Singer Patti Austin at the press conference for 'One Heart, One Voice'', her New Year's Eve concert at Fairmont Hotel in Makati. (Teddy Pelaez/InterAksyon)
After a successful fund-raising concert with Lea Salonga, Martin Nievera and Richard Merk at Solaire Resort & Casino last December 29, Grammy-winning pop, R&B and jazz singer Patti Austin celebrated New Year’s eve with another benefit show for the survivors of typhoon Yolanda at Fairmont Hotel in Makati.
The show, dubbed “One Heart, One Voice”, was held at the Fairmont’s Raffles Ballroom. It also featured Richard Merk, Emcy Corteza and the Sticky Band.
In a press conference to promote her Fairmont show, the 63-year-old singer born in Harlem, New York expressed how much she enjoys coming back and forth to the Philippines, a country she has been visiting since 1973.
“I’m always happy to come here. Last time I was here was only last September and before that was 10 years ago. Every time I’m here in your country, I see a lot of gradual improvement, a lot of progress,” she declared.
Patti was, however, heartbroken to hear about the devastation that the recent calamities, especially typhoon Yolanda, had left in their wake. Which is why she decided to take a more active role in personally helping rehabilitate the survivors.
In addition to donating part of the proceeds of her Solaire and Fairmont concerts, Patti will personally lead a continuing effort to design and build houses in Tacloban through Habitat For Humanity. During the press conference, Patti said she was particularly concerned with giving more than just empty houses and hopes to get acquainted with some of the typhoon survivors before she returns to the US.
Beginning her career in the 1960s as a session singer for the label of her godfather Quincy Jones, Patti released her debut album in 1976 and continues to record to this day.
Over the years, she scored several hits with songs like “Say You Love Me”, “What’s at the End of a Rainbow”, “Rhythm of the Street”, “All Behind Us Now”, her jazzed-up covers of the Stylistics’ “Stop Look Listen” and the Platters’ “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and, of course, her smash duets with James Ingram, “How Do You Keep The Music Playing” and their US number one, “Baby Come To Me”.
Asked if she has ever done these duets with other people, Patti said she only prefers to do it with her original recording partner. When Ingram is not around, Patti would sing his parts just like how he did in the record.
“I try not to do those songs with other people. I tried ‘Baby Come To Me’ a couple of times with someone else, it’s just not the same thing so I don’t even bother. James would always tease me, ‘You do me better than I do me, I don’t know how that’s possible’ so there’s also a comedic effect to it,” she quipped.
Patti said Martin Nievera actually asked her if she wanted to do those duets with him.
“I told him I don’t do them for a specific reason and you’ll know the reason when you watch the show. After he saw me sing ‘Baby Come To Me’, he was just cracking up. Okay, I get it, he said,” she said, smiling.
As for “How Do You Keep The Music Playing”, the singer said it was originally intended for her to sing alone for the movie “Best Friends” starring Goldie Hawn and Burt Reynolds.
“After I recorded it alone, it was decided that it should be created as a duet that would be used in the middle part. But that wasn’t the original intention,” she revealed.
Asked how much she remembers about the 1980s when she had her greatest success, Patti said even she was surprised that she didn’t remember much of the period when she was still in her 30s.
“I don’t remember a whole heck of a lot being in my 30s. It’s probably a nondescript period in my life and it’s funny because in retrospect, they’ve been the most highly visible portion of my life. I was too busy to be highly visible to pay attention to what it was,” she joked.
“I remember much more from 40 onwards and 30 down but my 30s are just kind of a blur. There’s something about your 30s that’s kind of a waiting period until you become a complete person. I don’t recall a lot about it. I’m happy to say that it ended soon and I’m back in the real world.”
Patti Austin during rehearsals for her Solaire concert last December 29. (Photo courtesy of Aileen Siwa)
With regards to spending New Year’s eve outside of her home country, Patti said it was not a totally new experience for her.
“I’ve been doing New Year’s eve shows since I was in my 20s and none of it has ever been where I live. What’s my memorable New Year’s eve show? Nobody remembers their New Year’s eve. It’s New Year’s eve, most people are drunk. It’s not to be remembered. You just blur and block everything out,” she cracked.
There is one particularly one New Year’s eve that she won’t forget, though.
“I wasn’t performing so I decided I was going to act like a tourist and go to Times Square on New Year’s Eve. I live in Manhattan so I never really go to Times Square, the Empire State building, the Statue of Liberty, the Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie Hall. I mean, I live there. But that one time, I decided to go to Times Square,” she recalled.
“It was an interesting experience, thousands of drunk people screaming at each other. It was very strange standing for hours trying to get a cab after it was all over, though. I can’t forget that experience.”
(Illustration by Rod Cañalita)
I always like starting the year with jokes and laughter. Positive energy spreads fast and we can never get enough of good vibes!
