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SUNDAY AM: North American numbers show this weekend at the box office was a dogfight. Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua made it No. 1 two weeks in a row by beating all four opening movies. It ended the weekend with an estimated $17.5M thanks to Friday's $4.5 million haul and Saturday's $7.6 million from crowded kiddie matinees and adults unaccompanied by children, and Sunday's projected $5.4 million in 3,215 theaters. With a -40% hold from a week ago, the four-quadrant family fare's new cume is now $53M, showing that moviegoers sure love those yappy rat dogs.
But the surprise No. 2 movie was Screen Gems/Sony's low-cost horror flick Quarantine which scared up $5.4 million Friday and $5.5 million Saturday from 2,461 theaters for a $14.2M weekend gross. And the studio brought in the pic for just $12M. Sony also kept the marketing costs downs: it told me it limited the terrifying TV ads to only 15-second spots: "Not only does it save money," one insider told me, "but people can't take much more." The opening weekend demographics showed 52%/48% male and female, and 41%/59% under 21 years old and over 21.
Now for the real news: Hollywood was talking about Warner Bros' disastrous debut of its war-on-terror spy thriller Body of Lies. True, competitors sensed weak pre-weekend wannasee -- but no one expected the pic to underperform this badly. "Maybe it should be retitled Body Bags?" one rival studio exec emailed me Saturday night. That's because its FSS total is only $13.1 million, not the $20M that the studio expected, after taking in just $4.4 million Friday and $5.2 million Saturday from 2,710 dates. Which is bad news for the studio that didn't have a financial partner on the film. "Warner's Body Of Lies now rivals Warner's Speed Racer for the crown of biggest trainwrecks of the year," one mogul gloated. "This is their second $100+ budget film to open under $20 million." How humiliating that Oscar-touted talent like Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe (who gained 50 pounds for the role) and Ridley Scott were dogged at the box office and wound up only #3. Even though Warner Bros had been spending big marketing money since late August/early September trying to make Body Of Lies into an event movie. "You could smell their desperation," one studio marketing rival emailed me. But audiences ran the other way, which is what happens when the script, though based on a book, doesn't measure up.
Two holdovers hung on. The 4th place DreamWorks/Paramount's Eagle Eye starring Shia LeBoeuf made $3.2 million Friday and $4.7 million Saturday from 3,614 theaters for an $11M weekend and fresh $70.5M cume. And 5th place Sony's Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist took in $2.2 million Friday and $2.7 million Saturday from 2,421 runs for a $6.5M weekend and new cume of $20.8M.
Universal's football tear-jerker The Express, a biopic about the first Afro-American Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, opened only No. 6 with $1.5 million Friday and $1. million Saturday from 2,808 theaters for what was a very disappointing $4.7M weekend. The studio screened it for three months to "genuine thunderous applause," a source told me -- showing once again that test screenings are meaningless. But its gross was only 2/3's what Uni hoped it would earn. It remains to be seen if the pic has legs.
Warner Bros' mature romance Nights in Rodanthe came in #7 with an FSS of $4.6 million and fresh $32.3M cume. In 8th place, Warner Bros' Appaloosa took in $3.3 million from 1,290 plays for a new cume of $20.8M. Also The Duchess from Paramount Vantage starring Keira Knightley finished its 4th weekend in 9th place with $3.3 million and a new cume of $5.6M.
Finally, Fox Walden's costly newcomer City Of Ember starring Bill Murray and distributed by 20th did so poorly -- $970K Friday and $1.2 million Saturday from 2,022 runs for only a $3.2M weekend -- that it only placed #10. This was supposed to start a new family film franchise based on a children's book. But instead Fox Walden had a meltdown after fully financing and producing this bomb.
In other movies of interest, a low-cost holdover, Provident/Samual Goldwyn's faith-based firefighter saga Fireproof, finished its 3rd weekend with $3 million and a new cume of $16.7M for 11th place.
Also, for the 2nd straight week, Bill Maher's liberal spoof Religulous from Lionsgate thrashed David Zucker's conservative satire An American Carol from Vivendi Entertainment even though the Maher movie was playing in just a 1/3 as many theaters as Zucker's pic (568 vs 1,621). The final numbers were $2.2M to $1.5M.
Overall, the weekend total was right at $105M, which is up 5.76% from last year's $99.2M. With a hefty Columbus Day Monday still to come, the theatrical box office appears not only recession-proof but depression-proof.
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I hate to tell you this, but there are actually those of us who don’t think that Leonardo di Caprio is all that great an actor.
Dear “Reader”
There’s plenty of room for opinion in this world but sometimes there are facts.
Leonardo DiCaprio is a great actor.
You can dislike him but his acting ability cannot be denied.
Respectfully,
Tim
“The Express” is a film that can build week by week — a people picture, not a tent pole. The studio is trying to buy a gross when, in fact, the guilelessness of the picture itself is the best advertising there is. Is there still such thing as word-of-mouth?
Leonardo is a terrible actor, and whatever talent russell crowe once had (circa Romper Stomper) is long gone–i haven’t seen him play a credible role in years. i hope those disney puppies stomp all over their movie! as for ridley scott, the only movies of his that don’t come off as lame studio hackwork are The Duellists, Alien, and Blade Runner! he and tony scott are now interchangeable hacks. once this was not the case. Find your mojo Ridley! and stop working with Russell Crowe until he finds his (and never work with Leonardo–it’s not 1997).
I saw Body of Lies at a sneak preview on Monday and wasn’t terribly impressed. It was engaging, though nothing special.
I guess on the plus side, this film should break the “Iraq war curse” that seems to have hindered all other films released these past few years that deal with the war.
papanewguinea,
“As for Ridley Scott, the only movies of his that don’t come off as lame studio hackwork are The Duellists, Alien, and Blade Runner!”
What about Blackhawk Down? Gladiator? Thelma and Louise? Legend?
C’mon now.
Nikki, the problem with Body of Lies isn’t entirely the script. As sad as it is, the problem is that Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio are well past their sell-by dates… Bloated, boring, with fading looks and acting chops, they will end up like Pacino and DeNiro in Righteous Kill… except they’ll lack Pacino and DeNiro’s stellar resumes! The public is bored with Crowe and DiCaprio. The millenials have spoken, and they want their Shia! DiCaprio isn’t hot anymore, in any sense of the word. So don’t just blame the sucky script. The supposed stars are to blame here. Everyone knows Russell Crowe is a jerk, and personally I’m sick of DiCaprio’s liberal preaching, and I’m a liberal! They should just roll over and make way for the Army of Shia, Seth Rogen, and all the other new stars. It’s a whole new era for better or worse!
Papa New Guinea, are you serious? In my humble opinion, DiCaprio and Crowe are 2 of the Top 10 Best Actors working today. I don’t think BOL looks very good. The script wasn’t great if you ask me. I’ll see it Sunday night nonetheless. But there’s no denying its stars are two of the most talented actors alive right now. And DiCaprio will likely be nominated this year for Revolutionary Road. Take the hate elsewhere friendo.
Nikki, you said it best when you wrote “that’s what happens when the script doesn’t measure up.” Sure, DiCaprio and Crowe are talented actors, but the audience (especially adults) are sophisticated enough to realize that actors alone don’t guarantee a great movie. It’s the *story* that counts.
Otherwise, if I just want to see a particular actor, I can go get a DVD with a movie that I *know* I liked and watch that rather than waste $12 at the theater.
I’d love to go to the movies more often- if only LA told entertaining stories worth watching rather than relying on the presence of “stars.”
I have a theory concerning Russell Crowe – whenever he gains weight for a role and enters the pudgy-white-hair-middle-age mode, the film flops.
Time for a GLADIATOR prequel or sequel.
The problem with many of this so called ‘Serious Actor’ is that they pigeon-holed themselves again and again into the same kind of movie
The last 3 productions starring both Leo and Russel are all of the same genre..actions!
Why are the likes of Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Tom Hanks are able to survive still and command the audience’s attention (to want to watch their movies)? It’s no rocket science knowing they engaged their audiences in many different genre, both serious & entertaining
I have said this before, Shia, Orlando, Keira, and many others are type-casting themselves with the same movies they are making. It’s a matter of time before we the audiences will tire of them
Sorry, but Body of Lies won’t break the “Iraq War Curse” because informed Americans don’t buy into Hollywood’s revisionist and left wing views. Leonardo should just go home and switch out a few light bulbs. I’ve got my fingers crossed that a ton of dough is lost on Oliver Stone’s upcoming disgrace, “W.” Here’s to that piece of crap going down in flames. I want the studios, directors and actors to pay dearly for the unbelievable amount crap that has been marched out on television and in the theaters.
Wow some people can be cynical. DiCaprio’s not one of the best actors alive – he’s not Daniel Day-Lewis, but he’s a great actor. The fake southern accent bothered me a bit, but Russell Crowe nailed the character spot-on. Ridley and Tony interchangeable studio hacks? Watch “Domino” then watch “Kingdom of Heaven” and tell me that again. Whatever shortfalls exist are certainly not in Scott’s masterful camerawork and sense of narrative – he is a director at the top of his game (it’s not exactly “A Good Year”).
It’s not the Oscar-genius it was touted to be, but for those smart enough to follow and sensible enough to appreciate good filmmaking, it’s worth watching.
H’wood isn’t making anything worth watching. Where are the real artists? Beverly Hills Chihuahua? F*** me. I was walking through Blockbuster a few days ago and I couldn’t believe the amount of crap. And I’ll watch anything.
PS: Body of Lies is a shitty title. People will watch anything — why handicap yourself out of the gate? And it doesn’t help that the movie is about covert operations in Jordan. They should have made a movie about enlisting the Mafia against Al Qaeda in NYC or something like that — vicious thugs vs. suicide bombers etc. Whatevs.
Other than Will Smith, Star power is a thing of the past! The PUBLIC buys concept, and if they don’t like the concept they don’t go to see the MOVIE! Case in point with Body of Lies!
Ever since Crowe attacked that BAFTA producer and bashed that hotel clerk’s head with a phone, he’s been box office dead weight. He effectively negates the presence of more marketable actors in a film. As opposed to a box office ebola virus that kills a film’s grosses, Crowe is more like box office food poisioning that severly weakens them instead.
I’d write that Crowe is a piece of crap, but crap deserves more respect than that. If compared to Crowe, David O. Russell would be the Humanitarian of the Year.
First the economy collapsing and now a Chihuaha is number one…
The apocalypse is nigh.
Doesn’t anyone remember American Gangster? Russel Crowe was excellent in that film. What about “A Beautiful Mind?” I believe he won best actor for that. Crowe is a phenomenal actor.
Leonardo DiCaprio is the guy who drags this movie down. Many people just don’t like him. I avoid any movie he’s in. Unfortunately that philosophy prevented me from seeing the Departed until recently.
Russel Crowe is a complete ass; much like Tommy Lee Jones. They are scum but, highly talented actors. If I only saw movies that had people I liked I would never see anything. But, I am not going to see Body of Lies.
BODY OF LIES suffered from really bland, mundane marketing; Warner Bros. didn’t seem to put much effort into it at all, and the box office is reflecting that.
