Thursday, February 22, 2001

''Hannibal'' passes $100 million at box office

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Reigning box office champ ''Hannibal'' enjoyed a hearty appetite at the North American holiday box office and in several foreign outposts, while the Oscar nominations boosted several films, according to studio estimates issued Sunday.

As three new releases entered the fray, overall ticket sales were on target to set a record for the Presidents' Day weekend, according to tracking firm Exhibitor Relations Co.

``Hannibal'' devoured $30 million in the United States and Canada for the Friday-to-Sunday period, taking its 10-day haul to $103.9 million, according to a spokeswoman for its North American distributor, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

The gruesome thriller, which stars Anthony Hopkins in a long-awaited follow-up to the 1991 hit ``The Silence of the Lambs,'' was forecast to add $6.5 million Monday, Presidents' Day, the studio added.

Hopkins plays the erudite cannibal Hannibal Lecter. When he's not disemboweling or dining on his hapless victims, he must fend off a vengeful millionaire (played by Gary Oldman), a corrupt Italian cop (Giancarlo Giannini) and his old nemesis, FBI agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore).

The film opened at No. 1 in Britain, Australia and Germany during the weekend, and remained No. 1 in Italy for a second weekend, said a spokesman for Universal Pictures, which is handling most of the foreign distribution. ``Hannibal'' is a 50/50 venture between MGM and Universal, a unit of Vivendi Universal.

New releases grabbed the Nos. 2 to 4 slots, led by the Chris Rock comedy ``Down to Earth'' (Paramount) with $17.5 million. The children's cartoon ``Recess: School's Out'' (Walt Disney Pictures) followed with $10.8 million, and then the Keanu Reeves tragic romance remake ``Sweet November'' (Warner Bros.) with $10.6 million.

The Chinese-language martial arts romance ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' (Sony Pictures Classics), which picked up 10 Oscar nominations on Tuesday, slipped one place to No. 5 with $8.8 million in its 11th weekend.

The three-day sum represented a 25 percent increase over last weekend before taking into account a screen expansion designed to capitalize on the Oscar publicity. The film has pulled in $71.5 million to date, and is well on its way to surpassing $100 million, the studio said.

The top 10 contained three other Oscar-nominated films: ''Traffic'' (USA Films) at No. 6 with $6.5 million, ``Cast Away'' (Fox) at No. 8 with $5.0 million, and ``Chocolat'' (Miramax) at No. 9 with $4.8 million. With the exception of ``Cast Away,'' which received just one key nomination (best actor for Tom Hanks), the films all enjoyed big bumps from last weekend. (''Traffic'' and ``Chocolat'' both have five nominations and ``Cast Away'' two).

Exhibitor Relations reported the top 12 films this weekend grossed $109.8 million, up about two percent from last weekend, and up 17 percent from the year-ago period, when the existing Presidents' Day weekend record was set. 

REUTERS

The top movies in North America -- Feb. 16-19

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Following are the final data for the top 10 movies at the North American box office during the February 16-19 U.S. Presidents' Day holiday weekend, according to studio figures released Tuesday by Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc.

Film Four-day Cumulative

Title Gross Gross

1. Hannibal .......... $33,501,505

BOX OFFICE SO FAR:  $107,376,007

2. Down to Earth .......... $20,027,309

BOX OFFICE SO FAR:  $20,027,309

3. Recess: School's Out .......... $13,456,016

BOX OFFICE SO FAR:  $13,455,016

4. Sweet November .......... $11,015,226

BOX OFFICE SO FAR:  $11,015,226

5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon .......... $10,462,539

BOX OFFICE SO FAR:  $73,202,832

6. Traffic .......... $7,498,582

BOX OFFICE SO FAR:  $80,020,628

7. The Wedding Planner .......... $6,708,124

BOX OFFICE SO FAR:  $47,033,012

8. Chocolat .......... $5,669,966

BOX OFFICE SO FAR:  $34,078,868

9. Cast Away .......... $5,401,468

BOX OFFICE SO FAR:  $216,918,728

10. Saving Silverman .......... $4,812,228

BOX OFFICE SO FAR:  $14,188,721

Reuters/Variety REUTERS

John L.: Three new movies debuted in the top 10 this week, but none of them could dethrone Hannibal from the number one spot. Chris Rock is making his first attempt at headlining a film since his stand up and HBO shows became successful. The Disney Channel has brought one of their shows to the big screen in full Rugrat style with Recess: School's Out. I have never heard of this show before, but I am sure it is wonderful if Disney is behind it. The Charlize Theron push continues as she is in her fourth film in the last 6 months with each making less than the other one. The media so want to make her matter, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. Lot's of stuff to cover this week.

