06/30/08 - iW BOT | Kit Kittredge' Keeps Picturehouse On Top; 'Last Mistress' Seduces NY
by Steve Ramos (June 30, 2008) Veteran French filmmaker Catherine Breillat enjoyed her strongest U.S. debut thanks to a lusty response from New York audiences to "The Last Mistress," a period drama featuring Asia Argento as a woman jealous of her younger lover's plans to marry. "Last Mistress" earned a sizzling $33,554 for IFC Films from two debut runs in New York. "Trumbo," director Peter Askin's documentary about blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, also debuted in the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average. "Trumbo" earned $28,125 from three runs for Samuel Goldwyn Films. Picturehouse continued to rack up sky-high grosses for its family movie "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl;" earning $107,019 at five locations. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "Encounters At The End Of The World," director Werner Herzog's Antarctica documentary for ThinkFilm and Zeitgeist Films' "Chris & Don: A Love Story," about the longstanding relationship between British writer Christopher Isherwood and American portraitist Don Bachardy.   [ read more in Biz ]

06/23/08 - iW BOT | Picturehouse On Fire Thanks to "Kit Kittredge" and "Mongol"
by Steve Ramos (June 23, 2008) The Warner Bros. specialty shingle Picturehouse continued to be on fire thanks to a strong expansion of its Genghis Khan epic "Mongol" and a rare excursion into the family movie biz, with its limited debut of "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl." In its third week and on 94 screens, "Mongol" averaged $8,287 as the top foreign-language drama on the iWBOT, which ranks films by per-screen average. "Kit Kittredge," directed by veteran indie filmmaker Patricia Rozema and starring Abigail Breslin, earned an impressive $220,297 from five runs; far ahead its competitors for the top of the specialty charts. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "Encounters At The End Of The World," director Werner Herzog's Antarctica documentary for ThinkFilm; "Brick Lane," director Sarah Gavron's melodrama for Sony Pictures Classics and "The Grocer's Son," French filmmaker Eric Guirado's drama about a grown son returning to his rural hometown for Film Movement.   [ read more in Biz ]

06/16/08 - iW BOT | "Mongol" Continues Its Summer Invasion
by Steve Ramos (June 16, 2008) Sophomore-week moviegoers continued to storm the five venues showing "Mongol," Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov's blockbuster adventure about the boy who grows up to become Mongol Empire founder Genghis Khan. For the second week, "Mongol" led the iWBOT, which ranks films by per-screen average; with a $22,442 per-screen average for the Warner Bros. specialty shingle Picturehouse. "Encounters At The End Of The World," German director Werner Herzog's Antarctica documentary, debuted in the iWBOT top five with $17,730 for ThinkFilm from an exclusive debut at New York's Film Forum. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "My Winnipeg," avant-garde filmmaker Guy Maddin's autobiographical documentary for IFC Films; Zeitgeist Films' "Chris & Don: A Love Story," about the longstanding relationship between British writer Christopher Isherwood and American portraitist Don Bachardy; and "The Grocer's Son," French filmmaker Eric Guirado's family drama for Film Movement.   [ read more in Biz ]

06/09/08 - iW BOT | Crowds Storm To Arthouses For "Mongol"
by Steve Ramos (June 9, 2008) "Mongol," Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov's epic drama about the boy, who rises up and becomes Mongol Empire founder Genghis Khan, stormed past all specialty releases with a sky-high $27,065 per-screen average from five runs. The Picturehouse release earned $135,326 in weekend box office, granting the soon-to-be-shuttered, Warner Bros. specialty shingle the first blockbuster specialty debut of the summer. "The Grocer's Son," French filmmaker Eric Guirado' drama about a son who returns to his Provence hometown to manage the family grocery store, also debuted in the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average. "Grocer's Son" earned $10,587 for Film Movement from an exclusive debut at New York's Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "Take Out," co-directors Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou's immigrant drama for CAVU Pictures; "The Promotion," writer/director Steven Conrad's workplace comedy for Third Rail Releasing and Sony Pictures Classics' father/son drama "When Did You Last See Your Father?"   [ read more in Biz ]

