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SATURDAY PM/SUNDAY AM: If there's a Christmas-themed movie opening in November, then it's the official start of the holiday box office. (Hey, no studio waits for Thanksgiving anymore...)
1. Disney's A Christmas Carol. You know it as Charles Dickens' novel, but Disney had a problem with title rights, so now it's their pic. Hollywood predicted the 3-D family film to make at least $35M and possibly $40M this weekend because of its wide release into 3,683 theaters domestically, including 2,035 3-D locations and 181 IMAX screens). But the Jim Carrey starrer (he plays lotsa roles, including all 3 ghosts) directed by Robert Zemeckis (who used the same motion capture technology as Polar Express and Beowulf) made only $31M after opening with an underperforming $8.9 million Friday and a Saturday kiddie bump of $12.9M (+43%) despite the higher ticket prices. Nearly three fourths of the gross came from 3-D, while IMAX made 14.5% of the cume, or $4.5M. It was Bob Zemeckis' biggest opening 3-day weekend ever. Exit polling showed the audience makeup was 51%/49% under/over age 25, 15% teens, and 47% male/53% female. "Poor reviews coupled with the 'too dark for kids' attitude may really be hurting the opening," a rival studio exec told me Friday night. "Throw that in with the possibility that they just might be a bit too early with the Christmas theme, and you have the possibility of a really lackluster debut for an expensive movie. Mr. Iger will not be happy."
Overseas, A Christmas Carol opened day-and-date in 18 territories and mostly in 3-D, including UK, Germany, Australia, Mexico, Brazil. Disney is reporting $12 million from the 2,750 international screens. 3D was 62% of the business from 37% of screens. It was No. 1 over the second weekend of Michael Jackson's This Is It narrowly in the UK and Mexico. Next weekend the film opens in Spain, Japan and Colombia. Disney is comparing the overseas biz to 50% better than Polar Express but that only did $124M internationally total.
2. Michael Jackson's This Is It has picked up considerable steam worldwide since it's opening 12 days ago. Sony announced the concert rehearsal footage passed the $100 million mark overseas after just 9 days of screen time. The pic did another $29M overseas gross this weekend for an international cume of $128.6. Domestically, the film has taken in an additional $57.8 million for a worldwide total of $186.4 million after this weekend. Between the Jackson estate, concert promoter AEG, movie theaters, and Sony, that cume has to be split at least 4 ways. On Friday, the pic moved up to 2nd place with $4.1M Friday and $5.7M Saturday (+42%) from 3,481 plays for a domestic weekend of $14M (a better than expected drop of -40% from a week ago).
3. Disagree with me all you want, but I found the trailers for The Men Who Stare At Goats so godawful that they repelled me from seeing the movie which looked like one big inside joke for stars George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Bridges. And it was since it's directed by Clooney’s producing partner Grant and produced by Clooney and Heslov’s Smokehous (along with BBC Films and Winchester Capital Partners). Lucky for them, it was acquired by Overture for just $5M because the R-rated pic made just $4.6M Friday and $5.4M Saturday (+16%) from 2,443 plays despite the well-known cast. (It might also be a case of bad timing given the Texas military massacre. This isn't the best weekend to make fun of that institution.) Still, a weekend of $13.3M is disappointing in terms of ticket sales and Clooney's popularity but looks like gravy on this goat. This is the first of two more holiday movies featuring Clooney: Fantastic Mr. Fox & Up In The Air.
4. Maybe there was an unsatiated appetite for Halloween horror after last weekend's gazillion movies in the genre. But The Fourth Kind other-worldly thriller, produced by Gold Circle Films and acquired by Universal for distribution in the U.S., came in with $5M Friday from 2,529 runs and $4.8M Saturday (-4M%) for a $12.5M weekend. No one in the box office predicting biz thought much of this first-person verite experience. Like Paranormal Activity from Paramount pic, Uni also waged a big viral marketing campaign on the Internet.
But it performed better than expected, with exit polls showing the audience was 55% male/45% female and 61% under age 25/39% over 25.
5. Even going into its 7th week of release, Paramount's low budget phenom Paranormal Activity keeps scaring up moviegoers. It made $2.8M Friday and $3.6M Saturday from a wider 2,558 theaters for an $8.6M weekend and a new cume of $97.4M.
6. Why Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, and Frank Langella would waste their star power on this stillborn mess The Box from Media Rights Capital and distributed by Warner Bros is anybody's guess. Maybe its pedigree from cult favorite Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly? But how embarrassing for them that the horror pic opened to only $3M Friday and $3.2M Saturday from 2,635 dates for just a $7.8M weekend. Ouch!
The rest of the Top 10 were holdovers:
7. Couples Retreat (Universal) Wkd $6.4M [2,857 runs] Cume $95.9M
8. Law Abiding Citizen (Overture) Wkd $6.1 [2,474] Cume $60.8M
9. Where The Wild Things Are (WB) Wkd $4.2M [2,756] Cume $69.2M
10. Astro Boy (Imagi/Summit) Wkd $2.5M [1,918] Cume $15M
Also opening Friday was the Oscar-buzzed Precious: Based On The Novel "Push" By Sapphire. Platforming in 18 theaters in 4 markets -- NY, LA, Atlanta, and Chicago -- consisting of arthouses and primarily African-American neighborhood venues. I'm told the debut numbers are outstanding because of all the advance publicity -- $585K for Friday and $699K Saturday, with a per screen average of $32,500 Friday that was $100,000 after Sunday, for a $1.8M weekend. Starting with its attention-grabbing debut at the Sundance Film Festival last January, this powerful film adapted by Geoffrey Fletcher from a novel about an illiterate black Harlem teen whose father has raped and impregnated her twice was embraced by no less than Tyler Perry, which is why it landed with Lionsgate for distribution, and Oprah Winfrey. Both came on as executive producers, unusual because they had no hand in the actual production of Precious and will be donating all their proceeds to charity, because of their personal experiences with family abuse and dysfunction. The result is they personally brought the film to the Toronto Film Festival and its official premiere at AFI Fest 2009 last Sunday. Also pumping up the film's profile are the presence of Mo'Nique, Sidibe, and Mariah Carey in the cast. And, covering all its political bases, Lionsgate arranged for George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara to host a Houston screening last Wednesday. Now comes an aggressive campaign for outspoken Lee Daniels' Best Picture Oscar with Precious expanding to 5 markets next week and wider on November 20th.
Other openers on the specialty side include Hal Holbrook starrer That Evening Sun, which Freestyle opened in one theater in New York, La Danse: Le Ballet de L'Opera de Paris also debuting in a lone venue by Zipporah Films, and the South African thriller Endgame opened by Monterey Media in one New York venue. And Splinterheads opened to a $12,000 per screen average at the Regal Union Square theater in New York. The film will expand on November 13th to Austin and Portland.
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Except for the “too dark for kids” stuff, didn’t we get this same kind of “it will FLOP” naysaying about THE POLAR EXPRESS years back?
I was going to say the same thing. At this point, I think both films “suffer” from the same problem:
It’s too early for Christmas movies! Polar Express picked up as the holidays got closer, and I predict this film will too.
That said, I’ll take the look of a Pixar flick over one of Zemeckis’ creepy face movies any day.
Just what I was thinking. Christmas movies stick around for quite a while. Polar Express opened with a weak 23M and made more than 150M by the end.
