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SUNDAY AM: The weather outside is frightful -- snowstorms, followed by more cold and snow, in the Midwest and East -- on this weekend before Christmas. So very early numbers for the three big movies opening in wide release in some major markets Friday and Saturday looked severely lower from Hollywood predictions. To give you an idea, here are top DMA percentage changes from last Friday: New York -45%/wk, Philadelphia -18%/wk, Toronto -45%/wk, Detroit -32%/wk, Boston -81%/wk. Box office analysts are calling the weekend an absolute disaster weather-wise that's down over 41% compared to last year.
Everyone expected yucks to trump tears at the North American box office where comedy has been mostly king since Thanksgiving. So no surprise that Warner Bros' Jim Carrey derivative laugher Yes Man (which is a deadringer for the funnyman's 1997 Liar Liar) opened with $6.5M Friday and $6.6M Saturday in 3,434 theaters for what was a low $18.1M weekend since the weather did not improve (includes Sunday estimates). Can't Carrey find new material? Meanwhile, it'll be interesting to see if Carrey can lay claim to any real coin on this pic's performance. (Read all about it in my The Worst Talent Deal Ever?) Another risky move was Will Smith choosing this melodrama Seven Pounds for Sony with its downer story that reunites the star with his Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino. But the experiment produced Will's worst opening since 2001's Ali. Audiences for Seven Pounds this weekend were 55% female and 64% were aged 25 or older. It debuted to $5.3M Friday and $5.6M Saturday in 2,758 venues for a $16M weekend. But the 2 top films will have to work fast to earn dough before the Christmas onslaught of movies open on on Thursday. Not so No. 3 because Universal's mouse toon The Tale Of Despereaux which should stay busy throughout the holidays playing to extremely young children. (It did little business after 7 PM...) 
It opened to $3.5M Friday and $3.7M Saturday in 3,104 runs for a $10.5M weekend helped by big presales. Unlike most CG animated films of this scale, the pic's costs were kept low -- $60M -- and the studio should see a return on its limited investment because of ancillary markets. Twentieth Century Fox's The Day the Earth Stood Still was down a big 76% from its No. 1 finish last Friday for 4th place. It earned $2.8M Friday and $4 Saturday for a $10.1M weekend and new cume of $48.6M. Warner Bros' other comedy Four Christmases came in No. 5 with $2.2M Friday and $3.1M Saturday for an $7.7M weekend and fresh cume of $100.1M.
The No. 6 film was Summit Entertainment's Twilight in its 5th week of release. Playing in 2,991 theaters, it took in $5.2M this weekend for a new cume of $158.4M. Disney's Bolt was #7 and also in its 5th week of release. Running in 2,968 venues, it earned $4.2M for a new cume of $95M. Rising to No. 8 in an expanded play of 589 locations, Fox Searchlight's Slumdog Millionaire finished the weekend with $3.1M and a new cume of $12.1M. "This will be the best playing of all the limited releases through the end of the year," one rival studio predicted. In 9th place, 20th Century Fox's Australia in its 4th week in release came up with $2.3M from 2,212 runs for a new cume of $41.9M. And rounding out the No. 10, MGM/Sony's latest Bond pic Quantum of Solace in its 6th week in release earned $2.1M from 1,874 plays for a new cume of $161.2M.
Now for the Oscar-buzzed pics in limited release besides Slumdog Millionaire... Fox Searchlight's The Wrestler scored the best performance, with the Mickey Rourke starrer logging the best per screen average of $52,369 playing on 4 screens to score $57K Friday and $79.9K for a $209.4K weekend and $294.9M cume. 
Focus Features' Milk with Sean Penn expanded to 356 screens for $1.6M which is disappointing (considering it's on 240 less screens than Slumdog but had same screen average. The pic is only playing well in big cities. Miramax' Doubt on 39 screens took in $725K and $18,590 per screen average for an excellent start. Warner Bros' Clint Eastwood auteur Gran Torino on 19 screens earned $482K for a $25,397 screen average that's a good start. But Imagine/Universal's Ron Howard directed Frost/Nixon on 39 screens underperformed for $365K . It did half the business of Doubt on the same number of screens. Finally, The Weinstein Co's The Reader on 8 screens earned just $97K with a terrible $12,128 per screen average that's lower than Doubt's.
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Day the Earth Stood Still is tanking. Not really surprised. The over-the-top environmental messages in so many films seem designed to suck the fun out of life and the movie-going experience.
Just say “yes” to YES MAN! Jim Carrey has never been funnier! I laughed so much it hurt! Hard to believe that the best comedy of the year(and one of the best of all time) came at the very end of the year. A truly hilarious film that the whole family can enjoy. It is great to see Jim Carrey back at what he does best…making us cry with laughter! See it again and again!
that’s gonna have some heads spinning at sony i bet……
Day The Earth Stood Still was a HUGE disappointment. The filmmakers at Fox took a classic Sci-Fi story and made a really mediocre movie. And I had such high hopes, I was planning to see this bomb in Imax !
I was among Jim Carrey’s bigger fans back in the day, but wow, his career is almost tragic in some ways.
Jon Ham’s character completely wasted!
