Posted on Mar 18 by anthony

Movies by the Numbers: March 18, 2013

Oz The Great and Powerful Movie Poster

Oz The Great and Powerful Movie Poster

It was another runaway success this weekend for Oz The Great and Powerful but there was an unexpected twist to what was otherwise a similar weekend to last year. Oz held strong, although not as strong as Alice in Wonderland. The $41 million weekend helps set the Disney adventure picture well on its course for $250 million when it finally closes.

To call the success of Halle Berry’s latest film The Call unexpected would be an understatement. The film which was co-produced by TriStar and WWE Films, saw a $17 million opening weekend. Distributor Sony’s aggressive marketing campaign helped ticket buyers understand, early on, what they were getting into. That knowledge definitely contributed to the film’s strong opening. Attendees skewed female, not surprisingly, and reviews were favorable for the most part. A film like this never holds incredibly well after its first week but expectations are that it will finish around the $45 million mark. That would be considered a huge success considering where this film was headed just a few months earlier. Continue reading →

Posted on Mar 12 by anthony

Movies by the Numbers: March 12, 2013

Oz the Great and Powerful Movie Poster

Oz the Great and Powerful Movie Poster

After two months of flops and less than stellar numbers that have left the business well behind last year’s figures, Oz The Great and Powerful has arrived to be the shining beacon of hope. At $79 million, Oz became the first film to crack $50 million in one weekend since The Hobbit. Overall the totals are up 15 percent from last year when John Carter reigned supreme with a minimal $30 million weekend.

The success of 2010′s Alice in Wonderland laid the groundwork for Oz‘s success in 2013. With a release in the same month two years earlier, Disney found a winning formula with fantasy, PG, entertainment. Oz didn’t venture far from that formula and found similar success. They also grabbed a battle tested director that added an edge to keep the film from falling too far into the children’s genre. Sam Raimi has once again found success with a previously established brand. His success and visual style with Spider-Man found a home in the land of Oz. Continue reading →

Posted on Mar 7 by jen

Project365: Week 7

During this week it was already the middle of February and the weather was still keeping us mostly indoors. Here are our best shots from a fast-paced week.

February 10, 2013

Bridal Shower Brunch by Jen Gallardo

Bridal Shower Brunch by Jen Gallardo

Searching for Droids by Anthony J. Merced

Searching for Droids by Anthony J. Merced

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Posted on Mar 7 by jen

Project365: Week 6

It was a week of braving the elements through snow, salt and trying to stay warm. Check out what our cell phone cameras managed to snap through our cold fingers.

February 3, 2013

Salty Sneakers by Jen Gallardo

Salty Sneakers by Jen Gallardo

Foot to Rug by Anthony J. Merced

Foot to Rug by Anthony J. Merced

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Posted on Feb 19 by anthony

Movies by the Numbers: February 19th, 2013

A Good Day to Die Hard Movie Poster

A Good Day to Die Hard Movie Poster

While it’s not an overwhelming victory, Bruce Willis will reign over the President’s Day weekend as A Good Day to Die Hard finishes on top of the box office. Finishing up just shy of $29 million, the fifth installment of the Die Hard series may be the last or perhaps the last to be rated R. The previous film Live Free or Die Hard took in roughly $48 million on its opening weekend and that wasn’t a holiday release. In the end, A Good Day to Die Hard may not even crack $100 million. Where the finger should be pointed for the blame isn’t quite as clear. Although many will say that the PG-13 rating gave them the ability to get more eyeballs on the screen. Throwing in overseas numbers, this latest Bruce Willis action film will be seen as a success for Fox. However, whether or not the gamble on future films will be necessary remains to be seen.

