Nov 15 2009 08:20 PM ET

The Governors Awards: On the scene at Oscar's special honors

It was the first big experiment of a quite experimental Oscar season, and by all accounts, it was a resounding success. Last night, for the first time in Academy Award history, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences handed out their honorary awards at a separate event from their annual Academy Award ceremony. At a three-hour gala dinner in the ballroom above the Kodak Theater, B-movie king Roger Corman (pictured, left), groundbreaking cinematographer Gordon Willis (right), and legendary screen siren Lauren Bacall (center) received honorary Oscars, and producer and studio chief John Calley was recognized with the rarely-bestowed Irving G. Thalberg Award.

“I’m delighted, and surprised,” Corman told me at the pre-dinner reception. “I knew I’d been nominated [to receive an honorary Oscar], and I predicted flatly that I had no chance of getting the award, because I make low-budget films. I thought the Academy will not give an award to someone who makes low budget films.” Both he and Willis earnestly professed they were happy the Academy had chosen to spin-off their awards into a distinct event. “I like it better this way,” Willis said. “It’s more meaningful, [and] it also gives them the opportunity to do more than one person at the end of a commercial.” (Bacall declined to speak to press.) Free from the time constraints and nerve-wracking pomp and circumstance of a prime-time television broadcast, the evening’s festivities did indeed feel appealingly warm and intimate. Along with the usual montage of clips representing their body of work, each honoree received lengthy toasts and testimonials from their friends and colleagues, read from note cards instead of teleprompters or simply delivered off-the-cuff. Academy first vice-president and multiple Oscar-winner Tom Hanks summed up the feelings about the evening for pretty much everyone there. “I’m over the moon about it,” Hanks told me after the first two honorees had received their awards. “This is what it should be. Look how long you got to talk about Gordon [Willis] or Roger [Corman]. You get the clips, the anecdotes and everything else. If this was on the TV show, it would be seven, pressure-filled minutes. This way, it’s all peers, and it’s all honors.” (Read full post)

Nov 15 2009 04:51 PM ET

'2012' kills, 'Precious' amazes at the weekend box office

Categories: Box Office, Film, Movie Biz, News

Nothing like a good disaster movie to bring in a lot of coin at the box office. At least that was the case this weekend with Roland Emmerich’s end-of-the world tale 2012 which took in an estimated $65 million stateside and an additional $160 million overseas. The John Cusack thriller brought in more than its $200 million budget in its opening weekend, a huge win for Sony Pictures. Add in the spectacular limited release reign of Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire and the weekend was a solid one even if it couldn’t surpass last year at this time when Sony’s Quantum of Solace was top dog on the list.

In second place was Disney’s A Christmas Carol, which despite opening softly last weekend, held up well in its second weekend in theaters, dropping only 26%. The Robert Zemeckis, CG-animated film grossed $22.3 million, with 14% of its tally coming from IMAX’s 182 runs. Its total cume now stands at $63 million. Third place belonged to the George Clooney-starrer The Men Who Stare At Goats. Dropping an estimated 51% from last weekend, the film grossed an additional $6.2 million, putting its ten-day cume at $23 million.

(Read full post)

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Nov 14 2009 06:24 PM ET

'2012' destroys the competition at Friday's box office

Categories: Box Office, Movie Biz, News

John Cusack in 2012Roland Emmerich has once again proved his mastery over the art of destruction with his latest film 2012: Moviegoers shelled out an estimated $23.7 million for the flick’s opening day. If the number holds, the Friday figure will mark a personal best for the German director, beating 2004’s disaster film The Day After Tomorrow. Second place went to Disney’s A Christmas Carol, which grossed $5.6 million on its second Friday in theaters. The third slot belonged to the George Clooney-starrer The Men Who Stare at Goats which earned an additional $1.95 million to put its 8-day cumulative at $19.2 million. Lionsgate’s Sundance acquisition Precious continues to exceed expectations, landing in the fourth spot with an additional $1.94 million on 174 theaters. In very limited release, this Oscar shoo-in has grossed $4.7 million in eight days. Rounding out the top five movies Friday was the Milla Jovovich thriller The Fourth Kind which grossed $1.8 million.