The Day the Earth Stood still was a joke. They took a great classic movie and made a big turd remake. The climate junk, the interracial junk and the smart-mouth black kid was terrible. Now you got seven pounds a joke and all these message movies and they wonder why movie complexes are going broke! But hey this is a country who just elected a smart-mouth black Chicago thug President…
Geoff, it is pretty pathetic to lay the 76% drop-off of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL at the feet of a quasi-environmental message within the film. I can appreciate tenuous attempts to politicize mundane things, but please, a comment like that is just downright stupid. Take a look at the usual drop-offs for genre films … if TDTESS hadn’t dropped off more than 60% if would have been the exception that proves the rule, not some idiotic vindication of a supposedly “liberal agenda” (from a Fox movie, no less).
But k4kafka is more on point … it was a lousy remake.
Jim Carrey provokes moronic laughter. There will always be enough idiots to go burn up cash and fatten the bank accounts of puerile humor.
20the Century Fox: where B grade properties with C grade talent become D grade films.
“Just say “yes” to YES MAN!”
Could someone tell the studio plants not to be so obvious when they post their fake reviews trying to drum up business for tanking films?
I saw a sneak preview of “Seven Pounds” on Wednesday and really enjoyed the movie. It started pretty slow and I was wondering if it was worth my time to stick around honestly. It does catch a pace though and by the end, I was really pleased that I stuck with it and it was another fine performance by Will Smith and especially Rosario Dawson. She is a very underrated actress.
Seven Pounds is awful. Simply awful. Will Smith made two utterly crappy movies this year.
I’m just very pleased to see “Milk” go sour.
Fox Searchlight remains a beacon of intelligent marketing in the industry … their ability to push limited engagement fare into the mainstream is continually remarkable, and I’d argue they trump the still impressive Miramax. With all the layoffs going on, Searchlight has got to be one of the most stable places around town.
Glad to see them using their skills to push great movies like SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and THE WRESTLER, which I hope many more people will see in the coming months.
The Day the Earth stood still is simply a humanity hater movie. If the Hollywood elite hate humanity so much why don’t they join the Jihadist who hate everything?
The Day the Earth Stood Still was really pretty bad. I did see it in Imax which didn’t really help it. It could have had an additional 15 minutes at the end to tie things up. Will Smith’s kid as fine, not obnoxious as implied in previous reviews. Gort looked fake; sorta like the Silver Surfer. Just a mess all the way around.
7 pounds was depressing. And the whole jellyfish bit was just silly and laughable.
Siriiam is absolutely correct about how the movie industry works. “The Day the Earth Stood Still” bombed its second weekend because of terrible word-of-mouth and some people went to see the Wolverine preview. It has nothing to do with the global warming message. Didn’t “Day After Tomorrow” do fairly well despite the obvious message? Especially during a time when people weren’t sure about climate change.
And John Stein, I’m a huge fan of the first amendment, but wow! You are way out of line to call Obama ’smart-mouth black Chicago thug President…’ Don’t worry about Obama, his intellect, and his appointments. After 8 years of Bush, it doesn’t take much to be President of the United States.
Yes, lots of snow. Stayed home and watched a movie from Neflix (The Darjeeling Limited) and enjoyed it. Relieved to see Jim Carrey doing comedy again, but bummed to see the reviews of The Day the Earth Stood Still. I was looking forward to it. The reviews looked good, but there was a hint of a global warming message which kinds of spoils it. People go to movies like that to escape – not to be reminded of issues (or lectured). Will have to wait for the next Terminator or Bourne pic to scratch that itch.
I would not spend one thin dime to see any of these moronic movies being produced today.
Slumdog Millionaire should have had a wider expansion.
Interesting comment by John Stein above:
“But hey this is a country who just elected a smart-mouth black Chicago thug President…”
If he were a “smart-mouth white Chicago thug” would that make TDTESS a better movie?
What if he were a “smart-mouth white Texas thug?”
Or a “smart-mouth black Chicago stock-broker?”
Maybe the real problem is racist bigots.
I like Carrey’s, but YES MAN really sucked. A few chuckles here and there, but a bad ripoff of the infinitely better LIAR, LIAR. Word of mouth will be horrendous.
On the other hand, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE lives up to the hype. One of the best, if not THE best, of the year. A must-see…
the studios are going to blame these crappy numbers on the weather, cuz god-forbid they acknowledge their mistakes. doesn’t matter much since these movies will be dead by next weekend regardless……..except that cute mouse……
No doubt, the best two recent releases are “Grand Torino” with Eastwood and “The Wrestler” with Mickey Rorke.
Why? Because they show true human emotions and hope for better days.
These other pitiful flics like Milk, Day the Earth Stood Still, are hollywood at it’s worse.
how did bolt do finally?
also, the rednecks on this page is getting really irritating. i am from the midwest and your shit attitude was a prime motivator for imminent exit. so lighten up and stick to movie love and have a relaxed and non-fake holiday season
Nikki, for God’s sake it’s Christmas time. Is money ALL you can think to write about at this point?
How much this movie made verses how much that made. You NEVER once write about whether they’re actually good films.
Life is short.
Stop reporting on money. It’s oh so boring.