06/02/08 - iW BOT | Julianne Moore Rides 'Savage Grace' to Top of the Specialty Charts
by Steve Ramos (June 2, 2008) Specialty film vet Julianne Moore delivered an impressive $22,311 in weekend earnings for her latest independent release, "Savage Grace," director Tom Kalin's sexy period drama for IFC Films. "The Unknown Woman," director Giuseppe Tornatore's Italian thriller for Outsider Pictures and Medusa Motion Pictures, and "The Foot Fist Way," director Jody Hill's comedy about an irreverent Tae Kwon Do instructor for Paramount Vantage, also debuted in the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average. Returning to the iWBOT top five was "War Inc.," director Joshua Seftel's political comedy for First Look Studios and Strand Releasing's "The Edge of Heaven," filmmaker Fatih Akin's family drama set in Germany and Turkey. On the reissue segment of the biz, Janus Films earned $8,336 from a new print of Jean-Luc Godard's 1962 drama "Vivre Sa Vie" at New York's Film Forum.   [ read more in Biz ]

05/27/08 - iW BOT | "War Inc." Hits Specialty Chart Bulls-Eye; "Edge of Heaven" Wows NY Auds
by Steve Ramos (May 27, 2008) With the 61st Cannes Film Festival coming to a close and the French drama "The Class," set during a year in a junior high classroom, winning the Palme d'Or, the political comedy "War Inc." shot to the number one spot on the specialty charts with debut earnings of $45,714 for First Look Studio from exclusive runs in New York and Los Angeles. "The Edge of Heaven," filmmaker Fatih Akin's drama about parents and their children set against Germany and Turkey, followed close behind with $18,593 in weekend box office for Strand Releasing at New York's Film Forum. The First Run Features documentary "A Jihad For Love" and Sony Pictures Classics' China-set period drama "The Children of Huang Shi" also debuted in iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average, Returning to the iWBOT top five was "Reprise," Norwegian director Joachim Trier's young artists drama for Miramax Films.   [ read more in Biz ]

05/19/08 - iW BOT | Miramax's Norwegian Drama 'Reprise' Wows NY and LA; 'Visitor' Crashes Top Ten
by Steve Ramos (May 19, 2008) With the Cannes Film Festival underway and generating plenty of specialty film deals, "Reprise," Norwegian director Joachim Trier's young artists drama, cruised past all specialty releases with debut earnings of $49,059 from three debut runs in New York and Los Angeles. "Sangre de Mi Sangre," filmmaker Christopher Zalla's Spanish- language drama about a young Mexican seeking a better life in New York City, also debuted in the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average, with $8,385 in weekend box office at New York's IFC Center. Returning to the iWBOT Top Five were Magnolia Pictures' "Surfwise," director Doug Pray's documentary about eccentric surfer Doc Paskowitz and his family; Roadside Attractions' "The Fall," Indian filmmaker Tarsem's lush adventure tale set in silent-era Hollywood, and "Roman de Gare," French master filmmaker Claude Lelouch's thriller for Samuel Goldwyn Films.   [ read more in Biz ]

05/12/08 - iW BOT | Finger Licking Good Debut puts 'Poultrygeist' Atop Indie Charts
by Steve Ramos (May 13, 2008) Troma co-founder Lloyd Kaufman dressed as a chicken and picketed New York's Village East Cinemas a few days prior to the opening of his horror comedy "Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead." His promotional antics paid off with the Troma release clawing its way past all independent movies with a finger licking good per-screen average of $10,700 at the Village East. Close behind was Magnolia Pictures' "Surfwise," director Doug Pray's documentary about off-the- grid surfer Doc Paskowitz and his family. "The Fall," Indian filmmaker Tarsem's eye-popping adventure tale set in silent-era Hollywood, also debuted in the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average. "The Fall" earned $79,611 in weekend box office from nine runs for Roadside Attractions. Rounding out the iWBOT top five were "Before the Rains," Indian director Santosh Sivan's South India-set, period romance for Roadside Attractions, and "Bloodline," Cinema Libre Studio's documentary about the controversy concerning whether Jesus married Mary Magdalene and fathered children.   [ read more in Biz ]

