Are you a movie fan? Do you sometimes find yourself saying, "Man, if I was just in charge of a movie studio, I'd have the coolest slate, balancing high-brow films with those that appeal to the masses, and with some cool cutting edge flicks also"? Would you like to extend the realm of fantasy even further into your life? Or maybe you know that your victory in an Internet Fantasy League is a certain way to get dudes or chicks (your gender of preference) to more completely and totally dig you.
If so, while we wait for the final results of the RP Ultimate Movie Moguls Summer league, we can begin the RP Ultimate Movie Moguls Fall League...
You can join anytime up until Sept. 17 - you just won't be able to include movies that have already been released on your slate if you join after Sept. 5.
Scoring is based on four criteria for the movies you pick for your studio:
- Total Box Office - Per Theater Average (PTA) - IMDb User Review Score - Weeks in the Box Office Top 5
It's easy - and 100% FREE - to play:
- Choose your slate of eight movies out of the pool of films to be released from September-November. - You'll earn points for the real-world performance of your movies in the above categories. - Stay on top of the movie biz with original Fantasy Moguls insider analysis, reviews and tracking info.
For more info on how the game works, check out How to Play and the Fantasy Moguls FAQ.
I switched up a couple flicks on my slate. First, after viewing the "Lakeview Terrace" trailer for the umpteenth time, I now feel like I've already seen it... the bad neighbor, the approaching fire...gee what happens next? Basically I lost interest in it, and I figure with the Dow dropping 500 or so points this week it will be a flat box office weekend. That can sink LT alltogether, so its out with Samuel Mutha F'n Snakes J Jackson and in with the Shia LaBeouf thriller "Eagle Eye". I've also decided that I have more faith in the overall draw of Seth Rogan's R rated "Zach and Miri Make a Porno" than Michael Cera's PG-13 "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist" so I switched those two flicks. I'm sticking with my high dollar longshot "Appaloosa" in hopes it becomes a solid Oscar contender and earns momentum through the long haul. If it turns out to be a sleeper, I'll have to change my profile to Allen Smithee.
yeah, I dropped "Lakeview Terrace" a few changes ago for the same reason I love Patrick Wilson though... have you seen "Little Children" with him and Kate Winslett? Fantastic movie. I just changed my slate around again too... (and probably will again). And it isn't because EdieRaye scared me off of "Igor"
Are you a movie fan? Do you sometimes find yourself saying, "Man, if I was just in charge of a movie studio, I'd have the coolest slate, balancing high-brow films with those that appeal to the masses, and with some cool cutting edge flicks also"? Would you like to extend the realm of fantasy even further into your life? Or maybe you know that your victory in an Internet Fantasy League is a certain way to get dudes or chicks (your gender of preference) to more completely and totally dig you.
If so, while we wait for the final results of the RP Ultimate Movie Moguls Summer league, we can begin the RP Ultimate Movie Moguls Fall League...
You can join anytime up until Sept. 17 - you just won't be able to include movies that have already been released on your slate if you join after Sept. 5.
Scoring is based on four criteria for the movies you pick for your studio:
- Total Box Office - Per Theater Average (PTA) - IMDb User Review Score - Weeks in the Box Office Top 5
It's easy - and 100% FREE - to play:
- Choose your slate of eight movies out of the pool of films to be released from September-November. - You'll earn points for the real-world performance of your movies in the above categories. - Stay on top of the movie biz with original Fantasy Moguls insider analysis, reviews and tracking info.
For more info on how the game works, check out How to Play and the Fantasy Moguls FAQ.
I switched up a couple flicks on my slate. First, after viewing the "Lakeview Terrace" trailer for the umpteenth time, I now feel like I've already seen it... the bad neighbor, the approaching fire...gee what happens next? Basically I lost interest in it, and I figure with the Dow dropping 500 or so points this week it will be a flat box office weekend. That can sink LT alltogether, so its out with Samuel Mutha F'n Snakes J Jackson and in with the Shia LaBeouf thriller "Eagle Eye". I've also decided that I have more faith in the overall draw of Seth Rogan's R rated "Zach and Miri Make a Porno" than Michael Cera's PG-13 "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist" so I switched those two flicks. I'm sticking with my high dollar longshot "Appaloosa" in hopes it becomes a solid Oscar contender and earns momentum through the long haul. If it turns out to be a sleeper, I'll have to change my profile to Allen Smithee.