It was mixed results for the other two releases. Pirate Radio, from Love Actually director Richard Curtis disappointed here in the states, grossing outside the top ten for its first day in release. On 882 theaters, the movie earned only $882,000. In contrast, Wes Anderson’s well-reviewed animated film The Fantastic Mr. Fox earned $72,000 in only four theaters for a solid opening debut average of $17,880. Check back tomorrow for my full report.

Nov 13 2009 11:55 AM ET

Thursday ratings: 'Bones' bests 'FlashForward'

Survivor ruled the 8 o’clock hour, but Bones pulled off a decisive win against FlashForward this week, topping the freshman drama by over 1 million viewers and winning in the 18-49 demographic as Forward dropped to its lowest ratings yet. CBS’s cross-over sweeps stunt worked for CSI, which posted its best numbers of the season; the 9:00 slot still proved tough for Fringe, which is losing much of its lead-in. NBC comedies were relatively stable, as was the 10:00 hour.

Time Show Viewers (in millions)
8:00 p.m. Survivor: Samoa (CBS)
Bones (Fox)
FlashForward (ABC)
Community (NBC)
The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
13.2
9.8
8.3
5.1
4.3
8:30 p.m. Parks and Recreation (NBC) 4.7
9:00 p.m. CSI (CBS)
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
The Office (NBC)
Fringe (Fox)
Supernatural (The CW)
16.9
14.4
7.8
5.9
2.8
9:30 p.m. 30 Rock (NBC) 5.8
10:00 p.m. The Mentalist (CBS)
Private Practice (ABC)
The Jay Leno Show (NBC)
15.6
10.2
4.6
Nov 12 2009 05:11 PM ET

Box-office preview: How much destruction with '2012' cause at the box office?

Categories: Box Office, Film, Movie Biz

2012_lThe master of disaster Roland Emmerich is back and this time nothing’s sacred. Will his over-the-top spectacle — blowing up Vegas, India and Rome among other locales — be the cure-all for moviegoers this weekend? Sony Pictures seems to think so. The PG-13-rated actioner starring John Cusack and Amanda Peet will bow in some 3,000 locations. The only thing that could hold back the weekend results on this film is the long runtime of 2 hours and 38 minutes. (This may be the perfect movie to test out RunPee.com so you know when to duck out to the bathroom.) Also opening this weekend is British import Pirate Radio. Previously titled The Boat That Rocks, this Richard Curtis-directed film follows the pirated radio boats that commanded the open seas when the British government banned rock music in the early ’60s. But opening on only 900 theaters may not get this R-rated flick into the top 5. Read on for my predictions. (Read full post)

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Nov 12 2009 12:55 PM ET

Ratings: CMA Awards score biggest ratings in four years

ABC’s broadcast of the 43rd Annual CMA Awards was the most-watched program in primetime Wednesday, dominating in every key ratings demo, according to preliminary Nielsen numbers. Per the Alphabet, it was also the most-watched CMA Awards telecast in four years, with its highest Adult 18-34 rating in five years and best Women 18-34 rating in six years.

CBS’ continued CSI crossover earned CSI:NY the evening’s No. 2 spot.

Time Show Viewers (in millions)
8 p.m. The 43rd Annual CMA Awards (ABC)
The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)
Mercy (NBC)
So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
America’s Next Top Model (The CW)
16.8
7.6
6.8
5.5
3.2
8:30 p.m. Gary Unmarried (CBS) 7.7
9 p.m. Criminal Minds (CBS)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
Glee (Fox)
The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
12.3
8.8
7.3
1.2 (repeat)
10 p.m. CSI: NY (CBS)
The Jay Leno Show (NBC)
13.9
4.6

Read more:
Ken Tucker on the CMA Awards’ best and worst moments
Whitney Pastorek’s CMA Awards live blog
Glee recap: Rolling Right Along
So You Think You Can Dance recap: Finally tapped out
America’s Next Top Model recap: The sea was angry that day

