Buy! Buy! Buy!
We just celebrated Thanksgiving AND everything on sale. Although the sales always start early now like right after Halloween so is it Black Friday anymore or just non-Red November? But on the other topic of Thanksgiving, had to work but I did get my honey baked ham from... Honey Baked Ham. I got the smallest they had and it's still a minimum of $45, I can't remember if that is what I paid before. I didn't get one last year because it was last year but thought after this long year, I deserved a ham, honey ham, honey baked ham! And, it did not disappoint. But for the black friday sales, didn't get anything really. Trying to reduce the clutter, not add more to it!
Weekly Update:
When is Christmas? Now... done. It is not after Halloween! People argue that right after Halloween starts the Christmas season but then that is like saying (to me) that Labor Day is part of 4th of July! Observe the next holiday, why are you skipping them? I mean if you don't care for a holiday that is fine but just don't ignore it, wait till it's past and then celebrate the one you like. So many love Halloween but then you can argue it's part of Christmas (which then Nightmare Before Christmas comes into play). But please don't skip a holiday, at least the major ones!
At the movies:
Big holiday opening for Encanto as it takes top honors and comes in with a 5-day opening of 40.3 million for it's debut. Should do fairly well and will see how it carries into the holiday season. Slight drop to #2 is "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" with 24.5 mil more and now within striking distance to 100 mil cume. Should get there in due time. New at #3 is House of Gucci with a holiday total of 21.8 mil and more of an award-contender than big box office. Drop down to #4 is "Eternals" with 7.9 mil extra and still holding fair. Rounding off the top 5 and new is Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City with 8.8 mil* and not much word on this film.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one this week as King Richard comes with a holiday total of 9.9 mil* at #7, another award contender over box office.
* - film grosses are for 5-day totals but are ranked over their Fri-Sun totals
Quote of the week:
"One that would have the fruit must climb the tree." - Thomas Fuller
Facts & Tips:
It takes around 200 muscles to take a step.
"Revenge is never a straight line. It's a forest, and like a forest it's easy to lose your way... to get lost... to forget where you came in." - Sonny Chiba as Hattori Hanzo in "Kill Bill: Vol. 1"
Mmmmmm good drinks
Weekly Update:
About a year or so ago I discovered Ralph's (aka Kroger) brand diet soda cola. Now at the time they only had diet cola and it tasted very close to diet Coke to me! I was hooked and it was so cheap (about 79 cents per before CRV). With the rising prices of name brand soda's, this was a great alternative. I usually just drink one large glass in the morning as my "coffee" for the caffeine and then water for the rest of the day. Now, just recently they launched their version of Diet Dr. Pepper (which is really good!) and I saw images of a diet orange (haven't found it yet). I did pick up their lemon-lime diet and it is also very tasty! All for under a $1.00 each with CRV so I can enjoy the fizzles as I do talk on the phone a lot, it helps! So thanks Ralph's/Kroger for your store brand diet sodas! Also, a side note their brand of orange juice is also really good. My problem with most major brands is 1) expensive and 2) super sweet for my taste. I guess the store brands may be watered down a bit that works for me!
At the movies:
Life after sequels do exist! Taking the #1 spot for it's debut is Ghostbusters: Afterlife with a solid 44 million pre-holiday box office. Word-of-mouth is fair to good on this one and could see a boost this week. Drop down to #2 is "Eternals" with 10.8 mil more, nearly a 60% drop but will likely cap around 150. Slight drop to #3 is "Clifford the Big Red Dog" with 8.1 mil as it barks it's way through the holidays. New at #4 is "King Richard" with 5.7 mil but more of an award film than box office smash. Rounding off the top 5 is "Dune" with an extra 3.1 mil as it continues to crawl to reach 100 mil cume.
Quote of the week:
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt
Facts & Tips:
Chimps can develop their own fashion trends.
"I'd like to Gisele in your Bundchens." - Jonathan Kite as Oleg in the TV series "Two Broke Girls."
What happened?!?
Weekly Update:
IT'S BACK!!! IT'S BACK!! McDonald's McRib sandwich is back for a limited time. I usually get one or two during this time frame and that is enough to hold me over till the next year. I know it is gross and very messy but... so am I!! I usually get it with no onions because they are raw slivers and really add an odd taste and after-taste to it. I prefer just the pickles, maybe extra and the sauce. The sauce is pretty sweet in general but very tasty and I find it funny how the bread has that semolina flour dusting on it like it was just baked right out of the oven... at McDonald's because I know at 12-midnight (they stop serving it then) they have master bakers preparing the loaves for the next day in an oven from scratch. Good one McDonald's, way to make us think that (sarcasm in case no one could tell). But hey, it's a messy delicious thing and I'll take one.
