Latest news with #DavidLynch
Sydney Morning Herald
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Superman's real-life kryptonite: The incredible shrinking cinema business
There's a new Superman movie in theatres this week and business is, as they say, boffo! ' Superman soars to $[US]122 million, third-biggest box office opening weekend of 2025,' raved Variety, referring to ticket sales in the United States and Canada. (In Australia, the film brought in $8.13 million for the weekend.) If you follow box-office news, it's all very normal: big bucks, records broken, blah blah blah. But there is one thing in Hollywood that's rarer than a substantive movie role for a female actor over 40, and that's the disclosure of the actual number of tickets a particular film sells on a particular weekend in a box-office report. That number can lead you into an alternative reality worthy of a David Lynch film. It also explains why going to the movies is so freaking irritating these days. Now, $US122 million ($187 million) might seem like a respectable haul for an opening weekend. However, if you look up the average cost of a movie ticket in the US, which is $US11 and change, and then do a little maths, you get the number of actual tickets that Superman sold: About 11 million. (The number is actually a lot lower; those big-franchise films get a disproportionate share of their incomes from high-priced Imax showings and the like, but that's another story.) Let's flash back to the last big Superman movie, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in 2016. That opened to $US166 million. Here's where we step through the looking glass. Movie ticket prices back then were $US8.50. More maths, and we get … 20 million tickets sold on the opening weekend. In other words, the Superman franchise has lost about half its fan base. Holy Kryptonite, Batman! Loading Hollywood's biggest secret: despite all the incessant talk about box-office records, ticket sales have been heading south – for decades. Per capita movie-ticket sales were down by a third in the first 20 years of this century. (Australia's admissions have declined similarly, from 92.5 million in 2001 to 55.4 million last year.) The pandemic made things much worse, of course, but the rebound hasn't brought us back. Fewer ticket sales mean someone has to pay, and it's coming out of the pockets of those among us who still go to see movies on the big screen. It feels a lot like being mugged. My wife and I went to the swanky Hoyts in Sydney's Entertainment Quarter to see F1: The Movie the other night. Tickets for the 'Xtreme Screen' showing were about $30 – and as I checked out online I saw that Hoyts had added a $5.10 'booking fee' to the order. (That extra 10 cents was a nice touch.)
The Age
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Superman's real-life kryptonite: The incredible shrinking cinema business
There's a new Superman movie in theatres this week and business is, as they say, boffo! ' Superman soars to $[US]122 million, third-biggest box office opening weekend of 2025,' raved Variety, referring to ticket sales in the United States and Canada. (In Australia, the film brought in $8.13 million for the weekend.) If you follow box-office news, it's all very normal: big bucks, records broken, blah blah blah. But there is one thing in Hollywood that's rarer than a substantive movie role for a female actor over 40, and that's the disclosure of the actual number of tickets a particular film sells on a particular weekend in a box-office report. That number can lead you into an alternative reality worthy of a David Lynch film. It also explains why going to the movies is so freaking irritating these days. Now, $US122 million ($187 million) might seem like a respectable haul for an opening weekend. However, if you look up the average cost of a movie ticket in the US, which is $US11 and change, and then do a little maths, you get the number of actual tickets that Superman sold: About 11 million. (The number is actually a lot lower; those big-franchise films get a disproportionate share of their incomes from high-priced Imax showings and the like, but that's another story.) Let's flash back to the last big Superman movie, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in 2016. That opened to $US166 million. Here's where we step through the looking glass. Movie ticket prices back then were $US8.50. More maths, and we get … 20 million tickets sold on the opening weekend. In other words, the Superman franchise has lost about half its fan base. Holy Kryptonite, Batman! Loading Hollywood's biggest secret: despite all the incessant talk about box-office records, ticket sales have been heading south – for decades. Per capita movie-ticket sales were down by a third in the first 20 years of this century. (Australia's admissions have declined similarly, from 92.5 million in 2001 to 55.4 million last year.) The pandemic made things much worse, of course, but the rebound hasn't brought us back. Fewer ticket sales mean someone has to pay, and it's coming out of the pockets of those among us who still go to see movies on the big screen. It feels a lot like being mugged. My wife and I went to the swanky Hoyts in Sydney's Entertainment Quarter to see F1: The Movie the other night. Tickets for the 'Xtreme Screen' showing were about $30 – and as I checked out online I saw that Hoyts had added a $5.10 'booking fee' to the order. (That extra 10 cents was a nice touch.)
Time Out
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Brutalist cinema is coming back to London's iconic Barbican this summer – and the line-up rocks
If you couldn't get tickets to The Odyssey in IMAX, the Barbican has something to take your mind off the disappointment. The City of London landmark's Sculpture Court is hosting another season of outdoor cinema in August – and this unique setting will be witnessing a unique array of movies and filmmakers. On the slate are films by auteurs like David Lynch, Wes Anderson, Claire Denis, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Koji Hashimoto. The season opens on Wednesday August 20 with David Lynch's Dune and runs for 11 days, closing on Sunday August 31 with cult musical Little Shop of Horrors. Look out for a rare screening of Caribbean dancehall drama Babymother, a film considered to be the first Black British musical, and Prince-Bythewood's influential 2000 romance Love & Basketball. Here's the line-up in full: - Dune (1984) Wed 20 Aug, 8.45pm - Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010)Thu 21 Aug, 8.30pm - Love & Basketball (2000) Fri 22 Aug, 8.30pm - The Return of Godzilla (1984) Sat 23 Aug, 8.30pm - Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) Sun 24 Aug, 8.30pm - Babymother (1998) Tue 26 Aug, 8.30pm - Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Wed 27 Aug, 8.30pm - Fire of Love (2022) Thu 28 Aug, 8.30pm - Beau Travail (1998) Fri 29 Aug, 8.30pm - Björk's Cornucopia (2025) Sat 30 Aug, 8.30pm - Little Shop of Horrors (1986) Sun 31 Aug, 8.30pm Tickets are on sale now from the Barbican site, with standard seats priced £18 or £14.40 for Barbican a whole host of outdoor cinemas in (and around) London this summer, from Everyman's canal-side screen in King's Cross to . Head to our list for all the options.
