Carl Icahn Now Wants ALL Of Lionsgate 
Action Comedy TV: Showrunner Matt Nix 
SAG National Board Approves Joint Bargaining … 
SATURDAY PM/SUNDAY AM: With a big pricetag of $175 million, and bad buzz preceding it, Paramount's G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra seemed certain to tank. Then the Stephen Sommers- directed pic came on tracking with incredibly high awareness among males. Now, despite all the sniping and snarking, it's the 2nd biggest August domestic opener for a non-sequel, and a $100M worldwide hit -- giving Paramount three big summer movies (+ Star Trek and Transformers 2). But what the studio predicted this AM to be a $60M North American weekend turned into a mojo-losing $56.2M opener. G.I. Joe earned $22.2M Friday but dropped -16% for only $18.2M Saturday despite a huge release into 4,007 theaters. The pic even made a " B+" CinemaScore ("A-" for under 18). This would be a great result if the film weren't so expensive. True, Spyglass Entertainment shared the cost, and I've learned everyone's deals were restructured so there was no first-dollar gross paid out. The studio now must rely on other revenue streams. "This property will sell 100's of millions of dollars of Hasbro toys that we get a royalty in," a Paramount exec claims. "And given the action, this will be a huge seller on DVD." Maybe.
G.I. Joe also opened day and date in 75% of its foreign territories. Although I've heard reports from rival studios that ticket sales were "disappointing" in Australia (where the pic opened #2 to the Sony romantic comedy Ugly Truth), early numbers from Spain, France, Russia, Asia and Latin America are said to be "very good". Same with Korea where the actor who plays Storm Shadow -- Byung-Hung Lee is a big star. Overseas grosses this weekend are pegged at $44.3M -- despite some Anti-American military sentiments. (In the movie, U.S. military operatives are joined by international elite forces. Foreign actors were cast in major roles. Paris and Egypt were some of the locales. But, c'mon, this movie is called G.I. Joe!)
In the U.S., the studio expected the film to do best in so-called flyover country -- the term Hollywood bestows on blue-collar moviegoers in the Midwest, South, and West where the common complaint is that liberal elites don't make movies for their "God, guns, and country" tastes. Indeed, this pic's strength is that it doesn't suffer from any moral ambiguity: there are good guys, bad guys, and nothing inbetween. But I don't see how G.I. Joe can get to Paramount's predicted $300M worldwide. Especially when, next weekend, the pic will get blown away by the Peter Jackson-produced highly praised sci-fi blockbuster District 9 (2009 Comic-Con: 'District 9's Peter Jackson).
By contrast, Sony Pictures' Julie & Julia had an almost exclusively female audience, a production cost of only $40M but an expensive marketing campaign, a release into just 2,975 venues, and massive free media coverage because of its subject matter -- American cooking icon Julia Child. "This was maybe the oldest audience I can remember: 55% of the moviegoers were over the age of 50," a rival studio exec tells me. The result was that Nora Ephron's foodie pic claimed to make back half of its budget with its projected opening weekend -- a claim rival studios dispute. The Meryl Streep-Amy Adams starrer made a $7.5M debut Friday and then got that adult bump -- +20% -- Saturday for $7.8M. (Thanks to a Cinemascore of "A" for both males and females: "A-" under 35, "A" over 35). With a good Sunday, the pic could get above $20.1M.
After that, no films cracked $10M this weekend. Jerry Bruckheimer's first 3-D effort, G-Force, for Disney, was 3rd with $2.8M Friday and $4.1M Saturday from 3,482 theaters for a $9.8M weekend and cume of $86.1M. Warner Bros' Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince lost steam and came in #4 with $2.4M Friday and $3.7M Saturday from 3,455 runs for a $8.8M weekend and a cume of $273.8M.
Last weekend's #1 Funny People dropped a massive -72% Friday to No. 5. The Universal dramedy from Judd Apatow starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen made just $2.4M Friday and $3M Saturday for a $7.9M weekend -- -65% -- and $40.5M cume from 3,005 plays. The studio must be sitting shiva.
Sony Pictures' Ugly Truth was #6 with $2.2M Friday and $2.6M Saturday for $7M and cume of $69M.
And, opening in just the 7th spot, Relativity's Rogue continues its losing streak of pics with Perfect Getaway, which opened to only $2M Friday and $2.2M Saturday from 2,975 venues for a $5.8M weekend. The movie was distributed by Universal into 2,159 dates. (Of course, bankroller Relativity claims that foreign and tax credits covered the budget, and they have lost no money on Rogue films. And I have swampland in Arizona to sell you...)
