18 j a n u a r y 3 1 , 2 0 1 3
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Events
FROM THE BOX OFFICE Jan. 25 - 27
It comes as no surprise that this weekend’s box office was down 10 percent from the same time last year. January is typically a month when great films are not released, as the month falls between the two seasons of studios’ best releases: winter holidays and summer time. Thus, this month, audiences can expect to see forgettable films. That was especially the case with this weekend’s slate of new releases, which included Paramount’s “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters,” FilmDistrict’s “Parker” and Relativity Media’s “Movie 43.” Coming in at the top slot for the weekend was “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters” with approximately $19.7 million. The film is a revival of the classic children’s tale, and has star power in lead Jeremy Renner with plenty of action sequences to entertain audiences. Despite this, however, the film opened with tepid results, considering Paramount Pictures produced it for $50 million and spent another $40-$50 million on prints and advertising (P&A). That being said, it may seem unclear as to why the film didn’t meet expectations. First and foremost, this film is not good, and in all likelihood, even Paramount Pictures knew that. After all, the studio pushed back the film’s release date multiple times and did not even screen the film for critics in advance, which is typically done in order to generate buzz prior to release. Audiences were also not impressed, given the disappointing 18 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This can mainly be credited to the film’s poor special effects and bad CGI in its action sequences. While Paramount
Pictures is most likely disappointed by the debut, the film should not be considered a flop, as it will most likely recoup any losses from foreign markets. This same optimism cannot be expressed in this weekend’s other new release, “Parker,” which opened at number five with just $7 million. The film’s lead is Jason Statham, one of the biggest action stars in the world. Yet despite Statham’s large fan base, you have to wonder if audiences are tired of seeing him play the gun-and-knife-wielding action honcho. The opening comes as no surprise however, because most of Statham’s films open below the $10 million mark, and typically end up grossing between $25-$30 million. But it will be hard for distributor FilmDistrict to make a short-term profit, given the fact the company paid $30 million to produce the film. The final new release in the top 10 was “Movie 43,” which tanked with $4.8 million. With an unbelievably talented all-star cast that consisted of more than two dozen big-name celebrities, the fact that the film’s results were disappointing seems, at first glance, surprising. However, every studio should know by now that star power alone is not reliable. If the film is not well-made — as is the case with “Movie 43” — audiences will simply not pay money to see it. Additionally, the film’s title is just bad; it reveals nothing about the movie. Finally, truly ineffective marketing measures were taken to promote it, which is a problem for any film. —Compiled by Ian Tecklin, contributing writer, ijteckli@syr.edu
Huckabee visit
The event is free.
Mike Huckabee will make a return trip to Syracuse as a guest of the College Republicans next Thursday. Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas from 1996-2007 and a 2008 presidential candidate, will give a speech in Gifford Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7. He is also the author of nine books and hosts a self-titled program, “Huckabee,” on Fox News, as well as a radio show on Cumulus Radio titled “The Mike Huckabee Show.” This is Huckabee’s second trip to the Syracuse area, previously visiting in October 2012 to speak at the kick-off event for Christian action group Ten Good Men at a banquet in Cicero, N.Y. Huckabee’s speech is titled “The Future of Conservatism,” and will be free and open to the public.
Cupid’s Chase
12th Annual Conversation on Race and Entertainment Media: Gina Belafonte
Bookworms and wordsmiths unite: Syracuse University Literacy Corps is hosting its third annual Scrabble tournament. The tournament takes place on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. in the Schine Student Center. The event is open to anyone and costs only $10 per person. But this is a good opportunity to make heated Words With Friends competitions public: teams of four cost only $30. Scrabble victors will have the opportunity to receive a variety of prizes: Salon packages and restaurant gift cards worth upward of $50 are up for grabs for those who best the competition. All prizes have been donated by area businesses. One hundred percent of the proceeds for the tournament will go toward purchasing new books for the Syracuse City School District. To find out more information about the tournament or SU Literacy Corps, contact literacy@syr.edu or the Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service.
On Feb. 12 and 13, experience a film screening. Then, enjoy a conversation about race and identity with the producer-actress responsible for the film. Gina Belafonte, of the documentary “Sing Your Song,” is coming to the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium at the S.I. Newhouse of Public Communications on Feb. 13 to headline the 12th annual Conversation on Race and Entertainment Media, conducted by professor Richard Dubin. The showing of the film Belafonte produced and acted in will be at 7 p.m. on Feb. 12. The film outlines the life of her father, Harry Belafonte, who was a popular singer and active in equal rights. Belafonte is an activist as well, as she is the co-founder of The Gathering for Justice. The hashtag to follow the event is #raceandmedia.
Have a special someone that you want to get to know better? What better way to do that than to go for a long, romantic walk? It may not be on the beach in this case, but you could certainly get your workout in while participating in Cupid’s Chase. The 5K event will take place on Feb. 11. Participants can either walk or run the 5K. The three fastest finishers will receive trophies, and the three fastest finishers in each category will receive medals. The race benefits Community Options, a nonprofit organization that supports those with disabilities. Registration starts at 8 a.m. and the race starts at 10 a.m. Registering onsite requires a $50 fee.
Scrabble tournament