I’m more shocked at CITY OF EMBER’s failure, frankly … Fox Walden spent a lot of cash on that in the hopes of setting up a major franchise, not to mention it has something of a built-in audience as a young adult book and has some good talent in it. Maybe – even after the earlier restructuring – Fox Walden is gonna go the way of Fox Atomic …
Right now films about the war in Iraq and terrorism are box office poison. Warners tried to creative by playing down the terrorism angle of the story in the tv trailers. Playing up the star power instead. In the end they only succeeded in alienating audiences who saw little substance & had no clue what the hell the film is about.
The Warner Brothers doctrine that stresses “four quadrants” and no female leads has not been working for years & yet Jeff Robinov is too stubborn to recognize it. As long as they have Batman, Harry Potter, (eventually) Watchmen & the upcoming Twilight franchise, he will never even try to make character based films that will appeal to the population at large. It used to be tentpole movies supported a studio’s real purpose, filmmaking. Now tentpoles are the only thing studios care about. Studios are run by business and marketing majors who don’t know anything about storytelling or the art of filmmaking. Studio bragging rights used to be the number of Academy Award winning films you produced by the end of the year. Now it’s only which film made the most money for the week or the year.
I haven’t seen ONE commercial for City of Ember. I did see one trailer in the theater and planned on taking my son but frankly I didn’t catch that it opened this weekend. Piss-poor advertising.
Will Hollywood ever learn that Americans don’t want to see anti-American anti-war films? Keep on producing those films, Hollywood. And keep losing your money.
I find it ironic that some of the most anti-military extreme left wing cooks have no problem trying to make money off the war they oppose so much. People are just getting tired of all the anti-war sentiment from the hollywood elite
Err, stating simple fact is not spreading “hate”. Di Caprio is certainly a competent actor, but spittle-drooling comments like “one of the best alive” is more than unwarranted — it’s embarrassing. Leo has had some good roles and scores well on empathy…but his range is rather narrow (and yes, I’ve seen him in both ‘Aviator’ and ‘Grape’)
Day-Lewis, Nicholson, Hanks, Hopkins, Depp, Duvall — those are great actors. Perhaps di Caprio will rise to that level one day…but he’s not there yet.
Keep bashin republicans Leonardo and you will soon go down the drain with the rest of the liberals! I wouldn’t walk across the street to see your film!
At first glance body of lies looks like another “make terrorists look like idealists” type film, and people are kinda tired of this.
The fact of the matter is that Body of Lies is not that good of a film. With the caliber of people involved, I was expecting an 8 and got a 6.5 instead. It’s disappointing, the reviews have been terrible, so people have stayed away. I don’t understand why Hollywood keeps cranking out War on Terror films when they repeatedly tank at the box office.
Story is King. This town is not interested in good screenplays. How many new writers with thoughtful, well-crafted scripts have been discovered in the past year? Zero. It’s not that they’re not being written, it’s that the barrier to entry is ridiculous. The next great screenwriter is not taking classes at USC, he or she is working the graveyard shift somewhere in Missouri. Good screenplays turn into good movies which result in profits. Find writers with voices.
Americans are tired of Hollywood bashing this country, that’s why movies like “Body of Lies” bombed.
Leonardo Dicaprio is hugely overrated. As an actor, he has virtually zero credibility in any role. Were it not for being a teen hearthrob in Titanic and possibly Gilbert Grape, he has done little to bring anything to the table since.
Another irrelevant self-important Hollywood never-been.
I’m not going to see “Body of Lies” because I’ve had enough of liberal Hollywood’s Iraq propaganda films. I suspect that many others feel the same way.
The Age of Hollywood is dead. There are no movies, there are no directors, there are no stars. I cannot even recall the last good movie I have seen. The last good movie “fragment” I saw was the last 25 minutes of Deathproof. Beyond that, there is nothing other than left wing political movies and remakes of Asian films. Hollywood is void of creativity. They are deranged and unhinged. I am no longer interested in anything that they do.
Hollywood, and especially vocal people like Decaprio, have made going to the movies more about the political agenda in “showbiz” than the movies themselves…IOW they are now not just actors in a role, they are politics.
The smartest thing that old Hollywood did was keep their politics to themselves. I’m just fed up with people spouting off who have no business telling the world what to think — nor the media that allows it to be dissimilated.
I, for one, will NOT pay a nickel to support these people and hope they all end up having to work for a living, without an audience to spew to.
Half of them are barely able to run their own lives.
DiCaprio may be a good actor but he’s not good enough to make me go to the box office on his account.
United Artists was right not to go ahead with Oliver Stone’s Pinkville. In this current climate, audiences just don’t want to see movies about war and its aftereffects. Has there been one Iraq movie that has turned a profit at the box office?
I go to the movies at least once or twice a week, and had never heard of City of Ember, until it was listed at the theater.
Holly wood sucks. All crap. Go see American Carol, at least there are some laughs.
This Movie?.. No. No DiCaprio for me..
Crowe?.. Yes. Very good acting track record.
DiCaprio?.. No. He’s a Politician. Not an Actor.
Leonardo DiCaprio is an okay actor. Not great. His personality onscreen strikes me as secondhand, New York-Strasberg school acting. I don’t know, some of the film “stars” (lord…does that feel odd to type in these days of real heroes and real villians saving real lives/ causing real devastation) from the 90’s, trying to prolong their careers with “serious” roles, only a select few of them manage to make you remember the performance you saw. “The Aviator” for me was the one role where I felt the adult DiCaprio approached something like great acting.
Besides this, “This Boys Life” is still for me, the only role where a then, very young, and relatively unknown, Dicaprio, really acted. I suppose there are various reasons for this.
Leo Decapprio is an awful actor, Tim.
My humble opinion
People are sick of Hollywood ’stars’ using their fame to dictate their politics.
Hollywood and films are supposed to take us away from reality and be entertained, not preached to.
When they start sticking to what they are being paid to do instead of using their fame as a soap box to dictate, they lose an audience.
Stupid Hollywood does not get it. “Body of Lies” is a waste of time and money and political sewage from socialistic American hating ‘bollywood” level movie actors and directors. Most of the garbage being generated in ‘holly-bollywood’ is not worth paying to see and this is one of those stinkers for sure.
Glad they are flopping and failing. Real entertainment is hard to find and this poor movie is a 4 star stinker that needs to hit the tank and be flushed quickly.
Oh course Decapprio movie opened down. What don’t you get? We are sick of these Hollyweirdoes and their elite socialist agenda and political views.
The vast majority of these radical left “actors” can go F themselves.
Actually, I think a part of the problem is that a larger part of the viewing public that would have in the past gone and seen a film like Body of Lies and other high billed dramas would simply rather stay at home and wait for DVD. I go to the movies maybe 2-3 times a year at most now, and it has to be a huge movie event. Just about everything else, Oscar contenders included, I simply wait. Theater costs are too high, seats too uncomfortable, inconvenient.
Well, I went to see appaloosa yesterday and loved it. Body of lies looks like another Hollywood lefty revisionist history piece of trash so I will skip that one. Even though I do like Russ Crowe. I saw the trailer to W, looks to be a sort of SNL comedy. I did not know that Stone made those kinds of comedies. Looks like another movie I will skip.
DiCaprio, what a putz! Maybe when he learns to keep his mouth shut & just make movies will people come out & pay. He has fallen in line with all of the other tree huggin/global warming left wing hollywood actors.
This is what happens when actors like Dicaprio mouth off and show their left wing liberal side. We don’t want to hear their BS and far left views. This turns the people off and I don’t go to movies anymore to support anti-American actors. Look at Sean Pean,the last movie he made was a total flop, the movie where he played Huey Long two or three years ago. His movie making career is done. Look at Tim Robbins, and George Clooney, their last movies flopped too. Poetic justice.
The people commenting on “Body of Lies” obviously have yet to see the film. I went to an early screening, and based on the previews expected to see another anti-Iraq war piece. I was wrong. The film is set in Jordan and is about covert ops against an al Qaeda cell. The film posits a great question: How does an intelligence agency that relies heavily on technology track down a group that doesn’t use it? More importantly, who can you trust? The lines between good and evil are never blurred, we know al Qaeda are the bad guys. It’s a matter of trust between the CIA operatives themselves, and Jordanian intelligence which gives the movie its dynamic. If you think it’s another piece of liberal hollywood propaganda, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. You can’t judge the film on it’s title (or it’s trailer for that matter).
I agree with Emily. When actors start acting like politicians they lose their audience.
They should stick to acting and not mouthing off.
Make a film that shows the truth about American soldiers, that they are good idealistic people, and you will make money. Unfortunately the lies Hollywood likes to tell still sell very well overseas, and damage the image of the US badly, but what actor ever gave a damn about that? I simply refuse to pay to see Hollywood’s products.
Don’t count Quarantine, out just yet. The promo’s looked interesting. And it’s October time, which means horror flicks usually get a boost. So anything is possible…
The problem with Body of Lies, is that it looks boring from the previews. I wasn’t interested in seeing it, I don’t do war movies, never have never will. Most people want to get lost in their movies, forget reality for a while. Body of Lies, isn’t gonna do that for them. Especially with the way things are going in the economy.
Leonardo DiCaprio- Is an okay actor, nothing great about him. He can carry the right film, but he really is no Matt Damon (who I believe has come a long way)
There are very few real “Stars” left in Hollywood, ones that can really act and make you go wow. Especially those on TV right now, they just normally read from the lines, and you never get a feel for the characters.
Which is why I like Supernatural, Jensen Ackles is one of the most underrated actors on TV. He makes you feel for the character Dean Winchester, he makes you laugh, cry and just go wow. He speaks without speaking, his facial expressions says it all. (Now that is an actor)
Why wont crowe make another master and commander film? That movie has franchise written all over it.
It is a result of bad advertising alone. The first trailer I saw was extremely weak in portraying the mood of the film, the deep complexity of the situation and in the middle the human spirit being consumed in the process.
Oh, wow, another band of uneducated yokel mouthbreathers who want to tell us “JUST HOW BAD HOLLYWEIRD REALLY IS I DUN GO SEEN THEM MOVIES CUZ THEY DONE BE BAD ABOUT MURRIKA.” Thanks for the insight, you friggin’ cancers. Hope you get gassed.
Vote with your wallets and keep your fat, KFC-stuffed mouths shut.
I am not surprised Leonardo’s movie is doing poorly. After I saw Leonardo in the audience at the first presidential debate trying to appear cool, intelligent, and important, he was immediately put on the long Entertainment boycott list. He is Best Buddies with Global Gore. The two of them fly all over in their private jets and tell us who aren’t as lucky to have this type of transportation at our disposal we need to protect the environment. Leo also attended Babs Striesand’s $28,000 a plate fundraiser for celebrity wannabe Obama. Is there any wonder why
no one wants to see his movies when he’s running around spewing his liberal venom. He’s an unimformed,
ignorant, disgrace, and a joke. I have always thought Russell Crowe was a great actor, LA Confidential, A Beautiful Mind, Gladiator, however if he starts voicing his political opinions he can kiss this fan goodbye.
Wait, wasn’t AN AMERICAN CAROL a complete failure, too? It got outgrossed per theatre by RELIGULOUS. Huh. What exactly does that mean, you idiotic conservative knuckle-draggers?
