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Fox reports that The Maze Runner picked up an estimated $11.25 million on Friday, a very healthy jump from its modest $1.1 million Thursday night shows (included in Friday's gross). BoxOffice projects the latest young adult adaptation will net around $31 million this weekend--already nearly matching its $34 million production budget. By comparison, Maze's opening day was 14 percent ahead of Ender's Game ($9.8 million) and 51 percent behind Divergent ($22.8 million). Early word of mouth appears very healthy with an 82 percent Flixster score, on par with Divergent's 81 percent.
Liam Neeson's A Walk Among the Tombstones bagged $4.7 million on opening day--27.5 percent behind the $6.5 million first day of The Grey in January 2012, but also 87 percent stronger than Killing Them Softly's $2.5 million first day. Unfortunately, early word of mouth appears mixed with a 66 percent Flixster score. BoxOffice is projecting a solid $14 million weekend for the Universal release.
Warner Bros.' ensemble dramedy This Is Where I Leave You posted $3.91 million on Friday, 6 percent behind Trouble with the Curve's $4.2 million first day and 90 percent ahead of Admission's $2.05 million bow. The film's 70 percent Flixster score leaves a bit to be desired, although this isn't necessarily a film aimed toward the online crowd. As adult audiences are expected to turn out over the weekend, BoxOffice projects an $11.6 million opening frame.
Last week's top film, No Good Deed, sank an expected 67 percent from opening day to $2.95 million. With $32.9 million in the bank through 8 days of release, the Sony thriller has performed ahead of pre-release expectations as it leads the pace of The Call by 32 percent. BoxOffice projects a $9.6 million second weekend.
Dolphin Tale 2 rounded out the top five as it slipped 50 percent from last week's opening day gross to $2.14 million on Friday. By comparison, the first flick eased 32 percent from its first-to-second Friday. The family-friendly sequel has tallied $20.2 million in its first 8 days, 24.5 percent off the pace of its 2011 predecessor. BoxOffice projects an $8.0 million sophomore frame.
Meanwhile, Guardians of the Galaxy was off 35 percent from last Friday to $1.38 million yesterday. The year's top grosser so far is projected to bring in another $5.3 million for the weekend as a whole. With $309.9 million in the bank through Friday, its 50th day of release, Guardians stands 2.6 percent ahead of the pace the original Iron Man.
On the expansion front, The Drop took in $645,000 yesterday as it expanded into 1,192 theaters (up from 809 last week). Yesterday's haul was down 56 percent from opening day. To date, the film has grossed $6.3 million. BoxOffice projects $2.1 million for the current frame.
Unfortunately, no Friday estimates were made available for Kevin Smith's Tusk at the time of publication. The film opened in 602 theaters this weekend.


