The Top Box Office Earners for September 2012

September is always a busy month in the movie industry, as the Toronto Film Festival and other movie showcases around the globe begin to introduce the big fall films that will likely compete for awards. Most studios release at least a few family-friendly films and the last of their comedies for the year before they begin releasing more dramatic fare as winter nears. A close look at the box office results for September 2012 shows a healthy mix of family films, comedies and even a few award contenders.

The number one earner in September was "Hotel Transylvania," an animated comedy featuring the voice of Adam Sandler as Dracula, who operates a resort for ghosts, ghouls and goblins in a realm separate from humans. Andy Samberg plays a teenage boy who stumbles upon the resort and quickly falls for Dracula's daughter, played by Selena Gomez. The overprotective vampire father does his best to discourage the relationship, resulting in plenty of hilarious moments.

The film earned over $42 million in the domestic market during its opening weekend, adding an additional $29 million overseas. It was far and away the biggest earner of the month, even though it was released on September 28, giving it only one weekend to top the tallies of films that had been released earlier in the month. Remarkably, it also earned more than "Resident Evil: Retribution," which came out a full two weeks earlier.

In second place, with only half the box office receipts of "Hotel Transylvania," was the sci-fi thriller "Looper" starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Joe, a mob assassin who is sent to kill old Joe (Bruce Willis), his future self. Though "Looper" opened with just under $21 million on the same weekend as Sandler's film, it is considered a strong take. The movie has garnered excellent reviews and has yet to open overseas, which means its ultimate box office numbers could increase substantially.

There was only one sequel, "Resident Evil: Retribution," that cracked the top earners for September. The fifth installment into the franchise, based on the popular video game series, it earned a total of just over $41 million, after banking $21 million during its opening weekend starting September 14. The film brings back Milla Jovovich as Alice, an ex-employee of the Umbrella Corporation, which unleashed a zombie plague on the world. Instead of taking aim at the undead who are trying to destroy the living, she goes after Umbrella Corporation executives who spread the virus in the first place.

In fourth place was the Disney rerelease of the popular 2003 film "Finding Nemo." This latest version is in 3D, which greatly increases the price paid per ticket. It launched the same weekend as "Resident Evil: Retribution," offering a much more appropriate film for younger moviegoers. It hauled in over $16 million, with a total take of $39 million over the remaining two weeks of the month. It stars the voice of Al Brooks as Marlin, a clownfish who teams with Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) to try to find his only son after he goes missing.

Rounding out the top five films is "End of Watch," a gritty cop thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena as Los Angeles police officers who stumble upon a myriad of cases including Mexican cartels, human trafficking, murders, domestic abuse, and more. The film has received very favorable reviews and is rumored to be a contender once the awards show season begins in earnest. It notched $13 million for its opening weekend, which began September 14 in a somewhat limited release. It was released to a much larger set of markets in subsequent days, leading to an overall tally of $34 million and counting.

Another big awards show contender is the Paul Thomas Anderson drama " The Master," which was only released on five screens when it initially opened on September 14. Despite the limited number of theaters, it managed to pull in $13 million during September, giving it a very strong per-screen average. This bodes well for the film, which has people whispering about Academy Award nominations for stars Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Providing useful articles, reviews and writings on movies and films online.

Movie Review: Rock of Ages (2012)

Rock god Stacee Jaxx vents that he's a slave to rock 'n' roll. His lament parallels the problems at the core of Rock of Ages; the story and characters are swallowed whole by the music - and when the pounding beat ebbs, there's little left to attract us to what's underneath. This won't be a problem for many as the creative use of classic rock songs as a form of narration has its own substantial appeal. The clever juxtaposition of recognizable tunes and the extravagantly choreographed dance sequences are also entertaining, but they don't provide the stability of a stronger plot and more intricately developed characters. When the guitars roar and the singing starts though, it can be easy to forgive the faults and submerse yourself in the pulsing music and fervent performances.

