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Avengers Assemble for a Record-Breaking Opening Weekend

Hollywood KD — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:57:34 +0000

“Avengers” Breaks Records With $200 Million During Weekend Debut
Posted by Lucienne Molnar On May 7, 2012 5:31am in Movies

We all know that two heads are better than one, so it shouldn’t surprise us that five superheroes can do a better job than one. Based on a recent report published by Reuters, the newly released movie, “Avengers” broke records with more than $200 million earnings gathered during its weekend debut.
One superhero is not enough to destroy evil forces and save the world. Or better yet, to save media companies’ revenues by drawing film goers to cinemas. Apparently, it takes five characters with superpowers to do the job and Marvel studios have proven this with their most recent production, “The Avengers”. This was the first film that gathered Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk and Black Widow on the same celluloid.
Judging by the figures provided by North American cinemas, it looks like the public was eager to see the combination of superpowers that Marvel Comics prepared for them. The motion picture was highly requested in domestic theaters where ticket sales cashed in $200.3 million. The situation was even better across international markets where “Avengers” earned more than $641.8 million since its debut on April 25.
Dave Hollis, Disney’s executive vice-president of distribution, was very pleased with the outcome of the action movie. He told the press that the film keeps surprising them with every report they get. Producers expected “The Avengers” to collect large amounts of money, but they never thought they would break records from the very first weekend.
The positive outcome is partially due to the aggressive marketing campaign that producers have prepared in order to attract feminine viewers. Their efforts paid off as 40 percent of the audience was made up of women and half of the public was over 25 years.
The second most viewed movie of the weekend was the romantic comedy “Think Like a Man” which gathered $8 million from North American (U.S. and Canadian) sales. “Hunger Games” fell on the third spot with only $5.7 million revenue in its seventh week. Warner Brothers’ “The Lucky One” was not that lucky after all; the motion picture earned only $5.5 million being closely followed by the animated film “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” with $5.4 million.

Classic Game: DJ Hero 2 Review

Hollywood KD — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:14:31 +0000

Classic Game Room reviews DJ Hero 2 for Xbox 360, also available for PS3 and Nintendo wii. DJ Hero 2 is the 2010 techno / club / rap / hip-hop / dance music video game sequel to 2009′s excellent DJ Hero from Freestyle Games and Activision. Features music and questionable mixes of songs from Lady Gaga, Deadmau5, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Eminem, Flo Rida and Chamillionaire. While gameplay remains relatively unchanged from the near perfection of DJ Hero 1, the mixes themselves seem more focused on game play than actually being listenable which makes playing the game more of a chore than it needs to be. This CGR review of DJ Hero 2 has gameplay from DJ Hero 2 on Xbox 360 showing DJ Hero 2 game play in HD videogame music game action.

ALL RISE…HONORABLE JUDGE WARREN ‘QB KILLA’ SAPP IS PRESIDING

Hollywood KD — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:09:53 +0000

Are you having trouble deciding whether or not Janine, who failed out of beauty school, owes money to Stephen, who’s never worn long pants before today, for not paying back money she borrowed from his Aunt Dotty for a really good deal on cigarettes?

Well, now you can ask seven-time Pro Bowler Warren Sapp.
Joining a list of immortals that includes Judge Judy, Judge Wapner and Judge Reinhold, Warren Sapp will now sit behind a big fake judge’s desk and wear a big fake judge’s robe in the middle of the weekday. That’s according to Media Rantz, who uncovered several bits of evidence that “Judge Sapp” is already filming. Perhaps most telling was this call for audience members to sit and be paid to watch Judge Sapp dispense justice.

Sapp is an analyst on the NFL Network (though he wasn’t seen working at the NFL draft and his contract is expiring in August) and he recently filed for bankruptcy protection in Florida. At the time, he also said he feared being sued by Jeremy Shockey, who Sapp said was responsible for blowing the whistle on the Saints bounty system.
But if it turns out that Sapp is really good at the TV judge thing, it could solve all of his financial problems. I’m sure he’s a long way from this, but Judge Judy is currently pulling in $45 million a year for yelling at people.
I’m of the opinion that Sapp did good work on the NFL Network, but I don’t know if he’s the guy I’d seek out for a fair and reasonable ruling on a dispute. “Yes, the court has determined that since Mr. Clifton happened to be looking in the other direction, it was perfectly acceptable to destroy his pelvis.”

