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SATURDAY PM/SUNDAY AM: The other studios are sticking pins in voodoo dolls tonight as the weekend grosses shows Sony boasting both the No. 1 and No. 2 movies in North America. Not even box office poison Woody Harrelson could kill off the hit combo of comedy and deadmen walking as Zombieland opened to $9.4 million both Friday and Saturday (rain on the East Coast helped) from a wide release in 3,036 theaters. That’s a strong $25M first weekend, especially since it was produced for under $24M. The pic’s buzz was surprisingly good with even critics embracing first-time director Ruben Fleischer. That translated into a CinemaScore of “A-” — “A” for males, “A-” for females, “A” for everybody under 35. It’s Sony’s 6th #1 movie of the year.
Meanwhile, starting Week 3, Sony’s Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs kept a good hold of -34% (even up against Disney’s Pixar 3-D challenge). The toon took in $3.7M Friday, and $7.6M Saturday, from 2,977 runs for a $16.7M weekend and new cume of $82.3M. “I’ve no idea where the top is now but don’t bet less than $115 mil,” one Sony exec told me.
For 3rd place, 
Disney had the irresistible notion to release Toy Story I and II as a 3-D combo in 1,745 venues and saw a sizeable Saturday kiddie matinee bump – from $3.4M Friday to $5.6M Saturday. It’s a $12.5M weekend.
Warner Bros’ Invention of Lying starring Ricky Gervais came in #4. Gervais is no box office hottie, and the pic opened with $2.4M Friday and $3M Saturday for a $7.3M weekend from just 1,707 runs.
Disney’s Bruce Willis fiasco Surrogates was #5 making $2.2M Friday (-55% from a week ago) and $3.2M Saturday for a $7.3M weekend and cume of $26.5M. This is the crappy sci-fi pic which cost $80M and Disney held for a year.
Drew Barrymore helmed that roller derby girl power flick from Fox Searchlight Whip It playing in the same amount of dates, 1,720. But even co-starring Drew (and she flogged the film everywhere), it debuted only #6 with $1.5M Friday and $2M Saturday for a $4.8M weekend.
Michael Moore’s purposefully controversial and politically polarizing documentary Capitalism: A Love Story was distributed by Overture Films and wound up in 7th place. It went wide into 962 theaters this weekend after opening on September 23rd in a limited release of 4 theaters. The pic about the financial crisis made $1.6M Friday and $2M Saturday (+33%) for a $4.8M weekend and $5.2M cume. Just for comparison purposes: Moore’s most recent Sicko did $4.4 mil its opening weekend from only 441 theaters (and that was with him guesting on The Tonight Show and announcing he’d been subpoenaed by the Bush administration for the health care documentary). And his Fahrenheit 9/11 did $23.9M its opening weekend from 868 venues.) So, as much as the left loves Moore, and the right detests him, and he always uses the ensuing controversy to self-promote, the money angle is only what interests me. The fact is that Capitalism: A Love Story looks like its domestic total will fail to crack $20M and end up his worst performing film since his Oscar-winner Bowling For Columbine in 2002.
The rest of the Top 10 were holdovers: MGM’s disastrous Fame flopped to #8 with just $1.4M Friday and $2.1M Saturday (-48% after one week out) for a $4.7M weekend and cume of $16.6M. Warner Bros’ Matt Damon starrer The Informant! hangs in for #9 with $1.1M Friday and $1.7M Saturday and $3.8M weekend for a $26.5M cume. Rounding out the Top 10, Universal’s Love Happens drops to #10 with just $925K on Friday and $1.2M Saturday and eked out a $2.7M weekend and weak cume of $18.9M.
Also opening was Focus Features’ A Serious Man from the Coen Brothers in 6 theaters (NY, LA, and Minneapolis) for $72K Friday and $105K Saturday for a strong per screen average of $12K and $17K. Its weekend take is $251K. The film garnered positive reviews and word-of-mouth from its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival which attracted the Coens’ smarthouse audience as well as older patronage.
Meanwhile, read my posting here how in college towns right now, Paramount’s Paranormal Activity is getting freakishly good grosses playing only after midnight.
Overall, it should be a $100M weekend just short (-5%) of last year’s total gross.
For more estimates listed by title, see box office results here...Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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jesus, do I have to go check out this meatball film or soemthing? amazing holds!
Let’s hope it’s his worst. The guy is an idiot. What does he mean “…capitalism has done nothing for me…”? It’s only because of capitalism that he can put these stupid movies out and make his millions.. What a jerk!
