Around-the-World Roundup: 'Transformers' Lays Waste to World

by Ray Subers
July 5, 2011
Paramount Pictures International had plenty of reason to celebrate this holiday weekend: on top of its strong domestic start, the third installment of the Transformers franchise debuted to a massive $219.8 million overseas. That's one of the biggest-grossing foreign starts ever and ranked second this year behind Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, which finally passed the coveted $1 billion worldwide mark on Saturday.

Check out results for Transformers 3, Cars 2, Pirates 4 and more on our overseas weekend chart here.

According to Paramount, Transformers: Dark of the Moon topped Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen's opening by 57 percent. Its biggest territory was South Korea, where it set a new opening weekend record with over $30 million. It also set opening weekend records in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Peru and Panama. Dark of the Moon's next biggest market was Russia, where it debuted to $22.1 million. Its splashy premiere in Moscow, which included a Linkin Park concert in Red Square, probably goosed initial results a little but there's no way to measure the impact of such events.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon was strong across all of its regions, including the United Kingdom ($17.2 million), Australia ($16.2 million), Germany ($15.3 million), France ($11.1 million), Mexico ($10.5 million) and Taiwan ($10.5 million). Paramount reported that 70 percent of its grosses came from 3D presentations, which was a higher 3D share than Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides's 66 percent. Included in that share is IMAX revenues, which totaled $9.1 million through Monday.

Transformers's foreign debut ranks fourth all-time behind On Stranger Tides, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Spider-Man 3. Add in its Wednesday to Sunday domestic start, though, and Transformers's worldwide opening of $382.4 million only ranks behind Half-Blood Prince. Including Monday's domestic and foreign grosses, Dark of the Moon has already made $418 million worldwide.

With debuts in China and Japan scheduled for later this month, it's a foregone conclusion that Dark of the Moon will ultimately finish significantly higher than its predecessor's $434.2 million foreign total. Based on these initial results, an overseas total north of $600 million appears within reach, and the movie could even make a run at $1 billion worldwide.

With no significant openings, Cars 2 fell 49 percent to an estimated $22.1 million. Its top territory was Mexico with $4.7 million, followed by Russia with $3.2 million. It played in 35 percent of the international market and has tracked 123 percent ahead of the original Cars in the same territories. Cars 2 has made $82.2 million overseas and is set to open in nine additional markets, including Spain, next weekend. The summer's other major animated offering, Kung Fu Panda 2, added $20.1 million from 56 territories for an overseas total of $377.6 million.

The Hangover Part II earned $9.6 million to push its foreign total to $301.4 million. Sometime last week, it passed Pretty Woman's $285 million to become the top-grossing R-rated comedy ever overseas, though it obviously came nowhere close to that movie in terms of attendance.

Bridesmaids and Bad Teacher remained neck-and-neck in fairly limited release. Bridesmaids added $7.2 million from 11 territories for a total of $34.8 million, while Bad Teacher grossed $7.2 million from 25 markets for a $29.2 million tally.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides earned an estimated $7.7 million, which pushed its enormous foreign total to $773.5 million. Add in its domestic take, and the movie has made $1.009 billion, which places it seventh on the all-time list ahead of The Dark Knight ($1.002 billion) and behind Alice in Wonderland ($1.024 billion). Out of the top seven movies ever, four are from Disney (two Pirates, Toy Story 3 and Alice), and three have Johnny Depp in a lead role.

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Other Notables - Weekend Gross - Gross-to-Date (in millions)
Delhi Belly - $7.1 - $7.1
Mr. Popper's Penguins - $5.8 - $11.1
X-Men: First Class - $4.6 - $195.5
Super 8 - $3.9 - $45.7
Larry Crowne - $3 - $3
Thor - $1.6 - $261.5
Green Lantern - $1.3 - $33.2
Monte Carlo - $1.3 - $1.3

Last Weekend:
? 'Cars 2's Foreign Model Yields Strong Sales

Domestic Report:
? 'Transformers' Claim Independence Gross Record

Related Charts:
? Latest Foreign Charts
? 2011 Worldwide Grosses
? All-Time Worldwide

The Future in 3D Has Arrived - The LG 55LW6500 SMART TV

LG - The Cinema 3D SMART TV

3D has finally arrived at a level that is both affordable and impressive - The LG 55LW6500 LG has clearly done their homework with this product. Whether you plan to buy one or not at least drop into a Display Centre and impress yourself with the future of TV Technology - an outstanding experience to say the least. Dubbed the LG Smart TV and for very good reason. The LG 55LW6500 recommended retail price for Australia is just under $3,199.00AUD. It is a buyer's market and I am told you will be able to get a better deal if you have cash and are prepared to haggle a little.