Goats sucked. I was hoping for something in the vein of O Brother. Instead I got an anti-war, hippie movie that never made me laugh. Well, Stephen Root made me laugh. All the other funny parts were in the trailer. Bridges, Spacey, McGregor, all stunk.
But how did the goat do?
Much better than any of the human actors.
Sorry Nikki but many of us are turned off by George Clooney and Kevin Spacey these days. It hasn’t always been the case, but their very public political positions have a number of us boycotting any project with their names attached. We are just simply outraged by what transpired over the last few years and it is payback time. We are expressing ourselves with our wallets—an especially effective tool during a recession. There are plenty of other entertainment choices for our shrinking discretionary incomes.
There exists a minority of people who are so vehemently conservative they will “boycott” anyone who doesn’t believe the way they do. However, I don’t think Goats is bombing due to Clooney and Spacey’s political positions. Had it been a good movie (it’s being ripped apart by all critics– both liberal and conservative) people who don’t care about one’s politics as long as they make a good movie would have turned out.
I personally could care less what Clooney and the other Hollywood loons vote for or support privatley. But once they stick their ignorant asses into the fray then they are fair game for boycotts, criticism, and economic hardship as their activities inflict upon others.
And I personally could care less what the conservatives who brought us a pointless war, economic calamity and the greatest redistribution of wealth to the top 1% since the gilded age have to say, but once they start posting on industry boards they’re fair game for being called out for being utter hypocrites.
Where to begin with this inanity. Conservatives starting wars, and wrecking our economy, just so they can redistribute the wealth of the ubber rich? Get a clue.
But this is not a political site, it’s a movie business site, and we’re talking about box office here, not merely our personal, political beliefs. He has a right to speak out just like you have a right to not like it, but my point is people, like yourself, can not claim a victory on being the reason this movie didn’t do well. The average person is not so politically invested that they would boycott anything due to the star’s views IF that star is in a good movie. Even Clooney’s hardcore fans are not turning out to see this.
I think you’re both being overly analytical. The fact is – the movie bombed because George Clooney can’t open or susteain a movie. Period. It has nothing to do with conservatives boycotting Clooney due to his politics or the movie being bad. It’s simply Clooney’s inability to put butts in seats. Plenty of bad movies make a ton of money. If Michael Clayton, which was a critics darling and Oscar-touted, couldn’t crack the $50 million mark at the box office then no Clooney movie can. Clooney’s PR people have a problem – America simply does not want to see his movies. It’s been that way his whole movie career. I keep saying it, but I really am stunned he still gets financing for his flims – especially for self-indulgent tripe like Men Who Stare At Goats and Leathernecks. Beats the hell out of me what the studios are thinking.
I think you’re over simplifying why George Clooney’s films tend to not be big moneymakers. He typically makes adult-themed, artier films that are harder and harder to attract flocks of viewers regardless of who’s in them. Especially when those films (Leatherheads) are not well reviewed. Yes, people will turn out for a bad movie with dumb comedy or explosions or sexual intrigue or whatever the hook may be, but an adult drama, not so much. As far as why studios give his projects funding, every few years he headlines a big moneymaker like Ocean’s 11, and other respected actors and directors want to work with him, which also lends itself to greenlights.
You do have a point on Michael Clayton. It was great and should have done better. I agree that he’s not a huge draw like someone like Will Smith, but I think there are hardly any actors who can open a movie just on their name alone anymore.
I don’t think “vehemently conservative” is exactly the case. It’s that some loud mouth actor that has no more knowledge of the subject than anyone else yet has easy access to the media and uses it to talk down to and lecture the masses about what they think they know. That’s fine, just as long as they don’t cry or bitch when those who don’t have access to the megaphone then speak out another way. With their wallets. Plus with actors like Clooney, it’s not simple a case of not liking their views but the way they go about it.
I think celebrities can get annoying when it comes to politics, too. But here’s the thing you don’t realize: Clooney DOES know more about some subjects than you. I mean, he’s actually been to Darfur. A few times. The annoying celebrities, for me, are the ones who don’t walk the walk.
By the way…why is everybody considering Men Who Stare at Goats’ performance bad? It’s better than the opening of Leatherheads and Michael Clayton. And it’s set in Iraq. I’m personally surprised it made more than 10 mil.
You are such an asshole. This “loud mouth actor with no knowledge” who in 2008 was named the “messenger of peace” by the United Nations. Who do you think is doing more good for this world. Assholes like you…or George Clooney.
Keep living your life “boycotting” – must be fun living such a miserable life.
Too bad the options you idiots choose (Paul Blart,Transformers,GI Joe) suck. I make decisions on whether a movie is good or not instead of what the person is in real life.
Must suck to be you.
I hope you’ve seen ‘Good Night and Good Luck’. Clooney co-wrote it and directed it, and it’s a very good film. Nominated for 6 Oscars.
I’m with Aaron here. Sort of. Imagine if O’Reilly could act. It would take a great movie to make me want to put aside the nausea provoked by the person behind the character to see it. Likewise any other blowhard like Olbermann. And likewise for Clooney and Spacey.
“O Brother, Where Art Thou” was very good, and Clooney was very good in it. Reviews for “Goats”, however, are tepid enough to make it easy to skip.
That just means we have to keep making more movies with those liberal agendas because you keep staying home to watch the same LEFT BEHIND movies over and over and over.
It wouldn’t be so bad if you weren’t hoping for them to come true every time you watch it.
Michael Jordan summed up his political position with this quote: “Republicans wear sneakers too”. Does anyone know whether Michael Jordan is conservative or liberal? Exactly.
I know it’s cynical because as a big star he could have made his voice heard and influenced people. But would he still be making 30 million plus in endorsements every year? Look at Tiger Woods. Once again, anyone know his political beliefs? Exactly. Biggest sports star in the world. It’s a cynical world. Unless you are a politician shut yer big yap!
Thankfully I wasn’t born in a country where someone must “shut their trap” for any reason other than their own decision to. The USSR was dissolved on December 31, 1991, thank you very much. If you don’t want to listen to a particular person’s political views, whether that person is a celebrity, sports hero, business person or on a park bench next to you then don’t. And if you happen to hear it anyway and don’t like it, then act upon it. But for fuck’s sake, don’t tell someone to shut up because their expressing an opinion. If there’s a cost associated with making their views known, assume they’ve done that analysis.
Tiger Woods publicly endorsed Obama.
When I read the script for Men Who Stare At Goats, I thought it was the worst piece of pointless s**t ever put to paper. As it screamed out “look at how goofy and wacky I am!” I shook my head and wondered why the hell anybody wanted to make this.
the book is amazing.
I realize some critics loved it and this is just one person’s opinion, but The Christmas Carol had no appeal for me. it needed to have some charm, some warmth, or some humor– it appeared to have none. I was sick of the trailer before it was even halloween time. furthermore, that animation style is too creepy; I’d rather go rent one of the live action made for TV movies.
Those numbers are actually pretty good. They’ll get a bump during Thanksgiving, and if they last, another bump during Christmas.
Glad to hear that “Precious” had a solid opening.
It’s way to early to call DCC opening soft. These holiday films tend to have insignificant drops from week to week and have huge 5 day Thanksgiving holiday grosses.
This makes no less than $150M domestic by xmas.
Yes, but didnt it cost like 150 million? Looks like a bomb to me.