I think what he does is BRILLIANT! He continues to question our government which is what we are SUPPOSED to do! To just sit back and allow things to happen around us and then complain about it is ridiculous. He is voicing his opinion AND backing it up with valid resources. These things are happening in our country. If you are foolish enough to belive that the government gives ONE CRAP about you or me, you ARE WRONG! I will buy his video and the reason I didn’t go see it in a theater is because I will be appalled at some of the things he uncovers and can gasp aloud at home! I say Michael, keep up the good work, I wish you continued success! Thank you for giving the other side of the story!
‘the government’ isn’t who this lard -a@@ takes on– you won’t hear a word from him about THIS government– B Frank not paying taxes, the fawning media hypocrisy… he won’t even mention that the anointed one quadrupled the deficit during his first 6 months in office! What are the odds that M Moore does a film on the debt? Pretty small, now that his party has blown our economy to smithereens with their pay-offs to unions. But he LIKES the unions, so don’t look for a story on them either.
The guy doesn’t need you to cheer him on- he makes millions of dollars from fools like you! They call people like you ‘useful idiots’, by the way.
He LIKES the unions….. but not quite enough to use union workers on his films. To any critical thinker, Michael Moore is not only a hypocrite, he’s an obvious sociopath.
obviously you’re a glen beck loving sycophant teabagger who judges the film solely on the “facts” that foxnews shovels to you.
if not, then learn a bit more about the film before criticizing.
i saw the film and it surprised me that more swipes were taken at those working with democrats than republicans. yes, there are mentions to president bush. but why not? you conveniently forget that we went from a surplus to being billions in dept during his 8 years in office as well as his urging that aig and other corporations need to receive the bailout money.
as far as president obama increasing the debt. yes, the stimulus money increased it but it went/is supposed to go towards jobs and supporting states budgets that are bleeding red. again, you fail to notice the billions of dollars that were not even used in regular budgets for wars in iraq and afghanistan. and that includes billions wasted by companies friendly to the administration.
so, if you’re going to criticize, have the facts and don’t just blindly overlook one political party while going after another. you make yourself sound like the caricature you created of moore and his films.
The Guy just admitted That he is a Communist. What does that say about you? Did you say your name was Lennon or Castro?
It’s Lenin, Mr. Henson. It’s as though you have watched far too many Frank Capra films this weekend. We discuss the motion picture business here, not politics. Please, google Dalton Trumbo. Learn something.
“Thank you for giving the other side of the story!”
?????????????????????????????????????????????
How about only a lop sided “side” of the story. If the man is so “brilliant” why is it he only targets conservatives, Republicans, Bush and now capitalism? Surely, he could corner Barney Frank or Chris Dodd and question their “capitalistic motives for protecting Fanni Mae and Freddie Mac or– for that matter, Countrywide!
In “Roger and Me”, he never questions the union and their role in making GM plants in Michigan un-competitive. He never filmed a union member sabotaging cars as they rolled off the line. Stuffing stinking lunch bags behind the trim panels, and not properly assembling the car so that it comes off the line with rattles and chafing wire harnesses.
He points out the failures of capitalism but ignores it’s multi fold success! Did he list what capitalism has brought us? Did he point out, for example how Communism brought us the Yugo while capitalism brought us the Prius? Do you want to live in a tribal society? Are you ready to live in a hut and haul water from a stream? It is a shame (sham) that so many watch this film and swallow it, hook line and sinker as “reality” in their dog-matic, victim mentality, conspiracy on every corner, fervor.
Michael Moore has done us all a service with his films. He has shown us that there are many out there with such a narrow view that he can make millions pandering to them!
This movie has nothing to do with Michael Moore having a gripe against the United States Government. Rather, it’s his condemnation of capitalism, which is and has been the foundation that this country’s commerce and subsequence successes was built upon. That’s why the majority of the public will not spend their hard earned money to support it. Incidentally, this current administration shares the same view as Michael Moore, and interestingly, it is rapidly losing the support of the American citizens. Since the founding of the ‘Republic’ (not Democracy) the citizen of this country have always placed the government under scrutiny, it didn’t start with Michael Moore. He simply figured out a way to profit from it. How capitalistic of him.
As long as he donates all his proceeds to the state for the collective and for the “betterment of society” he will not be deemed as a hypocrite. I believe his philosophy is inconsistent, therefore he is a compromised man.
