'Voice of Hollywood' Has Been Silenced

We're more interested in next year's films than current ones: Darren Franich

(NEWSER) - Feeling a little underwhelmed by the summer movie season? Darren Franich at Entertainment Weekly has a theory. "It’s not that the movies are necessarily worse than they were 10 years ago," he writes. "It’s just that very few of the movies were even half as interesting as the chatter that led up to their release." And it speaks to a larger point: In an age of constant leaks about "pre-release minutiae" and way-early trailers, the culture of movie-watching has changed, he argues. More»

Sexy scene with guns glamorizes violence: ad authority

(NEWSER) - The UK has banned a TV ad for a new Angeline Jolie flick, saying it glorifies violence. In a trailer for Wanted, Jolie kisses co-star James McAvoy as they fire guns in a car chase. It implies "that using guns is sexy and glamorous," complains the nation's ad authority. Universal Pictures—which made the comic book adaptation—retorts that the real problem is a strong female lead, Sky News reports. More»

6 highest-grossing films all have it

(NEWSER) - One key to The Avengers' record success this weekend: its PG-13 rating. The top six highest-grossing movies ever made are all rated PG-13; the rating points to a film that's titillating enough for teens but isn't likely to offend adults, the Los Angeles Times notes. The rating has become a Holy Grail for movie execs, particularly lately. Last year, R-rated movies accounted for 21% of US box office takings—the lowest figure in decades. More»

Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum flick snags top spot from 'The Lorax'

(NEWSER) - 21 Jump Street busted the weekend box office with a healthy $35 million take, appealing to both genders and drawing in viewers of all ages, the LA Times reports. No other film debuted nationwide, but in smaller markets Will Ferrell's Casa de Mi Padre banked a solid $2.2 million and Jeff, Who Lives at Home starring Jason Segel scored a middling $840,000. Filling out the top 5 are The Lorax ($22.8 million), John Carter ($13.5), Project X ($4), and A Thousand Words ($3.8), reports Entertainment Weekly . More»

High prices and few choices don't help: Roger Ebert

(NEWSER) - News that movie theaters had lackluster revenue in 2011 didn’t surprise Roger Ebert. He ticks off a list of the reasons why at his blog , including the lack of an Avatar-like blockbuster and usual suspects like too-high prices for tickets and refreshments. But also:

• Distractions: Loud talkers and people using their cell phones (with their bright screens) to text are getting out of hand.