A Christmas Carol was never going to fly with the kiddies, I saw a clip from it on Conan O’Brien, and the dialogue is word for word from Dickens’ novel, which most of today’s audience (young AND not so young) won’t understand.
I’m not sure how much “pedigree” Richard Kelly actually has. Yes, Darko is a cult favorite, but the problem is it’s a CULT favorite, and even among fans, the movie’s still confusing. Southland Tales bombed big time, I was surprised Kelly was able to get The Box up and running so quickly after that dud, until I saw The Box was already shooting by the time Southland hit theatres.
Bad P&A marketing decisions have left a big stench on this weekends box office.
CAROL is being released to soon. It is a Christmas movie, not for the week after Halloween.
GOATS trailers were horrible and there were not enough of them.
THE BOX – Did this film have any P&A? Or any promotion from it’s cast?
Lytton, “The Box” definitely has been promoted heavily on Time Warners’ cable stations TBS, Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim and TNT. I do think with the small production budget ($25M), it’ll likely make its money back if word-of-mouth is decent.
So WB gave it some internal promotion and is really hoping their bargain Cameron Diaz film eeks out a profit?
Just sad really.
Maybe they could get Kelly and Diaz to do a MOW for Lifetime next.
A Christmas Carol pretty much had to come out when it did, in advance of Christmas, because of Avatar. Because of the limited amount of 3D screens, only one release plays in 3D. On December 18, A Christmas Carol will be taken off 3D screens and replaced by Avatar. (Disney will also need to throw their promotional weight behind The Princess and the Frog next month.) And the first weekend in November has been the launching date for several successful Christmas films in recent years, notably The Santa Clause 3 (11/3/06), Elf (11/7/03), and Fred Claus (11/9/07).
when will hollywood stop richard kelly from getting behind the camera. has to be the worst filmmaker of all time.also, cameron diaz is over and looks ugly. why would any idiot make or fund this movie?
the box was one of the worst films i have ever seen. truly MST3K-worthy.
That was all MRC. Modi and Asif are gonna leave this town battered and bruised just like the rest who come in thinking they’re better and smarter than everyone.
“Why Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, and Frank Langella would waste their star power on this stillborn mess The Box from Warner Bros is anybody’s guess.”
the mortgage on the castle ain’t cheap, baby.
Of course the Carrey movie opened soft, it’s yet another piece of Jim Carrey’s overdone ham acting.
Hasn’t anyone figured out that guy needs to told what to do & not the other way around?
Plus it opened at least two weeks too soon.
As for the Clooney film.
What a stupendously stupid title!
Didn’t anyone stop & think that the title is meaningless to 99.99999999% of the population?
And to AaronSch: Clooney’s political views have nothing to do with this film going down the toilet at express speed, it’s a stupid movie, the trailers I’ve seen make no sense whatsoever!
People will go & see good movies whatever the actor’s politics are.
I, for example will still watch Jon Voight, even though both he & his politics are obviously insane.
Because he’s still a good actor.
Clooney is also a good actor, but his movie sucks!
Where’s the evidence that Clooney is a good actor? Even my wife, who was George Clooney superfan back in the E.R. days, has given up on this guy. He is one of those actors who really needs his career directed by someone other than himself because his instincts are terrible. Maybe that glum Christmas pic he is doing will fare better.
I would say he is a competent actor but that’s it. The rest is just superficial charm that only works when he is playing himself in a very well written romantic comedy. Otherwise all his movies are missable.
I think the first Goats trailer was okay but then I checked out the second one and it pretty much unconvinced me to see this. Sounds like I was not alone. (And Ewan McGregor? He probably eats with his hands. Appealing but dumb as a rock.)
A Christmas Carol was never going to fly with the kiddies, I saw a clip from it on Conan O’Brien, and the dialogue is word for word from Dickens’ novel, which most of today’s audience (young AND not so young) won’t understand.
Yes, Enrique, because it was polished by Shakespeare.
Jackass.
animated movies that look like A Christmas Carol and Polar Express will never appeal to the kids. They just look too real.
I would rather sit through two consecutive screenings of The Box over enduring Jim Carrey in Christmas Carol. Uh, maybe I should think about this…change that to one screening of The Box and then Goats. Is that enough torture?
Precious is one of the rare movies these days that gives me the wish to sit in a theater.
I am a long-time reader, but first time poster. Anyway, here is my take:
First, the new films: While XMAS CAROL had a disappointing debut, I don’t think it will be quick fading like BEOWULF, but have fairly small drops and great gains during Thanksgiving weekend and Xmas break and end up profitable. However, I do not see it breaking the $200M threshold anymore.
I am VERY glad THE FOURTH KIND did well. I found the story telling style to be inventive and I am sick of all the PARANORMAL comparisons. IT IS NO WAY A HANDHELD pic. I think it did well for a film opening the weekend after Halloween and Nikki, I think you are wrong about it being very front-loaded with fanboys since this is not based off of anything. I think it might open closer to $15M.
MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS I found very enjoyable, but nothing fantastic. I think $12M would be called a success for it because it was never expected to do great at the box office and $12M is above most predictions. However, I am curious what it’s legs will be like. I think it would have been more beneficial to open it in fewer theaters (closer to 2000) and expanded a bit if it was successful. I think it will have a big drop next week due to some theaters not doing well with it and then even out.
Not screened for press, I paid to see THE BOX last night and was beyond disappointed. I knew it had to be bad considering the big name cast not doing any promotion and no press screenings, but it was worse than I even thought. My local theater is always busy with 24 screens and IMAX and plays many independent films too when they first come out due to the diverse, highly populated area. XMAS Carol in IMAX and FOURTH KIND and AN EDUCATION were sold out last night according to the billboard. THE BOX was on two screens and was expecting a big-turn out. It was in one of the bigger theaters but there was LESS THAN 30 people in there! I peeped into the other theater after my show ended and that one was emptier. The whole audience seemed to dislike this movie, walking out in silence, and actually laughing quite a bit. I realized Kelly is a hack. DARKO showed Kelly’s “potential” and wasn’t perfect but good for a first-timer. SOUTHLAND I gave him the benefit of the doubt with the budget problems, but here he has no excuse. He had a terrific premise but had to pour on mystery after mystery and barely solved one. I think this film is the front-loaded one and will be out of most theaters in two weeks.
I saw PRECIOUS at the Philly film fest and was unbelievably moved. I am so happy how well it did and that number is FANTASTIC. I think the next few weeks the numbers will be VERY strong, but the true test will be when it expands past 100 theaters. $30M would be a victory for this in my eyes but I hope it is much more and after this gross I hope the sky is the limit.
For older films: I am surprised how will THIS IS IT is doing. I was expecting a large drop, but the film was great and word of mouth should carry it. I am curious though how it will do next week, because Sony hasn’t advertised that they are extending it past two weeks so the drop might be very big.
PARANORMAL had a good hold and showed there is still an audience wanting to see it. Kudos to Paramount and should enjoy light drops in the weeks ahead for a horror film unless 2012 takes away its theaters.
For other films this weekend, Couples Retreat barely dropped at all with a $2M Friday and proably a weekend with $5.2M. I can’t believe how low of a drop this shitty movie has. Is no word-of-mouth spreading?
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN is still going strong with $1.9M friday and a possible $4.9-5.1M weekend. Good film until the ending but I would reccomend it. OVerture finally made a hit film!
