Box Office: 'Mockingjay' Holds Steady at #1 Over Slow Weekend

1. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1- $21.6M/$257.7M
The post-Thanksgiving weekend is generally one of the slowest of the year and this was no different. Mockingjay held on to #1 for the third straight week in the face of absolutely zero competition. Soon it will move into the #2 highest-grossing domestic movies of 2014, surpassing both The Lego Movie and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but it has a long way to go to match Guardians of the Galaxy's $331M. Worldwide, the Jennifer Lawrence-led film has earned $560M.
2. Penguins of Madagascar- $11.1M/$49.5M
Dreamworks' animated spinoff Penguins of Madagascar tumbled 56% in its second weekend, well off the pace of the proper Madagascar movies. It may be feeling the effects of the continued strong showings of Disney's Big Hero 6, which was better reviewed and of course has that whole superhero thing going for it.
3. Horrible Bosses 2- $8.6M/$36M
Not even going to come close to matching its predecessor, Horrible Bosses 2 slid a respectable 44%, but still only has $36M domestic, $47M worldwide. By now the first film had earned $60M on its way to $209M. Maybe a spinoff of Jennifer Aniston's deliciously raunchy character is in order? I'd pay to see that, and I bet so would most people.
4. Big Hero 6- $8.1M/$177.5M
5. Interstellar- $8M/$158.6M
6. Dumb and Dumber To- $4.1M/$78M
7. The Theory of Everything- $2.6M/$13.6M
8. Gone Girl- $1.5M/$162.8M
9. The Pyramid- $1.3M
The only new semi-large release of the week is a film you probably never heard of and clearly didn't go see. The Pyramid is just another cheapie found footage horror flick with no marketable stars (although Ashley Hinshaw is pretty awesome), no press screenings, no buzz, and few positive reviews. Even by the meager standards set by the genre a $1.3M debut is pretty sad.
10. Birdman- $1.1M/$18.9M

Released on only 21 screens but nabbing an impressive $30K per site for a $630K total was the Reese Witherspoon walkabout drama, Wild. This one has plenty of awards buzz for her and director Jean-Marc Vallee (Dallas Buyers Club), so that probably led to the high numbers and bodes well for a larger expansion.

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Box Office: 'Mockingjay' Hits a Bullseye with $275M Worldwide Debut

1. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1- $123M
It may have become a bit too easy to brush off The Hunger Games as just another YA franchise, but those who do are missing the historical significance of what it is accomplishing. The third film Mockingjay, the first of the two-part finale, opened this weekend with $123M. Now while that's lower than the $152M of The Hunger Games and the $158M of 'Catching Fire', the amazing thing is that we're talking about three $100M+ debuts in a row. No other franchise in history has accomplished that, which is pretty amazing. To show just how wide and deep the audience for these movies is, Mockingjay blew up overseas with an additional $152M giving it $275M globally. With a start like that we could be looking at the one film left on the calendar with a shot at surpassing Guardians of the Galaxy.
2. Big Hero 6- $20M/$135.7M
3. Interstellar- $15.1M/$120.6M
4. Dumb and Dumber To- $13.8M/$57.4M
Nostalgia can only stretch so far, and in the case of Dumb and Dumber To it couldn't go beyond the first weekend. The Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels reunion slid 61% and out of first place with $13.8M.
5. Gone Girl- $2.8M/$156.8M
6. Beyond the Lights- $2.6M/$10.1M
7. St. Vincent- $2.3M/$36.6M
8. Fury- $1.9M/$79.1M
9. Birdman- $1.8M/$14.4M
10. Nightcrawler- $1.2M/$27.1M

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Box Office: 'Dumb and Dumber To' Wisens Up to #1 with $38M