No. 8 was Fox's Aliens In The Attic with a $4M weekend from 3,108 theaters for a $16.2M cume. And 9th was Dark Castle/Warner Bros' shameful adoption- bashing Orphan with a $3.7M weekend from 2,270 dates for a $34.8M cume. Rounding up the Top 10 is Fox Searchlight's 500 Days Of Summer which expanded to 800 runs and did $3.7M this weekend for a $12.3M cume.
Overall, the weekend looks to finish with $147M, up at least 22% over last year's 120.2M.
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How did “Joe” generate so much buzz from that awful trailer? I don’t know much about the movie itself, but the trailer looked atrocious. Worse movies have looked like Best Pictures in their previews compared to this.
Can’t wait for the sequel…”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Joe.”
Go Joe!!! I smell franchise.
Looks like Paramount’s strategy of shielding the film from those snobby coast elitists and focusing on selling it to the heartland of this great nation has paid off in glorious dividends!
Really hope this movie does well for a number of those involved.
Say what you want about Channing Tatum but in an industry full of dick heads, you WILL not find a nicer guy. Same goes for Marlon Wayans.
Joseph Gordon Levitt is a great actor although I wasn’t totally thrilled with how he was used in this movie. Would have actually rather seen him throw on 15lbs of muscle and play Duke.
And maybe Ray Park will get some love after this. The guy is just amazing. His story line with Byung hun- Lee was one of the more interesting of the film.
And Rachel Nichols… yummy.
So I guess all that talk about it only tracknig a $30mill opening weekend was all BS right. $55mill isn’t bad at all and I’m guessing G.I.J will also have some pretty good word of mouth. I mean regardles what others thought about it I actually enjoyed it quite a bit honestly and while it’s far from perfect atleast it was an acceptable big budget, dumb action summer blockbuster. Something Transformers 2 tried to be and failed.
keeping in mind that dhd does go overboard with early friday numbers(mostly it does)…40 million weekend looks likely (17 + 13 + 10)
the budget for this one is 170 million though…if it opens to 50 million, it might make 135 at most.
It wasn’t tracking at $30 million. Not sure where you’re getting that from. Much higher.
hmmm…i would be surprised if it had a good internal multiplier.
20 * 2.75 = 55.
it is definitely going to drop on sat.
mummy 3 opened to 40 and ended it’s run at 105. this one can’t do much better. 50 and 125 maybe?
yup, the reported budget was 170 and the marketing was pretty intense too.
transformers was a franchise because it was so profitable. 150 million budget. made 320 million in usa, and 380 more outside the us.
this one ain’t a mummy…more like a van helsing
@Abhishek
I don’t mean to be a dick but you’ve gotta think about the big picture, that being the WORLD.
There’s no way it’s going to open at less than 45-50. Not much competition for the next few weeks means it’ll have fairly stable legs. But the REAL story is it’s international cume. Paramount was brilliant to cast Korean star Byung-hun Lee (only other option could have been Rain) as Storm Shadow. Anyone who’s lived or traveled in Asia knows that Korean and Chinese stars are stars across the entire continent. The film will have huge success in International markets due to the international flavor of its cast and international locales. $300-400million total cume.
for flyover country?
i can care less about GI JOE, but the concept of “flyover” country reeks of snobbery.
git with it nikki…….told ya.
Hey American Patriot,
You are only aloud to comment if Drudge links here. Come on, you know the rules. Go back to heckling your congressman to cancel your government provided medicare.
Sincerely,
The Coasts
I live in rural North Dakota and just got back from the 10 p.m. showing of G.I. Joe. We got their late and the theater was damn near packed. True, it was full of mostly guys (some on dates, most with groups of friends), but the sentiment afterward was that a lot of people went in with low expectations and walked out pleasantly surprised.
I don’t know how many “rape my childhood” jokes we threw out as the Paramount and Hasbro titles rolled, but we were all pleased to be silenced by it. In a group of five, all but one of us walked out happy with the movie we saw and even that one guy still thought was entertaining enough.
The high points of the movie are Rachel Nichols as Scarlett (watch the offers come rolling in for her), JGL as the young Cobra Commander and, surprisingly, Marlon Waynes as Ripcord, who was funny and had some LOL moments.
Hate to say the downfall was Channing Tatum. I don’t know if it was the stale writing for Duke, or the fact that he’s just a wooden actor, but I for one expected more of him and wasn’t all that impressed. But, because the movie relies so heavily on the ensemble, Tatum is not forced to carry the movie by any means.
Is it better than Transformers 2? You be the judge. It’s not better than Transformers 1, that’s for sure, but it’s still not a complete waste of money if you like action/adventure movies.
@ abhishek
you’re retarded
This is a film with no plot, little dialogue, and lots of CGI. Just like that other film, Transformers 2. Oh yeah, and lots and lots of explosions.
Perfect for summer escapism from all our problems. Let’s get our aggression out by blowing stuff the phuck up on film!!!!
