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ConsumeU Weekly Movie Preview – February 25th

February 25th, 2011

Happy Friday ConsumeU students!  I spent a few weeks off campus but I am glad to be back with this weeks movie preview for Friday, February 25, 2011.  If you are looking to head out to the theaters this weekend check out the two new films that were released today.

Drive Angry 3D

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner

Director: Patrick Lussier

Milton (Nicolas Cage) is a felon who has been sent to hell for all of his wrongdoings.  Knowing that his granddaughter is destined to be sacrificed by the same cult that killed his daughter, Milton breaks out of hell to save her.  From Patrick Lussier (My Bloody Valentine) this is sure to be packed with action and a healthy dose of violence.

Hall Pass

Starring: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate

Director: Bobby Farrelly Peter Farrelly

Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) are two happily married men.  When their wives Maggie (Jenna Fischer) and Grace (Christina Applegate) get fed up with them checking out other women, they decide to give the two men a hall pass for an entire week to do whatever they want.  See what happens in this hilarious Farrelly Brothers (Dumb & Dumber & There’s Something About Mary) comedy as Rick and Fred discover life outside their marriages is not as exciting as they thought.  This star studded cast is sure to provide some hilarious comedic moments.

That is all for this week.  Check back with us here at ConsumeU next week for movie previews of Rango and Take Me Home Tonight.

ConsumeU Weekly Movie Preview – February 4th

February 4th, 2011

Happy Friday to all of you wonderful ConsumeU students!  The first box office weekend for February is getting underway today and there are a couple new films to check out.  Below are the previews for Sanctum and The Roommate which open in theaters today.

Sanctum


Starring: Rhys Wakefield, Allison Cratchley, Christopher Baker

Director: Alister Grierson

What could be more exhilarating than exploring a cave that has never been visited by another human being?  When a dive team finds such a cave they are excited to see what it has to offer and reap any rewards that might come their way.  What is just ahead for these individuals is more difficult than any of them could have imagined.  Check out this stunning 3D film from the amazingly talented executive producer James Cameron (Titanic).  Sanctum is the biggest film in the young career of director Alister Grierson so it will be interesting to see what he can bring to the table.


The Roommate


Starring: Minka Kelly, Leighton Meester, Cam Gigandet

Director: Christian E. Christiansen

College is supposed to be the time of your life.  Being out on your own for the first time and meeting new friends is just the start.  When Rebecca (Leighton Meester) first checks into college she is extremely happy to have such a great roommate in Sara (Minka Kelly).  Unfortunately as the two get to know each other better Rebecca finds out that Sara is not quite as stable as she appears.  Desperately wanting to keep Rebecca as a friend, Sara will stop at nothing to make sure that happens.   The Roommate is directed by Christian E. Christiansen (Zoomers, Crying for Love). If you are looking for an intense thriller this weekend check out The Roommate.


I hope you all enjoy your weekend at the movies.  I am headed out to the mall to buy a Valentine gift for my mother!

The Prof

Symmetrel

Weekend Box Office Results for January 30th, 2011

January 31st, 2011

Another great weekend of new movies is in the books and so goes January 2011.  Overall the first month of 2011 had some good movies to offer and we are looking for more great things to come from the new year.  Check out the top performing movies for the weekend of January 30th, 2011 below.

Grabbing the top box office position in its opening weekend was the Anthony Hopkins horrific thriller The Rite.  Hopkins returns with a Silence of the Lambs type performance as he plays the creepy Father Lucas Trevant who travels to Italy to study at an exorcism school.  The Rite looks to have pulled in just over $15 million in its opening weekend.  The word of mouth on this film is mixed but the genre is also not necessarily popular across all movie going demographics.  Check out this film if you are looking for some edge of your seat action.

In its second weekend at the box office Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman’s No Strings Attached continues to see some good success.  The romantic comedy, with plenty to see, added $13.7 million for the weekend bringing their two week total to $39.7 million.  The duo of Kutcher and Portman is proving to be a successful one as the film is really hitting it big with the romantic movie going crowds.

