Box Office Update: Validation of a Fact

If the box office charts are a scale of the population's state of mind, then this year has been as singularly depressing as I've repeatedly said it is. This weekend seemed to be in the bag for "New Year's Eve" and "The Sitter", but the fact of the matter is that at this time of the year, people are more interested in seeing something that's actually good. The obvious brand of pandering comedies have done poorly in this month for the past several years. At this point, people are genuinely interested in seeing the films that are going to be Academy players in a couple of weeks.

Case in point? There's more interest to be found in the independent releases of this week. "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" took in $300,000 this weekend out of four theaters. "Young Adult" brought in $320,000 from eight theaters, which isn't as strong a per theater average as its competitor, but the buzz has been decidedly laid back on this one. This isn't another Oscar play from Jason Reitman, and he's opted out of the circus altogether. And in the meantime, "A Dangerous Method", "The Artist", "My Week with Marilyn", and especially "Shame" have been surging strong in the wings. This weekend proved to be the lowest box office weekend for the entire year, but we're headed towards a more fruitful slate for the endgame of this year.

Box Office Update: "Dawn" & "Muppets" rules dull weekend

The box office saw its first down weekend in a while, which is honestly surprising given the strength of the films in play. I'm not about to call "Twilight" anything special, but it keeps the box office on a steady level. "Breaking Dawn" is irrevocably failing to keep interest even in its own market. "The Muppets" too is having some down times. That debut may have been a bit too frontloaded, with a nearly 60% dip not painting a fortunate future. All the same, the film has the opportunity for a wide berth of repeat viewings in the coming weeks towards the holiday season. And in its defense, this weekend is a busy time for most people, hence why no films came in wide release. It's a bad frame for it. The rest aren't quite worth mentioning.

1. "Breaking Dawn" (Third Weekend; $16.9 million)

2. "The Muppets" (Second Weekend; $11.2 million)

3. "Hugo" (Second Weekend; $7.6 million)

4. "Arthur Christmas" (Second Weekend; $7.4 million)

5. "Happy Feet Two" (Third Weekend; $6 million)

6. "Jack and Jill" (Fourth Weekend; $5.5 million)

7. "The Descendants" (Third Weekend; $5.2 million)

8. "Immortals" (Fourth Weekend; $4.4 million)

9. "Tower Heist" (Fifth Weekend; $4.1 million)

10. "Puss in Boots" (Sixth Weekend; $3 million)

Thanksgiving Weekend Report: Life's a Happy Song

This weekend brings us quite a few endearing films in both the mainstream and independent circuits. It's much more bountiful harvest than we're accustomed to on any given weekend. The most blinding flaw is that there's so much that's gearing towards families that they're bound to cancel each other at the box office. Still, I'm certain the undeniable draw is "The Muppets", as it has been for the past several weeks. I'm tempted to say that families will go out in droves for the film, but I imagine so many people who see it will be people who grew up with the Muppets. It's the nostalgia of passing on the beloved characters to newer generations that should make this thrive over the weeks to come.

The other two are less decidedly successful, and one of which I can't even place much confidence in. "Arthur Christmas" looks simple, which isn't exactly a mark against it. Apparently critics are quite taken with Aardman's new CG feature, but I can easily say that it offers something just a little bit more than "Happy Feet Two" does. Films like this are often more than is let on in the trailers. And then there's "Hugo", which I'm even more tempted to see, despite some belittling factors in it. I don't think this is Martin Scorsese at his greatest, nor do I expect to change that feeling when I see it. But I've still heard some wonderful things about it, so it's worth a shot, right?

For Your Anticipation: We Have a Waker?

It's that time of year again, when Christmas comes to those who aren't ready or willing for it. Then again, I suppose they put these films out now so that they have time to build up to the big celebration. But I wasn't interested in seeing "Arthur Christmas" when they released the first trailer nearly a year ago. I'm still not interested now, just because it seems like simple and narrow kids entertainment, just slightly more inviting a prospect than "Happy Feet Two". The main difference is, where this will open weaker against the plethora of family entertainment in this frame, it will have the bonus of families looking for a Christmas movie next month. But please Aardman, can you just get back to claymation? We miss it!