Showing posts with label The Revenant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Revenant. Show all posts

11/07/2016

Review: ‘Before the Flood,’ Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Directed By Fisher Stevens


Leonardo DiCaprio has his name tied to a lot of things – his relationship with Martin Scorsese, his long quest for that Best Actor Oscar win, and his affection for 20something supermodels – and while you can mock some of that stuff, you can’t really poke fun at his concern regarding the environment. The proof of DiCaprio’s commitment is in Before the Flood, the documentary he produced and starred in that is directed by Fisher Stevens, noted environmental activist (and, of course onetime Hackers villain).

This is well-researched, clearly articulated, and quite frankly terrifying stuff, the kind of documentary that makes you want to slap people in the face with your knowledge. “Give a shit about the world around you!” you’ll want to scream after watching Before the Flood. Your rage is DiCaprio’s and Stevens’s accomplishment.  

Filmed over the span of a couple years, Before the Flood focuses on DiCaprio’s journey as a public environmentalist, beginning with him being named a UN Messenger of Peace on Climate Change and tracing some of his stops around the world – including China, India, and the Arctic Circle, meeting with people like Elon Musk and President Barack Obama – as he attempts to learn more about the problems facing climate change and figure out ways to make things better. One of the best things Leo does is admit exactly how much he doesn’t know, allowing other knowledgeable people – noted scientists, government officials, and activists – to share their opinions on what we need to do.

And, Before the Flood makes clear, we need to do a whole hell of a lot better. The documentary doesn’t pull any punches, which isn’t really a surprise from Stevens (if you’ve seen his other documentaries, like The Cove, you’ll never forget it), but it is refreshing how thoroughly Before the Flood rejects the guise of “objectivity.” The reality is there shouldn’t be two sides to the climate change debate, and there shouldn’t be a debate, because this is really happening. We have caused this. And the question shouldn’t be, “Have we or haven’t we?” but “How do we fix this, since we have definitively fucked things up?” That’s the question DiCaprio explores, and what he finds is alternately fascinating and shocking.

Before the Flood is full of infuriating stuff, from the superficial (clips of Fox News personalities mocking DiCaprio, saying it’s a “global warming hoax” and that “the crisis doesn’t exist”) to the thoroughly real. Images of synthetic crude oil facilities, where forests are decimated, steam is pumped into the ground, and oil is taken out of the sand, totally ruining the environment (“It kind of looks like Mordor,” Leo says). Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic, where centuries worth of ice has melted into an ice-cream-like texture. Miami, where daytime flooding, caused by rising sea levels, which cripples the city is being attacked with a $400 million pump project that will only fix the problem for a few years. India, where Dr. Sunita Narain puts Leo in his place when he tries to talk about the responsibility of India’s citizens to use more environmentally friendly energy sources. How she shakes her head and notes to Leo that Americans use more fossil fuels than practically every other country, and that it’s hypocritical to expect other countries to do more when Americans are doing less, is an excellent teachable moment both for him and for us.

Amid all this, what can we do? Before the Flood is clear in its disdain for politicians who refuse to do anything about global warming, and names them: Gov. Rick Scott, Sen. Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, talking head Glenn Beck, the Koch brothers, Sen. James Inhofe, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Mitch McConnell, are you sensing a theme here? When we have the power to vote these people out of office, why don’t we?

Also effective are its small-scale suggestions for how individuals can do better, like eating less red meat (70% of American agricultural land is used for cattle grazing, whereas only 1% is used for growing crops); supporting a carbon tax that would penalize institutions responsible for carbon emissions; and investing in products that are environmentally considerate, like Elon Musk’s Tesla and Solar City. That may not seem like a lot, but the reality is that people need to act for companies and governments to fall in line – and we’ve failed up until now.

It's not that Before the Flood is totally flawless. Clips of Leo during filming of The Revenant are a tacit advertisement for the film, and there is no mention of the current corruption scandal in which DiCaprio’s foundation is currently embroiled. An interview with President Obama is prestigious, but not particularly impactful. And yet there is so much information here, and it’s presented so baldly, that it’s impossible to be unaffected. Deny Before the Flood if you choose, but you’re on the wrong side of history.


Rating: 4 out of 5 Guttenbergs


3/20/2016

Box Office: 'Zootopia' Tops Faltering 'Allegiant', 'Miracles From Heaven' Scores Saintly Debut


1. Zootopia- $38M/$201.8M
For the third week in a row, Disney's Zootopia topped the charts, slipping only 25% which is crazy for this length of time. It's worth mentioning because the film is shaping up to be one of Disney's strongest in recent history; not nearly on the level of Frozen, which ended with $1.2B worldwide overall, but at least on the level of Big Hero 6's $657M. Zootopia is already closing in on that one with $591M globally.
2. The Divergent Series: Allegiant (review here)- $29M
The expected biggest film to open this week was Allegiant, the third film in The Divergent Series that Shailene Woodley has never been able to carry greatness. It opened with a mediocre $29M which is significantly lower than Divergent's $54M and Insurgent's $52M just last year. The thing is, both of those were disappointments, as well. The latest sci-fi dystopia featuring pretty teens saving the world quickly fell behind The Maze Runner as the latest genre hit, and never reached the level of The Hunger Games as some expected. Unfortunately, there's nowhere for these movies to go except to finish things up with next year's finale, Ascendant, even though it's virtually guaranteed to underwhelm financially. Perhaps this is the kick in the pants studios need to stop splitting the final book in a trilogy into two movies?
3. Miracles from Heaven (review here)- $15M/$18.5M
Given the strength of faith-based dramas it's no surprise Miracles from Heaven, which comes from the same people behind Heaven is for Real, is the big winner of the week. The film opened on Wednesday and scored a heavenly $18.5M over the 5 days, $15M for the weekend. With Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah leading the cast it had a bit more star power than these movies generally can afford and it paid off.
4. 10 Cloverfield Lane- $12.5M/$45.1M
5. Deadpool- $8M/$340.9M
6. London has Fallen- $6.8M/$50M
7. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot- $2.8M/$19.2M
8. The Perfect Match- $1.9M/$7.3M
9. The Brothers Grimsby- $1.4M/$5.9M
10. The Revenant- $1.2M/$181.1M