The Green Hornet also had a great performance for its third weekend at the theaters.  The Seth Rogen action comedy was happy to add $10.5 million to their bottom line for the weekend.  With $78.8 million in total domestic box office earnings in its first three weeks look for The Green Hornet to pass the $100 million mark sometime in mid to late February.

Another note for this weekend was the opening of the film The Mechanic which made $11.5 million and grabbed the fourth box office weekend spot.  The action thriller starring Jason Statham, Ben Foster and Donald Sutherland exceeded expectations for the weekend.  Look for this and all films to see a drop in success next weekend having to compete with the Super Bowl on Sunday.

If you want more, check out the entire list of top ten films at the box office for the weekend of January 30th, 2011 below.

Weekend Domestic Box Office Results for January 30th, 2011

Results for Friday, January 28th 2010 - Sunday, January 30th, 2011

# Title weekend Total Wks.
1 The Rite $15,005,000 $15,005,000 1
2 No Strings Attached $13,650,000 $39,742,075 2
3 The Green Hornet $11,500,000 $78,800,655 3
4 The Mechanic $11,500,000 $11,500,000 1
5 The King's Speech $11,102,276 $72,217,183 10
6 True Grit $7,600,000 $148,387,635 6
7 The Dilemma $5,475,925 $40,634,380 3
8 Black Swan $5,100,000 $90,704,041 9
9 The Fighter $4,055,000 $78,372,924 8
10 Yogi Bear $3,165,000 $92,506,841 7

All data provided by BoxOffice.com.

Weekend Box Office Results for January 23rd, 2011

January 24th, 2011

Happy chilly Monday morning to all of you ConsumeU students out there.  Hopefully you had a chance to head to the theaters this weekend to check out some of the great films that currently showing.  I also want to give a big congrats to the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers who are headed to the Super Bowl in two weeks.  Should be a great game.  If you want to know what happened at the box office this weekend check out some of the top performers below.

Grabbing the first place box office position for the weekend was the romantic comedy No Strings Attached starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher.  The Ivan Reitman film pulled in just over $20 million in its first box office weekend which was right in line with expectations.  The word of mouth is pretty good on this one and it is a great movie to take your significant other to.

In its second weekend The Green Hornet was able to hang onto the number two box office position for the weekend. The superhero comedy starring Seth Rogen, Jay Chou and Christopher Waltz  brought their two week earnings number to $63.4 million by adding $18.1 million last weekend.   Although this film is performing well it will be difficult to top Set Rogen’s highest grossing film Knocked Up which earned $149 million.

Coming in third this weekend but losing a lot of momentum is The Dilemma starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James.  The word of mouth on this film is mixed but it was able to add $9.7 million bringing the films two week earnings to $33.4 million.   Look for this film to continue its slide down the earnings chart over the following weeks.

If case you were wondering where The Company Men and The Way Back were on the earnings charts, both of these films were limited releases so they didn’t have the potential to earn enough to make the top ten list.  As always you can see the entire top ten list for the weekend of January 23rd below.

Weekend Domestic Box Office Results for January 23rd, 2011

# Title weekend Total Wks.
1 No Strings Attached $20,300,000 $20,300,000 1
2 The Green Hornet $18,100,000 $63,441,243 2
3 The Dilemma $9,700,000 $33,337,335 2
4 The King's Speech $9,164,299 $58,623,270 9
5 True Grit $8,000,000 $138,633,427 5
6 Black Swan $6,200,000 $83,580,631 8
7 The Fighter $4,515,000 $73,031,236 7
8 Little Fockers $4,400,000 $141,191,615 5
9 Yogi Bear $4,060,000 $88,890,203 6
10 TRON: Legacy $3,708,000 $163,267,490 6

ConsumeU Weekly Movie Preview – January 21st

January 21st, 2011

Greetings and happy Friday to all of my favorite ConsumeU students.  The month of January continues to heat up with another week of great new movie releases.  There is something for everyone this weekend so be sure to check out the movie previews for The Company Men, No Strings Attached and The Way Back, along with the movie trailers below.

