Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Monday 1 october 2018
Haddish and Hart lead 'Night School' to No. 1 with $28M

By JAKE COYLE buted meekly with $5.1 mil-
Associated Press lion.
NEW YORK (AP) — For the "Over the last few years,
first time in more than two comedy has just taken a
years, a straight-up come- real roller coaster ride with
dy is No. 1 at the box office. audiences either not lock-
Kevin Hart and Tiffany Had- ing into the premise or not
dish's "Night School" de- vibing with the stars," said
buted with $28 million in Paul Dergarabedian, se-
ticket sales, according to nior media analyst or com-
estimates Sunday. Score. "The quality, or at
The race for the weekend least the perceived quality
top spot was, in the end, a of many of the movies, es-
laugher. Warner Bros.' ani- pecially the R-rated com-
mated release "Smallfoot," edies, has been so bad
which cost about $80 mil- that time after time people
lion to make, trailed in sec- got disenchanted by the
ond with $23 million. This image released by Universal Pictures shows Kevin Hart, from left, Tiffany Haddish and Taran genre."
Not since Melissa McCar- Killam in a scene from the film, "Night School." "Night School," in which
thy's "The Boss" topped the Associated Press Hart plays a man who re-
box office in April 2016 has turns to his high school to
a comedy that didn't mix to push Universal's "Night comedy. This year, it also lion in its second weekend. get his GED certificate
other genre elements been School" to the year's best released the prom-night "We have a very diverse (Haddish plays his teach-
No. 1. comedy opening. farce "Blockers" ($60.1 mil- approach to our slate," Orr er), fared poorly with critics,
The romantic comedy "We've been very consis- lion worldwide on a $21 mil- said. "We're not just super- earning a 30 percent "fresh"
"Crazy Rich Asians" was a tent in this genre," said Jim lion budget) and the com- hero movies or anything rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
huge success, leading the Orr, distribution chief for ic musical "Mamma Mia! else like that. When you see But the draw of Hart and
box office for four straight Universal. "When you get Here We Go Again" ($390.1 these kinds of results, you Haddish was enough to su-
weeks, and Tyler Perry's two in business with people like million worldwide on a $75 know that that's the right persede bad reviews. This is
horror-comedies — "Boo! A Kevin Hart and Tiffany Had- million budget). thing to do, that it pays off." Hart's 11th No. 1 film.
Madea Halloween" and its dish who are just on fire, It's the second straight No. Frights not laughs have It also helped that "Night
sequel — both opened at and then really extraordi- 1 for Universal, which last become the hotter attrac- School" reteamed Had-
the top. nary filmmakers like (pro- week led ticket sales with tion at the movies, but for dish with director Malcolm
But big-screen comedy has ducer) Will Packer, that's the Amblin Entertainment- one weekend at least, hor- D. Lee. Their "Girls' Trip" was
been in a tailspin for years. how you get good results." produced fantasy "The ror and comedy switched 2017's biggest comedy
It took two of comedy's More than most studios, House With a Clock in Its roles. Lionsgate's Hallow- hit, making $140.4 million
biggest names teaming up Universal has stuck by Walls." It earned $12.5 mil- een-themed "Hell Fest" de- globally.q

Rod Stewart nostalgic on varied

'Blood Red Roses'

tunes on "Blood Red Roses," briefest of marriages during
his 30th studio album, ex- the 1916 Irish insurrection
plore that same vein. against British rule.
"Farewell" pays tribute to a "Didn't I," about parents
friend through a poignant struggling to cope with their
melody and reminisces daughter's addiction; the
about their shared London soulish disco of "Give Me
youth. Love;" the lively, Motown-
"Honey Gold" features inspired "Rest of My Life;"
sweeping strings, an elec- and "Look in Her Eyes," with
tric guitar echoing the one sweet backing vocals from
on "Tonight's the Night" and Bridget Cady, also hit the
one of his clearest vocals spot, but the tender "Julia,"
This cover image released on the record as Stew- another nostalgic chapter,
by Republic Records shows art honors an unidentified is marred by distracting
"Blood Red Roses," a release
by Rod Stewart. "woman of the world" who's white-noise-like guitar and
Associated Press been around apparently blues classic "Rollin' & Tum-
since his time in The Faces. blin'" struggles to turn on
By PABLO GORONDI Most of the tracks were writ- square wheels. A foray into
Associated Press ten by Sir Roderick himself EDM and the Stones-like
Rod Stewart, "Blood Red and long-time associate "Vegas Shuffle" grate.
Roses" (Republic Records) Kevin Savigar, but Stew- Stewart's classic rasp is
Nostalgia has been a fo- art also gives a touching slightly silkier and still effec-
cal feature of Rod Stew- performance on "Grace," tive but "Blood Red Roses,"
art's songwriting even as a song by Frank and Sean actually a whaling term,
far back as 1971's "Maggie O'Meara and a tragic, is a bit all over the flower
May," and some of the best true-life story about the shop.q