‘Man’ Leads Box Office For Second Week; Avengers rakes in $178.4 Million Internationally

Hollywood KD — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:06:24 +0000

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Romantic comedy “Think Like a Man” easily beat four new films to win the U.S. and Canadian box office race for a second time while superhero movie “The Avengers” stormed into overseas theaters with record-breaking sales.
“Think Like a Man” led domestic charts with an $18.0 million total from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters on Sunday. New movies including adult comedy “The Five-Year Engagement” didn’t come close, each grabbing about $11 million or less.
Big-budget, effects-filled “Avengers” hauled in a massive $178.4 million since Wednesday from theaters in 39 international markets, Walt Disney Co said. The 3D film from Disney’s Marvel studio set opening-weekend records in 12 territories including Mexico and Brazil and opening-day records in four countries.
“Avengers” reaches North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters on Friday to kick off the summer movie season. Box office forecasters predict super-sized sales that will rival this year’s record set by teen death match drama “The Hunger Games,” a blockbuster that debuted in March with $152.5 million domestically.
Anticipation for “Avengers” likely kept many filmgoers home from multiplexes this weekend, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division of Hollywood.com. Overall ticket sales slumped 30 percent from the same weekend last year.
“It just seemed like audiences are saving their time and money for next weekend” and the “Avengers” debut, he said.
“Think Like a Man” brought its 10-day sales to $60.9 million. The movie features an ensemble cast and is based on a best-selling relationship guide by comedian Steve Harvey.
Among the newcomers, animated family film “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” performed best with $11.4 million and second place. The film cost about $55 million to make. Total sales overseas, where the movie has been playing since late March, rang up at $75.1 million through Sunday.
Close behind in third place, love story “The Lucky One” took in $11.32 million domestically during its second weekend in theaters.
Action movie “The Hunger Games” slipped to fourth with $11.25 million. Worldwide sales to date reached $601 million, distributor Lions Gate Entertainment Corp said.
“Five-Year Engagement” opened at a disappointing No. 5 with $11.2 million, slightly below projections by Universal Pictures for the low-teens. The movie stars Jason Segel and Emily Blunt as a couple whose walk down the aisle runs into repeated interruptions. Audiences had a lukewarm reception, grading the movie a “B-minus” in polling by survey firm CinemaScore.
Universal and privately held Relativity Media produced “Five-Year Engagement” for about $30 million. “A reasonably priced film that slightly underperforms is not the worst thing in world,” said Nikki Rocco, Universal’s president of distribution.
New thriller “Safe” secured $7.7 million and the No. 6 slot. The movie stars Jason Statham as a former elite agent who takes on a mission to rescue a kidnapped girl. Another new thriller, “The Raven” starring John Cusack as Edgar Allen Poe, landed in seventh place with $7.3 million.
Sony Corp’s film studio distributed “Think Like a Man” and “Pirates! Band of Misfits.” Time Warner Inc’s Warner Bros. studio released “The Lucky One.” “The Five-Year Engagement” was distributed by Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp.
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp released “Hunger Games” and “Safe.” Privately held Relativity Media released “The Raven” in the United States, and Alliance Films distributed the movie in Canada.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Bill Trott and Eric Walsh)

Battleship Star..Rihanna Slams Ashton Kutcher Romance Rumors: “I’m Happy and I’m Single!”

Hollywood KD — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:30:42 +0000

Rihanna would like to set the record straight: She’s not dating Ashton Kutcher. In fact, the 24-year-old singer-actress says she’s completely unattached.

During a press conference in London for her new movie, Battleship, the Barbadian beauty was asked by a gutsy reporter if Kutcher would be visiting her across the pond.

Ri-Ri’s response?

MORE: Who Is Rihanna’s Beverly Hills Dinner Date?

“Wow, how disappointing was that question,” she said. “I’m happy and I’m single, if that’s what you’re really asking.”

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/news/rihanna_slams_ashton_kutcher_romance/304574#ixzz1qQwtu2ii

Ol’ Dirty Bastard movie to star ‘Boardwalk Empire’ actor Michael K. Williams

Hollywood KD — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:19:29 +0000

The life and times of the one and only Ol’ Dirty Bastard are heading to the big screen in biopic starring actor Michael K. Williams (of Boardwalk Empire and The Wire fame). The film will likely cover his unlikely rise in the rap game and his tragic death. Entertainment Weekly reports:
As the deadly stick-up man Omar Little on The Wire and the fearsome bootlegger Chalky White on Boardwalk Empire, actor Michael K. Williams has played his share of tough SOBs. Now he’s going to take on a bastard.
An Ol’ Dirty one.
EW has learned exclusively that Williams, 45, will star in an upcoming film about the legendary Wu-Tang Clan rapper and all-around troubled soul Russell Jones, a.k.a. Ol’ Dirty Bastard, whose impressive mic skills and outrageous showmanship were eclipsed by his erratic offstage behavior, assorted arrests, and an early death.
Joaquin Baca-Asay, the cinematographer on We Own the Night, Roger Dodger and Jay-Z’s video for 99 Problems, is also joining the project, making his feature directorial debut.

