LOS ANGELES (TheWrap) - With its Sarah Palin documentary "The Undefeated" increasing its playdates by 40 percent this weekend, only to watch box office revenue decline by more than 63 percent, distributor Arc Entertainment announced Sunday that the film will soon be available on pay per view.
The movie played in 14 Tea Party-friendly locations this weekend -- up from the 10 in which it opened last week -- but grossed just $24,000.
Starting September 1, subscribers to DirecTV, Dish Network and Time Warner can see the true Horatio Alger story of an Alaska woman's rise from self-described "hockey mom" to gubernatorial dropout to conservative cable news bastion talking head, all in the comfort of their own home.
In addition, the film will launch on DVD October 4 with a shipment of 250,000 units.
As for the theatrical run, the distributor insists it will continue through August and September.
A "special edition" DVD containing additional new content will be sold only in Walmart stores.
Written and directed by Stephen K. Bannon and produced by Victory Film Group co-founder Glenn Bracken Evans and Dan Fleuette, "The Undefeated" was independently financed by Victory Film Group and its partners.
The film debuted theatrically to multiple sold-out runs and enthusiastic audience support with weekend per-screen averages above $11,000 in top markets. The film was rushed to select digital theaters in only three weeks, and was marketed entirely through social media and grassroots efforts with virtually no traditional media spend.
The film includes leading prominent political commentators Mark Levin, Tammy Bruce and Andrew Breitbart as well as conservative activists Kate Obenshain, Sonnie Johnson and Jamie Radtke. Additionally, the film features interviews with Alaskan civil servants, elected officials and advisors who were involved in Alaskan politics during Governor Palin's tenure. http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/sarah-palin-doc-undefeated-bottoms-out-24000-distributor-opts-pay-view-29410
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap) - The Chilean miners who were trapped underground for 69 days last year have sold their life rights to producer Mike Medavoy, who will begin production on a movie about the 33 men this year.
Jose Rivera, who wrote the screenplay to "The Motorcycle Diaries," is attached to write.
"Like millions of people around the world, I was completely engrossed watching the rescue at Copiapo. At its heart, this is a story about the triumph of the human spirit and a testament to the courage and perseverance of the Chilean people. I can't think of a better story than this one to bring to the screen," Medavoy said in a written statement.
In the statement, one of the miners, Juan Andros Illanes said, "We consider this to be a great step toward the realization of a film based on our experience in the mine. This is the only official and authorized film about what we lived in the San Jose mine. Much of our story has never been told."
Medavoy and the vice president of his Phoenix Pictures, Edward McGurn, will produce through Medavoy's new company, Half Circle.
Medavoy, who was born in Shanghai, China in 1941, lived in Chile from 1947 to 1957.
The 33 miners are represented by WME and the law firm of Arent Fox in the United States and Carey y CÌa in Chile. Jose Rivera is represented by ICM.
Production on the film is scheduled to start in 2012.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Four classic comedies make their Blu-ray debut in the next two weeks, reminding moviegoers that raunchy comedy was alive and well long before "The Hangover" franchise, and films like "Bridesmaids."
But "Animal House" (1978) and "The Blues Brothers" (1980) starring the late John Belushi, and high school comedies "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982) and "Dazed and Confused" (1993) have more than just sentimental appeal.
Hollywood casting director Paul Ventura believes these films have become funnier and more popular 30 years on, partly because of the fortunes of many of their young, fledgling actors.
"All these movies brilliantly represented their times, but you can look back on them today and realize they hold just as many truths now as they did back then," Ventura told Reuters. "They had comic stars who could pull off social anarchy and still be lovable."
"Fast Times at Ridgemont High", set to be released on August9, had three future Academy Award winners among its cast -- Nicolas Cage, Forest Whitaker, and Sean Penn in a rare comedy turn as the quintessential stoned surfer dude Jeff Spicoli.
"Animal House", out on July 26, provided an early glimpse of Kevin Bacon, while "Dazed and Confused" (set in the mid-1970s) gave the first major screen time to three other upcoming stars: Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich and Matthew McConaughey.
And then there was Belushi."
Belushi's "Animal House" screen debut earned him the cover of Newsweek magazine, and his iconic status was cemented with his dark-suited, dark sunglass-clad prisoner-turned-singer in "The Blues Brothers".
Belushi died in 1982 at age 33 of heroin and cocaine poisoning.
"It's ironic that John didn't do drug-oriented humor. During the making of 'The Blues Brothers' John's drug abuse was scary in the amount of his intake," John Landis, who directed both "Animal House" and "The Blues Brothers", told Reuters.
"John was an excellent actor who always needed strong direction. Without his drug problem he could have done anything, from heart-touching drama to the crazy, zany comedy Jackie Gleason did," Landis said.
