Box Office Update: People Remembered About "Contraband"?

Well it doesn't quite look like "Beauty and the Beast 3D" put up the same numbers as "The Lion King 3D" did back in September. To its credit, the 3D Bluray for for "Beauty and the Beast" was already out, while "The Lion King" still had a few weeks to go. That's probably what stunted the income of it a bit, but it still managed to bring in quite a tasty sum. In number one, quite unexpectedly, was "Contraband". It's interesting, because I didn't think a lot of people really knew what "Contraband" was, but apparently they did. I suppose that's what happens when the dumb trailer plays at every single screening you go to. I wouldn't say to expect it to hold well in the future. You know how these things go. They're big on opening, and then they just evaporate.

"Joyful Noise" seemed to evaporate before it was even released, though now that it's out I can easily imagine family audiences returning to it for weeks to come. I hope not, but that's the way it's likely to occur. "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" continue to surge towards their benchmarks of $200 million and $100 million, respectively. As a matter of fact, they should reach that point by this time next week. "Sherlock Holmes" may even take $200 million, if just barely. Overall, this weekend was about exactly in line with the same weekend last year, when "The Green Hornet" was the massive debut of the weekend.

1. "Contraband" (First Weekend; $28.8 million)

2. "Beauty and the Beast 3D" (First Weekend; $23.5 million)

3. "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (Fifth Weekend; $14.2 million)

4. "Joyful Noise" (First Weekend; $13.8 million)

5. "Sherlock Holmes" (Fifth Weekend; $10.5 million)

6. "The Devil Inside" (Second Weekend: $9.2 million)

7. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (Fourth Weekend; $8.1 million)

8. "Alvin and the Chipmunks 3" (Fifth Weekend; $7.8 million)

9. "War Horse" (Fourth Weekend; $7.2 million)

10. "We Bought A Zoo" (Fourth Weekend; $6.8 million)

Box Office Update: "Devil" Brings in the New Year

And cue the hordes of analysts trying to figure out the secret behind the surprise success of "The Devil Inside" this weekend. You rarely expect a new release on the first weekend of the year to bring in the business that the recent horror disaster has. Never mind the fact that it grossed more in its first weekend than any film in my top 20 of 2011, save "Rango". There was no buzz going for the film, or at least none that I saw. Is it maybe that this is the only horror film in the market that drove people to see it? Frankly, I don't care. In the one sense, it brings up the box office heading into this year. In the other, it's an abysmal film, and it's become clear very quickly that nobody here cares about filmmaking.

In holdovers, "Mission: Impossible" continued its victory loop on the way to $200 million and its inevitable sequel pickup. "Sherlock Holmes" is still doing quite well, despite the relatively soft opening it had. It's a kind of reminder of how prosperous the January frame can be for films coming out of the holiday fray, as well as Oscar pics. "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" expanded well, hopefully making the Academy regret not paying as much attention to it before. Overall, this weekend was a strong 37.2% above the same frame last year, when "Season of the Witch" produced an equal product as "The Devil Inside", but yielded much weaker results.

Box Office Update: "Impossible" End to the Year

At this point, I'm just sick of the negativity surrounding the analysis of the box office. Not the box office itself, as it's doing pretty damn well. I can see the top ten of this weekend doing well in the coming month, and an obvious surge for "The Artist" is coming when the nominations eventually do come. It's wise of the Weinstein Company to hold that back just long enough for it to really bring audiences in later on. For now, the box office gold is being spread pretty evenly, since there's nothing to really hog the spotlight. I don't think that'll change in December of this year either, but it's still an honest earnings.

"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" overtook "Sherlock Holmes" as far as total box office goes, with it likely heading to finish at or above $200 million. That seals the deal for a fifth film, after all the work this franchise has done. "Alvin and the Chipmunks" continues to do well, as we knew it would, and the same almost goes for "War Horse". I have an equal interest in seeing either of them in theaters, or ever for that matter. And in spite of some perceived-to-be-poor opening numbers for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", it bounced back properly to bring its total up to $60 million, on its way to +$100 million. I'd consider that a success for a franchise starter based on a Swedish novel. And the rest is the rest, but it's still an more than modest improvement on last weekend.