WILD THINGS and ASTRO BOY suffered more bad news with $1.2M and $600K fridays respectively. I can’t imagine how worse the drop can be for them if XMAS CAROL opened with $50M.
THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS is a 95 minute New Yorker magazine cartoon. You stare at it and know it must be humorous but you can’t figure out why you’re missing the point.
Even though this was clearly NOT the time for Disney to release A Christmas Carol, I still wasn’t expecting anything less than $15 million for its Friday gross. Family-friendly + Jim Carrey should equal box-office gold. Add in the extra money that people probably spent on 3D or 3D/IMAX, you should have a $40+ million opening weekend. Guess not… but it’ll probably stay in the top five through Thanksgiving. If it doesn’t it should be able to climb back up into the top five for Thanksgiving.
Really surprised about The Box opening below This is It.
With all that being said, I’m glad to see that Precious is doing so well. Looks like I’ll be getting to see it sooner than I expected
Disney might get more people to see A Christmas Carol if they would advertise that there is a new Alice in Wonderland trailer attached.
I’m not at all surprised at the opening for Precious, but I still think it will die a quick death once it goes wide. There’s definitely a top end for movie about twice incest raped inner city girls raising an AID’s baby in the 1980’s. No matter how much Oscar buzz it gets.
I saw Precious today at an 11:00 am screening at Loews 68th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan – a totally white neighborhood. They screened it in the biggest theater and there wasn’t an empty seat in the house. I have never seen that before at that time of day in that gigantic theater.I would say the audience was half white, half African American woman.
In the scene where Monique’s character is talking to the Mariah Carey character about what her husband did to her child, you could have heard a pin drop.
@Victoria
Why are you surprised about the make-up of the audience. That is the audience. White film festival former hippies and Tyler Perry middle aged African American female army. Both audiences are faithful and both audiences are front runners.
Lionsgate’s hope is that this will get them huge per screen averages (which it will) and the that the buzz will get the mainstream audiences out before they realize that the film is essentially an overcooked afterschool special. Once that happens it’s straight to DVD because that horse will be out of the barn.
PS – As I was coming out of Precious, where I saw many audience goers wiping away tears, I happened to overhear a bunch of guys coming out of the George Clooney Goat movie. One said “Worst piece of crap I’ve ever seen” and the other guys agreed.
It sucks to pay for a film, and then leave feeling like you got ripped off.
Disney released CHRISTMAS CAROL early so it wouldn’t interfere with their own PRINCESS AND THE FROG. True, POLAR EXPRESS opened the same weekend and did end up becoming a money maker. But with other new films vying for 3D screens like PLANET 51, CHRISTMAS CAROL won’t stay on the premium screens very long. Disney should have released this Thanksgiving weekend, but instead, they now have a disappointment on their hands. And not undeserved… the movie, frankly, just isn’t very good.
With GOATS bombing, will Clooney distance himself from partner Heslov like he did he former bus-partner Soderbergh? Inquiring minds WANT TO KNOW!!!
I would rather watch again this week’s amazing episode of “Mad Men” than see the shit that’s playing in theaters this weekend. Jesus who gives rat’s ass about goat staring and a 50 year old druggie singer named Michael Jackson. MJ faded away a long time ago people. Get over it.
Love it — Manager Jimmy Miller pushing client Jim Carrey into another dud, meanwhile the guy reps some of the hottest comedy directors in town (Apatow, Roach) and could easily make something happen for JC, but chooses not to.
Right, because when you’re a huge star like Jim Carrey, you get “pushed” into stuff. Mmmhmm.
If there’s still Halloween candy in people’s homes, it’s too early to put candy cane movies into the theaters.
I don’t understand the hate the the title or trailer for The Men Who Stare At Goats. One of my jobs is to gauge reactions for trailers, and that trailer has gotten a lot of laughs. And at least the title isn’t some bland, forgettable one. I don’t know, maybe you have to have a good sense of humour.
http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/happy-holidays-not-for-stars-jim-carreys-george-clooneys-movies-open-soft-friday/#comments
I shouldn’t even get started on another Clooney movie bombing at the box office…but why would anyone expect a George Clooney movie to do well at the box office? He hasn’t had a solo hit since “The Perfect Storm” in 2000. If Brad Pitt isn’t in the movie with Clooney his movies barely register at the box office. I’m really surprised that studios keep wasting money funding his films. If Nicole Kidman is box office poison, then what does that make Clooney? It’s not even like his movies do any better at foreign box offices. Aside from that – regardless of critical acclaim…he’s just playing himself in all of his movies anyway. That’s NOT acting.
Unfortunatley for the movie-going public Clooney’s got 2 more movies opening in the next month, one of which is animated, another is touted as Best Picture of the year by some critics. I don’t know which geniuses at the studios are responsible for scheduling 3 Clooney movies in the space of 6 weeks, but here’a word of advice for them – space them out, please. A little of Clooney goes a long, long way. A lot of Clooney in a short period of time is just WRONG.
Also, if Clooney can’t open an animated movie like Fantastic Mr. Fox or a critical darling like “Up in the Air” by current boy-wonder Jason Reitman, then he needs to call it a day and retire to his Italian villa with his revolving door of working girls and ex-porn stars. Just do movie-goers a favor and spare us the chore of deciding NOT to go see his movies and the eye-rolling ridiculousness of his PR flack using People magazine to whitewash his current floozy’s past. Enough already. ‘kay George?
enough with this clooney bashing. granted, the demographics to which he appeals most aren’t the most likely to go out and buy movies tickets, but it isn’t him as an actor, it’s the projects he chooses. he produces pretty much everything he does, and when he made “good night and good luck” or “solaris” or “o brother” he probably didn’t think they would make $300 million.
he has his italian villa and his style to protect. he would rather be in movie that cements his status rather than pads some exec’s ego.
Perhaps Clooney is trying to make good movies, rather than hit movies. I’d love the rest of Hollywood to take his lead. And many of Clooney’s movies, now, are funded outside the studio system, who aren’t really that interested in making movies, but franchises to sell merchandise.
I’d just be happy if Clooney made entertaining movies…
You forgot about GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK. He wasn’t the star, but that movie is his. Not some bloated special effects laden POS but a very well done and thoughtful film. It made money and got nominated. And he put his own money into it. Maybe you should watch more movies and put down the Enquirer.
Limeny Scrooge. Jim Carrey is the most desperate actor in the history of show business.
Fourth Kind is the worst piece of shit I have ever seen. I walked out in 20 minutes and watched the MIchael Jackson movie next door. I would tell you why it is so bad but I can’t bear to relive it. The whole set-up of the movie is inane and undercuts everything that comes after….
When I read this update the first thing I thought about was all the people hyping The Polar Express as a box office flop prematurely. Polar Express with the same style of animation opened to even less money, 23 million, its first weekend. That “slow” pace continued on for many more weeks until Polar Express grew to be a 180million dollar doestic hit, a 300 million dollar worldwide hit, and an instant classic that draws huge tv audiences every Christmas. I don’t think the writing is on the wall for this one yet. Thanksgiving weekend is still quite a few days away. This movie may already be over the 100 million dollar mark by the time the first official big weekend of Christmas box office arrives.
motion capture is creepy.
Always will be.
Let it go.
