02/04/08 - iW BOT | Awards Season Bounce: "Blood" Leads Oscar Pack; "Lior" Attracts NY Crowds, "Caramel" Debuts Sweetly
by Steve Ramos (February 4, 2008) Oscar contender "There Will Be Blood," director Paul Thomas Anderson's adaptation of Upton Sinclair's novel about California oil men, battled the 3-D Hannah Montana concert film and extensive Sunday drops from the top-rated Super Bowl to lead the Best Picture Oscar pack with a per-screen average of $3,088 and a 4% drop in weekend box office. "Praying with Lior," First Run Features' documentary about a devout teenage Jewish boy with Down's syndrome; enjoyed a glorious debut with $8,401 from New York's Cinema Village. Joining "Lior" in the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were the Spanish-language experimental film "The Silence Before Bach," Roadside Attractions' Beirut-set melodrama "Caramel," "4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days," filmmaker Cristian Mungiu's abortion drama, and "Live and Become," Menemsha Films' drama about an Ethiopian refugee starting over in Israel.   [ read more in Biz ]

01/28/08 - IW BOT | Women of the Year: Romanian Abortion Drama '4 Months' Debuts Big in NYC; "Juno" Passes $100M; FiGa Premieres "House"
by Steve Ramos (January 28, 2008) "4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days," filmmaker Cristian Mungiu's drama about a young woman who undergoes an underground abortion in 1987 Romania, enjoyed a golden debut with a weekend total of $51,712 from two New York theaters. Joining "4 Months" in the first iWBOT Top Five since the Jan. 22 Oscar announcements were the documentary "Doc," about New York author Harold "Doc" Humes; Best Picture Oscar contender "There Will Be Blood," Sony Pictures Classics' feature animation "Persepolis" and Palm Picture's Chinese-language drama "Summer Palace." Meanwhile, Fox Searchlight's teen pregnancy drama "Juno" passed $100 million in domestic ticket sales and the Brazilian melodrama "Alice's House," the debut release from the LA-based distributor FiGa Films, hit a debut, per-screen average of $3,181 from six venues.   [ read more in Biz ]

01/14/08 - iW BOT | Mother Lode: Box Office Still Flowing for "There Will Be Blood;" "Business of Being Born" Enjoys Healthy NY Debut; "Juno" Top Film in Fox Searchlight History
by Steve Ramos (January 14, 2008) "There Will Be Blood," filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson's turn-of-the- century oil drama for Paramount Vantage, struck a weekend mother lode with a Best Actor Golden Globe in the drama category and the leading per-screen average of $14,421. "The Business of Being Born," director Abby Epstein's look at American hospitals' maternity policies and the story of her own pregnancy, hit a per-screen average of $9,574 at New York's IFC Center for International Film Circuit. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were Sony Pictures Classics' feature animation "Persepolis," the ThinkFilm documentary "Nanking" and the teen pregnancy comedy "Juno," primed to become the top film in Fox Searchlight's history.  [ read more in Biz ]

01/07/08 - iW BOT | Black Gold: "There Will Be Blood" Is Box Office Gusher; "Persepolis" and "Chuck Close" Are Art Standouts; "Juno" Still Growing
by Steve Ramos (January 7, 2008) The combination of four National Society of Film Critics prizes, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director, and the leading per-screen average of $25,905 created a gusher of good news for "There Will Be Blood," filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson's turn-of-the-century oil drama for Paramount Vantage. Close behind on the iWBOT, which ranks films by per-screen average, was "Persepolis," Sony Pictures Classics' feature animation based on Marjane Satarapi's graphic novels about growing up in pre-revolutionary Tehran. "Persepolis" hit a per-screen average of $10,981 from seven runs. "Juno," Fox Searchlight's teen pregnancy comedy, reached the number two spot on the overall box office charts with weekend earnings of $15,860,744 from 1,925 screens. Rounding out the inaugural 2008 iWBOT Top Five were Focus Features' World War II love story "Atonement" and "Chuck Close," director Marion Cajori's documentary about the acclaimed contemporary painter.  [ read more in Biz ]