“Leonardo is a terrible actor, and whatever talent russell crowe once had (circa Romper Stomper) is long gone–i haven’t seen him play a credible role in years. i hope those disney puppies stomp all over their movie! as for ridley scott, the only movies of his that don’t come off as lame studio hackwork are The Duellists, Alien, and Blade Runner! he and tony scott are now interchangeable hacks. once this was not the case. Find your mojo Ridley! and stop working with Russell Crowe until he finds his (and never work with Leonardo–it’s not 1997).”
Your speaking privileges have been hereby revoked based on the fact that you’re either talking out of your ass or have a HORRIBLE idea of what makes a movie good. Anyone with any sense of cinema can’t deny that Black Hawk Down and Gladiator are two incredibly well-made and great overall movies.
Wait, BODY OF LIES in only in the #3 position. It didn’t do that bad … heck, it did better than a lot of the other films that came out this weekend. I think some of you don’t have strong reading comprehension skills …
They need to make a movie with Dicaprio, Penn, and all the other liberal stars, so we don’t go watch.
caprio is not a credible action hero, he is better suited as a bi-sexual character than a lead action hero. How the population has managed to sit through his movies believing Mr Geek Squad could save the day is beyond me.
caprio… you are no Stallone. you are no Schwarzenegger… you have been miscast for years and its catching up with you.
“I hate to tell you this, but there are actually those of us who don’t think that Leonardo di Caprio is all that great an actor.”
amen to that. I don’t even get the Shia love. These guys don’t look like ‘men’.
Thats what happens when you wear your politics on your sleeve, DiCaprio should have kept it to himself. I’ve had it with celebrates TELLING US WHO TO VOTE FOR !! This family and friends will never go to see his films again…
Jersey Mike
I miss the days when this was just an industry site that evoked thoughtful commentary by people who were knowledgeable of our business whether they were on the left or the right. Now there are so many ignorant posters who have obviously found their way here from such low brow sites like Perez Hilton & TMZ, & the comments are overrun with propagandist statements instead of promoting insightful healthy debate. Next thing you know, there will be those ridiculous “First!” posts all over the site.
lol at dicaprio being a bad actor:
blood diamond?
the aviator?
catch me if you can?
gangs of ny?
the departed?
furthermore – lol at the rednecks in here blah blah blah hollywood is so unpatriotic i would never go see these movies blah blah blah.
face it – the reason you dont see these types of movies is the same reason youre a struggling middle class person with skewed, conservative political views:
youre not very smart.
movies like this go over your head.
Hmmmm… let’s see…
A “war” movie – with the word “Lies” in the title… and it stars DiCaprio & Crowe… ?
Yeah – I’ll pass too…
more and more are learning to just say NO to hollyweird.
i’d say it’s a positive trend.
I gave up on Hollywood after they went crazy lib. Last movie I saw in a theater was Sea Biscuit and that was at a $1 movie theater.
Movies today are too loud, to tedious, too boring and too repetitious Tend to watch old, old movies on TV. No Netflix, no premium channels.
Leo picks boring scripts or maybe boring characters. Between Titanic (’97) and Departed (’06) his films are forgettable. Frankly I did not think much of him in Departed.
We need to take our country BACK! I am so tired of liberals in Hollywood and the Main Stream Media dictating and slanting the news and producing crappy, agenda driven movies.
lol at pathetic Fox/Walden, what a shitty excuse for a studio. great year guys!! at least “Tom Rothman, genius” stories are officially over, right?
To all those who still have crushes on Ridley…you are wrong. Ridley Scott films are currently garbage. Black Hawk Down is, frankly, racist and jingoistic–Elvis Mitchell’s review of that film is right on the money. Kingdom of Heaven fails miserably because Orlando Bloom is another talentless pretty face (how funny that Edward Norton gives a far more riveting performance, and he’s wearing an immobile metal mask for the duration of the film!)
Ridley has been coasting on his reputation for years. American Gangster was terrible–a boring rehash with the actors walking (or in Russell’s case, waddling) through their scenes. I was glad to see Ruby Dee get awarded, but even her role was something of a liberal stereotype. Ridley Scott’s camera tricks don’t mean that he’s a good director. He’s a sellout hack. He is not an artist (anymore). Go see some Kubrick or early Godard or Cassevetes or the first 2 Malick films to see what art looks like. There is no space for that anymore in America, which is partly why the independent film biz collapsed. Everyone is too busy trying to make money rather than make good films. Doesn’t Ridley have enough money now, after all his hits, and commercials through RSA? Why not experiment (like Coppola and “Youth Without Youth”–even if it doesn’t work, it’s more noble than churning out dreck like “Body of Lies”).
Look at “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” vs. “Body of Lies.” Both are made by directors of roughly the same age. Which one seems genuinely provocative, has an interesting story, and features some great acting? Which one seems like leaden, tedious anti-government propaganda? Which one would you rather spend your time with? Or your dollars on? I’m sick of the propaganda. Leonardo should retire from films, due to a severe lack of talent, and just become the corpulent Ted Kennedy rip-off he so desperately wants to be (but probably will never be). Why is he still acting? His love of it is clearly gone. I would have massive respect if he tried his hand at politics (and no, he’s not too young anymore) and let the acting slide.
As someone mentioned before the title BODY OF LIES didn’t help either.
Coming on the heels of SYRIANA and TRAITOR, plus fatigue about the Iraq war, didn’t help either.
Liberal celebrities are unctuous snotrags. People are losing interest. It’s that simple.
Anyone planning on seeing the next Matt Damon movie? I plan on avoiding everything he is associated with — It has gotten to where I cannot stand the sight of the little pissant. Ditto Clooney, Robbins, Springsteen, Sarandon, Babs, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Brad Garrett, etc., etc., etc….
People are turned off, and they’re turning away. There are better things to do for recreation, like read or take up a hobby or take a walk or play freakin checkers for cryin out loud.
The Express is the fourth repackaging of what has become a tired cliche. Why spend time and money to see a story that’s already been told by the following films:
1. Remember the Titans (2000)
2. Glory Road (2006)
3. Pride (2007)
There are so many of these pics they deserve their own category: the racial sports allegory. Are they planning on making one of these for every sport? What’s next? A movie about the first black curler? We get it, Hollywood, we get it.
There was only one possible explanation for the rash of unenlightened posts on this thread.
INDEED! Drudge has linked to this article again, providing a direct link to the packaged news crowd.
Repeating nearly the same line, so painful. Like moths to a flame.
DITTO on who want to see more of the same, lame terrorism storylines spun by actors who, because they have become legends in their own minds, believe the general public wants to hear them spin their personal agendas. Box office receipts decline is directly proportional to the public’s dislike of spinmeister actors.
When will they ever learn that we don’t believe their scripted political talking points any more than we do their scripted movie lines. They can be entertaining on screen, but outside the theatre they become repulsive mouthpieces of gigantic proportions.
They are self-destructive egomaniacs.
Americans have long memories.
The box office is a clear indicator.
I will not pay to see a Leonardo DiCaprio movie. His global warming idiocy turned me off him forever. I have zero interst in America-bashing films. Make a movie with some real bad guys and some real heroes, and maybe I’ll go. How can no one see fit to make movie about America and the war on terror where we are fighting truly bad guys like the Taliban and winning? Charles Bronson style?
This is what is happening in the movie industry. People want instant gratification and the stars are so over exposed between tv, the internet and magazines, that we tire quickly. If I never see Di Caprio, Pitt, Jolie, etc., etc. again I will not miss them in a heartbeat. They are over-paid and people are becoming very discerning when it comes to spending THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY. They represent CONSPICOUS CONSuMPTION to the max. I would rather see some unknown paid fairly in a good movie than a headlining star posing, air brushed and silly swollen lips. Things are a changing.
I cannot understand why the public feels the need to support these entertainers. They’re USELESS to society.
I absolutely HATED Titanic and DiCaprio was one of the main reasons. I have nothing for or against him but I don’t like his acting ,at all, and I am a movie-goer.
Used to be “Hollywood” meant movies, now it equates to liberal politics – everyone seems to be suffering as a result.
What kind of legitimate business would work to cut their customer base in half without any monetary gain?
Sarah you are so right.
Hollywood is devoid of creativity. Movies that contain gratuitous sex, profanity and violence can only go so far and then people get tired eventually.The “old” Hollywood used to make great inspirational movies with great stories and no crassness. In this hard economic times, Hollywood doesn’t offer anything that average moviegoers would be inspired to see; not to mention these radical, creepy “Stars” who think they can dictate to the public their political beliefs. Now most of Hollywood have no talent, class, or dignity and drink the same cool aid.
I can’t fathom out…. what’s the attraction for Crowe with the Hollywood film studios.?…he is a very average actor and also not easy to look at for 90 minutes or so!
I take my grandson to cartoon and comedy movies like “Chihuahua” but I deliberately avoid movies where the self-anointed actor(ess) spends more time spewing their viriluent version of political propaganda than they do hypothetically acting. A case in point…DiCaprio. Is he “acting” like a politian, or is he “acting” like an actor? Either way, I vote with my money and NEVER see his movies. I have time to read “real” political matter instead of illiterate ramblings.
The reason that Will Smith and others have such staying power is that they have learned to keep their politics to themselves. Like it or not, life is viewed by the prism or political side you fall upon. And Like this or not, in this country, it has been proven that the more dollars per capita on entertainment are spent by those of us on the right side of the aisle. We work hard, have strong beliefs and do not require an uneducated idiot on-screen telling us who or what to believe. That is Why Leo’s movies are not doing well, and others who continue to open their mouths un-necessarily. You may think we are gun toting neanderthals but we use our voices in many ways. Especially financially.
I think it’s hilarious that Crowe & DiCarprio are tanking at the box office …. maybe they’ll get a clue that most Americans are sick & tired of their liberal spews regarding the Iraq War and the presidential campaign. I, for one, find them disgusting and will be very selective in which movies and stars I support from now on…. long after this election is over…. then we’ll see how their careers go…….
surprised? who wants to give a lib. enviro wacko like dicaprio more money? especially when he’s just gonna turn around and give it to the messiah.
DiCaprio’s not worth a ticket purchase….he a very overrated and terrible actor………..let his films flop…..maybe he can take up politics
I’m glad Lenny’s movie is going to tank. He’s another adult teenager with a massive ego and the delusion he can tell people what to do and think. I’ll never take advice from the boy in the plastic publicity bubble.
Hollywood sucks!
When actors stick to acting and not politics maybe we will go back to the movies…….our children are growing up pained by stupid ignorant past their prime actors thinking they have a real voice.
Good to see the Republican Noise Machine has their lackeys out in full force to bash the so-called “Hollywood elite.” Must make them feel better as we all watch the Republican-led deregulated fiscal industries go down the toilet.
Keep telling yourselves that it was all those darn liberals’ fault, take on an extremely easy target such as Hollywood, and cry yourself to a Xanax-and-Busch beer-induced drunken stupor as Obama/Biden take back the White House.
I’m sure “An American Carol” will be out on DVD by November 5 so you can crawl back into your militia holes, mutter “off with his head” and “terrorist” to yourself, and have nocturnal emissions from watching the latest Jessica Simpson/Larry the Cable Guy celluloid masterpiece.
No one cares if you don’t like Hollywood. We, the rest of the sane country of the US of A (not Hollywood), don’t like you.
