In October 1995, twenty years ago this month, a low-budget movie shot on 16mm around the Las Vegas Strip about a guy who wants to drink himself to death was released in theaters by United Artists. And unless you were an avid film buff, you likely had no clue it even existed. 

“Leaving Las Vegas” was based on a book no one ever read by an author who committed suicide two weeks after his book was optioned to be made for the big screen. But Hollywood loves underdog stories, and “Leaving Las Vegas” was one of the biggest of the mid-1990s.

Thanks to word of mouth and Oscar buzz, by the time the film ended its theatrical run five months later, the movie would be considered by many to be one of the best of the decade—and took in considerably more ($32 million) than what it cost to make ($3.6 million). 

And perhaps its greatest feat: It made Nicolas Cage an Oscar-winning actor.

Director Mike Figgis, who was best known at the time for the Richard Gere 1990 crime drama “Internal Affairs,” was taken by the hopelessly depressed book from author John O'Brien and felt he could build the main character Ben, who commits to ending it all by drinking after his wife divorces him and takes custody of their child, into a sympathetic figure whom audiences could relate to regardless of whether their lives were like Ben's.

The film is also heightened by an incredible lounge-lizard score composed by Figgis himself, along with some classic jazz songs performed by Sting, which give you that crummy-dive-bar feel.

We follow Cage's Ben as he moves from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, where the bars never close and drinking outside is sanctioned. But after he meets a kindred spirit in a prostitute named Sera (Elisabeth Shue), his life suddenly has promise, though he's too driven to ruin it to take notice.

By the mid-'90s, Cage had built a diverse filmography that was part lovable loser ("Raising Arizona"), unique leading man ("Monstruck,""Honeymoon in Vegas"), and just plane bizarro ("Vampire's Kill,""Wild at Heart"). In "Leaving Las Vegas," he gives one of the best performances of his career by playing Ben with surprising subtlty. Looking so pale and disheveled with bloodshot eyes that you could almost smell the booze off him, Cage nevertheless avoids the outlandish movements and one-liners that have become his signature.

When there is a sudden jolt of rage, Cage isn't hokey about it. There's purpose in the outburst.

One scene that stands out: Ben and Sera go out on the Strip and decide to gamble. Completely plastered, Ben is at the blackjack table with Sera. Figgis mounts the camera up in the rafters, giving us the feeling of snooping (possibly a practical choice, since Figgis has said that he shot the film with very few permits). A waitress asks if they want another drink. Ben first says no, then—almost as if realizing he cannot pass up a drink even when he doesn't want one—tells her he does. Then he goes into a blind rage, breaking glasses, pushing people, and turning over the blackjack table. Security finally shows up and we can make out Ben yelling, "I am his father!"

In most Cage movies, you'll get an average of two to three berserk moments like this. But in "Leaving Las Vegas," there's only this one, and it's terrifying to watch.

"I never drink when I act, but I wanted to incorporate in some scenes actual drinking," Cage told James Lipton about filming "Leaving Las Vegas" when he went on "Inside the Actors Studio" in 2003. "So that scene in the casino when I'm freaking out, I'm really drunk."

Lipton asked Cage why Ben says "I am his father" in the scene.

"That was sort of a primal scream that came out of me that wasn't in the script," Cage told him.

The performance in "Leaving Las Vegas" earned Cage the Best Actor Oscar at the 68th Academy Awards in 1996 (Shue was nominated for Best Actress). Though he would excel in movies like "Adaptation,""World Trade Center," and "Joe" after the Oscar win, it's Cage's over-the-top performances in B-movies ("The Wicker Man,""Ghost Rider") that now come to mind for most. Things have been worse for Figgis and Shue, as the film turned out to be the peak in both of their careers. And time has not been as kind as it should to "Leaving Las Vegas"—the only place you can currently stream it is on iTunes.

But sometime illusive titles can be the most rewarding to experience. Perhaps on its 20th anniversary, "Leaving Las Vegas" can have another underdog resurgence.

Watch the movie on iTunes.

SEE ALSO: Nicolas Cage's four best movies, according to Nicolas Cage

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Audiences around the world aren't the only ones excited to see the new James Bond movie. Studios in Hollywood are chomping at the bit for the movie to start its theatrical run.

That's because, after the release of "Spectre" in the US on November 6, the movie series' contract with Sony ends.

Sony could get it back, but a franchise about to release its 24th film and which has grossed over $4 billion worldwide since the 1960s is a very attractive property for any studio.

Deadline is reporting that Warner Bros., Fox, Universal, and Paramount are all interested in being the new home 0f 007, with WB being the most aggressive of the bunch. And the Broccoli family that owns the James Bond movie rights is apparently making it clear to studios that it will be open to deals.

The franchise was originally produced and released by United Artists, which was bought by MGM in the 1980s, then Sony began releasing the Bond titles staring with 2006's "Casino Royale" (co-financed by MGM).

Things are still in the negotiation phase. Deadline points out that sources say the gatekeepers of the Bond franchise will wait until "Spectre" plays around the world and makes heaps of money before signing a deal, thereby strengthening their leverage.

MGM, which is emerging from its 2010 bankruptcy, could take on the franchise alone. But more likely is that the Broccoli family resigns with Sony or goes to another studio.

Deadline notes that WB could be a good home as it already teamed with MGM on "The Hobbit," another franchise that racked up profits around the world.

SEE ALSO: Author of new James Bong book calls Daniel Craig's 007 weak

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Jumping on the recent gender-swapping craze in Hollywood, it looks like an all-female "Ocean's Eleven" project with Sandra Bullock in the George Clooney role is on the fast track.

