събота, 11 юни 2011 г.

Austrian chart update - 10.06

Die Österreichische Hitparade 
(with a lot of album cuts)

The top three

1. Pietro Lombardi - Call My Name (4th week on top)
2. LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
3. Snoop Dogg vs. David Guetta - Sweat
The new entries
 
31. James Cottriall - By Your Side **
32. Pitbull ft. Chris Brown - International Love *
34. Pietro Lombardi - Down *
37. Pietro Lombardi - Que Sera Sera *
50. Keri Hilson - Pretty Girl Rock *
64. Black Eyed Peas - Don't Stop The Party *
73. Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus 2011

* - Still to enter the German charts
** - pure Austrian stuff

петък, 10 юни 2011 г.

German chart comments - Issue date - 10.06.2011

A fourth week atop the German singles chart for Pietro Lombardi, who can now congratulate himself with doing a double as his debut album shoots itself straight at the summit of the LP chart. 

Pietro's closest challenger in the singles chart is the "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO, which by the looks of it is destined to be next week's number one. 

Inside the top ten new peaks this week by Adele's "Set Fire To The Rain" at #6, whose climb will finally come to an end soon either by reaching #1 or by being outsold by other strong contenders for the top. Last week's debutant Brooke Fraser is also on the rise and advances a position to #8 with "Something In The Water".
Video - Brooke Fraser

The highest of only four new entries in the Top 100 comes from Bruno Mars, who follows his number one smash "Grenade" with "Lazy Song". The latter creeps this week at #9. 

After last week we had Andreas Bourani entering the countdown for the first time at #16, this time around German music (and especially its male solo representatives) shows yet another sign of renaissance as Tim Bendzko brings his pilot single "Nur noch kurz die Welt retten" at #12. 

In the top 20 new peaks achieved this week by Jupiter Jones' "Still" at #11, Alexandra Stan's "Mr. Saxobeat" at #14 and Bag Raiders' "Way Back Home" at #20. The latter soars eighteen positions in its second week and for now looks to be yet another advertisement-inspired hit in Germany. 

Two steps behind the Aussies climbs Frida Gold, whose "Wovon sollen wir träumen" is increasingly becoming a strong hit for the German band. 

The third new entry comes at #30 from so-hot-right-now Chris Brown. His collaboration with DJ Benny Benassi marks the second release from Chris Brown's current album "Fame" and comes after the mega success of "Yeah 3X", which now occupies the 28th position. 

After appearing for just a week at the lower end of the chart several weeks ago, the latest remixes of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" return for yet another, this time more successful, attempt for a countdown dominance. Thus the single reenters at #36 this week. 

The latest new entry at #40 belongs to Thomas Anders, the better half of Modern Talking (just kidding here), who has teamed with  Fahrenkrog for "Gigolo". Nostalgia at a full max!
The Album Chart

As it became clear Pietro Lombardi has managed to kick off Lady Gaga's sophomore album at the summit as his "Jackpot" goes straight at #1. In comparison, the debut album of last year's winner Mehrzad Marashi reached #3. Thus Gaga retreats to #2 and Adele to #3. The next new entry comes for the pleasure of all schlager fans as Michael Wendler's latest album "Donnerwetter" goes in at #7. German duo Haudegen is responsible for the third and last new entry inside the top ten with "Schlicht & Ergreifend" showing at #10.

In BG Cinemas from June 10

X Men: Първа вълна / X Men: First Class - I'm biased here. I loved the first two X:Men movies and even found something intriguing in the much maligned third instalment and in the Wolverine flick. So the chances to not like the current film were always slim and thankfully The First Class delivers a first class movie. Coming hot on Kick Ass from last year (the five-star movie was unfortunately seen by only a few) director Matthew Vaughn definitely knows his staff when comic movies are concerned. And even the extremely tight shooting schedule (about ten months or so) didn't stop him making a perfect comic flick. Though the main story about the conflict between Professor X and Magneto has already been presented in the original trilogy, the First Class strangely doesn't feel redundant even for a second.


This feat can be attributed to the stellar cast, with James McCavoy and Michael Fassbender taking the lead mutant roles. McCavoy has already shown his acting chops and though his role as Charles was not the meatier one here, he injects his character with charm and wittiness, showing a likeable and enjoying side of the man who will become the most powerful telepathist out there. The real star of the show however is Fassbender, who has been only rising over the past few years (check out the more-than-great Hunger and Fish Tank) and now makes the role of Magneto his own (I'm sure Sir Ian McKellen would not mind). Seeking vengeance, the young Magneto travels across the globe appearing in a scene after scene, changing only languages, but delivering many of the best moments of First Class. It only helps that Kevin Bacon has taken the role as the film's antagonist, who is just magnificent, giving another proof why the roles of the psycho can be considered his own trademark. Among the other characters, yes, there are many young mutants showing here and there, and though many critics complain that the movie could do without some of them, my personal opinion is that everyone had its moment to shine at the end. The bonus points however should go to Emma Frost, Banshee and Beast. Oh, and the film boasts two amazing cameos, which will make the geeks inside of you scream with joy. As the story unfolds in the 60s of the last century, the director and his crew have taken the liberty to make one of the most stylish popcorn movies with amazing sets and striking costumes. It's classy whichever you look at it. And it's the best summer blockbuster so far in 2011. (Alexandra) ****1/2
Trailer 