Nov 11 2009 12:43 PM ET

Ratings: 'V' drops, 'NCIS: L.A.' edges out 'DWTS'

Categories: Ratings, TV Biz, TV Ratings

ABC’s V lost 23 percent of its debut audience, and its Adult 18-49 rating sank 29 percent — but still finished second in its timeslot in total audience. Meanwhile, NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles improved on their audiences from last week for CBS, and Los Angeles beat out Dancing With the Stars in total viewership despite a much-hyped guest performance by Susan Boyle in the ballroom. NBC’s The Biggest Loser averaged 9.6 million viewers from 8-10 p.m. and gained viewership over two hours, while Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance dropped viewers during the same time. The CW’s Melrose Place scored a personal worst on Tuesday –  Amanda Woodward will have a lot of things to whip into shape as Heather Locklear’s guest-star run begins next week.

Time Show Viewers (in millions)
8:00 p.m. NCIS (CBS)
V (ABC)
The Biggest Loser (NBC)
So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
90210 (The CW)
20.2
10.6
9.0
6.1
2.2
9:00 NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
Dancing With the Stars: The Results (ABC)
The Biggest Loser (NBC)
So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
Melrose Place (The CW)
16.2
15.5
10.2 (continued)
5.3 (continuted)
1.3
10:00 The Good Wife (CBS)
In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts (ABC)
The Jay Leno Show (NBC)
12.9
9.6
5.7

Read more:
‘Dancing With the Stars’ recap: Dream a little dream
‘So You Think You Can Dance’ recap: Flat-footed
‘The Biggest Loser’ recap: What’s all the hoop-la?
‘V’ recap: A matter of trust
‘90210′ recap: Parental issues
‘Melrose Place’ recap: Auggie skips town

Nov 10 2009 03:48 PM ET

Kathy Griffin's 'Let's Dance' still in works for next year

Categories: News, Reality TV, Television

ABC’s planned reality competition Let’s Dance won’t make its original Nov. 23 premiere, but the Kathy Griffin-hosted show is still in the works for next year, a production source says. The series — in which celebrities reenact famous dance numbers — could air as either a midseason replacement or as summer fare, the source tells EW. The original plans were scuttled when producers found their preferred celebrities’ holiday schedules too complicated to work around.

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Nov 10 2009 03:31 PM ET

James Franco promo: 'I like it here in Port Charles'

Categories: Soap Operas, TV Biz

ABC’s pulling out all the stops to promote James Franco’s upcoming appearance on General Hospital. In this 60-second spot released to EW.com, Franco’s mysterious character may (or may not have) witnessed Claudia’s murder — but he sure seems mighty suspicious! For one, he wears all black. Two, he’s the guy behind all that strange graffiti, man! What do you think, non-soap fans? Will you, like Franco, be uttering the words “I like it here in Port Charles…folks are so friendly” beginning Nov. 20?

Nov 10 2009 12:23 PM ET

Ratings: CBS scores with 'CSI' crossover

The first episode of CBS’ much-hyped, three-night CSI crossover scored, according to preliminary overnight ratings. Guest star Laurence Fishburne helped CSI: Miami earn 13.8 million viewers, a boost of 1.3 million from last week’s episode. Elsewhere, it was a pretty standard Monday night with ABC’s Dancing with the Stars dominating with 17.6 million viewers. Over on The CW, the controversial threesome episode of Gossip Girl (2.3 million) gave the series only a slight boost from last week’s 2 million.

Time Show Viewers (in millions)
8pm Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
House (Fox)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
Heroes (NBC)
One Tree Hill (The CW)
17.6
12.8
9.0
5.4
2.7
8:30pm Accidentally on Purpose (CBS) 8.2
9pm Two and a Half Men (CBS)
Lie to Me (Fox)
Trauma (NBC)
Gossip Girl (The CW)
14.1
7.5
5.4
2.3
9:30pm The Big Bang Theory (CBS) 12.4
10pm CSI: Miami (CBS)
Castle (ABC)
The Jay Leno Show (NBC)
13.8
10.7
4.0

Source: Nielsen

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