01/03/08 - iW BOT | The Golden Child: "Juno" Makes Fox Searchlight the 2007 Market-Share Leader, Lures Young Adults to Theaters
by Steve Ramos (January 4, 2008) A planned Friday bump to 1,850 runs qualified Fox Searchlight's teen pregnancy comedy "Juno" as the widest release in the mini-major's history and helped Twentieth Century Fox's specialty division achieve the largest, year-end market share among its competitors. "Juno" quickly became the most significant studio specialty film of 2007 thanks to its diverse audiences and widespread popularity. In a year of increased challenges and stagnant art house box office, "Juno" stood out as a beacon of hope for Indiewood in 2008.  [ read more in Biz ]

12/17/07 - iW BOT | Baby Boom: "Juno" Keeps Growing, Fans Connect With Lit Flicks "Kite Runner," "Atonement," "Butterfly;" "Youth Without Youth" Experiences Esoteric Debut
by Steve Ramos (December 17, 2007) The bump from three Golden Globe nominations meant $1,427,454 from forty runs for Fox Searchlight's teen pregnancy comedy "Juno," far and away the leader on the iWBOT. Miramax Films' French-language drama "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," an adaptation of fashion magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby's memoir, continued to draw large crowds. Boasting three Golden Globe nominations, "Diving Bell" held a per-screen average of $18,855 from three runs. World War II love story "Atonement," the Golden Globes leader with seven nominations, collected $1,806,862 in its second frame for Focus Features. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per- screen average, were "The Savages" and new release "The Kite Runner," a DreamWorks production from Paramount Classics. Lagging far behind was Sony Pictures Classics' "Youth Without Youth," Francis Ford Coppola's first film in ten years.  [ read more in Biz ]

12/11/07 - iW BOT | It's A Hit: "Juno" Delivers Big Crowd For Searchlight; Audiences Swoon for "Atonement," "Billy" Basks in Manhattan Spotlight
by Steve Ramos (December 11, 2007) Offering belly laughs in place of serious drama paid off for director Jason Reitman's teen pregnancy comedy "Juno." The Fox Searchlight release earned $413,869 from seven venues in New York and Los Angeles for the lead spot on the iWBOT. "Atonement," director Joe Wright's epic love story set in World War II era Britain, earned $796,836 from 32 runs for Focus Features. Both films far out-performed Weinstein Company's "Grace is Gone," the latest Iraq War drama to fail with audiences. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five were holdovers "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," "The Savages" and new release "Billy the Kid," the debut doc from newish NY-based production company/boutique distributor Elephant Eye.   [ read more in Biz ]

12/03/07 - iW BOT | Crowds Delight in Holiday Heartbreak: "Savages" Explodes in NY and LA; "Diving Bell" Lives Up to Acclaim; Iraq War Slump Continues With "Badland"
by Steve Ramos (December 3, 2007) Glowing reviews attracted large crowds to filmmaker Julian Schnabel's drama about a womanizer paralyzed by a massive stroke, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." The Miramax Films release earned $75,721 from three venues in New York and Los Angeles. "The Savages," writer/ director Tamara Jenkins' highly praised comic drama about middle-age sibs forced to care for their father, bested "Diving Bell" with an explosive per-screen average of $37,964 from four NY and LA locations for Fox Searchlight Pictures. "Badland," a drama about a wounded soldier returning home, continued the box office slump for movies addressing the Iraq War. "Badland," from COPEX and ArcAngelo Entertainment, managed a weak $962 per-screen average from two runs in NY and LA. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five were "Starting Out in the Evening," "Margot at the Wedding" and "No Country for Old Men."  [ read more in Biz ]