1. Dumb and Dumber To- $38.3M
Apparently there was a much stronger contingent of Dumb and Dumber fans than many thought, proving that Universal were the smart ones for going ahead with a sequel 20 years after the fact.  Dumb and Dumber To opened with a robust $38.3M, easily outpacing what many were projecting. The film reunites Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as the moronic Harry and Lloyd, and it's interesting to see where both actors are at this stage of their careers. It could be argued they are in opposing places, actually, with Daniels a top dog on The Newsroom and Carrey kind of floundering lately. This is the best opening Carrey has had in years, not since Bruce Almighty in 2003. But this will no doubt give Universal all the ammo they need to push ahead on a third 'Dumber' film if the actors are interested, and of course if the Farrelly Brothers can be convinced to return.
2.Big Hero 6- $36M/$111.6M
Disney's animated superhero film Big Hero 6 held extremely well, slipping only 35% for another $36M. Showing some international might, also, the film has earned $148M worldwide.
3. Interstellar- $29.1M/$97.8M
Also boasting big numbers is Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, which has nearly cracked $100M after two weeks. Worldwide it's doing even better, amassing $233M overall for the $165M feature.
4. Beyond the Lights- $6.5M
Opening in 1700 theaters and off to a good start is Beyond the Lights, from Love & Basketball director Gina Prince-Bythewood. One can't overstate how much a certain segment of people adore Prince-Bythewood's work, and those who waited anxiously for her to release another African-American led romance obviously turned out. Set against the backdrop of the music industry, the film features rising stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Nate Parker.
5. Gone Girl- $4.6M/$152.6M
6. St. Vincent- $4M/$33.2M
7. Fury- $3.8M/$75.9M
8. Nightcrawler- $3.03M/$25M
9. Ouija- $3.02M/$48.1M
10. Birdman- $2.4M/$11.5M

Jon Stewart's directorial debut Rosewater opened in semi-wide release with $1.2M, pretty middling for a film largely fronted by The Daily Show host.

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Review: The Farrelly Brothers' 'Dumb and Dumber To'

1994 was a hell of a year for Jim Carrey. In the span of 12 months the, then, relatively unknown actor released 3 $100 million dollar films with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber. Time would prove Dumb and Dumber to be the most memorable and re-watchable film of the group. I’m struggling to think of a single scene that didn’t contain a quotable line. Fun fact, most of that was improvised by Carrey on set including my favorite, “We LANDED ON THE MOON!”. Twenty years and one horrible prequel later we have this weekend’s Dumb and Dumber To. This could have gone one of two ways, hilarious or dreadful, there was no middle ground. Thank the comedy Gods, Harry and Lloyd came back with a BANG! Twenty years after having his heart broken by Mary Samsonite (I’m still amazed by how well the throwback jokes worked) Lloyd is in a nursing home, having been there since the events of the last film. Harry (Jeff Daniels) has dutifully visited his buddy every day since. On the visit that starts the film we find out the Harry will no longer be visiting Lloyd as he has a medical condition that requires a kidney transplant, at which point Lloyd yells “GOTCHA!”…yup, he’s been faking a catatonic state for 20 years just to prank his buddy. The guys get right back to their old tricks and head out to find Harry a family member to donate a kidney. Their first stop is Harry’s parents where he finds out that his two Asian parents are not his biological parents and that he was adopted. Lucky for him they give him a 22 year old post card from Ms. French Tickler herself, Freida Felcher, saying that she’s pregnant. That’s where the road trip starts to find Harry’s illegitimate daughter.

