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Weekend Box Office: Sandler and Apatow Barely Make It

Mali Elfman — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:43:12 +0000

Overall, this was a rather slow weekend for cinemas. We were right in our our box office predictions — Funny People was not able to break past the dreaded $30 million mark that both Apatow and Sandler seem to be fighting these days. It did however manage to come in at number one at the box office and my guess is that it will be one of those comedies that hangs around for a while.

As for kiddie comedies – It looks like Aliens in the Attic didn’t do too great. Apparently all the kids are more inclined to kung-fu guinea pigs (G-Force) than a group of kids taking on alien invaders that make their grandma do crazy things.

Check out the numbers below…

Funny People | New | Weekend Gross 23,440,000 | Average per Theater $7,793 | Total Gross $23,440,000 | Production Cost $75 | Week 1
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | LW 2 | Weekend Gross $17,700,000 | Average per Theater $4,029 | Total Gross $255,463,000 | Production Cost $250 | Week 3
G-Force | LW 1 | Weekend Gross $17,058,000 | Average per Theater $4,614 | Total Gross $66,461,000 | Week2
The Ugly Truth | LW 3 | Weekend Gross $13,000,000 | Average per Theater $4,511 | Total Gross $54,481,000 | Production Cost $38 | Week 2
Aliens in the Attic | New | Weekend Gross $7,800,000 | Average per Theater $2,511 | Total Gross $7,800,000 | Production Cost $45 | Week 1
Orphan | LW 4 | Weekend Gross $7,250,000 | Average per Theater $2,636 | Total Gross $26,791,000 | Week 2
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | LW 5 | Weekend Gross $5,300,000 | Average per Theater $1,922 | Total Gross $181,843,000 | Production Cost $90 | Week 5
The Hangover | LW 7 | Weekend Gross $5,080,000 | Average per Theater $2,453 | Total Gross $255,776,000 | Production Cost $35 | Week 9
The Proposal | LW 8 | Weekend Gross $4,848,000 | Average per Theater $1,991 | Total Gross $148,882,000 | Production Cost $40 | Week 7
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | LW 6 | Weekend Gross $4,600,000 | Average per Theater $1,752 | Total Gross $388,101,000 | Production Cost $200 | Week 6

No huge surprises here. Harry Potter has officially made back what it spent and from here on out, everyone will be rolling in the money.

And as a small little side-note on the films I’ve been keeping an eye on, Moon, has made, $3,915,000, which is almost what it cost to make and the film is still spreading to more and more thesters each week. As for the two newly released films I was rooting for this weekend, The Cove and Thist both made under $100,000. Not so great in terms of numbers, but the buzz coming out of all three films has been great! If you can find them, go and see them!

Box Office Predictions: Funny People

Laura Aguirre — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:25:04 +0000

This week, Judd Apatow‘s Funny People hits theaters, and since Harry Potter has already been knocked off the number one spot, it seems like there is no doubt that Apatow will dominate the box office.

Last week, G-Force took the number one spot making over $30 million on its opening weekend, while Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince came in second, grossing $29.5 million. It was a surprise to see Harry Potter off the top so fast, but perhaps the opening of Harry Potter on IMAX this week will boost ticket sales. Regardless, if the wizards make more or not with the help of IMAX, Funny People has a good chance of making the most and knocking the kid-flick G-Force off the top of the chart.

Apatow’s first feature film The 40 Year Old Virgin was successful in the box office making $21.4 million and ranking at number one. His second film Knocked Up didn’t hit the very top, but it did make more than the first one on opening weekend — $30.7 million.

Funny People stars Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann, not to mention a number of other successful co-stars. Adam Sandler has dominated the box office in the past one too many times. In 2007, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (despite the fact that it was absolute crap) grossed $34.2 million, in 2006, Click grossed over $40 million, and in 2004, 50 First Dates grossed $39.9 million on opening weekend. So as you can see, Sandler hold a good record for dominating the box office and this weekend seems like more of the same.

Also, opening this week are Aliens In the Attic, about a group of kids who set out to protect their vacation home from gooey green aliens, Adam starring Hugh Dancy as a young man with Asperges who falls in love with the woman of his dreams, The Collector, and The Cove, an amazing documentary dealing with the dolphin killings that occur every year in Japan. All of these films are set for limited release and don’t stand a chance in hell against the Sandler/Rogen/Apatow driven comedy Funny People.