11/26/07 - iW BOT | Turkey Shoot: Strong Reviews Attract Crowds to "Starting Out in the Evening" and "I'm Not There;" Global Warming Slump Continues With "Everything's Cool"
by Steve Ramos (November 26, 2007) Strong reviews attracted sizable crowds to filmmaker Andrew Wagner's relationship drama about an elderly New York author and an inquisitive college student "Starting Out in the Evening." The Roadside Attractions release earned $76,214 from seven runs, making it the top film on the iWBOT. Critical praise also played a pivotal role in the more modest debut for the Bob Dylan drama "I'm Not There," filmmaker Todd Haynes' highly anticipated follow up his 2002 drama "Far From Heaven." "Not There" earned $730,819 from 130 runs in 61 markets for the Weinstein Company, specifically setting a new record at New York's Film Forum. Global warming-themed documentary "Everything's Cool" failed to crack the iWBOT Top Five, the latest in a string of environmentally themed movies that failed to attract audiences.  [ read more in Biz ]

11/19/07 - iW BOT | Hometown Hottie: NY Audiences Crazy for Baumbach's "Wedding;" "No Country" Continues Its Killer Box Office; "Reilly" Has Stellar Reviews But Lackluster Crowds
by Steve Ramos (November 19, 2007) Hometown fans came out in force for Brooklyn-born, Lower Manhattan-relocated filmmaker Noah Baumbach's sisters-at-odds comedy "Margot at the Wedding." The Paramount Vantage release earned $81,035 from two Manhattan locations, making it the top film on the iWBOT. "No Country for Old Men," filmmaker brothers Joel and Ethan Coen's Western thriller for Miramax Films, continued to attract sizable crowds, earning $3,075,722 in weekend box office from 148 runs. Other releases in the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were the documentary "What Would Jesus Buy?," child prostitution drama "Holly" and the stoner comedy "Smiley Face." Despite positive reviews, "The Life of Reilly," based on the stage show of veteran actor Charles Nelson Reilly, failed to crack the iWBOT Top Five, proof that critical acclaim may no longer be enough to carry an independent movie.  [ read more in Biz ]

11/12/07 - iW BOT | Box Office Killing: Coen Brothers' "No Country" Enjoys Explosive Opening; "Devil" Continues to Heat Up; "Holly" is Grassroots Dynamite
by Steve Ramos (November 12, 2007) An explosive weekend debut of $1.2 million from 28 locations made "No Country for Old Men," filmmaker sibs Joel and Ethan Coen's Western thriller for Miramax Films, the top release on the iWBOT. Joining "No Country" in the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were new releases "Holly," a drama about child prostitution from Priority Films and Slowhand Cinema Releasing, the holocaust documentary "Steal a Pencil for Me" from Seventh Art Releasing and Argot Pictures' "Note By Note," about the making of a Steinway concert grand piano. Returning to the iWBOT Top Five was director Sidney Lumet's crime drama "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," which ThinkFilm continues to expand slowly, a bold contrast to the more aggressive release strategy planned for "No Country."   [ read more in Biz ]

11/05/07 - iW BOT | London Calling: Joe Strummer doc "Future Is Unwritten" Attracts Attention in NY and LA; "Darfur Now" Looks to Expand Political Doc Audience
by Steve Ramos (November 5, 2007) A riotous weekend debut of $20,880 at New York's IFC Center and the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles made "Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten," IFC First Take's documentary about the Clash figurehead," the top release on the iWBOT. ThinkFilm's crime story "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" continued to be the top narrative feature on the iWBOT, which ranks films by per-screen average. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five were "Lagerfeld Confidential," "Pete Seeger: The Power of Song" and newcomer "Darfur Now," the latest in a steady stream of political documentaries.  [ read more in Biz ]