The 3D passive polarized glasses are lighter, flicker free and require no batteries or charging, I believe the replacement cost is about $20.00 AUD/USD as compared to $126.00 for one set of the competitor's active shutter glasses. There is little doubt that this polarized version of 3D will become the winner with those who like 3D made simple. Internet ready, this TV has a dedicated input for internet connection.

In the box:

The Thin LG 55 Inch 2D, 3D, HD LED TV, Includes 4 pair of polarized glasses and a Magic remote control. This remote control is a big step forward and very impressive at that. LG appropriately describes it as a Magic Wand and is in fact an onscreen arrow pointer that is used to easily select the wide range of on screen display options. TV Specification Screen Size 55" (139cm) Resolution 1920 x 1080p Dynamic Contrast Ratio 9,000,000:1, Built In 3D Backlight type LED Plus Screen Refresh Rate TruMotion 200Hz Response Time 2 ms.

Pros:

The best 3D that I have ever come across to date, The Polarized glasses are far less expensive than their "Shutter" counterparts. The most innovative remote control to date, the remote is an all new step forward, and very impressive at that. The LG is internet ready and with plenty of sockets to support a broad range of video applications. Easy to operate, intuitive, remote control. My 9 year old daughter mastered the controls after only a few minutes.

Cons:

Screen pixels are a bit "blocky" or "coarse" but remember this is a 55 inch screen so you do not need to sit to close; it is very much a sit back immersive experience.

Conclusion:

This is the easiest 3D playback that I have come across to date. You can stop waiting and be comfortable that this 55 inch LG 3D has it all. A bit pricey at $ 3,199.00, but I am told if you shop around you will get a better deal. The polarized glasses and magic wand remote control are the icing on the cake. There is a trade off with respect to resolution -. If you must have the highest resolution, then you will have to stick with the Samsung 3D Active Glasses. Otherwise the LG panels are a very good buy and easy to operate. My Vote: Four and a half stars.- An impressively simple 3D TV product that has it all, and for a reasonable price.

Article by: "Brendan Mckenna" - "Outstanding" A Radiographer by Profession - 15 Years Experience at Two Major Hospitals in Melbourne. Professional Writing:- I am currently tackling a broad range of professional writing applications including,
- Articles- Product Reviews, News, Documentary.
- Editing - both Written and Photographic.
- Website Design and Build - Including SEO and Statistic Counts.
- Concise Instruction booklets, Quick reference guides.
It is early days yet; I have already met a number of challengers in the handful of reviews I have written.
Contact Details: Brendan Mckenna - Warrnambool Victoria Australia 3280. Tel (03) 55622111. Web: http://www.w3280.com/. Email: bmcxray@bigpond.net.au. Copyright: Brendan Mckenna 16th June 2011 Warrnambool Victoria 3280

TAKERS

TAKERS

s

NOTE: This spoiler was written and submitted by Emilia.

Jake (Michael Ealy), Jesse (Chris Brown), Gordon (Idris Elba), and John (Paul Walker) arrive separately to an abandoned floor of an office building. They head downstairs and rob a bank within the building. A clerk sets off the silent alarm, so they have her call and say there’s a robbery in progress and leave. Police and a news copter head that way. AJ (Hayden Christenson), disguised as a security guard, flags down the news copter to the roof of the office building. He forces the crew off and he and the other thieves take off headed towards the other side of town. They arrive at their destination, blow up the chopper and go their separate ways.

In another part of town, cops Jack Wells (Matt Dillon) and Eddie Hatcher (Jay Hernandez) attempt to take down Haitian drug dealers. Jack grabs one, bashing him a little, but Eddie loses the other. They later arrive at the scene of the robbery and try to figure out who committed the crime. Meanwhile, Ghost (T.I.) is released from prison and immediately heads over to Russian mobsters, led by Sergei.

Jake proposes to his girlfriend Rachel (Zoe Saldana), as the others celebrate their victory. They meet with their broker who informs them they’ll be heading to the Dutch Antilles to deposit their money at week’s end. Ghost shows up at John’s and requests a meeting with the other to make a proposition, and collect his share. He learns that Rachel is now engaged to Jake while he was in prison, having been arrested after a botched robbery.