I actually quite liked “Goats” until the end, which I thought was a let down. There’s a lot of funny stuff in between, though, and Spacey and Clooney clowned it up pretty well. McGregor seems to have existed in the movie solely to act “shocked/befuddled” by the actions of the other characters in order to tell the audience when to laugh, but beyond that, the movie works better than most.
After Cameron Diaz announced the ‘twist’ of “The Box” at Comic Con, I have to say, I knew I’d never see it.
Years ago these movies would have done well but since some of these political actors have chosen to commit hara-kiri by mouthing off their political views, then they should not expect the unwashed masses to support their projects.
You don’t refer to people as stupid conservatives, flyover country, or religious rightwingers and expect them to see anything you put out. These so call actors will never make the connection.
George clooney is box office poison
A Christmas Carol that isn’t Dickens, a poli-sci comedy that isn’t funny, and a young woman’s story of brutal rape and molestation. Yep, sounds like Christmas in Hollywood. Let’s not forget that wonderful image for the animal lovers of goats lined up for slaughter from some douche’s military mind games. I’ll watch the original Miracle on 34th Street for the hundredth time, thank you.
Seriously, if you hate Hollywood so much, what are you doing here?
A “Christmas Carol” that isn’t Dickens?? Did you even see the film? I have a lifelong obsession with Dickens, and this movie, as others have mentioned, is probably the most faithful adaptation that’s ever been done. If you don’t like the movie, fine, but you can’t say it doesn’t have the stamp of Dickens all over it. Believe me, it does. (In fact, for those who say it’s dark and grim, guess what? So was the book! Dickens ain’t all sweetness and light, friends.)
Glad to see Goats disappoint. I’m so tired of Clooney and his politically-motivated trying to get people to think what he thinks garbage. He comes across as a smug, look-at-me I’m great a-hole, just like the trailer for Goats.
The 4th Kind should already be in profit based on how incredibly cheap the movie itself looks. Milla Jovovich should never have been cast as the lead psychologist. She’s not believable at all, mostly because Milla is one of the dumbest people in Hollywood, and that’s saying something.
14.5m for Goats should be considered pretty good. People generally don’t go for political (particularily heavily slanted) movies at the boxoffice. Plus it’s been getting crumby reviews (59% RT) and playing in 100 less theatres than Clooneys critical darling Michael Clayton (which was horrible but got 90% RT) still had a better opening (14m vs 10m) so clearly the marketing department is doing something right.
In terms of DCC it’s opening was almost as early (Nov 10th on a wednesday) and it only took in 30m in its first 5 days and it ended up having a multiple of 6. So I’d say it will get at least 150m by the end of it’s run.
Clooney et. al’s political views have nothing to do with why Goats bombed. In fact, actors’/directors’/whoever’s political views never really have any effect on how a movie performs – if anything, the more controversial, the more people go to see it. Some people really really want to believe that “the country” is somehow punishing actors for political beliefs that don’t match with whatever inevitably extremist position the commentator personally holds, but it just isn’t the case. The fact of the matter is that every studio and/or star-backed Iraq/Afghanistan/Middle East war movie has bombed since 2003, probably because there’s so much bitterness on both sides that nobody wants to think about it anymore. The ones that have been successful are almost uniformly small/no stars. Maybe that makes them feel more real and therefore more acceptable. It’s just not funny to see a $20m movie star pretending to go to war when everybody in America is sick in their stomach over it for one reason or another.
re: The Christmas Carol, I honestly think Jim Carrey’s calendars must all read 1994. That’s the only possible reason – he still thinks it’s 15 years ago. The schtick is over. Time to come up with something new.
I haven’t seen The Fourth Kind and I’m guessing it’s not particularly good, but they’ve been promoting the hell out of it for the last few months. I think that’s the way to go with a no-stars genre picture (sorry Mila Jovovich) … grind it grind it grind it into genre fans so when it comes out they’re very aware that something that scratches their itch is coming out soon. It’s not that it’s horror or that it’s a thriller, it’s that it’s about ALIENS, and there are people who go in for that.
This is the best movie, it should be nominated across the board. THIS IS IT. Monique deserves and Oscar. So does the lead who starred in the movie. It should be nominated for directing and writing. IT IS THE BEST THING OUT.
Geez, can’t someone stage an intervention for Zemeckis already? His obsession with motion-capture is hollowing out his talent big time. (And did anyone who saw BEOWULF really like it? Does anyone who saw BEOWULF even remember it, outside of Angelina Jolie’s dishy avatar?) Back when RZ did ROGER RABBIT, I thought he was going to have the smarts that James Cameron did in realizing that it’s the script, not the FX, that makes the movie. Guess he didn’t.
George is from my hometown and nobody talks about him here at all except to comment on how he relied on his auntie Rosemary’s and daddy Nick’s connections to forge his career. He po-po-me-me-diaper-whines about how he scrambled his way up when all along he had the golden doors opened. Not a peep here about lil’ Georgie that I often wonder if he’s pullin’ a Rocancourt. I recently went to the movies here in fly-over country and the trailer for “Goat” ended with row of young girls giggling how Taylor Hicks looked mad hot.
The number of people who post on this site who are obsessed with actors’ political views is truly astounding.
I think we can thank the political site that now links up to this one.
I would like to thank Tyler Perry and Oprah for their Christmas gift to African Americans.
Oprah and Perry haven’t met a rape and abuse story they didn’t love. In all of Perry’s films lack women are beaten by dark-skinneed black men and saved by light skinned ones. In Color Purple and Beloved Oprah reveled in the “poerty” of women (again, dark women) who overcome abuse.
In Precious we see the same pathetic pattern. All the wretched women are fat, dark and sweaty (Mo’Nique and Sidibe) and their saviors light skinned angels (Mariah Carey, Paula Patton) And as in all Perry and Oprah film, black men are monsters.
The film uses stereotypes and guilt to create a story of triumph. A girl is raped twice by her father who has HIV and has two babies. But in the end, she “overcomes.”
Merry Christmas, America!
ps: I would also like to thank Sandra Bullock in advance for another White-people-adopt-a-magic-Negro movie, The Blind Side.
No Country,
The Blind Side is based on a true story.
Sorry the truth sometimes hurts (and by the way, the book on which it is based will just make you even more angry!)
@NoCountry : You are one of my favorite posters here in Nikki world and I do agree that Tyler Perry’s association with this movie makes one nauseous from jump street. I have heard that ‘Precious’ does follow the pattern you mentioned and m biggest problem is with Mo’Nique…
Mo’Nique, while perhaps a cool person, was abominable and hateful with her ni**a improvs in ‘Soul Plane’–so just because they glued hair on her pits and stained her prosthetic teeth for “Precious’ doesn’t make her a revelation, in my opinion. She sweated Oprah on a Friday’s Live Oprah show a while back, cried and said she’s from Baltimore where Oprah was a news host and Oprah likes her now. Gag!
But, I do have to say that ‘Beloved’ was an amazing movie based on an equally dark, horrifying book and I thought Oprah was very faithfil to Toni Morrison’s material.’The Color Purple’ wasn’t Oprah’s movie, of course, it was more Spielberg and Quincy Jones.
There’s a lot of truth to what you say, but come on, it’s nothing new. Neither Tyler nor Oprah introduced these negative stereotypes. It does bother me that neither one of these wealthy, powerful players has the sense to turn the tables on such character portrayals though. A beautiful, dark-skinned woman who saves an overweight high-yellow girl? When will it happen?