05/05/08 - iW BOT | Chart-Topping 'Mister Lonely' Makes Harmony Korine the Comeback Kid
by Steve Ramos (May 5, 2008) "Mister Lonely," filmmaker Harmony Korine's sweet-natured drama about two lovelorn celebrity impersonators, rocketed past all art-house releases with a debut, per-screen average of $16,769 at New York's IFC Center. "Son of Rambow," British filmmaker Garth Jennings' coming- of-age comedy for Paramount Vantage, also debuted in the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average, with $53,778 in weekend box office from five runs in New York and Los Angeles. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, were "Redbelt," director David Mamet's fight drama for Sony Pictures Classics, "Viva," director Anna Biller's sexploitation drama for Vagrant Films Releasing and Samuel Goldwyn's "Roman de Gare," a thriller from French master Claude Lelouch.   [ read more in Biz ]

04/28/08 - iW BOT | Chinese Dam documentary "Up the Yangtze" Floods NY; Abu Ghraib film "Standard Operating Procedure" Fails to Catch Fire
by Steve Ramos (April 28, 2008) With the Tribeca Film Festival underway at cross-town venues, "Up the Yangtze," the Zeitgeist Films documentary about China's Three Gorges Dam and its destructive impact, led all specialty films with a standout $15,851 in earnings at New York's IFC Center. Director Yung Chang's first feature-length documentary also became 2008's top non-fiction debut; out-performing Sony Pictures Classics' highly anticipated "Standard Operating Procedure," veteran filmmaker Errol Morris' documentary about the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal. Other new releases in the iWBOT top five, which ranks by per-screen average, included "Roman de Gare," French master filmmaker Claude Lelouch's thriller for Samuel Goldwyn Films; and ThinkFilm's "Then She Found Me," actress Helen Hunt's directing debut. Returning to the iWBOT for the third straight week was Overture Films' "The Visitor," featuring Richard Jenkins as a middle-aged professor whose life changes after helping an illegal immigrant. "Holly," a drama about child prostitution from Priority Films and Slowhand Cinema Releasing, took advantage of corporate sponsorship from business information provider LexisNexis and advance group sales to earn $15,687 at New York's Quad Cinema.   [ read more in Biz ]

04/21/08 - iW BOT | "Visitor" Stays Atop Specialty Chart; Weinstein Loses with "Osama"
by Steve Ramos (April 21, 2008) "The Visitor," the Overture Films drama about a middle-aged professor aiding a Syrian street musician, remained atop the specialty charts for a second week with a $9,250 per-screen average. An art-house success for the new film division of Starz Entertainment, filmmaker Tom McCarthy's friendship drama continued to spotlight actor Richard Jenkins in his first leading role. Enthusiastic crowds at Toronto's Cinesphere helped return Abramorama's "The Singing Revolution," about Estonians protesting Soviet occupation through massive song festivals, to the iWBOT Top Five. Other specialty films fronting the iWBOT, which ranks by per-screen average, were "Young@Heart," Fox Searchlight's documentary about a senior choir that performs alternative fare from The Clash and Sonic Youth; "GLASS: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts," filmmaker Scott Hicks' documentary about composer and musician Philip Glass for Koch Lorber Films, and First Run Features' "Constantine's Sword," director Oren Jacoby's documentary about the historical role of Christianity in wars, conflicts and violence. Lagging far behind was director Morgan Spurlock's Middle East road documentary, The Weinstein Company's "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?"   [ read more in Biz ]

04/14/08 - iW BOT | "Visitor" is Big Man on Specialty Chart; Crowds Cheer "Young@Heart's" Rock and Roll Seniors
by Steve Ramos (April 14, 2008) "The Visitor," filmmaker Tom McCarthy's acclaimed drama about a lonely professor befriending a Syrian street musician and his family, distanced itself from all specialty releases with weekend earnings of $86,488 and a $21,622 per-screen average for Overture Films. "Visitor," McCarthy's sophomore picture, as well as Overture's first art-house buy, became the first specialty chart topper for the fledgling film division of Starz Entertainment. Second place belonged to "Young@Heart," director Stephen Walker's documentary about a New England senior choir whose eclectic repertoire includes The Clash and James Brown. "Young@Heart" averaged $13,078 from four debut locations for Fox Searchlight Pictures. Rounding out the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were "Flight of the Red Balloon," Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien's drama for IFC First Take, "My Blueberry Nights," Hong Kong master Wong Kar Wai's debut English language film for The Weinstein Company and "Dark Matter," director Chen Shi-Zheng's drama about a troubled Chinese college student for First Independent Pictures.   [ read more in Biz ]

