A Masterful Weekend for a clownfish and Alice

What did the weekend hold for us?

Well we saw a number of new releases....

Resident Evil: Retribution did not screen for those of us around here, but managed to bring in a touch over $21 million for the top spot on the weekend. Following in second was the rerelease of Finding Nemo in 3D this time...$17.5 million to show for the revisitation with your favorite clownfish.

Other notables.... Arbitrage (Didn't screen with Richard Gere) opened to 12th place and just over $2 million (would've helped to have screened it out here in the wild) and Last Ounce of Courage (another non-screened film) opened to just over $1.7 million and 15th place.

The Master rolled into 5 theaters and racked up an amazing total of over $730,000. (an average per screen of $147,262. WOW! This expands this week...and more on that as we get to Friday.

The week to come for me features screenings of The Master, Hotel Transylvania and one more unnamed title (a couple weeks out) PLUS maybe a DVD or two as we work through things.

Plus Friday, as many have asked, I can say -- I'll Be BACK!!! Yes, they are having me back to Real Milwaukee and we'll talk about The Master, Trouble With The Curve and whatever else we can fit in.

Tomorrow...the Home Screening Room features a title that my daughter continues to mention (she's 8) that comes out this week...you'll have to read that for yourself. I will say it is a Part of Me. Plus she's hard at work on our review of the new DVD Barbie: Princess and the Popstar (available now) - should be ready later this week (a birthday party for her cousin got in the way).

More soon....Have a great week everyone!

p

New Movie - Resident Evil: Retribution

Not Offered for Review – Alice is back taking on the Umbrella Corporation.

I’ve generally dug the Resident Evil stuff (for what it has been), it’s too bad I couldn’t give you more on this…but if it’s your cup of tea – it’s available NOW.

NR

Resident Evil: Retribution

Screen Gems Pictures

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson

Cast: Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Michelle Rodriguez

Rating: R for sequences of strong violence throughout.

Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes

What a Weekend?

Ok, so the weekend was a bust -- or so I read....let's take a look at why?

1) This is the first post school in session weekend this year for the bulk of the kids. The weekend comes and they have other things to jump on, not the latest releases.

2) The weather. For most of the weekend, things were pretty nice around the country. No major storms, and the perfect temps to get outside and enjoy everything around you.

3) The movies. Let's face it, there were two new openings this weekend 1) The Words -- a nice cast that screened for the press but wasn't easy to describe and get the knowledge to the audience that would enjoy it. Plus that group is not the biggest for coming out to opening weekends. It will probably do well on DVD and OnDemand. 2) The Cold Light of Day - a film that was not screened for the press in this market...but has a nice cast including Bruce Willis (Screening for the press to get media in additional markets would have been destined - even with bad reviews - to take the film higher than its $1.8 million  weekend and 13th place finish.

2016 Obama's America 

Still running with solid returns week in and week out, this one is getting buzz as one of the biggest political docs to be released. I haven't seen it, wasn't offered for review, but it's obviously garnering a highly partisan crowd. Why have I not seen it? It wasn't offered for review prerelease. Much like The Cold Light of Day, the powers that be decided that they didn't want / or need reviews out there.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (IMAX)

By the way...they released this on 267 screens this weekend, according to http://www.boxofficemojo.com and it took in over $1.7 million. NICE!

Oscar Season Coming?

With the Toronto Film Festival in full swing, it must be Oscar season. Great films are getting their first look and over at the Venice Film Festival there is even a bit of controversy over the selection...the UN selection of the slew of awards for The Master. What movies will get legs coming our of Toronto and start the season on a beeline for the top of the charts. Check out some of the great Oscar prediction sites on the web.

No New Movies This Weekend

No new reviews are scheduled for the upcoming weekend...reason? Lack of a screening for Finding Nemo 3D or the new Resident Evil: Retribution releases.

Have a great week everyone!

p