Titled Dirty White Boy, the film focuses on the offbeat friendship between the Wu-Tang Clan co-founder and Jarred Weisfeld, a 22-year-old VH1 production assistant who through a lot of hustle (and the occasional lie) talked his way into becoming the rapper’s manager when Jones was serving a three-year stint in prison in the early 2000s.
Despite Weisfeld’s inexperience, and having a client whose talent was undermined by addiction and mental illness, the novice manager engineered an unlikely comeback — only to have it cut short by the star’s fatal drug overdose in 2004 at age 35.
Dirty White Boy is being produced by Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy, whose Beginners won Christopher Plummer an Academy Award last month. The screenplay is by Brent Hoff, who worked at VH1 and met Weisfeld and ODB when they were working on a reality show there.
The role of Weisfeld has not yet been filled, though the part may be particularly attractive now that it includes the chance to act opposite the acclaimed Williams. (Another movie about ODB, apparently penned by his cousin Raeshawn, is also in the works, with Eddie Griffin and Tracy Morgan being considered for the lead role.)

Usher Slated to Play Sugar Ray Leonard

Hollywood KD — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:01:36 +0000

Leonard, a world champion in five different weight divisions, finally retired from boxing in 1997 after a number of comebacks.

The film is about legendary Panamanian boxer Roberto Durán.

The R&B star said he was in training for the role in the film which he says will also star Robert De Niro and Gael García Bernal.

“I’m in preparation for a very incredible role,” Usher said.

“If you guys see me running around London that’s what it is.

“If you see me in the corners boxing. I’m doing that while working on this album.”

The singer confirmed he’ll start filming for the movie later in 2012.

He also said De Niro is cast as legendary boxing trainer Ray Arcell – who coached 18 world champions including Durán.

Usher, who has scored huge hits with tracks like Yeah!, admitted that he’s yet to meet Leonard in person.

Usher has appeared on screen before, most recently in 2010 film Killers.

Usher’s 2004 Confessions is currently the biggest selling album of the 21st century to date.

Katy Perry vs. Zoe Zaldana…The Fashion File

Hollywood KD — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:03:41 +0000

Pop star Katy Perry and “Avatar” actress Zoe Saldana don’t exactly have the same tastes in fashion. Katy prefers out-there ensembles, like the glow-in-the-dark gown she sported at the 2010 Met Gala, while Zoe usually opts for a more sophisticated and lady-like style. Recently, though, their closets collided when the two stepped out in very similar versions of a gold-and-white Balmain Spring 2012 mini dress just seven months apart. Now it’s up to us to decide who wore it better!

Zoe, 33, donned a slightly different version of the dress with a lower neckline and an elaborate white train while promoting the action movie “Colombiana” last August in Miami. The “Star Trek” star added strappy black heels and loosely pulled back locks.

Before we pick a winner, let’s get one thing straight: Katy’s hair, while fun, is way too over-the-top when teamed with such a busy dress. Even she didn’t seem to like the look much! When asked about it, the “California Gurls” artist said: “It’s either Vegas hooker or Balmain. It’s the first time I’ve worn them, and after they read this quote, it might be the last.” Yeah, probably so. Fortunately for Katy, her competition also went overboard with eye-catching accessories such as the train and shoes. Zoe simply couldn’t make it work. So I’m going to squint my eyes, pretend Katy’s hair is back to black, and call her the winner. Do you agree?

Katy Perry

Zoe Saldana

Tyler Perry Reveals His “Good Deeds”

Hollywood KD — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:16:13 +0000

Find out what the director-actor would have been if he listened to his mom! Plus, Thandie Newton, Eddie Cibrian and the all-star cast reveal why they signed on.

Sucker Punch – Official Trailer 2 [HD]

Hollywood KD — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:14:53 +0000

Release Date: 25 March 2011 Genre: Action | Fantasy Cast: Jon Hamm, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Abbie Cornish Director: Zack Snyder Writers: Zack Snyder, Steve Shibuya Studio: Warner Brothers Plot: Close your eyes. Open your mind. You will be unprepared. “Sucker Punch” is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what’s real and what is imaginary. She has been locked away against her will, but Babydoll (Emily Browning) has not lost her will to survive. Determined to fight for her freedom, she urges four other young girls—the outspoken Rocket (Jena Malone), the street-smart Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), the fiercely loyal Amber (Jamie Chung) and the reluctant Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish)—to band together and try to escape their terrible fate at the hands of their captors, Blue (Oscar Isaac), Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino) and the High Roller (Jon Hamm). Led by Babydoll, the girls engage in fantastical warfare against everything from samurais to serpents, with a virtual arsenal at their disposal. Together, they must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stay alive. But with the help of a Wise Man (Scott Glenn), their unbelievable journey—if they succeed—will set them free. Born from the creative vision of …
Video Rating: 4 / 5