With high hopes of becoming a singer, young Oklahoma girl Sherrie Christian (Julianne Hough) heads to Hollywood. Once there, a chance encounter lands her a job at the Bourbon Room, a famous nightclub run by Dennis Dupree (Alec Baldwin) that has played host to countless rock icons, including the wildly unhinged Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruise). Falling in love with the Bourbon's busboy Drew (Diego Boneta), Sherrie thinks she's found happiness, but a grave misunderstanding finds the lovers parting ways; as each one drifts further away from their dreams, tragedy also strikes the Bourbon in the form of a bitter mayor's wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), intent on shutting them down. But with a little luck and a lot of love, the power of rock 'n' roll might just save them all.

Fleeting cleverness works its way into a story of shattered dreams, lost and found love, personal redemption, and all that is '80s rock (including oodles of sweat, skin, pyrotechnics, girls, booze, and mischievous pet monkeys). With laughs from sexually deviant setups, suggestive comedic arrangements, and lascivious routines, and awkwardness from the stereotypical insanities of out-of-control musicians, the lack of a plot is intermittently forgotten. The infectious, nonstop soundtrack is also, fortunately, so intoxicating that it hides the deficiency in scripting. Generic characters and expected revelations messily fill in the gaps for a thrillingly assembled composition of catchy tunes and innovative duets, further augmented by an impressive cast (considering the success of the stage play, notable actors were probably easily attracted to the theatrical adaptation).

An abundance of energy similarly makes up for the unconvincing lip-syncing and spontaneous song-and-dance that isn't as smoothly integrated into character actions as other modern musicals. The flow and transitions are somewhat abrasive at the start, but after a few montages that seem to exist in their own indeterminate time frame, it's difficult not to get caught up in Cruise's silliness (embellished with an unwarranted sense of entitlement and extreme decadence), Giamatti's go-to sleazy linguist role, and Baldwin's uncharacteristic visual styling. Russell Brand, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bryan Cranston, and Malin Akerman conflictingly add nothing but recognizable names and missed potential. Despite the foibles and faults, however, the music really makes it work.

- The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com) Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Denzel Washington Reaches The Heights And The Depths in "Flight"

When you get on an airplane, whether you're a constant traveler or a white-knuckle bundle of nerves, it's good occasionally to be greeted by the pilot. The trip is in his or her hands. Pilots know what they're doing, right? Everything will be fine.

In the superb "Flight," the passengers on Whip Whitman's (Denzel Washington) trip have a bit to be worried about. Aside from facing an upcoming storm, the pilot has a secret. He's an alcoholic.

Whip is awakened the morning of the flight by an angry call from his ex-wife. It's truly the morning after the night before, with his very gorgeous, very nude flight attendant Katerina Marquez (Nadine Velazquez) in the hotel room with him. He does a line of cocaine to balance out a sky-high blood alcohol level. Just a little eye-opener.

In full pilot uniform and sunglasses, he confidently enters the plane looking, well, looking very Denzel, to the powerful "Gimme Shelter" as background music. His first officer, Ken Evans (Brian Geraghty), is a little bit green. Lovely Katerina ("Trina") is handling coach. Whip even takes a little nap during the flight. Then the plane literally falls apart. With an engine on fire and no control, Whip tells Evans they're going to roll the plane. ("We're gonna do what?") He rolls it, upside down, right side up, with luggage falling on screaming passengers. Incredibly, he successfully lands it in a field, with churchgoers running for their lives. In later testing and reenactment of the flight, it's proven that no one - no one - could have landed that plane, with only four fatalities among the 102 survivors. Trina was one of them.

Whip ends up in a hospital. He's visited by Charlie Anderson (Bruce Greenwood), who tells him he's a hero. He's all over the news. (A lovely bit of trivia: Greenwood and Washington acted together in "St. Elsewhere" in the 1980s.) He's also visited by Harling Mays, his drug contact (John Goodman, a real scene-stealer). Charlie then introduces Whip to lawyer Hugh Lang (Don Cheadle), who tells him a blood test revealed alcohol in his system. Because there were deaths, that could lead to a trial - and the death penalty.

