A lot of driving
Weekly Update:
Had lunch recently with an old friend and co-worker from my AMC days. He suggested a place called Kaiba, Japanese Ramen location and I was familiar with it but never been before. What was really interesting was as soon as you get there, they have a drive thru? I have never seen a drive thru at an Japanese place ever before. I thought making things like sushi, miso and such they take time and care into them, how do you have a drive thru? I didn't use the drive-thru today but sat down inside and the spicy miso ramen was amazing. I'm not sure if I'll get something from here via the drive-thru but I guess it's nice to know it may be an option if I want something to go from here! When in this area though I usually go to Jollibee across the street (photo not taken by me).
At the movies:
New at #1 is Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire with a nice 45.2 million to open. A good number for non-holiday, non-summer film but would it have done better in the Summer? Word-of-mouth seems fair on this film so the 2nd weekend will be a big tell (also a holiday weekend coming up). Still holding at #2 is Dune: Part Two with 17.6 mil as it continues into the 200 mil arena and on track to hit 250 soon. Drop down to #3 is Kung Fu Panda 4 with 16.8 mil and had a moderate drop which is good for the franchise. New at #4 is Immaculate with 5.3 mil and not a strong number but still enough to make the top 5 and likely will drop out by next weekend. Rounding off the top 5 is Arthur the King with 4.4 mil and though a touching, heart-warming film but won't hold out much longer.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Another one at #6, Late Night with the Devil with 2.8 mil and will be gone and out soon.
Quote of the week:
"Truth is strong, and sometime or other will prevail." - Mary Astell
Facts & Tips:
Gorillas burp when they are happy.
"One X-wing? Great. We're saved." - Gina Carano as Cara Dune in the series The Mandalorian.
Ribbit ribbit
Rain to not to rain... unsure what is going on with our weather this past week. Temperatures were supposed to go up a bit (not by much, from like 60 to 70 degrees) but they mostly stayed in the 60's. Not complaining but just wasn't expecting it. What I didn't expect at all was some rain in the mornings! We were projected to have all clear days, no clouds even or percentage of rain but at least 2 days this past week it rained enough to keep the ground wet for hours. So where the heck did that come from and can it send some more our way? Oh speaking of rain and water, I was by the downtown Brea area using a Groupon I had for Pizza Press and when I went back to my car in the parking structure, it was kind of above and away from the reservoir. I could hear hundreds of frogs croaking and it was kind interesting. It was at night so I couldn't see any but wow where there a lot and loud!
Weekly Update:
So this is fascinating and I just discovered it a couple days ago... did you know if you poor water into your toilet, it flushes it? Someone told me about it and I didn't think it would work but after I went to the bathroom, I had a 2 quart container of water that I was recycling so I thought, why not try it. I poured it in (all of it) and it more-or-less flushed the toilet! The existing water went down and the water I poured into it basically stayed. It didn't take the water from the holding tank in the back. I thought that was fascinating and not sure if it will work on all toilets but it did on mine! I'm always look at ways to recycle water I am not using from like the shower or even rain water that collects. Now I have another use to save water!
At the movies:
Holding ground at #1 for a 2nd week is Kung Fu Panda 4 with another 30 million and now just over the 100 mil mark. It's possible to reach 200 but it will be a very close struggle to get there. Holding at #2 as well is Dune: Part Two with 29.1 mil as it surpasses the 200 mil mark and still getting strong word-of-mouth. New at #3 is Arthur the King with 7.5 mil. This film is getting good reviews but could be the timing of the film and should have probably waited till April. Dipping down to #4 is Imaginary with 5.6 mil and slowly drawing down. And drop down to #5 is Cabrini with 2.8 mil and any new movie opening this coming week will knock it out.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Only one this week at #8 but less than 1,000 screens is One Life earning 1.7 mil and will be down and out in no time.
Quote of the week:
"Be true to your work, your word, and your friend." - John Boyle O'Reilly
Facts & Tips:
Hens do not need a rooster to lay an egg.
