It's getting hot in here...
Weekly Update:
Do you have a credit card that gives you cash back or anything back? No? Why?? I may have posted about this before but here is a reminder if I did, GET ONE. If you don't have a credit card that is not giving you something back but simply charging you an annual fee, time to change! I have several credit cards (although I don't use at least 2 of them) but all of the give me some kind of rewards if I use them. My primary card is the Costco Visa and I get an average of 1.5% back on all my purchases, some 3% but most 1% but at least every dollar I spend, I get something back at the end of year. I pay it all off month-to-month so that ensures all the cash back is pure rewards. I have a Discover card that changes rewards every 3 months but if I use it for that particular reward (right now it's 5% on restaurant purchases), I am getting cash back that I would have spent otherwise with no reward! So find them, you are going to use a card with or without a reward so why not get something back?
At the movies:
Still jumping at #1 is The Super Mario Bros. Movie with an extra 58.2 million and a very small drop from the previous week! Now over 400 mil, quickly on it's way to half a billion in no time! New at #2 is Evil Dead Rise with a good 23.5 million and should be sticking around a bit. New at #3 is Guy Ritchie's The Covenant with 6.3 million and a good number for this film. Another small drop to #4 is John Wick: Chapter 4 with 5.8 mil as this film continues to make it's way to 200 mil but might fall just shy of it. And holding on to the #5 spot is Air with 5.5 mil more and likely to disappear after this week.
Quote of the week:
"Either I will find a way, or I will make one." - Philip Sidney
Facts & Tips:
A bolt of lightning can reach temperatures hotter than the sun.
"Dude you need to chill out, I'm not ESPN." - Aimee Teegarden as Julie Taylor in the TV series Friday Night Lights.
Was it supposed to warm up?
Weekly Update:
In the past I have mentioned the Amazon Fresh store and how there are so many employees compared to shoppers and how everyone isn't really rude but no one says hi, hello or if I need help with anything. They were just drones doing their picking of products and that was it. Well this weekend when I went, it was very different... not sure if it was just a fluke or did someone read my posts maybe? Or maybe others said something and they listened perhaps. I walked in on Saturday and someone said welcome... I have had that before but that would be the end of any interaction till checking out. While I was looking around, someone asked me if I needed help finding anything... wha?? That was definitely a first ever there! Another person asked if they were in my way (not even close) and I said oh no, you are fine. Then they proceeded to ask if I was looking for anything. So, was this a one-visit fluke or are they changing? I guess I'll find out next week!
At the movies:
Another big weekend for The Super Mario Bros. Movie hanging on to #1 again earning a hefty extra 87 million. Very small drop from week 1 which is amazing and now close to 350 mil cume, should be past that by end of day tomorrow. New at #2 is The Pope's Exorcist with 9.2 mil for it's debut and will quickly drop soon. Slight drop to #3 is John Wick: Chapter 4 with 7.9 mil more and continues to do well. New at #4 is Renfield with 7.8 mil and not much on this film, should be a quick fade. Rounding off the top 5 is Air with another 7.7 mil and though this film didn't do great at the box office, it has some good story buzz.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Several this week! In at #7 is Suzume with 5 mil to open and it had a full release pattern. So this one came and will be gone quick. In at #8 is Mafia Mamma with 2 mil to open and probably a throw-away film. Another full release with very little seeing the movie. And finally at #10 is Nefarious with 1.3 mil. A smaller release (just under 1,000 screens) with a very poor per screen average of just $933.
Quote of the week:
"Home is any four walls that enclose the right person." - Helen Rowland
Facts & Tips:
A pearl can be dissolved by vinegar.
"If your government does not cooperate, I will kill two children every twenty-four hours." - Nonso Anozie as President Idi Amin in 7 Days in Entebbe.
Warming up, FAST!
Weekly Update:
Was at Amazon Fresh again on Saturday (as I am every Saturday, sometimes Friday, sometimes Sunday) to get my bananas for Orion and I realized something... they do not have self check-out stations. So in general not a fan of self check-outs but I do use them. But for a place that is supposed to be known for technology and low over-head, you would think they would have self check-outs. NOW, they do have their carts that you can use to self check-out BUT you need an Amazon account of some kind (not sure if just the basic one will work or not) to log in and do your shopping that way. As far as I can tell at least you need an account and they advertise it as easy shopping and self-checkout with your Amazon account. So, if you don't have an account or don't want to use one, have to go to the register and they RARELY have more than one open yet they are equipped with about 12 to 14 of them I believe, if not more. And I see lines all the time, generally not too bad but sometimes they start to go into an aisle.
At the movies:
BIG opening for The Super Mario Bros. Movie this weekend earning a hefty 204.6 million for it's debut! This is a 5-day total and word-of-mouth is good on this film so it should reach 300 in no time. Holding ground at #2 is John Wick: Chapter 4 with 14.6 mil as this franchise continues to do well overall. Bit of a drop down to #3 is Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves with 14.5 mil as it looks like it will be a struggle to hit the 100 mil domestic mark but could still potentially get there. New at #4 is Air with 14.5 mil and not a great number but good. This could be our first entry into this year's award season though. And dropping down to #5 is Scream VI with 3.3 mil more and now past the 100 mil mark. That will likely be it for this film but for a horror film, it did good.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one as a semi-limited run (less than 1000) is Paint coming in at #9. This Bob Ross-like character brought in 750k which is a very poor per screen average of only $916 and thus won't go much wider or further.
Quote of the week:
"One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure." - William Feather
Facts & Tips:
Powerful earthquakes can make the Earth spin faster.
"You stay classy, San Diego. I'm Ron Burgundy?" - Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
No more rain...
Weekly Update:
I went to Ikea over the weekend and I noticed something about their shopping carts. Now it could have just been my cart that was like this but I don't think so. If you recall when going through Ikea, the lanes or the aisles are a bit zig-zag, nothing is very straight for more than say 10 feet. I noticed as I was going straight, it then turns right and my cart floats right (with my guidance of course) while keeping the cart perfectly straight (or the same direction I was going in). So basically I can go straight and move the cart to the left or right without having to turn it. It was also extremely smooth in doing that and I think they were designed that way. Why? I don't know but I would be curious to find out why.
At the movies:
Crawling into #1 is Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves with a very decent 38.5 million to open. Word-of-mouth is overall good on this film and played more to general audience and humor which was probably the right decision. Seems Chris Pine may be the one that revitalizes franchises after Star Trek, and now this! Drop down to #2 is John Wick: Chapter 4 with 28.2 mil and well over 100 mil now. Unlikely to reach the 200 mark but still a very good run for this franchise. Holding ground at #3 is Scream VI with 5.3 mil and just inches away from the 100 mil mark, should get that any day now. New at #4 is His Only Son with 5.3 mil to open and likely will be gone by next week. This film came a week early and will do more in the after-market. Slight drop down to #5 is Creed III with 5 mil extra and it continues to punch it's way through the Spring.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one this week as A Thousand and One comes in at #7 earning 1.8 mil. It only opened to 1000 screens but still a poor per average of under $2k each.
Quote of the week:
"Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something." - Unknown
Facts & Tips:
Chicago is named after smelly garlic that once grew in the area.
"Alright, I'll trust your instincts this time but we're running low on fuel but we'll follow for five minutes. Five minutes." - Nate Parker as Marty 'Easy' Julian in Red Tails.