I honestly gave this film 0 chance of being good. I just KNEW that I was going to be let down and have to tell all of you that our favorite idiots should have been left in the 90’s. Boy was I wrong. The movie is downright hilarious giving more laughs per minute than I’ve witnessed in at least a year. Obviously the laughs come from a lot of off-color and bathroom brand humor, so if that’s not your thing then you probably won’t have the same experience as I had, but if you liked the first this one will be right up your alley. Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels pick right up with Harry and Lloyd as if there hadn’t been a 20 year break in between, other than the aging you’d think this sequel was filmed before the guys had a chance to get out of character. Every bit of the chemistry we saw before is there and in full swing. I could stop right there since everything else is inconsequential, side characters, plot, direction, these things could be lacking as long as Harry and Lloyd are on point. While you could definitely make an argument about the plot lacking (honestly…if you’re arguing plot you’ve already decided this movie isn’t for you) the side characters were surprisingly fun. Kathleen “I can’t believe I used to have a thing for her” Turner brings Freida Felcher out of her mysterious shroud and right into your face. Rob Riggle, who plays the villain (or is that villains), does exactly what Rob Riggle was made to do, play a supporting role that brings laughs from unexpected places…though I think his role was a bit more understated than usual as far as comedic content goes. The real stand-out among the new players had to be the adorable Rachel Melvin who plays Penny, Harry’s daughter and the end point of the plot. Her role, a pretty girl who is just as comically dumb as the leads, could have easily been immediately annoying had another actress taken it on. Melvin delivers the idiotic Penny to us in a way that is side-splittingly cute, like a puppy running full speed into a screen door. As a small aside to what the movie did right the throwbacks to the first film are done in such a way that feels organic, the way you may re-tell old jokes when hanging out with friends from your youth, as opposed to being in your face “Hey! Remember this!” moments. Honestly, that one aspect was one of the biggest accomplishments of the movie, I would have put money on them reusing all the old stuff and it just not working.

While I don’t really have anything bad to say about the film, at least not anything that should dissuade you from seeing it, there were a few things that I can’t put in the positive column. The first is just more of a depressing note and that’s how old the guys look, really more Carey then Daniel’s. Is that a critical assessment of the movie? No, but it is one of those realization moments when you look at yourself and say, “Damn…times they have a changed”. The second, also not a critical assessment, is that the film just doesn’t feel as iconic as the first. I probably laughed just as much and just as hard, but there weren’t many, if any, lines or scenes in which I thought “Yup, kids will be quoting that for years”. While I know audiences will have a great time with it, I don’t think there will be any of the cultural (or is that lack of cultural) impact of the first.

In a world where we are constantly disappointed by our fond memories coming back to life in ways far removed from what we remember I’m glad to say that Dumb and Dumber To does not disappoint. If you were even a casual fan of the first film you owe it to yourself to spend a quick 90 minutes with Harry and Lloyd. The only regret you’ll have will be the cramps you get from laughing so hard. 

Comedy Score: 4 out of 5 Guttenbergs

Film Score: 3 out of 5 Guttenbergs

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Win a Chance to See 'Dumb and Dumber To' Early!

The twenty year wait is nearly over! Those who have been eagerly awaiting the return of Harry and Lloyd will have their chance to see the moronic duo again in Dumb and Dumber To, bringing back Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels with directors the Farrelly Brothers. We want to give our readers a chance to check out their moronic road trip comedy early by attending a free advance screening held on Wednesday November 12th at 7:30pm at AMC Mazza Gallerie.

Entering is easy; simply follow the instructions in the below widget. The contest runs until Friday, November 7th when winners will be contacted by email with an Admit-Two pass for the screening. Dumb and Dumber To opens in theaters on November 14th.

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Virginia Film Festival Slate Includes 'Wild', 'Foxcatcher', 'Dumb and Dumber To', and More

The festival season never really stops, but late in the year they begin to take on a new level of importance. Over the last few years the Charlottesville-based Virginia Film Festival has positioned itself as a venue to catch many of the expected awards hopefuls just as their marketing campaigns are beginning to roll. And now today we're getting a look at the highly impressive slate for 2014, and it features more potential Oscar contenders than the festival has ever had before.

The festival runs from Nov. 6th-9th, and kicking off the show is easily one I'm looking forward to most, and it's the world premiere of Virginia-based film, Big Stone Gap. Best-selling author Adriana Trigiani has adapted her novel for her directorial debut, which stars Patrick Wilson, Ashley Judd, Jasmine Guy, and Jenna Elfman. Trigiani will be on hand for a conversation after the film along with Wilson, Guy, and Elfman. Shot entirely in VA, the story has Judd as a middle-aged spinster who keeps all of the town's secrets until she discovers one of her own that will forever change her life.