The Company Men

Starring: Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones

Director: John Wells

Bobby (Ben Affleck), Phil (Chris Cooper) and Gene (Tommy Lee Jones) are all faced with similar fates when their company gets bought out and their jobs eliminated.  The Company Men focuses on the real life drama that ensues when each of these men, all in different stages of their life, need to rebuild their lives and redefine who they are.  John Wells (The West Wing, ER) is heading into uncharted waters as he directs his first feature film.  Look for this film to hit home with many Americans who have been faced with similar situations during the recent economic recession.


No Strings Attached

Starring: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher

Director: Ivan Reitman

Adam (Ashton Kutcher) and Emma (Natalie Portman) have been lifelong friends until one day they decide that they should have sex.  After they engage in their sexual rendezvous they decide that they need to keep their FWB relationship strictly sexual.  This appears much easier said than done as Adam begins to fall for Emma and wants more out of their relationship.  No Strings Attached is directed by Ivan Reitman (Dave, Ghostbusters & Twins) and should prove to be a great romantic comedy for Paramount Pictures.

The Way Back

Starring: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell

Director: Peter Weir

The cast of The Way Back is full of huge names like Ed harris, Colin Farrel and Jim Sturgess to name just a few and is primed for potential Oscar recognition.  Jim Sturgess plays a young military officer who leads a group of six prisoners on an escape of a Siberian prison camp during WWII.  Escaping the prison was just the beginning of their 4,000 mile trek to freedom through deserts and over mountains.  The group is desperate for freedom that they hope to find in India.  The Way Back is directed by the talented Peter Weir (The Truman Show,  Dead Poets Society & Gallipoli) and if you can get through some of the dark moments should be an excellent movie to see this weekend.

Have an excellent weekend and enjoy your time at the movies if you decide to go.

Prof

Weekend Box Office Results for January 16th, 2011

January 17th, 2011

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. day all you fine ConsumeU students.  The campus was busy last week and we weren’t able to provide our weekly box office update so please accept our deepest apologies.

This weekend the top film at the box office was The Green Hornet starring Seth Rogen, Jay Chou and Christopher Waltz.  The story based on the 1966′ superhero brought in $34 million in its first weekend.  The film was directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind) and did a great job showing respect to the original character.  Seth Rogen not only acted in the film but also was responsible for the writing as well.  If you are looking for a fun action film check out The Green Hornet.

Grabbing the second place spot for the weekend was The Dilemma also in its debut weekend. The Dilemma stars the two comedic actors Vince Vaughn and Kevin James.   The comedy brought in $17.4 million for the three day weekend but the reviews for this film are very mixed.  The Dilemma is directed by the talented Ron Howard (The Da Vinci Code, Cinderella Man and A Beautiful Mind).  Check out this film if you are looking for some silly physical comedy.

Staying strong in its fourth box office week, True Grit grabbed the third position for the weekend.  The Coen Brothers have to be happy with the success of their highest grossing film as it added another $9 million bringing the four week total to $126.4 million.  True Grit stars Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon and has generated quite a buzz among moviegoers.  Look for continued success from this one as the word of mouth is quite good on this action film.

Those are your top three films for the weekend of January 16th, 2011.  Check out the table below for the entire top ten list of movies at the box office over the weekend.  Those of you looking to head to the theaters this weekend be sure to stop back at ConsumeU for the Friday previews of The Company Men (Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones) and No Strings Attached (Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher).

