Harry Potter Charms Box Office

At the box office, the chaste rule, writer says

(NEWSER) - Remember the old teen sex comedies, where hormones ruled and no one talked about their feelings? Hollywood doesn't, ST VanAirsdale writes in Esquire. Today's sexless blockbusters—think the Harry Potter flicks and Twilight—reflect how "our PG-13 imperative has scrubbed mass culture of its libido." The new leading men's "heroic priorities must supersede their biological urges." And their leading ladies love them for it. More»

Order of the Phoenix casts a spell on critics—well, most of them, anyway

(NEWSER) - Holy Quidditch! Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix flies onto the silver screen tomorrow just two weeks before the ballyhooed release of the final book of the wizard saga. It seems to have cast a spell on critics, like Rolling Stone's Peter Travers, who says it will "keep you riveted" with a "pulse-quickening urgency." More»

Alexander Huls: Sick of talkers, texters? Try the midnight experience

(NEWSER) - Movie theater etiquette is dying , but there is still one tradition that makes for “a near-ideal cinematic experience,” writes Alexander Huls in the New York Times : “the midnight show.” It’s the first opportunity for passionate fans to see a new film, which means the experience is filled with long lines, people in costumes, and—once the show finally begins—raucous and elated reactions to pretty much everything that happens onscreen. It may sounds like a “nightmare” to those who see the movie theater as “cathedral,” but it’s actually not, Huls writes. More»

It's a midnight record for a non-sequel

(NEWSER) - Sold-out theaters scored a record-breaking $19.7 million for The Hunger Games at its midnight premiere last night. The box office receipts rank as the highest midnight total for a non-sequel, reports Entertainment Weekly , and the blockbuster is well on its way to an opening weekend above $100 million. The midnight take was the seventh-highest ever behind three Harry Potter sequels and three Twilight sequels. Click to read what critics think of the movie. 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.