According to The Playlist, the female "Ocean's" has been in the works for some time, with involvement from the late producer Jerry Weintraub, "Ocean's" franchise director Steven Soderbergh, and Clooney since the fall of 2014 (Weintraub passed away in July).

The plan is for director Gary Ross ("The Hunger Games,""Seabiscuit") to helm, with Clooney on as producer and Bullock playing the lead (Clooney might also show up in a cameo as Danny Ocean).

Olivia Milch ("Little Women"), who has been working on a screenplay for months, recently handed in a draft, according to The Playlist.

It seems the project hasn't been much of a secret in Hollywood. According to the leaked Sony emails from last year, then-chief of the studio Amy Pascal urged her all-female "Ghostbusters" project to pick up the pace when she caught wind of the new "Ocean's" and other gender-swapping projects.

Clooney is a producer on Bullock's new movie out this weekend, "Our Brand Is Crisis."

SEE ALSO: Hollywood mourns of loss of "Ocean's" super-producer Jerry Weintraub

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From Pixar's first feature film to the origins of "Bye Felicia," 1995 was a memorable year at the movies.

"Clueless" defined a generation, Pierce Brosnan debuted as James Bond, and a film about a beloved pig was nominated for Best Picture.

So now, we're looking back at films you won't believe are celebrating their 20th anniversaries this year:

SEE ALSO: 'Leaving Las Vegas' was the movie that proved Nicolas Cage can be a great actor

Toy Story

Pixar revolutionized the animated-film industry with its first feature-length computer-animated film

In a world where toys come to life, "Toy Story" follows Buzz Lightyear and Woody, two toys trying to make it back to their child after getting left behind at the restaurant Pizza Planet.

The film was nominated for three Academy Awards and was the highest-grossing domestic film of 1995. Two sequels have been released since, with a fourth slated for 2017, though it won't be a continuation of the first three films.

Apollo 13

Ron Howard's depiction of the 1970 aborted Apollo 13 moon-landing mission was nominated for nine Academy Awards.

The film features Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, and Gary Sinise as the astronauts trying to make a safe return from space.

GoldenEye

This film marks Pierce Brosnan's Bond debut and is the 17th film in the franchise, taking place post-Cold War.

Judi Dench portrayed M in the film, making "GoldenEye" the first Bond film in which M was played by a woman. This year's "Spectre" will be the first time she hasn't reprised the role in a Bond film.

The film was also made into a 1997 video game for the Nintendo 64, titled "GoldenEye 007."

Gaspar Noe ("Irreversible,""Enter the Void"), an Argentinian filmmaker based in France, isn't as provocative or insightful as he thinks he is. 

His latest pretentious opus is called "Love," although there's very little of that on display.

The film is less concerned with the feeling itself and more focused on the physical act. The advertising for the film has really honed in on the "NSFW," edgy angle, and the entire selling point of the movie is sex. In 3D!

If that sounds more like a gimmick than anything artful, that's because it absolutely is. It's incredibly strange to see hardcore sex on the big screen, especially in the third dimension, but what's the point? 

If the film surrounding these moments is entirely hollow, these scenes become superfluous and don't really add anything to the narrative.

And there's not much of a narrative to begin with. The film throws you right in the thick of it, as the opening scene features a couple in bed pleasuring one another. To completion.

The camera is stationary as the act goes on and on until its logical climax. No camera tricks, edits, or awkward angles. Just sex, right in front of your nose.

This scene is revealed to be a dream, and we learn that Murphy (an American man in France) still has serious feelings for his ex-girlfriend, Electra, the woman from the dream. 

In reality, Murphy is currently dating a woman named Omi, and they have a baby together. Murphy's stream-of-consciousness narration plays over the visuals, so there are no secrets between him and the audience. 

Murphy's internal monologue doesn't sugarcoat anything. He is only with Omi because they have a child together (that was conceived accidentally, of course) and he doesn't have a better option. 

The biggest problem with "Love" is that its protagonist is, in a word, insufferable. Murphy is young, dumb, and full of false wisdom. He's an aspiring filmmaker, and we know this because he has posters for "Birth of a Nation" and "Salo" in his apartment and won't shut up about how inspiring he finds "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Murphy feels very much like a conduit for Gaspar himself, as the writer/director can't help but repeatedly inject his own autobiographical catharsis into the film. When Murphy and Omi are discussing baby names, Murphy wants to name him Gaspar. Later, the name Noe also comes into play.

The audience I saw it with laughed uproariously (at it, not with it) both times. This is actually quite fitting, as I tend to find the director's work to be just as dense and intolerable as his protagonist.

There's a case to be made that Murphy being a total moron is the entire point — we've all been young and naive — but Gaspar plays him entirely straight.

In most movies, when a character drones on and on about his unfounded ambitions, the filmmakers are in on the gag. This guy's a joke, look at him making an ass of himself!  

I thought maybe I was having trouble separating the character of Murphy from Gaspar himself at first. Any doubt I had fell away when Murphy literally explained the concept of the very movie we are watching. He talks about wanting to make a movie that focuses on love, but told raw, via hardcore sex. Give me a break, Gaspar!

The sex scenes themselves, which are really the focal point according to every piece of press material, get the job done. There's an extended threesome sequence that is undeniably alluring, and Gaspar shoots it in such a way that it never gets boring.   

The problem is we never really care about Murphy or the women he beds, so there's no real emotional connection to be had. No matter how raw or real the sex scene is, if we don't care about the characters, it's all for naught. 

The 3D gimmick is amusing for a while, but it doesn't take long for it to lose its luster. By the time Gaspar literally cuts to an erect penis ejaculating on the audience, it's clear the film's use of 3D is focused more on amusement than immersion.