Giselle Sanchez as the Salaminkera: “Pasensya na kayo at late ako. Kasi naman alam niyo naman ang Lola Salaminkera niyo, jet setter! Bawat bansa na napuntahan ko, iba’t-iba ang culture, tradition at rituals. But one thing is really common – pagdating ng season ng Christmas at New Year, everyone’s so busy! Pagpatak palang ng ‘Ber’ months, grabe na ang mga tao – shopping dito, shopping doon, sale doon, sale dito! Sino ba naman ang hindi matataranta? At tayong mga babae, shop till you drop talaga! ’Yung iba nga wala naman pera pero nag-sho-shopping. Ang tawag naman dun, shoplifting! Don’t do that ha, that’s bad!
“Tapos siyempre lahat ng kababaihan busy na din decorating their houses with lights, Christmas decor, pagpapa-bongga ng Christmas tree, gift wrapping. Makikita mo how us girls are great wrappers – tinalo pa nila si Eminem at Andrew E!
“Nakakaloka talaga! Pagdating pa mismo ng Christmas Eve, sila ang nagluto, maghahanda, mag-aasikaso ng kanyang family: Anak, asawa, kapatid, kahit kapitbahay inaasikaso! Naha-haggard, chuma-chaka, nawawala sa sarili. Kung baga pagod na pagod! Ang tanong na lang is how will you handle and can you survive without being losyang and stay fit and pretty for 2014? Let me tell you one story… I saw this lady and mukha siyang pagod na pagod sa kaka-shopping, OMG! Sa sobrang pagod niya, nakatulog siya (sa jeep) and nakalabas ’yung dibdib niya! Luckily may mabait na guy na ginising siya: ‘Miss, Miss, ’yung dibdib mo nakalabas.’ She freaked out and shouted, ‘WAAAAAH!!! Nasaan ang baby ko? Nasaan ang baby ko?!’ She was breastfeeding her baby pala and she lost him!
“Ito pa, there was a bachelorette who likes to attend parties, puyat dito, puyat doon. One time, she attended this Christmas costume party, she dressed up as an elf, she wore a green outfit… and guess what? She won! Naloka lang siya when they announced, ‘And the winner is The Grinch!’ She cried out, ‘Hindi ako Grinch! Duwende ako, duwende!’ Sa sobrang hiya niya, lumipat siya ng party. Another costume party. This time, hindi siya nag-costume and she didn’t wear any makeup. OMG, she was so pale, parang labanos; halatang puyat lagi and kulang sa dugo. And guess what? She won again as best-looking snowman! Masakit dun, napagkamalan siyang lalake. Okay lang daw sana kung snowgirl, pero ’yung snowman? Grabe ’yun!
“There was this girl naman who went caroling: ‘Jengel bills jengel bills, jengel ol da weeee!’ Then lumabas ang maybahay and said, ‘Ang galeng naman magkanta nemu, anung pangalan mo?’ The girl said, ‘I’m Disi.’ Sabi ng maybahay, ‘Galeng mu Disi!’ Then she said, ‘No, no, no, I’m Disi!’ Biglang natumba ’yung babae. Ah, DIZZY pala! Akala nung maybahay DAISY!”
Alam niyo girls, dapat lagi tayong focused sa lahat ng bagay, kasi it can save our lives… ’Yan ang epekto ’pag sobrang pagod ka… Hindi rason ang busy season at kahit ano pa mang okasyon para pabayaan ang sarili niyo. I wish you all a happy Happy New Year!
Robin Padilla in a scene from '10000 Hours'.
No, they’re not dead last.
That’s what Neil Arce, one of the producers of “10000 Hours” told InterAksyon in response to reports (link: http://www.interaksyon.com/entertainment/video-despite-sweeping-mmff-awards-10000-hours-dead-last-in-box-office-race/) that the film is doing poorly in the box office even after it swept the recent Metro Manila Film Festival awards last December 27.
“Please check box office tally we have never gone below fifth place from day 1,” Arce said in a tweet to this writer.
A representative of the Metro Manila Development Authority which organizes the annual year-end film festival, however, said that their office only releases the festival’s total gross and the four top-grossing films.
In a text message to InterAksyon, MMDA planning officer Ria Anne Rubia, who is also the communications and coordination officer of the MMFF, said that as of Monday, December 30, the filmfest had already grossed P517 million with the top 4 grossing films still consisting of “My Little Bossings”, “Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy”, “Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay” and “Kimmy Dora: Ang Kiyemeng Prequel”.
As the MMFF tweeted last Christmas Day, the individual box office numbers for each film were not released to the public. All leaked figures did not come from the MMDA and are not considered as official.
“I also don’t have the official numbers. But we’ve been informed that we have been on the 5th spot since the first day,” Arce said in another tweet in reference to the box office standing of “10000 Hours” to date.
