Archive for December, 2011

Terry Gilliam: ‘I’m not sure I’ll direct again’

Friday, December 30th, 2011
Terry Gilliam

Terry Gilliam has admitted that he may not make any more movies.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus director said that he is experienced enough to know not to be “greedy” in the film industry.

“I’ve actually reached the point of not believing I’ll ever make a film again,” Bang Showbiz quotes him as stating. “I am reminded by my wife that I always feel like that but the great thing about getting older is your memory goes.

“I get easily distracted and greedy to do lots of films. Whenever I do that, things fall apart. I used to believe I could will things into existence but now I am older I know it doesn’t work that way.”

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‘Just Go With It’ tops Redbox rentals list of 2011

Friday, December 30th, 2011

Redbox has announced its most rented titles in the US during 2011, with comedies proving to be the most popular genre.

The movie rental service, which allows customers to purchase titles for $1 per night through kiosks, saw Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy Just Go With It the most rented film, reports The Los Angeles Times.

Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman comedy No Strings Attached came second, with Rango, The Dilemma and Due Date completing the top five.

The list was mostly taken up by relatively under-achieving films at the box office, as well as titles released late 2010 or early 2011.

Johnny Depp’s The Tourist and superhero vehicle The Green Hornet also made the top ten.

Redbox is reportedly lining up a partnership project with telecommunications company Verizon in early 2012.

The full top ten list:
1. Just Go With It
2. No Strings Attached
3. Rango
4. The Dilemma
5. Due Date
6. Despicable Me
7. The Tourist
8. The Lincoln Lawyer
9. The Green Hornet
10. I Am Number Four

Tarzan’s Cheetah the Chimpanzee dies, aged 80

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

Cheetah the chimpanzee has died at the age of 80.

The ape starred in several Tarzan films from the 1930s to the 1960s, as well as the television series between 1966 and ’68.

He was the comic relief sidekick to American Olympic gold medal winner Johnny Weissmuller in the role as Tarzan.

The Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor announced that Cheetah passed away on December 24 as a result of kidney failure.

Sanctuary director Debbie Cobb said that Cheetah was kind, outgoing and enjoyed finger painting.

He joined the sanctuary from Weissmuller’s estate in 1960.

‘Mission: Impossible’ leads US Christmas box office

Monday, December 26th, 2011
Tom Cruise in 'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol'

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol has topped the Christmas weekend US box office.

The Paramount movie sequel, starring Tom Cruise, debuted with over $46 million.

Robert Downey Jr detective movie Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows was knocked down to second place, grossing nearly $32 million.

David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo finished in fourth place after earning $19.4m, losing out on the third spot to Alvin and the Chipmunks – Chipwrecked, which had $20m.

Steven Spielberg’s animated The Adventures of Tintin rounded out the top five, making just over $16 million.

The US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol – $46,210,000
2. (1) Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows – $31,810,000
3. (2) Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked – $20,000,000
4. (-) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – $19,400,000
5. (-) The Adventures of Tintin – $16,100,000
6. (-) We Bought a Zoo – $15,600,000
7. (-) War Horse – $15,000,000
8. (-) The Darkest Hour – $5,500,000
9. (4) New Year’s Eve – $4,950,000
10. (9) The Muppets – $3,350,000

‘Sherlock Holmes 2’ tops US box office with $40m

Sunday, December 18th, 2011
'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' trailer

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows has beaten both Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol to top the US box office.

The follow-up to the 2009 film Sherlock Holmes, which sees the return of Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law as the titular detective and his sidekick Dr Watson, pulls in $40 million over the weekend from 3,703 locations. Meanwhile, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked takes second place, earning $23.5 million.

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol claims third place, taking in $13 million from only 425 locations. The impressive earnings are likely due in part to the six-minute The Dark Knight Rises prologue playing in front of the fourth instalment of the Tom Cruise franchise.

New Year’s Eve falls to fourth place, pulling in $7.4m, while The Sitter rounds out the top five.

The US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1. (-) Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows – $40,020,000
2. (-) Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked – $23,500,000
3. (-) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol – $13,000,000
4. (1) New Year’s Eve – $7,420,000
5. (2) The Sitter – $4,400,000
6. (3) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 – $4,300,000
7. (-) Young Adult – $3,650,000
8. (6) Hugo – $3,625,000
9. (5) Arthur Christmas – $3,600,000
10. (4) The Muppets – $3,454,000

‘New Year’s Eve’ beats ‘The Sitter’ at US box office

Monday, December 12th, 2011
Ashton Kutcher and Lea Michele in 'New Year's Eve'

New Year’s Eve has held off competition from The Sitter to top the US box office on its debut weekend on release.