3/06/2016

Box Office: 'Zootopia' Roars With Record-Breaking Disney Debut


1. Zootopia (review here)- $73.7M
The reviews have been stellar, currently sitting at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, but nobody could have predicted Disney's animated Zootopia would be breaking Disney records this way. The film opened with $73.7M, the highest-grossing debut for any Disney animated movie not affiliated with Pixar.  And that's just the start. It also ranks as the 9th largest animated opening ever, and ranks 3rd all-time for movies that aren't adaptations, spinoffs, or sequels, so basically anything purely original. This would have been unfathomable a few months ago, when the film didn't seem to have a lot of buzz. While it features voicework by Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Shakira, voice stars rarely move the needle when it comes to animation. And since this was a non-Pixar release with no recognizable characters the expectations were decent but not anything like this. This was purely a case of strong word-of-mouth, with the general consensus being it's silly and  fun enough for kids, while its message of tolerance and unity should resonate with older audiences. So basically, start gearing up for Zootopia 2 because it's coming.
2.  London Has Fallen (review here)- $21.7M
Back in 2013 there were two similar "White House under siege" action flicks that arrived within months of one another. The first was Olympus Has Fallen, with Gerard Butler leading that one to about $160M worldwide. Not bad for a small-ish film costing around $70M. Then there was White House Down, with blockbuster helmer Roland Emmerich and the starry duo of Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx. That one cleared over $200M, but it cost $150M, which is pretty much a wash and definitely not worth banking on a sequel. So instead it's the less expensive film that gets one, London Has Fallen, which brings back the entire cast with a new director, a similar formula, and an even cheaper budget. The result is $21.7M, less than the $30M debut of its predecessor but still a respectable start. Is it good enough for China Has Fallen (You know that would be next, right?) or whatever to follow it up in a few years? That will depend on how leggy this one is and if it performs well overseas.
3. Deadpool- $16.4m/$311.1M
4. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (review here)- $7.6M
Maybe audiences have had their fill of quirky caucasians using the Middle East to give their own lives meaning? That's a shame because Tina Fey's Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is a damn sight better than the terrible Rock the Kasbah. The $35M war dramedy opened with a measley $7.6M, a far cry from what Fey was able to pull off with Sisters ($13M, opposite Star Wars: The Force Awakens) just a few months ago. But this might be the issue, as Fey is perceived as being better when paired up with others. On her own, Fey's films don't perform nearly as well.
5. Gods of Egypt- $5M/$22.8M
6. Risen- $3.8M/$28.6M
7. Kung Fu Panda 3- $3.5M/$133.8M
8. The Revenant- $3.3M/$175.9M
9. Eddie the Eagle- $3.1M/$10.8M
10. The Witch- $2.5M/$20.9M


2/29/2016

88th Academy Awards: Leo Finally Gets His Oscar; 'Spotlight' Wins Best Picture


There may not have been much diversity in the 88th Academy Awards, but there were plenty of jokes about it. Host Chris Rock excoriated the Academy right from the opening bell and continued to rip them throughout the night with startling regularity. It was one way to break up a show that mostly fell into line with expectations, which should make a lot of moviegoers happy.

It was a lovely day indeed for George Miller's apocalyptic Mad Max: Fury Road, which had racked up six wins before the show had passed the 10 o'clock hour. While they were all in technical categories, such as Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Production Design, it was enough to give the film enough momentum that the bigger categories became more interesting. Ultimately it couldn't top Tom McCarthy's journalism drama, Spotlight, which came away with Best Picture. That completes McCarthy's admirable comeback after The Cobbler, which ended up on a lot of "Worsts" lists.

And of course, it finally happened. Leonardo DiCaprio finally got his first Oscar, winning for The Revenant, which also earned Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu his second Best Director victory in a row. DiCaprio was one of the final winners of the night, and to mark the occasion he was the only one allowed an extended speech (mostly about climate change) and not get run off by exit music. If they would have interrupted him there might have been a riot.

There was one little twist in the acting categories and that veteran actor Mark Rylance winning Best Supporting Actor for Bridge of Spies. He defeated the odds-on sentimental favorite, Sylvester Stallone, who had been the frontrunner to win for his work on Creed.  The rest of the awards went as expected with Alicia Vikander with a Best Supporting Actress win for The Danish Girl, and Brie Larson's powerful performance in Room earning her Best Actress in a very competitive field.

Full list of winners is below, followed by Dicaprio's acceptance speech:

  • Best Picture – Spotlight
  • Best Actress – Brie Larson, Room
  • Best Actor – Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
  • Directing  – Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
  • Best Supporting Actress – Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
  • Best Supporting Actor – Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
  • Animated Feature Film – Inside Out
  • Documentary Feature – Amy
  • Foreign Language Film – Son of Saul, Hungary
  • Adapted Screenplay – Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, The Big Short
  • Original Screenplay – Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
  • Original Score – Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight
  • Original Song – “The Writing’s on the Wall” by Sam Smith
  • Film Editing – Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Production Design – Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Sound Editing – Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Sound Mixing – Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Visual Effects – Ex Machina
  • Cinematography – Emmanuel Lubezki, The Revenant
  • Costume Design – Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Makeup and Hairstyling – Mad Max: Fury Road
  • Animated Short Film – Bear Story
  • Live Action Short Film – Stutterer
  • Documentary Short Subject – A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness

