Highest 2 Lowest review — bailed out by two sublime set pieces
Washington plays a successful New York music boss, David King, who must decide whether to pay a $17.5 million ransom demanded by a kidnapper that wanted to abduct his son but got the boy's best friend by mistake.
The story is told in workmanlike fashion by Lee, Washington exudes a predictable brand of cool in his fabulous penthouse and the rest of the cast, which includes Ilfenesh Hadera (Billions) as David's wife and Jeffrey Wright as the boy's father are … fine. It's
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The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
"Weapons" maintained top spot during second weekend, scaring off newcomer "Nobody 2"
'Weapons' scared its way to the top of the box office in its debut and managed to stay there during its second box office weekend, beating out 'Freakier Friday' and newcomer 'Nobody 2.' Zach Cregger's horror earned $25 million in 3,450 North American theaters, a 43% drop from its first weekend. The highly anticipated film benefitted from strong audience reviews and social media trends to attract large crowds. 'Freakier Friday,' which lost the battle for first place to 'Weapons' during its double premiere, also maintained its second spot, bringing in $14.5 million domestically. The films' staying power comes during a slower box office weekend, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore. Both films also prevailed against 'Nobody 2,' the R-rated action sequel. The Bob Odenkirk-led film earned $9.25 million across 3,260 North American theaters in its debut weekend. 'August came on strong last year, so it makes comparisons tough,' Dergarabedian said, noting the box office success of movies like 'Deadpool and Wolverine' and the horror sci-fi 'Alien: Romulus' that premiered this time last year. This summer is unlikely to hit the $4 billion benchmark, but succeeded in provided movie goers a dynamic and diverse slate of movies, he said. "I can't find a genre that's not represented or a demographic that wouldn't be attracted to one of these films out there," Dergarabedian said. 'It's just that eclectic mix of films with appeal to every demographic.' 'Nobody 2' follows the pandemic success of the first in the series, 'Nobody," which released in 2021. In the sequel, Hutch Mansell, the assassin-turned-nice-guy, played by Odenkirk, returns to the big screen, this time taking a much-needed family vacation that goes awry. The calm weekend turns anything but as Mansell uncovers a corrupt town. Jim Orr, president of domestic distributions at Universal Pictures, said he hopes the movie's reaction scores — a 89% Audience score and B+ CinemaScore — point 'to a long and successful run at the domestic box office.' 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps" took the fourth spot during its fourth weekend in theaters, bringing in $8.8 million domestically. The film stumbled at the box office after its initially strong $118 million debut. Another sequel, 'The Bad Guys 2,' took fifth place with $7.5 million during its third weekend in theaters. Notably, Dergarabedian said, international movies made a splash in the top 15 this weekend. 'Coolie,' an Indian action thriller, debuted domestically and snatched the tenth spot, followed by 'War 2,' another Indian action movie, at number 11. The domestic re-release of 'Shin Godzilla," a Japanese film that initially premiered in 2016, came in at the 12th spot. Top 10 movies by domestic box office With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 1. 'Weapons,' $25 million. 2. 'Freakier Friday,' $14.5 million. 3. 'Nobody 2,' $9.25 million. 4. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' $8.8 million. 5. 'The Bad Guys 2,' $7.5 million. 6. 'Superman,' $5.3 million. 7. 'The Naked Gun,' $4.8 million. 8. 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' $2.9 million. 9. 'F1: The Movie,' $2.6 million. 10. 'Coolie," $2.4 million.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Movie-obsessed couple take insane $1M gamble to restore America's oldest drive-in theater
When film buffs Matt McClanahan and Lauren McChesney learned that their beloved local drive-in might be swallowed up by developers, they didn't hesitate to act. The couple emptied their savings, drained their retirement accounts, and signed on for a whopping $1 million loan to save it. The prize? Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre in Orefield, Pennsylvania – the oldest operating drive-in in the world, which first lit up the silver screen back in 1934. For McClanahan, 35, it wasn't just business. 'It was a very personal connection, because I grew up coming here, so I had that drive to preserve a piece of my own childhood,' he told CNBC. To clinch the deal in 2022, the couple scraped together everything they could, from family contributions to their own retirement funds. McChesney, 41, even walked away from her career in health care to throw herself into the business full-time. 'I thought it was going to feel a lot scarier to give up my previous career,' she told CNBC. 'But as soon as I made that shift, it all just fell into place and made sense to me.' Their boldness wasn't without pressure. As McChesney put it: 'Because it's historic, because it's so special, there is that added pressure that we have to be successful with this.' McClanahan and McChesney's romance itself sounds like something out of a rom-com: they met when he tore her ticket at another drive-in he used to manage. 