The results for the first week are in, and here are the standings after one week of releases...
Bringing up the rear (insert joke here), are Alt-Ctrl-Tom and EdieRaye, each selecting Righteous Kill as their sole selection for the week...
I consider this a win.
Yes, we are at the bottom of the pile BUT we have spent significantly less than anybody else so far. I think for $2 Righteous Kill was the steal of the season. I also notice that we are the only two to have Igor for next week. Did somebody peek at my slate? Because you do remember that I ended up dead last, right? Of course, it is still early in the week and plenty of time for The Tweakster to work his magic.
CptBuz and Zipper are tied for first, each having picked both Burn Without Reading and Righteous Kill...
Water and Mzpro5 are tied for second, each having picked both The Women and Righteous Kill...
Newwavegurly is in sole position of third, having picked the weeks big winner...
Lily34 is in sole position of fouth, having been the only one interested in Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys...
Bringing up the rear (insert joke here), are Alt-Ctrl-Tom and EdieRaye, each selecting Righteous Kill as their sole selection for the week... Burn Without Reading is an unqualified success — tops in box office dollars and top five points, scoring an impressive 8.1 with the IMDb, and picking up a few PTA points. Hey, sometimes quality wins! Go figure... Righteous Kill delivers quite nicely for it's measly $2 price tag — finishing 3rd for the week in box office dollars and top five points, picking up a PTA point, and scoring a better than expected 7.0 IMDb quality rating. The Family That Preys does reasonably well at the box office, picking up 2nd place finishes in dollars and top five points, and 3 PTA points, but MAN, a 4.0 IMDb score! That's gonna leave a mark. Also disappointing was The Women - with only moderate performance in box office dollars and top five points for it's $11 price tag, getting no PTA points, and a lowly IMDb score of 4.5. Ouch!
STUDIO 3-DAY ESTIMATES 1. Burn After Reading (Focus) — $19.4 million, $7,319PTA, $19.4 million cume 2. Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys (Lionsgate) — $18.02 million, $8,696 PTA, $18 million cume 3. Righteous Kill (Overture) — $16.5 million, $5,234 PTA, $16.5 million cume 4. The Women (Picturehouse) — $10.08 million, $3,405 PTA, $10.08 million cume 5. The House Bunny (Sony) — $4.3 million, $1,566 PTA, $42.1 million cume 6. Tropic Thunder (DreamWorks/Paramount) — $4.18 million, 1,428 PTA, $102.9 million cume 7. The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.) — $4.01 million, $1,832 PTA, $517.68 million cume 8. Bangkok Dangerous (Lionsgate) — $2.4 million, $904 PTA, $12.5 million cume 9. Traitor (Overture) — $2.13 million, $1,058 PTA, $20.7 million cume 10. Death Race (Universal) — $2.01 million, $1,004 PTA, $33.19 million cume
Will the RP Fantasy Moguls adjust their slates for this first weeks performance, or will they continue to ride their initial strategy as though it is a cushy theater seat with a drink holder and a vibrating massage setting?
Are you a movie fan? Do you sometimes find yourself saying, "Man, if I was just in charge of a movie studio, I'd have the coolest slate, balancing high-brow films with those that appeal to the masses, and with some cool cutting edge flicks also"? Would you like to extend the realm of fantasy even further into your life? Or maybe you know that your victory in an Internet Fantasy League is a certain way to get dudes or chicks (your gender of preference) to more completely and totally dig you.
If so, while we wait for the final results of the RP Ultimate Movie Moguls Summer league, we can begin the RP Ultimate Movie Moguls Fall League...
You can join anytime up until Sept. 17 - you just won't be able to include movies that have already been released on your slate if you join after Sept. 5.
Scoring is based on four criteria for the movies you pick for your studio:
- Total Box Office - Per Theater Average (PTA) - IMDb User Review Score - Weeks in the Box Office Top 5
It's easy - and 100% FREE - to play:
- Choose your slate of eight movies out of the pool of films to be released from September-November. - You'll earn points for the real-world performance of your movies in the above categories. - Stay on top of the movie biz with original Fantasy Moguls insider analysis, reviews and tracking info.
For more info on how the game works, check out How to Play and the Fantasy Moguls FAQ.
