Battle: Los Angeles

97 Original Scores Up for Oscar; DRIVE and ATTACK THE BLOCK Ruled Ineligible

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 23rd, 2011 at 12:04 pm

As the 84th Academy Awards move closer, we’re starting to get a better sense of how things will pan out. We recently shared the 39 songs that will contend for the Best Original Song category, and now the Academy has announced the 97 original scores eligible for the Best Original Score award. AMPAS is notoriously picky when it comes to eligibility in this category, and as we feared the scores for both Drive and Attack the Block have been deemed ineligible. Also disappointing is the ineligibility of Alexandre Desplat’s mesmerizing score for The Tree of Life.

While it’s upsetting to see some of the year’s best work side-lined, there’s plenty to be happy about. I was a huge fan of Howard Shore’s work in Hugo and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, as well as The Chemical Brothers’ brilliant work in the criminally underseen Hanna. Hit the jump for the full list, as well as who I think will make the cut.

Weekend Box Office – It’s a Draw. COWBOYS AND ALIENS Tie THE SMURFS with $36.2 Million Each

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: July 31st, 2011 at 10:21 am

At the moment the estimates for the weekend’s two top films are dead even: a box office rarity.  Both Cowboys and Aliens and The Smurfs are claiming estimates of $36.2 million – a figure that is slightly embarrassing for one film and a near miracle for the other.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Cowboys and Aliens	$36,200,000	$36.2
2	The Smurfs	$36,200,000	$36.2
3	Captain America	$24,900,000	$116.7
4	Harry Potter 7b	$21,900,000	$318.4
5	Crazy Stupid Love	$19,300,000	$19.3
6	Friends With Benefits	$9,300,000	$38.2
7	Horrible Bosses	$7,100,000	$96.2
8	Transformers 3	$5,970,000	$337.8
9	Zookeeper	$4,200,000	$68.7
10	Cars 2	$2,300,000	$182

Weekend Box Office – SUPER 8 Defies Expectations with $37 Million Debut

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: June 12th, 2011 at 9:34 am

After months of buildup, Super 8 took top honors this weekend with an estimated $37 million from 3,379 locations.  That figure is significantly higher than the film had been tracking just five days ago.  Is it higher than the studio was hoping for five months ago?  Not exactly.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Super 8	$37,000,000	$38
2	X-Men: First Class	$25,000,000	$98.8
3	The Hangover Part II	$18,500,000	$216.5
4	Kung Fu Panda 2	$16,635,000	$126.9
5	Pirates of the Caribbean 4	$10,845,000	$208.7
6	Bridesmaids	$10,154,000	$123.9
7	Judy Moody	$6,267,000	$6.2
8	Midnight in Paris	$6,146,000	$14.2
9	Thor	$2,370,000	$173.6
10	Fast Five	$1,714,000	$205

Weekend Box Office – LIMITLESS Takes Number One with $19 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: March 20th, 2011 at 10:24 am

After pulling ahead of the pack on the traffic jam that was this Friday’s box office, Relativity’s Limitless stayed on top with an estimated $19 million from its 2,756 locations.  Fellow newcomers Paul and The Lincoln Lawyer had more modest starts, making this one more in 2011’s long line of down weekends.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Limitless	$19,000,000	$19
2	Rango	$15,300,000	$92.6
3	Battle: Los Angeles	$14,600,000	$60.6
4	The Lincoln Lawyer	$13,400,000	$13.4
5	Paul	$13,200,000	$13.2
6	Red Riding Hood	$7,255,000	$25.9
7	The Adjustment Bureau	$5,930,000	$48.7
8	Mars Needs Moms	$5,310,000	$15.4
9	Beastly	$3,260,000	$22.2
10	Hall Pass	$3,600,000	$39.6

Weekend Box Office – BATTLE: LOS ANGELES Lands in First with $36 Miilion; RED RIDING HOOD in Third; MARS NEEDS MOM Needs Help

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: March 13th, 2011 at 10:02 am

The weekend played out pretty much as expected after Friday’s estimates, except for one factor (and I know this is a shocker): final weekend tallies ended up on the low end of projections across the board.  We are still dealing with box office totals that are down over 10% from 2010 but, compared to the 45% we were down last weekend, that’s progress!

