January 2014 Content at BoxOfficeProphets.com

<---To December 2013 Content To February 2014 Content--->

Weekend Forecast

What started out as a fairly strong month winds up with a whimper, as January's last weekend features two also-rans in the movie box office sweepstakes.

Indie Watch

When the Oscar nominations were announced, it was a mild surprise that Robert Redford was not included for his performance in All is Lost.

This Weekend, Watch This

New movies are released into theaters every weekend. How do you decide which movie to watch?

Comics Weekly

It's new comic book day. Buy some!

Top Chef Power Rankings

Hawaii is the new location for the Top Chefs, all five of them. What is odd about that particular number is that there are only three contestants remaining in the winner’s bracket.

Oscars Power Rankings

Supporting actors and actresses are important too!

Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress

Shop Talk

BOP staffers talk about all the great (and not so great) movies they've been watching recently.

How Well Do You Know: Numbers in Movie Titles, Part 5

Numbers. Despite our best efforts, they are everywhere. They even winnow their way into movie titles. We'll give you a movie title, and ask you to supply the number that completes it. Put away your calculators (for now) and see how well you know Numbers in Movie Titles.

How Well Do You Know: 2013 Movie Plots in Haiku Form, Part 2

Yielding to the demands of possibly dozens of our readers, we are rolling out a second edition of our quiz on 2013 Movies in Haiku form. The plots of 2013 movies are summarized in lines with 5, 7, and 5 syllables. See if you can't manage to pick out the right one.

Oscars Power Rankings

Do you like acting? Sure, we all do...except for Rosamund Pike.

Best Actress
Best Actor

Top Chef Recap

Previously on Top Chef, Brian’s hot streak finally came to an end. Even the hippest of tang was no match for the strength of the remaining quartet.

Viking Night: Waitress

When I first saw Waitress I had no expectations, and this turned out to be the best way to watch it.

Monday Morning Quarterback

I, Frankenstein opened over the weekend. No, really. Okay, we'll also talk about the Super Bowl.

Overpaid Jerks: 1/20/14-1/26/14

This week: Cheerleader lawsuits, a very rich man, Pro Bowl silliness and outdoor hockey. Strap on your skates, sneakers, cleats or trainers and try your hand at our sports trivia quiz for the 5th week of 2014.

400 Words: Gimme Shelter

Gimme Shelter, a poorly-made argument masquerading as a film, is hopelessly constructed...

Oscars Power Rankings

We've added three new rankings today.

Best Director
Original Screenplay
Adapted Screenplay

They Shoot Oscar Prognosticators

The Directors Guild, the last major guild of the season, has spoken. To no one’s surprise, they bestowed their highest honor on Alfonso Cuaron, for Gravity.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Welcome to the post-Martin Luther King Jr. weekend at the box office, where the lone new release, I, Frankenstein, dug a hole and hid...

Oscars Power Rankings

BOP launches our 13th annual Academy Awards power rankings. Today's power rankings are the big ones.

Best Picture
Best Director

Friday Box Office Analysis

The top film on Friday is still Ride Along, with $6.3 million on Friday, down 56% from last Friday.

This is So Last Week: 1/17/14-1/23/14

This week: A sitcom star returns, The Biebs gets busted, a singing star gets political and the ladies love Sean Penn. Win friends and influence people by acing our pop culture for the 4th week of 2014.

This Weekend, Watch This

New movies are released into theaters every weekend. How do you decide which movie to watch?

Weekend Forecast

Two weeks in a row, an already seemingly strong film has blown away expectations at the box office. Do this a third time and it's over between us, America.

How Well Do You Know: Seinfeld: The Serenity Now

Jerry's girlfriend is irked that he won't get mad. Elaine tries to fend off Lippman's son. George goes to work for his father. You may rightfully be wary of Lloyd Braun, but how well do you know Seinfeld: The Serenity Now?

Indie Watch

Filmed with an easy-going, naturalistic style that almost gives it the feel of a documentary at times, Short Term 12 centers on the events at a home for at risk youth.

How Well Do You Know: Veronica Mars: S01E01: Pilot

Teenage sleuth Veronica Mars has a lot on her mind. Her best friend has been murdered, her family has been broken - and then there's the turbulent waters of Neptune High. The pilot of the series introduces viewers to Veronica's world, along with her friends and enemies and mysteries she faces. You may know that's she's actually a marshmallow, but how well do you know the pilot of Veronica Mars?

Comics Weekly

Reward yourself. Buy comics.

Top Chef Power Rankings

I want to give you some context for this season’s power rankings. Back in 2000, the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl.

What's Good About the Oscars?

I'm sure I sound like a broken record saying this but 2013 was a very, very good year for cinema.

Monday Morning Quarterback

The BOP staff discusses the stellar MLK Jr weekend releases. And we also talk about the two...