Remember, crowds will always stop to watch a train wreck…
Just saw it at Paramount where I thought the audience would be partisan. The laughs were suppressed for the first half but, by the second half, it wasn’t possible to hold back.
The dialogue is so ridiculous and acting is so flat. The action scenes showed no restraint and the effects looked terrible. You certainly get an overload of action but you aren’t emotionally invested so none of it matters.
I thought the biggest disappointment was Channing who does nothing to show any versatility. I know he is compared to Chris Pine but they are clearly on two totally different levels. It’s amazing, Lorenzo makes two of the crappiest films of the year and both make bank. I’m pretty sure he isn’t worried about THE GOODS eating into the second week…
GI Joe was a terrible movie. A Spy Kids caliber action film meant for 8 year olds with awful effects. I think this movie will lose some steam during its own weekend. Internationally this will do very well.
what the F..k?….sorry.
It’s been the movie event of the week many have been talking about in my area of the country. So, I’m not surprised. This is going to be huge and alot bigger than most analysts were speculating. Actuals will put it closer to 25 million overnight and Saturday will be over 25 million and another strong Sunday will put this thing over 60 million making Paramount once again brilliant marketers. A series of last minute trailers midweek that were spot on and great buzz following the Thursday midnight shows also helped to solidfy this picture as a must see event.
I saw G.I. Joe tonight. Sick that it was a “multinational” force. It was OK but I haven’t figured out if the chase through Paris was one of the best or worst special effects I have ever seen.
Tatum needs to go back to the dancing movies. He certainly is not an action star.
I viewed GI JOE with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The action was a lot more entertaining than Transformers 2. Wayans and Byun-hun Lee were great fun to watch. Can’t say the same is true for Sienna Miller’s distracting hair or the terrible outfits the females had to walk around in or the many close-ups of Channing Tatum, who often seemed a bit cross-eyed. WTF?
JULIE & JULIA was “good enough” while I watched it, even though the last scenes were horribly schmaltzy and disappointing and Julie was way too weak and uninteresting. The more I think about the movie, the worse it gets.
The Ephronization of the Julie Powell char is disgusting, sad and another example of what’s wrong with female movie chars today. JFC. Her book is sarcastic fun and edgy so that one would expect to see a Janeane Garofalo-type — a character Ellen Page (pre-Juno) would play.
Because she’s such a watered down good-girl and her husband an extremely good-looking total saint, their fight came out of left field and was utterly ridic, didn’t ring true at all.
Extremely disappointing that the stories don’t merge in the end. I too would prefer to see two separate movies. One about Julia Child’s career incl. TV and one about the real egg-donating New Yorker Julie Powell. Diablo Cody comes to mind for the latter…
A Paramount exec predicted that the film will do $300m worldwide and they are happy with that number?!!!
First they try and spin Trek’s underwhelming (for a major tentpole pic) worldwide gross of less than $400m (which The Hangover will easily beat) and now they are beating their chest about $300m being a triumph?
Give me a break. The simple fact of the matter is GI Joe should have cost $100m, at the very most. A budget of (at least) $175m for a live action, irony free Team America is a joke in itself.
But in saying that, kudos to the marketing team at Paramount. The buzz on this pic couldn’t have been worse but they managed to turn it around.
Imagine what they could do if the films Paramount made were actually any good!
Between Nikki’s “flyover country” post and CTSadler’s subliterate riposte about those who are “aloud to comment” (by the way, fuckwit, the health care bill ITSELF essentially cancels Medicare, which is what has old folks scared), I’d say the Straw Drudge Boogeyman has been fairly effectively set up and knocked down.
G.I.JOE? Who gives a shit. Wake me when they start making movies for adults. I say “they” rather than “you”, because 90% of you people posting here are wannabes and everyone knows it.
G.I. Joe is doing well this weekend for the same reason that all these movies made from old TV shows do: people who used to watch G.I. Joe as kids are going to see it. It’s nostalgia. Doesn’t matter if the movie blows.
And teenage boys will go see anything that has weapons and action.
Reviews and previews matter mostly for new things, when people have no idea what to expect.
Nikki – Please don’t let those flacks at SONY sell you their bs. First of all no Nora Ephron picture (shooting in PAris and NY with those two stars costs $40 million). I used to work there – the budget was closer to $65 million. TRUE!!! Now, let’s talk marketing. They bought on the food network (VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE) They block bought, and overspent, inundating the market with ads. While they might have gotten “free media” – they didn’t get free tv. Rival marketing heads are guesstimating that SONY spent upwards of $40 million dollars to open their film. Maybe that’s the $40 million they were talking about.
You need to report the truth – there was NOTHING cheap about J and J.
