Not since Nia Vardalos spun her head around and vomited tzatziki in My Big Fat Greek Exorcism has one little overperforming underdog of an independent horror film so stunned the industry. Click on to find out more about the 5-figure-budget movie that possessed America this weekend, and the far pricier monsters it left whimpering in its wake.
Finally, in week five of the marketing case study that is Paranormal Activity, the gritty Little Thriller That Could became the No. 1 film in the country. In doing so it eclipsed Saw VI, the senior horror franchise that either met its no-budget match in Activity or has simply worn out its welcome among splatter fans (or maybe both); its $6.9 million Friday was the lowest by far of any Saw film to date. Another shabby showing afflicted Where the Wild Things Are, whose own Friday was more than 60 percent off last week's pace. In keeping with its heroine's tragic demise, Amelia disappeared from radar soon after takeoff, grossing a meager $1.3 million and not even cracking the top 10. Read on to see what did make the cut.
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There wasn't a lot left to the imagination this week at Movieline, which has spent much of the last several days in a bitter ratings war with the shadowy body that oversees tastemaking bodies such as ours. While that wasn't resolved by the close of business today, you have the next two days (at least) to judge our content and mission for yourself -- as it should be. Start with the stories after the jump, and have a terrific weekend!
· Why stop here? Let's throw Sinbad back in his Jingle All the Way postal uniform and have him wave a Nerf Launcher at Phil Hartman's head! [via Videogum]
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As predicted, NBC is picking up its drama Mercy for a full season, as well as the new Joel McHale comedy Community and another year of Amy Poehler's Parks and Recreation. Clearly there's not enough paternal psychiatry in this lineup, and that's where HBO picks up the slack -- its In Treatment is coming back for a third season. This is lucky, because I believe Gabriel Byrne is the reigning expert of nicely expressed, still quite manly feelings. [EW]
At the age of 23, Jordan Reid had spent a year developing and co-starring in one of the most storied television pilots in recent history. The original It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia episode was shot guerrilla style in her apartment for an estimated $85 and picked up by FX. Reid starred as the first Sweet Dee, next to her boyfriend and Sunny creator Rob McElhenney, and friends Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day. A rare Hollywood success story -- until Reid broke up with McElhenney and she was promptly forced out of the series altogether.
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After a rough week of angst, soul-searching and strenuous debate in the Movieline comment trenches, the community bounced back with the high spirits and touching insights that we've come to know and love. With this in mind, South African bodybuilder and would-be Tarzan star Dewet Du Toit issues his sincerest congratulations: "I AM SO PROUD OF THESE SUPER COMMENTERS. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE WILL TO WIN IS MORE CRUCIAL THAN THE SKILL TO WIN." Not that there's anything wrong with skill -- and after the jump, this week's winners can prove it.
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After learning that their music was played at loud decibels to torture Guantánamo Bay detainees during questioning, several artists are banding together to close the American naval base prison. Among the musicians joining the National Security Archive's campaign are Pearl Jam, R.E.M. and Trent Reznor. It has already been revealed through public documents that the torture playlist included Britney Spears, AC/DC, Marilyn Manson, Drowning Pool and the Meow mix cat jingle. A spokeswoman for the Joint task force Guantánamo maintains that loud music has not been used on detainees since 2003. [Yahoo!]
No rush, folks: Nearly a month after arranging for the arrest of Roman Polanski in Zurich, Switzerland, the U.S. Justice Department has formally requested the director's extradition back to the States. With its request arrived specific details of the charges still facing Polanski, who fled Los Angeles 31 years ago rather than spend another 48 days behind bars for a child-sex rap. Adjusted for inflation (or something), that apparently amounts to two years in 2009 numbers.
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· It's the first picture of our new A-Team! From left to right, we've got Bradley Cooper, Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, District 9's Sharlto Copley, Liam Neeson, and a cigar. Click for bigger.
· Jude Law and Robert De Niro are not going to be in Thor, though the door is still open for Dominic Cooper.
· Breach director Billy Ray has been picked to steer Columbia Pictures' movie about this year's Somali pirate hostage situation.
· Despite the fact that he's clearly the male lead of An Education, Peter Sarsgaard's planning to campaign for a supporting actor Oscar.
· Instead of asking executives to meet with new actors in person, Fox is casting its pilots through screen tests alone. It's much easier to say, "Too fat, next," when the person isn't actually there.
A person is prone to doing crazy things while waiting for the Arrested Development movie to get off the ground. (I know from experience: My life-sized, paper-mâché Annyong is almost finished!) Take David Cross, for example, who has busied himself during the film's lengthy development process by...well...how do we put this?
Hey, Bronson Pinchot gave another interview (apparently, to promote the first interview? Who knows!). This time, he talked to the WSJ, where he admits that he's shocked about all the attention his Tom Cruise anecdotes received. Instead, he'd really rather have people focus on his feud with Denzel Washington: "I regret my choice of words there, and would like to amend my statement by saying I found his willingness to be ungenerous, unkind, knowingly hurtful both mentally and physically to myself and the crew to be the saddest misuse of stardom I have ever experienced or hope to experience." [WSJ]
Legendary TV comic and pie-in-the-face receiver Soupy Sales died Thursday in New York after battling "numerous," undisclosed health problems. He was 83. Born Milton Supman to the only Jewish family in Franklinton, North Carolina, Sales eventually landed in Los Angeles and then New York, where his Soupy Sales Show was targeted at kids despite an iconoclastic streak that would later come to influence comics from Pee Wee Herman to the cast of Saturday Night Live. Likely best known for taking thousands of pies in the face alongside the luminaries who appeared on his show, he is making a complete mess of Heaven as we speak -- as it should be. [AP]
· District 9's breakout director Neill Blomkamp has set up his next film, an untitled outer space project financed by Media Rights Capital which will go into production next year. "I'm not particularly interested in massive budget films, or creating huge spectacles that some young directors might be attracted to," Blomkamp said. "It is absolutely another science fiction film, quite different from District 9, but some of the blending of genres and the tone might be within the same realm." This time, mentor Peter Jackson won't be involved; expect a significant reduction in the number of ultimate special Blu-Ray editions. [Variety]
Neil Patrick Harris and Anne Hathaway get animated, Ghost in the Shell finds a new writer, and more Hollywood Ink after the jump.
Welcome back to Movieline Attractions, your regular one-stop guide to everything new, noteworthy and/or not-so-dazzling at he movies. This week might be the equivalent of fall's candy aisle, featuring more colorful choices than you can possibly consume and about all the nourishment of a sugar cube. But! Let's never take variety for granted. Sort it all out after the jump.
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