What is Heaven? Is it Golden Gates, clouds, wings, halos, and St. Peter? Is it an LSD trip with multi colors? Is it full of angels dressed as Xena Warrior Princess like in the Spawn comics? Is it as Belinda Carlisle sings, "a place on Earth?" Is it bad dinner theater? Is it absent of everything you hate? Does it contain everything you love? Are your pets there? Will you be able to have sex anytime you want without any disease or pregnancy worries? Is there no sex in Heaven? What about the Buddhists, the Hindus, the Bushmen, the stillborns, the abortions, the Agnostics, the atheists, lawyers, the non meek, Jerry Springer guests, and FOX reality show producers? Will they all go to Hell, or do they have some place in Heaven as well? Movies have speculated on what Heaven and the afterlife would be like for years. One of the favorite premises of scriptwriters is the reincarnation gimmick or the dead person comes back in another body whether it be human or animal or even inanimate object. Chris Rock was hanging out with Warren Beatty one day and decided to remake Beatty's remake of Here Comes Mr. Jordan.  This movie has Rock as a struggling stand up/bike messenger who is killed before his scheduled time and ends up in Heaven where Chaz Palminteri is his guide.  Rock makes the deal to return to Earth in another body but, here is the joke, he comes back in the body of a 50 year old white man. Ha ha ha.  Everyone sees him as the old guy, while the movie audience sees Rock most of the time.  However, the problem is that this does not make sense.  Rock acts too much like his stand up persona and when they show the white guy do it or you are supposed to believe that the other characters are reacting to a rapping codger, the movie would look ridiculous.  The only way to do the movie right would be for the white actor to be on the screen at all times and only Rock appearing when he looks in a mirror.  For that to happen, a more popular actor would have to have played the inhabited body like maybe a Anthony Hopkins.  But, Rock is trying to make a name for himself as the next Martin Lawrence or even Chris Tucker, even though Rock has been around a bit longer than both of those guys and has done more movies.  This movie opened up very well based on Chris Rock's name alone.  The critics are not too happy with it, but the movie has a chance to be successful if it gets that good it's funny and heartwarming at the same time word of mouth push.  It is unfortunate that the movie had to be PG-13 since Rock is funnier when he is uncensored.  Speaking of Hopkins, he and Rock will be teaming up in the movie Black Sheep, so the magic still has a chance to happen.

Recess: School's Out is a movie based on a show on the Disney Channel.  I do not have the Disney Channel so I don't know anything about the program.  However, this movie is about a rogue principal who wants to end Summer vacation so he creates a laser that will cause permanent winter, ha ha ha ha ha ha, cough cough, ha hah ahaha. That is just so evil.  Our child hero is T. J. Detweiler who must gather his friends together to save Summers.  This movie sounds fun and all, but it also seems to be some sort of anti education theme.  The principal who is crazy, once tried to eliminate recess since I guess he thinks it is better for the children to learn as much as possible and resting in between takes away from that.  He is pro learning, which is frowned upon, while the swing sets and slides of recess are encouraged to be the main focus of going to school.  Kids throughout time have been shown as hating school while the ones who like to learn and do homework are considered nerds and geeks.  Politicians and teachers wonder why kids are stupid while the entire culture revolves around how school should be dreaded and teachers don't get paid a lot.  The movie and tv show may come to the message of the importance of learning, but the title is all about no school.  Recess is the time for fun and games, and school's out is another get it over with slap in the face.  This movie should be looked at as just an adventure story and not as an influence on life.  There is a subtle subliminal message of children should dread school, and that is unfortunate.  Just once I would like to see a movie called Welcome Back, School's in Session, Hooray!.  Never happen though, that is boring.

Sweet November is the supposed date movie of the week.  Charlize Theron plays a strange woman who decides to have a love affair every month and change a self-centered man into learning about what is really important in life like love, beauty, relationships, and not relying on money and material things.  Her November victim is played by Keanu Reeves.  This is Theron's first staring role since Astronaut's Wife I believe.  She keeps trying to get over as more than just a pretty face, but until she plays more varied roles than the concerned girlfriend or de virginizer, she will still be a non box office factor.  This movie also reunites Theron and Reeves.  The first played lovers in the overrated film, "Devil's Advocate."  I guess someone thought their chemistry as a couple should be revisited.  This movie is getting some horrible reviews because it's premise is so far fetched and manipulative that it is difficult to buy the relationship.  The movie is doing better than I thought it would, but it will probably have very low staying power since most guys would choose to avoid this film even as a date movie.  I believe the audience was nearly 70 percent female this weekend.  What that tells me is that any single guys looking for a date need to hang out at the theater playing this flick since that is where the women are.  Having a one month love affair is made a big deal in movies all of the time and real life it seems to be par for the course in many relationships.  However, I don't think guys would give up their jobs and electronic necessities just to get some play from a sickly Theron.  It is not worth it.  People need to realize that the whole point in life is to just worry about what material possessions you can acquire.  It would be a better world if family, environment, safety, love and all of that Master Card priceless crap was a given and not something to be concerned with.  Materialism sucks only because it is expensive, but if it can be afforded it rules.  The priceless stuff is cool and necessary, but if there is no money, no home, no car, or clothes, then you pretty much can't get the other stuff either.  As always, you need some of all and not none of some.  Did that make sense?

REST OF THE TOP 10 IN 10:

1.    Hannibal is the first movie of 2001 to make over a $100 million.

2.    This is also Ray Liotta's first movie to make over a $100 million.

3.    Hannibal is not that good a movie, but it is on track to make around $150 to $170 million.

4.    Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is still holding strong and has a good chance to one day even hit the number one spot if it does well at the Oscars.

5.    As promised, here is the Zhang Ziyi pic of the week:

6.    Traffic is turning out to be a decent hit for Steven Soderbergh and should increase his salary for his next picture.

7.    J-Lo is a long way away from getting $20 million a film since Wedding Planner is starting to fade away and will probably gross less than $80 million.

8.    Chocolat is the Cider House Rules of 2001.

9.    There is an excellent chance that Castaway will give Tom Hanks his third record breaking Best Actor Oscar.

10.    Amanda Peet is once again in another box office bomb and that is so very unfortunate for her only fan, me.

Next week we get Monkey Bone and 3000 Miles to Graceland which means it should be another week of Hannibal as the number one movie.  I see a big slump at the box office for the next few weeks.  I was going to review the Michael Jordan to the Max DVD of the IMAX film, but I decided to pass since that movie should be viewed on an 80 foot screen and not my little 19 incher.  Suffice it to say, the film is just your average NBC or ESPN retrospective with little unique footage.  If you watched basketball at all in the 90s you have seen most of the film. It should look amazing on a giant screen, but I recommend passing on the video release.  It is not fair to the producers of the film.  Jordan was a great player and one of the greatest of all time, we get it.  No rating.   Bye for now.