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Protests erupted in Karnataka Friday following the release of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu late Thursday and a crucial meeting was on in New Delhi to decide the quantum of water needed by the two states for the remaining part of this month.
Karnataka released the water to avoid contempt of court as the Supreme Court had directed the state Wednesday to give Tamil Nadu daily 10,000 cusecs of Cauvery water till Sunday.
On the court's direction, the Cauvery Monitoring Committee (CMC) met in the national capital to work out the water needs of the two states in view of vast divergence in their claims.
The apex court had also directed the CMC, comprising union water resources secretary and chief secretaries of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, to submit a report to it Monday on its decision. Hence, the CMC decision is crucial for both the states.
Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who flew to New Delhi Friday morning to plead the state's case with the central government, met union Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat and briefed him on the difficulty the state would face if more water is released to Tamil Nadu.
"We explained to the minister the serious drought situation, lack of water in our reservoirs and our requirement," Shettar told reporters after the meeting.
The water issue release disrupted Karnataka assembly proceedings as the opposition Congress and Janata Dal-Secular members staged a 'dharna' (protest) against release of water by the Bharatiya Janata Party government.
The protest forced Speaker K.G. Bopaiah to briefly adjourn the house. However, with the two parties resuming 'dharna' after the house re-assembled, Bopaiah adjourned it for the day.
The two parties have been demanding that the state should not release water and the government should be ready to face contempt of court to protect the interests of farmers in the Cauvery belt area of the state.
The Cauvery belt in the state witnessed protests by farmers and Kannada activists for the second day Friday.
Farmers' organizations have called for a shut-down of Mandya, about 80 km from Bangalore and a hotbed of agitation, if Cauvery water is to be released to Tamil Nadu while Karnataka faces drought.
Heavy security has been arranged at Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir in Mandya district from where Cauvery water is being released to Tamil Nadu.
Vehicular movement between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has been stopped on the border of Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka, police said. Chamarajanagar is about 200 km from Bangalore.
Karnataka has been pleading with the court as well as the central and Tamil Nadu governments that it is not in a position to spare water in view of the severe drought in the state this year.
However, Tamil Nadu is also making a strong case for water to save paddy crops in its Cauvery belt.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Pope Francis praises religious tolerance in Azerbaijan
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Pope Francis praised Azerbaijan on Sunday as a model for a world divided by violent extremism, sidestepping criticism of the government for the sake of encouraging religious tolerance in an often-volatile region where Catholics are a minority.
Francis avoided direct mention of criticism in the West over allegations of human rights abuses in Azerbaijan and a recent government referendum that extends the president's term and gives him new powers.
Rather, the pope spent his 10 hours in the Azeri capital of Baku celebrating one of the world's smallest Catholic communities and the good relations it enjoys with Azerbaijan's Shiite Muslim majority and its Jewish, Orthodox and other religious minorities. There are only about 300 Azeri Catholics in Azerbaijan, though the community also includes several thousand foreigners.
"These good relations assume great significance for peaceful coexistence and for peace in the world," Francis told President Ilham Aliyev and government officials. "They demonstrate that among followers of different religious confessions, cordial relations, respect and cooperation for the common good are possible."
As a case in point, Francis celebrated Mass in Baku's new Catholic Church, which was built with the financial help of Muslims and Jews, according to the Salesian priests who preside there. The Azeri government donated a plot of land on the outskirts of the capital after St. John Paul II visited in 2002, but it took the help of non-Christians to get the structure built.
"Have courage! Go on, without fear! Go ahead!" Francis urged the 400 Catholic faithful in the church and another 450 seated outside in the courtyard.
At the end of the Mass, the half-dozen Salesian priests who minister to Azerbaijani Catholics gave Francis a hand-woven carpet depicting both the church and the Maiden's Tower, a 12th-century bastion in Baku's walled Old City that is probably Azerbaijan's most recognizable structure. Azerbaijan is famed for its magnificent carpets.
"I cannot contain my boundless joy," parishioner Eva Agalarova, 61, said of Francis' visit.
After celebrating Mass and meeting with Aliyev, Francis met with the region's Muslim sheik and representatives of all the major faiths in Baku's main mosque before heading back to Rome after a weekend Caucasus visit that first took him to Georgia.
Last week, Azerbaijan's Central Election Commission said more than 80 percent of voters in the former Soviet republic backed a constitutional amendment extending the presidential term from five to seven years. Other provisions granted the president the right to dissolve parliament, and created new vice presidential jobs and cancelled age limits.
Aliyev's opponents, as well as human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Freedom House, said the moves would cement a dynastic rule in the oil-rich Caspian Sea nation. The Azerbaijani government has rejected the criticism, saying the constitutional amendments aim to cut red tape and speed up economic reforms.
Francis didn't address the criticism directly, though he spoke of the "significant efforts" Azerbaijan has made over the 25 years since its independence to strengthen civic institutions. Such a general exhortation suggested Francis didn't want to rock the boat for his small flock here given the good relations the Catholic Church enjoys with the government.
Aliyev, for his part, called Francis' visit historic.
"You are sending a clear message to the world here from Baku that multiculturalism, interfaith dialogue and goodwill has to prevail," he said to applause in the striking Zaha Hadid-designed Baku conference center, one of the many modern buildings that have sprung up in Baku in recent years.
Francis' visit to Azerbaijan bookended his June visit to neighboring Armenia, where he appealed for peace between two former Soviet republics over Nagorno-Karabakh. The region is officially part of Azerbaijan, but since a separatist war ended in 1994, it has been under the control of forces that claim to be local ethnic Armenians but that Azerbaijan claims include the Armenian military.
In his speech, Francis expressed his solidarity with "those who have had to leave their land" and urged the countries involved to "courageously" find paths of peace. With the help of the international community, he urged both sides in the conflict to "grasp every opportunity" to end the conflict.
Zemfira Mamedova, 70, said the pope's call for a peaceful resolution was the key expectation of his visit.
"The pope already was in Yerevan several months ago," Mamedova said. "Now we are expecting his call for peace and for the return of our land in Karabakh. This is our most main expectation."
Aliyev, in office since succeeding his father in 2003, has firmly allied the Shiite Muslim nation with the West, helping secure its energy and security interests and offset Russia's influence in the strategic Caspian region.
Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield


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3501 Civic Center Drive
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Sarah Estes-Smith
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Your participation is vital to creating policy that reflects our community goals. Transit, housing, the environment and fiscal responsibility are key issues that Southern Marin residents identified as priorities. You can read more about these priority areas and other initiatives I am working on by visiting the
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Cosworth 20019422 High Flow Intake system 08-10 Subaru Impreza WRX
Cosworth's High Flow Intake Systems feature increased diameter, large smooth radius bent aluminum inlet tubes for superior air flow management coupled with a high flow air filter for maximum air flow and performance.
Each kit includes an integrated heat shield designed to isolate the air intake from engine heat - delivering cold air into the engine for superior power conversion. The filter element is large, conical in shape and engineered to dramatically reduce intake restriction resulting in additional power and torque.


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Tacos, Tamales, and More: Our Favorite Bites from the East LA Meets Napa Charity Food Festival
GalleryTacos, Tamales, and More: Our Favorite Bites from the East LA Meets Napa Charity Food Festival
Most Mexican food events in Los Angeles are, frankly, inelegant affairs. Yes, you'll find some of the city's best tacos, endless piles of tamales or any number of Oaxacan specialties. But they're almost always served in a parking lot, under a few pop up tents, or dotted across a patchy lawn somewhere. East LA Meets Napa is different. It's classy.
But don't think for a second that it doesn't offer some of the city's best moles, cocteles, stewed meats and other finger-licking grub. This is, after all, still a Mexican food festival.
The annual wine and food charity event is held at downtown's historic Union Station, in the meandering pathways and tiled corridors that run along the transit point's western edge. There are fountains, a small open air plaza for music and lots of space to nibble on food, sip wine, and generally enjoy a temperate summer night.
The pricey fête—tickets start at $200 and rise quickly—draws all manner of politicians, celebrities, and serious food hounds, dressed in their best and raising money for AltaMed, a community-focused health care organization that provides core services in traditionally underserved parts of Southern California.
All in all, more than 60 vendors converged on the beautiful outdoor space on Friday night, from California wine bigwigs like J. Lohr and Chateau de Vie to Ensenada vintners like Hacienda La Lomita. LA's many-varied Mexican food experiences were well represented, with grilled shrimp from Chichen Itza, the heavenly mole from Rocio's Mole de los Dioses, sweet treats from Carnitas Uruapan and signature dishes from longtime locals like El Cholo and Manuel's El Tepayec.
See our favorite bites from this year's East LA Meets Napa event »
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