2/28/2016

Box Office: 'Gods Of Egypt', 'Triple 9' Flop As 'Deadpool' Remains #1


1. Deadpool- $31.5M/$285.6M
For the third week in a row 20th Century Fox's Deadpool tops all of the new releases, earning another $31.5M. As it stands right now it ranks as the third highest grossing R-rated movie ever domestically.
2. Gods of Egypt (review here)- $14M
The stench of death was all over Alex Proyas and Lionsgate's mythological disaster, Gods of Egypt, right from the start. With Hollywood in the midst of a diversity problem the film arrived with a cast lacking in it, leading the studio and director to openly apologize for the casting process. That probably did more damage than the cheesy trailers ever could have. Curious audiences will turn up for something that looks like silly fun, but they'll stay away from a film so offensive the director had to publicly plead forgiveness. That said, Proyas is steaming mad over the harsh reviews and unleashed a Facebook tirade against film critics. That's not likely to earn the $140M film anymore money, but maybe it helps him feel better.
3. Kung Fu Panda 3- $9M/$128.4M
4. Risen- $7M/$22.7M
5. Eddie the Eagle (review here)- $6.3M
There have been two sports biopics the last couple of weekends, both receiving decent to average reviews, and both opening on the low end of the box office. This week's is Eddie the Eagle, about British skier Eddie Edwards who became an underdog competitor in the 1988 Calgary Olympics. The film stars Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton, so it wasn't without star power, but there just wasn't much buzz surrounding this one. Perhaps it will perform better in the U.K. and recoup most of its $23M budget, because it isn't going to happen over here.
6. Triple 9 (review here)- $6.1M
Another crushing blow dealt to mature thrillers for adults, John Hillcoat's star-studded cop movie Triple 9 opened with a disappointing $6.1M. To be fair, Hillcoat's movies have never been hits no matter the quality of cast he assembles (Lawless earned $37M domestic with Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, and Shia LaBeouf), but this one is especially surprising. Kate Winslet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Mackie, Casey Affleck, Gal Gadot, Norman Reedus, Woody Harrelson; the film is overflowing with stars from every corner of the Hollywood universe, yet the grim and violent flick has been met with lukewarm response from critics and audiences alike. Chances are it will fare much better on home release.
7. How to be Single- $5.1M/$39.6M
8. The Witch- $5M/$16.6M
9. Race- $4.2M/$13.8M
10. The Revenant- $3.8M/$170.5M

2/24/2016

Travis Hopson Predicts The 2016 Academy Awards


Finally! The awards season draws to a close with this weekend's Academy Awards (find out how to watch it with me here!), and it simply couldn't come quickly enough. For me, the talk of Oscars began  last year when I saw Brooklyn at the Sundance Film Festival, noting at the time that it would unquestionably be a contender. And yep, it sure is. So this has felt like a long time going, and I can't wait for it to be over.

The Best Picture race is interesting in that the frontrunner has been shifting between The Revenant, The Big Short, and Spotlight over the last few months. My thoughts on which one will ultimately win out will be revealed later, but the guilds have been pretty split on this category, making prognostication difficult. On the other hand, the acting categories seem to be all but locked up and any deviation from that will be a major surprise. In other words, get ready to see lots of Leonardo DiCaprio waiting eagerly at his table.

As for the show itself, Chris Rock is bound to stomp a mudhole in the whole #OscarsSoWhite controversy, until we're all so sick of it that we won't care about the white-washing anymore. The issue has both made the awards more interesting and sucked all of the air out of the room, so who knows how the broadcast will eventually go, especially with the proposed "ticker tape" change to winners' speeches.

Anyway, here are my picks for who will win, who I think should win, and any films that should have been contenders but were left out in the cold. Feel free to scrutinize (you always do) and hold me accountable later if I'm wrong (you always do). But give me credit if I totally rock this joint, cool?

Best Picture

This has been one of the most competitive Best Picture races in ages. The Big Short, The Revenant, and Spotlight have been trading wins throughout the season, and each comes with certain strengths and weaknesses. The Revenant has the best box office, and the boost of expected wins for Leonardo DiCaprio and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Spotlight had the momentum early but seems to have faded, perhaps because it's such an ensemble with no clear standout performances. And then there's The Big Short, which is timely, has an A-list cast, and features a director in Adam McKay who is moving outside of his comfort zone. It's the kind of film Hollywood tends to like and also likes to reward. That's where my money's going. Obviously, with ten nominations it's tough to totally leave out George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road, but it's likely to do well in the technical categories, not here.

Will Win: The Big Short
Should Win: The Revenant
Dark Horse: Mad Max: Fury Road
Shoulda Been a Contender: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Director

It's always rare to have a back-to-back Best Director win, but Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu looks like he's about to pull it off with Birdman and The Revenant. While there's a little bit of momentum for Adam McKay and The Big Short, that's likely going to end up with some gold for Best Picture (or at least it's the apparent frontrunner). What's for sure is that we won't see the unicorn-like Best Picture/Best Director combo, although wouldn't it be cool if George Miller pulled it off for Mad Max: Fury Road? Talk about a shockwave that would cause! To get an idea of how competitive the running was this year, look at all of the names that didn't make the final cut: Todd Haynes, J.J. Abrams, Quentin Tarantino, Ryan Coogler, David O. Russell...and the list could go on and on.

Will and Should Win: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, The Revenant
Dark Horse: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Shoulda Been a Contender: John Crowley, Brooklyn

Best Actor

This one won't take long: the guy from What's Eating Gilbert Grape is going to win. No, not Johnny Depp for Black Mass! It's Leonardo DiCaprio's time, of course. In this age of hyper-partisanship and contentiousness, DiCaprio finally winning his first Oscar is the one thing that can unite us all. Now watch that shit not happen. Oh, the memes that would follow.