My Case to Academy Voters on Behalf of Jared Harris!

Yesterday the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences placed nomination ballots in the mail to be delivered to the voting body of 5,783 members, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. This means that the majority of Academy members will be receiving them today and the remainder will receive them throughout the end of this week. They then have until January 13 to submit their completed nomination ballots.

In the miniscule chance that any voting member of the Academy happens to follow Film Misery, I would like to invite any reader to post their own For Your Consideration ad for a particular category. Make your case in the comments for why the particular film or performance that you favor should be written down on an Academy member’s ballot and submitted.

That was taken verbatim from the offices of one Alex Carlson of Film Misery, and it definitely got me out of the funk I've been in for the past couple days, and I'm here writing again so I might as well take him up on his challenge. I'd suggest the same for you. So here's my plea, after the jump of course.

Quick Takes: "Sherlock Holmes" & "Hugo"

It's been a downplayed week of cinema for me, with nothing of note until I finally hit the weekend. While most films are getting the full review treatment, there are some that I just don't have much to say on. And for now, I thought I'd hold off on the pre-2011 films I saw and focus on the matter at hand.

"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows"

Directed by Guy Richie

As hinted at in my box office report, I am of a conflicted nature on Guy Richie's second outing in his "Sherlock Holmes" vein. Yes, the story has expanded to a more relevant, believable, and fascinating nature, which is all the more fitting for the introduction of Holmes' nemesis Moriarty. The problem it faces is the expansion of its own technique, which was fine to begin with in the first film. The relatively low-budget aesthetic worked for what was required. The $35 million more that was spent on it makes it feel all the more like a blockbuster effort, and as such loses a degree of the soul it had. It's that separating factor that was evident in "X-Men" and "Harry Potter" earlier this year, and continues on here.

But again, there is a strong story being put to the test by Richie's group, and Moriarty is depicted as perfectly as he possibly could have been. He's not as intentionally evil as he seemed in the previous film. Jared Harris goes to the limited extremes with his performance, going just far enough to not be a cartoon villain, but not banal either. Harris thrives more than anyone else on the payroll. In fact, since he's not a comedic player, he avoids both the film's advantage and its bane, that being its wit. It's not that it's not funny, but it's thrown in at every possible avenue that it's overkill. It drags the film down with it and becomes repetitive very quickly. However, the scenes with Harris are done to perfection, and one particular action sequence of the film is amongst the more fascinating of this year.

"Hugo"

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Scorsese has always been leading the charge as far as the topic of film preservation has been concerned, so it figures that it's only a matter of time before he makes a film about it. "Hugo" is the achievement of that endeavor, but isn't an achievement of much more than that. The story seems to have been selected merely for the relevance of Georges Melies within it. Could he have picked a more in tune story? Sure, but this seems particularly suited to send the message to children generations. What does that come sewed together with? Horrendous child performances from Asa Butterfield and Chloe Moretz, and a typical story that is never really motivating. If it is, that's from simple juxtaposition with "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close". In short, we don't feel his devotion, even if we do see it. I just felt cold and unmoved throughout the entirety of it ridiculous length. Rarely is two hours too long, but a story like this doesn't work for that long.

Box Office Update: "Impossible" overshadows "Sherlock"'s game

The latest "Holmes" flick is a tricky contraption of sort, wavering between bigger & better and louder & crasser than the first flick. Keep in mind, that first one had a great many detractors for me, but it came almost out of nowhere and created a dark atmosphere very in tune with director Guy Richie's other films, but it finally works here. In "A Game of Shadows", not so much. Mind you, I'll get slightly more in depth with my thoughts on the film later on, but for now it's simply worth representing how the box office dip between the first and the second films is indicative of the time there is to be had on each. They spent 30% more, and ended up with 30% less.