Whip hides out at his father's farm to avoid the press and pours all the booze down the sink. Then a meeting with the lawyer paints a frightening picture, and he heads to a bar. A hearing is scheduled to take place. He's sequestered in a hotel room the night before, swearing to stay sober, but decimates a next-door minibar. Then comes the hearing. You have to see for yourself.

Denzel Washington balances the panache of the experienced pilot with the tragic plight of alcoholism. As cocky as he looked entering the plane, he later shows the downward spiral of his greatest weakness. He's been lauded for his performance, and there's Oscar buzz. He's already won Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor. Providing useful articles, reviews and writings on movies and films online.

Daniel Craig's Start in Showbiz

With the release of "Skyfall," Daniel Craig has cemented his reputation as an exciting and talented addition to the James Bond franchise. His selection was a surprise to fans, many of whom had a tough time getting used to the first blonde actor to take on the role of the suave secret agent. However, Craig's portrayal of 007 has won audiences over. The success has also garnered up a good deal of interest in his start in the entertainment world.

Daniel Craig began acting at the age of six. His mother was responsible for fostering his interest in the stage with frequent trips to the Liverpool Everyman Theatre. Throughout his younger years, he appeared in several school plays. When he was 16, Craig auditioned for the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain. He was accepted in 1984 and subsequently moved to London to focus seriously on his acting career.

As part of the National Youth Theatre, Craig was able to tour Europe and Russia, fine-tuning his acting skills in the process. After four years, he succeeded in gaining entrance to the Guildhall School of Music & Drama where further training would introduce him to a new wave of top British actors, including Alistair McGowen, Ewan McGregor, Joseph Fiennes, and Damian Lewis.

The advanced instruction and career contacts paid off. Craig graduated in 1991, and he appeared in his first motion picture a year later. "The Power of One," starring Stephen Dorff and Morgan Freeman, turned out to be a lackluster adaptation of the popular book by Bryce Courtenay. Thankfully, it didn't slow down the young actor's career.

Throughout the 1990s, Craig stuck mainly to television roles in series like "Our Friends in the North" and "Tales from the Crypt." It wasn't until playing Alex West opposite Angelina Jolie in "Laura Croft: Tomb Raider" that his movie career really took off. Playing the underhanded treasure hunter-and rival to Britain's female counterpart to Indiana Jones-led to a role in the Tom Hanks hit "Road to Perdition" in 2002.

Craig's first award-nominating roles would come in 2004. The first was as sly cocaine dealer XXXX in "Layer Cake." This frantic, complicated story takes audiences deep into the British Mafia, where favors are owed and respect is earned and burned in a moment. The second was as Joe, a would-be rescuer and witness to a fatal accident in the drama "Enduring Love." Craig received European Film Award nominations for Best Actor for his work in both movies.

In 2005, Craig starred in Steven Spielberg's "Munich," the story of the five men hired to kill the assassins responsible for killing 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics. Craig starred alongside Eric Banna and Geoffrey Rush in the drama that went on to be nominated for five Oscars and two Golden Globes, and it also won the AFI Film Award for Movie of the Year.

The next year would see Craig's debut as British spy, James Bond, in the twenty-first official movie in the series. "Casino Royale" wasn't just the first time a blonde James Bond hit the screen. It was a reboot of the Bond experience, resetting the clock on the spy's years in service and establishing a new canon for the franchise.

Despite critics and fans struggling to accept these new changes, "Casino Royale" opened to great success. The film has earned just short of $600 million in sales worldwide, and at the time was the highest-earning movie in the series. The studios were shocked when the movie's popularity was surpassed by "Quantum of Solace" in 2008.

Originally resistant to be tied into a long-term contract, Craig was dismayed when studios put the brakes on James Bond installments while the economy teetered. Unlike other leads for the franchise, Craig did not put his acting on pause during his contract. From 2008 to the release of "Skyfall" in 2012, the actor starred in four major films, including the English version of the popular Swedish trilogy "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," as well as the science fiction favorite "Cowboys & Aliens."