Nobody buys an overpriced movie ticket or an outrageously overpriced concession item to inspire actors to “mount a soap box” and spew liberal, conservative or religious points of view.
Wake up Hollywood! Your actors have gone to the dogs. Times are tough and America is sick of seeing how many houses, cars, jewels and elaborate outfits money can buy. Why should we support these outlandish habits by buying tickets to their movies???
I find the political views of DiCaprio oderous. I will not go to his films.
They’re actors. Take away the great luck they had with the ability to make millions for a couple of months work, and they would be your insurance guy or the nurse working at your local hospital or the waitress down at the beach cafe.
These people don’t know anymore outside of acting, and in fact probably less, than anyone on here about politics or life.
When did Nikki’s blog become the dumping ground for the misspelled, ill-formed thoughts of jingoist yahoos? Regardless of what some of you might think about Hollywood, liberals, or the pros and cons of invading foreign countries, what can’t be argued is that BODY OF LIES’ source material was a successful novel. Thus there is obviously an audience for this kind of story; it just happens to be people who know how to read. For the rest of you seeking pro-war, pro-American fiction, there’s Fox News. Or just take your kids to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua.
There’s nothing but crap coming out of liberal-controlled Hollywood, media AND Washington. When will these morons get a clue?
You’ll notice that the most hard core democrats in Hollywood (among actors) who spout their crap 24/7 like DiCraprio and Sarandon are being hit with flop after flop. Hmmm. I wonder why? Actually, I don’t. The audience is sick of self-satisfied, hypocritical assholes flying around in their private jets to tell us to turn out the lights after we go to the bathroom and donate all our money to charity when these “stars” hoard all their millions.
Well I can agree that Dicaprio is way out spoken and I have no desire to pay to see his movies.
But he was great in Departed and Blood Diamonds was a pretty good film.
And your high if you don’t think Crowe was great in American Gangster.
But I think both of them need to make a big summer blockbuster style film to put some polish back on their names and images like Tom Cruise does. The days of Gladiator and Titanic are LONG GONE…..
when those idiots stop talking politics is when I will think about spending a penny on those movies
Maybe no one is going to these movies because all the lefty actors are telling everyone who to vote for. When are they going to learn that shoving Obama down peoples throats is not helping them make money. Hollywood is brainless.
I’m no longer attending movies that disrespect the United States nor will I pay to see actors who think they are politicians or who think that I give a damn about their opinion. We need McCarthy back to run these “mental giants” back to the Kremlin. He was right!
Dicaprio should just keep his mouth shut on condemning people he doesnot know.His credibility is shot and his films will fail at the box office.Im sorry RUSSELL had to lose out he is a great actor.
There are going to be a lot of people wondering where the customers went. Leo opened his mouth too much about Obama and people are staying away in droves.
The TV networks ratings are in the crapper! The backlash for pushing the commie Obama on us is going to be HELL…
Maybe its cause half the movies suck now. I see a ton of movies at the theater too, and besides “How to lose friends and alienate people” nothing else looked good.
I had absolutely no clue what “body of lies” was about even though i saw like 50 trailers for it, and I dont feel like looking up a review on it. All I’ve heard is that its a movie about the military blowing up innocent civilians or something of that nature. So why bother going to a movie about that, when i can find that content on the dailykos.
Man only good movies out now seem to be from Judd Appatow (however you spell his name). I havent seen a movie as good as superbad in a long time, even though pineapple express and step brothers were good.
Besides the comedy genre, all the other movie genres are tanking! (with the exception of the dark knight.)
The dog movie is #1 for a reason. Most Americans don’t think about anything so they want to see something that is nothing. Hollywood knows this and produces films like Body of Lies as asides. They knew this movie wasn’t gonna be huge. I mean, look at the trailer. Crap. They know how stupid the audience is. They know what everybody thinks acceptable television is. Crap. Have you talked to someone in their 20’s lately? 99 percent of the time they can barely put two thoughts together. They don’t need or want a Kubrick or a Friedkin etc to make great films for them. They want easy to digest diversion and that’s what Hollywood gives them and occasionally they stroke the egos of some has beens and let them make “serious” movie. Film is dead.
Another self serving Hollywood elite gets kicked in the teeth. When will these idiots learn that no one want’s to see their conspiracy theory garbage. I hope the studios think twice before they put him in another flick. Hey Leo, let some air out of the ego and entertain us. Make a sequel to Titanic or something. You cannot change the world with a movie. Try getting a degree and do something really constructive with your life. Peace
I don’t go to the movies to be preached to about war, terrorism or any other pro liberal crap. I also don’t need to be “educated” about any issues that seem so important to the Hollyweirdos out there. I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions and, unlike the majority of those so called actors, I do have an education and can make up my own mind without their help. I rarely even go to the movies anymore becaue of their propaganda and because I refuse to support liberal/socialist actors. I wouldn’t walk across the street to Decrapio in anything, even if it was free!
Actually, Leo is NOT that good of an actor. He reminds me of that GREAT thespian, Ben Afleck.
I don’t go to the movies to be preached to about war, terrorism or any other pro liberal crap. I also don’t need to be “educated” about any issues that seem so important to the Hollyweirdos out there. I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions and, unlike the majority of those so called actors, I do have an education and can make up my own mind without their help. I rarely even go to the movies anymore becaue of their propaganda and because I refuse to support liberal/socialist actors. I wouldn’t walk across the street to DeCrapio in anything, even if it is free!
I will avoid “Body of Lies” because I believe it will be more leftist Hollywood, anti-American preaching. Several people mentioned that films dealing with the war in Iraq have bombed, I believe that is because they were more the same. I would be happy to see a movie that highlighted the sacrifices and victories of our brave service men and women.
The acting is fine, but the storieline is not believable–Why imperil a love interest in a theatre of conflict–Beaurocratic is IS believable
Leo, you poor misguided little man, you chose to alienate half of your audience. Enjoy.
From the advertising, I had no idea “Body of Lies” was about Iraq. Given Hollywood’s persistent slant, I wouldn’t have gone to see it. Since I couldn’t figure out what the setting was, I didn’t go to see it. They tried to play both side of the street and lost twice.
I think DiCaprio can act, but sadly DiCaprio has no “gravias.” He looks like a kid dressed up to look like an adult. Perhaps thats why he’s always got that lame goatee. Physically he doesn’t look like he’s been knocked around by life or that he’s a threat to anyone. “Blood Diamonds” was okay.
Sure, let Hollyweird jam its politics down our throats See what good it has done the New York Times. Of course they think if they win the election they’ll be vindicated…and there’ll be some sort of payoff.
Audiences reject political movies for the most part, especially anything to do with war and terrorism. They can just watch the news…
It has nothing to do with Leo and Russell, it would’ve flopped with or without them. Even Julia Roberts, Will Smith and Tom Hanks all together couldn’t have saved a film like this..
Once a star uses a movie to promote his politics they lose a good portion of their fans that are on the other side of the issue.They become unlikeable.I personally am not going to spend $10.00 and 2 hrs.to watch somebody I have a personal dislike for.I’m not going to say these people are not talented ,because they are.But contempt trumps talent,at least in my case.
spacesheik said: I have a theory concerning Russell Crowe – whenever he gains weight for a role and enters the pudgy-white-hair-middle-age mode, the film flops.
Oh, this could be true. But wait, what about The Insider? IMHO, fantastic film. (though Pacino was the real force there, Crowe did shine particularly well in a tough role.)
I saw BODY OF LIES last night and it’s a decent enough picture. Unfortunately for WB, it is suffering, as others have pointed out, from the I-don’t-want-to-see-a movie-about-the-Middle-East syndrome. It’s that simple.
And if you’ve got kids, BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA is very solid moviemaking. I took my 10 year-old niece and she adored and so did the rest of the audience. And I was reasonably entertained and that’s all you can ask for with this kind of flick.
Incidentally, I am not interested in seeing Julia Roberts, Will Smith, or Tom Hanks in anything at all even if it’s free. A while back I recall Ms. Roberts saying that she does not want republicans to watch her movie. Well, I am no republican, but I am a conservative and a patriot, and Ms. Roberts need not fear, I will never watch one of her movies again. I do not ever want to see her teeth again for that matter either.
What’s with all the asshole McCain supporters here?
Most American don’t support Bush’s misguided, illegal, multi-trillion dollar war and occupation. Get a clue, GOP dummies.
Yeah, go watch that piece of crap American Carol, with those great thespians Kelsey Grammer and Jon Voigt. Perfect entertainment for brain-dead reactionaries.
The American consumer is fighting back
for all the America hating Hollywood tools.
Keep it up Hollywood Commies,
WE will get YOU by avoiding your “work”.
HAHA, payback’s a biatch, ain’t it?
What Kristy said, when will Hollywood learn…who cares, they won’t get my money!!!
Get ready for the movie W to tank in the box office too.
Regarding the comment by Ph4ser: “Most Americans don’t think about anything so they want to see something that is nothing. They know how stupid the audience is. They know what everybody thinks acceptable television is. Crap. Have you talked to someone in their 20’s lately? 99 percent of the time they can barely put two thoughts together. They don’t need or want a Kubrick or a Friedkin etc to make great films for them. They want easy to digest diversion and that’s what Hollywood gives them and occasionally they stroke the egos of some has beens and let them make “serious” movie. Film is dead.”
I’m sorry but your argument has been stated a million times before with different names each time, but the same point. I would assume, since you seem to be a fan of film as art, that you’ve heard of Preston Sturges?
If you haven’t already, you need to watch his film Sullivan’s Travels, a masterful work about a ’serious’ director who wants to tell the American public the truth about life, not the mindless cliches and soapy romantic fodder they are used to.
Watch it and find out what the director character learned. Maybe you’ll learn something to.
There’s a lot to be said about the ability to laugh. And frowning is overrated.
leo is an awful actor. he should keep his liberal ideas to himself. it is hard to sit through any of his movies. they are that bad!
Body of Lies. Go figure, another left wing propaganda movie that tanks. Charlie Wilson’s War, Rendition, etc., all trying to tell us Hollywood’s version of history. Every film of this genre lost money.
Titanic is my favorite movie of all time but DiCaprio has become a global warming left-wing nut job. I don’t give my money to global warming left-wing nut jobs.
Leo is a tool – if it’s not a Scorcese movie I won’t watch. And I don’t think he’s very good in Scorcese movies either. Marty, start using James Franco or somebody else please
also, terrorism & entertainment don’t mix
Actually.. Oliver Stone’s “W.” is likely to be the last sympathetic view of G.W. Bush one is likely to see as the end of his term is likely to be followed by DECADES of revelations of what he really did. Just as Nixon was reviled once it was clear that he WAS a crook… Bush too will be reviled for being just what his opposition said he was and worse… and LESS. Stone took an interesting and not unsympathetic tack in his portrayal of Nixon making it a much more valuable and interesting film. I don’t think he’s lost the lesson of that in making W. I wouldn’t want to miss this film as it could end up being one of the best films of the year and might end up as the clearest eyed representation of Bush we will see in our generation and the confusion that shall reign once Bush/Cheney leaves the office and his successors the tangles of his choices as President.
Movies? Who can afford dinner and a movie???????/
Hollywood is out of touch, they don’t know what we common folk have to do to see a movie.