Part I
Part II

How Well Do You Know: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

They thought FLDSMDFR had stopped. They thought the mayhem was over. They were wrong. Flint Lockwood, Sam Sparks and the others must return to Swallow Falls to contend with more food gone out of control. You may wish you had an adorable little Barry of your own, but how well do you know Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2?

Top Chef Recap

After Nick has been castigated to the satisfaction of the Twitterverse, we cut to the Quickfire challenge.

Movie Review: Devil's Due

Ever since The Blair Witch Project, the “found footage” style of filmmaking has become inextricably linked with horror movies.

Viking Night

Starting with its unnecessarily awkward title, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was a glorious failure, but not for the reasons everybody says.

Oscar Watch

Now that the dust from the Academy Award nominations announcement has settled, it is clear that we have a true horse race for Best Picture for the first time in a very long time.

When Things Go Wrong...

I hope that this is a learning experience for readers that this could happen to anyone at any time.

Weekend Wrap-Up

What happens at the box office when you have a number of strong openers, recently anointed Golden Globe winners, and recent Oscar nominations?

Friday Box Office Analysis

The Ice Cube/Kevin Hart buddy comedy gives us another January surprise for the second week in a row.

This is So Last Week: 1/10/17-1/16/14

Golden Globes and Oscars, premieres and casting changes. Dust off your pop culture thinking cap and see how well you recall the past seven days in entertainment and celebrity news.

Review: Ride Along

Ride Along, starring comedian Kevin Hart and rapper-turned-bland-actor Ice Cube, is a buddy-cop movie.

Weekend Forecast

Given the last few years, it might be time to stop using the word “unusually” in concert with “strong” when talking about January releases.

This Weekend, Watch This

For the weekend of January 10th, the new films in wide release are Devil’s Due, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, The Nut Job, and Ride Along.

How Well Do You Know: Seinfeld: The Yada Yada

Bryan Cranston is fantastic as Tim Whatley, Jerry's dentist who breaks new barriers in comedy. Meanwhile, George dates a woman whose brevity becomes a problem. See how well you know Seinfeld: The Yada Yada, but only if you are not a rabid anti-dentite!

Oscar Watch

The Academy has spoken and, as widely expected, American Hustle, Gravity, and 12 Years a Slave lead the pack.

How Well Do You Know: 2013 Movie Plots in Haiku Form, Part 1

Haiku, that venerable Japanese form of poetry featuring three verses of 5, 7 and 5 syllables. Our intrepid Curt David summarized the plots for numerous 2013 movies in haiku. We'll give you the verse, and ask you to pick the correct film it applies to. How well do you know 2013 Movie Plots in Haiku Form?

Oscar Watch

Widely considered a strong year for movies, 2013 has as of yet not shown itself predictable regarding the Best Picture race.

Comics Weekly

Comics are like books that leave less to the imagination. You're welcome, Millennials!

Top Chef Power Rankings

During a recent batch of Power Rankings, I mentioned that I expected a series of unpredictable eliminations from that moment forward.

Monday Morning Quarterback

Lone Survivor was a massive box office success, while Hercules failed miserably. The BOP staff discusses the weekend results.

How Well Do You Know: Alpha House, Season 1

In the fall of 2013, Amazon aired Alpha House, a brilliant political comedy about four Republican Senators who share a house in Washington, DC. This Garry Trudeau-created series got terrific performances out of its ensemble cast, especially John Goodman. You may know how to disprove receipt of suits made from a certain fabric, but how well do you know Alpha House, Season 1?

Viking Night

It seemed like such a great idea - a post-apocalyptic horror-comedy set inside a typical suburban high school.

Top Chef: New Orleans Recap

Tonight’s episode begins with another reminder that Nick and Carlos are fighting.

Overpaid Jerks: 1/6/14-1/12/14

Playoff football, top 5 college basketball, head coaching victories and the BCS Championship. Impress friends and enemies alike with your performance on our 2014 weekly sports trivia quiz.

Review: The Legend of Hercules

And now, the seven biggest reasons that The Legend of Hercules, Renny Harlin’s inane 3D bastardization of Greek mythology, should be avoided at all costs...

Review - August: Osage County

August: Osage County’s road to film adaptation was perilous.

Review: Lone Survivor

Harrowing, realistic and stark, Lone Survivor may be the war movie we need. It’s not, however, the war movie anybody wants.

The 400-Word Review: Her

All works of science fiction pose questions for the audience. In simpler efforts, that question is invariably a version of: “How would the world be if this were true?”

How Well Do You Know: Project Runway All Stars, Season 3 Recap

From the United Nations to the QVC headquarters, the third All Stars edition of Project Runway took the designers to locales as varied as the challenges they faced. You may know Bonnie and Clyde from Marge Madness, but how well do you know Project Runway: All Stars, Season 3?

Top Film Industry Stories of 2013

#1) Gravity Defies
#2) Disney Dominates
#3) Niche Films
#4) Catching Fire
#5) RIP Paul Walker
#6) Minions everywhere.
#7) Batman
#8) Kickstarter
#9) 47 Ronin
#10) Melissa McCarthy
#11) Horror Movies
#12) '80s Action Heroes

Weekend Wrap-Up

Lone Survivor, the small war movie from Battleship director Peter Berg, trampled the big budget Legend of Hercules.