Подслон / Shelter (Bulgaria) - Another week, another Bulgarian movie in the multiplexes. And this is neither irony nor complaint. Shelter comes after winning the best prize at this year's Sofia Film Fest and with the crown for the best Bulgarian film for the past 12 months. Watching the movie it's clear why. With its socio drama and uneasy answers related to the widening gap between generations, Shelter reminds of some of the best Romanian movies coming over the last few years. (the fact that it's screenwriter is also responsible for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days explains a lot). The final result is an astonishingly well-done for a first-time director movie, but with a narrative burdened by long silent shots infused with drama and misery. In other words, some colour (in every sense of the word) would have make it better. Another problem is the cast, the parents are a little bit theatrical, while their child simply cannot act. All this is thankfully somewhat offset by the fresh faces of the boy's friends Silvia Gerina and Irena Hristoskova, who just steal every shot they are in. (A+) ***1/2
Trailer 


Мървешко пробуждане / Dead Awake - The fact that this DTD horror crap has managed to receive a wide release in Bulgaria, while titles such as Arthur, Country Strong, Beastly, Hereafter and Monte Carlo were cancelled, is just another achievement in the history of our distribution market. And it's a further proof of my theory that sometimes it's better to be an independent film rather than a Hollywood one in order to get a release here. Just wish it was Insidious or Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark instead. (Alexandra) *
Trailer 


Next weekend's previews:
Super 8 - Cloverfield meets ET but in a good way ****

The ratings:
***** Perfect
**** Unmissable
*** Fun
** So-so
* Stay away


четвъртък, 9 юни 2011 г.

BG Boxoffice Update - Weekend 3-5 June

Storming the BO the kung fu style
The reign of the pirates over the Bulgarian boxoffice has come to an end with the arrival of Po and his friends. The Panda gang managed to kick off Jack Sparrow and co. from the summit and to rule the weekend with BGN 128,267, or a total of BGN 188,167 including previews. Bulgarians love 3D animation, it's a universal truth and in comparison Rio made BGN 197,016 in its debut in April, but without having the privilege to be played with preview screenings. The first Kung Fu Panda finished its run with a total of USD 219,976 during the long forgotten (Prooptiki) time.

This weekend Pirates 4 retreats with a decrease of 35% to #2, but with a total of BGN 1.4m on its account has already turned into the biggest Disney film on these shores. As there are no comparative figures for the past, let's just say that this record is only for the latest so-called multiplex era in the Bulgarian cinema distribution. 

I was 100% certain that the good word-of-mouth will keep The Hangover Part II afloat as the wolf pack registers a minor 14% fall this weekend and already has the more-than-respectable BGN 252,793 in its bottle. 

Lured by the idea to watch Sean Penn and Brad Pitt together on the big screens many went to see The Tree Of Life this weekend. The movie bagged BGN 18,358 between Friday and Sunday and BGN 36,363 including previews. Having in mind that it's a completely arthouse movie, the result is more than welcome for its distributor. Nevertheless I can only feel sympathy to all who had to sit through the Malick flick next to people, for example мутри (thugs) and чалга принцеси (stupid chicks), who of course had no fucking idea for what they were buying a ticket... 

A position behind the aforementioned mess enters the latest Bulgarian movie which has hit our screens. Lora From Morning Till Evening is definitely a pleasant surprise for our film-making industry and to tell you a secret next weekend's The Shelter though good is definitely not so entertaining as the adventures of Lora. The latter made BGN 14,144, which unfortunately is just nothing compared to sh*tty movies such as the one with the dot in the title.

Compared to my last week projections, all new films came almost spot on. The Panda made slightly higher than my BGN 160,000 forecast, The Tree Of Life almost hit my BGN 35,000 projection and Lora was slightly lower than the expected BGN 20,000.

Next weekend projections:

X:Men - First Class -  BGN 140,000, including previews
The Shelter - BGN 35,000
Dead Awake - BGN 5,000


(BGN 1 = USD 0.75 = EUR 0.51)

вторник, 7 юни 2011 г.

No Prom/Bridesmaids/African Cats in Bulgaria!!!