‘G.I. Joe’ is hitting a chord with the heartland of America? They do realize there is a person of color in it, right?
derek clevelend, I’m with you on the need for the term “flyover” to be retired, and I’m from L.A.; it’s completely condescending and suggests that everyone not living on the coasts are all of one monolithic mindset, which as we’ve seen this past election, is just totally untrue.
that aside, GI Joe looks terrible, but it’s always nice for the industry to be making money.
How quaint, judging a movie on a trailer no matter how good or bad…
From what I have heard GI JOE is a simple summer action movie, MUCH better than the latest Transformers…Not much of a hurdle but…
Flyover country? Showing your true LA colours. I would like to remind ya’ll where the President hails from…
And for all the hurt for a summer popcorn movie the producers and the studio will be laughing all the way to the bank.
The Coast
If you are going to attempt to mock someone, at least spell the simple words right, it’s “allowed” not “aloud”. Hilarious.
Also, I see Funny People taking a “Bruno” like drop in it’s second weekend. Say what you will about the American public, but they know crap when they smell it.
What about my idea for a movie about “Peaceful Pete’? The story of a soldier who rejects killing and being a pawn for the military industrial establishment and instead goes around preaching peace, love and the repudiation of material wealth. Oh wait, that story was already told in the Bible, wasn’t it? I guess the rightwing Dittotards who pack the theaters for this kind of blood-soaked tripe forgot that Christians are supposed to be against killing. Praise the Lord and pass the ammo!
If “G.I. Joe” does well, maybe somebody will greenlight John Milius’s long-warehoused script for “Sgt. Rock.” Now THAT’S a real A-Team.
It’s an action film for the red states. Just look at the comments above.
What the hell is anyone talking about? Nikki drank the KoolAId and the rest of you swallowed the seltzer? THEY BOUGHT THIS WEEKEND to save their jobs. Listen to the spin “The Toys will save us.” That’s desperation right there bucko. The spent a shipload of money to win the weekend. Whether the director was fired or not, he sucks, he was the ONLY ONE THEY COULD GET. Word of mouth will plummet and there will not be a second one. Hasbro loses because they rushed things and committed to Weston who is no longer there. They needed this to do Transformers numbers and it did not. And, unlike Transformers, this is one where Lorenzo ran the show. Paramount has nothing coming up except a movie starring and directed by the team of MEET DAVE. Once they finish the search for Goodman’s replacement I for one pray that the studio will have better times.
CT Sadler, I no your my intellectual better becuz you live on the coast and all, but here in redstate land, we’re ALLOWED to give our opinion in righting or ALOUD. Am I Allowed or Aloud? to exercise my free speech and protest my congressman yet?
Your a genius, CT Sadler
Hundreds of millions in toys? Yeah, right. There are few hundred million dollar toy lines, and GI won’t be one of them.
Let’s see how it’s trending on Twitter. That’s all that matters.
there is no way Julia & Julia cost $40 million.
I live on the coast and liked the GI Joe trailer. I intend to see it and I’m a female. Go figure.
I tried to get into Julie and Julia and it was sold out. Instead, I bought a ticket for (500) Days of Summer and absolutely loved it!
I’ll see J and J today.
Saw it yesterday. Loved it.
Being a fan of the property from the 80’s, I thought it was the best adaptation you could hope for the first time out. For me, it had the same strengths/weaknesses that the first X-Men had (uneven performances, uneven effects, etc). But nothing that didn’t really set the stage for a better sequel.
True, it was no Dark Knight, or even G.I. Joe: Resolute, but I loved the Paris chase scene, Ripcord, and Storm Shadow alone was worth the price of admission. I think we’re going to see a lot more of that guy.
I say go Joe. The first one works, now lets ratchet it up and deliver a kick ass sequel. And add Shipwreck for crying out loud.
BWAHAHAHAHA @ Funny People
Where are all the apologists for this pretentious, overlong mess who last week were talking about the probability of it having admirable legs? I don’t know how anyone could’ve came to that conclusion since the reviews were middling at best and the internet word of mouth was fatal. It looks like it’s on track to be out of first-run theatres before Labor Day. Shudder to think how many walkouts there’ll be for it at dollar theatres when people won’t feel compelled to stay for the duration because they paid an obscene ticket price. The only way this film could be salvaged is if Apatow issues an alternate cut on DVD that’s an hour shorter. Everybody I know who saw it said the thing that ruined it was torturous length. The Universal bigwigs had to have been aware of this same fault when they screened it, but since they were too chickenshit to call Apatow on the carpet, they now deserve this financial setback. Prediction: his next film will be a 100-minute raunch-fest with no trace of Leslie Mann or his kids.
Wow Nikki, aren’t you full of yourself? Flyover country? Be sure not to trip and fall on your face while your nose is so high in the air.
