Box Office: 'Think Like A Man Too' Gambles and Wins with $30M; 'Jersey Boys' Only $13M

1. Think Like A Man Too- $30M
To nobody's surprise Think Like a Man Too was the top new release o the week with $30M. What may be a little bit unexpected was the total, which checks in at less than the $33M debut of 2012's Think Like A Man. The reasons for this probably have to do with their being a greater uptick in the number of African-American comedies, nearly all of which star Kevin Hart who really blew up after the first film. For him, this is a stronger open than the $25M About Last Night earned, and considerably less than Ride Along's $41M. But the good thing about it is none of these movies cost all that much, and Think Like A Man Too only ran about $24M so Screen Gems is pretty happy right now and probably thinking of what exotic locale to take the gang next. Think Like A Man Three: European Vacation?
2. 22 Jump Street- $29M/$111.4M
Slipping 49% in its second weekend was 22 Jump Street, but at $149M worldwide there's every reason to expect it will surpass the $201M total haul of 21 Jump Street.
3. How to Train Your Dragon 2- $25.3M/$95.1M
Dreamworks isn't getting quite what they hoped for out of How to Train Your Dragon 2, which after two weeks isn't performing much better than the original hit movie. Worldwide it has only gained about $131M, well below the prior film's $500M.
4. Jersey Boys- $13.5M
Maybe they should have held all of the Jersey Boys screenings before 5pm, included with an Early Bird Special? Clearly, Clint Eastwood was hoping his fellow octogenarians would carry his adaptation of the hit Broadway musical to greater heights than a mere $13.5M but they simply didn't turn out for the film. This is especially notable since older-skewing movies have been performing like gangbusters of late, which means some of the blame has to fall on Warner Bros.' marketing which relied less on the popularity of the musical or the Four Seasons' music than they did on Eastwood's name. And as we've seen with a movie like Trouble with the Curve, Eastwood's name doesn't quite hold the same cache it used to. The odd summer release schedule probably didn't help as this would normally be the type of film we'd see in the fall.
5. Maleficent- $13M/$185.9M
6. Edge of Tomorrow- $10.3M/$74.5M
For further proof that domestic grosses don't mean much anymore, simply look at the $181M earned by Tom Cruise's Edge of Tomorrow overseas. That brings the total to $255M which doesn't look bad at all, does it?
7. The Fault In Our Stars- $8.6M/$98.7M
In related news, Kleenex stock up 47% in the last three weeks. By the way, The Fault In Our Stars is wringing tears all around the world, about $42M worth on top of the domestic numbers. In other words, Shailene Woodley is a superstar.
8. X-men: Days of Future Past- $6.2M/$216.7M
9. Chef- $1.8M/$16.9M
If they ever do a live-action Ratatouille they better hire Jon Favreau. 
10. Godzilla- $1.8M/$194.9M

Read More

Cinema Royale #67- Jersey Boys; The Rover; Think Like A Man Too

On a special Cinema Royale, Think Like a Man Too stars Michael Ealy and Meagan Good drop by to talk about the comedy sequel which takes the laughs and relationship headaches to Las Vegas!

Christopher Bumbray of Joblo.com stops by to review Clint Eastwood's musical Jersey Boys, based on the smash Broadway play. Plus we'll take a look at The Rover with Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce, from the director of Animal Kingdom.Plus, huge Star Wars news, info on two Bowe Bergdahll movies, and is Batman getting a solo film soon?

Cinema Royale is part of the Hashtag Studios Broadcast Network and brings you movie reviews and news straight from the Nation's Capital! Go to www.cinemaroyaleshow.com and subscribe, and while there consider signing up for the premium service for more content and to be entered in our monthly prize drawing!

Read More

Review: Clint Eastwood's 'Jersey Boys'

His ornery tough guy mystique carrying on well into the twilight of his filmmaking career, Clint Eastwood may not seem like the most obvious choice to direct a razzle-dazzle adaptation of Broadway musical, Jersey Boys. Many forget his excellent 1988 biopic, Bird, on jazz musician Charlie "Bird" Parker, and for years he pursued a remake of A Star is Bornwith Beyonce (!!!) in the lead role. Eastwood is a music lover at heart and no doubt he has a soft spot for the wailing pop jingles of 1960s quartet Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Admiration for the era and the band's chart-topping hits give the film more spark than many stage-to-screen adaptations, but we've seen their particular brand of rise and fall story so many times that it lacks any real surprises.

You could be forgiven for thinking you'd accidentally sat down to an episode of The Sopranos at the onset as New Jersey nice-guy Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young) hangs out with his two-bit hustler friend Tommy DeVito (Vincent Piazza), makes good with jovial mobster Gyp DeCarlo (Christopher Walken), and commits petty crimes while trying to stay out of trouble. Frankie's voice is a gift from God and everybody in their Italian-American neighborhood knows it, including the local police who bend over backwards to keep him out of prison. Tommy is a hot head and trouble magnet, but he looks out for Frankie knowing someday he could be "bigger than Sinatra". Members of the group, which include booming-voiced pal Nick (Michael Lomenda) and ambitious songwriter/performer Bob Guadio (Erich Bergen), frequently stop to narrate the story directly to us. It's an annoying holdover from the play and shows Eastwood's lack of imagination as a director that he couldn't come up with an alternative better suited for film.