Aside from co-producing the MMFF’s Best Picture, Arce himself also won the Best Story award for “10000 Hours” along with Peter Serrano, Boy 2 Quizon and Arce’s girlfriend, actress Bela Padilla, who herself was nominated for Best Actress for the same film.
Luke Evans and Orlando Bloom in a scene from 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug'.
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK | “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the special-effects-laden tale that pits dwarfs against a dragon, blasted to its third consecutive box office title, collecting $29.9 million over the post-Christmas weekend to beat newcomers “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”
Walt Disney’s animated film “Frozen” was second with ticket sales of $28.8 million in its third week, ahead of Will Ferrell’s quirky comedy “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” that collected $20.2 million at domestic theaters.
“American Hustle,” which reunited director David O. Russell with his “Silver Linings Playbook” stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, was fourth with $19.6 million in ticket sales at theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates. Sony, the distributor of “American Hustle,” also said it had grossed $62 million worldwide as of this weekend.
Director Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” was fifth with $18.5 million after finishing a close second to “The Hobbit” on Christmas Day, according to estimates compiled by Rentrak. The nearly three hour movie received good reviews but registered only a “C” rating from CinemaScore, a site that measures audience reaction.
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second of three movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel, has collected more than $190 million in ticket sales since its December 13 release, according to Rentrak. Its worldwide sales total more than $614 million, according to distributor Warner Bros.
“47 Ronin, the Keanu Reeves samurai adventure film that Universal Pictures made for $175 million, opened with $9.9 million in ticket sales. That was on par with the industry’s $17 million to $20 million projections for total ticket sales of $20.6 million since its Christmas Day release.
On December 24, Reuters reported that Universal, a unit of cable giant Comcast Corp, had taken unspecified writedowns when it became apparent the film would not take in the amounts it had spent to make and market it.
Nikki Rocco, president for domestic distribution at Universal Pictures, acknowledged that the opening of “47 Ronin” was disappointing, but said the studio would move on to greener pastures regardless of the film’s performance.
“Of course it’s very disappointing and you don’t want to open a picture at this level, but exit polls are decent and we think it will find its way,” Rocco said.
“The Wolf of Wall Street,” which stars Leonardo DiCaprio in the biographical story of a drug-snorting Wall Street scam artist, sold $18.5 million worth of tickets after critics gave it generally positive reviews. The film and DiCaprio have both been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” which stars and was directed by Ben Stiller, collected $13 million in ticket sales. The film was first developed in the early 1990s, and for a while Steven Spielberg was signed to direct it. Fox cast Stiller in the title role in 2011.
This year is set to surpass 2012 as a record year for the box office by nearly 1 percent, according to Rentrak. Total gross sales were $10,811,701,260 billion in 2012, while 2013 is on track to exceed $10.9 billion.
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” was distributed by Fox, a unit of 21st Century Fox.
“Frozen” was released by Walt Disney Co.”American Hustle” was distributed by Sony.
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” was released by Warner Brothers, a unit of Time Warner Inc.
“Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” were distributed by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom.
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” was released by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.
“47 Ronin” was released by Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp.
Joyce Bernal didn’t make any promises to her producers that “10,000 Hours,” one of the entries to the ongoing 39th Metro Manila Film Festival, would be as successful as it has become. But the film took home most of the coveted awards including the Best Director for her, Best Actor for her lead actor Robin Padilla and the Best Picture and the FPJ Memorial Award for Film Excellence and the Gat Puno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award for her producers!
She is hopeful that the awards would now draw in moviegoers so her producers would make money.
So what worked in the movie’s favor? All the goals and intentions of the people involved, from Joyce to lead star Robin as well as all the producers, to produce a good movie!
Another factor could be the relationship between the filmmaker and the action star, which started with movies they worked on together – from “Tunay na Tunay, Gets Mo” and “Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw” and “Buhay Kamao,” to “Pagdating Ng Panahon.” The evolution of their relationship was also witnessed by televiewers when they were reunited via ABS-CBN’s soap-opera “Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw.”
Robin’s bid to showcase his thespian skills in “10,000 Hours” was a success. Watching the film, it was hard to bend one’s preconceived notion of the actor as a rough, tough action hero. But as the scenes go on, Robin becomes his character Sen. Gabriel Alcaraz, the fictional character inspired and based on Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. In fact, he was “Sen. Lacson” throughout the movie, playing the role intelligently.
But Robin the action hero gets to shine too particularly in some of the movie’s more thrilling scenes. Indeed, his “actions” in “10,000 Hours” spoke a thousand words of his growth and maturity as an actor. (More of this new Robin could be savored in his upcoming film in 2014 on the Kuratong Baleleng gang.
As to how important Joyce was to his development as an actor, Robin, again, at the grand press conference of “10,000 Hours” explained “Si Joyce lang ang pwedeng magbalik ng ningning ng action. Isang katulad niya ang nakakaintindi ng puso ng mga masa kasi ‘yung aming golden age of action iba na ang action ngayon…si direk Joyce pala talagang taga-UP, talaga palang rebolusyonaryo ito. Naniniwala ako na sa bawat dialogue ni Gabriel Alcaraz sa pelikulang ito nanggagaling din sa ilalim ng puso ni direk Joyce.”