"Love" is a pretty awful title for the film, as nothing on display here can or should be construed as love. There's sex, bickering, hopelessness, self-indulgence and ignorance, but never love. Maybe one of those words would have worked better. 

Watch the trailer (don't worry, no nudity or actual sex):

"Love," which is unrated, opens in limited release Friday, October 30.

SEE ALSO: The less you know before seeing 'Room,' the better

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November means all manner of relaxing outdoor activities — beer gardens, botanic gardens — are out. Time to hop on the couch and do nothing except entertain yourself with nearly limitless streaming options.

Standouts coming to your favorite streaming services in November include “Ant-Man,” "Mission Impossible — Rogue Nation,” the first season of “Ballers,” and a whole bunch of classic James Bond movies.

All the new movie and TV titles are below:

iTunes

Available November 3

“Tangerine”

Available November 10

“American Ultra”

Available November 17

“Ant-Man”
“Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation”
“Fantastic Four”
“The Stanford Prison Experiment”
“Sinister 2”

Amazon Prime

Available November 1

“Desk Set”
“The Enemy Below”
“The Craft”
“Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights”
“The Newton Boys”

Available November 2

“Ballers” (Season 1)
“Inside Comedy” (Season 4)
“7 Deadly Sins” (Season 1)
“Legends” (Season 2)

Available November 5

“Tell”
“Awakenings”
“The Adventures of Milo and Otis”
“The Mask of Zorro”
“Seven Years In Tibet”
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”

Available November 6

“Elementary” (Season 4)

Available November 7

“True Detective” (Season 2)
“The Yes Men Are Revolting”

Available November 10

“Wolf Hall”

Available November 14

“Ex Machina”

Available November 17

“Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation”

Available November 18

“Mr. Selfridge” (Season 3)

Available November 19

“Vikings” (Season 3)

Available November 20

“Man in the High Castle” (Season 1)

Available November 21

“Only God Forgives”

Available November 22 

“Teen Wolf”

Available November 24

“Ricky & The Flash”

Available November 26

“Kate & Leopold”

Available November 28

“Falling Skies” (Season 5)
“Top Five”

HULU

Available November 1

“Diamonds Are Forever”
“For Your Eyes Only”
“From Russia With Love”
“Goldfinger”
“License to Kill”
“Live and Let Die”
“The Living Daylights”
“Man With The Golden Gun”
“Moonraker”
“Never Say Never Again”
“Octopussy”
“On Her Majesty's Secret Service”
“The Spy Who Loved Me”
“Thunderball”
“A View to a Kill”
“Adventures In Babysitting”
“Another Stakeout”
“Arachnophobia”
“Beloved”
“Celtic Pride”
“Cocktail”
“Cool Runnings”
“Crazy/Beautiful”
“Dangerous Minds”
“Delivery Man”
“Dick Tracy”
“Evita”
“Grosse Pointe Blank”
“Honey, I Shrunk The Kids”
“Judge Dredd”
“Keeping Up With The Steins”
“Let Us Prey”
“Mighty Joe Young”
“Mindhunters”
“Need For Speed”
“The Other End of the Line”
“Out of Sight”
“Play It to the Bone”
“Rushmore”
“Ruthless People”
“Scar Tissue”
“Stakeout”
“Superstar”
“The Jackal”
“Three Men And A Baby”
“Turner & Hooch”
“Waterworld”
“What About Bob?”
“Zoolander”

Available November 2

“Around the World in 80 Days”

HBO NOW

Available November 1

“Battle for the Planet of the Apes”
“Beneath the Planet of the Apes”
“Don’t Say a Word”
“Double Jeopardy”
“Dreamgirls”
“Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”
“Field of Dreams”
“Good Burger”
“Once”
“Planet of the Apes (1968)
“Project Greenlight” (Season Finale)
“Ride Along”
“Satisfaction”
“Scream”
“The Last King of Scotland”
“The Thomas Crown Affair”
“The Waterboy”
“Throw Momma from the Train”

Available November 2

“The Diplomat”
“The Leisure Class”

Available November 3

“Kareem: Minority of One”

Available November 7

“Unfinished Business”

Available November 8

“Getting On” (Season 3 Premiere)

Available November 14

“Run All Night”
“U2: iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour”

Available November 21

“Fifty Shades of Grey”
“Real Time with Bill Maher” (Fall Finale)

Available November 23

"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" (Fall Finale)

Available November 28

“Kingsman: The Secret Service”

Redbox

Available November 3

“Inside Out”
“San Andreas”
“Magic Mike XXL”
“The Gift”
“She's Funny That Way”
“The End of the Tour”
“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”
“The Final Girl”
“Digging For Fire”
“Toy Story That Time Forgot”

Available November 10

“Terminator: Genisys”
“Gallows”
“Dope”
“Mr. Holmes”
“Pay the Ghost”

Available November 17

“Jurassic World”
“Paper Towns”
“The Exorcism of Molly Hartley”

Available November 24

“Vacation”
“Ricki And The Flash”
“American Ultra”
“No Escape”
“Shaun the Sheep Movie”
“Max”
“Santa's Little Helper”

SEE ALSO: Here's everything leaving Netflix in November

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Citi Research just dropped a huge note on the future of China's internet, commerce and media markets.

A key insight is that the Chinese movie market is set to be the world's biggest in the next couple of years, thanks to incredible growth in the last decade.

The rapid emergence of China's middle class means more and more people are becoming big movie fans — going to the cinema or buying a DVD is an easy and enjoyable way to spend the spare cash you've found yourself with. In a market as huge as China's any increase in interest means lots of money, and big growth.

Between 2003-2010, the peak years of double figure growth for the country's economy, box office receipts had compound annual growth of about 40%. That has now slowed to 29%, but China is still on track to become the world's biggest market for films (in terms of box office receipts) by 2017.