Not to say that it was a total failure. $40 million is still $40 million, even if there's a strong degree of work left to go. That's why we have the Christmas break to burgeon these opportunities. And even outside "Holmes", we saw strong signs for the box office. "Alvin & the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked", in spite of horrid reviews, picked up its child audience skillfully without a hitch. Sure, it's not quite as much as they wanted, but they get what they payed for. They're rather good at that. But the big success story of the weekend was "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol", which picked up a hefty sum from its IMAX screens this weekend. That allied with the advanced buzz that is bound to boost its overall income means that it could very well be the massive hit of the holiday season, as well it should be. Check the charts after the jump.

Weekend Report: Under the Radar

If that title makes it kind of clear-cut where I want the attention to go this weekend, it's because I'd rather people seek out "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" aggressively in IMAX. Never mind Christopher Nolan's little prologue that is playing in front of SOME screening. In any case, you'll get the chance to see the new trailer for "The Dark Knight Rises", which within five seconds made me forget about my self-embargo on all trailers. Now, I'm satisfied to wait the next seven months dry. But that is merely an afterthought (or forethought) when it comes to the film that follows. It's an experience you must appreciate in IMAX, or not at all.

Of course, let's not let that overshadow the other films out this weekend, which aren't films you can dismiss either. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" would've much benefited from the subtitle of "Ghost Protocol", but it still looks like Guy Richie is playing with the same toys that have done him well in the past, be it with a more controlled focus. I am much more excited, on the other hand, to catch "Young Adult". It's less the film that's drawing me in as it is Charlize Theron. She's one of those actresses who's coming back into the fold without making a fuss about it. Leave that for the film. Oh, and "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" is out too. Kind of.

For Your Anticipation: Stag Party

Early this morning, while discussing odd ideas of who should direct the next Bond film after Sam Mendes, my friend brought up Guy Richie as a strong candidate. As interesting as that would no doubt end up being, I maintain that Guy Richie is best where he currently is. "Sherlock Holmes" offered him to most prosperous catalyst for his brand of creativity, and his continuance in that vein is something to be celebrated. He's got a solid field that isn't prone to heavy casting decisions. Case in point, villainous character Moriarty is played by "Fringe" and "Mad Men" star Jared Harris. The biggest name? God no! The best name? Hell yes!

Carpet-Bagging: Visual Effects Race Down to 15

The Oscar races are cracking down towards their endgame, with the longlist for the visual effects race finally announced. I'm not sure there are many notable absences from this list, but though it's no surprise that "Melancholia" isn't here, I personally have deeper appreciation for the visual effects in that film than sure-to-be-nominated "The Tree of Life". Yes, Lars' visuals are less "real", but that's most of what clinches them for me. But I didn't expect them to make the cut anyway, so lets move on to what is most definitely not going to end up nominated. I think we can rule out "Captain America", "Cowboys & Aliens", "Pirates", "Real Steel", "Sucker Punch", "Super 8", and "Thor".

From there I can narrow it down by axing "Sherlock Holmes", "Mission: Impossible", and "X-Men: First Class". The automatic response is "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2", "Hugo", "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", "The Tree of Life", and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen". But again, this could all change ever so quickly. Check after the jump for the full list of potential candidates.

• Captain America: The First Avenger
• Cowboys & Aliens
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Hugo
• Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
• Real Steel
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
• Sucker Punch
• Super 8
• Thor
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• The Tree of Life
• X-Men: First Class

Films to See in 2011: December

Apologies that this edition is late, as is pretty much everything else having to do with this site. You can expect that trend to continue at least for the next week, after which things will get back to normal. More than that, with the critics awards popping up everywhere and the year's end looming as a deadline to be met, you'll see a grand flood of news coming pretty soon. Concerning this month, two of my most anticipated films are already out, be it in very limited releases. "Sleeping Beauty", which I'll get more into later on, is just a small piece of this month which seems ever so promising. I've already effused about my excitement surrounding "Shame". It still looks fantastic, despite a share of reviewers thinking differently.