The centerpiece film will be the "cinq-a-sept" romance, 5 to 7, starring Frank Langella (on hand as a special guest), Anton Yelchin, and Olivia Thirlby. And closing out the festival will be special screening of Dead Poets Society, in honor of its 25th anniversary.

So what about the Oscar films? Reese Witherspoon has been getting a ton of attention on the festival circuit for her performance in Wild, Jean Marc-Valle's (Dallas Buyers Club) film about the real-life Cheryl Strayed who hiked more than 1,000 of the Pacific Crest Trail alone.  Bennett Miller's Olympic wrestling drama/murder mystery Foxcatcher is also on the slate, and it stars Mark Ruffalo, Channing Tatum, and an unrecognizable Steve Carell. Also included are Barry Levinson's adaptation of The Humbling, starring Al Pacino and Greta Gerwig; Dumb and Dumber To reuniting Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels; Low Down starring John Hawkes as troubled jazz musician Joe Albany; Mike Leigh's Mr. Turner starring Timothy Spall; and The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing. Another film showing there is one I've been talking about since Sundance, and it's Cutter Hodierne's Somali pirate hijacking thriller, Fishing without Nets.

And that's just a small taste of a huge slate consisting of over 100 films, plus special panels, guests, and anniversary screenings. It's one of our favorites times of the year and we'll be on hand to experience everything the Virginia Film Festival has to offer. You can check out the full lineup below. Information on the schedule or purchasing tickets can be found here.

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New Posters for 'White Bird in a Blizzard', 'Kite', 'Camp X-Ray', and More

When audiences finally have a chance to check out Shailene Woodley in Gregg Araki's White Bird in a Blizzard, any notions of her as just another teen actress will go out the window. She tarts it up pretty good in the film about a girl dealing with the mysterious disappearance of her wacko mother, played by Eva Green, with whom she may have more in common than she cares to admit. Thomas Jane plays one of Woodley's sexual conquests (yeah, that's right), with Christopher Meloni as her father, and Shiloh Fernandez as her dopey boyfriend. This is very much a film about a young girl's loss of purity, contrasted in this snowy poster for the film. White Bird in a Blizzard hits VOD on September 25th and theaters October 24th. You can check out my early review of the film here.

Here's a new poster for Ralph Ziman's manga adaptation, Kite, starring Samuel L. Jackson, India Eisley, and Callan McAuliffe. Opening exclusively on DirecTV next week and theaters in October, here's the official synopsis: In a vast, multicultural and decimated urban landscape, post-financial collapse, Sawa, beautiful but emotionally detached, lives a secret life as a covert assassin. The daughter of a police detective involved in the investigation of human trafficking, she was orphaned at the tender age of 12 when an unknown assailant targeted both of her parents. Now 18, Sawa is a human time-bomb intent upon eliminating members of the flesh-cartels whom she presumes murdered her family—men who exploit the defenseless children of a collapsed society for the pleasure of high-paying, foreign clients.

Joke all you want but Kristen Stewart's performance in the military drama Camp X-Ray is mighty impressive, and the film is set to make a big splash on October 28th. The Guantanamo Bay film is directed by Peter Sattler, and the first poster captures the isolation of Stewart's character, a soldier who forges a relationship with a detainee. Here's the synopsis:  A young woman joins the military to be part of something bigger than herself and her small town roots. But she ends up as a new guard at Guantanamo Bay instead, where her mission is far from black and white. Surrounded by hostile jihadists and aggressive squadmates, she strikes up an unusual friendship with one of the detainees. A story of two people, on opposite sides of a war, struggling to find their way through the ethical quagmire of Guantanamo Bay. And in the process, they form an unlikely bond that changes them both.