Body of Lies was typical liberal trash. The script actually made the claim that Muslim terrorists are only responding to our terrorist activities against them! That flies in the face of more than a thousand years of hostility toward Christianity (or any non-Muslim) as well as the West. Save $10 and pass on this junk.
DiCaprio does well in chick flicks, but he’s not the big draw for action and adventure. He should stick to acting and keep his big mouth shut when it comes to politics. I won’t put another dime in his pocket.
I don’t care much for actors who voice their political views (on either side) but my wife and I go to about 3 or 4 movies every month. It is sad when we can’t find anything DECENT to see. Body of Lies had a boring trailer, didn’t catch either of us, looked boring and filled with the same kind of rehashed crap. Is it any good? I don’t know, because I won’t go see it. What did we wind up enjoying in September? In Search of a Midnight Kiss and Don & Chris: A Love Story, with America the Beautiful good but not excellent. How many readers here even HEARD of those films? The last two movies we FULLY enjoyed were months ago; Boy A and Baghead, neither of which were seen by hardly anyone. Hollywood is like network TV now – the same thing over and over: recycled junk. They’ve completely run out of ideas, and now remake film after film. Take a good film from decades ago and ruin it…or a terrible TV show and make it worse.
You only need to appeal to 1/30th of the country to have a $100 million dollar movie so all that “people hate them for their liberal ideas” doesn’t mean shit when far more than 1/30th of the country shares those same ideas.
The movie was advertised since the end of August/start of September and I’m sure there were many men who would ordinarily enjoy this movie who were sick of seeing the same commercial for it 10 times every Sunday since football season began and decided not to go.
I think this week’s economic situation had more to do with it. Many people are worried about their future and decided to stay home this weekend instead of spending money, even $25. If this keeps up, I think many adult-targeted films will underperform this awards season. The films that are doing well are those targeting people who are not affected by the crisis such as BHC (no parent is going to say no to the 5-year-old begging to see the talking chihuahua movie), Quarantine, Nick and Norah, and Eagle Eye (which is just as much of a political movie as Body of Lies but Shia is a teen draw just like Leo was TEN years ago). People are opting to stay home and maybe if things get better in 4 months, they’ll pick up the DVD.
Leo is a good,not great,actor.His looks were what made him
famous.I sat in front of two teen-aged girls while watching ‘Titanic’;they kept saying,”he’s so hot” during
the entire movie.
As far as great young actors,Robert Downing Jr. is the
most gifted.
After nearly eight solid years of incessant attacks against George W. Bush, we have finally got it. We know now that our ingrown toenail(s), along with hurricanes, gas prices, flatulence, and forest fires are his fault. John McCain is now inheriting the blame by default, despite the leap in logic. We get the message however, and understand that thinking otherwise could land one in extremely hot water in the near future. Because we are so well trained, there really is no reason for us to spend our hard earned cash to see yet another anti war flick, regardless of the director and actor’s credentials. We know that DiCaprio is a baptized member of the church of Global Warming, Crowe is a snobbish drunk, and Scott..You get the picture. But none of that matters, because the movie looks to us like just more of the propaganda we have been saturated with. We will save our instead, and wait for it to coming flooding into our homes through our DSL and Satellite links. Propaganda has much in common with Pornography. No matter how you package it, they always have the same plot, same action and same ending. Oliver Stone has already released his anti Bush hit piece in time for the elections, and that nonsense has been quite enough for me. I have paid my dues with that absurdity, so please excuse me if I save the money and skip this one.
Hollywood: Go back to making comic book movies and shut your traps. Your ACTORS – dumber than a typical politician even. Probably as dumb as Barack “Stutter” Obama. There’s a reason people don’t watch your movies anymore.
I consider myself middle of the road. Socially liberal, financially conservative. You might call me a Reagan Democrat or a JFK Republican. Or you can call me Johnson.
But I will say this: Whatever your politics, it’s hard, really hard, to detach the image of the political speech from the actor. Entertainers, performers, musicians, actors, etc, once they voice their personal opinions, and not just the opinion itself, but the way they voice it, more than often with anger and negativity, they lose. But I don’t mean that they lose ‘half the public’ as some say.
They lose something bigger, much bigger than that.
They lose the illusion. Entertainers, actors particularly, thrive on the ability to deceive us, to transcend identity and become something else, a hero, a villain, a pirate, a tycoon, a stow-away, etc.
When they voluntarily put themselves in the spotlight of contemporary politics they shatter that illusion that they’ve worked so hard to cultivate.
Once it’s shattered, like Humpty Dumpty and 80s MTV, you can’t put it back to the way it was, no matter how much you want to.
This is true of all entertainers, but particularly actors. The big problem is not what politics they espouse, but that they do so publicly at all.
There used to a time long ago and far away, when who you voted for was secret. People were discreet about it. Others respected it. No one pushed the issue. I’m not sure where practice that went, probably the same place good taste ended up, but it’s no longer the norm, that’s for sure.
Now, everyone seems determined to not only state their politics on their sleeves, but to rub those sleeves in everyone else’s noses.
It makes for some very emotional and fruitless exchanges.
There’s wisdom in the old adage, “never talk politics or religion at a cocktail party”.
It’s not that folks don’t have opinions, but rather that they do! And that discussions about those two topics can only lead to frustration over the fact that the other person just doesn’t ‘get it’.
It’s a no win situation.
And for big names, like actors, to do it on the world stage, is an even bigger ‘no win’: They lose ‘half their audience’ – We lose the entire illusion.
It’s like watching a ‘making of’ documentary about your favorite movie. To this day, I regret watching the ‘behind the scenes’ section on my Casablanca DVD years ago. Though thoroughly engaging and fascinating, it shattered an illusion of that last scene at the airport, for which I won’t say anymore, forever and ever.
I can no longer watch the movie, and that ending, the same way that I used to. I loved Casablanca. I still do. But that doesn’t change the fact, and it is a fact, that the illusion is gone.
So it is true with many of these actors, whom we loved in so many performances. Regardless of your political stance, once their ‘behind the scenes’ is shown to the public, we can’t look at them the same way anymore.
The ‘beautiful friendship’ we had with them is gone. And as we walk along the wet tarmac and into the fog, this time alone, we can’t help but feel regret and sorrow at what once was.
I don’t even know what political views DiCaprio or Crowe has. I never understood why actors and singers feel their opinion is so important. Maybe its the millions we channel to them, who knows. All I know is that DiCaprio kills a movie for me, I get why Titanic was so great, but that was the director (same as the lukewarm Departed). Keanu Reeves or Edward Norton could have done a better job in Blood Diamond.
Crowe has seemed to be slumming it since Gladiator….although I have to say A Beautiful Mind was decent considering how watered down it was. Maybe they will think twice before throwing another big budget too DiCaprio. They Hype is the star now.
Who needs more Hollyweird propaganda shoved down their throats? Thanks anyway, but I will stay home and send that money to McCain/Palin. When will we get to see a movie about Barry Hussein Obama’s relationship with Timothy McViegh?..No wait, its Ayers(!), William Ayers! My Bad. I get those two murder bombers confused you know. One got away with it, while the other didn’t. One sponsored and launched a political career for one, and the other guy was put to death. OK, I got it. Obama was caught and convicted, while…no. I’ll get back with you.
Looks like theire are a lot of us out there in normal America who boycott the Hollyweird Left Wing Nuts like DiCaprio when they make a movie.
Have to tell you that David Ignatius book from which the plot line is drawn is neither left or right. It is an excellent read and could have been a first rate movie but Hollyweird prefers to cast loony liberals in leading roles.
I’ve stopped going to movies for years which is the way I send my message. Babs, Alec, Robbins, Saranwrap, Dreyfuss et.al. If you are in a movie, I won’t go under any circumstances.
As for the ultimate fruit cake, Oliver Stone….
I’ll spend my money on some shoes to send to Afghanistan/Iraqi kids so they can go to school instead of giving it to Hollywood elite to buy another pair of Gucci shoes.
I don’t really care for actors/actresses, they are nothing more than a bunch of self absorbed drug addicts.
What these political “actors” will see is that the dammed republican they dispise are the money people. The crackhead, welfare sucking lowlife bottom of the barrel of human race democrats don’t spend money to see the films. The actors hate republicans and the democrats can’t afford the high ticket price. I need a celebrity to tell me how to vote and other financial advice…NOT.
Since when did Pravda care about making a profit? Ridley Scott and his ilk are all about “the message” and the heads of the studios are willing to bank roll the weakest of rubbish as long as it fits with the agenda. How else can one explain the endless string of left-wing box office losers? Personally, I can’t wait for “Stop-Loss 2.” I’m sure they’ll eventually figure out a way to force us to watch these boring ideological nightmares whether we want to or not. Perhaps via re-education camps?
Ridley, keep your politics to yourself, give us movies about Aliens and Androids and we’ll watch. Till then all I can say is “Go Chihuahua, go!”
I go to movies on a regular basis but will NOT spend a dime to see DiCaprio, Penn, Robbins etc. These idiots decide to wag their collective finger at half of America and think it won’t have ramifications. Hey Leo…get this; you are a marionette, useful only for my enjoyment.
Hollywood does’t get it. People are sick of seeing movies that present America, its policy makers as the screwup bad guys and the Jordanians or whomever as the rightuous heroes.
Kill the terrorist and let us praise the death of Saddam and men of his ilk.
di caprio you did a good job.
a
Anyone doubting DiCaprio’s acting skills: have you ever heard of The Departed? Case closed.
#
Sorry, but Body of Lies won’t break the “Iraq War Curse” because informed Americans don’t buy into Hollywood’s revisionist and left wing views. Leonardo should just go home and switch out a few light bulbs. I’ve got my fingers crossed that a ton of dough is lost on Oliver Stone’s upcoming disgrace, “W.” Here’s to that piece of crap going down in flames. I want the studios, directors and actors to pay dearly for the unbelievable amount crap that has been marched out on television and in the theaters.
Comment by AaronSch — October 11, 2008 @ 7:12 am
WELL SAID,AARON!!
Ok im conservative and think Leo is a good actor. This movie I have no intrest in because of the topic. Lets face it. War movies were cool because of the action not the politics.
I like others are turned off by many in Hollywood telling me what I should think but thats ok. I just dont buy their movies. The last conservative movie that was an action movie was Dark Knight and we all see how well it did. Dont preach and we buy.
Sometimes the line between reality and fantasy get blurred, and while DiCaprio might be talented, it’s too hard for me to continue the fantasy of his talent, and pay top dollar to see him act, knowing my money goes to pay his outlandish acting fee, thereby supporting his ability to spout his leftist, green-is-the-answer, stupid, STUPID opinions. So, for me, it’s not an issue of talent….if he’d keep his mouth shut and not shove his opinions down my throat, I might be able to enjoy his talent. Until that happens, I can’t, and I won’t. I have actually cut back on going to movies that feature the loud mouth, idiotic stars, who think they know the answer to life’s problems. (cLoony, Pitt, Damon, Cruise, Roberts, Sarandon, Afflack, to name just a few.) This means I end up with more money in MY pocket cause I don’t go to movies much anymore. And you know what…That’s a great thing!