Actually Yes Men was pretty good. Had a very good message about attacking life and gave Jim a chance to be jim. Zooey may have been a bit young for him, but it worked. Did the haters here SEE the movie? Not every movie at the Holiday season has to be like Milk or Doubt, or killing Hitler, or about a beat up wrestler (all movies I will see). Some people just want a few laughs and forget about how shitty the world is right now. And Jim brings it.
I stand by this: Hollywood is hellbent on inserting preachy liberal themes in movies. It gets tiresome after the 50th film with the same theme. You aren’t deep or serious. You’re just repeating the beliefs of your cohorts.
Then liberal friends in Hollywood can tell fellow liberals how “brave” they are. No, brave would be coming out as a conservative and making a movie that is skeptical of global warming. That would be brave.
Brave would be making a movie showing how Communists killed thousands upon thousands of people because we lost in Vietnam.
Hollywood has forgotten how to make movies people want to see… Television has forgotten how to do programming people want to see as well. I am sick of being preached to about everything from global warming to accepting gays; if I am going to spend over $20 to go to a movie I want to escape and be entertained, not preached to… I enjoyed Australia, will not spend one dime to see MILK, I love Will Smith, wish he’d get back to what he is best at — I look forward to Valkyrie and will go see the new Eastwood flick, he still remembers why we go to movies.
Geoff says:
“Brave would be making a movie showing how Communists killed thousands upon thousands of people because we lost in Vietnam.”
Yes, because THAT would be a huge Christmas draw. Oh wait, the “Communists” in Viet Nam are now members of the WTO–perhaps that can be the sequel.
Geoff, you are spot on about liberal b.s. inserted into Hwood movies. It does sap the life out of them and one needs to be that much pickier about one’s choices.
Having said that, I enjoyed “…Earth Stood Still”. It wasn’t “bad”. It just wasn’t a great film. On the other hand, I’m a scifi addict and always bring very low expectations to a scifi new release.
I hear Jim Carrey is reprising that old “rubber face” expression thingie. Hey, that’s gotta be a little bit special, Dontcha think? I’m smelling Oscar here (without having even seeing the film, or even caring)!
Day the Earth Stood Still was booooorriiiinnnnggg….I wanted to see Gort kick some earthly ass. Instead I got a lot of Jennifer Connelly tearing up. For that I could have re-rented Beautiful Mind.
Mickey Rourke is an actor of immense talent. It has seen him shine brighter than most in his craft. It has driven him to the limits and back again. But then again, he has always been one to make the most of all that comes, the least of all that goes.
Yes, we’re “hell bent on inserting preachy liberal themes into movies.” Bolt was clearly a leftist manifesto. As was The Game Plan. And Marley And Me. And don’t get me started on the High School Musical crowd.
Hollywood INVENTED the happy ending. If we’re guilty of anything it’s taking the easy, crowd-pleasing, apolitical route too often. The bad guys always lose, the girl always winds up with the less attractive but more charming guy, and the workaholic always realizes family is more important than money. These endings and messages are immutable to the point of cliché.
My god, you people must have just shit yourself during the 70’s when film makers were ACTUALLY critical of life in the U.S.
Man…The Day the earth stood still really sucked…. If i Wanted Global warming propaganda stinky crap I would log onto Al Gore’s website… They really ruined a great old movie…and yes it is tanking because of word of mouth….IT SUCKS
People will go see good movies in any weather. Especially at Christmas. Unfortunately Hollywood keeps trotting out the same tired stars and running 2-minute-thirty trailers that reveal every conceivable plot thread and impactful line of dialogue contained in the film. Why bother seeing the film when you’ve already seen it in the previews? It’s all “money shot” and no tease. How about making 5 smaller films with brilliant actors instead of one giant expensive remake turkey?
I see a lot of movies…and, excluding the family fare (which is pretty decent if you have kids, FWIW), the best of the crop out there right now, by far, is Slumdog Millionaire. It think it’s going to get mainstream legs over the next few weeks like Juno or Sideways if Fox SL can get it out of the art houses and into the suburbs. (I see it arrived at my local AMC megaplex this weekend as an “AMC Select” offering. )
Cadillac Records is a damn nice film too. Some folks might think it’s a movie just for black audiences based on the cast – but let me tell you, it’s not. If you’re yawning at the usual mediocre Hollywood crap, give CR a shot before it goes away.
Geoff: So, you want to insert preachy conservative themes in movies, huh? You’re not opposed to preachy themes, you just want preachy themes you agree with. You must not understand much about being an American, huh?
Also, to say MILK has “gone sour” is actually pretty ridiculously dumb. Some people just can’t see past their own ill-informed half-baked personal agendas … *sigh*
@ Geoff…
The Khmer Rouge of Cambodia is remembered mainly for the many deaths of an estimated 1.5 million people or 1/5 of the country’s total population (estimates range from 850,000 to two million) under its regime. That’s just in one country, mind you.
