'Star Trek' hits mother lode: almost $3 million above estimate

Turns out moms might like “Star Trek” after all.

Final box-office tallies for the weekend show that the J.J. Abrams-directed sci-fi reboot made $75.2 million, $2.7 million more than Paramount Pictures had estimated, thanks to a stronger-than-expected showing on Mother’s Day. (Including Thursday evening shows, the total is $79.2 million.)

Studios are usually able to predict Sunday movie ticket sales with near-pinpoint accuracy on Sunday mornings by correlating the Friday and Saturday performances with similar films on similar dates.

In hype-driven Hollywood, of course, they typically err on the side of exaggerating that figure a bit. Fox, for instance, overestimated “Wolverine’s” opening weekend by $2 million last Sunday morning -- and its second weekend by $600,000 yesterday.

Paramount, as well as its competitors, had expected a relatively light $18.4-million Sunday for “Star Trek” because Mother’s Day is not historically big at the movies. For people who do go, it's often women who choose the film -- and women made up only 40% of the "Star Trek" audience Friday. 

But extraordinarily good audience buzz apparently boosted “Star Trek’s” Sunday gross by 15%, signaling that it could live long and prosper at the box office.

-- Ben Fritz

'True Blood's' second season approaches, but where's Lafayette?

I'm trying to finish up a couple of features today, so I hadn't planned on posting much, until the HBO press release on Season 2 of "True Blood" hit my e-mail in-box.

I wasn't terribly keen on "True Blood" when it debuted, but thought it improved to the point where it had become an escapist sort-of-not-that-guilty pleasure by the end of Season 1. The draw, for me anyway, wasn't really the lead couple of Sookie (Anna Paquin) and her vampire lover Bill (Stephen Moyer), but the show's varied and excellent supporting cast.

So I was glad to see that most of the supporting cast from last season, including Rutina Wesley as Tara and William Sanderson as the local sheriff, will be back for Season 2.

Even better news: Guest stars Alexander Skarsgard and Michelle Forbes will be back as regular cast members when the show returns June 14. (For full cast information and for summaries of the first few episodes of Season 2, look below.)

But here's the question that leaped out at me when I scanned the press release from HBO: Where's Nelsan Ellis? 

Ellis' character, the fierce and funny Lafayette, was the best thing about Season 1 of "True Blood," but the character was last seen apparently being abducted outside the restaurant where he worked. And Ellis' name is nowhere in the Season 2 press release.

I immediately called HBO to ask about the lack of Lafayette, but a rep for the network wouldn't say whether or not Lafayette will be back at any point in Season 2. Hmmm... I sure hope he is. A "True Blood" without Lafayette is potentially a "True Blood" I'm less interested in.

In any case, the "True Blood" Season 2 press release from HBO is below, and some Season 2 preview videos are here.

HIT HBO SERIES TRUE BLOOD KICKS OFF SECOND SEASON JUNE 14

           In the backwoods Louisiana town of Bon Temps, the mystery surrounding the serial killer has finally been solved.  But just as things are settling down, deadly new twists threaten Sookie Stackhouse and everyone around her.

           TRUE BLOOD kicks off its 12-episode second season SUNDAY, JUNE 14 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO, followed by other new episodes on subsequent Sundays at the same time.  Mixing romance, suspense, mystery and humor, the show takes place in the not-too-distant future, when vampires have come out of the coffin, thanks to the invention of mass-produced synthetic blood that means they no longer need humans as a nutritional source.  The show follows the romance between waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who can hear people's thoughts, and her soul mate, 173-year-old vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer).  Alan Ball (creator of the Emmy®-winning HBO series "Six Feet Under") created and executive produces the show, which is based on the best-selling Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.

           Other cast regulars on TRUE BLOOD include:  Ryan Kwanten as Sookie's brother Jason; Rutina Wesley as her best friend Tara Thornton; Sam Trammell as Sookie's good-hearted boss Sam Merlotte; Carrie Preston as Sookie's fellow waitress Arlene Fowler; William Sanderson as Sheriff Bud Dearborne; Chris Bauer as Detective Andy Bellefleur; Todd Lowe as Terry Bellefleur; Michelle Forbes as Maryann Forrester; Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd as Eric, a Nordic vampire; Deborah Ann Woll as Jessica, a new vampire under Bill's supervision; Mehcad Brooks as Eggs "Benedict" Talley; Michael McMillian as Rev. Steve Newlin; Mariana Kloveno as Lorena; Anna Camp as Sarah Newlin; and Jim Parrack as Hoyt Fortenberry.