Will and Should Win: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Dark Horse: Say what? Dark horse? What's a dark horse? Oh alright...ummm, Bryan Cranston for Trumbo.

Best Actress

Over on the ladies' side, Brie Larson's performance in Room has been the clear favorite since the beginning. Nothing has really changed, except for maybe Charlotte Rampling's chances tanking due to her ill-timed comments on Hollywood diversity. For me, I've been torn between rooting for Larson, who I genuinely love and think was unfairly ignored for Short Term 12, and Saoirse Ronan who gave a more elegant, subtle turn in Brooklyn. But Larson's performance is one of raw emotional power, and it's going to be impossible for voters to ignore. And what happened to Cate Blanchett? It's like Carol doesn't even really exist, and the same could be said of Jennifer Lawrence in Joy.

Will Win: Brie Larson, Room
Dark Horse: Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Talked Herself Out Of Any Chance: Charlotte Rampling, 45  Years


Best Supporting Actor

There's nothing Hollywood loves more than a comeback story, especially if it comes with narrative synergy. Sylvester Stallone's heart-tugging return as Rocky Balboa in Creed (a film which should be in the Best Picture race, but I digress) is exactly the kind of comeback story the industry craves, and it's one that is worthy of the iconic Philly boxer. There's always a chance Tom Hardy sneaks out a win for The Revenant, and he seems to be gaining steam, but not enough to floor Stallone. And then there's Mark Ruffalo for Spotlight, but that film is such an ensemble he seems unlikely. For some reason there isn't much buzz for Mark Rylance in Bridge of Spies, as he's the guy who seems to have the strongest universal reaction.

Will and Should Win: Sylvester Stallone: Creed
Dark Horse: Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight
Shoulda Been a Contender: Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation

Best Supporting Actress

The one acting category that doesn't seem to have been decided months ago, this one is genuinely too close to call. The popular consensus is that Alicia Vikander will take it for The Danish Girl, because she was genuinely better than Eddie Redmayne's more showy performance. But the response to the film has been lukewarm, at best, and that could hurt her. Rooney Mara seems like a distant choice for Carol, a film that nobody is talking about for much of anything. My gut tells me the Academy follows suit with the Golden Globes and BAFTAs by giving it to Kate Winslet for Steve Jobs, another coolly received drama that was largely ignored. If it were up to me, Jennifer Jason Leigh and her pot-stirring, villainous turn in The Hateful Eight would take it, but if it were up to me she'd win everything every year.

Will Win: Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
Should Win: Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Dark Horse: Rooney Mara, Carol

Best Animated Feature

After taking the year off in 2014, Pixar came back in 2015 with two movies, Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur. The latter was a disaster, the studio's first money loser and a critical disappointment. But Inside Out, long hailed as one of their most ambitious projects ever, more than exceeded expectations and seems like a shoe-in to win. That said, Charlie Kaufman's inventive, stop-motion Anomalisa was just as strongly reviewed, and may be perceived as a more mature effort.

Will and Should Win: Inside Out
Dark Horse: Anomalisa

Best Adapted Screenplay

Will Win: The Big Short
Should Win: Brooklyn
Dark Horse: Room

Best Original Screenplay

Will Win: Spotlight
Should Win: Ex Machina
Dark Horse: Inside Out
Shoulda Been a Contender: The Hateful Eight

Best Documentary

Will and Should Win: Amy
Dark Horse: The Look of Silence
Shoulda Been a Contender: Best of Enemies

Best Foreign Language Film

Will Win: Son of Saul
Should Win: Mustang
Dark Horse: Embrace of the Serpent
Shoulda Been a Contender: Victoria



2/21/2016

Box Office: 'Deadpool' Holds At #1, Nears $500M Worldwide


1. Deadpool- $55M/$235.3M
Given the relatively weak batch of new releases it's no surprise Deadpool remains at the top, but what is kind of surprising is how strong it is after 10 days. The $55M second week is a drop of 58%, which isn't terrible given its record-breaking debut, and the $235M domestic total makes it the highest grossing X-Men movie stateside. Internationally it's also slicing up the box office with an additional $256M, meaning it should break $500M worldwide by tomorrow. That's incredible given that it's not a team movie, which tend to do better overall, and that it's Rated R. But the rating has actually proven to be one of the major reasons why audiences are flocking to it, and already we're seeing studios begin to adjust accordingly.
2. Kung Fu Panda 3- $12.5M/$117.1M
3. Risen (review here)- $11.8M
Surprisingly, the top new release this week was Risen, the Biblical film that is basically a crime procedural centered on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I think they just gave CBS an idea for their next CSI series. It stars Shakespeare in Love's Joseph Fiennes and Harry Potter's Tom Felton, and only cost about $20M to produce so this is a good start for what is an odd entry in the recent faith-based trend.
4. The Witch (review here)- $8.6M
Given the stellar reviews out of Sundance (where I saw it last year) for Robert Eggers' Satan-endorsed The Witch, buzz has been greater for it than any other recent horror. The film opened with $8.6M based largely on that anticipation, and yes it's worth the hype if you're looking for an immersive, psychologically twisted thriller and not another found footage flick.
5. How to be Single- $8.2M/$31.7M
6. Race (review here)- $7.2M
Coming off the starting blocks slow is the Jesse Owens biopic, Race, which opened with a disappointing $7.2M.  The somewhat low-key drama stars Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis in a dramatic role, plus Wiliam Hurt and Jeremy Irons; a lineup that doesn't exactly scream box office gold, but is solid enough to perhaps lead to long-term rewards. The targeted marketing was similar to the Jackie Robinson film, 42, a few years back, but that one debuted with $27M on the way to more than $90M overall. It'll be tough for Race to come anywhere near those numbers.
7. Zoolander 2- $5.5M/$23.7M
Don't expect to see Zoolander walking down anymore catwalks.
8. Star Wars: The Force Awakens- $3.86M/$921.6M
9. The Revenant- $3.8M/$165.1M
10. Hail, Caesar!- $2.6M/$26.1M