GiorgioNYC wants to know what all the McCain supporters and GOPers are doing here?Are you surprised that people other than NYC/LA libs would have an opinion on the film industry?.Regular Americans are finally beginning to reject the depraved values of Hollywood.How is it that libs have control of the entertainment industry,all the major media outlets,academia and the courts and they can still barely garner 50% support?Get a clue,dumbass.It’s the beginning of the end for the leftist/fag agenda and the crap that Hollywood tries to shove down our throat.
Leo is one of the best actors of his generation. I haven’t seen his enviornmental movie, so I can’t comment on that and I haven’t seen this current movie. I’ve seen just about all of the others and am not aware of any of them having a liberal agenda. If you hate him because he’s an enviornmental activist and made that movie, fine. I don’t know what that has to do with his body of work, which is quite stong.
Maybe “The Express” is 4th in a line of similar themed movies, but wasn’t “Big” the 4th in a series of similar movies?
With mostly positive reviews and Dennis Quaid everywhere pumping this, I was shocked to see such a small box office total. What happened?
The trailer was bizarre (footage of Jim Brown with a narrator blathering on about him) but that can’t be the only reason this movie didn’t open.
Maybe the studio should have put it out a month ago when football season was just getting started and not too many games had been played and fans were still pumped for football.
Someone needs to remind DiCaprio that once upon a time, the jesters knew that their job was to entertain, not to advise on how to run the kingdom. Those pointy hats with bells were to let you know who they were so that you wouldn’t take them seriously.
I do not pay money to support these overpaid arrogant actors who are as out of tocuh with reality as the bogus causes they support and don’t even live by but expect us to. The great actors are all gone now with the exception of a very few. Let them spend millions making a movie and get paid millions but it won’t be from any of my money.Their movies suck and so do they. Hollywood is a dying place.It will never be what it once was.
I thoroughly enjoyed BOL,both leading actors fulfilling their role admirably. The wide ranging scenarios allowed me to get the feeling of that part of the world with all its clamour and ambiguity.
easy expalnation:
conservatives won’t pay a penny to watch a liberal celebutard like dicaprio… on the other hand liberals are all broke so there was no one left to watch this crap
When you release a lousy film, epect a lousy result. The public is tired of Hollywood’s games. Let’s stop rehashing the same garbage again and again.
Poster Susan is correct.Sen.Joseph McCarthy was a great man and a true patriot.He paid a terrible personal price for his efforts to reveal the communist in Hollywood and Washington who were on the payroll of the Soviet commies.He has been maligned by the very industry he sought to protect.
City of Ember
I didn’t even know what it was about…
Is it any good?
I simply can’t watch Leo. He may be a great actor, but when I see him all I can think of is: DORK. His activism is so shallow and misguided I just laugh.
to suggest that body of lies performed poorly at the box office because of a bad script is idiotic.
More often than not, the genral American public does not judge their movie-going preferences on the quality of a script.
The truth is that audiences don’t want these sorts of politically themed movies (please name one that has performed well at the box office), and a weak marketing campaign won’t help either.
It’s arguable that, these days, DiCaprio (who seems to take himself much too serious) and especially Crowe do not have box office pull with their names alone (like Will Smith, i.e.)
Script quality has nothing to do with it. Shocking that you think it does, Nicky…what industry are you writing about every day?
Actually anyone that thought Body of Lies was a movie based on revisionist history is sadly misguided. See the movie before you make a judgment. It was a well done film – and while I can see it not performing great – it was rated R, it’s about CIA/espionage/war, it will likely do better as adults start to make it to the theater. You have to also take into account the fact that less and less people are making it to the theater to see grown up – thoughtful films, and that’s definitely what this is. But don’t believe the critics. It’s a good film
Dicaprio is a lousy actor. He’s appeared in maybe two films that were worth watching. “Departed” was way overrated; if that’s an Oscar winner, I’m glad I didn’t see any of the films that didn’t win that year–they must have been downright awful.
To GiorgisNYC, are you as dumb as you write? If so, you’d do yourself well to not bother posting messages on these boards any longer. You’re really not doing any favors for yourself. You know, sometimes it’s better to stay silent than it is to speak and remove all doubt…(as they say).
Many of these overtly political movies are indeed suffering at the box office because of the negative messages they convey. Also, actors who become outspoken political hacks do indeed offend half of their audience. You’ve got countless people on blogs like this, as well as others, who say outright that they no longer attend the films of the outspoken stars. And yet there are those who still debate the issue, as if the politics of the players has nothing to do with their box office success. That is the ultimate state of denial.
In terms of “American Carol” it is a bad movie which is of limited interest in the first place. There is no way this film had the same expectation as “Body of Lies,” with two supposed “A list” stars in it. American Carol is no reflection on what conservative films could do. Why doesn’t Hollywood make a movie showing American soldiers in a positive light, like they once did when people like John Wayne were alive? I seem to remember a little film called “The Passion of the Christ” which earned more than pocket change. And, if you don’t like conservative films, how about making a an apolitical movie that is actually intelligent, original captivating with a cast whose political opinions we do not know about?
Maybe it is that thousands of movie goers, like me, have made a pledge not to attend any movies staring Hollywood left-wing liberals who attack OUR country and OUR president, and Governor Sarah Palin. No More. No Mas.
At worst we might watch their movies via DVD. We will no longer support these hate American types who always blame America first types–they are nothing more than ingrates Examples are Matt Damon, Alex Baldwin, Sean Penn, Cybill SHEPHERD, Tim Robbins and Susan S and all the rest
First of all I dont know why I waste my time with anything Hollywood but here is goes.
ALL of you are missing the point, its is the whole system that is the problem. It is the foul stench of politics that has divided this country and talking heads on both sides are responsible. You guys want to make a difference get your ASS of the chair, put the fork down, put the beer down go outside and start to demand that we do away with the political parties in this country. All of this stuff that you read and watch that pisses you off IS THE DISTRACTION from the criminals in both Hollywood and Washington that are destroying this country. Read your AMERICAN history we never had political parties we had INDEPENDENTS and we need to go back to that. The only way it is going to work is for YOU TO PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS. Now lets see how many of you are as brave typing your words anonamysly as you are saying them in public. Most of you are sheep, well I am a wolf and I plan on letting the whole world know what I am all about, get ready.
It’s a laff riot reading comments disparaging conservatives as too dumb or uneducated to understand what great films these commercial flops “really” are.
It’s been a coupla years since I was in a movie theatre. Like millions, my movie money is spent on Netflix, watching the Good Stuff, from the Good Old Days.
You see, Marketing Departments in “normal” businesses continually keep their ears to the ground trying to figure out what their potential customers want.
But NOT HOLLYWOOD! In Hollywood you can just flick boogers in the face of the public, and blame THEM because YOU’VE just lost fifty million bucks!
It will be interesting to see how much money will be risked on further such losers, given the current financial crisis.
And, of course, when the Redeemer takes all us unwashed conservatives’ money as taxes we won’t be able to afford Hollywood trash anyway.
And then you can blame us for that, too!!!
There could be a whole TV series not to mention a series of movies dedicated to the Iraqi police. It’s a world in which there are “tons” of gangsters, terrorists, corrupt cops/government officals and firepower. This type of movie could be the modern detective/gangster/Western/Kung Fu/war themed hybrid. Instead Hollywood went anti-war and anti-government which alienated their audience.
Maries said, “maybe they’ll get a clue that most Americans are sick & tired of their liberal spews regarding the Iraq War and the presidential campaign.”
HEY MARIE – what has either of these two actors ever spewed regarding Iraq & the Presidential campaign? Aside from Leo’s environmental stance, aren’t these two silent on political issues?
I despise the commufascists of hollywood. I never spend my money at the box office when a film contains a leftist activist. I am an American conservative, the propagandists in hollywood, the news media, and the print media are the enemy of our beloved republic and I will never knowingly give any of them a dime! Screw your movies, your newspapers, and your evening “news shows”! Damn commufascisim and damn leonard defaggio. Long live AMERICA. Long live our beautiful free market capitalist, individual freedom, antigovernment, gun owning, U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights loving way of life!
Vote Honest, Vote for Freedom, Vote McCain/Palin!
Tim, be careful not to confuse sexual attraction with acting talent. They pay this guy the big bucks because he’s pretty. He’s making $20M a pic while better but older and uglier actors are doing direct to video flicks or switched to TV shows to find work. He’s grown as an actor and has put in some very good performances, but I wouldn’t call him one of the greats. He certainly lacks the gravitas to play characters like Howard Hughes believably. He comes off as a boy playing a man, due partly to his physical features and boyish manner. So he’s talented, but limited, in that regard.
As for politics and actors… I also prefer not to watch movies starring those who have decided to take advantage of me letting them into my living room (via DVD’s) by deciding that because they can act that means they’re smarter than me and get to lecture me on world issues. I’m so turned off by many of them I simply cannot watch the movies, it’s too distracting.
This movie failed because of the subject matter that is probably perceived as being subversively anti-war on terror, whether it is or not. They’ve blown the public’s trust on that. People assume it’s some political message movie and stay home. When you go that route you immediately lose 40% of the audience, and half the remaining 60% may agree with you but find message movies boring.
I’m not interested in the cliched, cookie-cutter, America-bashing “movies” that the Hollywood gerbil squad has to offer the American public either.
‘Tears Of The Sun’ was the last “film” I saw in a theater.
DiCaprio is a thumb suckin liberal who thrives on movies that have zero depth requiring little acting ability. He got lucky with Titanic in no small part to the aethist maggot that funded the effort and who now seeks to prove Christ is dead. You can argue all you want that this vermon has acting ability but I view him as nothing more than a actor/activist who uses the silver screen to promote a perverse ideology. That’s fine… his choice, but don’t piss on my back and tell me it’s the arts.
I haven’t seen this movie and in fact never go to the theater to see movies. But as a fire-breathing right-winger I have to take issue with my fellow conservatives who shun movies because “an actor/director doesn’t spout the political opinions that I share”.
Let me tell you this: I can not stand DiCaprio’s politics and think he is a little bit nuts and maybe even border-line stupid when it comes to his world view. But he is a solid actor and can nearly out-perform anyone else in his movies. I attribute his current political stance on his ignorance of the real issues and willingness to believe the hype about global warming. But I have to put that aside when watching him act because he’s just that good.
Ditto for Russell Crowe. I don’t know his politics and don’t care. I feel that Crowe is in a league way beyond most working actors and possibly up in the stratosphere with such luminaries as Morgan Freeman (our greatest living actor, in my opinion). Crowe also has an uncanny ability to choose scripts that work for his talent. He is, without a doubt, an actor’s actor.
Now, someone like Julia Roberts, Jake (or worse, Maggie) Gyllenhal, Ben Affleck, or Matt Damon…. well I can understand the hesitation in seeing their movies. Their politics stink and they can’t act worth a whit.
dicaprio and crowe were great
great movie
some of you are delusional idiots
Wait … DiCrapio didn’t even rate a puppet in “Team America.” The puke was even out-acted by Kate Winslet’s breasts in “Titanic.”
His global warming propaganda and whole self-righteous “green” speech … along with Crowe’s “al-qaeda (sp) had me on their hit-list” rap dug this films grave. When is Hollywood going to realize that most of America doesn’t swallow its blame-America-first rap?
