05/19/08 - iW BOT | Miramax's Norwegian Drama 'Reprise' Wows NY and LA; 'Visitor' Crashes Top Ten
by Steve Ramos (May 19, 2008) With the Cannes Film Festival underway and generating plenty of specialty film deals, "Reprise," Norwegian director Joachim Trier's young artists drama, cruised past all specialty releases with debut earnings of $49,059 from three debut runs in New York and Los Angeles. "Sangre de Mi Sangre," filmmaker Christopher Zalla's Spanish- language drama about a young Mexican seeking a better life in New York City, also debuted in the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average, with $8,385 in weekend box office at New York's IFC Center. Returning to the iWBOT Top Five were Magnolia Pictures' "Surfwise," director Doug Pray's documentary about eccentric surfer Doc Paskowitz and his family; Roadside Attractions' "The Fall," Indian filmmaker Tarsem's lush adventure tale set in silent-era Hollywood, and "Roman de Gare," French master filmmaker Claude Lelouch's thriller for Samuel Goldwyn Films.   [ read more in Biz ]

05/12/08 - iW BOT | Finger Licking Good Debut puts 'Poultrygeist' Atop Indie Charts
by Steve Ramos (May 13, 2008) Troma co-founder Lloyd Kaufman dressed as a chicken and picketed New York's Village East Cinemas a few days prior to the opening of his horror comedy "Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead." His promotional antics paid off with the Troma release clawing its way past all independent movies with a finger licking good per-screen average of $10,700 at the Village East. Close behind was Magnolia Pictures' "Surfwise," director Doug Pray's documentary about off-the- grid surfer Doc Paskowitz and his family. "The Fall," Indian filmmaker Tarsem's eye-popping adventure tale set in silent-era Hollywood, also debuted in the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average. "The Fall" earned $79,611 in weekend box office from nine runs for Roadside Attractions. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "Before the Rains," Indian director Santosh Sivan's South India-set, period romance for Roadside Attractions, and "Bloodline," Cinema Libre Studio's documentary about the controversy concerning whether Jesus married Mary Magdalene and fathered children.   [ read more in Biz ]

05/05/08 - iW BOT | Chart-Topping 'Mister Lonely' Makes Harmony Korine the Comeback Kid
by Steve Ramos (May 5, 2008) "Mister Lonely," filmmaker Harmony Korine's sweet-natured drama about two lovelorn celebrity impersonators, rocketed past all art-house releases with a debut, per-screen average of $16,769 at New York's IFC Center. "Son of Rambow," British filmmaker Garth Jennings' coming- of-age comedy for Paramount Vantage, also debuted in the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average, with $53,778 in weekend box office from five runs in New York and Los Angeles. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, were "Redbelt," director David Mamet's fight drama for Sony Pictures Classics, "Viva," director Anna Biller's sexploitation drama for Vagrant Films Releasing and Samuel Goldwyn's "Roman de Gare," a thriller from French master Claude Lelouch.   [ read more in Biz ]

04/28/08 - iW BOT | Chinese Dam documentary "Up the Yangtze" Floods NY; Abu Ghraib film "Standard Operating Procedure" Fails to Catch Fire
by Steve Ramos (April 28, 2008) With the Tribeca Film Festival underway at cross-town venues, "Up the Yangtze," the Zeitgeist Films documentary about China's Three Gorges Dam and its destructive impact, led all specialty films with a standout $15,851 in earnings at New York's IFC Center. Director Yung Chang's first feature-length documentary also became 2008's top non-fiction debut; out-performing Sony Pictures Classics' highly anticipated "Standard Operating Procedure," veteran filmmaker Errol Morris' documentary about the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal. Other new releases in the iWBOT top five, which ranks by per-screen average, included "Roman de Gare," French master filmmaker Claude Lelouch's thriller for Samuel Goldwyn Films; and ThinkFilm's "Then She Found Me," actress Helen Hunt's directing debut. Returning to the iWBOT for the third straight week was Overture Films' "The Visitor," featuring Richard Jenkins as a middle-aged professor whose life changes after helping an illegal immigrant. "Holly," a drama about child prostitution from Priority Films and Slowhand Cinema Releasing, took advantage of corporate sponsorship from business information provider LexisNexis and advance group sales to earn $15,687 at New York's Quad Cinema.   [ read more in Biz ]

