‘Lucy,’ ‘Hercules’ beat expectations at U.S. weekend box offices

July 27, 2014 0
Actress Scarlett Johansson arrives at the UK premiere of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" at Shepherds Bush in London

By Ronald Grover and Chris Michaud LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK (Reuters) – “Lucy,” starring Scarlett Johansson as a woman with a super-powered brain, collected $44 million to win the domestic box office race, outmuscling “Hercules” which took in $29 million for second place. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” which topped the box office the past two weekends, finished third with $16.4 million. “Lucy,” directed by French action film specialist Luc Besson, stars Johansson as a woman who can stop traffic and move objects with her mind after a drug planted in her body causes her brain to operate at abnormally high levels. The special effects-laden film was made for a relatively inexpensive $40 million, according to the movie site Box Office Mojo.

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I’m maturing like an old wine: Rajeshwari Sachdev

July 27, 2014 0

Mumbai, July 27 (IANS) Rajeshwari Sachdev’s stint in theatre, TV and films has been like a treasure-trove. After not being too active in front of the camera for some time, Rajeshwari returns with double dhamaka – she is seen in TV show “Laut Aao Trisha” and her movie “Dombivli Return” is set to hit the screens. Versatility has been her forte and once again she is proving it as a modern high-profile woman in the TV show, and a Maharashtrian woman in the thriller movie. A staple in Shyam Benegal’s film, including “Sardari Begam”, “Hari Bhari” and “Welcome To Sajjanpur”, Rajeshwari says connecting with her character of a Maharashtrian in the movie wasnt’ tough, because she was “born and brought up in Bombay and continue to grow up in Mumbai”.

Analysis – Amazon’s far-reaching ambitions, lack of profits, unnerve investors

July 27, 2014 0
A box from Amazon.com is pictured on the porch of a house in Golden

By Deepa Seetharaman SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc’s message to investors has always been clear: trust in founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. Some on Wall Street wonder if Amazon may have bitten off more than it can chew. After an unusually busy first half of the year that saw the online retailer spend on developing everything from mobile phones and Hollywood-style production to grocery deliveries, investors are ready to see it curtail its ambitions and start delivering sustainable profits. “It does get frustrating when they continue to spend quarter after quarter and they don’t let the revenue flow through,” said Michael Scanlon, who manages $3.5 billion at Manulife Asset Management and holds shares of Amazon.

Analysis – Amazon’s far-reaching ambitions, lack of profits, unnerve investors

July 26, 2014 0
Worker handles items for delivery at Amazon's new distribution center in Brieselang

By Deepa Seetharaman SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc’s message to investors has always been clear: trust in founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. Some on Wall Street wonder if Amazon may have bitten off more than it can chew. After an unusually busy first half of the year that saw the online retailer spend on developing everything from mobile phones and Hollywood-style production to grocery deliveries, investors are ready to see it curtail its ambitions and start delivering sustainable profits. “It does get frustrating when they continue to spend quarter after quarter and they don’t let the revenue flow through,” said Michael Scanlon, who manages $3.5 billion at Manulife Asset Management and holds shares of Amazon.