A Christmas Carol

Friday Box Office – MEGAMIND Rules with $12.5 Million; DUE DATE A Close Second with $12 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: November 6th, 2010 at 9:01 am

Despite big debuts like Jackass 3D and Paranormal Activity 2, this year’s crop of recent box-office releases have fallen well-below 2009 numbers week after week.  But if Friday’s numbers are any indication, this week’s three high-profile newcomers could finally break that cycle (only a bit less impressive when you know that, on this weekend in 2009, the top film was Disney’s creepy redux of A Christmas Carol). First this Friday was Megamind. The comedy pulled in an estimated $12.5 million from its 3,944 locations – but with a record 2,634 3D sites, the weekend grosses should top the $43.7 million of How To Train Your Dragon. Only a bit behind Megamind in second place was Todd Phillips’ Due Date with an estimate of $12 million. Weekend projections give the comedy $35 million despite its R-rating and stiff family-friendly competition. Finally, Tyler Perry brought in an estimated $7.4 million on Friday with his drama For Colored Girls. Despite the fact that film does not feature the director in drag, weekend projections put his latest release in the neighborhood of $20 million – the very same neighborhood that Perry has grown accustomed to over the past few years. We’ll have full weekend details when you check back tomorrow.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	Megamind	$12,500,000	$12.5
2	Due Date	$12,000,000	$12
3	For Colored Girls	$7,400,000	$7.4
4	Saw 3D	$2,600,000	$33.2
5	Red	$2,500,000	$65.5

Over 30 3D Blu-ray Releases Headed for the Holiday Season including PIRANHA 3D, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and DESPICABLE ME

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 2nd, 2010 at 3:32 pm

As the current 3D trend is taking over movie theaters everywhere, it’s now poised to invade your living room.  In order to complement the surge in production of 3D televisions and Blu-ray players, The Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) has announced 36 titles set to be available just in time for the holiday season, with dozens more to follow in early 2011.  10 of the titles will hit stores on November 16, just in time for Black Friday.

The releases include a wide range of titles from AIX Records, DreamWorks Animation, Giant Screen Films, Image Entertainment, IMAX Corporation, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and Warner Home Video. It also includes a number of high-profile titles that will be released as exclusives for certain 3D televisions. “We are excited to see so much industry support for bringing Blu-ray 3D home,” said Ron Sanders, President, Warner Home Video and President, DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group. “And now, consumers buying 3D home entertainment systems over Black Friday weekend will have ample 3D programming to accompany them.” For a full list of films being released on 3D Blu-ray for the holidays, hit the jump.

TRON LEGACY Light Cycle Installation – Updated

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: February 2nd, 2010 at 4:04 pm

According to their website, FIVE33 is a creative communications agency known for its groundbreaking international campaigns.  On the site, they list Walt Disney’s A Christmas Carol and Alice in Wonderland as two campaigns they’ve worked on.   So it should come as no surprise that they’ve teamed up with Disney again for Tron Legacy and created a Light Cycle installation that will be traveling around the world to help promote the film.

If you were lucky enough to see the Tron Legacy Comic-Con viral event last summer, the display reminds me of that set-up – minus Flynn’s Arcade.  Hit the jump to check out what might be at your local mall in the coming months.  It’s extremely cool.

UPDATE - Sorry to say, the video is now gone from the internet. Sorry if you missed it but the installation will be on display soon

Cary Elwes, Dean Lennox Kelly, Peter Serafinowicz and Adam Campbell to Play The Beatles in Robert Zemeckis’ YELLOW SUBMARINE

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: January 11th, 2010 at 9:30 pm

To those hoping Robert Zemeckis had finally gotten the motion capture thing out of his system… think again.  That’s because Zemeckis has just cast Cary Elwes, Dean Lennox Kelly, Peter Serafinowicz and Adam Campbell as The Beatles in his 3D performance-capture movie Yellow Submarine.

While I was very disappointed with A Christmas Carol as the story was stale and I thought the motion capture was better in Beowulf, I think Yellow Submarine is a perfect fit with the technology.  Also, he has the rights to The Beatles music.  That alone will get me into a theater.  More after the jump:

Friday Box Office – Halloween Is So Last Week. DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL Takes In $9 Million On Opening Day.

