Vince Vaughn’s ‘Unfinished Business’ Flops, ‘Chappie’ Stumbles With $13.5 Million

The U.S. box office is as glum this weekend as the dystopian future depicted in one of the new releases.
Although off to a soft start, Neill Blomkamp’s robot thriller “Chappie” is No. 1 at the box office, aiming for a lower-than-expected $13 million to $13.5 million this weekend, while the comedy “Unfinished Business” is giving star Vince Vaughn the worst opening weekend of his career.
Sony’s “Chappie” launched to $4.5 million on Friday in the U.S. Blomkamp’s third film is far behind his previous two (dystopian thrillers as well): “District 9,” which opened to $37.4 million in 2009, and “Elysium,” which launched to $29.8 million in 2013.
Made on a modest $49 million budget (financed partly by MRC and LStar Capital) and shot in South Africa, much like the low-budget hit “District 9,” the Johannesburg-set film could do better business overseas as it opens simultaneously in 53 markets, including the U.K., Germany, France and Russia.
“Chappie” finds Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel and Sigourney Weaver living in a society ruled by a mechanized police force. When one police android, Chappie (voiced by Sharlto Copley), is stolen and reprogrammed, he becomes the first bot with the ability to think and feel.
Fox’s R-rated comedy “Unfinished Business” opened to $1.8 million (behind two other Fox films, including the fourth weekend of “Kingsman: The Secret Service”) — on track for a disappointing $5 million weekend. It came in fifth on Friday, but stands to fall to eighth place, behind “Fifty Shades of Grey,” later this weekend.
Vaughn’s previous career-low came just two years ago with “Delivery Man” (also directed by Ken Scott), which opened to $7 million in the U.S. It follows a slew of consecutive duds, including “The Dilemma” (2011), “The Watch” (2012) and “The Internship” (2013).
However, he had five comedies — “Dodgeball,” “Wedding Crashers,” “The Break-Up,” “Four Christmases” and “Couples Retreat” — cross $100 million between 2004 and 2009.
“Unfinished Business,” which was produced for $35 million and financed by New Regency, follows small-business owner Vaughn and his associates (Tom Wilkinson, Dave Franco) on a disastrous business trip to Europe.
Another new entry, Fox Searchlight’s “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” checked in to third place with $2.7 million on Friday, despite playing in just 1,563 theaters. The pic is up against “Kingsman: The Secret Service” for third on its way to an $8 million weekend stay.
The sequel to “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” is coming in above recent projections that were in the $7 million range. The original surprised with $46.4 million at the domestic box office in 2012 for a worldwide total of $136.8 million.
The ensemble comedy, which includes Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Patel, has already opened overseas, bringing in $5.8 million in the U.K. and $3.2 million in Australia.
Will Smith’s “Focus” was runner-up, earning $2.9 million on Friday after opening to a muted No. 1 last weekend. Warner Bros.’ crime drama aims to gross $9.5 million-plus by Sunday.
“Kingsman: The Secret Service” came in fourth on Friday with $2.2 million in its fourth frame, but will likely work its way up to third with north of $8 million this weekend.
Paremount’s “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water” rounded out the weekend’s top five, raking in an estimated $1.4 million on Friday for a weekend in the $7 million range, which would raise it cume to just under $150 million.
This weekend continues the last two weekends’ box office slump. Its down 40% from this time last year when “300: Rise of an Empire” grossed $45 million and “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” reeled in $32.2 million.

Daylight Saving Time 2015: Tips for Springing Forward

Daylight saving time 2015 will begin on Sunday, March 8 at 2:00 a.m. That means it's time to spring forward, but the sweet act of moving the clocks an hour ahead can deliver a blow to your sleeping schedule

For most, daylight saving time is an exciting sign of spring that comes with a slightly sleepy Monday. But if you're not a morning person to begin with, your mood and productivity can take a dive. Daylight saving time has been blamed for car accidents, workplace injuries and stock market dips in the past.

That's because people are experiencing more than just jet lag this time of year. They're dealing with a new light-dark cycle.

"It's an interesting paradox, because traveling one time zone east or west is very easy for anyone to adapt to," said Dr. Alfred Lewy, director of Oregon Health and Science University's Sleep and Mood Disorders Laboratory in Portland, Oregon. "But in daylight saving time, the new light-dark cycle is perversely working against the body clock. We're getting less sunlight in morning and more in the evening."

The body clock is a cluster of neurons deep inside the brain that generates the circadian rhythm, also known as the sleep-wake cycle. The cycle spans roughly 24 hours, but it's not precise.

"It needs a signal every day to reset it," said Lewy.

The signal is sunlight, which shines in through the eyes and "corrects the cycle from approximately 24 hours to precisely 24 hours," said Lewy. But when the sleep-wake and light-dark cycles don't line up, people can feel out-of-sync, tired and downright grumpy.

With time, the body clock adjusts on its own. But here are a few ways to help it along.

How to Spring Forward

Soak Up the Morning Light

Getting some early morning sun Saturday and Sunday can help the brain's sleep-wake cycle line up with the new light-dark cycle. But it means getting up and outside at dawn. Sleeping by a window won't cut it, Lewy said. The sunlight needs to be direct because glass filters out much of the frequencies involved in re-setting the sleep-wake cycle.

How to Spring Forward

Avoid Evening Light

Resisting the urge to linger in the late sunlight Sunday and Monday also can help the body clock adjust, Lewy said.

How to Spring Forward

Try a Low Dose of Melatonin

While light synchronizes the body clock in the morning, the hormone melatonin updates it at night.

The exact function of the hormone, produced by the pea-size pineal gland in the middle of the brain, is unclear. But it can activate melatonin receptors on the neurons of the body clock, acting as a "chemical signal for darkness," Lewy said.

Taking a low-dose (less than 0.3 milligrams) of melatonin late in the afternoon Friday through Monday can help sync the sleep-wake and light-dark cycles. But be careful: Though melatonin is sold as a dietary supplement, it can cause drowsiness and interfere with other drugs.

A version of this story previously ran on ABCNews.com.

Article Resource :

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/daylight-saving-time-2015-tips-springing-forward/story?id=29424357