04/21/08 - iW BOT | "Visitor" Stays Atop Specialty Chart; Weinstein Loses with "Osama"
by Steve Ramos (April 21, 2008) "The Visitor," the Overture Films drama about a middle-aged professor aiding a Syrian street musician, remained atop the specialty charts for a second week with a $9,250 per-screen average. An art-house success for the new film division of Starz Entertainment, filmmaker Tom McCarthy's friendship drama continued to spotlight actor Richard Jenkins in his first leading role. Enthusiastic crowds at Toronto's Cinesphere helped return Abramorama's "The Singing Revolution," about Estonians protesting Soviet occupation through massive song festivals, to the iWBOT Top Five. Other specialty films fronting the iWBOT, which ranks by per-screen average, were "Young@Heart," Fox Searchlight's documentary about a senior choir that performs alternative fare from The Clash and Sonic Youth; "GLASS: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts," filmmaker Scott Hicks' documentary about composer and musician Philip Glass for Koch Lorber Films, and First Run Features' "Constantine's Sword," director Oren Jacoby's documentary about the historical role of Christianity in wars, conflicts and violence. Lagging far behind was director Morgan Spurlock's Middle East road documentary, The Weinstein Company's "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?"   [ read more in Biz ]

04/14/08 - iW BOT | "Visitor" is Big Man on Specialty Chart; Crowds Cheer "Young@Heart's" Rock and Roll Seniors
by Steve Ramos (April 14, 2008) "The Visitor," filmmaker Tom McCarthy's acclaimed drama about a lonely professor befriending a Syrian street musician and his family, distanced itself from all specialty releases with weekend earnings of $86,488 and a $21,622 per-screen average for Overture Films. "Visitor," McCarthy's sophomore picture, as well as Overture's first art-house buy, became the first specialty chart topper for the fledgling film division of Starz Entertainment. Second place belonged to "Young@Heart," director Stephen Walker's documentary about a New England senior choir whose eclectic repertoire includes The Clash and James Brown. "Young@Heart" averaged $13,078 from four debut locations for Fox Searchlight Pictures. Rounding out the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were "Flight of the Red Balloon," Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien's drama for IFC First Take, "My Blueberry Nights," Hong Kong master Wong Kar Wai's debut English language film for The Weinstein Company and "Dark Matter," director Chen Shi-Zheng's drama about a troubled Chinese college student for First Independent Pictures.   [ read more in Biz ]

04/07/08 - iW BOT | "Red Balloon" Soars in New York Debut; "Blueberry Nights," "Jellyfish" Dazzle Audiences
by Steve Ramos (April 7, 2008) "Flight of the Red Balloon," Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien's drama inspired by the 1956 French classic "The Red Balloon," soared above its art-house competitors with earnings of $35,222 for IFC First Take at New York's Paris Theatre and IFC Center. Close behind was "My Blueberry Nights," Hong Kong master Wong Kar Wai's debut English language film. "Blueberry Nights" struck a $12,358 per-screen average from six runs for the Weinstein Company. "Jellyfish," a Tel Aviv-set drama from husband-and-wife filmmakers Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen, earned $25,352 for Zeitgeist Films from four Greater New York locations. Returning to the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per- screen average were Abramorama's "The Singing Revolution," a documentary about Estonia's struggle to end Soviet occupation through song festivals, and Cinema Guild's "Alexandra," Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov's war drama.   [ read more in Biz ]

03/31/08 - iW BOT | John Lennon Drama "Chapter 27" Tops Specialty Chart; "My Brother," "Alexandra" Debut Strong
by Steve Ramos (March 31, 2008) "Chapter 27," filmmaker J.P. Schaefer's drama about Mark David Chapman and his days leading to the murder of John Lennon, outdistanced all specialty releases with earnings of $13,910 for Peace Arch Entertainment at New York's Angelika Film Center. "My Brother Is an Only Child," Italian director Daniele Luchetti's 70's-set family drama for ThinkFilm, earned $9,357 at New York's Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. "Alexandra," Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov's war drama for Cinema Guild, earned $9,401 at New York's Film Forum. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were "Love Songs," French filmmaker Christophe Honore's Paris-set musical for IFC Films and Red Envelope Entertainment, and Cinema Guild's "The Unforeseen," director Laura Dunn's documentary about a Texas community fighting to protect a natural spring from suburban development.  [ read more in Biz ]

