Denzel Washington’s ‘Flight’ Exceeds Opening Expectations

NEW YORK (AP) — The weekend box office was not only undeterred by the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, it was buoyed by it.

Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph” opened strongly with $49.1 million and Robert Zemeckis’ “Flight,” starring Denzel Washington, soared to a $25 million debut. Both opened above expectations, capitalizing on East Coast audiences looking for distraction amid the recovery from the storm.

“Wreck-It Ralph,” a 3-D animated family film about a video game villain who tries to break free of his role, is the largest box-office opening ever for Walt Disney Animation, which has produced countless cartoon classics (though doesn’t include Disney’s lucrative Pixar Animation).

Though the storm had forced the closure of hundreds of movie theaters in the New York, New Jersey area, most were open for business by the weekend. As many as 100 theaters were still closed on Friday, but many of those were restored during the weekend.

“We didn’t really have a playbook for this,” said Hollywood.com box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “But the numbers show that audiences across the country, and particularly in the Northeast, wanted to go to the movies and they did.”

With many East Coast children out of school on Friday, Disney saw an uptick of business for Friday matinees to the well-reviewed “Wreck-It Ralph.”

“‘Wreck-It Ralph’ became something of a distraction and an opportunity for families to do something separate of the storm,” said Dave Hollis, Disney’s head of distribution. “Schools being shut down on Friday also played a role as parents were looking for things to entertain the kids and keep them out of the cold.”

Paramount’s “Flight,” which had a smaller opening — 1,884 theaters, or about half the number of “Wreck-It Ralph” — might have been expected to be more harmed by Sandy, considering adult dramas generally depend heavily on the New York City market. But the film, which has found critical raves and Oscar buzz, proved particularly enticing to moviegoers, many of whom were surely pulled in by the star power of Washington, who plays an airline pilot of both heroic skill and debilitating alcoholism.

“When you look up his filmography — it doesn’t matter whether it was yesterday or 20 years ago — Denzel opens movies,” said Paramount distribution head Don Harris.

Harris said the studio counted only about 15 theaters lost to “Flight” due to power outages.

Aside from the draw of Washington, “Flight” is also the first live-action film in 12 years for Zemeckis. The director, whose films include the “Back to the Future” trilogy and “Cast Away,” had spent the last decade on performance-capture animated films like “The Polar Express” and “A Christmas Carol.” Harris called the return “spectacular” and said: “It’s almost like: Where have you been?”

Ben Affleck’s Iran hostage tale “Argo,” in its fourth week of release, expanded to 2,774 theaters. The Warner Bros. film added $10.2 million, bringing its cumulative gross to $75.9 million — a healthy haul for a film expected to be in the thick of the Oscar hunt.

The Universal kung fu flick “The Man With the Iron Fists,” directed by RZA of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, opened with a debut of $8.2 million.

Overseas, the James Bond film “Skyfall” continued to dominate. It took in $156 million over the weekend bringing its international total to $287 million. The film opens in North America on Friday.

The strong box-office weekend — up 21 percent from the same weekend last year — bodes well for Hollywood ahead of the arrival of “Skyfall” and the upcoming holiday movie season.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Wreck-It Ralph,” $49.1 million.

2. “Flight,” $25 million.

3. “Argo,” $10.2 million.

4. “The Man With the Iron Fists,” $10.2 million.

5. “Taken 2,” $6 million.

6. “Cloud Atlas,” $5.3 million.

7. “Hotel Transylvania,” $4.5 million.

8. “Paranormal Activity 4,” $4.3 million.

9. “Here Comes the Boom,” $3.6 million.

10. “Silent Hill: Revelation,” $3.3 million.

Jay-Z to Perform at Obama Rally in Ohio

Jay-Z will join President Barack Obama in Ohio on Monday (November 5) at rallies in Columbus, Ohio and Des Moines, Iowa where the Brooklyn rapper will perform and help boost voter turnout in the battleground states. Rocker Bruce Springsteen will also join the pair in Columbus, as will First Lady Michelle Obama. Last month, Hov opened the doors to his 40/40 Club to hold a fundraiser for Obama.

Keri Hilson Faints On Plane, Makes Full Recovery

Keri Hilson is the latest celeb to endure a scary health crisis mid-flight. The songstress took to Twitter to share the details of her frightening ordeal. 

The 29-year-old star was on board a flight to the US from China when she lost consciousness. When she finally awoke, the singer was so sick that she couldn't keep her food down. 

"I fainted on my flight. then I threw up. I'm fine now," Hilson wrote. 

Hilson blames her health scare on a lack of sleep. "I just need real rest…haven't had more than 3.5 hours of sleep in 48 hours," she tweeted. 

Hilson is safe and sound back at home now. She's the third star in recent months that has become ill while aboard an airplane.  RappersRick Ross and Lil Wayne both suffered seizures mid-flight over the past year.