It was hard at first to imagine that Joyce actually helmed “10,000 Hours” as action-packed as it is. In her first full-feature action film, Joyce showcased some Hollywood movie-making styles. And it wouldn’t be surprising if she’s bound to direct more explosive and high-budgeted action movies in the near future.
As Joyce explained, she got her knack for the action genre movies working for action film directors when she was just starting in the movie industry.
Passing on the chance to direct the third “Kimmy Dora” movie and “My Little Bosings” was all worth it given the awards “10,000 Hours” received.
Lastly, Neal Arce, one of the producers said that their intention was “manalo ng awards na hindi binabayaran.”
But the awards were paid and dearly so through the hard work of the cast and crew who did everything to produce a Filipino film worth watching.
Besides, if you’re curious to what really happened to Sen. Panfilo Lacson, when he disappeared from the country some years back, this is the closest one can get to knowing about it, unless of course, Sen. Lacson writes and publishes a no-holds barred tale of his experience!
“10,000 Hours” is still showing in theaters nationwide.
Arnel Pineda (Photo from Reuters)
Arnel Pineda is apparently open on the idea of being part – and possibly even sitting as coach – of “The Voice of the Philippines.”
“On-going pa rin ’yung talks dahil sa sched. Pero ’pag uubra ako, I’ll be honored to do it,” Arnel related in an interview with ABS-CBN News when asked if he would join the local edition of the reality singing competition.
The Journey front man has been quite productive during his stay here in the country, which included several television appearances, particularly on “The Voice PH” and the variety show “ASAP 18.”
Nevertheless, Arnel announced that he will soon be leaving the country for a global tour with Journey.
“Siguro itong 2014, bibista kami sa North America at baka Asia. At by 2015, baka mga Europe, South America,” he revealed.
Journey to giving back
Meanwhile, Arnel also took time to share his blessings to several less-fortunate families recently.
“Dahil sa swerteng tinanggap ko galing sa Diyos, parang na-empower ako gumawa ng paraan para naman mag-give back ako sa mga kababayan,” he said.
The 46-year-old vocalist distributed gift bags to some underprivileged households in Marikina on Thursday, through his non-profit organization Arnel Pineda Foundation, Inc. (AFPI).
“Ang scheme talaga naming (AFPI), ang puso naming, ay pagtulong sa mga street kids. To educate them through free education courtesy of our volunteer teachers,” he explained.
Arnel also went to Leyte and Cebu earlier this month to deliver aid to the victims of super-typhoon “Yolanda.”
Patti Austin
She has visited the Philippines several times in the past since the ’80s but Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Patti Austin never get tired coming over to perform for her Pinoy fans. The Philippine audience has a special place in her heart, she said in an email interview, because she finds them “lovable, loving and enthusiastic.”
“If they love you, it means they know how to sing every song you’ve ever recorded and they can and will sing them on stage if you ask them to. If the Philippine audience loves you, they’ll love you forever. So every time I could hardly wait to get to Manila to experience this kind of love again.”
This time around Patti is performing for a good cause – to help raise funds for victims of super-typhoon “Yolanda,” which left countless Filipinos in Western Visayas homeless. Because of this, Patti will be singing gratis et amore upon the invitation of Ms. Roni Tapia-Merk, the promoter/producer of Patti’s dinner concert “Brand New Day” to be held on Dec. 29 at the Solaire Resort & Casino.
As special guests, “Brand New Day” will feature Ms. Lea Salonga and Martin Nievera, with whom Patti said she’s very excited to be working again; as well as Richard Merk and with other local RnB and jazz artists. Front act is the Poppin’ Jazz led by Emcy Corteza. Patti will also be singing with the 30-member Tala Choir.
During the concert, pre-recorded messages from international singers and actors will be shown on the large screens in Solaire’s Grand Ballroom.
“Brand New Day” is presented by Solaire Resort & Casino, Patti Austin, Barry Oms, Laurelmedia Company in association with Baruch Gayton Entertainment, Philippine Airlines, PLDT Fibr, Department of Tourism, Radio High 105.9 and Energy FM.
On Dec. 31, Patti will topbill “One Heart One Voice,” a New Year concert, at Fairmont Raffles Hotel in Makati City. The New Year’s Eve countdown will have the Sticky Band led by Rudy Lozano, Richard Merk, Jacqui Magno and Emcy Corteza as performers.
Surviving Strife
With Patti coming over to help raise funds for victims of calamities, she was asked if she ever encountered or experienced natural or man-made calamities. She said yes, “I have endured quite a few calamities in the US. The first that comes to my mind is the Kennedy assassination. I was 13 then and I was hanging decorations in my junior high school auditorium when someone ran in and said ‘the president has been shot!’ We said it’s not funny and for her to stop joking. But we realized later that she wasn’t. When I went home, I found my mom crying. We cried together for a while.”