03/24/08 - iW BOT | "Planet B-Boy" Spins Atop Specialty Chart; "Same Moon" Shatters Record for Spanish-Language Debuts
by Steve Ramos (March 24, 2008) "Planet B-Boy," director Benson Lee's break dancing documentary for Elephant Eye Films, jumped past all art-house releases with a debut, per-screen average of $13,889. "Under the Same Moon," director Patricia Riggen's immigration drama, a co-release for Fox Searchlight and the Weinstein Company, broke opening-weekend records for a Spanish-language film with three-day earnings of $2.8 million from 266 screens. "Love Songs," French filmmaker Christophe Honore's Paris- set musical for IFC Films and Red Envelope Entertainment, averaged $10,244 from two New York runs. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were "Boarding Gate," French filmmaker Olivier Assayas' thriller featuring Asia Argento and Michael Madsen, and "Praying with Lior," director Ilana Trachtman's documentary for First Run Features about a Jewish boy with Down's Syndrome preparing for his Bar Mitzvah.   [ read more in Biz ]

03/17/08 - iW BOT | "Snow Angels" Leaps Atop Specialty Pack; "Sputnik Mania" Hits NY
by Steve Ramos (March 17, 2008) "Snow Angels," filmmaker David Gordon Green's estranged couples drama for Warner Independent Pictures, leapt past all art-house releases with a sophomore, per-screen average of $8,476; a twenty percent jump from its debut. "Sputnik Mania," director David Hoffman's Cold War documentary for Balcony Releasing, led all specialty premieres with $6,223 at New York's IFC Center. "Sputnik Mania" outperformed the high profile, wide-releases of "Funny Games," Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke's scene-by-scene, English-language remake of his 1997 thriller for Warner Independent, and "Sleepwalking," director William Maher's family drama for Overture Films. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were "The Counterfeiters," Austrian filmmaker Stefan Ruzowitzky's Best Foreign Film Oscar winner for Sony Pictures Classics, "Praying with Lior," First Run Features' documentary about a devout teenage Jewish boy with Down's syndrome and Sony Classics' period drama "Married Life."   [ read more in Biz ]

03/10/08 - iW BOT | Stoked: IFC's "Paranoid Park" Leads Pack of Specialty Debuts; "Counterfeiters" Remains Top Oscar Winner
by Steve Ramos (March 10, 2008) "Paranoid Park," writer/director Gus Van Sant's acclaimed youth drama for IFC Films, far out-performed all specialty releases, including recent Oscar winners, with weekend earnings of $29,828 at New York's IFC Center and Angelika Film Center. "Snow Angels," filmmaker David Gordon Green's couple-in-crisis drama for Warner Independent Pictures, led remaining art-house debuts with a per-screen average of $7,123. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per- screen average, were "Married Life," director Ira Sachs' period drama for Sony Pictures Classics, "The Counterfeiters," Austrian filmmaker Stefan Ruzowitzky's Best Foreign Film Oscar winner for Sony Pictures Classics, and "Chop Shop," director Ramin Bahrani's drama about a twelve-year-old Latino boy for Koch Lorber Films.   [ read more in Biz ]

03/03/08 - iW BOT | King of Queens: Koch Lorber's "Chop Shop" Top Debut; "Counterfeiters" Leads Oscar Winners
by Steve Ramos (March 3, 2008) "Chop Shop," director Ramin Bahrani's coming-of-age drama for Koch Lorber Films, out-performed all specialty debuts with weekend earnings of $8,475 at New York's Film Forum. "The Counterfeiters," Austrian filmmaker Stefan Ruzowitzky's Best Foreign Film Oscar winner for Sony Pictures Classics, led all Oscar victors, including Miramax's Best Picture winner "No Country for Old Men," with a sophomore week per-screen average of $10,295. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average were "The Duchess of Langeais," veteran French director Jacques Rivette's period drama for IFC Films, Sony Classics' "The Band's Visit," an Israeli film about an Egyptian police band lost in rural Israel; and "In Bruges," writer/director Martin McDonagh's hit men comedy for Focus Features.   [ read more in Biz ]

