Michael Mann has directed some of the great films ever, including “The Last of the Mohicans,” “Heat,” “Ali,” The Insider.” Classics But he also made the god awful film of his memorable TV show “Miami Vice.” Ouch.

You know that if a Michael Mann movie is opening in January with no Oscar run it must be very very bad. And so “Blackhat,” which they say cost $70 million but probably more, opened and died last night. In wide release it took in just $1.4 million, even with star Chris Hemsworth. Even with hacking, the movie’s subject, in the news.

Mann hasn’t had a real hit since “Collateral” in 2004. Like Warren Beatty, he hasn’t made many films, so the flops don’t outweigh the successes. But this is a write for Universal, which at least has had “Unbroken” to brag about.

Rent “Heat” tonight and see what a good movie really can be.

I’ve told you that “The Interview” was a bust despite all kinds of “expert” opinions. The Seth Rogen-James Franco-Kim Jong Un comedy reportedly cost $42 million, plus a lot of bruised egos. At the box office it comes in at $6 million– a hard number. Sony said it brought in $31 million on video platforms, but no one really knows. Plus a lot of people who “rented” on the Sony website also were able to keep the film forever.

Now Patrick Corcoran, Vice President & Chief Communications Officer for the National Association of Theatre Owners says “The Interview” will lose $30 million for Sony. Corcoran rightly observes that “The Interview” was a momentary novelty. He writes: “What was a bit surprising was the fact that The Interview’s VOD revenues decreased after its opening four days, despite being available on enormously more outlets when it expanded to iTunes and cable VOD platforms around the country. The movie took in $15 million in its first four days. It took in $16 million in the next seven.”

And pretty much nothing after that. “The Interview” raised awareness of VOD and alternate ways of seeing movies. But it also served to undermine the movie business in a big way, much the way digital platforms destroyed book and record stores. It could be the death knell for movie theaters, too. Corcoran is right to sound a danger alarm.

Read his column here: http://pro.boxoffice.com/latest-news/2015-01-16-the-imitation-game-the-interviews-simultaneous-release-doesnt-change-anything

Yesterday, Oscar Thursday, I was out of pocket after the Academy Award nominations were announced. So now I am catching up. Suffice to say, all the nominees were “surprised, thrilled, grateful, and blessed.” Not one of them said, Who cares? Or ‘What nominations?’ They all claimed to be sleeping or not thinking about the nominations, which were read out loud on national TV and the internet, and beamed to the Moon, at 8:30am Eastern time.

Who wasn’t happy? This is just a guess, but I’d say David Oyelowo, the superb British actor who played Martin Luther King, Jr. in “Selma” was disappointed. By the time got on screen at the Critics Choice Awards on Thursday night, he looked angry. He has the right. Everyone with “Selma” starting with director Ava Duvernay should be mad as hell.

Who else? Many directors who weren’t nominated with their films. Apparently “Selma,” “American Sniper,” “Theory of Everything,” and “Whiplash” were directed by people who weren’t so good. At the same time, Bennett Miller was a Best Director of “Foxcatcher,” directing two actors to nominations, but the movie wasn’t a Best Picture.

Others who have reason to be bummed include most anyone involved with “Into the Woods,” “Unbroken,” “A Most Violent Year,” and “Interstellar.” They were just about obliterated. And right– “A Most Violent Year” got noting from the Oscars or the Golden Globes, but got a phoney baloney award from the National Board of Review– a cock up, as I told you last week.

Some films simply weren’t promoted. A lot of us loved “Belle” and its star Gugu Mbatha Raw. The studio did nothing to help it along. This happens. At the same time, some are over promoted. Jennifer Aniston did work her “Cake” performance into some nominations, but fell short of the Oscars. I think we will see her again, but in a sophisticated comedy. (Not “We’re the Millers.”

“Boyhood” is the front runner because it’s the most unique idea in a long time. It captured imaginations in the same way as “The Artist.” This isn’t to say anything negative about the 7 other nominees. They are each terrific films. I’m especially a fan of “The Imitation Game,” which had the strongest narrative of all the films. My reaction though is “not so hot” as “Selma” will outlive a lot of the nominees.

The Critics Choice Awards, voted by the Broadcast Critics, were handed out tonight in Hollywood. I’ve been Tweeting @showbiz411.

So far:

BEST ENSEMBLE– Birdman

YOUNGER ACTOR– Ellar Coltrane, Boyhood

BEST ACTOR IN ACTION MOVIE— Bradley Cooper, American Sniper

BEST ACTRESS IN ACTION MOVIE— Emily Blunt, Edge of Tomorrow– that was cute, husband John Krasinski just surprised her. Very Cute. “I’m terrified I’ll wake up one morning and you’re benching me.” LOL.

BEST ACTION MOVIE— Guardians of the Galaxy

BEST SCORE— Birdman

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE– The LEGO Movie– after not being nominated for an Oscar earlier today. They also have the New York Film Critics.

MVP AWARD— Jessica Chastain, the epitome of grace

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR– JK Simmons, “Whiplash”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS— Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”

BEST SONG — Glory, by Common and John Legend, from “Selma”

GENIUS AWARD— Ron Howard

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST EDITING-– “Birdman”

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY— Michael Keaton for “Birdman”

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY— Jenny Slate, “Birdman”

BEST COMEDY-– “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

BEST DIRECTOR— Richard Linklater. “Boyhood”

BEST ACTRESS— Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”

BEST ACTOR— Michael Keaton, “Birdman”

BEST PICTURE—

The Oscar nominations were cruel this morning. Snubbed: Into the Woods, Unbroken, Clint Eastwood as director of Best Picture nominee American Sniper. The LEGO Movie was ignored. Almost all of “Selma” was tossed out, except for a Best Picture nod that’s meaningless now. Foxcatcher would have had that spot. The Bennett Miller film got everything but Best Picture.

It’s an all white Oscars. No David Oyelowo or Carmen Ejogo. No Ava Duvernay. People will talk about whether this is racism. Or if it’s because Paramount didn’t send out screeners. But how can that be? Everyone knew the movie existed, and should have gotten to the many screenings. A big campaign was conducted against “Selma,” and it worked.

Also out: Jennifer Aniston in “Cake” and Amy Adams in “Big Eyes.”

In: Robert Duvall’s good performance in a bad movie, “The Judge.”