.20 million

(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 39% of its audience from last week)

3. “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” - $11.31 million (1st week)

4. “Nights in Rodanthe” - $7.37 million

(2nd week, was #2 last week, lost 45% of its audience from last week)

5. “Appaloosa” - $5.05 million (1st week - wider, but limited release)

6. “Lakeview Terrace” - $4.56 million

(3rd week, was #3 last week, lost 35% of its audience from last week)

7. “Burn After Reading” - $4.12 million

(4th week, was #5 last week, lost 34% of its audience from last week)

8. “Fireproof” - $3.99 million

(2nd week, was #4 last week, lost 41% of its audience from last week)

9. “An American Carol” - $3.66 million (1st week) (limited release)

10. “Religulous” - $3.41 million (1st week) (limited release)

——–

11. “Flash of Genius” - $2.25 million (1st week) (limited release)

12. “Blindness” - $1.95 million (1st week) (limited release)

19. “How to Lose Friends and Alienate People” - $1.43 million (1st week) (limited release)

21. “The Dark Knight” – $0.83 million (total gross: $525.83 million)
(12th week, was #13 last week, lost 50% of its audience from last week)

CHASING HISTORY:

“The Dark Knight” has a long way to go to close the gap between itself ($525.83 million) and “Titanic” ($600.78 million) for the highest grossing movie ever in the U.S. !!

Although, there are plans to re-release it in January (for Academy Award push and of course.. more $$$$ !!!

.

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

“Beverly Hills Chihuahua” poster courtesy Walt Disney

“The Dark Knight” poster courtesy Warner Bros.

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/aaronlafferty

The political/conspiracy thriller “Eagle Eye” did not disappoint, but the other new movies this weekend didn’t do as well as I expected: “Nights in Rodanthe” was 2nd, but about $2 million less than my prediction.

I’m really surprised that “Miracle at St. Anna” was #9 and earned only $3.50 million considering the huge marketing push and Academy Award buzz around the movie… but sometimes war movies just don’t do well at the box office. 

The surprise of the week is “Fireproof”… a small budget/independent movie in limited release this week, starring Kirk Cameron, but it had the 2nd highest per screen average, second only to “Eagle Eye”.

TOP 10 WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (studio estimates):

1. “Eagle Eye” - $29.20 million (1st week)

2. “Nights in Rodanthe” - $13.57 million (1st week)

3. “Lakeview Terrace” - $7.00 million

(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 53% of its audience from last week)

4. “Fireproof” - $6.51 million (1st week)

5. “Burn After Reading” - $6.17 million

(3rd week, was #2 last week, lost 44% of its audience from last week)

6. “Igor” - $5.50 million

(2nd week, was #4 last week, lost 29% of its audience from last week)

7. “Righteous Kill” - $3.80 million

(3rd week, was #5 last week, lost 49% of its audience from last week)

8. “My Best Friend’s Girl” - $3.80 million

(2nd week, was #3 last week, lost 54% of its audience from last week)

9. “Miracle at St. Anna” - $3.50 million (1st week)

10. “The Family That Preys” - $3.16 million

(3rd week, was #6 last week, lost 56% of its audience from last week)

——–

11. “Ghost Town” - $2.95 million

(2nd week, was #8 last week, lost 41% of its audience from last week)

12. “The Women” - $2.65 million

(3rd week, was #7 last week, lost 51% of its audience from last week)

13. “The Dark Knight” – $1.66 million (total gross: $524.46 million)
(11th week, was #9 last week, lost 43% of its audience from last week)

CHASING HISTORY:

“The Dark Knight” may end up falling short of closing the gap between itself ($524.46 million) and “Titanic” ($600.78 million) for the highest grossing movie ever in the U.S. !!

Although, there are plans to re-release it in January (for Academy Award push and of course.. more $$$$ !!!

.

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

“Eagle Eye” poster courtesy DreamWorks SKG

“The Dark Knight” poster courtesy Warner Bros.

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/aaronlafferty

The political/conspiracy thriller “Eagle Eye” did not disappoint, but the other new movies this weekend didn’t do as well as I expected: “Nights in Rodanthe” was 2nd, but about $2 million less than my prediction.