At Jake’s club, they privately discuss Ghost, who Jake and AJ don’t trust. Ghost arrives and makes his proposal – he wants to rob an armored car…in five days. Incidentally, he was arrested when they attempted a similar robbery. He points out his association with Russians who’ve provided him with inside info. A hesitant Jake agrees to do it, if they plan checks out.

Jack and Eddie continue to investigate the robbery, reviewing elevator footage and shaking down information from a known explosives importer. They have a shoot-out with Russians they suspect of being the culprits, but unfortunately they kill their suspects. They only find pictures, burnt plans and a subway map, which they collect as evidence. Wells finds Ghost’s prison ID info in one of the in photos, so he follows him around LA and watches as he meets with Gordon and Jesse. He follows Gordon, which John who’s driving Gordon notices. He’s about to shoot when he notices Jack’s daughter in the passenger’s seat and believes Jack to be a civilian. Jack’s obsession with this investigation puts strain on his relationship with his daughter, who wants to go back home.

Gordon receives a call that his sister Naomi, who’s recently signed herself out of rehab, has left her hotel. She’s taken all the money he gave her. He later picks her up from the police station as Jack and Eddie question her dealer about the new money in his possession. He names Naomi, who they immediately link to Gordon. Jacks starts to see the connection and claims Gordon is one of the thieves. He and Eddie decide if they can place him in the elevator, they may have a lead. While they’re reviewing footage, IA calls Jack to meet with them. He’s nervous, believing it to be a case of excessive force, but is shocked to see that they have footage of Eddie letting the Haitian go and taking some drug money. They inform him that they are drawing up charges and will soon arrest Eddie, who finds the footage of Gordon in the building elevator. He and Jack head off to arrest him. Alone, Jack confronts Eddie about the theft. He explains that he did it to pay for his son’s medical bills.

In another part of town, the takers put their plan into action. Ghost posing as a traffic controller directs traffic as John watches from a parking garage with a sniper’s rifle. ?the rest wait underground. John’s about to kill Ghost, believing they’ve been tricked, when the armored trucks aren’t there.? They finally arrive later than scheduled, but their plans go awry when a biker causes the truck #1 to stop short of the area they blow up. John fights his way into truck #2 and rams the truck through the opening in the ground and follows shortly after. They rob the truck with taking fire from above and escape through the sewers.

Jack and Eddie hear the call over the radio and head to the scene. Jack remembers the evidence he found and goes to one of the subway stations the Russians had circled on the map he collected earlier. He and Eddie see Jesse and chase him through the city and into a building. Eddie catches Jesse, but hestiates and is shot. Jesse escapes by jumping onto a nearby parking garage and running away. Eddie dies in Jack’s arms, stating that it was in the line of duty and begging Jack to care for his family. At the hospital, Jack learns that because Eddie died in the line of duty they will drop the investigation, give him a police burial, and full benefits.

The takers, minus Jesse, meet at a hotel where they agree to leave with their broker from Van Nuys airport that evening. Jesse arrives and explains that Eddie could have shot him but didn’t, almost like he wanted to be shot. Ghost calls the Russians and escapes from the bathroom, just as the Russians open fire. AJ is injured and dies while laying cover fire. They take out some of the Russians while taking refuge in the bedroom, but Jake manages to shoot the rest and they leave the hotel. Jake and Jesse arrive at the club to find their money stolen and Rachel murdered. The police surround the club and the brothers decide to go out Butch Cassidy style. Jack manages to track Gordon after spotting him leave his apartment. Gordon and John realize that Ghost is going to the airport to steal their money from the broker, who has it all so they head to the airport, Gordon unknowingly leading Jack there as well. Ghost kills the broker and is leaving with the money when Gordon stops him. Jack arrives and there’s a mexican standoff. Ghost shoots both Gordon and Jack. He walks to finish off Gordon, but is killed by John. John leaves Jack there and takes Gordon. As they drive away, Gordon promises his sister that they’re going home as Jack calls for an ambulance.

My Favourite Bond

I'm not a big fan of the James Bond films. I find them overly cliched, and at the most of times they're really easy to predict. Many of the films share the same formula, which why I wasn't surprised when the series was rebooted back in 2006 with Casino Royale. In attempt to see if I could enjoy the Bond films once more, I recently watched Quantum of Solace for the first time.