Films in China are expected to make about RMB632 billion (£6.5 billion, $10 billion) per year by 2017. This will put it right alongside the US as joint biggest market in the world. China is then predicted to overtake the US.

Here's Citi's chart:

Compare that to the pretty stagnant box office numbers in the USA:

Box office receipts are now mainly going up because of the booming desire for cinemas in Tier 2 cities, smaller cities like Nanjing, Ningbo and Jinan. The cities are not as big or wealthy as places like Shanghai and Beijing, but are experiencing quicker growth. Jinan, for example, grew it's GDP by 12.7% last year.

As these cities grow, cinemas are being built at a higher rate, helping fuel the box office boom. Citi's chart shows this:

Earlier this month, Business Insider spoke to Chinese entrepreneur and media producer Johnny Hon, who sees the number of Chinese people now going to the cinema as an investment opportunity for Westerners.

Hon's projections for the Chinese box office are a little more optimistic than Citi's and he says that "in half a year China will overtake the US as number one in the world."He thinks that Western investment could help both the West and China in making better films which could attract crowds around the world.

"We may be able to make movies but we don't necessarily have the right expertise or the special effects experience like in Hollywood to push entertainment to the next level. That's why we need Western companies to come over and partner with us to make worldwide hits." Hon said.

Johnny Hon's argument has some weight given that Chinese movies make up more than half of box office sales already. If Western companies did invest in Chinese movies, it seems like the rewards could be pretty big.

Here's Citi again:

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With Halloween landing on a Saturday this year, most of the studios took the weekend to fill their pockets with the treats of past weekend releases.

The ones who took on the holiday were "Burnt," starring Bradley Cooper as an edgy chef trying to return to elite status, and Sandra Bullock in "Our Brand Is Crisis," playing a political strategist who attempts to get a Bolivian president reelected.

The Friday numbers gave a glimpse at the horror both films would suffer, as "Burnt" only took in $1.8 million in 3,003 theaters and "Crisis" earned $1.1 million in 2,202 theaters, according to Deadline. That gives them an estimated weekend total of $5.04 million and $3.43 million, respectively.

The weekend opening for "Our Brand Is Crisis," which was produced by George Clooney, marks the worst nationwide release for Bullock of her career.

Also new out this weekend was Paramount's "Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse." But folks decided to walk around as the undead than see them on screen, as the film only took in an estimated $1.8 million over the weekend, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

With the new releases flatlining, it opened the door for former weekend champ "The Martian" to come back to earn the No. 1 spot this weekend with an estimated $10 million to $11 million, according to THR.

The Ridley Scott sci-fi crowd pleaser starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars has earned the top spot at the weekend box office four out of the five weekends it's been in theaters.

SEE ALSO: 27 movies you have to see this holiday season

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Tickets for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" are already selling for thousands on eBay, but there's a slightly less pricey way for you to see it, and a few days earlier than everyone else at that: By taking a trip on Air France.

The airline is offering customers who book by December 10 a chance to watch the movie on the 16th if they fly on one of four December 15 flights. The movie won't be screened on-flight, but at a EuropaCorp theater. Tickets and transportation from Charles de Gaulle airport to the screening will be provided by Air France, according to the company's website.

You can fly from San Francisco, Los Angeles, or New York to Paris to take advantage of the deal. Here are the details from Air France's website:

As of this writing, the cheapest possible option works out to about $1,400, but like with all airline prices, rates will likely fluctuate.

The EuropaCorp Cinema where "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will be screened (in English!) was designed by Luc Besson, the French director behind popular movies like "Lucy" and  "Taken." The theatre offers a 16-flavor popcorn bar, champagne, and a VIP lounge, according to a report from Variety. 

EuropaCorp isn't the only international venue that will be playing "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" ahead of time. In fact, if you want to one-up those taking advantage of the Air France deal, simply head to the United Arab Emirates, where "The Force Awakens" will screen on December 15. "Italy, Denmark, parts of Switzerland, and more European destinations" will show the movie on December 16 along with France, according to CinemaBlend, and other countries will follow suit on the 17th. It'll finally be released in the U.S. on December 18.

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Warning: There are potential spoilers ahead for the future of the DC movie universe.

Fans may be extremely excited for next year's "Batman v Superman," but there's one Batman story fans would probably love to see on the big screen and it looks like we may just get it. 

According to JoBlo.com, we could see the Joker and a version of Robin in the next solo Batman film. 

For Batfans, that should sound off some immediate bells.

Last chance before spoilers. 

Over the years, Batman has had numerous sidekicks fill in for the role of Robin.

In the iconic 1988 "Batman: A Death in the Family," the Joker is notoriously responsible for the death of the Dark Knight's second Robin, Jason Todd. It's a death which plagues the Caped Crusader for years afterward. 

However, the story doesn't end there.

Year's later, Todd is resurrected and becomes the antihero Red Hood. This time around, Todd doesn't play by Batman's rules and isn't afraid to use gunfire to bring down criminals. Unsurprisingly, he also has a bit of a grudge against Bats and goes after the Dark Knight for never avenging his death.

According to the site, Warner Bros. is looking to adapt the "Death in the Family" series along with the "Red Hood" comics. 

JoBlo suggests that Red Hood would be DC's version of Marvel's Winter Soldier a sidekick who has gone to the dark side and needs a shot at redemption. 

If the story sounds familiar, it's been adapted before. 

In 2010, Warner Bros. released a direct-to-video animated picture titled "Batman: Under the Red Hood" which delivered a gritty look at the "Death in the Family" storyline.

The recent "Batman: Arkham Knight" game dealt directly with Jason Todd/Red Hood as well.