Didn’t see it and won’t.
I hate to remind people, but “Watchmen” had a nice opening weekend too… that turned into… nothing.
Fly over country? Nice elitist attitude
The only thing worse than closed minded conservatives are self-righteous Hollywood snobs who think they’re open-minded, but are really just as closed minded and refer to places they’ve never actually visited as “flyover country”.
Saw GI JOE yesterday
It’s a typical summer flick
Can’t wait for Distict 9 next week
And how many tickets did they sell in Southern California and East Coast you condescending halfwit?
The problem with this film – and why it won’t reach its potential at the box office – is that the directors and producers did not take the source material seriously. GI Joe is a major part of the childhood of millions of people around the world; with this film, the producers and director just screwed with things for no other reason than they felt like it.
Additionally, you can’t turn GI Joe into X-Men. This needed to be a war film, not an “adventure” film. Thus, there is nothing recognizable in the trailer for the huge existing fanbase – no Skystrikers, no HISS tanks, etc. Hopefully, they’ll learn from their mistakes and try a reboot in a few years.
Went to see J&J last night. The theatre was full. I sat next to two teenagers on a date and they loved the movie. The young lady said it was one of the best she had seen in a long time. The audience was probably 60% over fifty and evenly split between male and female. I was very pleasantly surprised.
I am a conservative from NYC and I thought it was terrible. I don’t want government healthcare and I prefer more thoughtful cinematic fare. I believe Obama is a danger to freedom, and I own most all of the Criterion Collection. Now what?
Saw the movie last night in spite of negative reviews—walked out with a smile on my face—I enjoyed it. With everything going on in the world right now, this is just what I needed…a fun, action filled movie with humor and a lot of CGI. Those who put it down need to lighten up.
BTW, to all of those in so called “flyover” country. The term is merely a media created term because the major journalistic hubs are on the coasts. The Democratic base on the ELITE EAST COAST, is the inner city poor and the GED Union-class. Remove them from the electorate, and democrats vanish. Somehow, they have convinced themselves that they are all geniuses. I am sure that the average person in say, small town Indiana, knows more about any intellectual pursuit than the average man on the street in the ELITE cities. Oh well, thats what happens when people define themselves. Kind of like Costanza giving himself a nickname.
FUNNY PEOPLE -70%= wretched Flop. When does Uni greenlight the next apatow masterpiece… FOOTAGE FROM MY DAUGHTER’S BAT MITZVAH WITH JOKES
I love all the little Melrose weasels who come out to post. Marc1: I’m sure that you are writing from Flyover Country with your intimate knowledge of actuals, midweek trailers, and buzz. Go crawl back up Rob Moore’s ass you dingleberry.
Gotta love the Deadline Talkbackers. You guys rip “Up” and “Funny People” but rave about “G.I. Joe”. Great taste, guys. Great taste.
Just came from a 2pm matinee. The place was packed. Compared to the very cheesy toy commercials posing as children’s afternoon cartoons, the movie is good. If you wanted Oscar-caliber acting in a movie, why did you go to this movie? If you wanted action, action, ACTION, that’s what this movie delivered. Lots of G I Joe fans from the ’80s and ’90s won’t be disappointed.
All in all, Paramount had a kick ass summer with this and Star Trek and Transformers. Fox had Ice Age and Night @ the Museum 2. Universal tanked with only Land of the Lost. I hope they kiss Vin Diesel’s ass to keep him there @ Universal, especially with Fast and Furious opening and keeping Universal in the black for now. Warner got Harry Potter. Meh on HP. HP is for kids. For the adult HP fans, go read Robert Jordan or Terry Brooks for real fantasy. Disney is UP for the summer too. Later.
Most of GI Joe was shot in LA and put a lot of money into local economy. We should be happy this did well. Don’t understand the nastiness about a successful film when the economy is so bleak.
To the so-called “American Patriot.” G. I. Joe is anything but a movie for heartland Americans. It’s leftist one-world government propaganda. In it G. I. Joe is no longer a “real American hero,” but instead some kind of UN type force, just the kind of concept that the snobby East coast elites you mention are all about.
Alex, as a native of Indiana who fled that meth-infested, Jesus-addled, redneck cesspool, let me disagree with your assessment that rural Hoosiers are just as intellectual as the “elites”
1. The Indiana State Legislature once attempted to pass a bill changing the value of Pi so it would be easier to remember.
2. The mere existence of Daylight Savings Time causes them to fall into an existential state of panic when it’s time to change the clocks.
3. Indiana has one of the lowest population percentages with a college degree.
4. Indiana schools are amongst the worst in the nation.
5. For a state that is on the cutting edge of homophobic bigotry, Indiana shows its committment to “traditional” marriage by having one of the highest divorce rates in the country.