Two new posters have been released for Horns, showing the light and dark side of David Aja's adaptation of the Joe Hill novel. Daniel Radcliffe stars as Ig Parrish, a small-town guy who is accused of raping and murdering his girlfriend (Juno Temple), and seeks out the truth with the help of two powerful demonic horns that sprout on his head. They give him the ability to force others to reveal their darkest sins and give in to baser instincts. Horns opens on Halloween, and if you want more check out my interview with Aja from Comic-Con. 

 

Kind of weird that Stephen Daldry (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) has yet to secure a release date for his adaptation of Trash, which stars Rooney Mara, Martin Sheen, and Wagner Moura. Every single film Daldry has directed has wound up nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, so one has to think Trash will eventually find its way into theaters. The film, penned by Richard Curtis (Love Actually), follows three homeless kids in a Third World country who are pursued by the local police after they find something valuable in a dump site. 

 

And finally, Dumb and Dumber To channels the Scarlett Johansson action flick Lucy in two new posters. Only these guys are using 1% of their brains rather than the customary 10%. Here's the synopsis for the long-awaited sequel starring Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey, opening on November 14th: Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels reprise their signature roles as Lloyd and Harry in the sequel to the smash hit that took the physical comedy and kicked it in the nuts: Dumb and Dumber To.  The original film’s directors, Peter and Bobby Farrelly, take Lloyd and Harry on a road trip to find a child Harry never knew he had and the responsibility neither should ever, ever be given.

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Harry and Lloyd Return in First Trailer for 'Dumb and Dumber To'

It has been a whopping twenty years since Dumb and Dumber hit theaters with its goofy brand of unabashed foolishness, introducing most of the world to the Farrelly Brothers in the process. The dim-witted Harry and Lloyd remain arguably the most memorable characters for both Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, and the film is considered by some a modern comedy classic. But did it really warrant a sequel in Dumb and Dumber To? Even if their audience's sense of humor may have changed, the Farrellys are hoping to tap into a sense of nostalgia for everybody's favorite moronic duo.

The first trailer for Dumb and Dumber To has arrived, along with a new poster that brings back the ol' Shaggin' Wagon. Harry and Lloyd older but not necessarily wiser, and when they learn Harry may be the father to a child he never knew about it isn't long before they are on the road again and acting like idiots. There's a creakiness to the humor and few of the jokes really pack a punch, although the camouflaged snack machine bit was effective for coming out of nowhere. Unfortunately it's now been spoiled and probably won't be funny seen in context.

Dumb and Dumber To opens November 14th.


Dumb and Dumber 2 by Teaser-Trailer.com

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First Image from 'Dumber and Dumber To' is Pretty Dumb

The sequel you've all been waiting for since you were an easily impressionable youth isn't too far away, and nope, you won't be seeing Dumb and Dumber To high on any festival lists. No respectable ones anyway.

The first official image has been released and...well, it's definitely dumb. Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are back as morons Harry and Lloyd, and age has not made them any wiser. The film is a road trip laugher involving Harry's illegitimate daughter who is in need of a kidney transplant. Fun times.

The Farrelly Brothers will inflict Dumb and Dumber To on us November 14th, right in the thick of awards season. Because obviously.

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'Dumb and Dumber To' Opens November 2014; 'Insidious: Chapter 3' Heads to Crowded 2015

For awhile it didn't appear a sequel to Dumb and Dumber was even going to happen, but Jim Carrey settled whatever differences he had with producers and...well, now we have a release date for Dumb and Dumber To. Can you sense my enthusiasm? Universal has slated the "anticipated" sequel for November 14th 2014, where it may get tread over by Brad Pitt's WWII tank flick, Fury. Carrey, Jeff Daniels, and of course the Farrell Brothers are back for the film which has morons Harry and Lloyd on a road trip to find the child Harry never knew he had.  A week later the film will face an even stiffer test when The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 opens, which is a little ironic because Jennifer Lawrence will be making a special cameo, although not as Katniss Everdeen.