JoBlo reports we may also see cameos from Red Hood in "Batman v Superman" or "Suicide Squad."

If you rewatch the latest "Batman v Superman" trailer, that certainly helps the following shots make more sense. 

"Batman v Superman" will be in theaters March 25, 2016.

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One of the longest-running franchises, James Bond movies have been entertaining us since Sean Connery uttered the line "Bond ... James Bond" in 1962's "Dr. No."

As the franchise has made over $4 billion worldwide to date, and with the 24th movie, "Spectre," coming out November 6, there are still no signs that the world's coolest spy will be slowing down — even if Daniel Craig is getting tired of playing him.

But what has made the franchise so unstoppable for so long?

Let's dive in to the numbers and see which of the movies did the best in theaters and which did the worst. The results may surprise you.

Note about figures: Below domestic box-office totals are based on 2015 adjusted gross. (Source: Box Office Mojo)

SEE ALSO: The stylish actors of the James Bond movies ranked

1. BEST "Thunderball" (1965) — $624 million (actual $63.5 million)

Sean Connery's fourth time playing 007 turned out to be his most successful commercially. The film, in which Bond must recover two nuclear warheads from SPECTRE member Emilio Largo, exceeded the previous movies and, with adjusted numbers, is the highest-grossing Bond outing to date.

2. BEST "Goldfinger" (1964) — $553 million (actual $51 million)

In the third film in the franchise, Connery hit his stride playing Bond as he goes against villain Goldfinger, who attempts to rob Fort Knox. The spy gadgets and Bond's ride, the Aston Martin, became fan favorites.

3. BEST "Skyfall" (2012) — $315 million (actual $304 million)

Daniel Craig's third time as Bond became a modern-day classic in the franchise. With Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes at the helm and Javier Bardem playing the villain, the movie became not only the highest-grossing Bond movie — before adjusting for inflation — but also the highest-grossing movie ever in the UK.

Jennifer Lawrence has been known to speak what is on her mind, which often leads to some entertainingly memorable sound bites.

When the subject of her insane work schedule came up at the press conference for “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2” on Saturday, we got another gem from Lawrence.

“I try to keep working so people can see other characters and other things I can do instead of taking vacation time, and now I’m aging like a president,” she said.

It might be overreaching a bit to compare the stress of being a movie star to having the launch codes, but it's hard not to be won over by Lawrence’s brand of humor.

But honestly, since she kicked off the "The Hunger Games" franchise back in 2012, she has shown an incredibly diverse range.

Along with continuing to play Mystique in the “X-Men” franchise, she’s also starred in two movies by acclaimed director David O. Russell (her performance in "Silver Linings Playbook" earned her a Best Actress Oscar).

In December she will star in her third Russell film, “Joy."

“I hate waking up without a goal or going to sleep without achieving nothing,” she said.

In fact, her biggest accomplishment in her time playing Katniss Everdeen is that she will never be remembered just for that globally successful role. ("Mockingjay — Part 2," the final film in "The Hunger Games" franchise, opens November 20.)

And she’s not slowing down. She’s filming the sci-fi movie “Passengers,” opposite Chris Pratt, "X-Men: Apocalypse" comes out next summer, and she’s attached to Darren Aronofsky’s untitled upcoming film.

SEE ALSO: The "Joy" trailer reteams Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, and Bradley Cooper

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With just a lucky few exceptions, the October box office has turned into a graveyard of box-office bombs, with a glut of adult dramas and awards hopefuls taking some of the biggest hits. The month ended on a downbeat note — the Halloween weekend's total domestic box office amounted to $74 million, making it the worst-grossing weekend of the year.

"The last two weeks have been a box office bloodbath," observed Exhibitor Relations box-office analyst Jeff Bock. "I'm not sure Hollywood has ever witnessed this many misfires on back-to-back weekends. It truly is a real-life horror show." The fact that Halloween fell on a Saturday, luring lots of moviegoers away from the multiplex, meant distributors faced a potentially downbeat weekend that only the strongest films could survive.

But the carnage actually began several weeks earlier. The disasters came in all shapes and sizes and included big commercial misses from Joe Wright's “Pan” (delayed from its originally proposed summer opening) to Guillermo del Toro's “Crimson Peak” (a gothic romance that might have confused moviegoers expecting more of a horror film). 

The dismal showing of adult dramas was especially alarming as one awards hopeful after another failed to find audiences after making high-profile stops on the fall film festival circuit.

Sony's “The Walk” has earned just $9.9 million domestically since its Oct. 9 nationwide debut, an abysmal number. More blood was spilled over Halloween weekend as three new adult titles, all trying to reach a wide audience — “Our Brand is Crisis,” “Burnt” and “Truth” — flopped. And Universal's “Steve Jobs,” another prestige play, continued to struggle badly, tumbling 64 percent to $2.6 million in its second nationwide outing for a domestic total of $14.5 million.

Box-office observers conclude Hollywood erred in crowding the schedule with too many prestige titles. Often, films catering to an older crowd will launch in select theaters and grow their footprint slowly.

Last year, for example, "Birdman" opened in mid-October in just four theaters and added theaters very slowly as it positioned itself for the Thanksgiving holiday, when older audiences often begin to show up to sample awards-bait. But this year, a movie like “Truth,” the Rathergate drama starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford, expanded into 1,130 theaters after just two weekends in limited engagements. The Sony Pictures Classics release had opened to disappointing numbers in its exclusive outings and going wide, it was greeted with a dismal $900,914 for a total of $1.2 million.