6. Rural Indiana produced such deep thinkers as Jim Jones and Charles Manson.
Frankly, the only really “intellectual” people in small town Indiana are the kids attending Wabash College and DePauw University.
Not to beat a dead horse, but “finally”? Then who was Transformers for?
I didn’t realize that here in flyover country we all share the same brain. I thought that phenomenon was limited to Hollywood.
This was the worst summer for movies ever. The only really good mainstream film from the slate – Drag Me to Hell – was an undeserving flop. That a middling-at-best effort like Star Trek was the only franchise release to hang your hat on is all you really need to know about the sorry crop of would-be ‘09 summer tent-poles. I was especially annoyed by Up since it continued the disturbing trend among an alarming number of adults who have adopted a pack mentality toward the Pixar canon. These people think the Pixar films are on par with the upper echelon of the AFI Top 100, and they will crucify anyone who dares to suggest otherwise. Psst, Pixar lunatics…these movies ultimately aren’t designed to cater to you at the end of the day. They’re for kids ages 7 and under. Stop telling me they’re brilliant. They’re not. They’re fucking cartoons. The aspect of Up that you found so revolutionary – the old man, his wife, and his longing for her after she died – only comprised about 10% of the story, so stop using it as the basis for why it’s allegedly a great film. The rest of the time was filled with talking dogs flying planes and other cutesy garbage thrown in to ensure that toddlers wouldn’t be restless in their seats. Any adult should be embarrassed to admit that they even saw a Pixar movie, unless they used it as a way to placate their young children on an afternoon with limited entertainment options. There hasn’t been a truly great animated film that bridged the proverbial gap between ages 8 to 80 since The Iron Giant.
Just another comment to say that the whole “flyover country” thing is pretentious. It always rubs me the wrong way, and at the very least, it speaks volumes about what you know about the midwest.
Also, why on earth are all these Drudgies here posting about health care?
Uh oh… I rather adored GI Joe. Does that mean I have to cancel my subscription to Salon and stop writing for Huff Post? Eeek! Statements like the one at the top of this article do not help the discourse. Anyway, I do love that by ‘Saturday AM’, we already know that GI Joe will make just enough to surpass Signs ($60.1 million) as the biggest non-sequel/3rd biggest total August opening weekend. It’s like magic!
Cloverfield, StarTrek and GI Joe…
Why again did they fire Brad Weston???????
I can’t wait for the sequel: GI Joe vs My Little Pony (with a special guest appearance by Furby).
It’s official — Hollywood has officially run out of ideas
Will it sell toys? Yes, yes it will. Will it make back the 200+ million for production and promotion? Maybe, when you count the licensing tie-ins (don’t know what legs it will have because back to school is starting next week in most of the country). Is it an entertaining film? In my opinion, yes. It ain’t high art, but it’s a good (not great – that would be UP) SUMMER MOVIE.
What an ignorant reviewer. Those of us in “flyover country” whom you so obviously despise are not going to this movie for any reason other than the “elitists” on the coasts. We will take our pre-teen boys to it and suffer through the pathetic story line with the really pathetic universal soldiers, instead of real american heroes. I take very little stock in your reviews of any of the other movies based off of your demonstrated ignorant and condescending writing. Maybe you should take a drive across the country you look down on and meet some of us who have just as much intelligence and a whole lot more common sense than the people you hang out with.
To all the people criticizing the Uni execs for Funny People
Some years ago, a good executive named Nina Jacobson told a “hot” filmmaker that his script for Lady In The Water was self-indulgent, overwrought and needed work. Shamalyan cried like a bitch then took his act to Warners where the film was turned into a self-indulgent overwrought piece of shit. No one complained as the film slid into obscurity.
Jacobson got fired. Even though she saved Disney millions and was honest with a filmmaker who hasn’t had a hit since, by the way.
ps: I chose to see The Perfect Getaway. It was a great film. Poorly promoted. Hopefully, people will find it. Tim Olyphant is fucking great!
Comment by Kirk — August 8, 2009 @ 3:26 pm
Coz both movies suck, that’s why!
Kirk
Kindly pull your head out of your ass. Funny People is an irredeemable piece of shit. It deserves to be “ripped up” by anyone with a pulse. Quality films don’t drop 60-70% in their second weekends. Time to acknowledge that Apatow is a hack.
G.I. what?!!…not even worth a thought while The Hurt Locker is on screens.
“Flyover Country” – I think everyone who lives ‘in the middle’ needs to not take the term so personally. It’s not a condescending term, but rather merely a descriptive one. Just put the ego aside for a second and think: other than those who are from ‘the middle,’ who have family/friends ‘in the middle’ or who go to school ‘in the middle,’ when do you ever go to one of those states? When’s the last time you thought to yourself “hey, I’ve just GOT to get myself over to Georgia? Or Wyoming? Or Wisconsin? Or Kentucky?” Etc. It just doesn’t really happen, because there’s nothing going on in any of those states. How many foreign tourists visit Oklahoma, vs. how many come out to NYC, or San Francisco, or Los Angeles? It just doesn’t really happen. That’s why so many of you people end up coming out to the coasts at some point.
