October 3rd, 2013
Okay, maybe it wasn't a home run on the home market, but new releases for the week of July 21st, 2013 helped the overall Blu-ray market grow from last week and last year. Led by 42, there were 825,000 units sold and $19.11 million in revenue generated, which was 31% higher in terms of units and 41% higher in terms revenue. Year-over-year, there were just 1% more units sold, but 34% higher revenue. This, plus weaker DVD numbers, helped the overall Blu-ray share jump to 32% in terms of units and 42% in terms of revenue. That's better than I was anticipating.
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July 23rd, 2013
This week's new releases are so bad that I'm tempted to hold on to this story till I finish the review for Star Trek: The Next Generation: Season Four on Blu-ray, just so I would have a real contender for Pick of the Week. According to Amazon.com, the best-selling new release of the week is an Anime title. Most weeks, Anime titles are filler, because of their are niche appeal. There are a few foreign releases and limited releases worth checking out, but there are not many contenders for Pick of the Week. The two best are Ginger & Rosa on DVD and Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXVII on DVD. I'm going with the former for Pick of the Week. Meanwhile, Starbuck's DVD earns Puck of the Week. See it before Hollywood ruins it with a bad remake.
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June 5th, 2013
Hannah Arendt earned first place on the per theater chart with $31,270 in one theater. That was well ahead of the second-place film, The East, which earned an average of $19,258 in four theaters. The Kings of Summer also opened in four theaters and it earned a per theater average of $14,741. Before Midnight expanded into 31 theaters earning an average of $13,042. It should still expand further and it will have no problem getting to a major milestone or two... or more likely three or four major milestones. Now You See Me earned a surprise second place on the overall chart, while it just managed to reach the $10,000 club on the per theater chart with $10,002. If it were playing in just one additional theater and earned the same overall box office, it would have missed the $10,000 mark.
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March 20th, 2013
Spring Breakers dominated the per theater chart earning the best per theater average for any film of 2013. It opened with an average of $87,667 in three theaters. Had it opened with a total of $87,667 in three theaters, it would have been a great start. A fellow A24 release, Ginger & Rosa, was next with an average of $14,279, also in three theaters. Somebody Up There Likes Me fell 64%, but still earned a spot in the $10,000 club with $12,310 in its one theater. Oz the Great and Powerful was the final film to earn more than $10,000 on the per theater chart with an average of $10,545.
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March 17th, 2013
There are definite signs of life at the box office this weekend, thanks to continued good numbers for Oz the Great and Powerful, an above-expected debut for The Call and a gigantic performance in limited release for Spring Breakers. Those three bright spots do something to compensate for a horrible $10 million opening for The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, which might have fared better with a Summer release, but still casts some doubt on the star power of Steve Carell and Jim Carrey.
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March 15th, 2013
It is a pretty busy week for limited releases with a number of them that could do well. Blancanieves should do well in art house cinemas, but it is too out there for mainstream success. Likewise, From Up on Poppy Hill should draw in fans of Anime, but there are not enough of them to allow the film to expand significantly. Ginger and Rosa has more appeal to mainstream audiences and strong buzz, but its reviews are only good and not great. Spring Breakers is also earning reviews that are good, but not great. However, it has a planned wide opening next week, so unless that falls apart, it will be the biggest hit on this week's list.
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