Patti recalled that the next five years had seen other famous persons murdered in the US, among them Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and Bobby Kennedy.
As to natural calamities, “I have endured Mother Nature’s wrath too,” Patti said. “The first was in 1994, when Northridge, California was hit by an earthquake 6.7 on the Richter Scale, I came from New York where I reside and had just gotten into my room a couple of hours when the earthquake happened. I experienced another earthquake in 1996, this time in Garrison, New York.”
And then 9/11 happened. Patti said she was invited to perform at Madison Square Garden in New York on the 30th anniversary (in show business) of Michael Jackson on Sept. 10. After that, Patti wanted to go back home to San Francisco where she was residing at the time the following day. But when she called up the producer David Guest to tell him that she had made reservations to go home on the morning of Sept. 11 on Flight 93, David asked her to come on the Sept. 7 show instead. He understood Patti’s desire not to be away from her mother for a long time even though she had a great caregiver from the Philippines (her mom had suffered a stroke a month and a half before 9/11).
So when 9/11 happened, Patti was home watching the tragic event on television with her mother. Flight 93 crashed and she shuddered to recall that was supposed to be on that flight.
It’s no wonder Patti feels a lot of compassion for calamity sufferers because she has experienced and endured the pain of being in the middle of it all.
Regine Velasquez (Photo by Mikee Delizo)
Regine Velasquez was beset with problems this year, including her father having been hospitalized for sometime.
The singer acknowledged that her bout with seeming negativity “overshadowed” some of the more beautiful things that happened in her life in 2013.
“Hindi ko alam kung ano ‘yung magandang bagay na nangyari sa akin, marami naman, kaya lang minsan nao-overshadow ng panget ‘yung maganda so, parang, hindi ko maisip kung ano ‘yung maganda,” she told Bulletin Entertainment. “That’s very human.”
Among blessings she is thankful for was her father’s eventual recovery as with the two concerts she staged this year – the repeat of her 25th anniversary “Silver” concert and the “Foursome” Valentine’s Day concert with Ogie Alcasid, Pops Fernandez and Martin Nievera, which she considers highlights of her career:
Regine says she doesn’t expect anything big for 2014, saying that she doesn’t want to preempt fate. If anything, she tries to remain optimistic even as she continues to pray for the best.
“I’m just looking forward period.
“Parang right now sa sitwasyon natin parang that’s all we need lang. You just look ahead and keep praying. Kasi hindi naman natin alam what’s gonna happen in the future. You just have to keep praying, looking forward and be positive,” she said.
While admitting that she often looks back to what happened over the year, Regine avoids harboring any regret reasoning that “it’s not gonna change anything.”
She explains, “‘Di ba you keep regretting na ‘Sana hindi ko na ginawa ‘yon.’ Nabago ba? Hindi naman. So, parang you just feel guilty.”
The cast of ’10,000 Hours’ led by Robin Padilla (center) during the Parade of Stars for the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) (Photo by Ali Vicoy)
The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is enjoying its best year so far, breaking records in terms of gross earnings in its 39th year.
The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reported a two-day income of P234 million, with P134 million earned on opening day (Dec. 25) and an additional P100 million earned on the second day.
MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said that this year’s opening-day gross is 23% higher compared to 2012’s P105 million. The second-day earnings he added, are 34% higher than last year.
While the exact figures concerning each entries have yet to be determined, comedy flicks “My Little Bossings” and “Girl Boy Bakla Tomboy” maintain their position as among this year’s top grossing films, followed by horror “Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay” and action-comedy “Kimmy Dora: Ang Kiyemeng Prequel.”
Notably, these films outranked MMFF Award’s biggest winner “10,000 Hours” in terms of ticket sales but not that it bothers lead actor Robin Padilla.
In his speech, the 39th MMFF Best Actor awardee took pride in the numerous recognition that festival judges afforded their entry.
“Wala ‘man sa atin ang salapi… pero nasa atin ang karangalan,” he said.
Apart from allowing a Best Actor nod for Padilla, “10,00 Hours” earned Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Original Story as well as the Best Director trophy for Joyce Bernal.
“Ang laban dito talagang ‘yung ganda ng pelikula. Ang pelikula namin may kinalaman sa mga buhay natin,” Padilla quipped.
He also took a swipe at the seeming frivolity given to the other film entries. “Hindi kami nag-e-entertain, ‘yung mga kapatid natin sa ibang pelikula, sila’y nag-e-entertain. Kami iba. Nagmumulat kami kaya mayayabang kami kasi totoo ‘yung sinasabi namin,” he said.
Donald Sutherland (AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Despite a string of summertime flops, Hollywood is expected to have a banner year at the domestic box office, coming in just shy of $11 billion, the largest annual take ever. But because of higher ticket prices, actual attendance at North American theaters remained flat after a decade of decline.
