Friday, May 31, 2013

'Monsters University' Trailer

Clint Eastwoodl turns 83

Birthday wishes to my all-time favorite actor, Clint Eastwood, who turns 83 today. I just got done watching Clint's latest film, "Trouble With The Curve," and he was superb in it. It's not just a baseball film. It's a touching story of a man and his estranged daughter (played wonderfully by Amy Adams) trying to reconcile their broken relationship. Highly recommended.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Birthday Wishes to Michael Constantine


Birthday wishes to actor Michael Constantine, who turns 86 today. The co-star of the smash hit  movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" is a Reading, Pa., native and a member of my church, Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Reading. The photo above was taken a church fundraiser that both of us attended a few years back. Michael Constantine has been a fixture in television and movies since the 1950s. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" remains among the Top 100 all-time box office hits. His best-known television role came in the series "Room 222," which ran on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The role of principal Seymour Kaufman earned Constantine an Emmy Award in 1970.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

'Iron Man 3' debuts with $175.3M at weekend box office

Moviegoers can't get enough of Tony Stark/Iron Man. The third installment of the Marvel comic book franchise earned $175.3 million from 4,253 theaters in North America over the weekend

Only "The Avengers" had a bigger opening weekend at the domestic box office: $207.4 million. And in case you haven't seen it, "The Avengers" also features Iron Man prominently.

Why is Iron May 3 such a smash?

Ray Subers at BoxOfficeMojo.com has an interesting theory?
Iron Man 3's $175.3 million debut is a huge leap over Iron Man 2's $128.1 million. That's a remarkable achievement given the dodgy history of three-quels — nearly all of them decline from their predecessor — and Iron Man 2's questionable reputation. The main reason for this is simple: audiences viewed Iron Man 3 more as follow-up to The Avengers, which is almost universally beloved, than as a sequel to Iron Man 2.

The Avengers was a cultural phenomenon, though, and it took an exceptional marketing effort from Disney to retain so much of that movie's audience. The centerpiece of the campaign was the destruction of Stark's Malibu home, which managed to up the personal stakes while also showcasing some impressive action. The marketing also emphasized Stark's conflict with the elusive Mandarin, which is typically a good strategy with superhero movies (a hero is most interesting when juxtaposed against a strong villain). Add in a marketplace devoid of competition, and this was a perfect recipe for a blockbuster opening.
'Iron Man 3' Kicks Off Hollywood Blockbuster Season | Video - ABC News