So lets see another movie where the bad guys are not the terrorists but in fact are….wait for it….the Americans tanks at the box office. I am shocked. SHOCKED I tell you.
Maybe, just maybe, the American people are sick to death of being told what a rotten country we are and would just once like to see a movie where we are the good guys and we….wait for it…WIN!
And I disagreee that it will break the curse…with Oscar level talent for it to come in third to a dog and a low budget horror movie the curse is still as strong as ever.
De Caprio looks like an old time movie star, though some don’t see him as a great actor. I belive he’s been very convincing in many films.
An Americna Carol is my favorite film of the moment. It is truly funny!
Crowe and DiCaprio as CIA agents is as hard to swallow as a Vaseline sandwich! After being bombarded by the media showing DiCaprio’s wanky political musings, I’ve decided that me seeing his attempts at political drama is not worth either my time nor my money. As for Crowe, what actor in his right mind would gain 50 lbs. for a movie role? If he’s such a damned good actor, he should just act fat! Why doesn’t Hollywood just make a movie where a terrorist gets his tongue wrapped around his head a few times by the good guys, who then stick a petard up his butt and put him out in the desert to take in the sun! Then, on to the next bad guy…
Ridley Scott is not the problem. Russell Crowe is not the problem. Preachy Leo is the problem even thought he is a good actor. It’s not “War on Terror” movies that flop. It’s preachy, anti “War on Terror” movies that flop. Left and right moviegoers like their war movies one way…straight up with no fruit. We’re the good guys and they’re the bad guys. We win. They lose. Extra violence, hold the lecture. Elitists don’t like it, but it is what it is.
Matt
Dicaprio is a big Liberal.
Not interested in his movies.
Big names mean so little when it comes to boxoffice draw. It’s the subject matter genre and packaging that bring people to the movie theatres. Actors shouldn’t take it personally when their movies flop, however, producers should learn what type of movies actually sell, and War on Terror movies that make the US look guilty don’t sell. If they did a War on Terror movie that was positive or at least apolitical they would be surprised by the results. I hope the Lucky Ones, with smoking Rachel McAdams does very well.
“Sen.Joseph McCarthy was a great man”
WTF????
Nikki, you’ve obviously been targeted by some weirdo right-wing cult’s street team. Either that or you’ve finally ticked off the wrong Hollywood exec and they’re taking the piss. There’s no way there are this many mentally disabled people — with internet access — independently happening upon your site.
I used to be an avid movie goer but with the liberal left of Hollywood spouting off at the mouth I will not give a dime of my hard earned money, especially in light with tough economic times. I am sick of it. I would rather be outside enjoying the sunshine then giving these idiocentric bumble heads my precious time!
Meanwhile, AN AMERICAN CAROL remains a big loser this weekend. Still being outgrossed by RELIGULOUS and BODY OF LIES. What do you pro-McCain retards make of that?
Millions of regular people simply won’t go to the movies any longer and pay our hard earned cash to watch films produced, directed and acted by left wing marxist’s who spew dim witted political trash in their public lives.
Get used to it….
Mr. Jones
Just saw Body of Lies, one of the first intelligent flicks to show the Middle East conflicts for what they are. Most Americans are too dumb to appreciate info on world conflicts, so they’ll stay home and watch spongebob. If you like smart spy flicks and not politically correct leftism in film, see this one.
LOL,…wake-up Crap-e-oh!!…Americans are sick
of the B.S you dish out,you make movies for US!
Yet you talk as if you are all knowing! Any one
with half a brain would’ve taken the hint when
your “Green Peace” movie FLOPPED! Hollywood better
wake-up,..and remember you work FOR US!
The Express won’t make any money. Here’s why: it’s natural audience is football fans.
And Football fans know that the era of the 1950’s is so gone that WHITE players are discriminated against at every position in Football save the Offensive Line, QB, and perhaps, Tight End. Where the positions are generally 50% White/Black.
All other positions are played by Blacks ONLY. In the NFL and Collegiate level. Hall of Fame WR Chris Collinsworth could not play today because coaches White and Black at all levels, believe Whites to be inferior players at all positions but the above. Let me repeat: there are NO White Wide Receivers, Running Backs, Safeties, Corners, or Defensive Linemen in the NFL. All the players there are BLACK.
Take a look at the next football game on TV. Recall that Blacks are only 12% of the population. Most NFL teams have only 3-5 White players on a roster of 53.
This reality has doomed “The Express.” By the math above, Blacks occupy 91% or more of the NFL’s positions.
Hollywood just doesn’t get it. They keep churning out bland movies with the same bland and annoying actors.
I don’t care about how much rich liberals love terrorists or whatever, just make original movies with good concepts and execution, and people will show up in droves.
All these Repubs on here who just had to shove their opinions down MY throat make me vomit, have severe diarrhea, commit suicide,…well you get where i’m going with this.
I’m so weary of left wing propaganda movies being shoved down our throats by the Hollywood elites. By looking at 95% of these comments, it is plain to see I’m not alone.
What a bunch of haters on this site! Grow some balls, get a life and stop hating. Both actors have had and will have long, awesome careers. Good Lord, it’s just one movie and it will most likely do well enough.
Listen, The Departed was AWFUL. I have seen it once and only once. it should have been called “A Bunch of People With Overly Annoying Boston Accents Get Shot”. Want to know what a good movie is? “Good Fellas” period. End of story. Hollywood is done.
Like many others who have commented about Leo and company…I wouldn’t give him the time of day. Unfortunately for Hollywood, they don’t get my movie dollars anymore. I refuse to spend my hard earned money on loud mouth, generally uneducated actors, who are overly opinionated, and parrot the liberal talking points. Nope…not gonna get my $$$
George Bush will be consecrated by history as the man who liberated millions of people from oppression and the most grotesque abuse, who had to deal with a series of the most devastating tragedies (9-11 and a series of many other attempted terror attacks, several 100-yr hurricanes, two wars, and an economic crisis nearly as bad as 1929), all the while being brutally villified by a biased media and rabid leftist political attack (Bush Derangement Syndrome), and all the while led the country with honor, courage, devotion, and determination, and yes, effectiveness — and kept all our asses from being blown off.
His one weakness– a weakness only because he refused to feed into political correctness– will be seen as his contempt for the media and his political opponents who Bush believed should stick their elitism where the sun don’t shine so it may keep company with the rest of their ideology.
Politics plays a bigger part than you would think, in the success or failure of a movie. You’d think Liberal actors/actresses would learn to keep their opinions to themselves instead of proving to everybody they’re not worth the money or time with their CRAZY beliefs.
People are SICK of the Hollywood elite wackos! They are destructive to society!
Do all of you who scuttled over here from the Drudge link have nothing better to do than hyperventilate about a movie you clearly haven’t seen and don’t even know anything about (I know, facts about which you are proud, like you’re pride in America, blind and unquestioning)? Typical is the poster “Karpy”, who seems to think Oliver Stone’s “W” has already come out, that he’s seen it, and for that reason he’s saving the ten bucks he already spent on that movie. You live in your own world, folks. One where the Bush presidency wasn’t a disaster.
It’s a LEFT WING attempt to change things and slant left. WON’T work.
PLUS, no matter what kind of facial hair you put on Leo he still looks and acts like a kind of young TV actor.
Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Do another Titanic or something.
Hey you conservative yahoo morons who think that actors stating political opinions is a new phenomenon -you ever hear of John Wayne? Republican Senator George Murphy? Charleton Heston? RONALD FREAKIN’ REAGAN? There is NOTHING NEW about actors publicly taking political stances. Many actors did so, including your freakin’ hero. California’s REPUBLICAN governor is an actor. So say what you really mean: you don’t believe in the Constitution, democracy or free speech, and you want anyone to the left of George W. Bush to be imprisoned, deported or worse. And you are the truly unAmerican ones.
The only reason I won’t see BOL in the theater is because I’ve been watching it in commercial trailers since August.
Don’t the movie executives know that political movies are “OUT!” We all know what the Hollywood plot would be. GW lied, and it’s his fault. And they think we’d pay money for that. Are they crazy? Don’t they read the mainstream media, as they’ve been saying that since 9/11.
more left wing lies, no interest in lies
The trailer made it look like every generic Middle East spy thriller of the past five years. You could have put Jesus Christ AND Angelina Jolie in matching thongs and it still would have been unwatchable. Maybe ol’ Ridley should try working with other actors for a change. Then again, no one could have saved this turkey. Who the f**k wants to spend ten bucks to see DiCaprio wander around in the desert? Was everyone at the studio too wacked on blow not to see that this would stink up every cineplex in America? And the only other decent alternative, apart from a mindless p.o.s film with talking chihuahuas, was one about windshield wipers. OMG, it’s the Apocalypse.
Wow, reading all these moronic redneck comments here could lead a reader to the conclusion that the majority of Americans is terribly stupid. Fortunately, the polls for the presidential election suggest otherwise.
While both Leo and Russell are great actors, 1/2 of the American people will not see even a mildly political film with DiCaprio because of his politcal beliefs, and the assumption that the film will be leftist.
While I’m on the subject…. Why is it that a group of people that get paid to play “make beleive” are all leftists?
Maybe if Leo would just keep his mouth shut, people might come see his movies. Let this be a lesson to all those lib Hollyweirds – keep your friggin’ opinions to yourself!
Exactly! It’s an anti-war movie & DiCaprio has been making anti-war statements. None of these people would ever actually defend our country.
So Leo can grow facial hair now, whoop-dee-doo. Is this another Bush hater movie? Why did Gladiator sign on to be in this one damn it.
How many of you people who complain about “Hollywood revisionist history” think Iraq had something to do with 9/11? There’s your revisionism.
It is so obvious why these “iraq war movies” don’t do well. Liberal revisionist writing is not what Americans want to see. DiCaprio is a liberal left wing extremist who doesn’t like the military. Why would mainstream America go see anything like this with him in it? For that matter why will anyone go see W. Drunk college kid rigs an election in order to declare war on innocent terrorists. Is that about it? Did I ruin the story for you?
I paid to see BOL and after 30 minutes walked out – what a stinker – I can’t recall the last time I walked out on a movie.
I saw the Express this weekend and it was very good. It should have legs and be a steady for a few weeks. It’s not going to drop much.
And yes, DiCaprio is a lousy actor. Just because Hollywood likes him doesn’t mean a thing. He was the worst part of “Gangs of New York” and “The Departed”. but as long as there people who like him, he’ll keep getting roles like Nick Cage. To say he’s a top 10 actors isn’t saying much since right now, I don’t think there are 10 actors who are worth it.
Who would have thought that two former ‘Growing Pains’ stars would be in the top ten box office in 2008?
The irony of all this…who would have thought, that two former ‘Growing Pain” stars would be in the top box office charts in 2008?
have to agree that dicaprio is not a good actor…he couldn’t carry howard hughes shorts, was awful in gangs of ny, isn’t a convincing spy…..its time to do titanic II or some other chick flick that needs a pretty boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unlike 99% of the posts I saw the movie. It was good. See it then write about it first. Its likely that the economy is having an impact on the box office and the choice of flicks.
Leonardo and I do not see eye to eye on somethings and I choose to use my rights of not giving him my money.
His politics
My decisions
Will not see a michael moore, tim robbins, s. sarandon, sean penn, ashton kutcher, demi moore, bette midler basically anyone who spouts off at the mouth offering how smart they are and how wrong i am. See that is my option.