Despite the film being rid of the cliches that ruined previous movies, I really didn't enjoy Daniel Craig as 007. He didn't look the part, and had absolutely no charisma or personality. So with Craig doing nothing to hook me on to the James Bond films, I decided to take a look back at some of the older movies and determine who is the best James Bond to date?

Who turned out to be my favourite Bond? Pierce Brosnan. What separates Brosnan from the likes of Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Daniel Craig is that he makes for the most well rounded Bond we've seen to date. Brosnan's 007 is charismatic, classy, witty and intelligent, and unlike the likes of Connery and Timothy Dalton, Brosnan was a believable ass kicker.

What hurts Brosnan's 007 is that he starred in some of the more absurd films. Die Another Day is a pure example of how despite having the best Bond; it is probably one of the worst 007 films I've seen. GoldenEye is an example of how the formulaic blandness of the Bond films began to show, hurting Brosnan's first outing at the super spy.

What would it take for me to believe in Bond? Recast. I'm not necessarily asking for a reboot, I just think the series needs a Bond who actually has charisma and charm. Whilst Craig certainly offered a more grittier Bond, which at times was really interesting to see, for me though it was just too far from the classic interpretation. I think a new Bond should have a new actor, but not tread over 007′s origin. Who would I pick? I'm sure the world would agree with me here as I think Michael Fassbender would make for one classic Bond. He's got the looks, the charm and easily looks like he's capable of taking on the physical side of 007. The only thing he'd need to work on is his accent. Fassbender's natural Irish twang tended to take over his performance in the latter stages of X-Men: First Class. If he can hold down an English accent, he's ready to be Bond.

If you do disagree with me just watch the first half of X-Men: First Class. Fassbender oozes of 007.

Game Of Thrones: TV Fantasy for Grown Ups

The series starts off in a wintery forest north of a huge wall that separates the untamed north from the "civilised" land known as the seven kingdoms. The Wall was built to keep out the creatures that are supposed to emerge from the northern forests during particularly hard, decade long, winters. But they have not been seen in a thousand years and most people think of them as being just legends. However, in the first scene we see they are not. Undead creatures with a hatred for all living things. The first few minutes shows dismembered bodies of men, women and children and then one of the undead beheading a ranger from south of the wall on a scouting mission. Harry Potter this ain't.

Most of the series concerns three families. The dour but noble Starks headed by Sean Bean (Surely he must be a dab hand at the swordplay at this stage.) The Lannisters headed by Lena Headley. She is queen to Robert Baratheon, a once proud warrior and friend of Ned Stark (Bean) who is now gone to seed. He has no interest in his royal duties or his marriage-of-convenience wife Cersie. She also despises her husband and is having an affair with her twin brother..... yep, you read that right. The other family is a brother and sister: Dany and Viserys Targaryen. They are the last of their family. Their father was the previous king. He and all the rest of the family were killed when Robert assumed the throne. They fled to another country across the sea deep to the south. Viserys is dying to get his throne back and marries his sister to a local tribal chieftain in exchange for use of his large tribe in regaining the crown.

The fantasy elements are kept to a minimum. The creatures behind the wall are only briefly seen throughout the season, magic is mentioned but is never seen and seems only to be the appliance of science and medicine. There once were dragons but they are now thought to be extinct.

Instead season one concerns the rivalry between the Starks and the Lannisters and the scheming of Viserys.

The big draw (and criticism) of the series is the reliance of sex and violence. Initially it almost became a parody of itself. All of the adults seem to get naked at some stage in the show (Prompting critics to nickname it "Game Of Bones") and the violence in it can be extreme for a TV show.

The other big draw of the series of books (And, as the viewers of the series are finding out) is that you genuinely do not know what is going to happen next. Alliences are formed and betrayed almost weekly and nobody is safe.

HERE BE SPOILERS!

Sean Bean's character Ned Stark is the obvious main character of the series. Noble to a fault and trying to keep up with the scheming of the Lannisters and their cronies. The story seems to revolve around him. His illegitimate son goes to join the guards on The Wall, he is despised by Viserys for helping Robert usurp his father. Cersie Lannister distrusts his honesty and tries to tempt him to the dark side. All the promotion of the series surrounded Sean Bean's character. From the posters to the re-released book covers focused on a brooding and troubled Ned Stark......... Which made his death in the second last episode extremely surprising. To say the least! One was always assuming that, given Sean Bean's high profile as an actor and all the promotion surrounding his character that he was going to be the main "good guy". Internet reaction was extreme with everyone now wondering who is next.