Time Out
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Photograph: Rosie Hewitson for Time Out
It's surely a recession indicator how much London has fallen in love with the concept of the 'dive bar' of late. Last year saw the opening of Rasputin's, a dimly lit Mare Street spot just a few doors down from OG east London dive Helgi's. Opened by the gang behind Dom's Subs, it quickly made a name for itself with its £12 'Reaganomics Special' – a martini and two hot dogs – which patrons order from a bar decorated with all manner of bric-a-brac and retro TVs playing schlocky B movies. Then MeatLiquor got in on the act with Bloodsports, a Covent Garden sports bar that's open 'til 2am , has both a pool table and karaoke machine, screens every sporting fixture you could ask for alongside classic horror films, and offers an 'Austerity Measure' boilermaker – i.e. a tinnie of Carlsberg and an American-sized shot of bourbon – on its sizeable drinks menu. The latest place to capture the hearts of London's thrift-conscious, Americana-loving booze hounds is this poky joint opened by the same people as vegan Sichuanese restaurant Facing Heaven. Also found on Hackney's Mare Street – Hackney Central is London's answer to the Lower East Side at this point – Easy 8 is replete with classic 'dive bar' signifiers; think fairy lights, wood-panelled walls, a confusing array of wall decor encompassing both a Scully and Mulder poster and a framed Sacred Heart of Jesus picture, liberally tagged loos and eerie red lighting reminiscent of a David Lynch movie. Order this The menu is short and sweet, featuring seven (more or less) classic cocktails for £10-11 a pop, cans of PBR and bottles of Modelo, plus the obligatory dive bar classics of a beer and shot combo for £8, and picklebacks for £6. Don't leave without trying the michelada, a dangerously drinkable concoction featuring Clamato juice, several dashes of Tajin hot sauce, a good glug of soy sauce and a Modelo beer served half-poured into the glass. Just the right balance of zing, saltiness and umami, you'd be hard pressed to find a better one in Downtown LA. Time Out tip Go on a Thursday. Easy 8 has been around since 2023, but only started making waves recently, due in part to its Thursday night taco pop-up, where patrons can line their stomachs with LA-style tacos for £2, before taking advantage of a 2 for 1 drinks offer. It doesn't get more cheap and cheerful in this part of town.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
David Lynch's 5 Key Takeaways from Liverpool's 3-1 Win Over Preston
Lynch's 5 Takeaways from Liverpool 3-1 Preston: Ngumoha, Slot and More Liverpool began their pre-season with a composed and promising 3-1 win against Preston North End at Deepdale, and David Lynch, in his post-match podcast, offered a detailed, grounded analysis that sheds light on what fans can take from this early fixture under manager Arne Slot. Ngumoha's Talent Clear to See Lynch did not hesitate in identifying Rio Ngumoha as the standout performer. 'He's just an incredible talent,' he stated. 'I thought everything he did today oozed class… brilliant on the ball, quick, strong, direct.' Lynch praised not only Ngumoha's technical ability but also his confidence at such a young age: 'He didn't look like a kid playing with men.' The excitement around Ngumoha's development will surely grow if he continues in this vein. Advertisement Full-backs Show Slot's Tactical Identity Liverpool's full-backs played a crucial role in the match, and Lynch highlighted their involvement as a sign of tactical change. 'You could see the full-backs coming in narrow and looking to overload midfield,' he explained. Lynch pointed out that such positional play 'gives you control in midfield and stops counters.' This early sign of system implementation is an encouraging takeaway for supporters eager to see how Slot evolves Liverpool into the next season. Depth in Goalkeeping Still Strong Despite changes in the goalkeeping department, including the departures of Caoimhin Kelleher and Vítězslav Jaroš (on loan), Lynch reassured fans about the quality available. 'He's not a kind of a no-mark of a goalkeeper,' he said about one of the deputies. 'He was playing at a very high level as first choice up until last season.' Lynch emphasised that the second and third options remain 'very, very good despite the changes.' Advertisement This point of stability could prove vital over a long season with multiple competitions. Trey Nyoni Impresses with Composure Trey Nyoni earned specific praise for his maturity and control. Lynch was emphatic: 'He completes 100% of his passes, 29 out of 29… he just looks so composed on the ball.' The youngster's defensive contributions were also noted: 'Gets about a bit as well… can put his foot in, wins duels.' Lynch believes Nyoni has a 'chance for some games for him this season,' and that his impressive performance should 'be enough to get him on the tour.' These are encouraging signs for Liverpool's academy pipeline. Photo: IMAGO Advertisement Emotional Undertone Marks Start of Pre-Season While the match itself provided tactical insight and player highlights, Lynch acknowledged the emotional backdrop following the recent tragedy involving Diogo Jota. 'It's been… the tragedy that happened prior to this… is going to define the summer,' he said with evident gravity. Still, Lynch encouraged fans to appreciate 'aspects of the football that we should cling on to and really appreciate,' noting both the tributes and the joy the game can still offer. His final message summarised the sentiment well: 'A lot to like about this start to pre-season and more to come from Liverpool, I'm absolutely sure.'