If only he didn’t make up so much of his material.
“Thanks for giving the other side to the story”?
A pro-holocaust film, would be the other side of the story.
A earth is flat film, would be the other side of the story.
A human sacrifice is not so bad film, would be the other side of the story.
Lot’s of people push “other side of the story,” but when they’re on the wrong side of the story, they’re still just as wrong.
T says:
“To just sit back and allow things to happen around us and then complain about it is ridiculous.”
And T says:
“I will be appalled at some of the things he uncovers and can gasp aloud at home!”
Way to stick it to the man T.
Valid resources? The man has no valid resources. He couldn’t even accurately document the health care systems of other countries in “Sicko”. True, he does raise ~some~ valid questions, but given the ever expanding amount of fiction mixed in with fewer documented facts I have a very difficult time taking the man seriously.
Interesting to see that the comments with the most snipe are coming from people who have not even seen the film.
If ignorance is bliss you all must be smiling from ear to rear…
Why do you hate our country?
No, I haven’t seen any of his movies. Then again, I haven’t drank a bottle of Drain-O either and I hold that to be equally poisonous. But since you’re such an empirical idiot, why don’t you try the Drain-O and we’ll both know?
It’s truly takes a liberal to drag out that non-sequitor. No chance of you actually visiting the facts of the arguements, just throwing insults and non-seqs. It’d be nice to have an intelligent argument *on the facts* with a liberal, but I don’t think that’s possible any longer in this country. Haven’t seen that in years.
Interesting to see that the comments with the most snipe are coming from people who have not even seen the film.
If ignorance is bliss you all must be smiling from ear to rear…
Why do you hate our country?
Well said.
Whip It suffered for the same reason Jennifer’s Body. It’s not hatred of Megan Fox, it’s not that it’s a “chick flick” (at all, as the movie is pretty damn good), it’s Juno fatigue/hatred of all things Diablo Cody. People are sick of her overexposure. It’s not jealousy, it’s annoyance. Plain and simple. People don’t like anyone shoved down their throats via the media machine. It’s not sexism, it’s famewhoring backlash. You can’t talk about haters and anti-feminists when people are still peeved that she was only discovered because of sex, yet won’t shut up about her good fortune.
I noticed in your comment you wrongheadedly conflated “Whip It” with Diablo Cody. She had nothing to do with this Drew Barrymoore flick, though Cody’s friend, Shauna Cross, did write it. But only H-wood insiders would be aware of that connection, not regular ole movie lovers in, say, Kansas City, Mo. or Yardley, Pa.
Just sayin…
I mean this all-hate for Cody has reached endemic proportions, but please get your facts straight before throwing verbal bombs….
I happened to see Whip It as a preview and really liked it, not more than I did Zombieland. Soooo I am wondering who out there can tell me why a strong female-driven/directed/produced film targeting young women (the Means Girls flick crowd) is laying an egg….
I guess that old saw rings true: Nobody in Hollywood knows nothing.
I for sure thought Whip It would whip it (the Box Office) good.
Hi
Saw Whip It yesterday with my 18 year old ( I’m the 54 year old dad ) and loved it!! Great pic!!
I don’t come to this site often, just wanted to give you my take on it. I like movies a lot and think that above and beyond the obvious “star qualities” that draw people in to a show, it really is all about the media campaign, or lack there of.
Anyhow, really liked it, hope you will to.
ps , for what it’s worth, I like to use the Fandango Fan (not critic) Reviews as a guide. They have served me well in gaging / picking a movie
The “Juno fatigue” I assume references Ellen Page, not Shauna Cross. Since Ellen Page is the face of Juno.
I don’t agree with the theory anyways. I just don’t think the film looked very good to most people, while Zombieland and maybe Invention of Lying did.
What does Diablo Cody have to do with Whip It?
Since Drew Barrymore is 500 times more exposed than Diablo Cody, you might as well call it a Drew Barrymore backlash. Fortunately for Drew, that’s probably not what is going on. The movie looks boring and opening weekend is all about marketing. The movie could be the Mona Lisa of films, but if the marketing makes it look dull, no one will show up.
What exactly does Diablo Cody have to do with this movie? She didn’t write it. She didn’t produce it. She didn’t direct it. Does this mean that Ellen Page has to refuse future gigs because of Ms. Cody?
By your logic, if Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air underperforms, it will be because of Diablo Cody fatigue?