If an adult title truly as general appeal, it can thrive in October. Last year, “Gone Girl” ruled the month, and the year before there was room for both “Gravity” and “Captain Phillips.” This year, adults opted to flock to Ridley Scott's “The Martian,” which has dominated the October landscape with domestic earnings of $182.8 million, and Steven Spielberg's “Bridge of Spies,” which has grossed $45.2 million in its first three weekends. 

But “The Martian”’s success — Fox announced in July it was moving up “The Martian”’s release from November to Oct. 2, long after other studios had set their schedules — meant other movies fighting for older audience's attention were left scrambling for scraps.

"For ‘The Martian’ to take the number one spot yet again — and this time in its fifth weekend — is a rather sad commentary on how the newcomers into the marketplace are failing week after week to gain traction with audiences," said Rentrak's Paul Dergarabedian.

"A total market saturation by films aimed at the over-30 crowd has caused inventory to swell to the point where the target audience has been fragmented to near extinction and with a dearth of anything approaching blockbuster status, the overall box office has suffered during this thankfully short term malaise at the multiplex," he continued.

The October massacre also underscored that a star name above the title isn't enough to pull in audiences if the movie's premise doesn't also contribute to the sell. 

Other casualties included Bill Murray's “Rock the Kasbah.” Barry Levinson's comedy set in Afghanistan has grossed $2.4 million in its first two weekends for Open Road Films, one of the worst showings of all time for a wide release.

The latest flame-out is the $3.4 million debut of David Gordon Green's “Our Brand Is Crisis,” marking the worst nationwide start of Sandra Bullock's career. The political dramedy was produced by Hollywood heavyweight George Clooney, Bullock's Gravity co-star. Warners co-financed the $28 million movie with Participant Media and RatPac-Dune Entertainment.

“Our Brand Is Crisis,” a passion project for the actress and Clooney, stars Bullock and Thornton as political operatives trying to influence a presidential election in Bolivia. Bullock convinced the producers to switch things up, The film's main character is based on Clinton denizen and political operative James Carville, but was turned into a female lead when Bullock became interested. But while that decision was hailed by some as creative casting, it also meant Bullock, a name not usually associated with politically-tinged themes, was heading a movie outside her usual wheelhouse.

The movie's performance prompted a rare statement from Warner Bros. president of worldwide marketing and distribution Sue Kroll. "The weekend results for ‘Our Brand is Crisis’ are upsetting. The film was truly a collaboration between the studio and the filmmakers, and Sandy's performance is terrific in this film. We cherish our relationship with her. Ultimately, neither the  concept of the story nor our campaign connected with moviegoers," Kroll said.

“Burnt,” John Wells' film starring Bradley Cooper as a chef trying to redeem himself, didn't fare much better, opening to $5 million. “Burnt” faced challenges from the beginning. It was originally called “Chef,” but changed its title to avoid being confused with Jon Favreau's movie of the same name, which was one of the top-grossing indie titles of 2014. Like “Our Brand is Crisis,” “Burnt” was ravaged by critics, further alienating its target audience. The Weinstein Co's own nervousness could be seen in the movie's release plan, which was changed several times. The film was originally set to open Oct. 2, but moved because of "The Martian." And a plan to open it first in select theaters over the Oct. 23-25 weekend was also scrapped.

"We were hoping for more obviously, but we won't get hurt on the movie. And Bradley gives an awards-worthy performance. And it might do better overseas because of its strong international cast. We heard that in the middle of the country, people were having trouble with the accents," said TWC distribution chief Erik Lomis.

"It's pretty tough out there for adult films," he added. "There's a lot of bodies being laid by the wayside."

Underscoring that slow and steady can be the safer route at this time of yer iis the mother-son drama “Room,” with A24 sticking to a traditional platform release. Over Halloween weekend, the film grossed $269,500 from 49 locations for a theater average of $5,500, one of the best showings of the frame.

SEE ALSO: Sandra Bullock's "Our Brand Is Crisis" bombs as most decide to trick-or-treat instead of going to the movies this weekend

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With the last couple of weekends bombing the box office with horrific returns, "The Martian" has had an easy time reclaiming its cinematic crown at the top of the domestic standings. Of course, this is about to end as of next weekend, considering "Spectre" is going to do gangbusters at multiplexes nationwide. At least, it should, considering how much money the film is collecting overseas.

According to reports from this past weekend, "Spectre" has landed the biggest 7 day bank drop in UK history, with $63.8 million coming in over the course of the film's week of release. Overall, the film has brought in $80.4 million, in only six territories of release, which is music to Sony and MGM's ears. Considering the financial woes of both studios, particularly after this summer's lackluster returns in their favor, "Spectre" is just the shot in the arm that both studios needed.

With reports such as that of The Hollywood Reporter's analysis on "Spectre"'s early innings, one has to think that the partnership would not only be pleased with this result, but also itching to throw their bid in to renew their distribution rights for the famed franchise. As it was recently reported, the James Bond franchise's exclusivity to Sony and MGM ended the moment "Spectre" opened last week. Which means that there's blood in the water, and the sharks are circling around the deal to be the home of 007's next era of excellence.

Of course, the box office returns for "Spectre" aren't necessarily indicative of the film's quality. If anything, the quality of "Skyfall" is what's driven audiences in droves to see "Spectre." Though critical analysis is, for the most part, behind the latest Daniel Craig outing – with a 77% rating on Rotten Tomatoes; so quality shouldn't be too much of an issue when the film hits in the United States next Friday. One could even say that the future of the Bond franchise depends on the success of "Spectre," as this film's track record could either praise or damn the efforts Sony has put into the franchise's history.

