Box Office: Genre Shut-Out

With no new science-fiction, fantasy, or horror films opening, genre titles were entirely shut out of the win, place, and show positions for the second weekend in a row. The top three films remained the same: SUPERBAD, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, and RUSH HOUR 3, although the later two switched positions. As for holdover genre titles, …

Box Office: Invasion thwarted by Superbad comedy

This was a rare weekend when not a single fantasy, horror or science-fiction film managed to find a slot in the win, place, or show positions at the box office, which were taken by SUPERBAD, RUSH HOUR 3, and THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM. The week’s one new genre film debut, THE INVASION (a remake of INVASION …

Sense of Wonder: Genre films keep movie-going alive!

I’m a little bit old school when it comes to enjoying genre movies: I believe they deserve to be seen on the big screen, where the special visual and sound effects can really blast your senses into another dimension. Yes, I own a big screen TV and a DVD player (and even a laserdisc player …

Box Office: new genre films fail to score

Action-adventure and cartoon comedy ruled the day as the win, place, and show positions at the box office were taken by RUSH HOUR 3, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, and THE SIMPSONS MOVIE. That left the new fantasy film STARDUST in fourth place, while the weekend’s other genre debut, SKINWALKERS, failed to find a place in the …

Transformers obliterates Asian box office

TRANSFORMERS has earned $5.2-million during five weeks in Malaysian theatres, surpassing SPIDER-MAN 3 to earn the all time box office crown for that territory. The Michael Bay action flick also surpassed both HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX and THE SIMPSONS MOVIE to take the #1 position. That’s not the only achievement in …

The Host infects Indian box office

THE HOST, which set box office records in the Republic of Korean, recently made its debut in India – apparently the first Korean film ever to do so. Opening on July 27, the film sold $208,000 worth of tickets during six days on 62 screens. Director Bong Joon-ho’s well-received monster movie, about a mutant creature living in …

D-War burns up Korean box office

D-WAR is an English-language monster movie that just opened in South Korean, earning an awesome $20.5-million in its first five days. The 2.95-million ticket sales fell just short of matching the 3.17-million record set by THE HOST last year. Set in Los Angeles, the film’s story about ancient reptilian creatures who return in modern day …

Box Office: Bourne takes out Simpsons, Underdog in third

It was a rare summer weekend when the #1 position at the U.S. box office was not held by a science-fiction, fantasy, or horror title. THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM finished first, with a recording-breaking weekend debut of $70.1-million, earned in 3,660 venues. That was the biggest August opening ever, topping any James Bond title and the …

Simpsons Have a Cow at the Box Office

I must admit I’m surprised at the success of THE SIMPSONS movie, which made its debut at #1 with $74-million. Yes, the popularity of the TV show indicates there was an audience, but did they all really feel the need to run out opening weekend like Homer chasing after doughnut? I was almost equally suprised …

Box Office: Harry knocked off by Chuck and Larry

It was a rare summer weekend when the #1 slot at the box office was not occupied by a fantasy film. Last weekend’s winner HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX was knocked into second place by the arrival of the Adam Sandler comedy I KNOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY. ORDER OF THE …