I think people assume it’s written by Diable Cody since it seems similar in style. Plus, there were a lot of good options this weekend – Zombies! 3-D Toy Story! Ricky Gervais! The competition was tough. I want to see Whip It but I’m not sure it would be my first choice among all these – I’ll see Invention of Lying first.
I notice you said Moore movie opened strong. That weekend prediction doesn’t sound very big.
I Agree with Alton, its not jealousy or hatred but it is an annoyance. The media shoves this movie and other movies down our throats and expect us to watch it like sheep. The audience will watch what we want to watch.
Capitalism?
Michael Moore claims it didn’t do anything for him, yet he seems to be doing much better than most Americans.
I vote with my buck. I vote no-Moore!
Isn’t it ironic that “Capitalism” isn’t expected to do well? Seriously… isn’t that what capitalism is all about? Make something that people want to buy, and they will buy it. Ain’t America great? (At least, it still is for the near future, if we have anything to say about it. November 2010… bring it.)
I guess we’re telling Michael “that’s the good thing about capitalism, it weeds out the junk”.
I bet Ricky Gervais believes there is a God now.
Why would he? It was Conan who hit his head last week, not Ricky
Good for Zombieland. Looks like a lot of fun. I agree with the Diablo/Ellen Page remarks… Page’s career has stalled out. PEACOCK is a piece of crap and she bolted on Sam Raimi’s ‘Drag Me To Hell’ which was one of the best films of the summer.
The New Bev Cinema is screening a critical darling on Sunday night… Mike Dougherty’s ‘Trick ‘r Treat’ which was executive produced by Bryan Singer. Talk about Warner Bros. screwing the pooch on that film…it’s one of the best horror films of the past decade. Halloween made a mark in 1978, well, Trick will definitely leave its mark on dvd sales. I highly suggest seeing this film on the big screen. Well worth the 7 dollar fee… yes, double features at the new bev are only 7 bucks – 2 films.
Zombieland rocks. Lots of style, with one of the best cameos ever!
I saw the sneak for Whip It last week. There’s a reason it didn’t open. People like everyone in my theater telling people to avoid avoid avoid.
Actually, Capitalism is doing pretty well. Everyone seems to think that Michael Moore films are supposed to be box office smashes, but keep in mind that Fahrenheit 9/11 was the first and last doc to open with double digits. Excluding Borat, of course. Capitalism is already ahead of Sicko and will probably gross over $25 million domestic. I’m hoping to see it Sunday.
Borat was more of a documentary than any Moore film to date.
Surely you can find a BETTER use for YOUR money than give it too that POS !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why?? Have you heard him on any of the talk shows? He makes more sense than any politician. He predicted the crisis with the auto industry way before it even surfaced. He is one smart guy.
Moore did not predict the crisis in the auto industry. What garbage. The problems in the auto industry have been in the works for a very long times-perhaps as long as 30 years. The cost structure of the American Auto Industry has made it impossible to compete with imports. Detriot must spend about $2,300/car just for LEGACY costs. That’s what it cost them to pay for people who no longer work there. This came about from agreements with the UAW that go way back. GM, Ford and Chrysler must be allowed to get out from under these agreements or we will not have an auto industry. Moore will never make a film about this. The fat pig is simply too stupid to make a movie about serious problem that isn’t completely biased.
Let me know how that goes for you.I’m always interested in people that are bigoted and biased such as you mr pudge. He probably will not even cover the ad blitz
Moore hates America, and obviously hates himself. Why support a man who can’t name one good thing about this country? And why support a millionaire stupid enough to say said, “Capitalism never helped me”, as he did last week to a reporter. A Hollywood elite, living in a bubble.
yeah…like i want to see a film about a millionaire bashing on millionaires! it’s right there with al gore and global warmimg! i hear al gore was giving autographs out side of his private jet!
So what?? At least he provides health and dental care to all of them and has been doing it for years. He is sharing some of his wealth with the people that need it, his employees!!!! What the heck is wrong with you???
Moore is not “sharing” his wealth with his employees. He is making them WORK for their pay, like the capitalist pig that he is. Since he hates capitalism so much, I’d like to see him GIVE AWAY all of the proceeds from his last two films. After all, he has more money than he needs, even for his humongous body. He should donate all of his profits to the people in American Samoa who were hit by the tsunami. (In fact, I’d LOVE to see the extent of his charitable giving in the last few years. I’ll bet it’s next to nothing, compared with the money he’s raked in.)
actually that’s not true, he used non union labor to make the movie. No benefits for them.