With "Skyfall"'s total grosses crossing the $1 billion mark, all eyes are turning to "Spectre" to see if it can replicate that success. Considering the $80.4 million it's already brought into the coffers, we can't really tell if it will surpass that amount. However, what we can do is suggest that the latest Sam Mendes installment in the 007 franchise is already in line to make itself a healthy profit, regardless of records. Considering the last film was budgeted at $200 million, the first week of international box office is a good sign that the bills will be paid at Sony and MGM as far as the latest film's production and marketing costs go. No matter how you slice it, you can be sure that James Bond will return.

"Spectre" is already in theaters throughout several international territories, with its U.S. debut coming on Friday.

SEE ALSO: The 5 best and worst James Bond movies in the franchise's 53-year history

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1995 may have been the greatest year in Hollywood history.

From Pixar's first feature film to Alicia Silverstein's "Clueless," the year marked hit after hit in the box office.

"Clueless" defined a generation, Pierce Brosnan debuted as James Bond, and a film about a beloved pig was nominated for Best Picture.

So now, we're looking back at films you won't believe are celebrating their 20th anniversaries this year:

All grosses pulled from Box Office Mojo. 

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Bad Boys, the first movie in the trilogy starring Will Smith, Gabrielle Union and Martin Lawrence, raked in $141 million globally.

Michael Bay's directorial debut features Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as narcotics detectives in Miami.

The comedic action film resulted in a 2003 sequel, and Sony announced in August that two more sequels are in the works, to be released in 2017 and 2019.

Here's how much the movie raked in:

• Opening weekend: $15,523,358
• Domestic total: $65,807,024
• Worldwide total: $141,407,024

Toy Story, Disney's animated film featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, earned $361 million globally.

Pixar revolutionized the animated-film industry with its first feature-length computer-animated film.

In a world where toys come to life, "Toy Story" follows Buzz Lightyear and Woody, two toys trying to make it back to their child after getting left behind at the restaurant Pizza Planet.

The film was nominated for three Academy Awards and was the highest-grossing domestic film of 1995. Two sequels have been released since, with a fourth slated for 2017, though it won't be a continuation of the first three films.

Here's how much the movie raked in:

• Opening weekend: $29,140,617
• Domestic gross: $191,796,233
• Worldwide gross: $361,958,736
• Was the highest-grossing domestic film of 1995 and second-highest worldwide.

Apollo 13, based on a true story, garnered $355 million globally.

Ron Howard's depiction of the 1970 aborted Apollo 13 moon-landing mission was nominated for nine Academy Awards.

The film features Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, and Gary Sinise as the astronauts trying to make a safe return from space.

Here's how much the movie raked in:

• Opening weekend: $23,353,380
• Domestic gross: $172,071,312
• Worldwide gross: $355,237,933
• Holds the third-highest domestic and worldwide gross for 1995.

Universal’s "Straight Outta Compton" proved arguably the surprise hit of the summer. The biopic chronicling the rise of legendary rap group N.W.A drew in audiences with its gripping tale of brotherhood and the effects – both good as well as bad – that money and fame can have on such bonds. However, despite critical and financial success, not everyone is pleased with the film. Gerald Heller – portrayed by actor Paul Giamatti in "Straight Outta Compton"– has served a lawsuit that calls for the filmmakers to fork over some serious money.
 
According to Deadline, the former N.W.A manager is suing Universal and the "Straight Outta Compton" crew for defamation, copyright infringement and contract violation. In total – between monetary damages and punitive damages – Heller’s suit is calling for a payout of roughly $110 million dollars. Heller bases his suit on the grounds that the meteoric rise of the film has personally and professionally affected him in an adverse way – and that he never authorized such a portrayal of himself in the first place. The suit also alleges that much of the film derived its content from his own memoir titled "Ruthless: A Memoir" as well as a screenplay owned by the businessman.
 
The filing for Heller’s case elaborated further on the nature of the lawsuit:
 

The insidiousness of Defendants’ behavior is underscored by the fact that the Film may well become the largest globally grossing music-story based film ever… The larger the success of the film, the greater the damages to Plaintiff, who has been and continues to be defamed, ridiculed, and robbed of his personal and financial rights to the extent that the intentional and egregious behavior of Defendants demands the imposing of punitive damages.

 
"Straight Outta Compton" revolves heavily on Heller’s relationship with the rappers, and how his influence affected each member. Although initially portrayed as an integral part of their rise to fame, Heller’s characterization eventually reveals him as a ruthless businessman with little regard or care for the young artists he represents – making him out as the clear antagonist of the film.
 
This lawsuit does possess some degree of underlying realism that should be readily apparent to anyone who has seen "Straight Outta Compton." Heller’s character is portrayed in the film as an aggressive businessman unafraid to threaten legal action and settle disputes in court if he has to. Whether or not this is an example of life imitating art or the other way around remains to be seen.
 
Only time will tell how the lawsuit plays out. If nothing else, Heller’s lawsuit certainly got one thing right: "Straight Outta Compton" has experienced immense success. The film has garnered $200 million at the worldwide box office against a $28 million budget, making it one of the most successful biopics in recent memory.

SEE ALSO: The 28-year-old actor who played Eazy-E in 'Straight Outta Compton' explains how the role has changed his life

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The songs played over the opening credits of James Bond movies over the last five-plus decades have been done by some of the most recognizable musicians on the planet.

In some cases, these tracks have been so popular that they extend past the movie and end up as chart-topping hits that win Grammys and Oscars.

But they can't all be hits. And like the more forgettable Bond flicks, there are title songs from the movies that you never want to listen to again.

Here we've ranked all the theme songs from the Bond canon from worst to best. (Sorry, Sam Smith.)

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24. "Spectre" - Sam Smith ("Writing's On The Wall")

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23. "Tomorrow Never Dies" - Sheryl Crow

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22. "Thunderball" - Tom Jones

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"Straight Outta Compton" has made friends and enemies with its successful box office run, and now it's about to make history. With the current international grosses estimated to hit $38.9 million as of the end of today, it's officially become the highest grossing film directed by an African American director.

