Spring is in the air and our first box office report of 2009 is here, just in time to note the rip-roaring success of Matt Tyrnauer's Toronto 2008 feature VALENTINO: THE LAST EMPEROR. The film took in more than $31K since last Wednesday - including at $20K weekend - at Manhattan's Film Forum, the best take for a doc there in some time and the best ever opening for a film released through the auspices of Truly Indie.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Earth, LOVE THE BEAST, actor Eric Bana's car-crush documentary - set to debut stateside at next month's Tribeca Film Festival - became the second biggest Australian documentary opening ever, making nearly a quarter of a million dollars US in its opening weekend.
For the year, JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE, is way, way, way far ahead of any and all comers and looks poised to be the top grossing nonfiction of the year (unless that Michael Moore movie actually comes out, and even then...). It surpassed $19 million at the box office this weekend. In second for 2009, Oscar nominated WALTZ WITH BASHIR - nominated for 7 Cinema Eye Honors this Sunday - has just over $2.1 million accumulated since its late '08 opening.
AJ, can you please, please, please try never to mention the Jonas Brothers in any of your future blog postings? I mean, there's gotta be some editorial control you can exercise in your box office reports that excludes such ridiculous projects from comparison with the kind of docs that ATWT was designed to cover.
and perhaps this is controversial, but i also hate seeing U23D and SHINE A LIGHT mentioned in the box office report too. those films are a far, far cry from GIMME SHELTER (which truly does deserve mention here). thx...
Posted by: Chris | March 24, 2009 at 09:35 AM
Afraid you're barking up the wrong tree here, Chris. Music/concert documentaries are one of the most enduring and important strands in nonfiction filmmaking and exactly the films that this blog was designed to cover.
Posted by: AJ Schnack | March 24, 2009 at 12:15 PM