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Battle: LA	$36,000,000	$36
2	Rango	$23,050,000	$68.6
3	Red Riding Hood	$14,100,000	$14.1
4	The Adjustment Bureau	$11,450,000	$38.4
5	Mars Needs Moms	$6,800,000	$6.8
6	Hall Pass	$5,105,000	$34.9
7	Beastly	$5,090,000	$16.9
8	Just Go With It	$4,000,000	$93.9
9	The King’s Speech	$3,625,000	$129
10	Gnomeo & Juliet	$3,546,000	$89

Friday Box Office – BATTLE: LOS ANGELES Has Big $13.5 Million Debut; RED RIDING HOOD in Second; MARS NEEDS MOMS Needs Audiences

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: March 12th, 2011 at 8:47 am

The 2011 box office isn’t out of its slump quite yet, but at least it’s starting to make an effort.  On Friday Sony’s PG-13 Battle: Los Angeles debuted to an estimated $13.5 million from 3,417 locations.  That puts the alien invasion pic on track for a weekend above $35 million – right about where Rango finished last Sunday.  The latter lizard landed in third this Friday but could leap back to second when weekend numbers are released.  Warner Brothers’ Red Riding Hood claimed the second spot but will have to do much better than its $5.7 million debut to reach the high teens many were predicting for the film’s weekend.  Finally, Disney has a real problem with Mars Needs Moms.  The last of the creepy toons to come out of Robert Zemeckis’ IMD brand, the $150 million Moms made just $1.7 million on Friday and will be lucky to see $10 million by Sunday.  Full details and analysis tomorrow.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	Battle: LA	$13,500,000	$13.5
2	Red Riding Hood	$5,700,000	$5.7
3	Rango	$5,500,000	$51.1
4	The Adjustment Bureau	$3,400,000	$30.3
5	Mars Needs Moms	$1,700,000	$1.7

Michelle Rodriguez Interview BATTLE: LOS ANGELES

by Christina Radish    Posted: March 12th, 2011 at 8:00 am

In the sci-fi action thriller Battle: Los Angeles, actress Michelle Rodriguez plays Air Force Tech Sergeant Elena Santos, one of the first on the scene to track the aliens that are trying to obliterate the world’s human population. Even though she has to earn the respect of the Marine platoon that she comes across on the battlefield, she quickly becomes a key ally for Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) because she has studied the aliens to figure out what makes them tick and discover how to destroy them.

At the film’s press day, Michelle Rodriguez talked about getting to be the brains of the group, having her co-stars see her as one of the guys, doing almost all of her own stunts, and how she prefers to run toward what she’s scared of and not away from it. She also talked about her desire to branch out into comedy and how she’s writing her own script that she says has a Pulp Fiction vibe. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

Aaron Eckhart Interview BATTLE: LOS ANGELES

by Christina Radish    Posted: March 11th, 2011 at 2:25 pm

In the sci-fi action-thriller Battle: Los Angeles, the possibility of UFOs landing on Earth becomes a terrifying reality when the world is attacked by unknown forces. When Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind, a battle arises between the aliens and a platoon of Marines, led by Second Lieutenant William Martinez (Ramon Rodriguez) and with veteran Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart), who was on the brink of retirement before being called back into service. This group quickly becomes a family, as they take on an enemy unlike anything they’ve ever encountered before and search for a way to defend their lives and their loved ones.

At the film’s press day, actor Aaron Eckhart talked about his desire to do a war movie, breaking his arm during a stunt, how he’s had his own UFO experience, and how he enjoyed playing the hero. He also talked about how much he enjoyed working with Johnny Depp on The Rum Diary. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 11th, 2011 at 7:36 am

The Marines used to run commercials that would show a young man taking a sword and battling a fire-breathing dragon.  I was always left wondering if anyone ever saw one of those ads, thought “I need to get in on that dragon-fighting action” and were left sorely disappointed when they discovered that the job was short on dragon-slaying, but long on getting shot at.

That recruitment ad has now been expanded to a feature length film with Jonathan Liebesman’s Battle: Los Angeles.  While it’s slightly more realistic than sword-fighting a dragon, a platoon of marines taking on space aliens isn’t really what the actual job entails.  On a technical level, the film is a dazzling special effects punch of sight and sound that will keep you pinned to your seat and rooting for a small band of soldiers to complete their mission.  But there’s nothing thoughtful underneath and the hollowness of the undertaking that may support our troops, but doesn’t provide them with the honesty they deserve.

Director Jonathan Liebesman Exclusive Video Interview BATTLE: LOS ANGELES

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: March 10th, 2011 at 10:35 pm

With Battle: Los Angeles opening tomorrow, I got to speak with director Jonathan Liebesman at the Los Angeles press junket.  Since we’ve been covering the film since it’s inception, you all know the film tells the story of an alien invasion as seen through the eyes of a Marine platoon headed up by Aaron Eckhart.  The film also stars Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Michael Pena and Ramon Rodriguez.  You can watch some clips and read the full synopsis here.