"As for the legacy of these movies I can only answer with a quote from the great filmmaker John Huston, who wisely said 'Motion picture directors, prostitutes and buildings get respectable with age.'"
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap) - Paramount has set a December 9 limited release date for Jason Reitman comedy "Young Adult."
The movie will go into wide release on December 16, 2011.
"Young Adult" is about a fiction writer who, after her divorce, goes back to her small Minnesota hometown. There, she tries to get back together with her ex-boyfriend, now a married father.
Diablo Cody wrote and produced the movie, which stars Charlize Theron and Patrick Wilson.
Theron, Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith also produced the film.
By Brent Lang
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap) - As Keith Olbermann settles into life on a significantly smaller stage, ESPN, the network that made his name, may be heading to the big screen.
Fox has optioned the film rights to "ESPN: Those Guys Have All the Fun," James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales' oral history of the sports media empire, TheWrap has confirmed.
The pair interviewed everyone from hosts such as Chris Berman to columnists such as Bill Simmons to come up with their behind-the-scenes look at the early days of ESPN. There's also a lot of space devoted to the temperamental Olbermann's antics, which could make the role of the newly-minted Current TV anchor a plum part for any star.
Michael De Luca, Trigger Street's Dana Brunetti and Julie Yorn will produce the film. De Luca and Brunetti collaborated on last year's Best Picture nominee "The Social Network," while Yorn produced "Red Riding Hood" and "Unstoppable.
Returned: 1998
Current MSRP: $19,500
Returned: 2011
Current MSRP: $21,650 - $26,950
Returned: 2011
Current MSRP: $183,000
Returned: 2010
Current MSRP: $26,000 - $38,500
Returned: 2011
Current MSRP: $27,000
Returned: 2011
Current MSRP: $28,360
Returned: 2012
Current MSRP: $16,000
Returned: 2010
Current MSRP: $23,000 - $32,000
NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) - Pastor Joe Nelms likely had folks gathered at the NASCAR Federated Auto Parts 300 race looking around for his "smokin' hot wife," after he thanked God for her during his pre-race invocation.
Nelms, pastor of Family Baptist Church in nearby Lebanon, Tennessee, borrowed a little bit from the film "Talladega Nights" and also from NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip in his prayer before the weekend race.
He thanked God for such things as "these mighty machines that you've brought before us," going on to cite the wonders of Dodges and Toyotas and Fords.
Prayerful thanks then were directed to, among other things,
"Sunoco Racing Fuel and Goodyear tires that bring performance and power to the track."
But it was when he got to his family that he had fans and drivers unsuccessfully holding back laughter.
"Lord I want to thank you for my smokin' hot wife tonight, Lisa, my two children, Eli and Emma, or as we like to call them the Little E's."
But he wasn't done. He prayed and blessed the drivers and said, "may they put on a performance worthy of this great track."
Then he borrowed NASCAR Hall of Famer Waltrip's trademark phrase in his closing: "In Jesus' name. Boogity, boogity, boogity. Amen."
Nelms was unavailable for comment Monday.
NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) - Pastor Joe Nelms likely had folks gathered at the NASCAR Federated Auto Parts 300 race looking around for his "smokin' hot wife," after he thanked God for her during his pre-race invocation.
Nelms, pastor of Family Baptist Church in nearby Lebanon, Tennessee, borrowed a little bit from the film "Talladega Nights" and also from NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip in his prayer before the weekend race.
He thanked God for such things as "these mighty machines that you've brought before us," going on to cite the wonders of Dodges and Toyotas and Fords.
Prayerful thanks then were directed to, among other things,
"Sunoco Racing Fuel and Goodyear tires that bring performance and power to the track."
But it was when he got to his family that he had fans and drivers unsuccessfully holding back laughter.
"Lord I want to thank you for my smokin' hot wife tonight, Lisa, my two children, Eli and Emma, or as we like to call them the Little E's."
But he wasn't done. He prayed and blessed the drivers and said, "may they put on a performance worthy of this great track."
Then he borrowed NASCAR Hall of Famer Waltrip's trademark phrase in his closing: "In Jesus' name. Boogity, boogity, boogity. Amen."
Nelms was unavailable for comment Monday.
While the Raptor may be a mean off road truck made to take more abuse then most people can throw at it, there are limits to its ability. More and more claims of frame damage have been flooding into Ford’s SVT division and the amazing thing is it’s not fords fault. It is understandable that people would be mad about breaking a $50K truck but there has to be some responsibility taken when you break something. These trucks use a suspension travel of about 14 inches and can take some serious hit but when you hit a jump that for says can be done at 60MPH at 90…well that’s a different story. The suspension will max out on the landing and then the bump-stops are the last line of defense to stop the trucks energy. Once the Bump-stops are maxed, the chassis begins to take the brunt of the force and it will bend to release the pressure. 
