'Detroit', 'An Inconvenient Sequel' Dominate Indie Box Office Prior to Wide Release

With their wide releases coming next weekend, Annapurna’s “Detroit” and Paramount/Participant Media’s “An Inconvenient Sequel” made limited releases in New York and Los Angeles this weekend to big numbers at a very busy indie box office.

“An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power,” the follow-up documentary to Al Gore’s Oscar-winning doc “An Inconvenient Truth,” grossed $130,000 from four screens this weekend to earn the highest per screen average of the weekend with $32,500. The total was buoyed by special in-person appearances by Gore himself, who hosted Q&A sessions at The Landmark Theatre in L.A. Directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, the film premiered at this year’s Sundance and received a new cut following Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. Produced by Jeff Skoll, Richard Berge and Diane Weyermann, the film has a 76 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Also Read: 'Emoji Movie' Scores $25 Million Despite Summer's Worst Reviews, 'Dunkirk' Tops Box Office

“Detroit” also posted strong numbers from its 20-screen release, grossing $365,455 for a PSA of $18,273. Made by the Oscar-winning director/writer duo of Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal (“The Hurt Locker”; “Zero Dark Thirty”), “Detroit” stars John Boyega, Anthony Mackie and Will Poulter in an unflinching account of the 1967 Detroit race riots. The film marks the launch of Annapurna’s new distribution wing, with studio founder Megan Ellison producing with Bigelow, Boal, Matthew Budman and Colin Wilson. “Detroit” received critical acclaim, earning a 94 percent “Fresh” RT rating.

Also releasing this weekend is Sony Pictures Classics’ “Brigsby Bear,” which stars Kyle Mooney as a man who spent his childhood sheltered from the outside world who discovers that his favorite show, “Brigsby Bear Adventures,” was made specifically for him by the couple who kidnapped him from the hospital at birth. Now on his own in a world he knows nothing about, he decides to give his show a proper ending. The comedy made $45,060 from three screens and has an 84 percent “Fresh” RT rating. Dave McCary directed the film from a script by Mooney and Kevin Costello.

Also Read: Kathryn Bigelow's 'Detroit' Is One of the 'Most Essential Films of the Year' and 9 More Rave Reviews

A24 also entered a new film this weekend with “Menashe,” a film by Joshua Z. Weinstein about a widowed father in a Hasidic Jewish community in New York who tries to prove himself to his peers after he loses his son to his strict uncle due to religious traditions that forbid a single man from raising a child. Released on three screens, the film has grossed $61,409 and has a 96 percent RT rating. Weinstein wrote the script with Alex Lipschultz and Musa Syeed and premiered at Sundance this year.

Another A24 film “A Ghost Story,” will pass the $1 million mark this coming week after grossing $382,128 from 329 screens in its fourth weekend. It has a running total of $941,347. Sony Pictures Classic’s “Maudie” grossed $348,684 from 227 screens in its seventh week, putting it just $3,000 away from the $2 million mark.

Gunpowder & Sky’s “The Little Hours” stands at $1.2 million after five weekends, grossing $125,334 from 96 screens this weekend. Finally, Amazon/Lionsgate’s “The Big Sick” added $3.37 million in its sixth weekend from 1,589 screens, bringing its total to $30.4 million.

12 Movies to Play in the Background: From 'Amelie' to 'The Fifth Element' (Photos)

Sometimes you need a movie to keep you entertained while you tend to other obligations, hobbies, or house guests. From film's you've seen a million times or ones you haven't, these are movies you can passively listen to or let the cinematic grandeur subtly transform your living room into a striking nature scape. Here are 12 movies to leave on the screen when you're not in full-on binge-watching mode.
Various
"Amelie": Pairs well with hors d'oeuvres

You can even turn the sound off as every artistically edited shot resembles a picturesque painting, with vibrant colors on the set and wardrobe jumping off the screen. Though the romantic piano and accordion-heavy instrumentals make for a perfect afternoon get-together. Either way, the 2001 indie darling will add charm to any meet-up.
UGC-Fox Distribution
"Once": Sick day-friendly