The Day The Earth Stood Still is bad for many reasons and none of them have to do with the talented acting performance by the black child. He delivers one outstanding scene after another as a kid dealing with the loss of his father and a new step mom. However, if one chooses to go through life with blinders on, you’ll totally miss that point. It’s a shame there are still people in this great world who will one day die never having never lived at peace with anyone including themselves. That type of mental instability leads to many kinds of behavioral illness including the inability to behave rationally in public. One shining example is the lack of self restraint in leaving bigoted remarks on the internet and not realizing the long term repercussions. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad a ending for them. Living your life hating/judging people for the color of their skin is tantamount to drinking poison everyday and hoping they will die from it. You’re only making yourself sick and it’s that type of asinine reasoning that results in a steady stream of confusion in your life. We know the movie has some right messages when one have to go into evilness to try to belittle it. Stop the insanity in movie critiques and dislike a movie for valid reasons; stiff acting, poor special effects, weakly developed plot details, etc. Any reason for hating a movie outside of the continuity of the picture, is being fueled by ignorant arrogance and that only makes that individual’s life more miserable.
Seven pounds was a great movie, sad and depressing, but great. Will Smith’s and Rosario Dawson’s performance were great, i recommend it.
Wait a minute — If YES MAN is a rip-off of LIAR LIAR – then Hollywood adapted a novel by Danny Wallace that ripped off a movie? Do their lit hounds not go to the movies? Am I the only one who finds that hilarious?
On the topic of lit adaptations and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE — it’s amazing how Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy get all the credit in the Slumdog ads…. Vikas Swarup, author of the source material, should enjoy the increase in sales of his novel.
With all those lit adaptations, re-imaginings and outright remakes (like suckfest QUARANTINE) — one is tempted to look and see if they really do so much better than films based on risky, risky, oh so risky “original screenplays” by – gasp – those “unknowns” like… dunno, Nick Schenk (GRAN TORINO), Robert D. Siegel (THE WRESTLER)…
SEVEN POUNDS needs a scene where the seven families dance on Tim Thomas’ grave. They way too often do demand their pound of flesh. POUNDS revisits the theme from RESERVATION ROAD.
Curious, though, how bad so many of the reviews are. A. O. Scott gave it 0/100 – I had to wonder who or what he’s really trashing, as his h8-piece is so way out there. Compare that to 70/100 a gushing Dargis gave the laughable Vicky Cristina Barcelona (and her equally laughable reasoning) and you once again appreciate the world of reviews not listed under “cream of the crop” on your fave site, RT.
Re Liberal Preaching in films from Hollywood.
Liberalism is the Establishment. It has been since 1968. Liberals produce year after year after year, the same message-preaching movies, and control Hollywood, the University system, the media, both houses of Congress, and soon the Presidency.
Liberalism is the establishment and people are tired of it. It’s playing it safe, not taking a risk, and being … PREDICTABLE. Which is killing many of the films Hollywood makes. Along with TV.
TDTESS was a bad, boring, predictable remake because of the predictable preachiness of the Liberal Establishment message. The same preachiness that infected Wall-E without the wonderful animation and characterization by Pixar’s craftsmen.
No one cares about the polar bears or global warming in a blizzard, still less in a blizzard with a depression that will last for years. If Hollywood insists on preachy establishment movies preaching Global Warming and such stuff, it will lose EVERY time, Without Wall Street money to bail them out.
Hollywood USED to get this season right: feel good Christmas themed films, not warmed over anti-Christmas junk like Four Christmases, and action-adventure films, often Christmas themed, like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. Stuff for families and for guy action film fans.
Who is really stiffed here? The Action Film fan who no longer gets movies released during the Christmas season that offer excitement and thrills. Even with the terrible weather had someone released an Action film done half-way competently, it would have killed.
But Hollywood can’t even make those anymore. It’s too Establishment.
Slumdog was probably the single most predictable movie i have ever seen. everyone loves an underdog but the average sitcom has more twists. why would this film win awards??
I am hoping for a good thought free laugh with Yes man. I was very excited to hear about a remake of earth stood still but I just cant pay to be preached at for 2 hours especially at a time when more scientists and climate experts are starting to rethink the whole man made global warming thing.
I want entertainment or thought provacation but not preaching and the same tired messages. I’ll be back when the politics leave. (and from what I saw of Obama’s grade transcripts- he did not out perform Bush, so what joys are we instore for?)
Snake, totally agree, saw CADILLAC RECORDS last night and really enjoyed it. Great story, cast and Beyonce has never been better (or sexier).
Also saw DOUBT, well-worth seeing especially for the great performance of Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the did-he-or-didn;t-he priest.
Geoff, this Christmas, why don’t you just stay home and watch a bootleg of AN AMERICAN CAROL over and over again. A nice change from your fantasizing anout being Rush Limbaugh.
And Nikki, if DEVEREAUX cost $60 million (not including marketing costs of at least $25 m) and only does $10 million its opening weekend, how do you figure Universal is happy about this?
Left-wingers run Hollywood: the evidence is everywhere, and as a result you will have movies containing leftist propaganda of some type much too often.
The problem is: how does the story contain the agit-prop?
Wall-E is a good example: it obviously is a “Save-the Earth” movie, but more from the standpoint of a crypto-religious attitude against materialism. I am sure Pope Benedict would agree with its message. Yet in spite of that, the message is more than counterbalanced by the “character” of the robot and the general overarching story, which predominate as they should, rather than the message.
With The Day The Earth Stood Still 2008 you have the message delivered to you with sledge hammers to the brain: the original had a message as well, but the story was more important.
Rent/Buy the original! You will at least have Bernard Herrmann’s excellent music to enjoy!