LOS ANGELES - Joel and Ethan Coen scored their biggest opener to date by raking in $19.4 million in ticket sales for "Burn After Reading" and helping end a seven-week attendance slide at theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The madcap comedy starringBrad Pitt, George Clooney and John Malkovich raked in $7 million more than the writing-directing duo's last box-office hit, the 2004 comedy "The Ladykillers," according to box office tracker Media by Numbers.
"Burn After Reading's" success comes just a year after the brothers gained widespread acclaim for the drama "No Country for Old Men," which won four Academy Awardsand grossed $73.3 million. Their Oscar credentials and the star-studded cast combined to make "Burn After Reading" a hit, said Jack Foley, president of distribution for Focus Features.
"The Coens have broken into more commercial territory with this film," Foley said. "They've become more of a household name."
The weekend's three other new releases also turned in solid performances.
Writer-director Tyler Perry's "The Family That Preys," starring Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard in a drama about two families from different social classes, debuted at No. 2 with $18 million. Five out of six of Perry's films have opened at No. 1 or No. 2 on their opening weekends, said Steve Rothenberg, president of domestic distribution for Lionsgate. Rothenberg said he expected "The Family that Preys" to continue to play well over upcoming weekends as Perry's movies typically do. "It should have good legs," he said.
Overture Film's "Righteous Kill" opened at No. 3 with $16.5 million, proving that A-list stars Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino still draw fans. The movie played to a wide range of ages and both genders, said Kyle Davies, Overture's executive vice president of theatrical distribution.
"The primary appeal is to see these two legends together," he said.
Picturehouse's "The Women" — starring Meg Ryan and Annette Bening in a remake ofGeorge Cukor's 1939 comedy-drama — was No. 4 with $10.1 million.
The weekend's total box-office draw should surpass $100 million, breaking a seven-week slide in ticket revenue, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media by Numbers. Last weekend was the slowest moviegoing weekend in five years, with just $67.6 million. He attributed the uptick to the variety in genres that studios offered this weekend.
"Audiences want a lot of choice," he said. "Each of these movies had a particular demographic. This was the cinematic equivalent of a magazine rack."
The next seven films in the top dozen were holdovers, grossing $4.3 million or less.
The Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" continued to rack up its gross with another $4 million, for total box office revenue of $517.7 million to date.
Last weekend's top-ranked "Bangkok Dangerous" starring Nicolas Cage dropped to eighth place with $2.4 million.
The top 12 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, as estimated by Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Burn After Reading," $19.4 million.
2. "Tyler Perry's The Family that Preys," $18.0 million.
3. "Righteous Kill," $16.5 million.
4. "The Women," $10.1 million.
5. "The House Bunny," $4.3 million.
6. "Tropic Thunder," $4.2 million.
7. "The Dark Knight," $4.0 million.
8. "Bangkok Dangerous," $2.4 million.
9. "Traitor," $2.1 million.
10. "Death Race," $2.0 million.
11. "Babylon A.D.," $1.7 million.
12. "Mamma Mia!," $1.7 million.
I did my part by going to see both movies on my slate...six times each. Ok just once, but I might see Burn After Reading a second time. Rightous Kill, on the other hand, can cruise right through the theatric run, onto DVD, PPV, Starz, or wherever and I'll doubt I'd ever have the yearning to see it again. Not that is was really bad, but just not very good and very very forgettable. I'm really looking forward to Miracle at St. Anna (opens wide on 9/26).
LOS ANGELES - Joel and Ethan Coen scored their biggest opener to date by raking in $19.4 million in ticket sales for "Burn After Reading" and helping end a seven-week attendance slide at theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The madcap comedy starringBrad Pitt, George Clooney and John Malkovich raked in $7 million more than the writing-directing duo's last box-office hit, the 2004 comedy "The Ladykillers," according to box office tracker Media by Numbers.
"Burn After Reading's" success comes just a year after the brothers gained widespread acclaim for the drama "No Country for Old Men," which won four Academy Awardsand grossed $73.3 million. Their Oscar credentials and the star-studded cast combined to make "Burn After Reading" a hit, said Jack Foley, president of distribution for Focus Features.
"The Coens have broken into more commercial territory with this film," Foley said. "They've become more of a household name."
The weekend's three other new releases also turned in solid performances.
Writer-director Tyler Perry's "The Family That Preys," starring Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard in a drama about two families from different social classes, debuted at No. 2 with $18 million. Five out of six of Perry's films have opened at No. 1 or No. 2 on their opening weekends, said Steve Rothenberg, president of domestic distribution for Lionsgate. Rothenberg said he expected "The Family that Preys" to continue to play well over upcoming weekends as Perry's movies typically do. "It should have good legs," he said.