Wow that’s alot of Capital! And 25 million World Citizens saw Sicko…wow again! Your full of great news…thanks DK (Dairy King) we could get anymore from this udder-ance.
Considering it wasn’t a true documentary… more like fantasy, full of half truths and out and out lies…He is not capable of producing anything factually based.
Wow, “Capitalism” is already ahead of “Sicko”? That is like saying “Ghost Dad” made more money than “Leonard Part 6″. Both films were total bombs. I wonder, does Capitalism have more readily-demonstrable lies than the other “documentaries” made by Moore? Does “Capitalism” also show Moore allowing himself to be used as a propaganda tool like Castro used him in “Sicko”, or does he keep his fawning over murderous dictators and their regimes to a minimum in this one?
You go guy. Give MM your 12.00 you idiot. That’s capitalism buddy..only in MM’s favor. But you libtards have been buying into that BS for 40 yrs.
And you can go watch Glenn Beck??? Whats the difference?? Your all fools to think any information you process isn’t bias.
Gosh,judging from your approval of Michael Moore’s “Hate America” movies, I guess you are probably a communist or perhaps a socialist. I am not sure where Michael Moore fits in our society, but judging by how much he hates this country, I would say he is probably a communist. (I believe I read someplace that the reason he makes these movies is because he loves his country so much, but that is really hard to believe.)
Oh for God’s sakes Alton, give it up. The only people who are that riled up by Diablo Cody are creeps like you. Whip It always had an uphill battle. It’s unfortunate for Drew Barrymore, who by all accounts is a sweetheart. The sad thing is, it seems like a genuinely good movie, especially for teens who have crap shoved at them 24/7.
But then again Zombieland is getting the teen audience this weekend. It is a hit, and deservedly so. One of the funniest flicks I’ve seen in a LONG time. I rarely say this, but I hope there’s a sequel.
Alton: Diablo Cody didn’t have anything to do with Whip It. The only connection to Juno is the fact that both movies have the same star. Take your misogynistic hatred of Diablo elsewhere, please.
Get real. Michael Moore’s film bombed. You’re letting your ideology get in the way of the numbers.
Not at all. Remember, it’s a documentary. Fahrenheit 9/11 was a perfect-place-perfect-time fluke; look at the numbers for Moore’s other films. And the numbers for all other documentaries. Nobody expected this one to compete with Zombieland.
Uh, no. Capitalism is NOT a documentary, just like Fahrenheit 9/11 and everything else hes done wasnt. A documentary typically shows the truth about a subject and leaves bias out of it. Michael Moore DOESNT make documentaries. He makes movies showing his opinions of how he thinks things look between the stacks of cheeseburgers, milkshakes, money and anti-depressants.
Its hard to find a true documentary these days, with all the Discovery Channel BS shows, The History Channel changing history to fit its viewer-ship and the lack of true, honest journalists.
The only reason that fat overexposed hypocrite calls his movies “documentaries” is so he can try and win an easy category at the oscars.
absolutely true unlike Moore’s films
You are so right! The ignorance of people never seizes to amaze me. I find it astounding how some people do not know what a documentary is. I am often amazed at how some people will say something is bad (or good) based on whether they like (or dislike) the person who made it. And lastly, I am always aggravated by people who can not tell the difference between a display of opinion and a display of fact.
And to all of those ignorant lil children who are still living on their parents dime, while berating capitalism and cheering for Socialist government programs (because America is ‘so rich’); let’s see how you feel when you move out on your own, get a real job, and a mortgage and begin to understand what “paying taxes” really means.
Absolutely right Khalil7,
When I was younger, I was easy influenced by populist trash like Moore’s films. Now that I run a homeless shelter in Portland, OR, I can truly see the arrogance of Moore fans. It’s always gov’t and conservatives that fund our chartable programs, never the Moore loving, capitalism bashing wackos that support movies like this. The hypocrisy would be funny if it wasn’t so sad.
I CEASED to be amazed by ignorant mass culture consumers a long time ago. Capitalism is Moore’s best film to date, and does a great job of showing how it’s not the government that robbing you, it’s big business that’s robbed the average american worker of their American dream so the established Aristocracy can continue to dominate American Government, at your peril. So instead of blaming The Liberals, take a look at the business models that have destroyed the American economy, your mortgage payments, your job. Wake up.
You are conflating documentaries with news reports. Documentaries are the film equivalent of an op-ed piece. They are supposed to have a point of view.