Steady girls! There'll be no wedding here!
Another week, another example of unfair treatment of the Bulgarian cinema market. Two Disney movies expectedly gone, while another Universal title will only pass us by. But let's handle the cases separately:

The moment one of my colleagues started writing a long feature on Prom, I told him this movie would never get a distribution here. Just don't pay attention to what the distributor says, write for something else! He didn't listen. Anyway, the idea to distribute a movie about graduation from high school several weeks after the same event finishes in Bulgaria was never the most brilliant one. The film would have found success only if it was played in the peak of the prom hysteria in Bulgaria. And believe me, the fact that there is no single familiar face in the cast and worse - the film was a real flop even in its native USA have never worked for it getting a distribution here. The critics say it's awful, so no regrets (perhaps).
Trailer

But just forget about Prom, the case with Bridesmaids is quite the opposite. At the time of writing, the comedy has (take a deep breath) - a 7.7 rating on IMDB, 88% on Rottentomates and almost USD 108m in its BO run in the USA so far, with one of the smallest weekly declines this summer. The movie was declared a hit by critics, market observers and the audience. So why not distribution here? It's a Universal movie ladies and gentlemen! And we know that we are not worthy of their high-valued production. And while the cancellation of Your Highness and Paul was understandable (they did not make a lot of bucks abroad), this of Hop was a regrettable mistake, the no-release of Bridesmaids in Bulgaria is just too much. I personally cannot remember any successful Universal comedy from the past few years which we did not get here - even Funny People and Definitely Maybe somehow crept onto our screens. But in 2011 the situation is different! And we should be thankful for at least one or two movies per year from the aforementioned studio. And even should bring them flowers and sweets! Without having any insight into the situation, I'm certain that there are huge problems between the studio and its local distributors, but please for the cinema goers sake deal with them immediately!!!
Trailer 

And last, someone somewhere had included African Cats in the Bulgarian release schedule for this autumn. The moment I saw this, I just couldn't stop laughing. A documentary of Disney on the big screen here? Months after the US release, are you kidding me? That was never going to happen. And officially it will not...
Responsible - Disney/Universal abroad & Forum Film here

Austria's Top Economic News - Week 30 May-5 June - Deutsche Version

Montag
Der Faserspezialist Lenzing sagte zum Wochenbeginn, dass er bis zu 825,000 neue Aktien begeben will. Inzwischen plant sein Mehrheitseigentümer B&C bis zu 5.49m von seinen Aktien am Markt zu platzieren. Damit will Lenzing seinen Streubezitz auf 33% bis 35% von derzeit 10% erhöhen. Oberbank, die 3% beim Faserhersteller kontrolliert, ankündigte, dass sie in den Kapitalmaßnahmen teilnehmen will. 

Die C.A.T. Oil AG veröffentlichte am Montag einen Verlust nach Steuern von EUR 1m für die ersten drei Monaten des Jahres gegenüber einem Gewinn von EUR 1m vor einem Jahr. Das Ergebnis war von Steuereffekten belastet. Der Umsatz stieg allerdings um 29.4% auf EUR 61m. Die Firma bestätigt ihren Ausblick für das ganze Jahr. 

Motorradehesteller KTM meldete am Montagabend, dass er sein Kapital um EUR 45,000 erhöhen will.

Dienstag

Der österreichische Stahlspezialist Voestalpine meldete am Dienstag, dass sein Umsatz um 28.1% auf EUR 10.954bn im letzten Geschäftsjahr gestiegen ist. Das EBIT der Linz Gruppe nahm 180% auf EUR 984.8m zu. Der Voestalpine erwartet einen weiteren Aufstieg bei seinem Ergebnis im aktuellen Jahr. Die Gruppe plant eine Dividende von EUR 0.80 für das 2010/11 Fiskaljahr.

Das Bauunternehmen Strabag veröffentlichte eine Bauleistung von EUR 2.31bn in den ersten drei Monaten des Jahres, eine Aufnahme von 26% gegenüber der gleichen Periode von 2010. Die operative Verlust verringerte sich auf EUR 145.4m von EUR 149.9m. Die Firma erhöhte auch ihren Ausblick für 2011 und 2012.

Versicherer Uniqa teilte am Dienstag mit, dass er eine deutliche Kapitalerhöhung und eine Zunahme seines Streubesitzes in 2013 plant. Die Haupteigentümer des Uniqa könnten ihre Anteile um bis 51% reduzieren. Die neue Strategie des Versicherungskonzerns wurde von dem neuen Vorstandschef Andreas Brandstetter angekündigt.

Anlagebauer Hirsch Servo AG meldete am Dienstag einen Umsatz von EUR 66.9m in den ersten drei Quartalen des Geschäftsjahres, eine Zunahme von 16%. Das Unternehmen veröffentlichte ein EBIT von EUR 0.34m, gegenüber einem Verlust von EUR 5.89m vor einem Jahr.