Don’t take the term personally. It’s not meant condescendingly. It’s just that…well, most people really only come into contact with the middle states when they fly over them to get from one coast to the other.
GI JOE – went in with such low expectations and I left the theatre pleasantly surprised! Effects weren’t state-of-the-art, but there was lots of it. If they spent $175M on this film, at least it looked like an expensive film. The plot was shallow, but it was there. The characters weren’t overly-developed but through use of clever flashbacks, the viewer understands their respective motivations. And everyone looks beautiful. Always another plus in my somewhat shallow book. The 95 minute running time was a welcome relief after recent overkills Transformers and Funny People. It is just a silly, harmless movie. I would put it on the level of Armageddon or Day After Tomorrow. Probably not quite as entertaining or enjoyable as The Rock or Independence Day.
* I saw it for a $6 matinee price in Century City. If I had paid full price, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it so much.
I never knew the term “Flyover Country” was so offensive to some.I was born in the deep south and only go back there to visit family.Most of the south and the heartland are “Flyover Country” to me because there is no reason for me to visit those places.It’s not because of the culture of heartland states or their politics, it’s simply there isn’t anything that interest me about these places.
The only thing I like about Hollywood is…$$$$$$$$$
Loved Julie and Julia. Saw it in a full theatre during the matinee.
And regarding all the suggestions that Hollywood has run out of ideas, I think that’s the wrong observation.
What Hollywood has run out of is the balls to greenlight something original and not from an alternate source material. There’s a lot of writers out there trying to break in with fresh material. No one wants to take a chance on them, or on buying the material and rewriting it. And that’s about cajones, not fresh thinking.
I just got back from seeing GI Joe, I quite enjoyed it. You have to take the fact its a movie made from a cartoon. Not a war movie even remotely based on true events. Sometimes the CGI was a little overdone but overall I enjoyed it and so did my wife. Im sure we will watch the sequel whenever one is made.
The movie sucks!!!!!
But a New York theatre was nearly empty for G.I. Joe.
Did anyone catch David Denby’s review of “Funny People” in the New Yorker? You’d think the guy was gushing about “Lawrence of Arabia” — i mean, it was a completely over-the-top review. I have found that historically Denby often embraces stinkers, much like Roger Ebert. But I was stunned by how much DD loves Funny People.
Flyover Country sounds so stereotypical. I believe some in Los Angeles and New York need to visit the real midwest and real south.Seriously.
As for myself I plan to see GI JOE. This charactor has a universal appeal. Beside his tatics would freak Nancy Pelosi; or would Angelina Jolie’s Fox from Wanted scare her too? I bet some GI JOES were at thes townhall meetings too.
What’s up, not one comment on the international force fighting against evil? Sounds like New World Order propaganda to me! Are we conditioning “Fly over country” to accept INTERNATIONALISM!
Elist East Coast Journalist love to stereotype regions of the country still. Honestly it’s real stupid to treat the midwest like flyover country. I had an oppertunity to go to Columbus,Ohio,this last month for a wedding and I had four wonderful days there. I was in Buckeye Country and I bought an Ohio State mug too.I keep an open mind on where I travel too. And you midwesterners I encourage you too keep the criticism too of flyover country. Becouse some of these elist east coast journalists still the south as the old south where it has dramitically changed too. A lot of notherners have moved into our region of the country becouse of better jobs and taxes.
Honestly the real story is that films are no longer being made in California. Canada and other locations have made it easier to finance and make films.
@ CinefileX – Olyphant is fucking great as evidenced by one of the funniest comedies I’ve seen at filmfests or in cinemas this year — HIGH LIFE. The audience was in stitches, no matter their ages. I attended a latenight last screening at a filmfest b/c of strong WOM. So glad I did. Months later I can still recall some of the funny and a very touching scene w/o looking at my notes.
HIGH LIFE sits on a shelf somewhere.
Go figure.
just keep flying over it people…who gives a chit?
Went to see G.I. Joe with my husband and my teenage boys, and we all came out happy. I didn’t have high expectations going in, but I was impressed with how much I liked it. Of course, Ray Park and Byung hun-Lee’s fight scenes were my favorite.
Hey spf781, are you familiar with the term “projecting?” Because that is what you did with your distasteful comment. Next time you plan on writing something like that, take a deep breath and think about what you are saying. You just may not be as tolerant as you think are.