Please point me to one, just one, documentary that shows the universal, objective truth about a subject.
“Documentaries are the film equivalent of an op-ed piece.”
That is a very revealing and scary statement.
On MM’s films being documentaries:
The sun rises in the North. There, because I said it, it’s true. Nothing to argue about. Settled science. Now move along to complain about Diablo Cody.
HaHa G Butler! I always thought the north, too!
Wow. I say it’s a documentary to make a point about its BOX OFFICE POTENTIAL and suddenly the anti-Moore freaks come out in full force. Look, I don’t like the guy either, but that’s not whatsoever what I was talking about. Can we stop this whole “his movies aren’t documentaries” B.S.? I was distinguishing “Capitalism” from “Zombieland”, not trying to start a fight about how badly he fudges his facts.
I think Ricky Gervais is hilarious. I love both the UK version of The Office and Extras. I don’t think his films are all that great, though. There doesn’t seem to be enough of a story to sustain 1.5 – 2 hours.
It doesn’t help that I’m not a Jennifer Garner fan at all.
Dan..it was a damn funny movie. Mr T stole the show…
How can a movie like Fame, that cost eighteen million to make, be considered a “disaster?” It will earn back its production budget after just a little more than two weeks in theaters. After all is said and done, it will break even for MGM, and make a decent profit for Lakeshore overseas. A profound disappointment, you bet. But a disaster? Nope.
Now, Surrogates — that’s a disaster. Cost five times as much to make as Fame did.
Bewildered,
Judging from your less than insightful remarks, you must work for MGM’s “bewildered” marketing department trying to justify your less than . I would agree that disaster may be a bit strong but Fame is a big money loser none the less. You must have gone to the George W. Bush School of Fuzzy Math. Fame will not earn back it’s production budget in two weeks. And judging from the weak hold in it’s second week end, it may never…at least from box office revenues. MGM will collect no more than 50% of the box office. After next weekend with Monday through Thursday $ and a modest 50% drop Friday through Sunday, Fame’s total box office will be no more than $20 million. You do the math.
The Geo W. Bush School of fuzzy math? I’ll remind you it was Bush who ran both a major enterprise and an entire state, had a serious degree, piloted advanced Air Force hardware, and contrary to Hollywood, read voraciously. While he was indeed another in the lineage from that lousy, globalist Bush household, he was no dummy.
It’s Obama who is piloting what seems destined to be the worst and most damaging presidency in a century or more, and thinks His Person globally stands in for of actual diplomacy and accomplishment. He is a farce and a fiasco — he even blew a bid for the silly Olympics.
As to fuzzy math, the Democrat Supermajority, on the heels of a string of Democrat congresses going back a half century with few exceptions, has worked hand in hand with the very bank cartel Moore thinks he has such an issue with. This cartel wants nothing more than to put the US impossibly in debt because debt is control.
Let me repeat that: Moore had better take a heck of a long look at the American political left, where he will find every ingredient he needs to prove that US federal government is hellbent to bankrupt the nation so as to empower itself and its bank handlers.
Starting with the most powerful bank on earth, the Federal Reserve. There’s your fuzzy math.
The current Washington DC/Wall Street gang is, in terms of wealth and value destroyed and stolen, the worst collaboration between official thieves in the history of humanity. I suggest you brush up on your…perspective.
Ten, the only business Dubya ran was The Texas Rangers which filed for bankruptcy. And the only country he ran was America from 2001-2009 which ended up nearly filing for bankruptcy!
LOL! I don’t know where you get your propaganda from, but let me fill you in on the truth. Not only was the Ranger franchise not the first business he had run, the Rangers didn’t file for bankruptcy. As a matter of fact, they did quite well while he was managing partner.
Wow, Ten. You managed to get almost everything about Dubya completely wrong. For starters he ruined every business he tried running, businesses that were only given to him because of family connections. His “serious degree” was in History, which he obtained with a 1.9 GPA. Interestingly, he displayed almost no actual knowledge of history in his eight years as chief executive–he thinks the moral of the Vietnam War was “We’ll win unless we quit.” Guy had no clue about why things happened or what there was to learn from what has already happened. There’s no evidence he piloted anything since he went AWOL when he was supposed to show up for flight tests. As for reading voraciously, what, you have spy cams in his bedroom or something? We all know he drank and did drugs voraciously, it’s in the public record…but he said his mom used to read him A Very Hungry Caterpillar when he went to bed, a book that hadn’t been released until he was in his 20s. Some reader! Finally, as for the “he’s no dummy” claim, I would refer you to any speech he made during his entire tenure as President.
