This Week in Australian Cinemas

A much more adult-oriented release schedule this week (No Ricky Bobbys or Beerfests this week) includes one title I am really quite desperate to see and another that I sorta want to see. Sort of.


A Priarie Home Companion, 2006, dir. Altman
I've wanted to see this film for so long and we finally get it now. Even if it weren't directed by Robert Altman (whose last couple of films I've enjoyed immensely), there would be the cast, which along with Bobby, is one of the most eclectic ensembles in a while. It's not filled with big giant movie stars (well, there are a couple). Look at this cast: Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Lindsay Lohan, Woody Harrelson, Kevin Kline, John C Reilly, Virginia Madsen, Tommy Lee Jones and it even has Marylouise Burke! I haven't seen her since her hilariously evil Nurse Connie in Series 7: The Contenders. Then add to that original Prairie man and the film's screenwriter Garrison Keillor. I must see this movie as soon as possible.

World Trade Center, 2006, dir. Stone
I'm still not sure about this. I saw United 93 and the trailer for this one is sterling enough. I've heard many different opinions (from "bad" to "meh" to "great").

Sketches of Frank Gehry, 2006, dir. Pollack
Sydney Pollack's latest is a documentary about the renowned architect Frank Gehry. His most famous designs are the Vitra Design Musem in Germany, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and, most famously, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilboa, Spain.

Hephzibar, 1998, dir. Levy
No, that's not an error. This film won the Best Documentary prize from the Australian Film Institute AND the Film Critics Circle of Australia... in 1998. Who knows why it took so long, but 8 years later it's finally getting a release. It's a doco about famous pianist (and social activist) Hephzibar Menuhin. Narrated by Kerry Armstrong (I have no problem with her doing this sort of work) and directed by Curtis Levy who, more recently, made a big splash with his award-winning doco The President Vs. David Hicks, about the Australian Taliban fighter locked up in Guantanamo Bay.

Lastly, Little Miss Sunshine gets preview screenings this weekend.

BOX OFFICE
1. The Devil Wears Prada (1)
2. Step Up (1)
3. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2)
4. Monster House (3)
5. Garfield 2 (4)
6. Barnyard (2)
7. The Wild (3)
8. The Ant Bully (3)
9. Stormbreaker (4)
10. An Inconvenient Truth (3)

The Devil Wears Prada cleans up the place at number 1 after debuting at #2 last week with over $1mil in PREVIEW SCREENINGS alone. That's a record, folks. This week it has already amassed $4.95mil. Step Up also makes a great debut at #2 (earning more per cinema than Prada, but it had no advance screenings so it has an advantage in that department, while appearing on nearly 200 less screens). These teen-girl dance movies are pretty much the safest bet possible at the Aussie box office. Take the Lead was a huge success earlier in the year.

Yawn over the rest of the list though, filled with left overs and kids movies (it's still school holidays down here). Garfield and Barnyard fall 8 and 10 per cent respectively, while The Wild and The Ant Bully are UP 76 and 67 per cent respectively (this is what happens when different states have different holiday timetables). An Inconvenient Truth falls 30% but has nearly racked up $2mil, which is a fine tally.

Outside of the Top 10 the only new entries are Beerfest at #14 and Aquamarine at #17 with a downright pathetic screen average of $849. Ouch. Iranian import Offside does just under $10,000 on 4 screens. Kenny falls out of the top 10 after six weeks and finally passes the $4mil mark. I doubt it can pass Jindayne total of just over $5mil. Lastly, The Wind that Shakes the Barley falls 23% in it's second week and has just under $400,000 so far.