2/14/2016

Box Office: 'Deadpool' Scores Record-Breaking Debut That Crushes 'Zoolander 2''


1. Deadpool (review here)- $135M
Superhero fatigue? Well, maybe...if we're talking about traditional superhero movies. Deadpool is anything but traditional, and audiences rewarded it with record-breaking numbers that go well beyond the genre. Its expected to take in $135M over the weekend and more than $150M over the 4-day holiday, making it the strongest R-rated debut ever. It's also the first R-rated movie to ever hit $100M, which is kind of incredible when you think about.  For 20th Century Fox this ranks as their biggest opening weekend ever, and it should go without saying it's the largest for any of their X-Men movies, which should make them feel a lot better about Hugh Jackman retiring as Wolverine. Now they have another franchise to take its place.  And if we're just talking about comic book movies in general, Deadpool's debut is 7th all-time. Hard to believe that the Rob Liefeld creation, who began as just a mouthy villain (who got his ass kicked by the New Mutants and Cable), is now the most popular movie character in America. So if you, like me, have grown tired of how Marvel Comics have saturated the market with Deadpool comics then you ain't seen nothin' yet. And with a sequel already on the way there may be no getting away from Deadpool for a very long time.
2. Kung Fu Panda 3- $19.6M/$93.9M
3. How to be Single (review here)- $18.7M
Perfectly timed for Valentine's Day, How to be Single opened decently with $18.7M and a likely $21M+ through the holiday. This one had the benefit of being led by Dakota Johnson, the one good thing about Fifty Shades of Grey, and Rebel Wilson who everyone loves from Pitch Perfect. They're the two biggest driving forces behind this one and audiences turned out to see them both comically navigate the Manhattan dating scene. Although the film might have been hurt a bit by the continued strength of The Choice, which fits the more traditional romance spot.
4. Zoolander No. 2 (review here)- $15.6M
It took Ben Stiller fifteen years to convince Paramount to do another Zoolander movie, and the result is a limp $15.6M opening weekend. Think they'll listen to him next time he comes begging to do something? By comparison, the original film opened with roughly the same amount, but let's not forget that was in the terrible malaise following the 9/11 attacks. And even if it wasn't, the general idea is that the sequel should out-perform its predecessor, especially when it costs more as Zoolander 2 did. Turns out the market to see Justin Bieber get gunned down is pretty small. At least theatrically; people will probably pay to watch it in the comfort of their own homes.
5. The Revenant- $6.9M/$159.1M
6. Hail, Caesar!- $6.5/$21.3M
7. Star Wars: The Force Awakens- $6.1M/$914.8M
8. The Choice- $5.2M/$13.2M
9. Ride Along 2- $4.1M/$82.6M
10. The Boy- $2.9M/$30.7M

Also opening this week was Michael Moore's latest rabble-rousing documentary, Where to Invade Next (review here), which opened strong with $1M. It's the second largest debut for Moore, obviously after Fahrenheit 9/11, but also his second biggest theatrical release

2/07/2016

Box Office: New Releases Can't Defeat 'Kung Fu Panda 3', 'The Force Awakens' Tops $2B


1. Kung Fu Panda 3- $21M/$69M
2. Hail, Caesar! (review here)- $11.4M
While certainly a star-studded affair with Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Channing Tatum, and Scarlett Johansson featuring in major roles, the Coen Brothers' screwball Hollywood comedy Hail, Caesar was never positioned as a huge studio project. Still, the $11M opening weekend is pretty low, even though it's enough to be the top new film of the week. Fortunately, Coen films tend to have decently long legs and it won't take much for this one to be at least a modest success.
3. The Revenant- $7.1M/$149.7M
4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens- $6.8M/$905.9M
It took less than two months, but Star Wars: The Force Awakens has officially hit $2B worldwide, making it only the third film ever to do so. At this point it's dying out too fast to threaten Avatar or Titanic's top slots, but then there's always the inevitable re-release...
5. The Choice (review here)- $6M
Have angry boyfriends across America finally rebelled against the annual torture of yet another Nicholas Sparks movie? The Choice, which stars Benjamin "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter" Walker and Teresa "'I'm not Kristen Stewart" Palmer, opened with $6M, the lowest of any Sparks adaptation.  As predictable as the storylines of these movies tend to be, their box office performance is tougher to judge. A film like Safe Haven can star Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel and make a strong $71M, but The Best of Me with James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan does $35M total. Mostly, the biggest Sparks movies had the strength of A-list casts behind them. Whatever the case, these movies aren't going anywhere unless somebody makes the author hang up his typewriter.
6. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies (review here)- $5.2M
It's kind of sad to see the forever-developing horror/period mashup Pride & Prejudice & Zombies open so poorly. One reason is that I thought it was much better than our reviewer thought it was. Second, is that they went through so much making it a reality. Remember, this was originally a project for David O. Russell to direct, and the screenplay is still largely his work. Some pretty big names were attached and dropped off over the years, too, but the group they settled on; Lily James, Bella Heathcote, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, were perhaps better suited to the campy material.  It's certainly a better adaptation than author Seth Grahame-Smith's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which is getting mentioned a lot today. Enough of that.
7. The Finest Hours- $4.7M/$18.3M
8. Ride Along 2- $4.5M/$77.2M
9. The Boy- $4.09M/$26.8M
10. Dirty Grandpa- $4.05M

1/31/2016

Box Office: 'Kung Fu Panda 3' Defeats Its Foes With $41M U.S. Debut, $57M In China


