Box Office: 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' Conquers with $73M

1. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes- $73M
Bad pun alert! Audiences went bananas for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which debuted at $73M plus another $30M international for a solid $103M weekend.That's close to $20M above what Rise of the Planet of the Apes did three years ago, and that went on to a robust $481M overall. So this is good news for 20th Century Fox as they seek to recoup the $170M production budget, and it's also good for director Matt Reeves in his most high-profile directing gig yet after monster flick Cloverfield and the horror remake, Let Me In. It also means we're likely to see Andy Serkis suited up for a third film, and maybe he'll finally get the Academy Awards recognition he's so long deserved?
2. Transformers: Age of Extinction- $16.5M/$209M
$752M worldwide and counting.
3. Tammy- $12.9M/$57.3M
Audiences don't seem to care about the awful reviews from critics as Tammy only slipped 40% from last week.
4. 22 Jump Street- $6.7M/$171.9M
5. How to Train Your Dragon 2- $5.8M/$152M
6. Earth to Echo- $5.5M/$24.5M
Taking advantage of the rarity of live-action kiddie films, Earth to Echo excelled in its second week with only a 34% drop. Right now the film is up to $24.5M, nearly double its budget. Chances are it will take a hit when Planes: Fire and Rescue opens next week.
7. Deliver Us from Evil- $4.7M/$25M
8. Maleficent- $4.1M/$221.9M
9. Begin Again- $2.9M/$5.2M
Expanding to 939 theaters is John Carney's Begin Again, his follow-up to the beloved 2006 musical-romance, Once. That small Irish film came out of nowhere to become a critical, Oscar-winning favorite, but Begin Again is much more of a studio effort with Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo in the leads. The results have been decidedly mixed (although I loved it) with the major complaint that it's basically a redo of Once, and maybe that talk has tempered the audience somewhat. 
10. Jersey Boys- $2.5M/$41.7M

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Punch Drunk Podcast: Tammy; Deliver Us from Evil

Is it just me or is this a low key line-up for 4th of July weekend? Even still, we have plenty to talk about with Melissa McCarthy's latest, a team-up with Susan Sarandon in Tammy. Next up is Eric Bana in the horror department with Deliver Us From Evil. So that's adult comedy and horror, what will the kids do? THINK OF THE CHILDREN! Oh, that's right! We have them covered as well with Relativity's Earth to Echo. All this and any news fit to bring to the airwaves on this week's Punch Drunk Podcast.

The Punch Drunk Podcast airs live every Sunday morning at 11AM on Blogtalkradio.

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Box Office: 'Transformers 4' Leads Weak July 4th Weekend; 'Tammy' Underwhelms

1. Transformers: Age of Extinction- $36.4M/$174.7M
This is the rare July 4th weekend that doesn't include a single summer blockbuster, at least in terms of budget and scope. And so it was fairly easy for Transformers: Age of Extinction to hold on to the top spot, the first film of 2014 to repeat, even though it dropped 63% from last week. After two weeks Michael Bay's fourth crack at the Transformers has sparked $575M worldwide, a good chunk of that coming from China, and there's every reason to think it will surpass $1B as 'Dark of the Moon' did.
2. Tammy- $21.1M/$32.9M
The top new release this week was Tammy, which features Melissa McCarthy doing the same thing she's been doing for a few years now, namely crashing into things and putting herself down. While the film will come in just short of the debuts for Identity Thief and The Heat, those movies came with some pretty big co-stars while this is entirely a McCarthy effort, meaning people bought tickets just to see her. And at a cost of only $20M the film is already in the black even if it underwhelms overall.
3. Deliver Us from Evil- $9.5M/$15M
This has not been the strongest year for horror movies, coming off the red-hot streak of genre movies in 2013, but Scott Derrickson's Deliver Us from Evil is off to a pretty good start. The Eric Bana/Edgar Ramirez exorcism thriller opened up with $15M since its debut on Wednesday, and at a cost of only $30M it should prove successful enough for producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Hopefully this convinces Marvel to cast Ramirez in Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange movie. Yes please?
4. 22 Jump Street- $9.4M/$158.8M
5. How to Train your Dragon 2- $8.7M/$140M
6. Earth to Echo- $8.2M/$13.5M
The E.T. meets The Goonies sci-fi flick Earth to Echo didn't get a ton of marketing hype and its biggest star is The X-factor breakout Astro, but it opened with a solid $13.5M over five days. While that may not sound like much it's probably all or mostly profit for the low budget feature, which Relativity bought (nearly completed, too) from Disney on the cheap some time back.
7. Maleficent- $6.1M/$213.8M
8. Jersey Boys- $5.1M/$36.7M
9. Think Like a Man Too- $4.9M/$57.1M
10. Edge of Tomorrow- $3.6M/$90.8M

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Interview: Astro Talks 'Earth to Echo', Future Plans, and His Love of Spike Lee Movies

It's been a few years since 17-year-old Brian Bradley, nicknamed "Astro", made a splash as a contestant on The X-Factor. The Brownsville rapper used his popularity on that show to move to an even bigger stage, that of major Hollywood movies. Beginning his career with a small role on CBS' Person of Interest, he's making his feature film debut today in the family-friendly fantasy adventure, Earth to Echo, about a group of friends who discover a lost alien in search of a way home.

