Floods!!
Weekly Update:
This past week has been kind of emotionally draining for me and that is pretty rare. I'm not sure when I've been this drained and maybe it's just more lack of sleep than anything else. I already do not sleep much during the week which also, unsure why. I do go to bed at a reasonable time but can't fall asleep for hours after if at all. I'm not sure if sleep is the enemy here or lack of sleep... or maybe they are tag-teaming against me. Who knows but I've been like this for over a decade I would say. When I used to work crazy hours at AMC Theatres, that was the norm for me because wouldn't get home often till past midnight. Also at the studios, having to go to a lot of events and out till 11PM to 1AM at times. But the studios also brought me closer to a 9 t0 5 type schedule though it was more like 10 to 7. I don't foresee myself returning to a sleep schedule for a long long time for reasons.
At the movies:
The holidays are upon us, or they will be next week and then a short break after. New at #1 is Wicked: For Good earning a hefty 150 million at the box office. Incredible number for pre-holiday weekend and should get to 200 mil easily, probably by Wednesday. Reactions are a bit low on this one compared to the first but the holiday should help it maintain it's numbers. Drop down to #2 is Now You See Me: Now You Don't with another 9.1 mil as it drops quickly. Holding at #3 is Predator: Badlands with 6.3 mil more as it struggles to hit 100 mil, may fall short of it. Big dip down to #4 is The Running Man with 5.8 mil and this one is quickly running out. Rounding off the top 5 and also new this week is Rental Family with 3.3 mil. This is a good number as this film is more artsy than mainstream yet still looks like a solid film.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one this week at #6 is Sisu: Road to Revenge with 2.6 mil and not bad but also not great. This one looks just as ultra-violent as it's predecessor. Likely will do well in the European markets though.
Quote of the week:
"You don't choose your family. They are god's gift to you, as you are to them." - Desmond Tutu
Facts & Tips:
Cows give more milk when they listen to music.
"Baby." - Ansel Elgort as Baby in Baby Driver.
Raindrops are falling on my head
Weekly Update:
2025 is seeing a lot of retail store closures, probably the biggest we have seen in the past decade or so. Some notable locations are Joann, known for selling fabrics and accessories is closing (or closed) 500 out of it's 780 locations. Party City (name says it all) has about 700 stores and will be closing all of them. I have heard a few may remain but overall, they will be gone. Big coffee chain Starbucks (11,453 stores) will be closing 627 locations which is over 5% of it's locations. Walgreens is set to close 450 locations (as of May, 423 have closed) and just a few more before the holidays. Department store chain Macy's will close 66 stores and an additional 150 in 2026 which will leave only 350 locations left of the once proud chain. This is just a small sampling of locations set to close many of it's stores. Other chains include; Outback, JC Penny, GameStop, Kohl's and many many more. This will no double make unemployment sky rocket as it has been already this year with negative job growth since February.
At the movies:
Shaking up the box office a bit just before the holidays hit. New at #1 is Now You See Me: Now You Don't with a fair 21.3 million. It's predecessors did a bit more (declining since the first one) but this is a good number for this time of year. New at #2 is The Running Man with 17 mil and a little below expectations. Will likely run out of steam quickly with this opening. Drop down to #3 is Predator: Badlands with 13 mil and did suffer a little above average drop. Hanging on to #4 is Regretting You with 4 mil extra as it quicky wraps up its run. Rounding up to the top 5 is Black Phone 2 with 2.7 mil and will likely be the last we see of this one.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
One this week at #7, Keeper earning 2.5 mil on a wide release pattern and only having a $1,282 per screen average.
Quote of the week:
"Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I need you because I love you.' - Erich Fromm
Facts & Tips:
The Basenji is a dog that yodels instead of barking.
"I'm not gonna take this anymore." - Dee Snider as the Sheriff in The Last Sharknado: It's About Time.
Let's go to the hop
Weekly Update:
I tried Sonic Drive-In for the first time, at least I think it was? I don't remember ever going to one before but I have been to this type of concept before of the car-hop style but the person who served me was actually on roller skates at the time. But I used the app to order and drove in and everything was pretty easy. I did see the menu and how one would normally do it if they just showed up and it looks like a fun and interesting to do maybe on a date night of some kind. It just needed like juke box options some where or like you can turn your car radio to a specific frequency to play the music they have. The food was OK, portion size for what I paid was good (but also had a 50% off offer) but the meat of the burger was VERY salty. They definitely over-salted it and if it wasn't for that, everything would have been great. I tried the pretzel bun and that was really good (which didn't have any salt on it so you know it was the meat). Would I try it again? Maybe but try something different but it was an interesting and neat place to try and if the offers, affordable.
At the movies:
New at #1 this week is Predator: Badlands earning a nice 40 million. The franchise overall underperforms next to it's partner franchise Alien but this is a solid number for this time of year. Next week will be a very telling week for it. Down to #2 is Regretting You with 7.1 mil as it had another very small drop but it's overall box office will remain low. Also dropping down a notch to #3 is Black Phone 2 with 5.3 mil and though it did well overall, it will fall short of hitting 100 mil by a long shot. New at #4 is Sarah's Oil with 4.5 mil and this one simply will burn out. New at #5 is Nuremberg, not a standard wide-release patter but enough to do 4.1 mil and may get some award nods but nothing else.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one again this week at #8 is Die My Love with 2.8 mil on a wide release pattern and it died out the gate.
Quote of the week:
"Trust yourself, you know more than you think you do." - Benjamin Spock
Facts & Tips:
The game of basketball was first played using a soccer ball and two peach baskets.
"So, then there was this time in first grade. You know how you grow lima beans in school? Well, Will could not figure out why mine was growing so quickly, it was driving him crazy. So finally I took mercy on him and I told him about my powers! We've been best friends ever since." - Danielle Panabaker as Layla in Sky High.
It's broken
Weekly Update:
Stores usually disappear to never been seen again. As the economy worsens and things shift to online rather than a brick-and-mortar location, you see a lot of empty store fronts, malls and lots. But something unusual is happening near the Brea Mall on the other side of the freeway in the Brea Plaza.. The return of a Barnes & Noble store! It appears about 90% or more complete and even looks like it will have a rooftop top patio of some kind. Can't tell just yet but that is kind of cool to see it. I have seen one or two old B&N's that have not become something else or are just simply abandoned but this one looks like it was built almost ground up. I can't remember what used to be in it's spot, it could have been nothing or empty for a long time but I think this will bring some new life to this shopping center. It has places to eat, some shopping and now a new B&N coming. I was never one to visit bookstores or at least often but I may check this out.
At the movies:
What a very disappointing weekend but I suppose everyone spent it at parties rather than at the movies. Coming up to #1 for it's 2nd week is Regretting You with an extra 8.1 million and with it going up in ranking it had a minimal loss from last week. Holding ground at #2 is Black Phone 2 with another 8 mil and it had an even smaller loss from last week, not bad overall. Drop down to #3 is Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc with only 6 mil and had a very significant drop from last week (67% loss). In at #4 is Bugonia with 4.8 mil and that is a significant rise, however, the film originally released last week in very select markets. Re-release at #5 is Back to the Future with 4.7 mil and celebrating 40-years since it was released back in 1985.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Just one this week at #8 is Stitch Head earning 2.1 mil on a wide release and earning less than $1k per screen.
Facts & Tips:
You blink over 4 million times a year.
"There is not a treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence." - Diane Kruger as Abigail Chase in National Treasure.