Looking back on his long and varied career, many wonder how Daniel Craig joined the ranks of Hollywood's top actors. With his reserved demeanor and knack for staying out of celebrity gossip, Craig certainly seems to have the level of professionalism it takes to make it big. His talent in action, adventure, drama and even fantasy roles show he has the talent to continue making great films for years to come. It's humbling to realize he got his start on a typical stage in primary school among a crowd of six year olds. Providing useful articles, reviews and writings on movies and films online.

Home Vs Commercial Use Inflatable Movie Screens, Difference In Quality

Since the invention of the first inflatable movie screen by AIRSCREEN of Germany in 1994, many different styles of blowup movie screens have come on the market. While all of the same purpose which is to be a portable means for showing movies outdoors, there are some notable differences in a home use and commercial use outdoor screen system.

HOME USE INFLATABLE MOVIE SCREENS
Home use inflatable screens are usually small in size and are meant for a group showing of 10-15 people which is ideal for a backyard movie night. The quality of materials used on a home use screen is similar to that of a blow up snowman decorations sold in big box stores. To keep the cost down for the personal use market, the manufactures use light-weight thin materials. Light-weight materials also allow for the projection screen to easy to manage and store in small places. Equipped with thin tether ropes, small push stakes, and a fan, the blow screen system is easy to install in minutes in a grassy area of a home yard.

Since the home use portable projection screens have small fans (not blowers) with lightweight materials, the screen frame is not able to stay firm which will case the white projection surface to wrinkle which will affect the picture quality. Starting at a price point of $199, home use inflatable movie screens are affordable for the do-it-your homeowner who desires to host a backyard movie themselves.

COMMERCIAL USE
Consumers looking to buy a screen for home use may find that some manufactures are offering larger sized "commercial screens." Don't be fooled by these larger screens that the manufactures are trying to advertise as commercial. These screens are a lot lower quality than normal commercial screens made of cheaper, thinner materials that may start to have leaks after a short period of time. Typically manufactures selling these screen also sell products such as holiday decorations, and don't have the experience creating a stable, quality commercial movie screen.

One way to tell a true commercial screen is to look for a screen that is made of a heavier weight material such as reinforced PVC. The stronger material with welded or double stitched seams will result in a stronger frame which will be aesthetically wrinkle free as well as be able to withstand wind because of its more solid, stiffer structure. The thicker material and stronger seams also increase the longevity of use of the screen where as after a few uses with a home quality screen you will start to notice leaks which will progressively get worse with every use.

Another area that a commercial screen focuses on is safety. The larger the screen surface, the more impact wind can have on the screen. Similar to a giant sail on a boat, the screen will want to take flight with a strong enough gust of wind. To keep the screen from flying away and potentially injuring the crowd, you will find a minimum of six tether straps with 24? or longer tent stakes on a high quality commercial screen system.

Third a true commercial grade inflatable outdoor movie screen should have a theatrical grade or highly reflective screen surface similar to an indoor movie theater screen. A theatrical grade screen when paired with the correct projection system will produce a vibrant, crisp and colorful picture.

There are many clear, noticeable differences between the quality of a home screen system versus a high quality commercial grade screen system. Although home screens can be alright for using once or twice in a backyard, a commercial screen system will offer an outdoor cinema experience that just can't be matched by a home screen system. From a elegant, highly reflective screen surface, to a safety system that can withhold moderate to strong winds, hiring a professional outdoor movie company will be the correct decision for an unforgettable outdoor movie experience. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

The Story Behind Bollywood

With a world population of 182 million speakers of Hindi and a thriving cultural industry, we investigate the story behind Bollywood in translation - the focal point of traditional India cinema enjoyed the world over. However, there are lots of misconceptions about this worldwide phenomenon. Although it is commonly interpreted as a wide spanning term for Indian cinema, it is actually a smaller part of it. Bollywood is only part of the Indian film industry, which produces films in regional language. Known formally as Hindi cinema, it also has an increasingly common feature of incorporating Indian English in songs and dialogue (Hinglish in translation).