The $161.1 million domestic total for the F. Gary Gray directed biopic went a long way towards breaking the previous record of "Scary Movie," which grossed $157 million domestically. Telling the story of the formation, and eventual break up, of N.W.A. - "Straight Outta Compton" has had a hell of a run at the box office ever since its premiere this past August. Racking up the fifth highest August opening, as well as an impressive three weekends at the top of the box office, are also huge feathers in the cap of the film's director – especially considering the path he's taken to get there.

For this honor to belong to F. Gary Gray is a pretty fitting achievement, further enriching a career as one of the most influential – as well as one of the most successful – African American directors to work in Hollywood.

To his credit, Gray made his debut in feature film directing with "Friday" back in 1995, and went on to direct such hits as "The Negotiator,""The Italian Job," and most recently "Law Abiding Citizen." With "Straight Outta Compton" landing him his biggest success yet, and The Hollywood Reporter reminding us of "Furious 7"'s brilliant billion dollar run, Gray won't be celebrating for long as he's setting himself up to break the record yet again. 

Thanks to "Straight Outta Compton"'s runaway success, F. Gary Gray landed himself the prestigious gig of directing "Furious 8," and just in time for the film to stay on schedule to meet its April 14, 2017 release date.

With "Furious 7" becoming Universal's first film to cross the $1 billion mark, Furious 8 is on a trajectory to meet, if not beat, that benchmark. Should the seventh sequel in the "Fast And Furious" franchise live up to its ever escalating history, then Gray will find himself making history yet again. 

While "Straight Outta Compton"'s success doesn't mean that Hollywood's problems with better representation of African Americans, as well as all other ethnic and gender groups, are automatically solved – it could be seen as a sign that the market's diversity is starting to pay off. If you'd released this film a decade ago, it might not have hit as well as it did in the current era. With F. Gary Gray paving the way with his successful career, let's hope that more directors of diverse ethnic backgrounds will follow in his footsteps sooner, as opposed to later.

"Furious 8" will be released on April 14, 2017; with "Straight Outta Compton" still waiting for a home video release date.

SEE ALSO: The 28-year-old actor who played Eazy-E in "Straight Outta Compton" explains how the role has changed his life

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Disney really wants to make sure fans don't have "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" spoiled before the film is in theaters this December.

The company asked that the book tie-in for the new movie be delayed until after the film comes out, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The book, from Penguin Random House's publisher Del Rey, won't be out on store shelves until January 5, 2016, more than two weeks after the film's release in the US.

The book was expected to be released during the holiday season. The WSJ notes that publishers typically release movie tie-ins two months before a film's release.

The e-book version of the novelization will be available December 18.

The delay of a book isn't the only precaution Disney is taking to prevent "Star Wars" spoilers.

Here are a few other ways the Mouse House is ensuring fans head into "The Force Awakens" with some surprises intact:

1. 'The Force Awakens' soundtrack will be released the same day as the movie

Track titles can sometimes give hints about the direction or plot of a film. You won't be able to hear legendary composer John Williams' new score until the movie is released in theaters.

2. No one is saying anything about this movie

Everyone from director J.J. Abrams to Harrison Ford and newcomer actors John Boyega and Daisy Ridley have been extremely tight-lipped.

Abrams, Ridley, Boyega, and Adam Driver will be on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" November 23, but don't expect to learn much. Kimmel's late-night show is on ABC, which is owned by Disney.

3. Scripts were printed on red paper

In order to prevent the script from leaking, "The Force Awakens" was printed on dark-red paper. If anyone tries to photocopy anything, the printed copies will be illegible.

4. Some of the toys still haven't been released

While many "Star Wars" toys have already been released for the movie, a Hasbro representative recently told Tech Insider that there are, unsurprisingly, other toys set for release after the film.

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Mark Hamill and John Boyega retweeted the hashtag #ForceForDaniel to show their support for Daniel Fleetwood, a 32-year-old “Star Wars” fan with terminally ill cancer.

The hashtag is being used on Twitter to gain the attention of Walt Disney Studios. Supporters of “ForceForDaniel,” hope the studio will allow Fleetwood to watch the film before its Dec. 18 release.
 
Fleetwood has spindle cell sarcoma, a rare form of connective tissue cancer. Doctors informed him in July that he had just two months to live.

Fleetwood told Houston’s KPRC-TV that he has been a fan of Star Wars since he was eight or nine years old.

“Judging by how progressive the disease has gotten in the past two months I really don't think that I'll be able to make it,” Fleetwood said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by Fleetwood’s wife, Ashley, to raise money for medical bills. The page features photos of Fleetwood in “Star Wars” attire, including a Yoda hat and Darth Vader zip-up jacket.

Ashley tweeted a picture last week of her husband in more Star Wars attire:

The viral campaign has been featured predominately on Twitter, with Hamill and Boyega retweeting the tweet below to their own profiles:

Peter Mayhew, who is the actor behind Chewbacca, retweeted a similar tweet.

Ashley said in a Facebook post that the actors’ support has been “amazing.”

Mark Hamill played Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy and is reprising his role in the series’ new installment “The Force Awakens.” Newcomer Boyega plays ex-Stormtrooper Finn in the upcoming film and has been widely featured in the movie’s new poster and trailer. 

J.J. Abrams, director of “The Force Awakens,” granted New York-based film buff Daniel Craft a similar dying wish back in 2013.

Craft had a terminal cancer and, as a “Star Trek” fan, wanted to see “Star Trek Into Darkness” before it was released. Abrams granted him early access and Craft died just days after seeing the film.

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