You are a jackass. Oprah and Tyler did not write this movie. It’s based on a book that has been around for a long time.
They are donating their money to rape/abuse charities.
And in Tyler’s case, let’s go over each film one by one to see how your ridiculous “Saved by a light skinned man” theory pans out.
In “Madea’s Family Reunion” Rochelle Aytes wasn’t saved by a light skinned man, she saved herself from Blair Underwood.
In “Daddy’s Little Girls”, I don’t recall Idris Elba (who is darkskinned) being saved by anyone.
In “Why Did I Get Married”, Jill Scott fell for Lamman Rucker who is NOT light skinned.
In “Meet The Browns”, Angela Basett and Rick Fox are damn near the same complexion.
In “Madea Goes To Jail”, Keisha Kight Pulliam gets with Derek Luke in the end and they are virtually the same color.
And finally, in “I Can Do Bad All By Myself”, Taraji Henson falls for a Latino, but he doesn’t save her. She saves herself.
Why the light skinned hate? It’s like an odd reverse form of racism.
Why hate on Tyler Perry? He’s built a brand out of nothing. Maybe if John Singleton stopped making crap like “Baby Boy” and he made a movie a year on a small budget that people wanted to see, there would be more black films to choose from. But all people like John and Spike do is whine and complain while making movies that people don’t want to see. When they were on top they should have used their clout to make their own studio and produce their own films. But no. Spike would rather be at every Knick Game while John is producing racist crap like “Illegal Tender”.
The Tyler Perry hate train is already cliche and tiresome. Don’t like it? Make something of your self the way he did and make your own damn movie.
Tyler, is that you?
Angela Bassett and Rick Fox are the same color? check the settings on your TV, boo.
While NoCountryforBlackMen and B made some strong points, I’m somewhere in the middle.
I just want to see ambition from african american filmmakers, or a different perspective on the black experience.
Not every african-american was born in the inner-city or the South. There are those who were exposed to diversity and would like to see films reflective of that by african american filmmakers.
I just feel we’re in a rut where we’re seeing black people at their worst on screen, (i.e. no good, cheating husbands; abusive mothers, incest, etc.), and that’s, unfortunately, what people pay to see or shower with praise and accolades.
Do we always have to “keep it real”? Where are the black Spielbergs, the ones who will take a flight of fancy and create a black Indiana Jones?
I just believe black filmmakers could stretch out a bit more. There’s an audience out there that’s under-served.
I know, I know, “make your own damn movie”.
How dare you mention Lee and Singleton in the same breath as that hack Tyler Perry? Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Rosewood Boyz In The Hood.
Are you kidding me?
When this assclown can make a film that doesn’t need a paragraph for the title, I’ll believe he’s learned something.
Oh, but I forgot. Tyler makes money. Stepnfetchit was a millionaire, too.
Hm, Nicki, what does Joe Drake have to do with Tyler Perry? Mike Pasernoek brought Tyler Perry to Lionsgate and guided his films to great success. Now Drake gets the credit for bringing Precious to LG? I don’t think so. I bet Tyler Perry doesn’t even know who Joe Drake is and if he does, I bet he doesn’t like him. Joe is a white frat boy of the most obnoxious kind.
i saw precious on friday at a sold out show at the arclight hollywood…days later, i am still replaying scenes…what a marvelous film. STOP talking about the crappy stuff that is out…go see precious.
Lee Daniels. Hands down. They should just wrap it up and give it to him now. HANDS DOWN. A masterpiece.
Precious is Perfect. Lee Daniels should get everything coming to him. It was a work of genius! And Monique….She gave a performance that was out of this world. She will get the Oscar. Watch.
Nice try shills.
Now go back out and buy Perry some more dresses.
Nikki, I think you’re right about “Goats” not doing well against the back drop of the Army Base shootings in Texas. (MINOR SPOILER WARNING) There was a scene in “Goats” where an soldier on drugs runs outside and shoots a gun toward his fellow officers causing a panic. Half the audience at my Saturday night screening gasped at that scene.
Finally, everyone should be seeing “Anti-Christ.” Now that was a cinematic experience! Extreme, but well shot. Check out the clips on YouTube for yourself.
If watching paint dry is your game then Precious is probably for you. Lee Daniels is a self-aggrandizing tyrant who manages to get really interesting movies made and I give him credit where it’s due. Are you listening Haggis?
Clooney’s politics have very little to do with his lackluster draw. Over-exposure and white bread performances do.
The Box looks deeply flawed and interesting…so does the 4th Kind.
These comments are fun…obviously some people are in the business and the rest of you should shut the fuck up and listen to those who are. Getting your ‘entertainment’ made takes years, millions and angst that would make 90% of you weep.
Of course this makes it that much more wrenching when they suck ass.
The next few frames are going to be interesting. Also, 10 Best Picture nods? Good luck with that.
“Getting your ‘entertainment’ made takes years, millions and angst that would make 90% of you weep.”
PROBABLY THE GREATEST SENTENCE I HAVE EVER HEARD ABOUT THIS BUSINESS.
I ponied up $40k to a friend who was trying to make a movie in NYC and submit it to Sundance. Cost overruns, actress issues, script problems, and all I got for my $40k investment was 4 dvds of an incomprehensible movie from a person who I no longer am that close to in friendship.
Knew this person for 17 years. He had made a few short films before. Very artsy. Put on performance plays in various off off off off broadway also.
Since I am a writer also and found that to be a racket, you could say that I know the business and so my view is just as worthy as those that post here who are not in the business but are commenting on why they won’t see a show.
Actors are a part of the show. They are a major reason why someone will shell out $9.75 or $11 for a ticket. You cannot ask someone to put that money out if they don’t agree with the person’s stated politics and calling those that don’t agree with him – “idiots”.
They’d be “idiots” if they went to see his movies at this point.
He’s burned too many bridges and you’re right. He can’t carry a movie. In many ways he reminds me of william shatner who always played william shatner.
Get it?
Eh? Everyone should “shut the fuck up and listen to those in the business.” What? This is not a fascist state, run by hollywood know-it-all elites. The people commenting here are the customers who enable hollywood to exist. we all make decisions on what we want to see and why, because it is a FREE marketplace.
Thanks for talking down to “the rest of us.”
Clooney’s politics, although a major turn-off for much of America (and I’m sure a major turn-on for much of the rest) is not the reason he is not and will never be a major star.
He is an extremely attractive man and a very good actor, in my opinion, but to be a STAR an actor has to exude that certain something (charisma maybe, maybe something else)that he lacks in buckets.
I can’t believe he makes enough money to afford his place on Lake Como. Jackie Gleason once said that you’re worth whatever someone’s willing to pay you so good on George Clooney, I guess. I don’t think it’ll last much longer, however.
To put everything in perspective, if PRECIOUS were in half as many theaters as Xmas Carol, it would have made over 200 million dollars this weekend.
Perhaps Jim Carrey should make sure his next movie appeals to middle aged African American women, like me.
Clooney headlining a film is asking for a poorly performing film, period. He has not had a hit film in almost 10 years other than the Ocean’s series. I don’t care how many excuses are made for him, independent films, film’s subjects, and on and on, he is not a box office draw. Critics may love him but the public does not. It is not his politics, it is his constant smugness being front and center in every role he plays. Thanks to that behavior his films do not perform well anywhere in the world.