With the current domestic box-office tally nearly 1 percent ahead of last year at this time, 2013 could surpass 2012′s overall haul of $10.8 billion by more than $100 million, according to box-office tracker Rentrak.
High-profile flops such as “The Lone Ranger,” ”After Earth,” ”R.I.P.D.” and “Turbo” were offset by mega-hits like “Fast & Furious 6″ and “Iron Man 3,” which consistently filled theaters last summer.
More recently, Warner Bros.’ space epic “Gravity” has earned $254 million domestically, Lionsgate’s sci-fi sequel “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” has grossed $378 million and fantasy prequel “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” has brought in $150 million for Warner Bros.
A strong holiday slate is also boosting the year’s box-office total. “There has virtually been every kind of genre of film available,” said Rentrak box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “You have blockbusters like ‘Hobbit’ and esoteric, challenging films like ‘Nebraska,’ ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ and ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.’ All of these films get people to the movies.”
But the National Association of Theater Owners projects that the actual number of tickets sold domestically in 2013 will remain about the same as last year’s 1.36 billion. That’s down from the all-time high of 1.57 billion admissions in 2002.
In 2011, the domestic box-office gross sunk to a 16-year low, dropping 3.5 percent from 2010 to $10.2 billion. But 2012 saw the industry rebound with a $10.8 billion total, thanks to hits like Disney’s “The Avengers” and Warner Bros.’ Batman finale “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Both films screened in 3-D, a profit-boosting perk that saw a huge increase in popularity following 2009′s “Avatar.” But the public’s appetite for the heightened technology has eased, leaving Hollywood to search for other ways to counter audience drain.
Entertainment available on countless portable devices continues to threaten multiplex attendance, as do advanced home theater systems and video-on-demand services offering original premium programming and feature films the same day as their theatrical release.
But Hollywood is fighting back with the premium multiplex experience. Movie attendance may be tepid, but the audience is willing to pay more for theater extras, which keep the bottom line growing, even as admissions remain flat.
“Theaters are offering IMAX, bigger chairs, dine-in options and alcohol,” said Don Harris, head of distribution at Paramount. “It’s kind of like the difference between staying at a Hilton or a Ritz Carlton. I think what you saw this year was a growth in a segment of the audience that isn’t as worried about the price of a movie ticket as they are interested in the out-of-home premium experience. I think you’re going to see that going forward.”
And with all of the bells and whistles now offered at theaters, movie-going is still one of the least expensive ways to be entertained, compared to concerts, sporting events and live theater,” notes Richie Fay, Lionsgate’s president of domestic distribution. (So far this year, the average cost of a movie ticket in North America has been $8.05, according to NATO.)
Social media has also helped boost sales, Fay observed, with Twitter and other services providing a powerful marketing tool for studios and a faster way for fans to spread that all-important word of mouth. “People don’t have to wait a day for a print story anymore. It’s an important part of the growth of the industry.”
Studios are hoping to continue that growth in 2014 with such anticipated releases as “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” ”The Amazing Spider-Man 2,” ”X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” ”Dumb and Dumber To,” ”The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1″ and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again.”
“I think the fact that attendance is at least holding its own is impressive, given the number of other media options in the mix,” said Rentrak’s Dergarabedian. “Going out to the movie theater is clearly as attractive, relevant and viable as ever with audiences.”
Although year-end figures for the overseas box office are not yet available, foreign receipts are typically two to three times higher than domestic earnings. So fan-driven hits like “The Hangover Part III,” which grossed $112.2 million in North America, are expected to earn more than double their domestic takes overseas.
“With all of its ebbs and flows, ups and downs, the theatrical experience just continues to resonate,” said Rory Bruer, head of distribution at Sony.
In this Feb. 25, 2012 file photo, a Oscar statue is seen on the red carpet before the 84th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Voting begins Friday, Dec. 27, 2013, for 2014’s Academy Awards nominees. Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are invited to cast secret ballots for their favorite film work from the past year until Jan. 8, 2014.(Matt Sayles, File/AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oscar voters, start your ballots.
Voting begins Friday for 2014′s Academy Awards nominees. Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are invited to cast secret ballots for their favorite film work from the past year until Jan. 8, 2014.
The academy is offering electronic voting for the second consecutive year. It announced last week that 289 feature films are eligible for best-picture consideration.
Nominations for the 86th Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 16.
Ellen DeGeneres will host the ceremony when the Oscars are presented on March 2.
Jet Li (AP)
HONG KONG (AP) — Jet Li says he’s being treated for an overactive thyroid, but he’s determined to fight the condition head-on.
The Chinese action star known for his kung fu skills discussed his diagnosis during the taping of a talent show he’s judging in China.
In Tuesday’s taping, the 50-year-old Li appeared to have a fuller face and heavier frame.