Overture Film's "Righteous Kill" opened at No. 3 with $16.5 million, proving that A-list stars Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino still draw fans. The movie played to a wide range of ages and both genders, said Kyle Davies, Overture's executive vice president of theatrical distribution.
"The primary appeal is to see these two legends together," he said.
Picturehouse's "The Women" — starring Meg Ryan and Annette Bening in a remake ofGeorge Cukor's 1939 comedy-drama — was No. 4 with $10.1 million.
The weekend's total box-office draw should surpass $100 million, breaking a seven-week slide in ticket revenue, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media by Numbers. Last weekend was the slowest moviegoing weekend in five years, with just $67.6 million. He attributed the uptick to the variety in genres that studios offered this weekend.
"Audiences want a lot of choice," he said. "Each of these movies had a particular demographic. This was the cinematic equivalent of a magazine rack."
The next seven films in the top dozen were holdovers, grossing $4.3 million or less.
The Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" continued to rack up its gross with another $4 million, for total box office revenue of $517.7 million to date.
Last weekend's top-ranked "Bangkok Dangerous" starring Nicolas Cage dropped to eighth place with $2.4 million.
The top 12 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, as estimated by Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Burn After Reading," $19.4 million.
2. "Tyler Perry's The Family that Preys," $18.0 million.
Changed my slate again... or, I should say, I further refined it. a fine studio isn't built on a moments whim, but over time with careful consideration and thought ... so there.
Tweeeeek!
ha! refined it, huh? How many mogul leagues are you in, btw?
I think I'll start calling you Tweek because of your constant slate/team tweaking. Do you know Tweek? I love him.
Aaarrrgh!
Geez!
Aaarrrgh!
Changed my slate again... or, I should say, I further refined it. a fine studio isn't built on a moments whim, but over time with careful consideration and thought ... so there.
I can't believe the total box office projections for Rightous Kill are only in the 20-25 million area. That's it??? DeNiro and Pacino together??? in a cop thriller??? Can't see how those two guys could rake in any less than 50 mil even if i's a bad flick (and from the trailers I've seen it looks pretty darn good).
A couple of other BO projections I think will be way off this week are Tyler Perry's latest dribble which is projected to earn more than double RK at 55mil. Tyler Perry's last three films averaged a little over 40mil, and I see nothing outside his cookie cutter chick flick morality play movie formula to justify a higher than average BO return this time around. I don't see much superstar draw power here eithor with Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard in the leads. And what about the ridiculously low projection of 29mil for the Coen Bro's 'Burn After Reading'. The reigning acadamy award winning directing duo+clooney+pitt=50mil easy. I tried to find how box office projections are made, but they should call me (I am the current RP movie mogul champ after all) I'll set them straight!
Righteous Kill trailer...
It looks interesting, and certainly the cast is great! And for $2, well, there's very little risk to your slate. I think the director and the studio are the big concerns (a slew of bombs from both) ... its the same director as for 88 Minutes (Pacino's last film) which was not well received. (to put it mildly) Plus, they aren't screening Righteous Kill for critics, which isn't a good sign either. I'm picking it in another league, but probably passing on it in this one.
Like you, I'm totally passing on A Family That Preys. No interest at all for me ... though Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard are certainly quality actors (if not box office draws).
Burn After Reading looks fantastic! What a cast! And have the Coen brothers made a bad film?
But (like Righteous Kill), I think I'm going to pass on it in this league, and choose it in another... based in trying to balance my slate (and dollars) to reach RP Movie Mogul victory!
And hey, perhaps if you win again, you will be able to hire out as a box office consultant. leave your Space Chimps love off your resume
Or maybe you know that your victory in an Internet Fantasy League is a certain way to get dudes or chicks (your gender of preference) to more completely and totally dig you. 
Scoring is based on four criteria for the movies you pick for your studio:
I 
LOS ANGELES - 
Ok just once, but I might see Burn After Reading a second time. Rightous Kill, on the other hand, can cruise right through the theatric run, onto DVD, PPV, Starz, or wherever and I'll doubt I'd ever have the yearning to see it again. Not that is was really bad, but just not very good and very very forgettable. I'm really looking forward to Miracle at St. Anna (opens wide on 9/26). 
You say wrath, I say calling it like it is. ;)