Weekend Domestic Box Office Results for January 16th, 2011

Results for Friday, January 14th 2010 - Sunday, January 16th, 2011

# Title Weekend Total Wks.
1 The Green Hornet $34,000,000 $34,000,000 1
2 The Dilemma $17,400,000 $17,400,000 1
3 True Grit (2010) $11,200,000 $126,411,895 4
4 The King's Speech $9,070,000 $44,593,859 8
5 Black Swan $8,125,000 $72,993,358 7
6 Little Fockers $7,100,000 $134,186,025 4
7 TRON: Legacy $5,674,000 $156,912,596 5
8 Yogi Bear $5,345,000 $82,095,072 5
9 The Fighter $5,125,000 $65,769,664 6
10 Season of the Witch $4,500,000 $17,997,739 2

ConsumeU Weekly Movie Preview – January 7th

January 7th, 2011

Greetings and happy Friday to all of you wonderful ConsumeU students.  For the second weekend in a row there is not a great deal to report on the new movie front.  There is only one film being released this weekend which I will preview for you below.  For those of you that haven’t signed up for ConsumeU what are you waiting for?  ConsumeU collects all of your preferences on things like movies, books, music and television shows and provides you with customized recommendations just for you.  Oh yeah and it is also really fun.  Take a few minutes to sign up and explore the campus.

Season of the Witch

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Claire Foy

Director: Dominic Sena

Nicholas Cage stars as Behmen the crusader who returns after years of battle to discover his homeland has been overrun by the Black Plague.  Behmen and his comrade Felson (Ron Perlman) are requested to take an accused witch (Clair Foy) to an abbey to have her powers removed by the monks. The dangerous and mystical journey that the group makes is sure to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.  Without much competition this week the film might perform well but with great movies like The Green Hornet and The Dilemma on the ticket next weekend this film better make some cash quick.  Season of the Witch is directed by Dominic Sena best known for his work on Gone in Sixty Seconds (also starring Nicholas Cage) and Swordfish.  Check out the trailer for the PG-13 film below:

If this film doesn’t look like one that interests you check out the previews for the following films currently playing in theaters:

Blue ValentineAnother YearTRON: LegacyYogi Bear

Weekend Box Office Results for January 2nd, 2011

January 3rd, 2011

The last weekend of 2010 is in the books and because there were no new powerhouse movies to compete it would be up to the previous holiday releases to fight it out for the box office winner.  For the second weekend in a row the box office was won by Little Fockers which added $26 million bringing their two week gross earnings to $103.1 million.  Little Fockers is the third installment of the holiday movie storyline starring Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Owen Wilson.

Giving Little Fockers some healthy competition this weekend was the latest Coen Brothers movie True Grit starring Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges.  True Grit, also in its second weekend at the box office, brought in another $24.5 million brining their two week total to $86.8 million.  For the Coen Brothers True Grit is the highest grossing movie they have ever directed surpassing No Country For Old Men which topped out at $74.3 million.

TRON: Legacy appears to still have some momentum behind it as it grabbed the third box office position for the weekend.  The fantasy sequel made an additional $18.3 million in its third weekend brining the three week total to $130.9 million.  The film stars Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde and is getting great reviews and much support from the TRON junkies.


Check out the top ten performing films for the weekend of January 2nd, 2011 below.  Check in Friday for our weekly preview of the movies coming to theaters this weekend.


Weekend Domestic Box Office Results for January 2nd, 2011

Results for Friday, December 31st 2010 - Sunday, January 2nd, 2011

# Title weekend Total Wks.
1 Little Fockers $26,300,000 $103,191,000 2
2 True Grit (2010) $24,500,000 $86,765,000 2
3 Tron Legacy $18,306,000 $130,854,000 3
4 Yogi Bear $13,000,000 $66,130,000 3
5 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader $10,500,000 $87,141,000 4
6 Tangled $10,008,000 $168,027,000 6
7 The Fighter $10,000,000 $46,389,000 4
8 Gulliver's Travels $9,100,000 $27,229,000 2
9 Black Swan $8,450,000 $47,370,000 5
10 The King's Speech $7,649,000 $22,807,000 6

ConsumeU Weekly Movie Preview – December 31st

December 31st, 2010

Greetings ConsumeU students, and happy New Years Eve to everyone.  2010 been an incredible year for the entertainment industry as well as ConsumeU.  We look forward to an exciting 2011 where we expand our media database and website offerings.