1. Kung Fu Panda 3 (review here)- $41M
Dreamworks Animation has karate chopped another hit with Kung Fu Panda 3, although in this case the third film is somewhat lower than the first two. The animated martial arts film featuring Jack Black as the roly-poly panda, Po, opened at $41M, which is okay. Fortunately, the film opened huge in China with $57M, which makes sense given its obvious appeal to Chinese audiences. So while the domestic number is pretty average, it's important to remember the overseas numbers could save the day, and that Dreamworks films tend to stick around for the long haul.
2. The Revenant- $12.4M/$138.1M
3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens- $10.7M/$895.4M
4. The Finest Hours (review here)- $10.3M
Maybe now is a good time to call a moratorium on these sea-faring special effects-heavy dramas? After Ron Howard's In the Heart of the Sea got dumped into theaters last month and sank like a stone (thanks Star Wars!), Disney's Coast Guard rescue film The Finest Hours shipwrecked with only $10.3M. Casey Affleck and Chris Pine were the headliners for this one, but the real draw should have been the real-life event it depicted and the impressive wave-crashing production. But audiences just didn't care. Perhaps they've had enough of these movies and would rather stay on dry land?
5. Ride Along 2- $8.3M/$70.7M
6. The Boy- $7.8M/$21.5M
7. Dirty Grandpa- $7.5M/$22.8M
8. The 5th Wave- $7M/$20.1M
9. Fifty Shades of Black- $6.1M
Trending downward are the returns on Marlon Wayans' satires, with Fifty Shades of Black the lowest of the recent bunch. A few years ago Wayans plunked down a few million dollars (none of these movies are very expensive) on A Haunted House and came away with a surprising $60M. The sequel only managed $24M, and now this one, which satirizes Fifty Shades of Grey rather than Paranormal Activity, is poised to do even less. But these films are so cheap that it only takes a couple of weekends to turn a profit, an so we may see Open Road and Wayans keep this train going a while longer.
10. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi- $6M/$42.5M

1/24/2016

Box Office: "The Revenant" Claims #1 in it's Fifth Week!


1. The Revenant- $16M/$119M
It's almost unheard of for a movie to claim the top spot on the box office for the first time in it's 3rd week much less it's 5th, but that's what Leo and his bear have done. Knocking Ride Along 2 out of the way and leaving the new releases in the dust Leo's best Oscar chance yet has some staying power!

2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens- $14M/$879M
Speaking of staying power Star Wars maintains it's hold on the #2 spot, now in it's sixth week of release episode VII doesn't look to be going anywhere soon.

3. Ride Along 2- $12.9M/$59M
Ice Cube and Kevin Hart drop two spots but still manage to stay ahead of the new releases this week, while it looks like it'll be a tough road to $100M but at the end of the day this has to be a success.

4. Dirty Grandpa- $11.5M
The first of four films released this week Dirty Grandpa pulls in $11.5M despite abysmal reviews, with the blizzard hammering the east coast you have to wonder how much that affects the totals? Zac Efron has to have more box office draw than this, doesn't he?

5. The Boy- $11.2M
The Lauren Cohen (The Walking Dead) starring horror film which, in my opinion, suffered from horrible marketing managed a little over 11 million pulling in just behind the top scoring new release of the week. I always wondered why horror movies chose to release in January...I get that it's wasteland of the year making it a better time to take a risk but doesn't the September-November time frame make more sense? That's not to mention the plot of the movie was never easily understood from the trailers.

6. The 5th Wave- $10.7M
After the admirable statement made by Chloe Moretz, asking her fans not to venture out in the storm and rather wait to see the film, you almost wish there was a great film waiting for those fans on the other side of this storm...there's not. Another pre-teen book adaptation, maybe we can hope that this means an end for that craze!

7. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi- $9.7M/$33M

8. Daddy's Home- $5.2M/$138M
The second team up between Mark Whalberg and Will Ferrall has quietly made it's way to a VERY respectable $138M. I'm going to go ahead and guess that this isn't the last we've seem of these two on-screen together. Poor John C Reilly must be so sad.

9 Norm of the North- $4.1M/$14M

10. The Big Short- $3.5M/$56M

1/18/2016

Critics' Choice 2016: The Night Belongs To 'Mad Max: Fury Road'


Just a few days after the Academy Award nominations went out, the Broadcast Film Critics Association, of which I am a voting member, got a chance to add their two cents. The 2016 Critics Choice Awards were handed out tonight, the first time ever that the film and television categories were merged into one show, and the big winner was Mad Max: Fury Road with nine victories. The film earned Best Director for George Miller, plus some of the group specific categories like Best Action Movie and Best Actor and Actress in an Action Movie for stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron.

The BFCA took some heat for altering their rules to allow Star Wars: The Force Awakens into the Best Picture race (I thought the fuss was stupid), but in the end it didn't matter. It was Tom McCarthy's journalism drama Spotlight that came out on top, while the film also won for Best Ensemble and Best Original Screenplay. Adam McKay's The Big Short won for Best Comedy, surprisingly coming out on top over Trainwreck, whose star Amy Schumer won Best Actress in a Comedy and was awarded the MVP Award for an amazing 2015. The most honest line of the night was Judd Apatow saying the BFCA created an award just to get her in the building.

Elsewhere on the film side, the acting categories mostly fell in line with the expected Oscar frontrunners. Mostly. Brie Larson won Best Actress for Room, while Leonardo DiCaprio was Best Actor for The Revenant. Neither was there to accept the award, a recurring theme for the evening. But Sylvester Stallone was on hand to accept Best Supporting Actor for Creed, following up on his Golden Globes win. And in a slight surprise it was Alicia Vikander's performance in The Danish Girl that won her Best Supporting Actress. Kate Winslet has been trending as the favorite for Steve Jobs, but this may slow her momentum somewhat.