Especially if you've seen it before, you can fall in and out of consciousness and still be uplifted every time you wake up to this one playing softly on your TV set. Not your typical big screen Hollywood extravaganza, scenes of the guy-meets-girl musical take place in modest music shops and the quaint streets of Dublin. The low-budget film is recorded using handheld cameras to establish a humble and authentic feel as if it were made for your living room rather than a 50-foot wide screen.
Summit Entertainment
"Begin Again": At-home dinner date

"Music is about ears, not eyes,” is a memorable quote by Keira Knightley’s character. Stages for the singer-songwriter Gretta are set up around the rooftops and city streets of New York City, providing a visually compelling backdrop for the musical film, also written and directed by "Once" filmmaker John Carney. Sip on some wine to candle light and hit play.
The Weinstein Company
“Force Majeure”: Play during a wintertime reunion with friends

Conflict plagues a family vacationing in the breathtaking Alps after a near-death avalanche scare provokes thought and laughs. But get this: With the sound off, this acclaimed Swedish comedy-drama's visual beauty alone is something to behold.
TriArt Film
“2001: A Space Odyssey”: Project it on a wall

The slow pace of the film allows for appreciation of the magnificent cinematography, taking your house guests on a surreal visual journey to the massive surface of the moon and other space-scapes.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Disney Nature’s “Oceans”: Your study companion

Leave the ecological documentary's volume on to learn a fun fact about the sub-aquatic world every time you tune in, or mute it to have the wonders of the ocean liven your living room. It's a win-win situation.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
"Perks of Being a Wallflower”: Your angsty cooking companion

The perks of a great soundtrack: Whether you relate to the deep-rooted issues of Logan Lerman's introverted character or not, he expresses himself to his friends through personalized mixtapes and has surprisingly decent taste for a high schooler, making for a soundtrack that channels '80s and '90s angst.
Summit Entertainment
"Juno": Garden while you listen to some seriously skillful prose

Ellen Page's title character handles the predicament of an unexpected pregnancy with edgy one-liners and great pop culture references that earned the film’s “Best Writing, Original Screenplay.”
Fox Searchlight Pictures
"Little Miss Sunshine”: Family bonding time

The dialogue in this 2006 indie dramedy teases out an onscreen family's dysfunction, and can perhaps be used to launch a real family dialogue in your own living room.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
"Forrest Gump”: The drinking game!

Let's face it, you know every scene of this Tom Hanks classic by heart. Take a swig every time a pop culture icon pops up in the movie, from Richard Nixon to Elvis to John Lennon.

Also Read: Farewell, Sean Spicer: Here Are His Most Memorable White House Moments (Photos)
Paramount Pictures
"Groundhog Day”: Play it on a loop during a party

Every time Bill Murray’s character lives his day over again, there are new truths to be discovered. If you’re walking in and out of the room and occasionally catching a glimpse, you'll still getting the gist of the film's engrossing repetition, especially if you keep replaying it until your last guest leaves.
Columbia Pictures
“The Fifth Element”: Wake-up movie

Get up, grab some coffee, turn this cult classic on and flip through your iPad news feed with this visually stunning and colorfully animated sci-fi action film playing in the background. Even if you’re not following the storyline from beginning to end, you don’t really need to know the plot to appreciate Milla Jovovich’s badass character, the constant action-filled scenes, and the spectacular futuristic setting.

Also Read: 31 Worst Sitcoms of All Time: From ‘Mama’s Family’ to ‘Coupling’ (Photos)
Columbia Pictures

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Need party visuals or cooking music? We’ve got you

Sometimes you need a movie to keep you entertained while you tend to other obligations, hobbies, or house guests. From film's you've seen a million times or ones you haven't, these are movies you can passively listen to or let the cinematic grandeur subtly transform your living room into a striking nature scape. Here are 12 movies to leave on the screen when you're not in full-on binge-watching mode.

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12 Movies to Play in the Background: From 'Amelie' to 'The Fifth Element' (Photos)

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