           June's episodes:

           Episode #13:  "Nothing But the Blood"

           Debut:  SUNDAY, JUNE 14 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)

           Other HBO playdates:  June 14 (11:00 p.m.), 16 (11:30 p.m.), 20 (11:30 p.m.) and July 5 (9:00 p.m.)

           HBO2 playdates:  June 15 (8:00 p.m.), 18 (10:00 p.m.), 19 (midnight) and 21 (3:15 p.m.)

           A shocking murder outside Merlotte's has Bon Temps reeling.  Meanwhile, Sookie's (Anna Paquin) relationship with Bill (Stephen Moyer) is tested when she learns about Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll), and of his involvement in her uncle's death.  Sam (Sam Trammell) recalls a shape-shifting encounter he had with Maryann (Michelle Forbes) as a 17-year-old.  Jason (Ryan Kwanten) gets a sudden windfall that allows him to pay for a leadership retreat with the Fellowship of the Sun.  Two adversaries find themselves sharing a mysterious dungeon and, possibly, the same fate.

           Written by Alexander Woo; directed by Daniel Minahan.

           Episode #14:  "Keep This Party Going"

           Debut:  SUNDAY, JUNE 21 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

           Other HBO playdates:  June 21 (11:00 p.m.), 23 (11:30 p.m.), 27 (11:30 p.m.) and July 5 (10:00 p.m.)

           HBO2 playdates:  June 22 (8:00 p.m.), 25 (10:00 p.m.), 26 (11:00 p.m.) and 28 (2:00 p.m.)

           Sookie is forced to cope with Bill's obligations to Jessica, as well as the romantic inconveniences the teen vampire's presence creates. At the Light of Day leadership conference, Jason makes a favorable impression on its ambitious leaders, Steve (Michael McMillian) and Sarah Newlin (Anna Camp), though not on his jealous roommate Luke (Wes Brown).  Maryann casts her spell on Merlotte's patrons, and Sam proves helpless to stop the revelry.

           Written by Brian Buckner; directed by Michael Lehmann.

           Episode #15:  "Scratches"

           Debut:  SUNDAY, JUNE 28 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

           Other HBO playdates:  June 28 (11:00 p.m.), 30 (11:30 p.m.) and July 1 (10:00 p.m.), 4 (10:15 p.m.) and 5 (11:00 p.m.)

           HBO2 playdate:  June 29 (8:00 p.m.)

           When Sookie is attacked by a mysterious creature, Bill must enlist Eric's (Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd) help to save her.  At the Light of Day retreat, Jason has second thoughts about the sect's anti-vampire agenda, but Sarah and Steve counter his doubts with flattery and promises.  After snapping at Tara (Rutina Wesley) and new employee Daphne (Ashley Jones), Sam decides to cut and run.  A bored Jessica heads over to Merlotte's, where a smitten Hoyt (Jim Parrack) falls under her spell. At another Maryann-hosted party, Tara finds her attraction to Eggs (Mehcad Brooks) interrupted by a swirling, aphrodisiac fog.

           Written by Raelle Tucker; directed by Scott Winant.

           Concluding its 2008 run last November, the first season of TRUE BLOOD was a hit with subscribers and critics.  USA Today called it "wildly imaginative," with "one of the best ensembles of the new series," while TV Guide hailed the show as "graphically sexy and scary, and often wildly funny," and "a broadly entertaining, deliciously twisted slice of modern Southern Gothic."

           Before the new season of TRUE BLOOD kicks off, viewers will have a chance to catch up on season one.  HBO2 will present three episodes per night back-to-back at 8:00 p.m., June 4-6, while HBO will present the first season's final three episodes back-to-back at 8:00 p.m. on June 7.

           "True Blood:  The Complete First Season" will be released by HBO Home Entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray May 19; "True Blood:  Music from the HBO Original Series" will be released by Elektra Records the same day.

           TRUE BLOOD was created by Alan Ball; based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris; executive producers, Alan Ball and Gregg Fienberg; co-executive producers, Brian Buckner and Nancy Oliver; supervising producer, Alexander Woo; producers, Mark McNair and Raelle Tucker.

Pizarro: San Jose State library donors celebrate Gershwin

A performance by four-time Grammy nominee Michael Feinstein highlighted a tribute to Mark Trent Goldberg, whose extensive music collection was donated to San Jose State University's library.
Summer '09 Brings Must-See Blockbusters

The highly-anticipated summer blockbuster film Star Trek earned a whopping $76.5 million dollars in its opening weekend at the box office. Boston Globe film critic Wesley Morris talks about its big splash and spotlights other big productions slated for Summer 2009.