I had a chance to sit down and talk with Astro about Earth to Echo, how he's coping with the grueling press tour, and his future plans which include a role opposite Liam Neeson in A Walk Among the Tombstones and a leading part in Fox's Red Band Society. He also talked about his love of Spike Lee movies and hopes of working with the director some day. You can check out the interview below and also read my review of Earth to Echo here.

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Review: 'Earth to Echo' Starring "Astro" Bradley and Teo Halm

If "found footage" movies had been around at the height of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment days would E.T. look something like Earth to Echo? Spielberg hasn't proven to be the genre's biggest fan but director Dave Green sees it as an opportunity for his nostalgia-infused adventure stand out from the pack. While J.J. Abrams mined similar ground in the edgier and bigger budgeted Super 8, Green's Earth to Echo has enough heart to overcome raw lead performances and technical miscues.

It's probably not even fair to say the film is inspired by the likes of The Goonies, E.T., and countless other '80s fantasy adventures; whole chunks of plot are basically ripped and repurposed with only minor tweaks. After a fairly gut-wrenching open by the camera-obsessed Tuck (Brian "Astro" Bradley) lamenting the move from his Nevada neighborhood and away from best buds Alex (Teo Halm) and Munch (Reese Hartwig), the economical 89-minute feature cuts straight to the chase. In days their town will be bulldozed as part of some shady government project, but before the boys can pack up they are waylaid by an even greater mystery. All of the cell phones in town go wonky, or appear to have "barfed" on the screen, and it's Munch, who is described as "an acquired taste" by his mother, is the one to figure out the clues lead straight to the Nevada desert.

All of the boys have their own personal issues to contend with that complicate their grand excursion. Tuck is probably the most "together" of the three, although his family doesn't seem to pay him a lot of mind; foster kid Alex has serious abandonment problems; and Munch is...well, "an acquired taste". Socially awkward and more than a little shy, Munch has found a protector in Tuck who pleads via YouTube that Munch's new neighbors give him a chance. The three leads, none of whom have a wide array of acting experience, come off as natural and the story's emphasis on childhood loyalty resonates even if the characters could use a little more development. They get far better treatment than Emma (Ella Linnea Wahlestedt), the lone female of the group thrown in at the last moment and given little to do but be a source of vague romantic tension.

Outfitted with an array of cameras, including one hidden in their glasses, the boys do what boys do and concoct a sleepover story that fools their clueless parents. Tracing a signal and a mysterious map, they discover a little metallic alien creature which they nickname "Echo". Echo looks like a Funko version of the metal owl from Clash of the Titans, and he chirps like him, too. Echo's presence has drawn the interest of sketchy construction workers who know more about the alien than they are letting on, and while the kids are chased throughout the night the stakes never quite reach critical mass. The threat level remains low and there's never any doubt whether the kids will succeed in helping Echo "phone home"; this is all designed to be as agreeable for families as possible and to that end the film is a success. What isn't a success is the nauseating shaky cam footage distracting from the solid action, which saves the no-doubt tiny budget for two huge scenes. We don't get to see Echo unleash his extraterrestrial powers often but when he does it's worth the wait and the target audience will be suitably awed.

If imitation is the highest form of flattery then Spielberg must be feeling mighty good right now, but at least Earth to Echo was smart enough to imitate the very best.

 Rating: 3 out of 5

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New Trailer for Kid Sci-Fi Film 'Earth to Echo'

J.J. Abrams' Super 8 was a pretty good homage to the early family-oriented science fiction films of Steven Spielberg, but whether Earth to Echo can accomplish the same remains to be seen. A new trailer for the kid-centric adventure film has been released, and it's clearly being geared as an alternative for families looking to steer clear of the summer tentpoles. Done in a "found footage" style, the story follows a group of kids who receive strange messages on their cell phones, leading them to a lost alien named Echo.

Opening July 2nd, Earth to Echo is directed by Dave Green and stars Teo Halm, Brian Bradley, Reese Hartwig, and Ella Linnea Wahlestedt.


Earth to Echo - 2014 - Science-Fiction movie by Teaser-Trailer.com

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Trailer for Found Footage Kid Sci-Fi Film 'Earth to Echo'

Studios have been loathe to invest in sci-fi movies geared toward kids, with the majority of them now developing on the small screen. J.J. Abrams attempted to change that with Super 8 a few years ago, and now another film that seems to have elements of that, along with a little bit of E.T., is on the way in Earth to Echo.

A new trailer has been released for Dave Green's feature directing debut, which centers on a group of friends who receive a series of strange text messages. When adults refuse to pay them any mind, the kids investigate on their own and are led to a mysterious alien being in desperate need of their help. The found footage aspect seems unnecessary and an attempt to freshen up an unoriginal story.

Starring Teo Halm, Brian “Astro” Bradley, Reese Hartwig, and Ella Linnea Wahlestedt, Earth to Echo opens on July 2nd.

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