02/25/08 - iW BOT | Oscar Payday: Foreign Film Winner 'Counterfeiters' Top Debut; Other Winners Ready For Payout
by Steve Ramos (February 25, 2008) "The Counterfeiters," Austrian filmmaker Stefan Ruzowitzky's Best Foreign Film Oscar winner for Sony Pictures Classics, soared past fellow Oscar victors with a debut per-screen average of $$12,559 from eight runs. "The Duchess of Langeais," veteran French director Jacques Rivette's period drama for IFC Films, was close behind with debut earnings of $22,251 from two New York theaters. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average were Sony Pictures Classics' "The Band's Visit," an Israeli film about an Egyptian police band lost in rural Israel; "In Bruges," writer/director Martin McDonagh's hit men comedy for Focus Features and "George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead," the debut release from Weinstein Company banner Third Rail Releasing. Paramount Vantage's "There Will Be Blood" and Miramax's "No Country for Old Men" gained Oscar wins; now await box office bounce.   [ read more in Biz ]

02/19/08 - iW BOT | Academy Countdown: Oscar Snub 'Band's Visit' Finds Fans; 'Dead' Debuts Strong; 'Juno' Tops Best Picture Contenders
by Steve Ramos (February 19, 2008) "The Band's Visit," filmmaker Eran Kolirin's comedy for Sony Pictures Classics, was ruled ineligible for a foreign-language Oscar nomination but the Israeli film about an Egyptian police band lost in rural Israel leapt past Oscar contenders with a leading per-screen average of $11,267 from thirteen runs. "In Bruges," writer/director Martin McDonagh's hit men-in-trouble comedy for Focus Features was close behind with a sophomore week per-screen average of $10,420 from 112 runs. "George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead," the premiere release from Weinstein Company banner Third Rail Releasing, made a strong debut with $230,000 in Presidents Day weekend box office from 42 locations. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were City Lights Pictures' Brazilian drama "The Year My Parents Went On Vacation," and "The Business of Being Born," director Abby Epstein's documentary about hospital maternity policies and her own pregnancy. Leading up to the Academy Awards, Fox Searchlight's "Juno," climbed to the top four box office spot of all-time for specialty film Best Picture nominees.   [ read more in Biz ]

02/11/08 - iW BOT | Saturday Night Fever: Weekend Bounce Puts "In Bruges" On Top; "Band's Visit" Makes Noise; "Walk to Beautiful" Top Doc
by Steve Ramos (February 11, 2008) "In Bruges," writer/director Martin McDonagh's hit men in hiding comedy for Focus Features; skyrocketed past Oscar contenders with a debut per-screen average of $16,330 and a fantastic $457,227 in weekend box office. "The Band's Visit," Sony Pictures Classics' Israeli film about an Egyptian police band lost in a rural Israeli town, made plenty of noise with a $9,642 per-screen average from seven debut runs. The top documentary was "A Walk to Beautiful" from Engel Entertainment, directors Mary Olive and Any Bucher's documentary about Ethiopian women suffering from childbirth injuries. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were "The Silence Before Bach," Spanish film artist Pere Portabella's surrealist drama, and "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days," filmmaker Cristian Mungiu's abortion drama for IFC Films.   [ read more in Biz ]

02/04/08 - iW BOT | Awards Season Bounce: "Blood" Leads Oscar Pack; "Lior" Attracts NY Crowds, "Caramel" Debuts Sweetly
by Steve Ramos (February 4, 2008) Oscar contender "There Will Be Blood," director Paul Thomas Anderson's adaptation of Upton Sinclair's novel about California oil men, battled the 3-D Hannah Montana concert film and extensive Sunday drops from the top-rated Super Bowl to lead the Best Picture Oscar pack with a per-screen average of $3,088 and a 4% drop in weekend box office. "Praying with Lior," First Run Features' documentary about a devout teenage Jewish boy with Down's syndrome; enjoyed a glorious debut with $8,401 from New York's Cinema Village. Joining "Lior" in the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were the Spanish-language experimental film "The Silence Before Bach," Roadside Attractions' Beirut-set melodrama "Caramel," "4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days," filmmaker Cristian Mungiu's abortion drama, and "Live and Become," Menemsha Films' drama about an Ethiopian refugee starting over in Israel.   [ read more in Biz ]