I’m really surprised that “Miracle at St. Anna” was #9 and earned only $3.50 million considering the huge marketing push and Academy Award buzz around the movie… but sometimes war movies just don’t do well at the box office. 

The surprise of the week is “Fireproof”… a small budget/independent movie in limited release this week, starring Kirk Cameron, but it had the 2nd highest per screen average, second only to “Eagle Eye”.

TOP 10 WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (studio estimates):

1. “Eagle Eye” - $29.20 million (1st week)

2. “Nights in Rodanthe” - $13.57 million (1st week)

3. “Lakeview Terrace” - $7.00 million

(2nd week, was #1 last week, lost 53% of its audience from last week)

4. “Fireproof” - $6.51 million (1st week)

5. “Burn After Reading” - $6.17 million

(3rd week, was #2 last week, lost 44% of its audience from last week)

6. “Igor” - $5.50 million

(2nd week, was #4 last week, lost 29% of its audience from last week)

7. “Righteous Kill” - $3.80 million

(3rd week, was #5 last week, lost 49% of its audience from last week)

8. “My Best Friend’s Girl” - $3.80 million

(2nd week, was #3 last week, lost 54% of its audience from last week)

9. “Miracle at St. Anna” - $3.50 million (1st week)

10. “The Family That Preys” - $3.16 million

(3rd week, was #6 last week, lost 56% of its audience from last week)

——–

11. “Ghost Town” - $2.95 million

(2nd week, was #8 last week, lost 41% of its audience from last week)

12. “The Women” - $2.65 million

(3rd week, was #7 last week, lost 51% of its audience from last week)

13. “The Dark Knight” – $1.66 million (total gross: $524.46 million)
(11th week, was #9 last week, lost 43% of its audience from last week)

CHASING HISTORY:

“The Dark Knight” may end up falling short of closing the gap between itself ($524.46 million) and “Titanic” ($600.78 million) for the highest grossing movie ever in the U.S. !!

Although, there are plans to re-release it in January (for Academy Award push and of course.. more $$$$ !!!

.

Box Office numbers courtesy Box Office Mojo

“Eagle Eye” poster courtesy DreamWorks SKG

“The Dark Knight” poster courtesy Warner Bros.

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/aaronlafferty

In Theaters (Friday): “Eagle Eye”, “Miracle at St. Anna”, “Nights in Rodanthe” My Take: There won’t be many moviegoers that can’t find what they’re looking for this weekend… thanks to the 3 new movies debuting this weekend (and the movies already playing in theaters).

You want an Action/Thriller blockbuster this week? You got it! (“Eagle Eye”)

You want a Drama with Academy Award buzz? You got it! (“Miracle at St. Anna”)

You want a Romantic movie? You got it! (“Nights in Rodanthe”)

—- “Eagle Eye” starring Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan,

Rosario Dawson, Michael Chiklis, Ethan Embry, Billy Bob Thorton Genre: Action/Mystery/Thriller
The Plot: Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) and Rachel Holloman (Monaghan) are two strangers thrown together by a mysterious phone call from a woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, she pushes Jerry and Rachel into a series of increasingly dangerous situation, using the technology of everyday life to track and control their every move. As the situation escalates, these two ordinary people become the country’s most wanted fugitives, who must work together to discover what is really happening — and more importantly, why. —-“Miracle at St. Anna” starring Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller, Pierfrancesco Favino, Valentina Cervi, John Tutturro, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Leguizamo, Kerry Washington, D.B. Sweeney Directed by: Spike Lee Genre: War Drama/Action/Thriller
The Plot: Set in 1944 Italy, the story of four black American soldiers who get trapped in a Tuscan village during WWII. —-“Nights in Rodanthe” starring Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Christopher Meloni, Viola Davis Genre: Drama/Romance
The Plot: A doctor (Gere) who is traveling to see his estranged son sparks with an unhappily married woman (Lane) at a North Carolina inn. —- These solid offerings should do well at the box office this weekend. —- Next Week at Theaters: “Appaloosa”, “Blindness”, “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”, “Flash of Genius”, “How to Lose Friends and Alienate People”, “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”, “An American Carol” (limited release)