The romantic ensemble, which features an all-star cast that includes Ashton Kutcher, Zac Efron, Lea Michele, Jessica Biel, Robert De Niro and Jon Bon Jovi, pulls in $13.7 million in ticket sales to take top spot.

The total is one of the lowest first-place debuts of 2011, and falls some way short of the $63 million earned by its predecessor Valentine’s Day in 2010.

Breaking Dawn – Part 1 slips to third place, The Muppets drops two spots to number four and Arthur Christmas rounds out the top five.

The US box office top ten in full (studio estimates):
1.
(-) New Year’s Eve – $13,705,000
2. (-) The Sitter – $10,000,000
3. (1) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 – $7,900,000
4. (2) The Muppets – $7,070,000
5. (4) Arthur Christmas – $6,600,000
6. (3) Hugo – $6,125,000
7. (7) The Descendants – $4,385,000
8. (5) Happy Feet Two – $3,750,000
9. (6) Jack and Jill – $3,200,000
10. (8) Immortals – $2,442,000

Ezra Miller: ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin is hardcore’

Saturday, December 10th, 2011
Hollywood's 25 brightest new stars: Ezra Miller

Ezra Miller has described We Need to Talk About Kevin as “the most hardcore film shoot” he has ever done.

Directed by Lynne Ramsay, We Need to Talk About Kevin follows a mother (Tilda Swinton) of a teenage boy (Miller) who committed a school massacre.

Miller, who previously said that he felt connected to Kevin, told Indiewire what it was like shooting a movie dealing with such heavy material.

“I’ve been on a few dark movie shoots, and you think that because the material is dark that the experience would be dark,” the young actor said.

“But actually, the act of creating a film with dark subject matter is a practice in shedding light. Because in order to depict something dark, you have to shed light on it. That’s how images work. So we were just balling out. It was a blast.

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M*A*S*H* actor Harry Morgan dies, aged 96

Thursday, December 8th, 2011
'MASH' actor Harry Morgan

Harry Morgan has died, aged 96.

The actor was perhaps most well known for playing Colonel Potter in the long-running sitcom M*A*S*H*. His son Charles confirmed that Morgan passed away at his home in Los Angeles.

Morgan was a prolific character actor who appeared in over 100 movies, including High Noon, Inherit the Wind, How the West was Won and the 1987 Dragnet remake with Tom Hanks.

He often played loyal sidekicks, sheriffs, Western baddies, police chiefs and judges in his many roles.

Morgan was also known for portraying officer Bill Gannon in the 1967 update of Dragnet, Pete Porter in sitcom Pete and Gladys and Amos Coogan in Hec Ramsey.

He won an Emmy Award in 1980 for his role as Potter in M*A*S*H*.

More recently he appeared in television shows including 3rd Rock from the Sun and Murder, She Wrote.

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Director Patty Jenkins exits ‘Thor 2’

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
Patty Jenkins

Patty Jenkins will no longer direct Thor 2.

The Monster director signed on to Thor 2 in September after actor Kenneth Branagh turned down the opportunity to helm the sequel.

Deadline reports that Jenkins exited the project due to “creative differences”, though no further details have been revealed.

Jenkins has also worked in television, directing the pilot episode of the US remake of The Killing and episodes of shows such as Entourage and Arrested Development.

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‘Breaking Dawn’ tops US box office for third week

Sunday, December 4th, 2011
Edward and Bella

Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 has topped the US box office for a third week in a row.

The penultimate movie in the vampire franchise, starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, took $16.9 million in one of the quietest weekends of the year.

The Muppets – starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams – held steady at two, while Hugo climbed two places to third place.

Arthur Christmas levelled at four, with Happy Feet Two falling two to complete the top five.

There were no new entries inside the top ten, with The Descendants climbing up two spots to this week’s seven.

This week’s US box office top ten (studio estimates):
1. (1) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 – $16.9 million
2. (2) The Muppets – $11.2 million
3. (5) Hugo – $7.62 million
4. (4) Arthur Christmas – $7.35 million
5. (3) Happy Feet Two – $6 million
6. (6) Jack and Jill – $5.5 million
7. (9) The Descendants – $5.2 million
8. (7) Immortals – $4.39 million
9. (10) Tower Heist – $4.1 million
10. (8) Puss in Boots – $3.05 million