10/29/07 - iW BOT | "Devil" Catches Fire in NY; Autonomous Films Continues to Attract Attention with "Wristcutters"
by Steve Ramos (October 29, 2007) A blasting weekend debut of $73,837 at New York's Lincoln Plaza Cinemas and Angelika Film Center made veteran director Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" the top release on the iWBOT and ThinkFilm's best per-screen debut since 2005's "The Aristocrats." "Before the Devil," a crime drama featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke and Marisa Tomei and receiving plenty of pre-Oscar buzz, showed strong potential for out-earning Think's 2006 Oscar contender "Half Nelson." Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five were newcomers "Pete Seeger: The Power of Song," "Lagerfeld Confidential" and "Bella." Returning to the iWBOT Top Five was the edgy romance "Wristcutters: A Love Story." For Autonomous Films, the fledgling film company behind "Wristcutters," their quick success has attracted plenty of notice.  [ read more in Biz ]

10/22/07 - iW BOT | Top of the Pops: Weinstein's "Control" Stays Number One; Audiences Kill for "Wristcutters: A Love Story"
by Steve Ramos (October 22, 2007) A rock steady weekend gross of $38,242 at New York's Film Forum and the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles made photographer and filmmaker Anton Corbijn's "Control" the top release on the iWBOT for the second week in a row. "Control," about Ian Curtis, troubled lead singer for the British post-punk band Joy Division, continued to be a top per-screen performer for The Weinstein Company. "Wristcutters: A Love Story," director Goran Dukic's afterlife fantasy, earned $38,443 from three runs for a per-screen average of $12,814. "Wristcutters" premiered at Sundance 2006, with After Dark Films releasing the film under its new Autonomous Films label. Director Craig Gillespie's comedy "Lars and the Real Girl," a collaboration between Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and MGM, earned $185,000 from 21 screens, an increase of 14 runs from its debut week. Its $8,810 per-screen average reached the number three spot on the iWBOT, which ranks films by per-screen average. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five were holdovers "The Darjeeling Limited" and "Lust, Caution."  [ read more in Biz ]

10/15/07 - iW BOT | Box Office Will Tear Us Apart: Weinstein's "Control" Tops in NY, "Lars" Attracts Flesh and Blood Fans
by Steve Ramos (October 15, 2007) A rocking weekend gross of $27,674 at New York's Film Forum made photographer and filmmaker Anton Corbijn's "Control" the top release on the iWBOT. "Control," about the British post-punk band Joy Division and its troubled vocalist Ian Curtis, was The Weinstein Company's highest exclusive debut since "Sicko," which was a collaboration with Lionsgate. Director Craig Gillespie's comedy "Lars and the Real Girl," a co-production between Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and MGM, earned $90,418 from seven screens. Its $12,917 per-screen average reached the number two spot on the iWBOT, which ranks releases by per-screen average. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five were holdovers "The Darjeeling Limited," "Lust, Caution" and "Romance and Cigarettes."  [ read more in Biz ]

10/09/07 - iW BOT | Big Wheels Keep Rolling: Wes Anderson's "Darjeeling Limited," Ang Lee's NC-17 Drama "Lust, Caution" Battle For Fall Supremacy; "Finishing the Game" a Grassroots Hit at IFC Center
by Steve Ramos (October 9, 2007) A steamrolling weekend gross of $561,628 made Wes Anderson's sibling comedy "The Darjeeling Limited" the top release on the iWBOT, which ranks films by per-screen average. "Darjeeling Limited" was also Fox Searchlight's best fall comedy, so far outperforming its 2004 comedy "Sideways." Focus Features shattered the NC-17 rating ceiling further with earnings of $362,608 for "Lust, Caution." Ang Lee's World War II era spy drama continued to generate earnings just behind "Darjeeling Limited." Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five were "Finishing the Game," "Into the Wild," and "For The Bible Tells Me So".  [ read more in Biz ]