Despite all of that, though, you’re absolutely right about Obama and Moore. Back in 2004-5 I honestly thought that 2008 would be a wonderful year because there was no way we could end up with somebody worse than Dubya. I was living in Illinois and Obamaphilia was at fever pitch since he just won a Senate seat, and people were immediately talking about him for Pres and I rolled my eyes and said, “No, he’s an even bigger idiot than Bush, this country will have learned its lesson and bypass idiots for the next election cycle.” How I wish I wasn’t so wrong on that one.
Stop the lies. Bush had several successful businesses, and he has a degree from Yale and an MBA from Harvard. Your 1.9 GPA is ludicrous. No one has EVER said that they know of him using drugs, and he has never said that he did, either. He quit drinking in 1986. Oh, and it’s common knowledge among those who know him that he is a voracious reader. Look it up, and quit making up trash.
Dubya’s failed businesses include Arbusto Energy, which he took to the brink of financial collapse and had to be merged with Spectrum 7; then, as chairman of Spectrum 7, he reported a loss of $1.5 million the year before selling it to Harken Energy. There, I have given you examples of his failed businesses, try providing an example of his “several successful” ones.
Re: GPA. Dubya himself often joked about his less than stellar grade averages so I was being equally tongue in cheek. His overall average at Yale was roughly a C or a little higher, by some reports, and as far as I know nothing has been released about his Harvard grades.
His non-denials about cocaine use are well documented and many people do in fact claim they know he used cocaine. You can choose not to believe them but don’t claim that no one has said he’s done it. Also nice wording on “he has never said he did,” because we both know he doesn’t outright deny cocaine use either. If you’ve never done drugs in your life, would you give a “no comment” when asked about it? Especially since a denial could only help your political career?
Yeah like people who know him are going to tell you he’s illiterate. All I know is that if Dubya was really reading A Very Hungry Caterpillar in his 20s then it wouldn’t be surprising if he managed to finish several books a year, which would be enough for many people to call that “voracious” reading.
To Alton and Jerry: is it really Juno fatigue? Mind you I try my damndest to stay away from the Hollywood hype machine so I wouldn’t know if Cody’s overexposure is an annoyance or not, but could it just be that the trailers weren’t that well cut and failed to generate that “must see factor?” I mean there’s so many variables to consider here.
I’ll bet you this though, if the movie showed a Megan Fox raunchy nude sex scene and was actually scary then I think it would’ve done reasonably well, but from what I was told the filmmakers punked out. As for Whip It’s low numbers, I can’t explain it. The public just wasn’t buying it. And let’s face it, there’s just too many damn movies being released. People need a break damnit.
Agreed.
Wow, looking at those “meatballs” numbers convinces me I need to write a kids movie. Glad to see Zombieland doing so well…good for them.
@ Jerry for 926 theaters it is… it’s 6000 avg
Jerry, that’s a great number for a documentary on that amount of screens.
Alton – you realize that WHIP IT is not a Diablo Cody film in any sense right? It shares the same star as JUNO, but that’s it.
JENNIFER’S BODY had a weak marketing campaign, and it wasn’t for everybody.
WHIP IT, by many accounts isn’t for everybody either. The marketing is better than that of J-BOD, but roller derby is still a fringe sport.
Ya know, if women are so ‘annoyed’ with Diablo Cody (who has done nothing to them other than make one good movie and one so-so one) that they’ll take it out on Ellen Page and ignore a really good, genuinely feminist movie, then they deserve to have nothing aimed at them except more variations of Jennifer Anniston or Katherine Heigl starring in “I’m Nothing Without A Man”. This is the same as parents complaining about quality family movies and then ignoring The Iron Giant. It’s the same as horror nerds complaining about remakes and reboots, yet ignoring Drag Me To Hell and Jennifer’s Body. Reap what you sow, alas.
“I’m Nothing Without a Man” = Great Title.
Moore’s movie is a documentary regardless of the fact that it is Moore. Those numbers are strong.
Michael Moore’s prior performances at the box office:
Movie Name 1st weekend
Capitalism: A Love Story $401,689
Sicko $68,969
Fahrenheit 9/11 $23,920,637
Bowling for Columbine $209,148 $21,576,018
The Big One $146,909 $146000
Canadian Bacon
Roger & Me $84,200
Just so people can place numbers in context versus just making crap up.