01/28/08 - IW BOT | Women of the Year: Romanian Abortion Drama '4 Months' Debuts Big in NYC; "Juno" Passes $100M; FiGa Premieres "House"
by Steve Ramos (January 28, 2008) "4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days," filmmaker Cristian Mungiu's drama about a young woman who undergoes an underground abortion in 1987 Romania, enjoyed a golden debut with a weekend total of $51,712 from two New York theaters. Joining "4 Months" in the first iWBOT Top Five since the Jan. 22 Oscar announcements were the documentary "Doc," about New York author Harold "Doc" Humes; Best Picture Oscar contender "There Will Be Blood," Sony Pictures Classics' feature animation "Persepolis" and Palm Picture's Chinese-language drama "Summer Palace." Meanwhile, Fox Searchlight's teen pregnancy drama "Juno" passed $100 million in domestic ticket sales and the Brazilian melodrama "Alice's House," the debut release from the LA-based distributor FiGa Films, hit a debut, per-screen average of $3,181 from six venues.   [ read more in Biz ]

01/14/08 - iW BOT | Mother Lode: Box Office Still Flowing for "There Will Be Blood;" "Business of Being Born" Enjoys Healthy NY Debut; "Juno" Top Film in Fox Searchlight History
by Steve Ramos (January 14, 2008) "There Will Be Blood," filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson's turn-of-the- century oil drama for Paramount Vantage, struck a weekend mother lode with a Best Actor Golden Globe in the drama category and the leading per-screen average of $14,421. "The Business of Being Born," director Abby Epstein's look at American hospitals' maternity policies and the story of her own pregnancy, hit a per-screen average of $9,574 at New York's IFC Center for International Film Circuit. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were Sony Pictures Classics' feature animation "Persepolis," the ThinkFilm documentary "Nanking" and the teen pregnancy comedy "Juno," primed to become the top film in Fox Searchlight's history.  [ read more in Biz ]

01/07/08 - iW BOT | Black Gold: "There Will Be Blood" Is Box Office Gusher; "Persepolis" and "Chuck Close" Are Art Standouts; "Juno" Still Growing
by Steve Ramos (January 7, 2008) The combination of four National Society of Film Critics prizes, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director, and the leading per-screen average of $25,905 created a gusher of good news for "There Will Be Blood," filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson's turn-of-the-century oil drama for Paramount Vantage. Close behind on the iWBOT, which ranks films by per-screen average, was "Persepolis," Sony Pictures Classics' feature animation based on Marjane Satarapi's graphic novels about growing up in pre-revolutionary Tehran. "Persepolis" hit a per-screen average of $10,981 from seven runs. "Juno," Fox Searchlight's teen pregnancy comedy, reached the number two spot on the overall box office charts with weekend earnings of $15,860,744 from 1,925 screens. Rounding out the inaugural 2008 iWBOT Top Five were Focus Features' World War II love story "Atonement" and "Chuck Close," director Marion Cajori's documentary about the acclaimed contemporary painter.  [ read more in Biz ]

01/03/08 - iW BOT | The Golden Child: "Juno" Makes Fox Searchlight the 2007 Market-Share Leader, Lures Young Adults to Theaters
by Steve Ramos (January 4, 2008) A planned Friday bump to 1,850 runs qualified Fox Searchlight's teen pregnancy comedy "Juno" as the widest release in the mini-major's history and helped Twentieth Century Fox's specialty division achieve the largest, year-end market share among its competitors. "Juno" quickly became the most significant studio specialty film of 2007 thanks to its diverse audiences and widespread popularity. In a year of increased challenges and stagnant art house box office, "Juno" stood out as a beacon of hope for Indiewood in 2008.  [ read more in Biz ]