So where did the word come from? It's a portmanteau of Bombay (former name of Mumbai) and the multimillion-dollar film industry of Hollywood. However, the similarity ends here as it's not an actual physical place, although it does reside in pride of place in the Oxford English Dictionary. The name has also been contested over its original coinage - from the scholar Amit Kannar to journalist Bevinda Collaco.

The story behind Indian cinema began with the screening of six silent films at the Watson Hotel in Bombay from the Lumiere Brothers. Having watched a screening in 1910, Dadasaheb Phalke decided to make his own screening, with the silent film Raja Harishchanda in 1913.

To reflect the times socially, culturally and historically, Indian cinema and Bollywood cinema underwent many trends in subject matter. During the 30s and 40s alongside social upheavals and the partitioning of India, more lighthearted subjects came from a wave of directors who used this political backdrop and freedom movement to flavour their scripts, dissecting many various issues and bringing them to life.

Following the 1940s and 50s, the independence of India heralded the Golden Age of Hindi cinema. These covered a wide range of issues, including social themes dealing with urban life in the famous films of critical acclaim such as the Raj Kapoor films Awaara and Shree 420. Black and white films were still prevalent until the 1960s, although the 1950s heralded in the new age of colour films. The plots now gravitated to romance and dramatic themes with famous actors such as Raj Kapoor and Meena Kumari and then eventually action.

So here is a snapshot of the famous industry, with now such famous stars as Rani Mukeraji and Aishwarya Rai. Hopefully we've helped to shed some more light in translation of Bollywood and the influence it has had over history!

Read up on Hindi interpreting services for more information on the relationship between English and Hindi. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Abraham Lincoln Movie, President Vs. Zombies

Introduction

Karl T. Hirsch and J. Lauren Proctor have come up with a story titled Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies and the movie is directed by a very talented director - Richard Schenkman. An American civil war is going on and suddenly there is an outburst of the zombies and the president has to save the nation from these very dangerous undead creatures.

Plot

The very first scene of the movie is that Abraham Lincoln, a 10 year old lad is watching his father commit suicide because there has been an outbreak of the undead creatures and his father could not handle the situation.Abraham then joins the others in his community to protect the country and get rid of the zombies. This is just a small outbreak of the zombies and the people along with Abraham manage to destroy them all and save the country from further crisis.

The story is then fast forwarded to where Abraham Lincoln is the president and is informed of an outbreak of the undead in a place which is across the enemy lines. In his early days he had seen his parents succumb to these undead creatures, and has an idea what to expect and how to tackle them. He immediately gives orders to the army to go and destroy these furious undead creatures before it's too late.
This is what the Abraham Lincoln movie is all about. The bigger question is that will he be able to survive the siege and bring peace to the country and will he succeed in killing the zombies or will become a prey for them?

Cast

- Bill Oberst Jr. - Abraham Lincoln
- Jason Hughley - Wilson Brown
- Don McGraw - General Stonewall Jackson
- Brennen Harper - the young Lincoln
- Baby Norman - Mary Owens
- Raed Ali - Henry Lee Barton
- Jason Vail - John Wilkinson
- Bernie Ask - Edwin Stanton
- Amy Brice - Blonde Zombie
- Kennedy Brice - Little Zombie girl

Reception

The Abraham Lincoln movie has been made with a nominal budget of $150,000. The film being distributed by The Asylum was released on 29th May, 2012. This is the best Lincoln movie so far. The studio has made similar kind of movies previously also, but this film has raised the bar.

Review

The Asylum is back again with a 90 minutes Abraham Lincoln movie, the so called 'mockbuster'. The last half dozen Asylum films were quite bad and were disastrous at the box office too. The latest Abraham Lincoln movie vs. the Zombies will save and bring back the reputation of the Asylum as it is one of the best Asylum movies so far. We have all seen the previous Lincoln movies and have been disappointed a lot of times but with the release of Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies your opinion towards Asylum movies will change forever.

The movie looks fantastic and the sound effects are amazing. Director Richard Schenkman has done a great job and everyone has acted quite well. For the first time there are some recognizable actors in the film.
Conclusion - If you like the zombie films and can tolerate gore then you will definitely love this one. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.