Total Grosses $173,235,283
Average Gross $24,747,898
Average Opening Weekend $4,885,979
So your point is Capitalism works…right? So where does all that money go back to the people?
I wonder whose numbers we should believe, yours or Nikki’s at the top of the page???? We do have to choose.
Hmmm, I was planning to see Surrogates tonight (I thought the storyline was great, but maybe they didn’t execute), but might see the Zombieland instead. It’s gotten good reviews from users and critics. And for under $24 million – Nice job.
None of these movies looked good and are preforming weak. “Whip It” and “Zombieland” have zero interest to a movie guy who sees almost anything. “Shutter Island” would been perfect this weekend. Many of my movie going friends are itching to see a movie, but nothing looks good. Not surprised all the geeks went gaga for Zombies.
Michael Moore’s movie preforming ‘strong’ might be a stretch, Nikki. Though a 1.6 million Friday on 900+ screens is decent especially considering its a documentary on the economy, it underperformed. In Denver, many theaters have “Capitalism” on two screens! Even in the conservative Greenwood Village! IMO, its over-exposed in my market.
Alton is right and Alton is wrong. It isn’t entirely Diablo Cody that was overexposed. It was the whole Juno, Fox Searchlight, film festival fave kind of movie that got – not overexposed but exposed by Juno’s success.
I have always said it isn’t the movie or CD that tanks that is the problem, it’s the movie or CD that isn’t very good and sells millions. Because that experience leaves a bad taste in the mouth for months and years. And the audience never forgets.
Juno was a cute little film for a very specialized audience that should have made about 40-50 mil and sent the producers home happy. Instead it broke through into the mainstream and it just wasn’t that good. Then it got even more unwarranted hype from the Oscars and Diablo won her Oscar. It was too much and it shouldn’t have happened.
Look for Up In The Air to underperform as well. It will have all those “from the director of Juno” quotes all over the place and it stars box office poison George Clooney. I think it will do better than the other two films because it is getting some serious, strong reviews but it won’t do as well as people think.
So, it is somehow Juno’s fault that it made over $100 million and won an Oscar? What should the producers have done differently? Withdrawn the film? Refused the Oscar?
I’m not sure Clooney is “poison”, either. Burn After Reading made money, the Oceans films made money, Michael Clayton made money. He’s at least attempting to make some films outside of his comfort zone instead of fourth rate Heigl rom-coms.
I didn’t say the producers shouldn’t have done everything they could to make it a hit, I merely said they did too good of a job.
As for Clooney, the Ocean’s movies were hits because of the other people in the cast. Damon is generally a winner, and Brad Pitt is probably the biggest star in the world right now. Check his grosses. Domestically he does quite well, and overseas he kills.
Check Clooney’s BO and you’ll see that he loses money almost every time out. Burn After Reading wasn’t really a hit even with Brad Pitt in it and Michael Clayton made 49 mil domestic and 92 mil worldwide after an expensive Oscar campaign and a wide release. That’s hardly a hit.
I’m also curious why people on here are blasting Katherine Heigl. She’s starred in what, 3 films? One was a funny reinvention of modern comedy by Judd Apatow, and while the other two flicks were Rom-Coms she’s mostly known for her television work at this point.
A more intelligent reference might be a Kate Hudson or Sandra Bullock Rom-Com, don’t ya think.
Clooney is “Poison”, Burn After Reading and the Oceans Movies would have done just as well with any other actor because it already had Pitt whose movies always do well internationally, the same cannot be said for most movies that Clooney has done. Michael Clayton could not have made any money and his oscar nomination for that movie was so undeserved.
Took 10 13-year-olds to Zombieland and the dug the heck out of it! Had been anticipating this film for weeks, watching the trailers and clips over and over, busting a gut every time. LOVE Ricky Gervais and would still like to see Invention of Lying, but Ghost Town (or whatever it was called was so disappointing!).
you are calling invention of lying a “sleeper”? wow. it tanked.
Invention cost $4million to make. Do the math.
Ricky Gervais said it cost $18.5 million. That’s before P&A.
“Toy Story 2″ is one of the best animated movies ever (I’m actually not being hyperbolic), so it’s good to see it doing well at theaters again.
Also, any excuse to bring a classic back to the big screen is a-okay with me. For obvious reasons it rarely happens anymore, but I wish it did.