American Gangster

Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post has a new rule for filmmakers working on those loosely based-on-historical events flicks like American Gangster, The Queen and I'm Not There: Get it right!  read more »

In 2005, the early release Crash pulled off its big win in the Screen Actors Guild ensemble race — which foreshadowed its big upset on Oscar night—after ambushing Hollywood with non-watermarked DVDs. According to Tom O'Neil at the Los Angeles Times' Gold Derby blog, yesterday's SAG Awards nominees prove two points: "how key it is to get your movie out early in theaters and then to campaign to voters with DVDs and Q&A screenings."

Films like "Into the Wild" and even "3:10 to Yuma" that got screeners into the hands of voters early—after having an early theatrical release—rallied after mostly being snubbed at earlier kudos. Filmmaker Sean Penn is a four-time nominee, whose "Into the Wild" led the SAG derby today with three acting nods and an ensemble nomination. No small surprise that actors so enthusiastically backed a movie director and co-written by an actor.

Early release "Hairspray," which also blitzed Hollywood with DVDs, got an ensemble bid after faring well at the Golden Globes. (But, hey, where's John Travolta?) George Clooney didn't do a SAG Q&A screening till late, but "Michael Clayton" rolled out to theaters early and so did its campaign DVDs, resulting in recognition for the performances of Clooney, Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton.

Late-breaking films that didn't get screeners out like "There Will Be Blood" (SAG fave Daniel Day-Lewis made the cut, yes, but no nom for supporting star Paul Dano) and "The Great Debaters" didn't fare well either.

It seems like New York is in love with Goonies star Josh Brolin. He delivers Oscar-worthy performances in American Gangster (no. 1) and No Country for Old Men (no. 2), both of which sit atop the Manhattan box office chart. American Gangster captured the top spot with an impressive $50,000 per screen average in its second week, while the Coen brothers’ No Country, in limited release and playing at only 4 theaters, put up an eye-popping $79,000 per screen average. Hey, Josh, we may not control the Academy, but treat us nice and we can get you a Gotham Award. Yay!

But here on his own home turf, Jerry Seinfeld didn't do nearly as well. His Bee Movie (no. 3) may have captured the top spot on the country’s box office charts, but it slid down a spot here. The good news: it still managed to outgross its competition, Fred Claus (no. 5), in its first week. The Christmas-themed movie starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti posted a disappointing $14,000 average. But as executives at Warner Bros., who are distributing the movie, will tell anyone who’ll listen, releasing a Christmas movie in November is like running a marathon. It’s all about the slow build to Dec. 25.

Bad reviews and poor word-of-mouth doomed Lions for Lambs (no. 4), which did decent business here in the city, but failed to connect with a national audience, grossing close to $7 million on 2,200 screens. In the city, it’s per screen average equaled that of Bee Movie. Nationally, however, it’s per screen average was in the range of Dan in Real Life (no. 8), which was entering its third week.

Before the Devil Knows Your Dead (no. 6) expanded into a fourth theater, slowing its momentum slightly. It’s per screen average dipped $10,000 in the city, while its overall gross dropped five percent.

And an honorable mention to Holly, the Ron Livingston drama, which managed to gross $35,000 at one theater. It may not have made our top ten, but maybe we’ll see you next week!

List of theaters: Paris, Zeigfeld, Oprheum, East 85th St., 86th St. East, 84th St., Lincoln Plaza, 62nd and Broadway, Lincoln Square, Magic Johnson, 72nd St East, Cinemas 1, 2 &3rd Ave, 64th and 2nd , Imaginasian, Manhattan Twin, First and 62nd St., Angelika Film Center, Quad, IFC Center, Film Forum, Village East, Village Seven, Cinema Village, Union Square, Essex, Battery Park 11, Sunshine, 34th Street, Empire, E-Walk, Chelsea, 19th Street East, and Kips Bay.

Manhattan Weekend Box Office: How moviegoers in the multiplexes of middle America choose to spend their ten-spot is probably a big deal in Hollywood. But here in Manhattan, the hottest movies aren't always the ones making the big bucks nationwide. Using Nielsen numbers for Manhattan theaters alone and comparing them to the performance of the national weekend box office can tell you a lot about our Blue State sensibilities. Or nothing at all! Each Monday afternoon, we will bring you the results.

His album is not just the back story to the story; it’s the soundtrack that should have been.  read more »

Jay-Z, whose new album inspired by American Gangster comes out next Tuesday, gave the Los Angeles Times' Richard Cromelin a personal tour of Brooklyn.

Jay-Z, 37, doesn't return often to this Brooklyn neighborhood, where he grew up as Shawn Corey Carter. Stardom and wealth have taken him away to a Manhattan home and the globe-trotting life of a hip-hop star and major-label record executive.

It's his role as a recording artist that's brought him back on a warm fall day, to rehearse for a taping of the "VH1 Storytellers" show on a soundstage at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. As the car inches through late afternoon traffic, past the courts where he used to play basketball and the corners where he once sold drugs, he finds that his emotions are stirred.

"Yeah, man, it's the place that made me," he says softly.

Jay-Z previwed tracks from his upcoming American Gangster album at a VH1 Storytellers lot in Brooklyn, according to the AP.

On a studio lot for VH1's ''Storytellers'' series, Jay-Z, along with a full band, performed several tracks from the album inspired by the upcoming Denzel Washington-Russell Crowe flick.

''American Gangster,'' in theaters Nov. 2, chronicles the rise and fall of notorious Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas. Jay-Z said watching the film made him reflect on his own drug-slinging days and the dangers of that lifestyle.

''I was watching the movie and I was pulling emotions from the film,'' the 37-year-old rapper told the crowd, which included girlfriend Beyonce, on Wednesday night.

   read more »