What happens next is basically playing the dramatic hits of every pop music biopic ever made. Dreamgirls, The Five Heartbeats, That Thing You Do!, The Commitments, we've seen this story of meteoric rises and crashing falls so much they can be rattled off by rote. The group struggles to make ends meet and secure gigs early on as Frankie grows in confidence and range. Upon gaining the fame and success they always wanted, it isn't long before some internal squabble ruins everything and family problems intercede. Frankie marries an Italian firecracker of a woman who, as Tommy warned, would eat him alive. She eventually does but not before they have kids who grow into troubled teens. Frankie's family problems are tossed in almost as an afterthought, and feature the creepiest use of the song "My Eyes Adored You" ever. Let's just say it's not a lullaby meant to be sung to your daughter. Other Four Seasons hits "Sherry", "Walk Like A Man", "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You", and "Big Girls Don't Cry" are beautifully and perfectly performed. Young earned a Tony award for his portrayal of Valli in the Broadway musical and he's probably one of the few who can match the singer's impressive range. Many of the tracks sound painfully outdated and kind of silly nowadays but in proper context they work.

For what it's worth, the film never takes itself too seriously and often has fun playing with the ironic twists of fate that drive stories such as this. So when the band is desperate for a new name we get a hotel sign that literally lights up "The Four Seasons", and Kirk Douglas' role in Ace in the Hole provides an unexpected title for one of the group's chart-topping hits. Joe Pesci's instrumental part to play in the group's formation is a frequent source of humor; played with all of the actor's quirks by Joey Russo.

But there's a lack of pizazz that only emerges in the film's dazzling final performance, and one can't help but wish Eastwood had gone for spectacle rather than his usual workmanlike direction. There's a big dance number that needs more Walken, and we never see how the Four Seasons are in relation to other acts of the era. Lip service is paid to their "new sound" but what was the old one? Did they influence other bands and did others influence them? What was their cultural impact, if any? This is probably the most unabashedly nostalgic film Eastwood has ever done, and while that will be enough for fans of the musical it wouldn't have hurt to show us what made Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons so special.

Read More

See 'Jersey Boys' Before It Hits Theaters!

The Tony award winning Broadway smash is coming to theaters this month, but we have your chance to see it before it opens! All you need to do is email us at punchdrunkcritics@gmail.com with what you think was the best stage to screen adaptation. To qualify you must be a fan of the facebook page so make sure to do that before entering! Here's the official synopsis: 

Clint Eastwood’s big screen version of the Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of the four young men from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey who came together to form the iconic `60s rock group The Four Seasons.  Their trials and triumphs are accompanied by the hit songs that influenced a generation, and are now being embraced by a new generation of fans through the stage musical.

 This contest will end on Saturday, June 14th at 5PM so make sure to get your entries in before that! Winners will be notified by 5PM Sunday. The screening will take place on Monday, June 16th, 7:30PM at the AMC Mazza Gallerie in DC.

Read More

First Trailer for Clint Eastwood's 'Jersey Boys' Takes the Stage

Clint Eastwood has always made musical an integral part of his filmmaking career without ever having directed an actual musical. He directed the Charlie Parker biopic, Bird, some time ago and tried for awhile to get a version of A Star is Born off the ground with Beyonce attached. But now he's finally got his big screen musical in Jersey Boys, and it's just getting warmed up with the first trailer's arrival.

Based on the Broadway smash, Jersey Boys chronicles the rise and fall of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, the Hall of Fame rock 'n roll band from the 1960s. John Logan (Skyfall) wrote the script, and filling the shoes of the band members are John Lloyd Young, Vincent Piazza, Erich Bergen, and Michael Lomenda, with Christopher Walken the biggest name in the cast. The Broadway show was a smash, but will that necessarily draw in moviegoers? The producers of Rent and Rock of Ages will tell you the answer is "No".

Jersey Boys hits theaters June 20th.

Read More

First Look at Clint Eastwood's 'Jersey Boys'

His attempt to remake A Star is Born with Beyonce may have fallen through, but Clint Eastwood was bound and determined to take on a musical for his first directorial effort since J. Edgar. And so we have this summer's Broadway musical adaptation, Jersey Boys, telling the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons' meteoric rise to fame in the 1960s with hit songs "Walk Like A Man", "Sherry", and more.

The first image has been released featuring relative unknowns John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli, Erich Bergen as Bob Gaudio, Vincent Piazza as Tommy DeVito, and Michael Lomenda as Nick Massi. Young is reprising his Tony award-winning role from the Jersey Boys musical. Hopefully we'll soon get a look at Christopher Walken as infamous mobster "Gyp" DeCarlo, but we may have to wait for the trailer for that.

Jersey Boys opens June 20th.

PLOT: Clint Eastwood’s big screen version of the Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of the four young men from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey who came together to form the iconic `60s rock group The Four Seasons. Their trials and triumphs are accompanied by the hit songs that influenced a generation, and are now being embraced by a new generation of fans through the stage musical.

Read More

Christopher Walken Joins Clint Eastwood Musical 'Jersey Boys'

While musicals aren't the genre most would associate Clint Eastwood with, it's one that he knows a thing or two about and has been trying for a few years to get back into. We've seen his attempts to get a remake of A Star is Born off the ground, and when that hit a stumbling block he took over an adaptation of Broadway hit, Jersey Boys. And now with production gearing up, Eastwood has cast his first big name.

Christopher Walken will play gangster Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo in the musical, which is based on the real life story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. DeCarlo helped guide the careers of the Jersey Boys early on, even as they tried to make their name without being tied with organized crime. Walken adds some much needed starpower to a film that may need it, as Eastwood is seeking out four unknowns to play the band. John Lloyd Young is set to play Valli, Erich Bergen is Bob Gaudio, Michael Lomenda is Nick Massi, and Vincent Piazza is Tommy Devito. With the exception of Piazza, who has appeared in Boardwalk Empire and the 2007 comedy Rocket Science, all are reprising their roles from Jersey Boys stage productions.

Jersey Boys is set to begin production this September.  [Deadline/Variety]

Read More