Friday Box Office Analysis

Two new movies entered the marketplace this weekend. Their mission was simple. They were tasked with the overthrow of the white witch...

This is So Last Week: 1/3/14-1/9/14

The people's choice, intelligence, killer women, the woman of the year and rehab. All figure into the last seven days in pop culture. Prove your celebrity smarts with our entertainment quiz for the 2nd week of 2014.

Weekend Forecast

While we do have one totally brand new wide release this weekend, expect the box office to be dominated by those expanding out of limited releases.

How Well Do You Know: TV Families

Be they highly functioning or disastrously dysfunctional, television dramas and sitcoms offer a wide variety of family unit. In this quiz, we'll serve up the name of a family having appeared in a TV family over the years. You just need to pick the show they are from. You may know your Simpsons from your Sopranos, but how well do you know TV Families?

Indie Watch

This week's pick is The Act of Killing, possibly one of the most important documentaries in recent years.

Monday Morning Quarterback 3

For our final discussion, the staff looks at the Christmas releases. It is not pretty.

How Well Do You Know: Movies Set Outside the US Part 3

Here's a movie testing your knowledge of movie (yay!) geography (boo!). We'll list a film for which the primary action is set outside the United States. You just have to pick the correct setting. You may know Good Morning Vietnam from Last Tango in Paris, but how well do you know Movies Set Outside the US?

Comics Weekly

Get warm by visiting your friendly local comic book store!

Top Chef Power Rankings

The herd has been thinned to half a dozen players plus the current champion of Last Chance Kitchen.

Monday Morning Quarterback 2

The BOP staff discusses all the pre-holiday releases, from Anchorman 2 to Walking With Dinosaurs. Tomorrow, we'll look at the Christmas films.

How Well Do You Know: Despicable Me 2

Despicable Me 2 brings the further adventures of everyone's favorite now-reformed animated super villain. With his family, the Minions and a new love interest in tow, Gru must thwart a rival's evil plans. You may like the plan of kidnapping a Minion or two for yourself, but how well do you know Despicable Me 2?

Viking Night: Klute

The late Alan J Pakula was a distinguished director whose career highlights included such little known films as All the President’s Men and Sophie’s choice.

Monday Morning Quarterback

A new Paranormal Activity hit theaters this weekend, but it lost to an animated princess who's been hanging around since Thanksgiving. The BOP staff discusses the weekend.

Overpaid Jerks: 12/30/13-1/5/13

Fired coaches, outdoor hockey, entertaining bowls and playoff football. Strap on your sneakers, skates, cleats or whatever else you'll need to get through our first weekly sports trivia quiz for 2014.

Top Chef Recap

Previously on Top Chef, I have no idea what happened because the most recent episode aired the week before Christmas.

Review: The Wolf of Wall Street

Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street could be the last film needed to secure a new genre of movies simply called “wall street.”

Weekend Wrap-Up

Frozen has climbed back into the number one spot at the box office, for the first time since early December.

Friday Box Office Analysis

The first new release of 2014, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones takes the top spot on Friday with $8.7 million.

This is So Last Week: 12/27/13-1/2/14

The passing of a beloved TV uncle, a reality show reversal, a social media hack and a hot new dame. All figure into our very first weekly recap of pop culture news for 2014.

Weekend Forecast

The first weekend of the year often has that “Wait, we need to release something?

How Well Do You Know: 2013: The Year in Movies, Part 5

2013 at the movies effectively starred Benedict Cumberbatch, co-starred Melissa McCarthy and was produced/directed by Tyler Perry. You may know your Peeples from your Identity Thief and your Smaug from your Jobs but how well do you know 2013: The Year in Movies?

Indie Watch

Don't overlook these indie flicks, including Cutie and the Boxer.

This Weekend, Watch This

New movies are released into theaters every weekend. How do you decide which movie to watch?

The Twelve Days of Box Office

And so we’ve come to the end of the road. Still I can’t let go. Yes, the Twelve Days of Box Office has finally reached day twelve.

How Well Do You Know: 2013-2014 NFL Playoffs

The storm clouds have gathered and the pro football postseason is about to begin. Winning streaks, team leaders, Guinness records....let's see how well you know the teams, players and coaches that will shape the march toward the Super Bowl. You may know your Richard Sherman's dreads from Matt Patricia's beard, but how well do you know the 2013-14 NFL playoffs?

Comics Weekly

Celebrate the New Year by reading a comic!

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

It would be fair to call The Secret Life of Walter Mitty a traditional “feel good” movie.

The Twelve Days of Box Office

New Year’s Eve is traditionally one of the worst days of box office among the Twelve Days of Box Office...

<---To December 2013 Content To February 2014 Content--->