As is customary this time of year the new movie offerings for this weekend are quite slim.  If you are one of the few who will be taking in a new movie tonight check out the movies listed below if they are showing in your area.

Blue Valentine


Starring: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, John Doman

Director: Derek Cianfrance

Blue Valentine is a dramatic film the focuses on the lives of Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams), a working-class couple whose relationship is slowly falling apart.  The film takes the viewer back in time to celebrate the great moments in their relationship.  Blue Valentine is a limited release but might get some traction if viewers are as enamored as some were when it debuted at Sundance.  This film is directed by Derek Cianfrance who last directed a feature film in 1998 when he wrote and directed Brother Tied.


Another Year


Starring: Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen, Lesley Manville

Director: Mike Leigh

Another Year celebrates the lives of Tom (Jim Broadbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen), pun most likely intended, and the everyday moments of their lives.  The film has an On Golden Pond feel as it will most likely appeal to mature crowds and is banking on word-of-mouth to sell the film.  Another Year is directed by the acclaimed Mike Leigh known for his direction of Happy-Go-Lucky in 2008 and Vera Drake in 2004.  If you are looking for a quiet film that celebrates life, Another Year is a great choice.


That is it for new movies this weekend.  Enjoy your holiday evening and remember to stay safe out there.  Thank you for sharing an amazing 2010 with ConsumeU and we look forward to more great things to come!

The Professor


Biaxin

Jim Carrey – Movie & Television Actor

December 30th, 2010

Jim Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada on January 17th, 1962.  Anyone who has seen his work can surmise that Carrey has been a performer ever since he was very young.  Carrey’s first paid performance work came in the form of stand-up comedy in Toronto, Canada.  Carrey made his debut comedy performance at Yuk-Yuk’s as a star was beginning to form.  Suffering difficult times in his adolescence and having to work eight hours after school to help his family pay the bills, Carrey eventually dropped out of High School and moved to Los Angeles  in 1979.

In Los Angeles Carrey landed a spot at The Comedy Store where he was signed for a year by Rodney Dangerfield.  Carrey got his first acting break in 1983 playing the role of Bobby Todd in Copper Mountain.  Looking to diversify a bit and make some extra cash Carrey worked as a cartoonist in the 1984 animated series The Duck Factory.  The show didn’t do well but it gave Carrey some desperately needed confidence to pursue his acting career.

Carrey continued through the mid 1980’s taking acting roles where he could get them.  In 1985 Carrey played Mark Kendall in the horror/comedy Once Bitten.  Jim Carrey followed up this film with the 1986 comedy/drama Peggy Sue Got Married where he played the quirky supporting role of Walter Getz.  He was getting a little more screen time and his career was getting a bit more traction.

Arguably one of the most important roles Carrey took in the early part of his career was dressing up as the fury alien Wiploc in the corny 1988 comedy Earth Girls are Easy.  Although the role gave Carrey another chance to show his abilities at physical comedy the real importance of the role came when he got to work opposite Damon Wayans.  Wayans played Wiploc’s sidekick Zeebo and the two had great chemistry.  Damon would later consult his brother Keenan Ivory Wayans about bringing Carrey to the sketch comedy show In Living Color which first aired in 1990.   It was In Living Color that let Carrey do what he was so good at, making people laugh through physical comedy.  The show lasted five seasons in which Carrey performed in 123 episodes wrapping up in 1994 which ended up being the best year in Carrey’s career.

In February of 1994 Jim Carrey released the hit comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.  This comedy really launched Carrey’s career and proved that he could command the big screen and that his brand of comedy was in demand.  Later that same year Jim Carrey performed opposite Jeff Daniels in the hilarious comedy Dumb & Dumber which was his first multi-million dollar movie paycheck.  Along with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb & Dumber Carrey also released The Mask where he played Stanley Ipkiss.  All in all 1994 was a pretty productive year for the actor.