This weekend belongs to Apatow and his comedic cast, we’re sure. So the question is, how much will it make?

Will it be able to break Apatow’s last opening weekend of $30.7 and Sandler’s latest opening weekend $34.2? So far, people have no been running out to theaters and people are unsure about it’s premise — a comedian dying and forcing another comedian to be his friend.

My guess, it comes it just under $30 million.

What do you think? Over or under?

Movie Releases: Funny People, The Cove, Thirst…

Anet Hovhanesian — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:36:18 +0000

Adam Sandler is back to what he does best, making us laugh. In Judd Apatow‘s Funny People Sandler joins funny men Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill in a film about a seasoned comedian who finds out he doesn’t have much time to live. Hope the movie is as good as the hype has been.Another film definitely worth checking out this week is Chan-wook Park‘s Thirst. If you only see one vampire film this year, this should be it.

Here is a list of the movies opening July 31st:

Funny People | Screencrave Review |Reviews| Shotimes and Tickets
Aliens in the Attic |Reviews| Shotimes and Tickets
The Cove | Interview: Louie Psihoys |Reviews| Shotimes and Tickets
The Collector |Reviews| Shotimes and Tickets
Thirst |Reviews| Shotimes and Tickets
Lorna’s Silence |Reviews| Shotimes and Tickets
Adam | ScreenCrave Review | Hugh Dancy Interview |Reviews| Shotimes and Tickets

Watch the trailers…

Funny People

Aliens in the Attic

The Cove

The Collector

Thirst

Lorna’s Silence

Adam

Which movie coming out this week you are planning to see?

Funny People: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:30:15 +0000

This weekend we get Judd Apatow‘s new star-studded comedy Funny People with Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Eric Bana, Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill, and Jason Schwartzman. The film makes fun of the people in it, as much as it makes fun of itself and is by far one of the smartest comedies in theaters right now.

Check out the good, the bad, and the plot below…

The Plot:

Some call him “seasoned,” others call him a “sell out,” either way comedian George Simmons’ (Sandler) life suddenly gets destroyed when he find out he has a terminal, inoperable disease. After he bombs a live performance he befriends an up and coming comedian (Seth Rogen), who he hires to be his right hand man through the ordeal. Needless to say the two set out on an adventure and get into a lot of hilarious trouble along the way.

The Good:

Adam Sandler: The best part about this film is that Sandler is not afraid to be completely un-funny and possibly make a complete fool of himself. Much like his character in the film, he’s force feed us mindless comedies for a big paychecks in the past, and we’re all a bit sick of it. Instead of relying on his ability to talk in funny voices and make stupid faces, he reverts back to the side of him that we saw in Punch-Drunk Love, a deeper more tormented side — only this time with the help of Judd Apatow his depression comes off as comedic.
Clips of Stand-Up: Sometimes this can seem cheesy, other times it gives the film a more authentic feel, in the case of Funny People it’s the latter.
Relationships: Relationships are not easy, people don’t always do the right thing, there is no such thing as the perfect person, and we don’t need a monologue to tell us any of these things. What makes relationships fun to watch is what makes them hard to live — the reality behind them. Once again Apatow has nailed the relationships in his film and the weird honesty in them is that makes them both humorous and interesting to watch.
Mocking Cliches: By not denying that certain things are cliches you can use them to your advantage. The trick is, you have to be smart and there has to be a good reason for them. Apatow uses cliches sparingly and when he does, it’s as if he’s poking fun of himself and adding his own twist so that you don’t feel like you’re watching recycled bullshit (cough…The Ugly Truth…sorry) that you’ve seen before.
The Acting: Although I already mentioned Sandler, the supporting cast was amazing as well. Leslie Mann, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman and even Eric Bana are all hilarious and overall do a great job with the film.

The Bad:

It’s Not an “Easy” Comedy: Which is why some people might have issues with it. It’s not as laugh out loud funny as some of Apatow’s other work like, Superbad or as simple (and pointless) as something like The Proposal. It’s somewhere in between, which might be hard for some people to handle.
Seth Rogen Needs to Branch Out: By having Sandler play some weird, twisted version of himself, I wanted to see something similar from Seth Rogen — and I didn’t. He’s no longer the up and comer, he’s one of the hottest male comedians at the moment. Not only that, but we’ve seen Rogen doing new stuff lately (Observe and Report), and in this film he takes a step back to the old Rogen — only thinner. To me it felt like he was only used because he’s the main star star in the Apatow universe, but not necessarily the right man for the role, even though he did a great job with it.
It’s an Inside Joke: Many of the characters and the things they do are hilarious if you’re an aspiring comedian, film-maker, of somehow in “the industry.” I’m not sure if all the “industry” jokes are funny to anyone else.