Jim Carrey is simply not funny anymore. He has lost his way.
CameronD is trying to diversify her roles as she approaches 40 and no longer looks like the fun girl in rom coms and I applaud her for that. Wish Jen Aniston would acknowledge that truism as well.
Interesting all this Clooney bashing–
You know “Syriana” made almost 100 million worldwide? As did “Michael Clayton.” And of course the “Oceans” movies made over a billion.
Yes, he does some interesting art movies instead of just plugging out tired blockbusters–which he could easily do. That’s what makes him an interesting guy on the movie scene.
Clooney – is big liberal supporter. goes to white house. meets with PresO. Comes out of mtg and says PresO will send special envoy to Darfur. Clooney happy.
Funny how nobody has asked Clooney if he’s still happy seeing as Darfur is worse now than in January when he went hat in hand to the white house.
I like Michael Jordan’s response to politics as stated by one of the other posters here.
If you’re going to make and take a stand, expect to either be supported or not. I chose not to see Clooney or his friends, especially Matt Damon. I just don’t want to waste my money so he can live in Lake Coumo for a few months before jetting to hollywood and leaving a large carbon footprint, which he offsets by buying pieces of paper from Al Gore’s company that absolves sins of life. Instead, Clooney would get more amp for his efforts if he walked the walk that he’s talking the talk: sell his assets, buy 1 modest home, and spend 6 months out of every year helping the people of Darfur by living with them. I’d respect him immensely if he did that.
That being said: I very much enjoyed Syriana on a borrowed DVD from a friend, and was sorry to hear that Clooney was really hurt from that interrogation scene that he did in the film. I’m glad he made a full recovery.
Christmas Carol is a very nice movie and very well made. The 3D is done very well too and is worth seeking out if you plan to see the movie.
They did open it too early though. It’s annoying enough going into stores and seeing lights and trees for the past 6 weeks but we had people that would otherwise want to see the movie decline because of this very reason. A Thanksgiving release would have been better. Even so is the tally THAT far off expectations? Geez it’s not like the studios haven’t been vacuuming up cash at the box office all year so being -$4MM is seen as some kind of relative failure.
/boggle
I would actually like to agree with everybody on the subject of Clooney’s politics hurting him. For those who say, “make a good movie and they will come,” I agree, but only because most moviegoers are young! When one gets older, one often gets crankier. If an actor or artists does things to turn people off, they’re going to remember that. There are many films I won’t go to depending on who is in them. And yet, chiefly because of his age, George Clooney has to make films for those older movie goers with the long memories. Non-politically, I detest Jim Carrey. When he became enough of a box office draw to make any movies he liked, his true personality came out, and to me it was unlikable. Teens haven’t seen him enough to dislike him yet.
All Hat and no Cattle said: “Obviously some people are in the business and the rest of you should the fuck up and listen to those who are”
That may be the most poor constructed sentence ever written. You must be a Hollywood writer.
Please tell the “angst” ridden makers of The Men who stare at Goats that I want my fucking $10 back. That was an irredeemable piece of shit.
Chalk it up. One success for a dead pop singer in a musical doco marketed as a concert film vs. Hollywoods top in new creative film roles. What does this tell you about the movie business?
Tells me H’wood makes crap
Clearly this is a story that’s linked on Drudge, yet again. How else to explain all the right-wing nut-jobs pouring in to declare Clooney box office poison for mouthing off in the political arena.
The truth is, Clooney puts his ass (and name) on the line to star in edgy movies that are at least more original than the remake/sequel-itis that’s plaguing the rest of this cookie-cutter-mentality town. GOATS is the best movie to come out all year (or at least all awards season – THANK GOD we’re finally in adult-land, movie-wise), unless you’re the kind of exec that creams his khakis when Michael Bay sits at the table next to you at Les Deux.
Yes, even though the bottom line still counts, what still counts more in this town is creativity and originality. Always has, always will.
I saw Christmas Carol opening day. (for the record, I’m one of the people crazy enough to attend that 6 AM promotional screening at the El Capitan – and it was worth it.
Capsule review: First, CC is NOT appropriate for young children. It’s got some really scary imagery that’s made all the more intense by the very effective use of 3D.
The film is very faithful to the source material. I like the fact that Zemeckis lifts much of the dialog directly from the Dickens text. I also enjoyed Carrey’s multiple performances.
The motion capture technology is still a work in progress. It’s essentially a CG version of rotoscoping in traditional animation. It works best when the character design is more caricature than photo-realistic. So Scrooge, Marley’s ghost and the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future looked great. But there was definitely a creepiness about the looks of Bob Cratchit (Gary Oldman), Nephew Fred (Colin Firth) and Fezziwig (Bob Hoskins), especially in the eyes.
The movie has some spectacular visuals and I thought it moved very well.
I agree with those who think it will have legs and build through the holiday season. Yes, November 6 is at least 2 weeks too early for a Christmas movie IMO. But as we get closer to the holidays, it should build really well – as long as parents pay heed to the PG rating and don’t bring young children.
The issue about Clooney not putting butts in seats is sort of a non-starter. The “Oceans” movies were all huge hits, and while “-12″ was more Pitt-centric than anything, he can bring people in (having Matt Damon around can only help, of course). “Michael Clayton” didn’t do huge box office, but it was a quiet movie that did very well, and is garnering the sort of rep that went with “Shawshank” and “Office Space”- a movie that is continuing to have a life beyond the box office. “O Brother” wasn’t a hit at first, but with positive word-of-mouth (and Pitchfork nerds pimping the soundtrack), it caught a second wind in the theaters. “Leatherheads” wasn’t a great movie, but it did decent box office; for a Clooney movie, it did underperform, and that’s where the whole “CLOONEY CAN’T OPEN” movement got started. The other recent Clooney movies were small (Syriana, Good German, Good Night) that made back their money and then some. “Goats” did poorly because it was a poor movie- that simple. People were burned by “The Informant!”, a very similar movie in that people couldn’t tell if it was a comedy (wasn’t funny enough) or a drama (felt like being put-on); Goats suffered from the same problem, and people weren’t fooled.
I think we are having different definitions of “opening a movie”. If an actor can open a movie, like Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Angelina Jolie(in an action movie), and even Zac Efron and Miley Cyrus, then people will flock to their movie NO MATTER WHAT IT’S ABOUT! For actors who CAN’T open a film, the film has to be good, or put another way, the film has to open itself, and the actor just becomes free advertising.
“The Box” is just a tired retread of an old Matheson Twilight Zone story- the reason people stayed away is b/c they know the story already.
I agree w/ the Zemeckis Intervention idea- the guy needs to go back to live action features (he was actually -gasp- pretty good at it). Enough with the dead eyes, Bob! Like Tracey Jordan said about ‘the valley’- “Aaaagh! I’m scared!”.
Precious is exactly the type of movie that pretentious douchebags flock to. It’s bush-league emotional heartstring tugging and will become one of those movies where, if you don’t like it, you must be a racist monster or just not GET it…
It’s a good trick, but the movie is not as deep as the filmmakers would have you think. It’s strictly manipulative…
From Mediatakeout.com the #1 African American entertainment gossip website:
We were EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED by the blatant colorism
in the choice of casting. The three main “good characters”
in the film, Miss Rain (Paula Patton), Mrs Weiss (Mariah
Carey), and Nurse John (Lenny Kravitz) were all played by
biracial actors. While all of the “evil” characters in the
film including Precious’ mom (Mo’Nique) and dad were dark
skinned Black actors.