Jim Carrey was now on a roll and the film offers started coming in.  In 1995 he was offered the part of The Riddler in Batman Forever where he was able to put his comedy twist on his disturbed character.  Since Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was such a hit there was a follow-up which didn’t perform nearly as well titled Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.  Following his Ace Ventura finale he played the socially awkward Cable Guy in The Cable Guy in 1996 which earned him a cool $20 million, which at the time was the most money ever paid to a comedy actor.

Coming off the heels of two less than stellar comedy films Carrey decided to expand his acting offering and take a dramatic acting roll in the 1998 film The Truman Show.  The movie, and Carrey’s performance, were both brilliant and provided an excellent step into acting in drama films.  In 1999 Carrey took on the comedic roll of Andy Kaufman in the movie Man on The Moon.

In 2001 Carrey revisited his dramatic acting when he took the roll of Peter Appleton in the film The Majestic.  The film allowed Carrey to take on a roll that was a bit more serious than The Truman Show and proved that he could pull of the genre.  It wouldn’t be long before Carrey would return to his comfort zone.  In 1993 Carrey played opposite Morgan Freeman in the hilarious comedy Bruce Almighty.  Jim Carrey got to play God for a week which provided him great material to accompany his comedic style.

Carrey’s best dramatic performance came in in 2004 when he played Joel Barish opposite Kate Winslett in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.  The two created an amazing on screen pair and with the help of Michel Gondry created a fantastic world of the unconscious.  The film and actors were deservedly well decorated with awards receiving 50 nominations and winning 38 awards.

The remainder of the 2000’s Jim Carrey provided very entertaining performances in: Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Fun with Dick and Jane, The Number 23, Horton Hears a Who!, Yes Man, A Christmas Carol. Most recently Jim Carrey his provided his comedy in the comedy I Love You Phillip Morris.

Jim Carrey is still going strong and working on the upcoming Mr. Poppers Penguins set to release in 2011.  Carrey plays Mr. Popper who is a established businessman who inherits penguins and converts his Apartment into a winter wonderland.  This film is directed by Mark Waters (Freaky Friday, Mean Girls) and should provide for some great comedy moments.

Jim Carrey Movies and Character Roles

Check out all of Jim Carrey's movie performances below.
YearMovie / RoleAmazon
2009A Christmas Carol (Various Characters)

2009I Love You Phillip Morris (Steven Russell)

2008Yes Man (Carl)

2008Horton Hears a Who! (Horton (voice))

2007The Number 23 (Walter Sparrow / Fingerling)

2005Fun with Dick and Jane (Dick Harper)

2004Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (Count Olaf)

2004Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Joel Barish)

2003Bruce Almighty (Bruce Nolan)

2001The Majestic (Peter Appleton)

2000How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Grinch)

2000 Me, Myself & Irene (Charlie Baileygates / Hank Evans)

1999Man on the Moon (Andy Kaufman / Tony Clifton)

1998Simon Birch (Adult Joe Wenteworth)

1998The Truman Show (Truman Burbank)

1997Liar Liar (Fletcher Reede)

1996The Cable Guy (The Cable Guy)

1995Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (Ace Ventura)

1995Batman Forever (Riddler / Dr. Edward Nygma)

1994Dumb & Dumber (Lloyd Christmas)

1994The Mask (Stanley Ipkiss)

1994Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (Ace Ventura)

1991High Strung (Death (uncredited))

1989Pink Cadillac (Lounge Entertainer)

1988Earth Girls Are Easy (Wiploc)

1988The Dead Pool (Johnny Squares)

1986Peggy Sue Got Married (Walter Getz)

1985Once Bitten (Mark Kendall)

1984Finders Keepers (Lane Bidlekoff)

1983All in Good Taste (Ralph)

1983Copper Mountain (Bobby Todd)