Box Office: Doctor Strange, A Man Called Ove, and More...

What did you see this weekend?

The bulk of the moviegoing nation went to either Doctor Strange (reviewed) or Trolls as expected. Doctor Strange's nearly 85 million is a major success for Marvel Studios, though weaker than the Guardians of the Galaxy launch it was quite a lot stronger than the Ant-Man launch. It's already earned over $325 million globally. When is Marvel going to have their first flop? It seems a long way off, doesn't it? 

The top 10 wide and limited charts and notes on other pictures after the jump... 

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Mr Burton's Box Office For CGI Whimsy

If you were a peculiar orphan with supernatural powers could you imagine anyone more perfect than Eva Green to be your guardian? Tim Burton may not be the director he used to be in quality or bankablity but he was smart to latch on to Eva Green as his latest pale skinned raven haired muse. She ran so many circles around everything else that was happening in Dark Shadows (2012) it's a miracle that it was her character and not the film that cracked apart and crumbled. Her reviews are strong again for this new fantasy film.

TOP TEN WIDE
01 Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children $28.5 NEW 
02 Deepwater Horizon $20.6 NEW 
03 The Magnificent Seven $15.7 (cum. $61.6)  Review
04 Storks $13.8 (cum. $38.8) 
05 Sully $8.4 (cum. $105.3) Review
06 Masterminds $6.6 NEW
07 Queen of Katwe $2.6 (cum. $3) Review
08 Don't Breathe $2.3 (cum. $84.7)
09 Bridget Jones's Baby $2.3 (cum. $20.9)  Review
10 Snowden $2 (cum $18.7) 

TOP TEN LIMITED
(Excluding Previously Wide)
01 M.S. Dhoni The Untold Story $1.2 NEW
02 No Manches Frida $380K (cum. $10.9)
03 The Dressmaker $357K (cum. $622K) 
04 The Beatles: Eight Days a Week $355K (cum. $2)
05 I Belonged To You $325K NEW
06 Denial $102K NEW
07 Don't Think Twice $99K (cum. $4.1) Review
08 The Hollars $98K (cum. $910K)
09 American Honey $75K NEW 
10 A Man Called Ove $61K NEW Sweden's Oscar Submission

In limited release it's clear by now that niche distributors need to study whatever it is companies like FIP and China Lion are doing because they keep managing strong opening weekend grosses for Bollywood films and Chinese films without so much as a sliver of traditional US media promotion.

What did you see this weekend?

I got a cold (boo) so I missed a screening or two (no one needs someone sneezing through a whole movie while they're watching it) but did manage to catch up with the Molly Shannon cancer dramedy Other People (and the review and interview right here) which were all quite enjoyable.

Thoughts I Had While Looking at the Miss Peregrine... Poster

Just in time for the kiddies' spring break movie fever, we've started to see teases for the new teen-targeted Tim Burton feature Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Based on the young adult book series by Ransom Riggs, there's a feast of spooky oddities that fit right into Burton's sensibilities. However, the first looks suggest that he's playing into his current era's weaknesses. The trailer and some thoughts I had staring at the new poster after the jump...

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Eva Green's Peculiar Children and Geena Davis Returning to TV

Laurence here with a couple of juicy actress news tidbits. After a string of well-cast disappointments, we're all hoping for a return to Tim Burton magic this year with his new film Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. We finally have some images from the film, which has what might be Burton's most formidable (live-action) cast since Big Fish, including Judi Dench, Samuel L. Jackson, Allison Janney, Terence Stamp, Kim Dickens and Rupert Everett. Whoa.

Most importantly, though, here's Eva Green in the title role. [More...]

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⇚ Rope of Silicon the first Best Picture winner Wings is finally coming to DVD/Blu-Ray. Yay. Loves that movie, I do.
Coming Soon Tim Burton may be doing an adaptation of the children's book Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children after The Addams Family.

Little White Lies interviews Paul Feig on the success of Bridesmaids.
Hollywood Reporter on 7 films that could be looking at SAG Ensemble nominations: Bridesmaids, Midnight in Paris, and The Artist are the more comedic possibilities but will SAG take comedy seriously this year?
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Go Fug Yourself Lisa Rinna at The Muppets premiere. LOL.
Grantland Mark Harris on the multiple Davids and three Goliaths (Leo, Brad, George) of the Best Actor race.
In Contention the Vanessa Redgrave AMPAS tribute
Pajiba on classics of Lady Porn and the men of The Immortals.

Not since the costuming department of “Mad Men” got ahold of Christina Hendricks has a pair of mammaries been so lovingly showcased. In fact, the accentuating bronzer is liberally applied not only on Henry Cavill’s heroic bosom, but also Luke Evans’ grimly clenched ab muscles and Stephen Dorff’s morally questionable obliques.

"Morally questionable obliques." Hee!

Speaking of morally questionable... I lurve this Puss in Boots piece at Ultra Culture on Puss's "synthetic heterosexuality". It's pretty great.

The trailer for season 4 of RuPaul's Drag Race

Tags: Gay Video & Lesbian Movies, Logo: Fierce TV

If only their budget on the show was as high as their advertising budget ;) "Go forth and be sickening!" LOL. Quick head count: how many of you watch this show? Am I speaking to deaf ears whenever I mention it?