At the movies:
Holding on to #1 for another week is "Eternals" with 27.5 million more and now just over the 100 mil threshold. Suffered a pretty substantial drop though and probably will not make it's way to a 200 mil box office. Barking up to #2 is "Clifford the Big Red Dog" with 16.4 mil and nice to throw a kids film in there. Continuing its departure from the screens is "Dune" with 5.5 mil as it continues to struggle for 100 mil. Still very uncertain if it will be able to achieve that at it's current drop. Holding on to #4 is "No Time to Die" with another 4.6 mil as it hits 150 mil cume. Rounding off the top 5 is "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" with an extra 4 mil as it crosses over into the 200 mil mark!
Quote of the week:
"The way to get things done is not to mind who gets the credit for doing them." - Benjamin Jowett
Facts & Tips:
Elephants are afraid of bees.
"You just contact the mayor's office. He has a special signal he shines in the sky. It's in the shape of a giant cock." - Chloe Grace Moretz as Hit-Girl (aka Mindy Macready) in "Kick-Ass."
Brrrrr
Weekly Update:
Took a drive up to Los Angeles Saturday night to see a film festival that some friends entered. It was great seeing them and they are trying to revive a show in Disney XD called "Pair of Kings." I often visited the set during the show itself and they treated me like family so it was great seeing some of the cast again after all these years. I wish all the cast was there but, oh well, not everyone can make it all the time. They are trying to get a movie made and also bring a little closure to the series as it kind of just ended. Hope it does because it was just a fun show with some really good folks. What was funny is the film festival had multiple segments and I went into the wrong part and was wondering what in the world am I watching. Short films or "art" is really... boring. A lot try to be serious or dramatic and honestly for film, if it isn't funny or mind-blowing it will just get lost.
At the movies:
No surprise at #1 is Eternals as it takes the weekend. The surprise is how well it did with 71 million for it's debut despite very mixed reviews. The 2nd weekend will be the telling part for this film. Drop down to #2 is "Dune" with 7.6 mil more as it continues to plummet with an above average drop. Holding at #3 is "No Time to Die" with 6.2 mil as it will finish in the mid 100 mil area. Regaining #4 is "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" with 4.5 mil and just shy of 200 mil! Should get that in a just a couple more days. Rounding off the top 5 is "Ron's Gone Wrong" which is an increase in ranking! It did drop at the box office but very little while others dropped much more.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one this week on a semi-wide release. On about 1000 runs, in at #8 is Spencer with 2.1 mil to open and a very poor per-screen average.
Quote of the week:
"Bad officials are the ones elected by good citizens who do not vote." - George Jean Nathan
Facts & Tips:
You can't hum while plugging your nose.
"When we asked for "special programs," they gave us special prisons." - Anne Heche as Winifred Ames in "Wag the Dog."
Who flipped the switch??
This Halloween kind of felt like last year... and the year before that to be honest. My neighborhood doesn't really have trick-or-treaters because very few kids. The ones I have seen (at least lately) are in strollers and that is a total of 1 kid. Otherwise others have their own cars and I'm sure they will go to a party maybe or went to one already since it did fall on a Sunday this year. I remember growing up and going up and down the streets (literally up and down because I lived in an area with three streets inclined and dead-end including my own house) getting candy from each out and then, change costumes and go out again! I'm sure most houses caught on but I don't think they cared as we were kids. We would bring our pillow cases because they were bigger or could hold more and we probably filled them up almost halfway. Don't see that anymore around here but you would see 2o to 30 kids in groups with parents and flashlights waving around... as they say, those were the good ol' days.
Weekly Update:
Talk about going from a Winter to a Summer overnight! We had one nice semi-solid day of rain (not a lot though) and it went to warm all of a sudden. Fortunately it didn't got hot, just warm and it cools off fast as soon as the sun goes down. Also, the sun is going down faster lately which is nice. I still can't tell if a warm and dry Winter is ahead or will there be some rain and moisture unlike last year? But it could just feel warmer than it is because of the lack of breezes, never really thought how much they make a difference in the weather till one sits at a desk with windows open... waiting. You check the temperature and it's like 70 but feels at least 10 to 15 degrees warmer. Why? No breeze... moving or flowing air is like the difference between night and day!
At the movies:
Holding onto the crown for a 2nd week is "Dune" for another 15.5 million. It did suffer a significant drop though and now looks like could struggle badly to reach 100 mil, may not make it at this rate but the sequel was already greenlit a go! Hanging on to #2 is "Halloween Kills" earning 8.5 mil more, still potentially could hit the 100 mil mark too. Maintaining #3 is "No Time to Die" with 7.8 mil and continues to perform well. New at #4 is My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission with only 1600 screens and earning 6.4 mil. A lot of fan for this franchise in the US. came out big for this movie. Rounding off the top 5 is "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" with 5.8 mil as it inches it's way to 200 mil, should get it by the time the film is done.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Two new films opened wide, first up is Antlers at #6 with 4.2 million to open. Very low number with a very poor per screen average. New at #7 is Last Night in Soho with 4.2 mil as well and even more screens and lower per screen average.
Quote of the week:
"Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart." - Anne Frank
Facts & Tips:
Venus is the only planet to rotate clockwise.
"Beware, there are mine fields out there. Most of them are inert. However, some are ert." - Hal Williams as Sgt. L.C. Ross in "Private Benjamin."