He said his weight has fluctuated but he’s taking it all in stride. Li joked about his weight gain and said “I’m fat, I don’t have the time to lose it. It’s a fact!”
He explained that exercise is not advised with the medication he’s taking. An overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, causes changes in a person’s metabolism and heart rate, among other symptoms, but is generally treatable with medications.
Li was diagnosed in 2010. He kept his condition under control with medication, but it came back with a vengeance recently.
He said that he’s tackling his illness head-on. “I’m just a regular guy, I’m not Wong Fei Hung, I’m not Huo Yuan Jia (kung fu heroes he portrays on film), I’m not a hero. I’m just like you.”
A martial arts champion at a young age, Li turned to acting and began showing off his kung fu skills on big screens in the 1980s.
He catapulted to fame in the ’90s with the “Once Upon a Time in China” films where he portrayed martial arts master Wong Fei Hung.
His Hollywood career includes such titles as “Lethal Weapon 4,” ”Romeo Must Die” and more recently “The Expendables 2.”
Li confessed there are times he’s unsure if he’s able to carry on with work, but he’s determined. “I’m in pain, but I’m not suffering. I’m happy,” he said.
This undated file film publicity image originally released by 20th Century Fox shows the characters Neytiri, voiced by Zoe Saldana, right, and Jake, voiced by Sam Worthington, in a scene from “Avatar.” Director James Cameron announced plans to shoot and produce the next three “Avatar” sequels largely in New Zealand. What Cameron gets out of the deal is a 25 percent rebate on production costs, as long as his company spends at least $413 million on the three films. (AP Photo/20th Century Fox, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the old days, filmmakers flocked to Hollywood for its abundant sunshine, beautiful people and sandy beaches. But today a new filmmaking diaspora is spreading across the globe to places like Vancouver, London and Wellington, New Zealand.
Fueled by politicians doling out generous tax breaks, filmmaking talent is migrating to where the money is. The result is an incentives arms race that pits California against governments around the world and allows powerful studios —with hundreds of millions of dollars at their disposal— to cherry-pick the best deals.
The most recent iteration of the phenomenon came earlier this month when James Cameron announced plans to shoot and produce the next three “Avatar” sequels largely in New Zealand. What Cameron gets out of the deal is a 25 percent rebate on production costs, as long as his company spends at least $413 million on the three films.
“There’s no place in the world that we could make these sequels more cost effectively,” says producer Jon Landau. It is neither the archipelago’s volcanoes nor its glaciers that are attractive, because the “Avatar” movies will be shot indoors. Sure, Peter Jackson’s award-winning special effects infrastructure is there, but the deciding factor was the money. “We looked at other places,” says Landau. But in the end, “it was this rebate.”
In exchange, the local economy will benefit hugely, Landau says, comparing the ripple effect to the boost that comes from new home construction. “We’re doing lumber, we’re catering for hundreds of people a day. We’re housing people in hotels. We’re going to a stationery store and tripling their business in a year.”
The deal was “the best Christmas present we could have possibly hoped for,” says Alex Lee, an Auckland, New Zealand-based entertainment lawyer. The news is especially welcome because the local screen industry is facing a potential drought: The Starz pay TV series “Spartacus” finished this year and Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” trilogy is set to wrap next year. Thanks to the “Avatar” sequels, the 1,100 workers at Weta Digital Ltd., the ground-breaking digital effects house Jackson co-founded in 1993, can keep plugging away through 2018.
“It would have been a real shame if we had lost any of that talent and they had to move to follow the films,” says Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown.
Driving the trend are powerful global forces squeezing the entertainment industry. Falling DVD sales are putting pressure on movie-making budgets, while the demand for ever-more-amazing special effects grows. The spread of technology and skills around the world is creating a huge number of special effects suppliers — some using cheaper labor than can be found in Hollywood.
Government largesse has helped create mini-moguldoms in Vancouver, Montreal, London, New York and Wellington, all of which are aggressively one-upping each other to become the next new hotbed of activity. As the work spreads, branch offices of visual effects companies have opened up in new locations. Even though digital work is borderless, workers must live and be paid locally to generate the income taxes and spending that governments seek.
The tax incentives race is destined to accelerate next year. State incentives in California — home to “Star Wars” pioneer Industrial Light & Magic — are too small to accommodate big-budget movies. Democratic Assembly member Raul Bocanegra is preparing a bill to expand their scope, but it could take months to get through committees, says his chief of staff, Ben Golombek.
And the U.S. federal incentive, an arguably difficult-to-use tax deduction of up to $20 million per film or TV episode, is set to expire at the end of 2013.
“Once our federal incentive ends in two weeks, you’re going to have a lot of people who are going to go elsewhere,” says Hal “Corky” Kessler, a tax incentives lawyer with Chicago-based Deutsch, Levy & Engel.
Industry business leaders say they’re simply following the money.