Saw “The Day the Earth Stood Still” yesterday. Personally, I like Sci-Fi “epics” more like “Armageddon” or “Independence Day.” I found this movie dull and predictable.
We had no scenes of the President or the UN or world leaders trying to come together–the only politician involved was the Presidents “representative.” The military was portrayed as a bunch of trigger-happy psychopaths.
No interesting factoids about the alien and the other alien civilizations that were “watching us.” We got a little of that in “Contact.”
I must say the fact that half the movie seemed to involve the whinny kid and his mother bored me to tears. The “mankind is destroying the planet” theme was OK, that would be a logical reason aliens might want to wipe us out.
I guess it reminded me of “War of the Worlds” where most of the movie involved Tom Cruse acting really frightened and his daughter shrieking. Yuk.
I hope Milk loses money. I used to like Sean Penn but he has turned into such a douche bag. Spouting off your political beliefs is one thing, but the whole circle-jerk with Hugo Chavez is just regoddamdiculous…
The best movie out there right now is, oddly enough, Bolt. It’s the most enjoyable all-around feel-good movie there is. Really funny in places, lots of cool action, and moments that wring the heart. I wish it was doing better at the B.O., although it’s not doing badly, thank goodness. I enjoyed Bolt far more than the draggy preachy Wall*E, although I respect that film (far more than I actually enjoyed it)…
I look forward to seeing Eastwoods latest. Looks like the best of the bunch to me. I don’t go to theatres but do rent and purchase movies on occasion. Not feeding the dysfunctional Hollywood crowd any more than is absolutely necessary.
btw to the person who called someone a bigot and racist for daring to speak ill of Obama. That’s so 1960’s and a cop-out. The “messiah” is every bit as corrupt as his Chicago cronies are. When the “new” wears off we’ll start seeing just how much.
Hollywood’s formulaic approach will ultimately be it’s undoing. While there have always been hits and misses, the stakes are higher than ever before. As a result, in its risk-adverse culture, Hollywood tries to cover every base so you get “hot” social issues like global warming sewn into the fabric of science fiction movies because, God knows, we need a four quadrant hit.
Next to John Lesher, Will Smith is the luckiest man in Hollywood, cause let’s face it, he’s not that good. Fox Searchlight presents the model of how to market movies — they take small, smart and in the case of The Wrestler, dark, depressing movies and spin them into magical hits. I know I’m the lone voice in the wilderness, but is this predictable and at moments, unwatchable bore really one of the year’s best? C’mon, it’s good to see Mickey Rourke back in the game, but it just underlines how great Searchlight is at selling their product.
Yeah, let’s blame the weather for the woes of the industry. I don’t know, when I was a kid, my parents used to drive us to the movies in the middle of snowstorms, rainstorms and heat waves…make decent movies that are worth the ticket price and watch what happens.
Happy Christmas to all.
It may be less that the weather was cool, and more likey that the movies offered were bad ( or terrible). I rarely go to the flicks anymore, I don’t need to be lectured to, and am tired of seeing skinny bodies running around. Give me an old WW II movie , in black and white, and I’m set for the day.
Doesn’t the high level of winter chill (that depressed box office take) tell you something about global warming. The sun was extraordinarily active over tha past decade or so. Surprise, surprise!! It got warmer; not only here but on the planet Mars, as well. People are just geting tired of being force-fed the ‘global warming’ mesage; so it is little wonder that ‘TDTESS-2008′ was a bomb!! I dare say that carbon cap-and-trade, etc. is litle more than a money grab by Pushy Progressives and Silly Socialists.
Is this Will Smith’s worst opening ever? I wonder if they can makeup for this weeekend in the following weeks. I guess there is some tough competition out there but I though will smith was foolproof. This is pretty embarassing to all involved I would think, I wonder how they’re going to handle it,tha spin and all that. I wonder what the 2nd week trailers are going to say?
matt2: I find it funny and ironic that you chastise people for being bigoted, judging people by the color of their skin, etc., when you refer to Jaden Smith not by his name, but as “the black child.”
AM, if you’re going to bring up unsung credits re SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, why leave out the most glaring one?
The film had two directors, Danny Boyle, who seems to be getting all the attention, and Loveleen Tandan, who’s getting none.
Still, a great film, they all deserve kudos.
hey, at least Will Smith’s son is not forced upon us in “Yes Man”.
Whiskey: You regularly write some of the most paranoid, idiotic, uneducated posts on this website; your statements are barely informed, intellectually dishonest, and, primarily, down right stupid. I cannot imagine the amount of time it took for you to lay around and dream up such massive conspiratorial garbage … and the point of your mindlessness? “Hollywood jilts the action film lover.” My God, are you completely retarded? Are you?
I wonder how much more money The Day the Earth Stood Still would have made if the plot were changed so that Klaatu comes to Earth to tell everyone that our world leaders have deceived us for years, telling us that we have some magic control over the Earth’s climate through our choice of cars, light bulbs, or food containers.
I’m not opposed to liberal themes or conservative ones. But when they are inserted poorly, lack subtlety, and for the 500th time and the people writing the script think they are “deep” I have a problem. It degrades the entertainment value.
I had a boxoffice rule: Will Smith cannot be stopped.
Then I saw the returns for Seven Pounds. So much for my boxoffice rule.