Check out the entire list of film and TV winners below:

MOVIES

BEST PICTURE
The Big Short
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Sicario
WINNER: Spotlight
BEST ACTOR
Bryan Cranston – Trumbo
Matt Damon – The Martian
Johnny Depp – Black Mass
WINNER: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne – The Danish Girl
BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett – Carol
WINNER: Brie Larson – Room
Jennifer Lawrence – Joy
Charlotte Rampling – 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn
Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Paul Dano – Love & Mercy
Tom Hardy – The Revenant 
Mark Ruffalo – Spotlight
Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon – 99 Homes
WINNER: Sylvester Stallone – Creed
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara – Carol
Rachel McAdams – Spotlight
Helen Mirren – Trumbo
WINNER: Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet – Steve Jobs
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Abraham Attah – Beasts of No Nation
RJ Cyler – Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Shameik Moore – Dope
Milo Parker – Mr. Holmes
WINNER: Jacob Tremblay – Room
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
The Big Short
The Hateful Eight

WINNER: Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Trumbo
BEST DIRECTOR
Todd Haynes – Carol 
Alejandro González Iñárritu – The Revenant 
Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
WINNER: George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
Ridley Scott – The Martian
Steven Spielberg – Bridge of Spies
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen – Bridge of Spies
Alex Garland – Ex Machina
Quentin Tarantino – The Hateful Eight
Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley – Inside Out
WINNER: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
WINNER: Charles Randolph and Adam McKay – The Big Short
Nick Hornby – Brooklyn
Drew Goddard – The Martian
Emma Donoghue – Room
Aaron Sorkin – Steve Jobs
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Carol – Ed Lachman
The Hateful Eight – Robert Richardson
Mad Max: Fury Road – John Seale
The Martian – Dariusz Wolski
WINNER: The Revenant – Emmanuel Lubezki
Sicario – Roger Deakins
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Bridge of Spies – Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo
Brooklyn – François Séguin, Jennifer Oman and Louise Tremblay
Carol – Judy Becker, Heather Loeffler
The Danish Girl – Eve Stewart, Michael Standish
WINNER: Mad Max: Fury Road – Colin Gibson
The Martian – Arthur Max, Celia Bobak
BEST EDITING
The Big Short – Hank Corwin
WINNER: Mad Max: Fury Road – Margaret Sixel
The Martian – Pietro Scalia
The Revenant – Stephen Mirrione
Spotlight – Tom McArdle
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Brooklyn – Odile Dicks-Mireaux
Carol – Sandy Powell
Cinderella – Sandy Powell
The Danish Girl – Paco Delgado
WINNER: Mad Max: Fury Road – Jenny Beavan
BEST HAIR & MAKEUP
Black Mass
Carol
The Danish Girl
The Hateful Eight

WINNER: Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Ex Machina
Jurassic World

WINNER: Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
The Walk
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur

WINNER: Inside Out
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep Movie
BEST ACTION MOVIE
Furious 7
Jurassic World

WINNER: Mad Max: Fury Road
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Sicario
BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Daniel Craig – Spectre
Tom Cruise – Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
WINNER: Tom Hardy – Mad Max: Fury Road
Chris Pratt – Jurassic World
Paul Rudd – Ant-Man
BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Emily Blunt – Sicario
Rebecca Ferguson – Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Bryce Dallas Howard – Jurassic World
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
WINNER: Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST COMEDY
WINNER: The Big Short
Inside Out
Joy
Sisters
Spy
Trainwreck
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
WINNER: Christian Bale – The Big Short
Steve Carell – The Big Short
Robert De Niro – The Intern
Bill Hader – Trainwreck
Jason Statham – Spy
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Tina Fey – Sisters
Jennifer Lawrence – Joy
Melissa McCarthy – Spy
WINNER: Amy Schumer – Trainwreck
Lily Tomlin – Grandma
BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
WINNER: Ex Machina
It Follows
Jurassic World
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Assassin
Goodnight Mommy
Mustang
The Second Mother

WINNER: Son of Saul 
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
WINNER: Amy
Cartel Land
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
He Named Me Malala
The Look of Silence
Where to Invade Next
BEST SONG
Fifty Shades of Grey – “Love Me Like You Do”
WINNER: Furious 7 – “See You Again”
The Hunting Ground – “Til It Happens To You”
Love & Mercy – “One Kind of Love”
Spectre – “Writing’s on the Wall”
Youth – “Simple Song #3”
BEST SCORE
Carol – Carter Burwell
WINNER: The Hateful Eight – Ennio Morricone
The Revenant – Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto
Sicario – Johann Johannsson
Spotlight – Howard Shore