04/07/08 - iW BOT | "Red Balloon" Soars in New York Debut; "Blueberry Nights," "Jellyfish" Dazzle Audiences
by Steve Ramos (April 7, 2008) "Flight of the Red Balloon," Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien's drama inspired by the 1956 French classic "The Red Balloon," soared above its art-house competitors with earnings of $35,222 for IFC First Take at New York's Paris Theatre and IFC Center. Close behind was "My Blueberry Nights," Hong Kong master Wong Kar Wai's debut English language film. "Blueberry Nights" struck a $12,358 per-screen average from six runs for the Weinstein Company. "Jellyfish," a Tel Aviv-set drama from husband-and-wife filmmakers Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen, earned $25,352 for Zeitgeist Films from four Greater New York locations. Returning to the iWBOT top five, which ranks films by per- screen average were Abramorama's "The Singing Revolution," a documentary about Estonia's struggle to end Soviet occupation through song festivals, and Cinema Guild's "Alexandra," Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov's war drama.   [ read more in Biz ]

03/31/08 - iW BOT | John Lennon Drama "Chapter 27" Tops Specialty Chart; "My Brother," "Alexandra" Debut Strong
by Steve Ramos (March 31, 2008) "Chapter 27," filmmaker J.P. Schaefer's drama about Mark David Chapman and his days leading to the murder of John Lennon, outdistanced all specialty releases with earnings of $13,910 for Peace Arch Entertainment at New York's Angelika Film Center. "My Brother Is an Only Child," Italian director Daniele Luchetti's 70's-set family drama for ThinkFilm, earned $9,357 at New York's Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. "Alexandra," Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov's war drama for Cinema Guild, earned $9,401 at New York's Film Forum. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were "Love Songs," French filmmaker Christophe Honore's Paris-set musical for IFC Films and Red Envelope Entertainment, and Cinema Guild's "The Unforeseen," director Laura Dunn's documentary about a Texas community fighting to protect a natural spring from suburban development.  [ read more in Biz ]

03/24/08 - iW BOT | "Planet B-Boy" Spins Atop Specialty Chart; "Same Moon" Shatters Record for Spanish-Language Debuts
by Steve Ramos (March 24, 2008) "Planet B-Boy," director Benson Lee's break dancing documentary for Elephant Eye Films, jumped past all art-house releases with a debut, per-screen average of $13,889. "Under the Same Moon," director Patricia Riggen's immigration drama, a co-release for Fox Searchlight and the Weinstein Company, broke opening-weekend records for a Spanish-language film with three-day earnings of $2.8 million from 266 screens. "Love Songs," French filmmaker Christophe Honore's Paris- set musical for IFC Films and Red Envelope Entertainment, averaged $10,244 from two New York runs. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were "Boarding Gate," French filmmaker Olivier Assayas' thriller featuring Asia Argento and Michael Madsen, and "Praying with Lior," director Ilana Trachtman's documentary for First Run Features about a Jewish boy with Down's Syndrome preparing for his Bar Mitzvah.   [ read more in Biz ]

03/17/08 - iW BOT | "Snow Angels" Leaps Atop Specialty Pack; "Sputnik Mania" Hits NY
by Steve Ramos (March 17, 2008) "Snow Angels," filmmaker David Gordon Green's estranged couples drama for Warner Independent Pictures, leapt past all art-house releases with a sophomore, per-screen average of $8,476; a twenty percent jump from its debut. "Sputnik Mania," director David Hoffman's Cold War documentary for Balcony Releasing, led all specialty premieres with $6,223 at New York's IFC Center. "Sputnik Mania" outperformed the high profile, wide-releases of "Funny Games," Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke's scene-by-scene, English-language remake of his 1997 thriller for Warner Independent, and "Sleepwalking," director William Maher's family drama for Overture Films. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were "The Counterfeiters," Austrian filmmaker Stefan Ruzowitzky's Best Foreign Film Oscar winner for Sony Pictures Classics, "Praying with Lior," First Run Features' documentary about a devout teenage Jewish boy with Down's syndrome and Sony Classics' period drama "Married Life."   [ read more in Biz ]