We can’t believe that this was just a coincidence,
especially since it was directed by an African American.
This is the kind of mess that we expect from Tyler Perry
and Lee Daniels, but we’re surprised that someone like
Oprah would co-sign that mess.
Saw Zemeckis’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL over the weekend at The Bridge IMAX. Only 2/3’s full on Sunday 7:30 showing.
I applaud the fact that new CGI techniques can go Hyper-Realistic… but ye gods, where did Rob get this new Insane Passion to show EVERY pore on people’s faces, including nose hairs, lots of zits, rotting teeth, skin blemishes galore?
And how could he allow Jim Carrey to do 8 voices of major characters? The result was lame, lame, lame – a horrible blandness & sameness to the vocal acting! I mean, this is Dickens, for Christ’s sake, where real voice diversity & major acting chops is IMPORTANT — Zemeckis could have had a mix of the likes of Ian McKellen, Alan Rickman, Jeremey Irons, Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, John Cleese, Peter O’Toole, John Rys-Davies, or Albert Finney! Instead, for $200 million +, he goes with Jim Carrey 8 times. Not to mention a mediocre vocal cast (just think: 3 casting directors worked on this! They should be forced to work for Scott Rudin for the next 10 years.)
And going back to photo-realism, so many of the interiors were dark, murky and colorless….and not just because the setting was nightime..
Lastly, man did Zemeckis wallow in what computer animators call “The Uncanny Valley.” Talk about characters that come so close to reality (but stop just short…) and wind up conveying more creepiness than anything else. Example: Scrooge here is a caricature, but when you show him with that skeletal body (renedered photo-realisticly) it’s weird and off-putting. Also secondary characters ocassionally were poorly animated in some shots. The quality of motion capture/animation varied, that’s for sure. INTERESTING TO NOTE: many characters in small groups or street scenes had uncanny valley written all over them.
In the end, Bob Iger is going to have to eat that $200 mil, and Zemeckis is going to get his sails trimmed before getting this kind of budget again. Now he’s got two strikes, Beowulf and this oddity. I think the only way he’ll ever see a budget like this again is either to get his ass going on the Roger Rabbit sequel, or (horrors!!) return to live action filmmaking.
THE 4TH KIND is a deplorable attempt to rip off and re-package the success that THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT found by basing a film on absolutely nothing, lying about it being real and trying to foll the fly over states with false advertising. Has some legitimate scares, but the producers failed to make it believable. Looks like a college filmmaker’s experiment gone awry.
What have you made? Really. Why are you bringing race into it. It was great movie. It would have been great if it was all white or latino. It happens to have a black cast and is the best movie out. Go watch Paranormal. Is that more your speed?
–Clooney’s popularity–
Clooney is popular on magazine covers, but not so much in movies. Almost all his hits are big ensemble casts. When he stars in a movie, it tends to tank. The guy has lived a charmed live. Somehow, when he was a TV star, people bought into the notion he was a movie star and he automatically was annointed one. And he’s been called the last true movie star even though no one wants to watch him in a movie. Lucky guy.
Bill, no one wants to watch Clooney in a movie ? He is an Oscar winner and is a lock for another nomination for Up in the air. Maybe he no longer cares about box office numbers and is finally becoming a true artist…. someone who chooses movies based on how much they interest him, not on how much money they will make.
whysoprecious, wanting to see a good well made movie that makes you think doesn’t make you pretentious. Stick to Transformers kid, that seems to be the only thing people like you can follow. Precious is a great film with some great performances, period. It’s a lock for an Oscar for best picture. Nice to see Hollywood is still making some great films about people rather than just mindless CGI infested movies about giant robots or superheroes.
I don’t claim to know what politics or reviews have to do here, but I am finding a constant pattern of Clooney’s star power appearing to be in decline.
For whatever reasons, he just doesn’t star in movies that people want to see in large numbers any more. Practically everything since Good Night and Good Luck have been mediocre when it comes to staying power in people’s minds.
Burn Before Reading and Michael Clayton were good but that seems to be the exception in the post “Good Night…” phase of Clooney’s career. I’m a little worried about Ewan McGregor falling into the same trap, because I like him just like Clooney, but he has not been starring in good films lately.
Lincoln, Clooney’s new film Up in the air is said to be the best film of the year and is a lock for best picture at the Oscars. Now he is becoming a true artist and is starring in movies that interest him rather than just choosing whatever movie sounds like it would do well in the box office or please the masses. Now he has finally taken the leap from generic movie star to Artist… as Johnny Depp once said- if you choose movies based on what other people want you will be a very unhappy person, choose films that you want if you want a long career.
couldn’t he have made the leap BEFORE making Michael Clayton? that movie was dire–and dumb
Don’t give a rat’s ass about Clooney’s politics — if I judged movies on talent’s personal lives I probably wouldn’t like anything. The Goat movie is self-indulgent crap — the kind of movie where all the actors are having a wonderful time while you sit in the audience wondering why you paid for this. Sort of like Oceans 13.
On the other hand, Up in the Air is just terrific.
“For whatever reasons, he just doesn’t star in movies that people want to see in large numbers any more”
Because people nowadays mostly want to see mindless trash like Transformers or whatever generic tentpole film is out there. They don’t care for well made, well written, smart films.
I disagree with you James. George Clooney DOES NOT make smart films. People are smart enough to know a good movie when they see one. The reason Transformers made money is because it was entertaining.
Cesar, it’s not up to you to decide that. Clooney consistently maakes smart, well written movies that are well reviewed. Up in the air will probably win best picture at the Oscars.
No most people do not know a good movie when they see one, that’s why crap like Transformers and Gi Joe makes money while much better smart films do not. People want mindless entertainment and cheap thrills rather than quality. Thankfully actors like Clooney have given up making movies for the idiotic masses and are more focused on making art.
The fourth kind is an awful movie, one the worst I’ve seen all year.
The truth is that A. anyone who boycotts george clooney because of his movies that push the boundaries of political correctness, can just shut the f@%$k up because no one is making you see that movie. Movies are made for multiple of reasons, to push the truth, tell a story, make you laugh, remind us our childhood, or make us think in “different” perspectives. BUT we choose to see them, and even worse pay $13 bucks (NYC).
B. Christmas should not start till THE DAY OF OR AFTER THANKSGIVING…call me childish but I used to adore the fact that, even the radio stations would not begin their 24/7 Christmas music mayhem until Santa rode down 5th in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. To me, that was the sign to get ready for Christmas. And then on the great shopping day Black Friday all the stores would have their Christmas decorations in place over night. It was almost magical because you would be like “wow” Christmas time is here!
But these days, marketers are becoming more desperate and greedy with sending off xmas flicks and shopping before we can even eat our damn turkey. It makes me sick. I even had to turn the radio off because I heard jingle bell rock. I love Christmas….when it’s Christmas time…
It’s a shame that A Christmas Carol was subjected to this kind of decision especially when people are more careful of their finances. It could of been a huge hit if opened on Thanksgiving Day, in my personal opinion. But these days, I wouldn’t be surprised if I bought my Christmas decorations before my Halloween decorations.
I’m looking forward to Up In The Air. I enjoyed Juno and Thank You For Smoking so I’m interested in seeing what Jason Reitman has put together.