Im Zuge der Pläne vom Faserhersteller Lenzing seinen Streubesitz zu erhöhen, plant Haupteigentümer B&C seinen Anteil auf 65% zu verringern. 

Mittwoch

Die österreichische Arbeitslosigkeit setzte ihren Rückgang im Mai fort. Mai war der erste Monat nach der vollen Eröffnung des österreichischen Arbeitsmarkts für Osteuropa. Die Arbeitslosnummer sank um 2.5% gegenüber dem selben Monat des letzten Jahres. Die Arbeitslosenquote war 6.1% nach den österreichischen Kalkulationen. 

Am Mittwoch gab es auch die Nachricht, dass Jürgen Danzmayr, der Manager von Private Banking bei der Bank Austria, zu der Schwesterfirma HypoVereinsbank in München wechseln wird. 

Als Reaktion auf die Entscheidung von Deutschland aus ihren Kernkräften zu aussteigen, sagte Wolfgang Anzengruber, der Vorstandschef von der österreichischen größten Stadtwerke Verbund, dass er mit einem kontinuierlichen Anstieg der Strompreisen rechnet. 

Donnerstag - Christi Himmelfahrt - Feiertag

Freitag 

Der Softwarespezialist Fabasoft AG teilte am Freitag mit, dass er eine Ermächtigung von seinen Aktionären zum Aufstieg seines Kapital um bis zu EUR 2.5m will.

Am Freitag behielt Standard & Poor's ihres A Kreditrating für die Uniqa Gruppe und ihres A- für UNIQA-Versicherungen. Der Ausblick blieb allerdings negative.

Moody's gab am Frietag ein Rating von Baa3 für die Hybridanleihe von der OMV. Der Ausblick ist stabil.
Die Ölgruppe sagte sie erneut Öl in Nordirak gefunden hat.

Austria's Top Economic News - Week 30 May-5 June

Monday
Fibre producer Lenzing announced at the start of the week plans to issue up to 825,000 new shares. Its majority shareholder B&C will sell 5.49m shares on the market. Via the measures, the company aims to raise its free float to between 33% and 35% from 10% currently. Oberbank, which owns 3% in the company, said it will fully exercise its subscription rights in the move.

C.A.T. Oil AG reported on Monday a net loss of EUR 1m for the first three months of 2011, compared to a profit of EUR 1m a year earlier. The result was burdened by tax effects. Sales rose 29.4% to EUR 61m. The company confirmed its expectations for 2011.

Motorcycle producer KTM said in the evening of Monday it will raise its share capital by EUR 45,000.

Tuesday

Steel specialist Voestalpine said on Tuesday its sales grew 28.1% to EUR 10.954bn in fiscal 2010/11. The company's EBIT soared 180% to EUR 984.8m. Voestalpine expects a further considerable increase in earnings in the current fiscal year. The group plans a dividend of EUR 0.80 for 2010/11.

Builder Strabag announced an output of EUR 2.31bn for the first quarter of 2011, up 26% on the year. The operating loss decreased to EUR 145.4m from EUR 149.9m. The company raised considerably its outlook for 2011 and 2012.

Insurer Uniqa revealed its plans for a considerable capital increase and boosting of its free float for 2013. The main shareholders will be able to reduce their shareholdings to around 51% after the move. The new strategy of the company was announced by newly-appointed CEO Andreas Brandstetter.

Hirsch Servo AG reported on Tuesday sales of EUR 66.9m for the first nine months of fiscal 2010/11, up 16%. The company booked EBIT of EUR 0.34m, compared to a loss of EUR 5.89m for the same period of 2009/10.

As part of the announced plans of Lenzing to issue new shares and raise its free float, main shareholder B&C said it plans to reduce its 90% stake to 65%.

Wednesday

Unemployment in Austria continued to decrease in May, the first month after the opening of the labour market for eastern Europe. The number of unemployed fell 2.5% in annual terms, resulting in an unemployment rate of 6.1% under Austrian calculations.

On Wednesday it was announced that Jürgen Danzmayr, head of private banking at Bank Austria, will move to sister company HypoVereinsbank in Munich.

In a reaction of Germany's decision to step out of nuclear energy, Wolfgang Anzengruber, CEO of Austria's biggest utility Verbund, projected a continuing increase in electricity prices in the future. He called for an increase in energy efficiency and for keeping the prices affordable for the business.

Thursday - Ascension Day / Public Holiday in Austria

Friday

Software company Fabasoft AG said it will seek from its shareholders authorisation for increasing its capital by up to EUR 2.5m in the next five years.

On Friday Standard & Poor's kept its A credit rating on the Uniqa group and its A- on UNIQA-Versicherungen. The outlook however remains negative.

In another rating news, Moody's said it has rated the hybrid notes of OMV with Baa3 and stable outlook.
OMV, in its turn, said it has made a new oil discovery in northern Iraq.