Identity Thief finished second and nearly took first place for the first time. Adding the $27 million into the mix and the Melissa McCarthy driven comedy is the highest grossing film of the year thus far. With a string of comedies in the works for McCarthy, she may be taking the reigns as the queen of comedy in Hollywood in the coming months. Identity Thief is well on its way to becoming the first film in 2013 to reach $100 million. While this is no slight on the success of the film, it is quite telling that Identity Thief is the most successful film of the year. Most of the films have seemingly felt like leftovers from 2012 or sequels to franchises years in the making. This will of course change as 2013 rolls on but the slow start has left the major films of the year with quite a load to carry. Continue reading →

Posted on Feb 9 by jen

Project365: Week 5

It’s already the end of January! February brings a new set of Project 365 challenges as we look to take photos for the entire month with only our phones. Let us know what you think of the idea.

January 27, 2013

A Night In with Friends by Jen Gallardo

A Night In with Friends by Jen Gallardo

iPad Keys by Anthony J. Merced

iPad Keys by Anthony J. Merced

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Posted on Feb 9 by jen

Project365: Week 4

It was a week of hard work and traveling. Jen took some great photos in Washington DC while Anthony found some interesting images away from the cold, where it is warm. Let us know what you think of our 4th week of Project 365 2013.

January 20, 2013

Pre-Inauguration by Jen Gallardo

Pre-Inauguration by Jen Gallardo

G is for Glamour by Anthony J. Merced

G is for Glamour by Anthony J. Merced

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Posted on Jan 28 by anthony

Movies by the Numbers: January 28th, 2013

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters Movie Poster

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters Movie Poster

Jeremy Renner continues to be the dominant male action star as Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters claimed the top spot in a relatively quiet weekend. The $19 million opening is better than Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter and The Brothers Grimm. Renner’s involvement can easily be linked to the film’s early success. In the last few years the action star has become quite a draw with theatergoers. As to be expected, critics panned the film but that has never been a problem with over-the-top, special effects driven, action films. Combined with overseas totals, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters will more than likely double its $50 million production budget.

Last week’s king, or queen, Mama saw a considerable drop in week two but is still on pace to perform better than any film of the same genre from 2012. Proving that the old horror formula is not dead, Mama has used a straight forward marketing campaign to continue drawing audiences despite the normal decline that comes with a January release. Having already closed in on $50 million, every dollar from here on in is icing on the cake for a film that has definitely over-performed.  Continue reading →

Posted on Jan 23 by anthony

Project365: Week 3

Project365 is off to a good start in the year 2013. While it is literally freezing in New York City, we have managed to find interesting things to photograph and, of course, managed to defrost enough to post them up here. Let us know what you think in the comments below or over at our Facebook page. If you haven’t already, you can also start your own Project365 — just be sure to check in and share your photos with us every Wednesday!

January 13, 2013

Gym View by Jen Gallardo

Gym View by Jen Gallardo

Foggy Morning by Anthony J. Merced

Foggy Morning by Anthony J. Merced

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Posted on Jan 22 by anthony

Movies by the Numbers: January 22, 2013

Mama Movie Poster

Mama Movie Poster

The first three day weekend of 2013 saw Jessica Chastain flex her muscle as one of the new superpowers in Hollywood while Mark Wahlberg and Arnold Schwarzenegger saw their latest releases fizzle. By all expectations, Mama should not have been as successful as it was. For a genre that has been dominated by a “found-footage” style, Mama went back to horror roots, delivering a solid premise that hooked audiences. Jessica Chastain’s rising star power helped to push the film to over double its production budget in its first weekend. The other secret to the film’s success lies in the numbers. The much desired female demographic flocked to the film in large numbers. Over 60% of the audience was comprised of women and under the age of 25. Combined with a PG-13 rating, Mama should have legs as the month drags on.

Finishing in second was another film starring Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty. Earning nearly $16 million in its second week of full release, Katherine Bigelow’s latest film has held better than comparable films such as Black Hawk Down. Similarly, Zero Dark Thirty is only slightly off from the total of Black Hawk Down at this same point. Overall, the buzz from the slow release, combined with the award show nominations, has helped to set the film up for a successful run. February will see stiff competition with Live Free or Die Hard. However, the film should do most of its damage before the latest installment of the Die Hard series. Continue reading →