Overall:

This has been one of my favorite comedies this summer. The acting is great and it’s a bit smarter than some of it’s competition currently in theaters, especially if you work in entertainment.

Rating: 7.75/10

Judd Apatow Makes A Deal With Universal Pictures

Krystal Clark — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:00:30 +0000

I’m not really surprised that director Judd Apatow has signed on to an exclusive deal with Universal Pictures. All three of the films he’s helmed have been under the studio’s banner. He’s produced for other companies, but he’s only directed through them. According to Variety, Universal has made it official and Apatow has signed on to a three picture directing deal with the studio.

Apatow’s previous features include 2005′s The 40 Year Old Virgin, 2007′s Knocked Up, and this weekend’s Funny People. The director hasn’t decided on what his next film will be, stating that the writing process will begin after Funny People opens. According to Universal chairman Marc Shmuger, “I feel like we’re growing with him and watching him mature as a filmmaker, and that is a thrilling thing to be part of.” To know he’ll direct his next three pictures here is a vote of confidence to our entire organization. It has become a true collaboration and partnership.”

I’m sure that’s true, along with that fact that his films mostly double, and even triple their budgets when it comes to revenue. I own both The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, and I thoroughly enjoy both films. Even though the humor may be a bit crude for some people’s taste, Apatow has made the R-rated comedy bankable again in the new millennium.

What do you think of Apatow’s new directing deal? Are you looking forward to more of his films?

Poll: Will Judd Apatow’s Funny People Actually be Funny?

Krystal Clark — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:40:59 +0000

Judd Apatow directs Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann amongst several other hilarious actors in his third film, Funny People. The film hits theaters tomorrow on July 31, and promises to deliver comedy, drama, and everything in between for it’s viewing audience. The story centers on a successful comedian named George Simmons (Sandler), who’s unfortunately diagnosed with a terminal illness. In the wake of this news, he decides to become a mentor to a young aspiring comedian named, Ira (Rogen). These two soon become close friends who deal with love, success, and death all at the same time. With such a heavy premise, do you think Funny People will actually be…funny?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Funny People Red Band Trailer

Krystal Clark — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:03:27 +0000

Universal has released a red band trailer for Judd Apatow’s third film, Funny People. The feature stars Adam Sandler as a successful comedian named George Simmons, who’s unfortunately diagnosed with a terminal illness. In the wake of this news, he decides to become a mentor to a young aspiring comedian named, Ira (Seth Rogen). These two soon become close friends who deal with love, success, and death all at the same time.

Check out the Funny People red band trailer after the jump.

There are a few new clips in the trailer, but for the most part it’s the same old, same old. I must admit, I am really psyched to see Jason Schwartzman in this movie. He has really good comedic timing, and it looks like he’s going to knock his scenes out of the park.

Funny People hits theaters on Friday, July 31.

What do you think of the red band trailer for Funny People?

Eminem’s Cameo in Judd Apatow’s Funny People

Krystal Clark — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:20:48 +0000

Here’s a piece of casting news that’s finally come to fruition. A while back rap artist Eminem stated that he would make an appearance in the upcoming Judd Apatow film, Funny People. Over at MTV they’ve verified this by publishing a production still featuring the musician and the film’s star, Adam Sandler. Funny People opens in theaters nationwide on July 31, so we’ve got until the end of the month to see what the hell Marshall Mathers is doing in the movie.

Check out a photo of Eminem in action after the jump.

I had to post this pic and give some promotional love to a fellow Detroiter (we have a code). No news as to what Eminem’s role will be, but I’m assuming he’s playing himself. He doesn’t look dramatically different, and Sandler’s character is supposed to be a celebrity.

What do you think about Eminem making a cameo in Funny People? Does he have the comedic chops to pull it off?

Clip From Funny People: George Simmons in Re-Do

Mali Elfman — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:37:10 +0000

A movie within a movie. Clever. FunnyorDie has just released a new clip from Judd Apatow‘s upcoming comedy Funny People starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann. In the film, Sandler plays commedian George Simmons, whose job has resulted in mindless, slap-stick comedy, and who has just been diagnosed with cancer. Aside from the canecr part, this is definitely something Sandler can relate to.

