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How has the 2015 box office performed compared to 2014? Read on to find out. Story by Matt Cummings From late 2014, critics and writers were ready to proclaim the 2015 box office as the most successful in history. We too felt a certain sense of destiny, with so many great films arriving throughout the year. We even wrote about it here , here , and here . Then January arrived, and one dud after another came with it, including Blackhat , Mortdecai , The Boy Next Door , and Project Almanac . February was actually worse, with Jupiter Ascending and Seventh Son dropping stinking loads at our door before running off. But within that mire of disaster, we also saw great films, including Paddington and Kingsman: The Secret Service , both of which kept many theaters from turning into mausoleums. You can read our QUARTER 1 REPORT here . As we pass the half-way mark of 2015, it's time to compare this year's box office to 2014, and to determine if everyone was right ab

The numbers are impressive, but what lessons can be learned from them? Story by Matt Cummings As if we didn't know already, the 2015 box office is certainly gearing up to be one of the biggest ever. We pontificated about this in our Big Movie Questions article back in January, but already the numbers are proving we were right to be excited. According to our friends at BoxOfficeMojo, the first 46 days of the 2015 box office have generated $1.45 billion, which represents the biggest start for the industry since 2010's $1.48 billion. That's 11% higher than 2014 and 26% higher than 2013. Moreover, the top 10 releases in 2015 combined to take in over $925m as compared to a paltry $775m for the year prior. Comparing 2015 and 2014 also yielded the following information: Both year's top performers ( Lone Survivor and American Sniper ) were released in their previous years. 2014 had four $100m movies by February 15 ( Lone Survivor , Ride Along , The LEG

We reflect at some of the biggest box office developments from 2014 and theorize how they might affect 2015. Story by Matt Cummings With all the movie highs ( Captain America: The Winter Solider , Guardians of the Galaxy , and Mockingjay, Part 1 ), there were a lot of lows to report, beginning with the bottom line: numbers. According to our friends at BoxOficeMojo.com, the 2014 domestic box office was down 5.3% from 2013, taking in $10.347 billion. It's also the lowest number for the past 5 years, with 2011 being the only competitor at $10.174 billion. But the misery doesn't end there. July totaled a paltry $966 million, which is down 30 percent from last July and marked the first time since 2002 in which a July fell short of selling $1 billion in tickets. But 2014 also failed to boast a $400m film, something that hasn't happened since 2011. Numbers like these can get confusing for films released in November, with their totals seemingly divided between 2

After two terrible months, October shapes up nicely in our On the Radar Preview. We hate being right. Last month, we predicted that the Domestic Box Office for September 2014 would be one of the worst in recent memory, and it sadly kept its promise, slogging in well under 2013 with $273.8m and nearly beating the venerable 2001 haul of $268.5m. The quarter was also the worst since 1996, taking in just $2.5b - yes, that period includes Summer 'blockbusters.' With these infamies behind us, we now move into the pre-Oscar/Holiday film season, a period that usually delivers memorable features while a few even make their case for February considerations. This month, we find an appealing mix of WWII tank drama, spine-tingling horror, as well as a few genuine Oscar contenders. Here is our On the Radar preview for October 2014: Annabelle (October 1st) Plot: A couple begin to experience terrifying supernatural occurrences involving a vintage doll shortly after their hom

And we thought August was bad - welcome to our September On the Radar Preview! If any of you had trouble choosing or recommending a good movie released last month, we feel for you! After the very good Guardians of the Galaxy was released on August 1st, the rest of the month was filled meh, from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to The November Man, some of which have drawn good but unimpressive numbers.  But now September is upon us, and judging from the utter lack of high-performing - or even appealing - films, we're going to to call it right now: September 2014 will draw the lowest numbers of the year, and could establish itself as one of the worst Septembers in the past 15 years. Don't believe us?  Check out this list: September 5 No major releases this month - Sorry, but The Identical - slated for release one-third that of a standard Hollywood blockbuster - seems to have zero buzz going behind it. For us to not recommend anything for a week is a first, and sh

Summer 2014 gets one last chance to make an impression. Summer 2014 made a big run in July, featuring releases like Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to The Purge: Anarchy , and Lucy. But there was a feeling that somehow Hollywood didn't exactly bring its A game. With films like The Dark Knight , Inception , the original Transformers and Harry Potter released during the same months during the previous 8 years, 2014's schedule felt very underwhelming. As Summer 2014 wraps up, we look to August to deliver a knockout punch, or at least offer better chances for box office glory than July. The schedule features mutated reptiles, washed up action actors, and a little film from Marvel. Guardians of the Galaxy (August 1st) Plot: In the far reaches of space, an American pilot named Peter Quill finds himself the object of a manhunt after stealing an orb coveted by the villainous Ronan. Director: James Gunn Starring: Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Coop

Horror and Science Fiction dominate a busy July. From a release perspective, June 2014 was an odd month in terms of releases. What started with exceptional dare (Edge of Tomorrow) became mostly flled with the blah (Jersey Boys) and the boisterously long (Transformers: Age of Extinction). WIll July get us back on track? Fans of Science Fiction and Horror have some promising fare, even if they don't deliver on a strictly monetary value. The schedule features possession, an angry ape, an entire angry murderous people, and a woman who's about to get a huge upgrade. Deliver Us From Evil (July 2nd) Plot: NY police officer Ralph Sarchie investigates a series of crimes. He joins forces with an unconventional priest, schooled in the rituals of exorcism, to combat the possessions that are terrorizing their city. Director: Scott Derrickson Starring: Eric Bana Why We're Interested: While we're not really impressed with the “based on a true story” subtitle, we

The thinnest month for films so far in 2014 is upon us - welcome to our June On the Radar Preview! May was a terrific month for movies: from X-Men: Day of Future Past to Godzilla , we were certainly treated to big, enjoyable, and successful tentpoles. And while June has a few possibilities, there's seemingly a vacuum of guaranteed winners - our list includes only four, and two of them are being released in the same week! In fact, June looks to be the thinnest month for film since we began to write these. And while something is sure to surprise us, the immediate outlook is pretty bleak. Our list includes mega-sized robots (again), a return of criminal justice tomfoolery, and perhaps the most anticipated animated film of the year. To be clear, our list includes only wide-release films: Edge of Tomorrow (June 6th) We love us some Tom Cruise. Emily Blunt as Black Widow? It almost happened. This futuristic version of Groundhog Day sees Cruise repeating the events of

Read on to learn if Hollywood's first swing into Summer 2014 bring too many players to the game. Story by: Matt Cummings When we wrote our Most Anticipated List of 2014, it included April was an interesting month, filled with surprising hits ( God's Not Dead ), guaranteed winners ( Captain America: The Winter Soldier ) and several notable duds ( Need for Speed and Sabotage ).  But now, it's on to May and the beginning of the summer season, a time when Hollywood begins to play its big cards hoping for long lines and plenty of popcorn sales.  May 2013 saw the mammoth Iron Man 3 , while 2012 featured a little film called The Avengers , so 2014 arrives filled to the gills with several interesting titles worth mentioning.  Several appeared in our MOST ANTICIPATED LIST FOR 2014 , and it's great to finally see them arrive. The schedule includes a human spider, a 350 foot lizard, a witch, some mutants, and a sexually depraved police officer. The Amazing Spider-M