03/10/08 - iW BOT | Stoked: IFC's "Paranoid Park" Leads Pack of Specialty Debuts; "Counterfeiters" Remains Top Oscar Winner
by Steve Ramos (March 10, 2008) "Paranoid Park," writer/director Gus Van Sant's acclaimed youth drama for IFC Films, far out-performed all specialty releases, including recent Oscar winners, with weekend earnings of $29,828 at New York's IFC Center and Angelika Film Center. "Snow Angels," filmmaker David Gordon Green's couple-in-crisis drama for Warner Independent Pictures, led remaining art-house debuts with a per-screen average of $7,123. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per- screen average, were "Married Life," director Ira Sachs' period drama for Sony Pictures Classics, "The Counterfeiters," Austrian filmmaker Stefan Ruzowitzky's Best Foreign Film Oscar winner for Sony Pictures Classics, and "Chop Shop," director Ramin Bahrani's drama about a twelve-year-old Latino boy for Koch Lorber Films.   [ read more in Biz ]

03/03/08 - iW BOT | King of Queens: Koch Lorber's "Chop Shop" Top Debut; "Counterfeiters" Leads Oscar Winners
by Steve Ramos (March 3, 2008) "Chop Shop," director Ramin Bahrani's coming-of-age drama for Koch Lorber Films, out-performed all specialty debuts with weekend earnings of $8,475 at New York's Film Forum. "The Counterfeiters," Austrian filmmaker Stefan Ruzowitzky's Best Foreign Film Oscar winner for Sony Pictures Classics, led all Oscar victors, including Miramax's Best Picture winner "No Country for Old Men," with a sophomore week per-screen average of $10,295. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average were "The Duchess of Langeais," veteran French director Jacques Rivette's period drama for IFC Films, Sony Classics' "The Band's Visit," an Israeli film about an Egyptian police band lost in rural Israel; and "In Bruges," writer/director Martin McDonagh's hit men comedy for Focus Features.   [ read more in Biz ]

02/25/08 - iW BOT | Oscar Payday: Foreign Film Winner 'Counterfeiters' Top Debut; Other Winners Ready For Payout
by Steve Ramos (February 25, 2008) "The Counterfeiters," Austrian filmmaker Stefan Ruzowitzky's Best Foreign Film Oscar winner for Sony Pictures Classics, soared past fellow Oscar victors with a debut per-screen average of $$12,559 from eight runs. "The Duchess of Langeais," veteran French director Jacques Rivette's period drama for IFC Films, was close behind with debut earnings of $22,251 from two New York theaters. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average were Sony Pictures Classics' "The Band's Visit," an Israeli film about an Egyptian police band lost in rural Israel; "In Bruges," writer/director Martin McDonagh's hit men comedy for Focus Features and "George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead," the debut release from Weinstein Company banner Third Rail Releasing. Paramount Vantage's "There Will Be Blood" and Miramax's "No Country for Old Men" gained Oscar wins; now await box office bounce.   [ read more in Biz ]

02/19/08 - iW BOT | Academy Countdown: Oscar Snub 'Band's Visit' Finds Fans; 'Dead' Debuts Strong; 'Juno' Tops Best Picture Contenders
by Steve Ramos (February 19, 2008) "The Band's Visit," filmmaker Eran Kolirin's comedy for Sony Pictures Classics, was ruled ineligible for a foreign-language Oscar nomination but the Israeli film about an Egyptian police band lost in rural Israel leapt past Oscar contenders with a leading per-screen average of $11,267 from thirteen runs. "In Bruges," writer/director Martin McDonagh's hit men-in-trouble comedy for Focus Features was close behind with a sophomore week per-screen average of $10,420 from 112 runs. "George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead," the premiere release from Weinstein Company banner Third Rail Releasing, made a strong debut with $230,000 in Presidents Day weekend box office from 42 locations. Rounding out the iWBOT Top Five, which ranks films by per-screen average, were City Lights Pictures' Brazilian drama "The Year My Parents Went On Vacation," and "The Business of Being Born," director Abby Epstein's documentary about hospital maternity policies and her own pregnancy. Leading up to the Academy Awards, Fox Searchlight's "Juno," climbed to the top four box office spot of all-time for specialty film Best Picture nominees.   [ read more in Biz ]