“This is no different than any other multinational business,” says Sir William Sargent, co-founder and CEO of Framestore, a London-based special effects business that worked on likely Oscar-contender, “Gravity,” and has offices in Montreal, New York and Los Angeles. “We’re just going to where our customers are.”
Even if the U.S. moves to counteract growing incentives overseas, the efforts won’t prevent another jurisdiction from offering a bigger break.
Joseph Chianese, executive vice president at consulting company EP Financial Solutions, says the competition to offer attractive incentives is intense. More than 30 countries and 44 U.S. states now offer tax breaks to filmmakers.
The mix “changes daily, but it’s not going away,” Chianese says. “We have now trained a generation of filmmakers and TV makers that production doesn’t have to happen here anymore.”
Singer Britney Spears attends “The X-Factor” viewing party at Mixology on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Las Vegas is getting its newest pop fixture.
Britney Spears begins her two-year residency at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Friday, just in time to catch the town’s massive New Year’s Eve crowds.
The Grammy-winning singer will perform 50 shows each in 2014 and 2015. Casino executives say the gig may be extended if it proves a success.
Spears, 32, will recap her biggest hits, including “Oops. I Did It Again,” ”…Baby One More Time” and “Toxic.”
She will be singing along to a soundtrack of her own voice.
Kelly Frey, a spokeswoman for Planet Hollywood parent company Caesars Entertainment Corp., said the track is intended to help Spears through the more physically grueling sets.
A collection of pop stars, including Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus, are expected to attend the opening.
Spears is among the youngest stars to have settled down to quasi-retirement in Las Vegas. Other successful Strip headliners include Celine Dion and Elton John.
The show takes place in a relatively intimate theater with nightclub touches, including table and bottle service. Tickets range from $59 to $179.
Before the announcement of the residency, Spears’ strongest Las Vegas tie derived from her short-lived marriage here. A 22-year-old Spears married her childhood friend in Sin City in 2004, and got the marriage annulled 55 hours later.
Spears made a grand Las Vegas entrance this month with fire-breathers, contortionists, snake charmers and hunky dancers welcoming her during a staged event at Planet Hollywood.
A portion of the Strip was temporarily closed so that she could pull up to the casino in a convertible. Spears told Las Vegas, “this is my city” now, then immediately went home to Los Angeles.
Spears has released seven platinum-plus albums since she debuted on the music scene in 1999. Her eighth album, “Britney Jean,” was released this month to tepid reviews.
Singer Miley Cyrus performs during the 2013 Z100 Jingle Ball in New York December 13, 2013. (Reuters/Lucas Jackson)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – It is sex, drugs and pop music – and Miley Cyrus is fine with it that way now that the provocative singer has shed her innocent Disney star image along with most of her clothes.
Cyrus, 21, who has grabbed headlines in the past year for her admitted drug use, sexually suggestive dancing and wearing as little as boots in a music video, said she was surprised by the scrutiny her new persona has attracted.
“I went from people just thinking I was, like, a baby to people thinking I’m this, like, sex freak that really just pops molly and does lines all day,” Cyrus told the New York Times in an interview to be published on Sunday and made available early online, referring to the drugs MDMA and cocaine, respectively.
“It’s like, ‘Has anyone ever heard of rock ‘n’ roll?’” the “Wrecking Ball” singer countered. “There’s a sex scene in pretty much every single movie, and they go, ‘Well, that’s a character.’ Well, that’s a character. I don’t really dress as a teddy bear and, like, twerk on Robin Thicke, you know?”
Cyrus, who rose to prominence as a teen star of the Disney musical TV series “Hannah Montana,” has become a bad girl of pop music since her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in September when she “twerked” (a sexually suggestive dance) during a performance of Thicke’s hit “Blurred Lines.”
“I don’t have a bunch of celeb friends, because I feel like some of them are a little scared of the association,” Cyrus said of her new persona. “This is terrible. I was backstage with (the rising pop star) Ariana Grande. I’m like, ‘Walk out with me right now and get this picture, and this will be the best thing that happens to you, because just you associating with me makes you a little less sweet.’”
Cyrus, whose newest music video “Adore You” shows her writhing between bed sheets in her underwear, sucking her thumb and rubbing her body, said she feels more free to be herself now that she is no longer under a Disney contract.
“When I was no longer employed by anyone, that’s when I was like, ‘O.K., I’m going to do my own thing.’ But I waited until I felt like I had respectfully finished out what I was supposed to do, you know?” she said.
Cyrus signed with label RCA this year after releasing her first three albums on Disney’s Hollywood Records.
Cyrus, the daughter of country music singer Billy Ray Cyrus, also fired back at pop star Joe Jonas, formerly of the Jonas Brothers, who said Cyrus and pop singer Demi Lovato introduced him to marijuana.
“If you want to smoke weed, you’re going to smoke weed,” Cyrus said. “There’s nothing that two little girls are going to get you to do that you don’t want to do.”