Anyway, all week we’ve been posting video interviews with the cast and now it’s time for the director.  During the interview, Liebesman talked about how he did some of the special effects himself (they look great), the challenges of making the film, casting, test screenings, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to watch:

Now Showing: March 11, 2011 – RED RIDING HOOD, BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, MARS NEEDS MOMS

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: March 10th, 2011 at 12:47 pm

This weekend, audiences will have a choice among a diverse group of headliners: the sci-fi invasion epic Battle: Los Angeles, the animated alien abduction flick Mars Needs Moms, and, if you prefer werewolves over extraterrestrials, Red Riding Hood will be playing in your neck of the woods. Hit the jump to check out our coverage (including trailers and synopses) on these headliners as well as the limited releases 3 Backyards, Black Death, Certified Copy, Elektra Luxx, Jane Eyre, and Kill the Irishman.

Michelle Rodriguez Exclusive Video Interview BATTLE: LOS ANGELES

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: March 9th, 2011 at 6:32 pm

With director Jonathan Liebesman’s Battle: Los Angeles opening this weekend, I got to speak with most of the cast at the Los Angeles press junket.  As most of you know, the film tells the story of an alien invasion as seen through the eyes of a Marine platoon headed up by Aaron Eckhart.  The film also stars Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Michael Pena and Ramon Rodriguez.  You can watch some clips and read the full synopsis here.

Anyway, every day this week I’ve been posting a different interview and today I’ve got Michelle Rodriguez.  During the interview we talked about the boot camp, making the film, how did the film compare to what she thought it would be when she signed on, does she ever want to direct, and karaoke.  Hit the jump to watch:

Michael Pena and Bridget Moynahan Exclusive Video Interview BATTLE: LOS ANGELES

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: March 8th, 2011 at 4:08 pm

With director Jonathan Liebesman’s Battle: Los Angeles opening this weekend, I got to speak with most of the cast at the Los Angeles press junket.  As most of you know, the film tells the story of an alien invasion as seen through the eyes of a Marine platoon headed up by Aaron Eckhart.  The film also stars Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Michael Pena and Ramon Rodriguez.  You can watch some clips and read the full synopsis here.

Anyway, every day this week I’ve been posting a different interview and today I’ve got Pena & Moynahan.  In the film they play civilians that meet up with the Marines in Santa Monica.  During the interview, they talked about filming the big action scenes, how the final film compared to what they thought it would be, and we goofed around by talking golf, karaoke and future projects.  It was their last interview of the day and they were down for having fun.  Hit the jump to watch:

Ramon Rodriguez Exclusive Video Interview BATTLE: LOS ANGELES; Plus Why He Agreed to Star in ABC’s CHARLIE’S ANGELS Reboot

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: March 7th, 2011 at 9:30 pm

With director Jonathan Liebesman’s Battle: Los Angeles opening this weekend, I got to speak with most of the cast at the Los Angeles press junket.  As most of you know, the film tells the story of an alien invasion as seen through the eyes of a Marine platoon headed up by Aaron Eckhart.  The film also stars Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Michael Pena and Ramon Rodriguez.  You can watch some clips and read the full synopsis here.

Anyway, every day this week I’m posting a different interview.  Yesterday was Eckhart, and today I’ve got Ramon Rodriguez.  In the film, Rodriguez plays Marine 2nd Lieutenant William Martinez and when we meet up with him, he’s just taken control of the unit.  During the interview, Rodriguez talked about the intense boot camp, his reaction to the film, filming in Louisiana, the big action scenes, and he talks about how he got involved in ABC’s reboot of Charlie’s Angels and who he plays:

Aaron Eckhart Exclusive Video Interview BATTLE: LOS ANGELES

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: March 6th, 2011 at 9:34 pm

With director Jonathan Liebesman’s Battle: Los Angeles opening next weekend, I got to speak with most of the cast at the Los Angeles press junket.  As most of you know, the film tells the story of an alien invasion as seen through the eyes of a Marine platoon headed up by Aaron Eckhart.  The film also stars Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Michael Pena and Ramon Rodriguez.  You can watch some clips and read the full synopsis here.

Anyway, every day this week you can expect a new video interview and I’m starting with Eckhart.  As the leader of the troop of Marines sent to Santa Monica to protect and evacuate the people, Eckhart delivers an awesome performance.  During the interview, Eckhart talked about the intense boot camp they all went through, how the film compared to what he thought it would be, filming in Louisiana, and I asked him about his photography and karaoke.  Hit the jump to watch:

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