Will Smith seems like a nice guy, but the vast majority of his movies are mediocre and unmemorable. The Will Smith train has finally ground to a halt.
I guess nobody can stay on top forever. Just ask Spielberg.
Proteus48084: Yes, the fact it EVER gets cold anywhere in the world means global warming is made up. You’re a failure.
Why is horrible weather such a tough pill for people to swallow? Does everything think our economy, be it retail or entertainment, chugs along at a consistent rate irrespective of any outside variables? Of course major snowstorms and crappy weather are hurting the box office, just as last minute shoppers trying to get X-Mas shopping done has cut down on time for the movies this weekend. Some of you just don’t get how things work.
Saw Wrestler, Revolutionary Road, and The Reader. All good. All completely depressing. I’m not a Carrey fan so saying “no” to “Yes man”. Can there be anything intelligent that isn’t depressing? A smart comedy? Something romantic and fun? There is nothing out there I want to see. The economy is sucking, people are stressed…hey, let’s go see a movie about the reality of marriage and giving up your dreams…or maybe watch a has-been wrestler sleep in his van. I know everything can’t be cheery…but jeez.
It’s going to be like this all the time now, isn’t it? Drudge links to this site, and all these bitter right wingers come over and turn everything-EVERYTHING- into an excuse to rant about THOSE HORRIBLE LIBERALS WHO ARE DESTROYING EVERYTHING REAL AMERICANS CARE ABOUT.Well, I’m out. If I wanted this swill, I’d go to an ACTUAL rightwing site, instead of one that is SUPPOSED to be about the business side of Hollywood.
Cadillac Records
I just got around to seeing Cadillac Records.
I stayed in the theater and watched it twice.
Everyone did a good job except Adrien Brody.
He just didn’t seem right for the part.
The one who should get a supporting actor award is
Columbus Short who played Little Walter.
I never will understand why Hollywood will take an interesting true life story and change the facts when the real life facts will enrich the movie.
When will the dunces of Hollywierd learn to quit lecturing “us” with their preschool politics and science? Only then will they sell movies.
Anonymous, afraid of an opinion different from your own huh? Your opinions must really be fragile. If you’re going to spout off about something, then have the balls and brains to debate your case. Don’t just whine like a two year old, pissed off that mommy won’t buy you that candy you have your greedy heart set on.
anonymous, I wonder if you’re on to something re the Drudge reference. If that’s true, I’m sorry for Nikki. this will not be fun if that rant begins.
It’s just movies, it’s not brain surgery or politics or global warming. Please don’t turn this site into a political forum. that would just be mean….
If you’re a sci-fi fan don’t let the right-wing critics scare you off the Day the Earth Stood Still. It’s still a good popcorn movie, just don’t have any preconceptions, esp. with regard to the original and you will enjoy it.
Anonymous: Yes. These Drudge readers are ignorant chumps looking to oversimplify and scapegoat … they find an easy target in the film industry because they understand so little about it. Most of complaints on here are factually false and non-sensical based on how the industry operates in terms of who holds power, agenda setting, money, overall industry performance, et cetera, but these poor saps have, whether they like it or not, bought into the “Dream Factory” notion instead of ever realizing movies, like TV, like politics, like every facet of our society, is based around profit and losses. Their blinders are so firmly attached they can’t separate entertainment from politics because they need a source of outrage … it insulates them from their own wretched lives and slack sense of control. They are dumb dogs let loose with a few choice thoughts planted in their head and never asked to question or extend themselves beyond what they’re told; instead, they want to play self-righteous victims, ironically using their free speech to criticize and oppose what is not only a major source of free speech in this country, but a major element of the U.S. fiscal and psychological economy. They unwittingly request totalitarianism and facism because they only want to see their own petty lives projected up on the screen, their beliefs lovingly tossed back at them, and never venture outside of those tight, isolationist perimeters. If they don’t agree with it, it shouldn’t exist … and that is the ultimate tragedy, that these fools have bought into the notion that in somehow vomiting, trampling, and urinating all over the flag, they’re somehow protecting it.
So yes, let’s get together and ban Hollywood movies. Let’s only allow certain messages, certain actors, certain subject matter, because after all, what’s more American than making sure the only messages out there are completely in tune with nothing but your own worldview and no one else’s?
Aw, Anonymous, you poor baby. Must be terrible for you not having everyone march in lockstep politically, like the industry is supposed to.
(For your info, I’ve been commenting here for years, and I’m as right-wing as they come. If I can handle being in a minority, I’m surprised a big strong liberal like you can’t bear for the minority to grow a little larger and more vocal. But do what you like.)
Gran Torino is easily, by a leap and bound, the best film I’ve seen this holiday season. It’s tragic that it isn’t getting a really wide release, because it has something for the right audience and should be doing “Unforgiven” or better business if it was wide. It’d attract the dirty harry crowd, people who generally like Eastwood films, and you’d be surprised how many of the younger audience I think would go for it.
Compared to the absolute crap I’ve seen this December..
And 7lbs? Please. It’s the most cloying movie since “Pay It Forward”. With “The Road” pushed back, and all “academy contenders” bombing left and right, is this a year where a critic favorite and box office success like “Wall*E” can actually get some love at the Oscars?