TELEVISION

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Anthony Anderson – Black-ish – ABC
Aziz Ansari – Master of None – Netflix
Will Forte – The Last Man on Earth – Fox
Randall Park – Fresh Off the Boat – ABC
Fred Savage – The Grinder – Fox
WINNER: Jeffrey Tambor – Transparent – Amazon
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Hugh Dancy – Hannibal – NBC
WINNER: Rami Malek – Mr. Robot – USA
Clive Owen – The Knick – Cinemax
Liev Schreiber – Ray Donovan – Showtime
Justin Theroux – The Leftovers – HBO
Aden Young – Rectify – Sundance
BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
Wes Bentley – American Horror Story: Hotel – FX Networks
Martin Clunes – Arthur & George – PBS
WINNER: Idris Elba – Luther – BBC America
Oscar Isaac – Show Me a Hero – HBO
Vincent Kartheiser – Saints & Strangers – National Geographic Channel
Patrick Wilson – Fargo – FX Networks
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
WINNER: Rachel Bloom – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – The CW
Aya Cash – You’re the Worst – FX Networks
Wendi McLendon-Covey – The Goldbergs – ABC
Gina Rodriguez – Jane the Virgin – The CW
Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish – ABC
Constance Wu – Fresh Off the Boat – ABC
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Shiri Appleby – UnREAL – Lifetime
WINNER: Carrie Coon – The Leftovers – HBO
Viola Davis – How to Get Away With Murder – ABC
Eva Green – Penny Dreadful – Showtime
Taraji P. Henson – Empire – Fox
Krysten Ritter – Jessica Jones – Netflix
BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
Kathy Bates – American Horror Story: Hotel – FX Networks
WINNER: Kirsten Dunst – Fargo – FX Networks
Sarah Hay – Flesh and Bone – Starz
Alyvia Alyn Lind – Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors – NBC
Rachel McAdams – True Detective – HBO
Shanice Williams – The Wiz Live! – NBC
BEST COMEDY SERIES
Black-ish – ABC
Catastrophe – Amazon
Jane the Virgin – The CW
WINNER: Master of None – Netflix
The Last Man on Earth – Fox
Transparent – Amazon
You’re the Worst – FX Networks
BEST DRAMA SERIES
Empire – Fox
WINNER: Mr. Robot – USA
Penny Dreadful – Showtime
Rectify – Sundance
The Knick – Cinemax
The Leftovers – HBO
UnREAL – Lifetime
BEST GUEST ACTOR/ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ellen Burstyn – Mom – CBS
Anjelica Huston – Transparent – Amazon
Cherry Jones – Transparent – Amazon
Jenifer Lewis – Black-ish – ABC
WINNER: Timothy Olyphant – The Grinder – Fox
John Slattery – Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp – Netflix
BEST GUEST ACTOR/ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Richard Armitage – Hannibal – NBC
Justin Kirk – Manhattan – WGN America
Patti LuPone – Penny Dreadful – Showtime
WINNER: Margo Martindale – The Good Wife – CBS
Marisa Tomei – Empire – Fox
B.D. Wong – Mr. Robot – USA
BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
Childhood’s End – Syfy
WINNER: Fargo – FX Networks
Luther – BBC America
Saints & Strangers – National Geographic Channel
Show Me a Hero – HBO
The Wiz Live! – NBC
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES 
WINNER: Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine – Fox
Jaime Camil – Jane the Virgin – The CW
Jay Duplass – Transparent – Amazon
Neil Flynn – The Middle – ABC
Keegan-Michael Key – Playing House – USA
Mel Rodriguez – Getting On – HBO
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES 
Clayne Crawford – Rectify – Sundance
Christopher 
Eccleston – The Leftovers – HBO
Andre Holland – The Knick – 
Cinemax
Jonathan Jackson – Nashville – ABC
Rufus Sewell – The Man in the High Castle – Amazon 

WINNER: Christian Slater – Mr. Robot – USA
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES 
David Alan 
Grier – The Wiz Live! – NBC 
Ne-Yo – The Wiz Live! – NBC
Nick 
Offerman – Fargo – FX Networks
WINNER: Jesse 
Plemons – Fargo – FX Networks 
Raoul Trujillo – Saints & Strangers – National Geographic Channel 
Bokeem Woodbine – Fargo – FX Networks
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES 
WINNER: Mayim Bialik – The Big Bang Theory – CBS
Kether Donohue – You’re the Worst – FX Networks
Allison Janney – Mom – CBS
Judith Light – Transparent – Amazon
Niecy Nash – Getting On – HBO
Eden Sher – The Middle – ABC
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES 
Ann Dowd – The Leftovers – HBO
Regina King – The Leftovers – HBO Helen
McCrory – Penny Dreadful – Showtime
Hayden Panettiere – Nashville – ABC
Maura Tierney – The Affair – Showtime
WINNER: Constance Zimmer – UnREAL – Lifetime
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES 
Mary J. Blige – The Wiz Live! – NBC
Laura Haddock – Luther – BBC America
Cristin Milioti – Fargo – FX Networks
Sarah Paulson – American Horror Story: Hotel – FX Networks
Winona Ryder – Show Me a Hero – HBO
WINNER: Jean Smart – Fargo – FX Networks
BEST ANIMATION SERIES 
Bob’s Burgers - Fox 

WINNER: BoJack Horseman - Netflix
South Park - Comedy Central
Star Wars Rebels - Disney XD
The Simpsons - Fox
BEST REALITY SHOW - COMPETITION 
Chopped - Food Network
Face Off - 
Syfy 
MasterChef Junior - Fox
Survivor - CBS
The Amazing Race - CBS 

WINNER: The Voice - NBC
BEST REALITY SHOW HOST 
Ted Allen - Chopped - Food Network
Phil 
Keoghan - The Amazing Race - CBS
WINNER: James Lipton - Inside the Actors Studio - Bravo
Jane Lynch - Hollywood Game Night - NBC
Jeff 
Probst - Survivor - CBS
Gordon Ramsay - Hell’s Kitchen - Fox B
BEST STRUCTURED REALITY SHOW 
Antiques Roadshow - PBS
Inside The Actors Studio - Bravo
MythBusters - Discovery
Project Greenlight - HBO
WINNER: Shark Tank - ABC
Undercover Boss - CBS
BEST TALK SHOW 
Jimmy Kimmel Live! - ABC
WINNER: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - HBO
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - Comedy Central
The Graham Norton Show - BBC America
The Late Late Show with James 
Corden - CBS
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon - NBC
BEST UNSTRUCTURED REALITY SHOW 
WINNER: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown - CNN
Cops - Spike
Deadliest Catch - Discovery
Intervention - A&E
Naked and Afraid - Discovery
Pawn Stars - History

MVP Award: Amy Schumer