HURRICANE SANDY CAUSES STATUE OF LIBERTY TO CLOSE DOWN INDEFINITELY

It looks like Lady Liberty took an L this week, like the rest of the Atlantic Seaboard, due to Hurricane Sandy.

According to the New York Daily News, the Statue of Liberty is closed indefinitely after the hurricane’s massive storm surge flooded it out.

National Parks Service spokeswoman Mindy Rambo confirms that both the Statue and its neighboring Ellis Islandwere victims of Sandy's record high water levels. Rambo adds, “There was water damage to the Statue of Liberty site. We will not know until the team is through exactly how long the site will be closed.”

Thankfully, there was no reported physical damage to the statue and no water damage to the landmark Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Federal inspectors were expected to appear at the two island sites yesterday to conduct a full assessment of any possible infrastructure problems.

This comes just a week after the Statue of Liberty reopened for visits after a $30 million refurbishing.

Game – "Holy Water" [LISTEN/DOWNLOAD]

The Game brings us the second installment of his #SundayService series with the aptly titled "Holy Water." Don't expect any religious epiphanies on this track, though. The Game instead spits about a world filled with sinful vices and the luxuries that come with them.

"Celebration" producer Sap laced the track with hard hitting drums and a hypnotic sample that immediately captivates listeners. Despite its quality, "Holy Water" will not appear on Game's already controversial forthcoming LP Jesus Piece, which  hits shelves December 11.

Listen to and download "Holy Water" below.

Foxx, Wonder among stars honoring Eddie Murphy

LOS ANGELES (AP) — However riotous the Eddie Murphy stories from Arsenio Hall, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler and Russell Brand, the highlight of Spike TV's tribute to Murphy was the comedian's duet with Stevie Wonder.

Murphy joined the subject of one of his most classic impressions for a rousing rendition of Wonder's 1973 hit "Higher Ground" during the taping of the Spike TV special "Eddie Murphy: One Night Only," which is set to air Nov. 14. The Roots served as the house band.

Jamie Foxx, Tyler Perry, Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock and Keenan Ivory Wayans were also among those paying tribute to Murphy Saturday at the Saban Theater.

Accompanied by a pretty blonde, Murphy beamed throughout the two-hour program, saying he was touched by the tribute.

"I am a very, very bitter man," he said with a beguiling smile. "I don't get touched easily, and I am really touched."

Morgan called Murphy "my comic hero" and came onstage wearing a replica of Murphy's red leather suit from his standup show "Delirious."

"He set the tone for the whole industry a long time ago," Morgan said before taking the stage. "He inspired me in a fearless way."

Sandler was still in high school when he first saw "Delirious," which he described as "one of the most legendary standup specials of all time."

"Everybody on the planet wanted to be Eddie," he said. "He funnier than us. He's cooler than any of us."

Samuel L. Jackson said Murphy "changed the course of American film history" by giving Jackson his first speaking role on the big screen, in 1988's "Coming to America."

"If it weren't for Eddie, we might not have all the wonderful films that I've made," Jackson quipped.

"He is a true movie star," Jackson continued, lauding Murphy's performance in "48 Hours" and "Beverly Hills Cop." ''You became an inspiration for all young African-American actors."

The program featured clips of Murphy's standup shows, his film appearances in "Shrek" and "Nutty Professor" and his work on "Saturday Night Live."

Murphy insisted before the tribute that he is retired from performing.

"I'm just a retired old song and dance man," he said, adding that he only makes rare appearances these days. "That's what you do when you're retired: You come out every now and then and talk about the old days."

The 51-year-old entertainer took the stage at the conclusion of the tribute to say he was moved by the honor.

"This is really a touching moving thing, and I really appreciate it," he said. "You know what it's like when you have something like this? You know when they sing happy birthday to you? It's like that for, like, two hours... and I am Eddied out."

NEW "HIGH-FREE" MARIJUANA BEING ADMINISTERED IN ISRAEL

Marijuana. Cannabis. Weed. The Sticky Icky. Mary Jane. No matter what you call it, one thing is for sure it will get you high as a kite ... until now.

Scientists in Israel -- a country where marijuana is an illegal drug, mind you -- have invented a new strand of medical marijuana without the psychoactive THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) that creates the high one usually gets after smoking a joint or ripping a bong. How did they do it? Cross-breeding. The lab coats at Tikun Olam in northern Israel removed the THC so the plant had a higher concentration of another cannabinoid called cannabidiol (CBD), a" very non-toxic" anti-inflammatory, which is doctor speak for pain relief.

Medicinal marijuanas prime purpose is to alleviate pain, most often for those diagnosed with cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. Medical marijuana beneficiaries range in age -- they can be old folks, children or those who work. Scientists say the new CBD-enriched cannabis strand would help those patients and let them go about their daily life without the pain and without the confusion and fuzzy-headedness associated with the buzz marijuana leaves.

While some protest changing weed's components, the new strand may also allow the ban on medical marijuana in some places to be changed.

[Via http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20189347]