For God’s sake – will all you ranting political dickwads please fuck off to another site and bore someone else with your dull, inane, ill informed ‘insights’. This is a blog about movies, fucksticks – not your bumbling paranoid ramblings about ‘hollywierd’ and ‘those liberal hollywood types.’ Go away and polish your guns so you’re all ready for ‘judgement day’ and leave the rest of us to pontificate about why anyone still hires Keanu or Nicole…
No, I’m NOT afraid of opinions different then mine- if you actually READ what I’d said, you’d know that my complaint is about the DELIBRATE CORRUPTION of this site’s purpose-THE DISCUSSION OF THE INDUSTRY- by a bunch of whiny losers who feel an obsessive need to turn EVERYTHING into a political rant, no matter HOW far off topic they have to drag the subject.(And I’m not the first person here to point out that this is DIRECTLY related to Drudge linking to this site.Nicki, I know you need to drive your numbers up for the advertisers, but this is exactly the kind of thing that creates a hostile atmosphere and ultimately will cost you more than it gains you.)Is it really too much to ask that everybody here actually try and be relevent to the site’s designated purpose? (Although, even as I type this, I wonder why I’m bothering; the Internet feeds off these kinds of mindless flame-wars, and I should probably just find another site that’ll give me the same info WITHOUT all the garbage…)
Seriously, if you like movies go see “Let the Right One in.” You will not be dissapointed.
You may have to wait til it comes out on DVD in March.
You know, I’ve seen “Day Earth Stood Still,” Bolt, 7 lbs., and Twilight. I thought they were all fairly entertaining.
Eastwood’s movie is classic Clint. If you like him, as I do, this is a great movie. You know what you’re gonna get, but the man can still deliver.
But, just to rant one little bit: exactly how does “In Bruges” not get any nominations so far? I realise Americans’s are poked fun at the whole movie, but jeez, how can you not like Ralph Fiennes acting like he’s in a Guy Ritchie movie?
That there (and they are remaking “Right One in” as an American movie…) is why I can not treat Hollywood seriously.
Anyway, I haven’t engaged a political discussion since I used to rave how Ronald Reagan would be the death of our country. (Nice call, huh?) Well, that’s sort of about movies…
Is there anyone out there with an new idea, that can be made into a movie, that I want to see?
Animated mice? That’s original.
Jim Carrey? If you worked with Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry again, maybe there would be a molecule of creativity.
Washed-up athletes bemoaning the onset of middle-age? Did Kevin Costner pass on this script?
The only movie I’ve seen recently I had any respect for was Let The Right One In. I hope it gets some appropriate recognition.
Merry Christmas
So Hollywood makes a bunch of moview NOBODY wants to see and they blame poor BO on bad weather. Logical.
I am hungry to see a decent movie, but not to waste my money on feces masquerading as shinola. Jim Carey needs to hang up his jock strap. Will Smith is endangering his well-earned popularity. Nicole Kidman plays cold bitches almost as well as Juliene Moore, but neither has any emotional appeal. TDTESS is actually logical, if not attractive, because the logical end of environmentalism is the extinction of human beings. The perfect GREEN movie would be one where the hero/heroine kills themselves & their family in their backyard in the first five minutes, then for 95 minutes we watch computer annimation of them decomposing & returning to Mother Earth.
What with the liberal onslaught from Hollywood in this year’s political contests, my wife and I have decided to simply stop going to the movies. ALL movies. Instead we’re renting $1 movies at Redbox or waiting to get them free off cable.
Nice to see ‘The Wrestler’ pulling an impressive per-screen average. I can’t wait to see Aronofski’s latest when it comes into town (Baltimore).
It saddens me to read some of the comments here, from John Stein’s bigotry to Geoff’s misguided comments about environmental messages in movies, the homophobic dude that is glad to see Gus Van Sant’s excellent ‘Milk’ ‘tanking’, and the studio plant trying to drum up business for Jim Carrey’s truly derivative ‘Yes Man’.
Some of you out there need to refocus why you go to the movies in the first place.. It’s 2008. Free your minds and grow spiritually.
God you guys are funny, who cares about the left winged morons or the right winged psychos. Were supposed to be talking about the movies, not who’s better or who’s worse. LOL Both parties are pathetic, so let’s move on.
Personally I haven’t been to the movies since the last Harry Potter was out, and I am talking 4 not 5. I just saw 5 on HBO.. When Hollywood remembers how to make films, I might go back and see them. Seriously, so tired of remake after remakes, and Christmas are the same formula just different casting. What happened to being original?
I don’t care what message they bring because I don’t listen to it. I have my own beliefs, I don’t need to be told anything. I watch movies for the entertainment factor, but lately they have left a lot to be desired.
Right now there is nothing out I care to see and haven’t been anything decent out in a long time. I will catch Iron Man on DVD or HBO when I get around to it. In the meantime I’ll stick to reading my books!
Hollywood get back to original movies, stop remaking crap!
“Enough”
BRAVO!!!!!
“Enough” is right….stop with the political nonsense, this is a damn movie site. I realize political discourse will creep in due to the nature of some movies, but, for example, rather than dwell on the morality or non-morality of “Milk”, is it possible any of the Hollywood Insiders I know post here can conjecture on how the movie will do overseas? Or if anyone saw it, how was James Franco? The photography? The soundtrack, was it good? In other words, be a little more informative with your opinions, not just spew them out.