"Dastari, I have no doubt you could augment an earwig to the point where it understood nuclear physics, but it would still be a very stupid thing to do!" - Colin Baker as The Doctor in the TV series Doctor Who.
Double the weekend
Weekly Update:
I might have talked about this before, but it's worth a re-visit. Recently I went to Olive Garden and it's good food, not great food but good. There is always something there that I will like and they have some really good soups now. But the one thing that bugs me is their slogan... "When you're here, You're family." Ok but my family wouldn't charge me to eat there or I would not charge them to eat at my place. Yet Olive Garden is proclaiming it's like eating with family but we are going to charge you... who's family is this? Has anyone gone to like ANY relatives home for a meal and at the end they give you a bill? Even if they had catered a meal for everyone to enjoy at their home, I never saw an invoice or bill or even an ask for a few bucks. I like the slogan, it does hit home but not my home... they need to change it. How about "It's almost like eating at home, but not quite."
At the movies:
New at #1 is the 4th installment of Kung Fu Panda 4 earning a hefty 58.3 million for the weekend. This has rebounded the franchise after #2 and #3 were below the original opening but this new one came close to beating it but not quite. Should reach 100 mil in 2 or 3 more weeks which speaks well for this franchise. Slight drop to #2 is Dune: Part Two with 46 mil and on track to the 200 mil mark at this point. New at #3 is Imaginary with 10 mil to open and not a bad number for this film. Also new at #4 is Cabrini with 7.6 mil and unsure how long this will will last yet. Drop down to #5 is Bob Marley: One Love with 4.1 mil and still shy of the 100 mil mark but still on course to reach it.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Two this week but they were on some what limited release pattern. In at #9 is Yolo with 840k but only on 200 screens. Not a great per screen average but I think this was more of a throwaway film anyway. At #10 is MET Opera: La Forza del Destino with 768k but on less than 1000 screens, probably just a one-weekend screening and then it's off.
Quote of the week:
"No one can figure out your wroth but you." - Pearl Bailey
Facts & Tips:
You can start a fire with ice.
"We're not leaving yet. We're here now, and we want something else from you. Hey... hey, hey, hey, hey! Hey! We want something else from you." - Thomas Jane as Todd Parker in Boggie Nights.
Honk honk beep
Weekly Update:
Hulu released a new mini-series which is actually a remake from a mini-series called Shogun. I loved watching this growing up and seeing while learning about Feudal Japan in the 1500's. What is funny watching the new version and seeing how so many things mirror the original BUT, I have to remember both are based on the book of the same name by James Clavell. I never read the actual book but I'm glad this is being remade because with modern technology can add a bit more darkness to it as we know it wasn't all vibrant and colorful back then. I will say the one thing that is very noticeable is the green-screen background in certain shots. In the originally that was pretty real as there wasn't that type of tech back then. But that would be my only complaint right now. For now it's a new episode every Tuesday so can't wait for more!
At the movies:
New at #1 is the sequel of Dune: Part Two earning a nice 81.5 million for a non-holiday season! Word-of-mouth is very strong on this film and should be at 100 in no time (probably within the next few days!). Drop down to #2 is Bob Marley: One Love with another 7.4 mil and still on a good track to hit 100 mil domestic but will take some more time. Holding at #3 is Ordinary Angels with 3.9 mil with a low drop percentage which is good for that film but still low numbers overall. Also holding at #4 is Madame Web with 3.2 mil and this one is barely making it unfortunately. New at #5 is another episode of The Chosen: Season 4, Episodes 7-8 with 3.2 mil and this will be gone before you know it.
Quote of the week:
"Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all." - Nelson Mandela
Facts & Tips:
Ocean algae produces about 75 percent of the world's oxygen.
"Last night, Dark Vader came down from the Planet Vulcan and told me that if I didn't take Lorraine out, that he'd melt my brain." - Crispin Glover as George McFly in Back to the Future.