We get a considerable chunk of new releases this week, with Warner Bros. bound to pull in hefty audiences with "New Years Eve". A cast that star-studded isn't assembled for accolades. Meanwhile the Jonah Hill vehicle "The Sitter" looks to grab its more "mature" comedic audiences, especially given the more than amusing trailer that hit a few weeks back. Personally, I'm much more excited that "We Need to Talk About Kevin" is finally hitting for audiences this week. Out of mild curiosity, "W.E." is also heading out this weekend. So that's... something.

And then the rest of the month finds itself with too many blockbusters than it knows what to do with. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked"... yeah, I've got nothing. Don't do that to your children. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" looks to nail the same crowd as the first film, and if it doesn't look at all fantastic, it should be a generally interesting ride. "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" is still very much up in the air, but I'd like to think that Cruise and Brad Bird have something good here. And of course there's "The Adventures of Tintin", "War Horse", "The Darkest Hour", and "We Bought a Zoo", but who really cares? My interest strains for three particular films this month, and you can find them after the jump.

"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" Trailer

I'm never going to get beyond that mediocre subtitle of "A Game of Shadows", but "Sherlock Holmes" is looking a great deal more interesting with this second trailer for the film. Just yesterday I was worried that they'd stop marketing the film after that horrible teaser. I don't caution seeing this film as serious, especially after the first one. Yes, there's some cunning intelligence in the pot, but it's ultimately very silly and ridiculous. The first trailer pushed that latter point a bit too much. Glad to see there's still a mind behind the series, even if it's fantastically stoned. Still have one complaint, and that's that there's not enough Jared Harris. Are the marketers worried nobody cares about him?

Box-Office Update: You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!

I don't get how people can continuously make extremely stupid decisions, but once in a while do something that makes logical sense. That's what I've been thinking across this weekend's box office results, because audiences obviously go with the typical decision of going to see Little Fockers. Anyone could've guessed that, because people are stupid with their choices. One the other hand, True Grit was the surprise hit of this weekend, not taking the top spot, but certainly outperforming any expectations it had. Gulliver's Travels was practically canceled out by Little Fockers, so it hitting the seventh slot isn't all the confusing or surprising.

Adding on to the typical confusion is Yogi Bear, which is doing far better than it should be doing. The animated whatever took a drop of 46.4% this weekend, while TRON: Legacy took a heftier drop of 54.3%. I knew that it wouldn't do well with repeat viewings, but I never thought once in hell that Yogi Bear would keep more audiences. We'll have to wait to see how it fully pans out, but it's understandable how this wasn't as truly magnificent a weekend at the movies as last year. Christmas Eve landed on a Friday, which is usually the top day for people to head out to the theaters, but most were instead stuck at church. At the same time, last year had Avatar and Sherlock Holmes, so the fact that this weekend was 50% down from that one makes complete sense.

1. Little Fockers (First Weekend; $34 million)
2. True Grit (First Weekend; $25.6 million)
3. TRON: Legacy (Second Weekend; $20.1 million)
4. The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Third Weekend; $10.8 million)
5. Yogi Bear (Second Weekend; $8.8 million)
6. The Fighter (Third Weekend; $8.5 million)
7. Gulliver's Travels (First Weekend; $7.2 million)
8. Black Swan (Fourth Weekend; $6.6 million)
9. Tangled (Fifth Weekend; $6.5 million)
10. The Tourist (Third Weekend; $5.7 million)

Jared Harris is Moriarty in "Sherlock Holmes 2"

I feel so emphatically grateful to hear this news, because they were swinging around some brilliant names to play the main villain in the Sherlock Holmes sequel. From Brad Pitt to Daniel Day Lewis, we were almost sure we had an idea of what was in store. However, I thank Guy Ritchie for taking a complete U-turn away from expectations and choosing Jared Harris for the part. Harris has played roles that skew from amazing character-depth (Mad Men) to ridiculous insanity (Fringe), and I've loved each and every one. I can't wait to see what Ritchie and Harris have in store for us. If done not only correctly, but perfectly, I could see a Supporting Actor possibility in Harris' awards future.