No one is talking about how much G-Force is tanking. That movie cost 175 too
Im not going to see GI-Joe
I dont like Channing Tatum – he talks like a slow thinking dim-wit. I saw part of Step Up and he tried to copy Eminem talking/mannerism style. But unlike the real Eminem, Channing provides only thoughtless, unprovoking, brain gum at a snail’s pace – no excitement what so ever.
He’s only good for modeling underwear. That does not require someone that has control of speech.
The director of GI JOE almost sank it for the red states by his pre release comments.
Over on Free Republic, there was a thumbs down, they did not like what the director said about it being an “Obama world now”… This is why it didn’t crack 60 mil. over the weekend. If Paramount and Di Bonaventura want to make movies for the Red States, they should just give them the red meat they want. History proves these types of movies always make the bucks anyway, so what? A good flick is not about “re-education”…
Just tell a heroic story if you can, Paramount and watch the return$.
I saw the movie and wish I hadn’t. I think poeple are missing the bigger picture of the movie. What happened to G.I. Joe a real American hero? Now to be PC he has to be from every country in the world? Is nothing sacred!
If you don’t believe this is a movie for “flyover country”, check out this pic of a weekend screening of GI Joe at the Ziegfeld in NYC:
http://twitpic.com/d894h
I love the coasts but people that live there and have never been outside of them are just as stupid, provincial and myopic as the cow country bumpkins that somehow the entire swath of the country from interior New England to the Rockies is thought of and in many ways the people are worse. There are sophisticated and dynamic cities in between NYC and LA and even educated and discerning people living in and around them. Any marketing idiot that thinks in terms of “flyover country” is just that.
The condescending talk of “flyover country” was totally unnecessary. It really spoils the article.
Have to say I am enthused about the audience feedback on Julia & Julie…maybe I *won’t* want to kill myself when I see it tomorrow with my wife
No plot, no talent, no developed characters; plenty of predictability, staged situations, noise, flesh, emptiness of thought, pathetic costumes, cheap plastic looking devices and sets, “ripped-off” name, utterly without soul. This movie will be loved by all “shallow minded” east and west coast “city-dwellers”, whose lives revolve around razzle-dazzle, and persuing carnal lusts, while feeling a sliver of superiority living out fantasy lives of deluded imagination. Oh yeah, all who go and see the film should arrive early, to see the parade of morons showing off ego tattoos, worthless gym-muscles, pudgy bodies crammed into crass fashions, and “axe” style colognes.
“In the U.S., the studio expected the film to do best in so-called flyover country — the term Hollywood bestows on blue-collar moviegoers in the Midwest, South, and West where the common complaint is that liberal elites don’t make movies for their “God, guns, and country” tastes.” Kiss my ass you sorry sacks of Hollywood shit.
C.G.I. Joe was a bad movie. At the theater I work at the entire staff hated it, made fun of it, but customers are liking it. (Customers are loving Julie and Julia and 500 Days of Summer)
A big opening weekend is one thing, but a B+ CinemaScore is something else. How dumb and/or easily amused is our society?
just go see Hurt Locker and Moon, and leave filling full….
Dear “American Patriot”,
You wrote:
<>
Yes, Paramount’s strategy of not letting educated people see the film first so they can critique it before P has a chance to pocket your money worked. They already have rubes like you chanting silly advertising slogans like “Go Joe!”. Hooray for Paramount! Lucky none of those “snobby coast elitists” work there!
When you say “snobby coast elitists”, isn’t what you really mean “those folks who think about and have experience with the rest of the planet, as opposed to those of us stuck in small communities with our heads in the sand, scared of the rest of the world and getting all our outside info from Fox News”?
I guess us elitists should try to be a little more down-home and all heartland-ish, say, like your heroes John McCain, who is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, owns more homes than he can count and flies everywhere in private jets? Or maybe like George W., who’s family has been filthy rich and connected to the highest power structures in our land for generations upon generations? But put on a cowboy hat or drag a plumber on stage and ta-da! You’re salt of the frickin’ earth.
Stop calling yourself a patriot, because you’re not.
You’re an idiot, Palin — whoops, I mean plain — and simple, and this country is weak precisely because of your brand of small-mindedness. You should buy all the GI Joe toys you can for your kids so you can support all those down-home folks at Paramount who have only your best interests at heart.
JASON,
Maybe you should relax. I’m a California boy, born and bred and have endured people from all sides, especially those lacking any sense of geography, how I am a Hollywood elitist. Yes, I live in LA now, but California is a large state with everything to offer. I’ve been across the US several times (I just returned Friday from another trip) and I know that people from all areas could care less about the stupid, incessant labeling that goes on. I’ve been everywhere and I love just about everywhere, except Florida, sorry. Everywhere has something to offer, flyover or not. Big deal.