The clip from Re-Do, starring Sandler’s character in the film Simmons and Justin Long, is not unlike some of the recent trailers that we’ve seen Sandler in. I don’t think You Don’t Mess with the Zohan had any more of a beliavable premise than Re-Do.

Check out the trailer for Redo and the clip from Funny People below…

Craig, a workaholic lawyer, never made time for his relationships. Alone and depressed on his 40th birthday, he wonders about the life he could have lead. But be careful what you wish for…you might just find yourself in diapers! When a wizard gives Craig a second chance at his youth, he discovers that sometimes it takes becoming a baby to learn how to be a man.

George Simmons in “Re-Do” from Justin Long

I think this film is not only George Simmons way back to being on stop, but also Adam Sandlers. Recently, he’s made some not-so-great films, but we all know he has both the acting and the comedy chops to bring it back.

What do you think of the spoof trailer? Is it that different from some of the other comedies you’ve seen?

Two New Funny People TV Spots

Mali Elfman — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:30:49 +0000

As it turns out, TV spots come in threes! So the Funny People TV spot that we posted yesterday was merely getting us started. I’m not sure if it’s a good or a bad thing that all these spots are extremely similar. It’s good because they don’t give too much of the film away, but it also makes you wonder if they have enough to make three different spots?

I’m banking on the fact that Apatow‘s trailers are never as good as his films, so this is probably a good thing.

Check out the two TV spots below…

What do you think?

First TV Clip for Funny People

Mali Elfman — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:30:01 +0000

Judd Apatow‘s new movie Funny People, starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen hits theaters in about two months. We have seen a few different trailers and some photos, but below is the first TV spot for the film and surprisingly there’s a lot of new footage in it. The film definitely has a different tone from the rest of Apatow’s film. He’s steering away from the family and/or teen comedy and taking on a more realistic, adult subject matter. We all know that the best comedy comes out of some of our most sad and pathetic moments, so it will be fun to see how Apatow deals with the material

Check it out the clip below…

Isn’t it nice to see Adam Sandler acting in a comedy instead of just making weird faces?

I love the fact that they have Jonah Hill making a comment to Seth about his weight lose. No one is more fitting for that line. I used to think of Hill as a mini Rogen, but now Rogen is far more mini than Hill.

Funny People will be in theaters on July 31st 2009.

What’s your favorite part of the clip?

Funny People Behind the Scenes Photos

Krystal Clark — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:50:39 +0000

Look, it’s a bunch of “funny people!” Yes, that was a horrible play on words but its the truth. The above photo features one of the many behind the scenes photos I came across on ComingSoon. Funny People is the latest comedy from Judd Apatow, and features Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman. Apatow recently spoke about how it was to direct Sandler, a friend whom he’s known for over 15 years in his latest feature.You can read about the director’s failed attempt at stand up comedy, and view some behind the scenes set photos taken at Runyon Canyon during filming.

Check out the photos and interview after the jump.

Just Apatow spoke about how it was working with Adam Sandler, and he discusses how it’s been a while since the actor’s done stand up.

We talked about it for a long time, almost two years before we shot so there weren’t a lot of surprises. And we shot a lot of stand-up. So that was fun. And we’d worked on an act for his character to do and so a lot of performance. He hadn’t done stand-up in 12 years, and when we lived together–we lived together in like 1990–we used to go to The Improv every night to do stand-up and that’s how we started. So we shot the other day at The Improv and it was really exciting. When we were there back in the day we always hoped we could make a movie or do anything so it was nice to be there now.

He also spoke about his brutal experiences as a stand up comedian back in New York over 20 years ago.

The first time I did stand-up I invited my friends to come and I had them do this thing where I couldn’t handle hecklers so I said, “Look, I don’t know how to handle hecklers so can you heckle me so I can learn how to do it?” And the crowd just went crazy. On the tape you can hear my friend threaten the hecklers, to beat them up for yelling at me. That’s how bad it was. That was on Long Island. Chuckles Comedy Club in Mineola.

If you want to read more of Apatow’s interview head over here.

Do you think this film has what it takes to be funnier than Knocked Up or The 40 Year Old Virgin?

ScreenCrave.com » Funny People

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The Plot:

The Good:

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Overall:

Rating: 7.75/10

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