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: November 7th, 2009 at 1:12 pm

Just five days after Halloween it’s beginning to look, um… a bit like Christmas at the box office.  “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” opened in the widest release yet for a 3D feature on Friday: 2,035 screens including 181 in IMAX. Disney also booked a few 2D screens a grand total of 3,683 theatres. So with all that exposure, and those extra-fat 3D ticket prices, it comes as no surprise to find Ebenezer Scrooge on top with an estimated Friday total of $9 million. More of a surprise is the strong second place showing of new entry “The Fourth Kind” with Milla Jovovich. The alien-abduction pic took in just under $5 million after opening in 2,529 theatres. George Clooney and “The Men Who Stare at Goats” came in third with $4.5 million from 2,443 theatres and Richard Kelly’s “The Box” barely edged out the “Paranormal Activity” phenomenon to take fifth place with just under $3 million. Check back tomorrow for details and snarky comments on all of the week’s new releases.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	A Christmas Carol	$9,000,000	$9
2	The Fourth Kind	$4,868,0000	$4.8
3	The Men who Stare at Goats	$4,547,000	$4.5
4	This Is It	$4,260,000	$48
5	The Box	$2,983,000	$2.9

A CHRISTMAS CAROL Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 5th, 2009 at 7:28 pm

When it was announced that Robert Zemeckis was directing an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” starring Jim Carrey and made with 3D motion-capture, my response was viciously negative.  Zemeckis had left behind movies like “Back to the Future” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”, movies with characters and charming stories, in favor of 3D motion-captured films featuring CG characters who resembled the voice actor except they were trapped deep within the uncanny valley (the place where CG facsimiles of people look like very expensive animatronics).  Throwing Jim Carrey into the mix to have him constantly mug for the camera made the idea of a 3D motion-captured film even more unappealing.  And “A Christmas Carol”?  How many times do we need to see this story?  Seeing it in 3D with Jim Carrey as Ebenezer Scrooge was an argument not to make the movie.  (Hit the jump to find out why all these perceived flaws are actually the film’s greatest strengths.)

6 Movie Clips from Robert Zemeckis’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL Starring Jim Carrey in Every Role

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: October 28th, 2009 at 12:54 pm

With director Robert Zemeckis’ (“Beowulf”, “The Polar Express”) animated version of “A Christmas Carol” opening on November 6th, Walt Disney has provided us with six clips from the film.  While I normally love to check out the clips that we’re provided, the movie is being released in “Disney 3D” and that’s the way I want to see the footage for the first time.  However, since I know a lot of you want to check out the footage right now, the clips are after the jump.  Again, if you’re planning on seeing “A Christmas Carol” in a theater, make sure you see it in 3D!

New Featurette for Robert Zemeckis’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL

by Michael Sullivan    Posted: October 16th, 2009 at 7:49 pm

Yahoo! Movies just ran a new featurette called “Behind the Scenes: Perfect Partnership” for Disney’s animated “A Christmas Carol.”  The Charles Dickens adaptation/remake is the latest film in Robert Zemeckis’ CG stint, following “The Polar Express” and “Beowulf.”  Those last two unsettled audiences by residing pretty safely in some “uncanny valley” territory, but he seems to be avoiding it this time by going a little less realistic.  Consequently, if you ask me, the aesthetics of this new one seem a little too like a video game.  Check out the featurette, with some stellar footage and select quotes from Robert Zemeckis and star Jim Carey, after the jump.

Scarlett Johansson Wants to See IRON MAN 2 With You and a Friend (For Charity)

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: September 16th, 2009 at 2:57 pm

Scarlett Johansson is not just a beautiful actress.  Well, she’s mostly that, but she’s also an ambassador for the charity Oxfam.  I think they do stuff with food.  As part of her charity work, Ms. Johansson announced today that she will be auctioning off two tickets to the 2010 premiere of a little movie called “Iron Man 2″.  The winner of the coveted seats will also get a chance to chat up the Black Widow in a personal meet-and-greet before the show.  Find out how to get your hands on Johansson’s…tickets after the jump.

Disney’s D23 Expo Features Sneak Peeks at ALICE IN WONDERLAND, TOY STORY 3, PRINCE OF PERSIA, THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE and MORE!

by Ramses Flores    Posted: August 19th, 2009 at 5:54 pm

Disney has now announced what we will be seeing at the D23 expo this year. The event will take place from September 10-13 in Anaheim, California and it has a pretty fun and exciting line up. Over the 4 days Disney will be showing exclusive sneak peeks of “A Christmas Carol”, Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland”, “Prince of Persia”, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, “Tron: Legacy”, and “Toy Story 3″. Selected scenes from “Beauty and the Beast” in 3D and the 3D double feature of “Toy Story 1 & 2″ will be shown along with some newly restored prints of classic Disney films such as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “Sleeping Beauty”. To find out what else will take place at D23 and how you can attend. check out the full press release after the jump.