But most importantly…WHERE THE HELL IS NIKKI????? We know of personal family issues, so, for myself, I pray things are okay on her family front.
Seriously,, for those guys in the business, why are such bad movies greenlighted? Do movies have to be made, no matter what? Seems like it.
I see Armand went up the mountain and now knows what God or his gods want us to be.
oi another god-complex. how trite. why is it when those who dont want others to be judgemental simply act…judgemental.
hah…now i am doing it. hahahahahahah
…and yes Virginia, this has been the absolute WORST Christmas season for movies yet. oh but a couple of goodies are coming up.
cheers
If you don’t give a shit about the industry, and you’re just some pathetic putz who wants to have a bitch and moan – piss off.
I’m a young writer and the reason I com onto this site is for an intellectual discussion about the recent slate of released films. I come to listen, not to bitch.
Scotch, you said it better than I could. Kudos.
Man, this site is turning into a political hate fest. Obviously people who have no connection whatsoever to the film industry, have unfortunately, found their way here. What is this nonsense about black thug presidents and liberal agendas? This is fucking Hollywood where the only color or political leaning that matters, is MONEY. So for all you midwestern and inland-empire bigots, please spout your diatribe somewhere else.
Moviefan: you made me cry with the Reeves news. The American version of Let the Right One will be utter crap if its from the same guy that helmed Cloverfield. How disappointing that Hollywood seems incapable of original thought.
Side note, MILK was fantastic. That’s acting of the highest caliber. Gus Van Sant creates a spectacular biopic. The boys are bringing it home. Emille, Sean, James, Josh, and Diego all deserve best actor.
Xmas box office prediction:
1) Marley and Me
2) Bedtime Stories
3) The Spirit
4) Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5) Revolutionary Road
Uncle Bernie asked:
“Seriously, for those guys in the business, why are such bad movies greenlighted? Do movies have to be made, no matter what? Seems like it.”
Listen carefully young Padawan:
Movie companies sold out to corporate interests who look at a film as “product” and demand higher profits each quarter.
This puts pressure on executives, many of whom have never held a real job outside of Hollywood and were grandfathered into the business without reference to talent or instinct.
So, the business is driven by fear.
People greenlight movies only because they are afraid not to. Development is done by resistance. Executives say “No” because it’s the safest answer. You can’t be wrong if you never do anything.
So they put together films taking the least amount of risk according to what they have been taught: Big Stars, big action GCI, remakes of successful films, hack directors who’ve had one success and the like.
When enough of these elements are there, they greenlight no matter how stupid the film.
Examples
Will Smith + Director who had successful film with him before = Seven Pounds
Tom Cruise + Big Action = Valkyrie
Reese Witherspoon + Vinve Vaughn + Any Tired Hack Premise = Four Christmases
Adam Sandler + GCI = Bedtime Stories.
Keanu Reeves + Classic SCi Fi Film + GCI = TDTESS
Will Smith + Classic Sci Fi + GCI = I Am Legend
You are now a Jedi.
All of you clowns whining about the politics appearing on this site must be freaking blind–a lot of the movies coming out today blatantly push left-wing politics, so what do you think we’re going to be talking about?!
I never go to movie sites, but I had to spout off today after being tremendously disappointed with The Day the Earth Stood Still. I’m a long-time fan of the original, and I was hoping for more of what captivated me in the original, but with the benefit of modern special effects. No such luck. As a sci fi film, it’s lame. Gort isn’t scary; in fact, he’s rather good-looking. His ray beams are multi-functional, but there are no cool melting/vaporizing effects as in the original that wowed me as a kid. In the opening scene where Gort is introduced, he uses just a lame incapacitating sound that annoys the moviegoers. Klaatu’s ship is like a snow globe with a perpetual tornado whirling around inside, not a cool flying saucer or some such. And Klaatu can heal people with his touch, thus dispensing with the cool (and expensive) machinery in the original. And in the final lame, cheap special effect, Gort lets loose tiny metallic bugs that eat just about anything associated with mankind and they swarm all over the earth like locusts. On screen, you see swarms that look like dark clouds engulfing and devouring things. Yawn. Even a kid with a DOS-based computer could program graphics like that. And where’s the theremin music? I thought they would’ve paid some homage to the great Bernard Herrmann, but no, they didn’t. Not even close.
But what’s worse is that this movie is propaganda for human-hating environmentalist kooks. The earth, you see, is not ours; Klaatu is here because humans are destroying his planet (the earth), and he can’t allow things to continue just for the sake of one species. We are essentially parasites that must be purged. But if we change our evil ways, he might just give us another chance.
So, ladies and germs, if you want to spend your hard-earned money to see this liberal piece of crap, you can’t say you weren’t warned.
Scotch said it best.
Now perhaps after reading all this I’ll go have one.
Happy New Year to all!
I took my children as it was rated pg-13. The movie contained the F bomb and an oral sex scene that was definitely unfit for children to view. I was VERY disappointed in the films rating and in Jim Carrey. Also, for a Carrey film, it wasn’t that funny. Thumbs down bigtime.