'He took my ticket, and we started dating maybe a year after that,' McChesney said. Today, they're not only business partners but also engaged to be married. Their joint mission was to breathe new life into Shankweiler's while keeping its vintage magic intact. 'Shankweiler's was a quiet backyard theater. It existed to play the movies for its neighborhood, and that was really it. We're trying to elevate that and bring it to another level,' McClanahan said. Operating America's oldest drive-in doesn't come cheap. McClanahan admitted the finances can feel like a revolving door: 'You have a ton of money going in, and then a ton of money going right back out.' To cover bills and loan payments, they've had to run year-round instead of seasonally. 'Since we had all these payments and we had to start paying our loan and we have bills, we had to be open year-round,' McChesney said. It hasn't been easy – but blockbuster nights and community events keep the dream alive. To lure crowds beyond summer, the couple has got creative. Valentine's Day saw 'Date Night at the Drive-In' with charcuterie boards and cocktails, while their annual Halloween trunk-or-treat has become a local favorite. As McClanahan put it: 'There's a lot of things in addition to the movies that customers have to look forward to when they come to our theater. It's more than the movies. It's a whole night.' And when the lights go down, the payoff, he said, is priceless 'When the movies are playing and you're watching hundreds of people share this amazing experience, and they're having a great time and everyone's happy, it's like that weight is just lifted and you realize this is why we're doing it. 'The community is coming together in this space, and we're facilitating something really special.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce shut down bizarre fan-fueled rumor about their relationship
Taylor Swift is setting the record straight on one of the strangest rumors to surface about her relationship with Travis Kelce. While joining her boyfriend and his brother Jason Kelce on their New Heights podcast earlier this week, the pop star, 35, addressed speculation that she secretly suited up as a bear in Adam Sandler 's Happy Gilmore 2. 'This is one of those ones where [Travis and I] will send it to each other and I'm like, "Hey, did you hear I was the bear?" And he's like, "Yeah, did you hear we bought a house in Lake Como?"' Swift joked during the episode. 'Whoever did the bear acting was exquisite.' In the film, Kelce makes a cameo as a waiter who ends up covered in honey before being mauled by a bear, which quickly sparked online theories that the 14-time Grammy winner was the one behind the costume. Swift laughed off the rumors, but admitted she was flattered. 'I can deny [the rumor],' she said. 'At this point, we're like, of course they think I'm inside of the bear costume. I'm honored to be thought of in that context because I loved that movie so much, I watched it multiple times. Loved it so much.' The singer also took a moment to praise Kelce's scene partner Bad Bunny, who plays the character responsible for dousing the Kansas City Chiefs star in honey. 'He absolutely delighted me in that movie,' she raved. 'He's amazing. His comedic timing is so good.' The theory that Swift made a quiet cameo in the film came after she shared a glowing review of Happy Gilmore 2 on social media. 'Happy Gilmore 2 had me cackling and cheering the whole movie!' she wrote on her Instagram Story last month. 'An absolute must watch, 13/10, go watch it on @netflix as soon as humanly possible.' She even added a honey emoji, making a sly reference to a scene. Kelce's cameo is just one of many celebrity appearances in Sandler's golf sequel, which also features Kid Cudi, Nick Swardson, Eminem, Post Malone and Margaret Qualley, alongside returning cast members Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald and Ben Stiller. Happy Gilmore 2 is now streaming on Netflix. The couple also gave a rare glimpse of how their relationship unfolded in the public eye after he attended one of her Eras Tour concerts in July 2023. Travis planned to give her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it, but he was unable to meet her after the show. Later, he talked about it on the podcast, which Taylor heard, leading to them finally meeting. 'This dude didn't get a meet and greet, and he's making it everyone's problem,' Swift quipped. The Karma hitmaker compared their love story to being in 'an 80's John Hughes movie' adding, 'and he was just like standing outside my window with a boom box just being like "I wanna date you!"' 'I was like, if this guy isn't crazy — which is a big if — this is sort of what I've been writing songs about wanting to happen to me since I was a teenager.' Swift also gushed that she was grateful to the New Heights podcast, for helping her land her boyfriend after 'Travis decided to use [the podcast] as his personal dating app.' The performer went on to praise Travis for 'the way he could make' her laugh. 'He's just a vibe booster in everyone's life that he's in. He's a human exclamation point,' she explained.
