The smiles are back on the faces of cinema executives after the the year’s best opening on consecutive weekends. First it was Godzilla with $6.7 million. Then, on the back of a promotional blitz, X-Men: Days of Future Past took $8.3 million. The seventh movie in the franchise opened on a massive 684 screens - one in three of the country’s screens. It was the widest release since final Harry Potter movie opened on 754 screens, taking $18.3 million, almost three years ago.

 

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Cinema distributor Mike Vile has learnt the difference between religious devotion in the US and Australia. While Son of God took $64 million (sub: these are Australian dollars) in North America, the cutdown version of the mini-series The Bible that focused on Jesus has opened with just $78,000 from 90 screens in this country, despite a strong faith-based marketing campaign that included preview screenings for pastors and advertising in religious media. ‘‘We’re a little bit stunned,’’ says  Vile, who intended no pun when he added: ‘‘We expected it to do a hell of a lot more than it’s done.’’ 

 

 

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The Turkish film that won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival on the weekend, Winter Sleep, has been picked up for Australian release. Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia), it is described as a vibrant Chekhov-like meditation on marriage that runs for three-and-a-quarter hours. Sharmill Films is yet to schedule a release date but no doubt the Melbourne International Film Festival will be chasing a screening first.

 

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As part of Reconciliation Week, Melbourne Town Hall is hosting free screenings of indigenous films and documentaries until Tuesday. The lively program includes Mabo - Life Of An Island Man, Harry's War, shorts in the Sands to Celluloid series and Black Chicks Talking. Details at  reconciliationvic.org.au/calendar.

 

Twitter @gmaddox

The smiles are back on the faces of cinema executives after the the year’s best opening on consecutive weekends. First it was Godzilla with $6.7 million. Then, on the back of a promotional blitz, X-Men: Days of Future Past took $8.3 million. The seventh movie in the franchise opened on a massive 684 screens - one in three of the country’s screens. It was the widest release since final Harry Potter movie opened on 754 screens, taking $18.3 million, almost three years ago.

 

*** *** *** 

 

Cinema distributor Mike Vile has learnt the difference between religious devotion in the US and Australia. While Son of God took $64 million (sub: these are Australian dollars) in North America, the cutdown version of the mini-series The Bible that focused on Jesus has opened with just $78,000 from 90 screens in this country, despite a strong faith-based marketing campaign that included preview screenings for pastors and advertising in religious media. ‘‘We’re a little bit stunned,’’ says  Vile, who intended no pun when he added: ‘‘We expected it to do a hell of a lot more than it’s done.’’ 

 

 

*** *** *** 

 

The Turkish film that won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival on the weekend, Winter Sleep, has been picked up for Australian release. Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia), it is described as a vibrant Chekhov-like meditation on marriage that runs for three-and-a-quarter hours. Sharmill Films is yet to schedule a release date but no doubt the Melbourne International Film Festival will be chasing a screening first.

 

*** *** *** 

 

As part of Reconciliation Week, Melbourne Town Hall is hosting free screenings of indigenous films and documentaries until Tuesday. The lively program includes Mabo - Life Of An Island Man, Harry's War, shorts in the Sands to Celluloid series and Black Chicks Talking. Details at  reconciliationvic.org.au/calendar.

 

Twitter @gmaddox