10/01/07 - iW BOT | Perfect Manhattan: Wes Anderson Fans Swarm NY Theaters for "Darjeeling Limited"; Focus Features Makes History with Ang Lee's NC-17 "Lust, Caution"
by Steve Ramos (October 1, 2007) An out-of-this-world, two-day gross of $134,938 from two New York locations made Wes Anderson's sibling comedy "The Darjeeling Limited" the top film on the iWBOT and the top two-day debut of 2007. "Darjeeling Limited" was also Fox Searchlight's best exclusive opening since its 2005 Woody Allen release "Melinda and Melinda." Focus Features shattered the NC-17 Rating ceiling with debut earnings of $63,918 at New York's Lincoln Plaza Cinemas for Ang Lee's Shanghai- set drama "Lust, Caution." With debut earnings just behind "Darjeeling Limited," Ang Lee's World War II era spy drama earned the number two spot on the iWBOT, which ranks films by per-screen average. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five were holdovers "Into the Wild," "Romance & Cigarettes" and new release "Itty Bitty Titty Committee."  [ read more in Biz ]

09/24/07 - iW BOT | The Great Indoors: Audiences Stuff Cinemas For Sean Penn's Wilderness Drama "Into the Wild"
by Steve Ramos (September 24, 2007) "Into the Wild," actor-filmmaker Sean Penn's adaptation of the Jon Krakauer novel, earned $212,000 for Paramount Vantage. Its $53,000 per-screen average was tops on the iWBOT and Paramount Vantage's best debut since its 2006 global warming documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." "Helvetica," a look at global design culture, earned $8,599 from its exclusive, sophomore run at New York's IFC Center. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five were director John Turturro's musical "Romance & Cigarettes," Sony Picture Classics' female ensemble drama "The Jane Austen Book Club" and IFC First Take's Arctic-set horror "The Last Winter."   [ read more in Biz ]

09/17/07 - iW BOT | John Turturro's "Romance and Cigarettes" Still Burning At Number One; "In the Valley of Elah" Leaps Into Anti-Iraq War Zeitgeist
by Steve Ramos (September 10, 2007) "In the Valley of Elah," filmmaker Paul Haggis' drama about a missing Iraq War soldier, earned $133,557 from nine venues. As the top new release, "In the Valley of Elah" placed second on the iWBOT with a per-screen average of $14,839 and was Warner Independent's best per-screen debut since its fall 2006 comedy "The Science of Sleep." Burning just as brightly in its sophomore week, "Romance & Cigarettes," actor-turned-filmmaker John Turturro's Queens-set, working-class musical earned $15,893 at New York's Film Forum, good enough for the number one spot on the iWBOT for two weeks in a row. Both "Romance and Cigarettes" and "In the Valley of Elah" outperformed Magnolia Pictures' music biz comedy "Great World of Sound," which failed to make the iWBOT Top Ten with weekend earnings of $6,129 from two New York locations. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five were two newcomers, Magnolia Pictures' romantic comedy "Ira & Abby" and First Look's Michael Douglas-as-elderly-eccentric comedy "King of California" and the French-language holdover "Blame It On Fidel," returning to the iWBOT Top Five.   [ read more in Biz ]

09/10/07 - iW BOT | "Romance & Cigarettes" Explodes at New York's Film Forum; 'In The Shadow Of The Moon' Enjoys Giant Weekend Leap
by Steve Ramos (September 10, 2007) Weekend earnings of $18,445 shot actor-turned-filmmaker John Turturro's self-released musical "Romance & Cigarettes" to the front of the iWBOT, as well as the top, self-released debut by a director in recent memory. THINKFilm enjoyed a giant leap of the box office kind when "In the Shadow of the Moon," a documentary about the Apollo Astronauts, more than doubled its box office between Friday and Saturday towards a weekend take of $38,281. Slightly less successful was "The Bubble," director Eytan Fox's latest drama, from Strand Releasing. With a per-screen average of $3,888, "The Bubble" placed sixth on the iWBOT. Rounding out the IWBOT Top Five were IFC First Take's "I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With," Autonomous Film's "Fierce People" and the Bosnian war drama "The Haunting Party," a co-production from MGM and The Weinstein Company.   [ read more in Biz ]