Sky TV must be commended on this magnificent production. There is far to much dross on the Television at present and series like this must be encouraged going froward. I've read all the books so far and let me tell you, if they keep this up, you ain't seen NOTHING yet!!!!!

Roberts Blossom, Quirky Character Actor, Dies at 87

His death was confirmed by his daughter, Deborah.

Mr. Blossom amassed a long string of theater credits before hitting his stride as a character actor in the movies in the 1970s. He performed in dozens of films, usually in small but memorable roles.

He was an ill-fated patient in the George C. Scott film “The Hospital,” the delirious Wild Bob Cody in “Slaughterhouse-Five,” Paul Le Mat’s ornery father in “Citizens Band,” the farmer who once saw Bigfoot in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” the convict who paints the warden’s portrait in “Escape From Alcatraz” and the irate judge who sentences Michael J. Fox to community service in the local hospital in “Doc Hollywood.”

In a rare starring role, he was Ezra Cobb, a crazed farmer who unleashes mayhem, in the cult horror film “Deranged.” Posters for the film bore the tag line: “Pretty Sally Mae died a very unnatural death ... but the worst hasn’t happened to her yet!”

He played against type in the hugely popular Christmas film “Home Alone.” As Old Man Marley, he was a threatening-looking geezer rumored to have killed his entire family, but the scary Marley turns out to be a sweet old fellow who befriends the character played by Macaulay Culkin.

Vincent Canby, in an article in The New York Times on outstanding small roles, praised Mr. Blossom in “Escape From Alcatraz” for “one of his quietest, creepiest performances to date” as Doc Dalton, an elderly inmate who incurs the wrath of the sadistic warden when he paints his portrait.

After being denied painting privileges, Doc cuts off his fingers in the prison woodworking shop, an expression of defiance and despair that Mr. Canby described as “serenely lunatic and unexpectedly moving.”

Roberts Scott Blossom was born on March 25, 1924, in New Haven and grew up in Cleveland. After graduating from the Asheville School in North Carolina in 1941, he enrolled at Harvard but entered the Army after a year. On returning from duty in Europe during World War II he trained as a therapist, but he soon began acting in productions at Karamu House in Cleveland and then moved to New York.

He made his Off Broadway debut in 1955 in the Shaw play “Village Wooing,” for which he received the first of three Obie Awards. The others were for “Do Not Pass Go” (1965) and the Tankred Dorst play “The Ice Age” (1976).

His Broadway credits included Edward Albee’s adaptation of Carson McCullers’s “Ballad of the Sad Cafe” and Sam Shepard’s “Operation Sidewinder.”

In 1988 he was cast in Peter Brook’s production of “The Cherry Orchard” at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. “As Firs, the octogenarian family retainer, Roberts Blossom is a tall, impish, bearded figure in formal black, stooping over his cane — a spindly, timeless ghost from the past, as rooted to the soil as the trees we never see,” Frank Rich wrote in a review for The New York Times.

On television Mr. Blossom appeared in the series “Naked City” in the 1950s and later in “Northern Exposure,” “Moonlighting,” “The Equalizer” and “Amazing Stories.”

His first marriage ended in divorce. His second wife, the former Marylin Orshan, died in 1982. In addition to his daughter, of Los Angeles, he is survived by a son, Michael, of Chicago.

By: My Small Steps Towards Sustainability | Seattle Seedling

Author Colin Beavan, in research for his next book, began the No Impact Project in November 2006.? A newly self-proclaimed environmentalist who could no longer avoid pointing the finger at himself, Colin leaves behind his liberal complacency and vows to make as little environmental impact as possible for one year.? No more automated transportation, no more electricity, no more non-local food, no more material consumption…no problem.? That is, until his espresso-guzzling, retail-worshipping wife, Michelle, and their two year-old daughter are dragged into the fray.? What began as one man’s environmental experiment quickly becomes an experiment in how much one woman is willing to sacrifice for her husband’s dreams.? Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein’s film provides both a front-row seat into the experiment that became a national fascination and media sensation, and a behind-the-scenes look at the marital challenges that result from Colin and Michelle’s radical lifestyle change. Click here for more information about the movie.

View the original article here