#BOXOFFICE: “HALLOWEEN” IS A CUT ABOVE THE REST IN SECOND WEEK

For a second week straight, HALLOWEEN takes the top of the Box Office again with $31.4 million from 3,990 theatres for Universal Pictures. In its domestic run thus far, it has made $126 million and last weekend got the distinction of second-highest opening ever in October.

Still shining bright is A STAR IS BORN is second finally toppling VENOM, that one being in third spot.  The former gets $14 million in its third week out, a total $148 million over three weeks for Warner Bros. The latter gets $10.2 million, with $182 million being its three week tally for Sony Pictures.

HUNTER KILLER starring Gerard Butler opens in fourth with $7 million for Lionsgate Films/VVS Films, playing at 2,720 theatres. Despite only 35% from Critics on the Tomatometer, it gets an A- CinemaScore from Audiences.

MID90s, the directorial debut of Jonah Hill is in ninth with $3.7 million for A24 Films/VVS Films, expanding to 1,206 theatres in its second week. It gets 78% on the Tomatometer.

NIGHT SCHOOL rounds-out the Top Ten with a respectable $3.2 million for Universal Pictures, a run of $71.4 million over five weeks.

#FIRSTLOOK: NEW TRAILER FOR “MID90s”

A critical hit at TIFF ’18, Jonah Hill‘s directorial debut MID90s now has Canadian distribution.  He also wrote the Film. Check-out this new Trailer!

Synopsis:
Follows Stevie, a thirteen-year-old in 90s-era LA who spends his summer navigating between his troubled home life and a group of new friends that he meets at a Motor Avenue skate shop.

 

See the Trailer:

 

VVS Films release MID90s Friday, October 26, 2018.

 

(Photo/video credit: VVS Films)

#TIFF18: “MID90s” REVIEW

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

With Mid90s, Oscar-nominee Jonah Hill makes the leap from acting to writing/directing. The Film revolves around 13-year-old Stevie (Sunny Suljic), trying to fit in and find his place in the world. His Mom Dabney (Katherine Waterston) is not the best parent and his older brother Ian (Lucas Hedges) is constantly beating and abusing him. With no friends to turn to, Stevie starts hanging out at a local skate shop and makes friends with a crew of older skateboarders – who may be inspiring a few wrong impressions.

Hill’s directorial debut is far from perfect, but is admirable and notable. The look and nostalgic feel of the Film is spot-on, and the loud Sondtrack (complete with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Score) is magnificent. And while the casting is great overall, Suljic’s performance is absolutely brilliant as the precocious, impressionable and quietly hilarious Stevie. My main gripe is that outside of one deeply emotional scene involving Stevie and older skateboarder Ray (Na-kel Smith), there are too few genuine coming-of-age moments. Hill hints at them (and some deeper, darker closeted demons), but he never elaborates or goes into any sort of depth. It all just feels like a big lead up to nothing much at all. I wanted to learn more about these kids and Stevie’s family life. And with a running time of 84-minutes, there was definitely some time that could have been spent on it.

Also, does it horrify anyone else that a film set in the 1990s is now considered a period piece?

Mid90s screens on Sunday, September 9 at 9:15 PM at Ryerson Theatre [World Premiere], Monday, September 10 at 2:45 PM at TIFF Bell Lightbox and Friday, September 14 at 6:00 PM at Ryerson Theatre.