SDCC 09: Hunter’s Thoughts on Thursday’s 3D Presentations in Hall H – TRON, FINAL DESTINATION, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, ALICE IN WONDERLAND

by Hunter Daniels    Posted: July 24th, 2009 at 2:01 am

Comic-Con is on like Donkey Kong. After waiting in a massive line full of “Twilight” fans in Burger King hats, and then sitting in Hall-H for an extra hour, things are finally getting started.

Read on for minute-by-minute coverage of Hall-H’s 3D presentations including “A Christmas Carol”, “Alice in Wonderland”, “Tron Legacy”, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”, “The Hole”, and “The Final Destination”.  Also, please forgive any typos or grammar mistakes as I wrote this train-of-thought and trying to keep pace with the action on stage.  Finally, if you want to read Matt’s thoughts on the Disney 3D Presentation, click here.

And on with the 3D after the jump…

2009 San Diego Comic-Con: Disney 3D Presentation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, and TRON LEGACY

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 23rd, 2009 at 2:13 pm

There are some great human beings in the world (although there are definitely some douchebags and I might get to them later…) and sometimes, spending so much time at home being snarky towards everything, I forget that.  I met some great folks in line yesterday as I was waiting to get a “Dexter” bag and met some more today while standing in the line for Hall H (a special thank you to Jackson Bishop (best name ever, BTW) and thanks to total saint giving me a special pass, I was able to get a VIP seat and it is amazing.

Hit the jump for more.  Trust me: you’ll want to know about what I saw for Disney’s 3D Presentation of “A Christmas Carol”, “Alice in Wonderland”, and “Tron Legacy” (now the official title).  And please forgive the rapid-fire approach.  I was writing as fast as I could so there are probably typos, bad grammar, and incomplete thoughts.  Finally, I’ll be sure to post pictures later in the day.

Disney’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL International Trailer

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: July 18th, 2009 at 6:02 pm

The first trailer for Robert Zemeckis’s “A Christmas Carol” has leaked its way onto YouTube and until Disney pulls it, you can watch the trailer after the jump. The only thing to know before watching is, the trailer is in Italian and it was recorded with a video camera inside a movie theater. So…it’s not really the best way to watch the footage for the first time. Saying that, you can still get a good look at what Zemeckis is going for and if you enjoyed “Beowulf” and “The Polar Express”, it looks like he’s doing more of the same. I’d imagine with this trailer leaking, we’ll get the official one any day now. Until then, take a look after the jump:

2009 San Diego Comic-Con Schedule for THURSDAY and PREVIEW NIGHT Featuring AVATAR, NEW MOON, TRON, KICK-ASS and MORE!

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 9th, 2009 at 2:58 pm

Last year was my first time visiting Comic-Con. This year I am ready. I am pumped. I am bringing a large bodyguard who will push tiny nerds out of my way so I can grab more swag.

The official Comic-Con website has just posted the schedule for Thursday and for Wednesday’s “Preview Night”, which you can only attending if you’ve purchased a four-day pass. Friday and Saturday tend to be the Con’s biggest days with the largest events but Thursday and Sunday are no slouches. I’ve included the full schedule for Thursday, July 23rd after the jump and highlighted what I think may be worth your time (although my interests skew more towards movies and television as opposed to comics, action figures, and games).  Keep checking back as the schedules for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will most likely be announced over the next few days.

Oh, and if you need an explanation for the hard-hat in the image above, click here.

Walt Disney Announces Comic-Con Schedule – TRON, Miyazaki, Tim Buton, TOY STORY, ALICE IN WONDERLAND and a lot more

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: July 9th, 2009 at 10:13 am

Walt Disney Studios has just announced their 2009 Comic-Con plans and it’s filled with “firsts”. That’s because Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Robert Zemeckis and Tim Burton will take part in their first ever Comic-Con. If you’re a fan of any of these guys, it should be a hell of a presentation.

Also, with the abundance of great projects at Disney right now, their footage is going to be some of the highlights of the convention. According to the press release, they’re showing footage from “Ponyo”, all the “Toy Story” movies, “A Christmas Carol”, “The Princess and the Frog”, “Beauty and the Beast in 3D”, “Alice in Wonderland”, and “TRON”! If you thought last year’s “Tron” footage was cool, I promise you this year is going to blow you away.

For more details on what Disney is planning on doing, the full press release is after the jump:

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