It's been noted here and elsewhere numerous times that 2015 is so crowded with sequels and blockbusters that only a few of them are going to be able to survive, but apparently there's room for one more. Insidious: Chapter 3 has been announced for April 3rd, where it will take on the Keanu Reeves sci-fi flick, Passengers. Leigh Whannell was hired to pen the script shortly after Insidious: Chapter 2's big opening weekend (on the way to $149M worldiwde), but the question is who will return. James Wan is currently directing Fast & Furious 7 and has expressed interest in doing fewer horrors, and it doesn't sound as if Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne are locked in for another film. 

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Jennifer Lawrence to Cameo In 'Dumb and Dumber To'; Rob Riggle Joins Cast

Nostalgia has been the driving force behind the reunion of Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, and the Farrelly brothers for Dumb and Dumber To, a sequel arriving twenty years after the original moronic comedy debuted.  A number of set photos featuring the cast have hit the web this week, getting those eager for the film riled up enough to forget that neither the Farrellys or Carrey have done much to get excited about lately. But there's still a lot of interest, even drawing in today's hottest actress to make a "surprise" cameo.

Oscar-winner and The Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence has a not-so-secret cameo in the film, playing the younger version of Kathleen Turner, which to be honest is being extremely generous to Turner. Of course a story like this puts the kibosh on anything being kept under wraps, but it wasn't much of a secret to begin with as tabloid rags had Lawrence meeting with the Farrelly brothers more than a week ago, sparking speculation that just this very thing would occur. So oh well. She apparently spent only one day on set and brought along the 'Hunger Games' cast, which must have been pretty amazing. Where are the Instagram photos from that?? 'Mockingjay' is filming in the same Atlanta locale which to me sounds like the perfect opportunity for an epic crossover.

Also coming aboard and getting lost in the Lawrence hubbub is Rob Riggle, pulling double-duty as twins Travis and his unstable brother, Captain Lippencott. How he fits into the story, which has dim bulbs Harry and Lloyd tracking down Harry's daughter to give her a kidney, is anybody's guess.

Dumb and Dumber To should arrive around the summer of 2014. [THR]

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First Look at Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels As Harry and Lloyd for 'Dumb and Dumber To'

Jim Carrey has always been pretty excited about returning for the Dumb and Dumber sequel, Dumb and Dumber To, even when the studio didn't seem to be. And now Carrey is hoping some of his enthusiasm will rub off on the fans who have been waiting twenty years for a proper follow-up to the hit comedy by releasing the first image of himself and Jeff Daniels in full Harry and Lloyd mode.

The photo is of the dim-witted duo "reading" a copy of Jim Carrey's book, How Roland Rolls, so he gets in a nice plug both for the film and his first turn as an author. Good job. Carrey has slipped back into the Prince Valiant haircut quite well, but it's hard to see Daniels as anything other than Will McAvoy from The Newsroom.

Dumb and Dumber To is a road trip story that has Harry and Lloyd learning from an old flame (Kathleen Turner) that one of them is the father of her child, who happens to need a kidney transplant. Laurie Holden of The Walking Dead plays a villain, and Brady Bluhm is back as "Billy from apartment C".  Look for the film to arrive in 2014, written and directed by the Farrelly brothers.

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Sadly, 'Dumb And Dumber To' Is Back On

It was just over a week ago that it appeared the final curtain had dropped on a Dumb and Dumber sequel. Warner Bros., who had never been all that interested in it to begin with, finally turned their backs on it officially, and it looked like we had seen the last of king morons Harry and Lloyd. But there was a small sliver of hope, as the Farrelly Brothers began shopping it elsewhere, and it seems to have paid off.

Peter and Bobby Farrelly took to Twitter to announce that Dumb and Dumber To is back on with Universal Pictures and Red Granite coming on to finance and distribute. Despite Jim Carrey briefly leaving the project, he and Jeff Daniels are back for a story that sees them hitting the road to track down Harry's illegitimate daughter for a kidney transplant. Laughing yet?

Filming could begin as soon as this fall for a release in 2014.

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