Remember it is not that they are actors it is what they say. Big difference.
Funny to see the elitist “insiders” bashing their fellow Americans free speech rights here. Of course most Americans despise the liberal Hollywood movie stars …..they have tons of money they earned while bashing America and now America is bashing them back by avoiding their films. Seems quite fair and simple to me. In New York we call this “what goes around, comes around.”
Dear Hollywood, you can’t take something that’s pretty and glamorous and tell us it’s tough. DiCaprio, Pitt, Clooney, Aflick, etc. equal Pretty and Glamorous. We don’t believe you anymore. Your market is down to young teenage boys and bored people. Men who are tough are not pretty. Also, Men outside of Hollywood are not motivated by only violence, money and sex. Instead of investing $100 million in another cookie cutter movie, try investing 100 million thoughts into an idea and a cast that is believable.
I think finally the “silent”boycott of certain actors, Hollywood, and the major media outlets are slowly taking hold. Americans are finaly waking up to the fact that it is their pocketbooks that feed the bank accounts of these people who are leftist, and the media who does not accurately and fully report ALL news – they slant it.
Might it have occurred to anybody that Leonardo has become so politically outspoken that he has alienated up to half of the movie-going public? Line-reading play-actors should stick to looking at the camera and delivering their lines in films and not expose their sheen of intelligence trying to use their celebrity to push far-left agendas. Leonardo is on a growing list of actors I won’t support at the box-office (or DVD sales shelf), and I suspect- and hear from friends- that I’m not the only one.
Leonardo is only a few more documentaries from direct-to-video.
Leo is great actor in the right venue but he has been typecast incorrectly…his two best movies were titanic and the aviator ( two of the best movies of all time IMO ), and neither one of those was an american bashing action movie .. Leo made himself exceptional by basically playing the sensitive, thoughtful all american boy in roles that require sophistication, NOT BOMBS BLOWING UP with terrorists running around…thats a stallone movie…same thing if you put stallone on the titanic, woudlnt work..Leo needs to fire the guy that picks his scripts..If Leo had kept his mouth shut about policitcs, and played roles where he was in his element, i have no doubt he could be one of the most popular stars in hollywood hands down. Another great movie of Leos was the one with tom hanks where he played the con artist from the 1960’s…oh man, that was totally Leo and was a major ass big hit..THATs the type movie where Leo needs to be, cause he will hit a home run in that venue…guaranteed!!! action movies…no way, not him.
Also, Hollywood, take note. Last nights episode of the Office on NBC had a concept that i guaurantee you will make americans love this show and hollywood because of the angle it played. The show was about the new Human resources rep at the office going crazy about trying to get an employee fired for getting company discounts, and michael, the boss reigned her in …and at the end, the HR rep was reading straight out of the manuel, the political incorrect insanity being stopped by michael. It actually left me feeling faith in the system, its hard to describe, but if hollywood started showing this concept in its movies ( the average american christian and american culture winning things instead of being torn down ), it would have a major hit on its hands!!
I thank God every day I am a conservative that will not spend one penny on lefty’s in Hollywood. What a waste, spewing your anti-American hate movies on us. May God bless America.
No one is interested in the Iraq war controversy anymore. Wake up.
For me the politics of the actors taint the movie for me. The more I see them blathering on in real life (as if being actors makes them experts on global government) the less I’m able to suspend disbelief when I’m watching them on screen. I wish they would just quietly rake in their millions and not ruin the movie-going experience for me by spouting off. That’s my $0.02.
Proof that any breathing moron can become a movie critic,you have to be a republican
Hollywood has spent many years making it clear to all that they are anti-military, anti-Republican, anti-Christian and especially anti-American. Now that they’ve alienated 50% of America is it any surprise that when they come out with a movie about a sensitive political topic and cast a notoriously left-wing wacko as the star, that most of us are going to assume that this just another crap piece of left wing propaganda and avoid it? I don’t need to pay money to see that in the theater – all I need to do is turn on CNN and I can see it for free – masquerading as news. I don’t know what political stand this movie takes and I don’t care. If they want to make a believable pro-American movie they’re going to have to put a pro-American star in it. Other than Mel Gibosn and Bruce Willis, I don’t think that Hollywood has any.
Wow! After reading the comments I’m glad we didn’t drop thirty bucks on this one. Joe, at least Charlton, Ronnie, and John were RIGHT! “Crap-ee-oh”, that was funny. What kind of Hope Diamond sized piece of crap is this move???
I know for a fact that people are boycotting the Hollyweirdos who spout off about politics. They are paid to entertain us, which IMO, they don’t do such a great job of, NOT to enlighten us regarding politics.
This can’t be that much of a surprise – I saw the ads for body of lies a few weeks ago, and even they could’t make it look good.
It does, however, entertain me to hear that Beverly Hills Chihuahua was the best thing Hollywood could manage to produce for the weekend. It doesn’t surprise me, but it entertains me.
Is this website about the film industry or politics?
I can’t tell.
Leo DiCrappio is a mediocre actor at best. I don’t care how good the movies he’s been in were – his performances were universally unconvincing, except for maybe Gilbert Grape when he essentially played himself. I cringe every time he affects an accent. To state that he’s a great actor as fact is laughable. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen such a widely disputed “fact.”
Went to see American Carol in Texas. It was not on the signs in front of the theater. Had to ask the guy at the booth if it was showing. Yes, it was, we bought out tickets. Go to theater room 9, the ticket taker said. No signs on the door to theater room 9, no markings at all. Asked again and another guy pointed at the unmarked door. Very small room with miserable seats. Kept falling forward the whole flick. I did get a few laughs, I would recommend you see it. IF you can find it. Bring your own chair.
For all the naysayers out there who are spelling doom for W. all I can say is that trailer kicks some serious ass and will surprise a lot of cynics out there when it opens to #1. I saw the trailer play to a packed house and it killed. It’s all about story and how you go about selling that story to the masses. If its intriguing people will go, period. Look at Hancock, the movie was crap in the end, but the premise and the trailer were exciting which compelled people to go.
As far as DiCaprio is concerned, the guy is a two dimensional actor. Anybody that tells you differently either doesn’t know anything about acting or simply has a secret crush on the dude. He yells, he grimaces and smirks with the best of them, but doing that well doesn’t make you great. Good actors build their skill sets. Its like any other job. The more you build your skill set the better you will become. People like Day Lewis or Terrance Howard, Johnny Depp, Downey Jr., Jodie Foster, Christian Bale, know this. They’ve studied. And they’ve also put in their hours of doing turkeys. If he wants to be great then he has to do theater, or a lot of indies and fail a lot. And once he goes through the fire then he’ll have a new bag of tricks to rely on. If he keeps doing “studio” pics then he’s setting himself up for failure. Russell Crowe is still in the game, he’s good, but no more pudgy southern types for him. We get it already.
Hmm…if I read the above, it’s unAmerican to denounce Hollywood and their political views, the studios choice to release Anti- American, Anti-War movies…and lots of blog screaming…and one darwin award winning guy who apparently contracts ebola virus like symptoms and the desire to off-himself.
Tell me, is this forum being bombarded by pimply faced-Big Mac chompin, Kool-aid drinkers?
Hollywood is selling their films NOT to United States of America, but to the world as they market their films to their audiences(it’s a bit pompous that we would believe they would make a pro-USA movie, ins’t it?)
In fact, in many cinema distributions this is where Hollywood REALLY rakes in the cash(aside from the DVD sales)…the same cash hungry machine that ultimately screws the US consumer by forcing them to buy HDCP approved dvd players to prevent copy right protection. Ah, don’t worry your little Kool-aid mustaches about it, because you ran out as fast you could to buy the Playstation 3 with mommy and daddy’s credit card…so you aren’t affected. What you may consider is that the “low prices” prices you were promised for blu-ray discs now that HD-DVD is no longer a competitor in the free market(Pushed out by Guess-Who?)…yes, the studios just could not stand not getting yet ANOTHER piece of that revenue machine from the tech manufacturing corporations(sounds like the Wal-Mart business model to me)…the same corporations that have to advertise in the Kool-aid drinking publications that have zero respect for the US of America, because their subscription base claims “You-sold-out!!!”…
Well let me explain, and politely ask you to put your McRib(yummmm)down for just a moment and contemplate this: If you have no respect or pride for where you live, then what exactly are you? Does it make you feel better to blame US of America for the world’s ails? You think W did all this. Nope. Read your history. We have a Senate and a House….and yet, you blame a guy who is nothing more than a talking head. Yup. He made some blunders, God love him…indeed legendary…but some of the problems he adopted from a prior talking head. Yup. They all made some colossal mistakes…but in the end…they are the president(s). Love’m or Hate’m.
Anyway…in general, all we really want is a cold beer, a slice of pie, and a little bit of action on the TV that doesn’t bash Uncle Sam every 30 seconds…mulling over the question of the hypocrisy that Hollywood continues to bash US of America, force their writers into poverty conditions to bolster the $20m-per-movie wallets and egos of the megalomaniac SAG members “strike” you/me odd? They don’t respect themselves, so why would they respect us, God or country?
Being a former-Kool-aid drinkin Golden Arches worshippin idiot savant before submitting to the GNP and realizing the good, bad and ugly of my country (at the same time makin sho’ the law bidin citizen sleeps comfortably every night – - – come to think of it, kind of like a surrogate mommy and daddy, hunh?),and realizing how freakin pretentious the great pretenders of Hollywood are in the ivory-towers-made-of-glass are I conclude with a word to the Oh YEAH! mustacheoed apple seeds who Rock-the-Vote and love the duplicitous double-speak of the sofa-jumping-on national TV Hollywood:
“Wake up and smell the Kool-Aid,Mrs. Bueller. It’s a fool’s paradise. He is just leading you down the primrose path.”
OH YEAH!
Hmm…if I read the above, it’s unAmerican to denounce Hollywood and their political views, the studios choice to release Anti- American, Anti-War movies…and lots of blog screaming…and one darwin award
winning guy who apparently contracts ebola virus like symptoms and the desire to off-himself.
Tell me, is this forum being bombarded by pimply faced-Big Mac chompin, Kool-aid drinkers?
Hollywood is selling their films NOT to United States of America, but to the world as they market their films to their audiences(it’s a bit pompous that we would believe they would make a pro-USA movie,
ins’t it?)
In fact, in many cinema distributions this is where Hollywood REALLY rakes in the cash(aside from the DVD sales)…the same cash hungry machine that ultimately screws the US consumer by forcing them to buy
HDCP approved dvd players to prevent copy right protection. Ah, don’t worry your little Kool-aid mustaches about it, because you ran out as fast you could to buy the Playstation 3 with mommy and daddy’s
credit card…so you aren’t affected. What you may consider is that the “low prices” you were promised for blu-ray discs now that HD-DVD is no longer a competitor in the free market(Pushed out by Guess-
Who?)..they aren’t there($35.99??? For a high defintion DVD?)…yes, the studios just could not stand not getting yet ANOTHER piece of that revenue machine from the tech manufacturing corporations(sounds like the Wal-Mart business model to
me)…the same corporations that have to advertise in the Kool-aid drinking publications that have zero respect for the US of America, because their subscription base claims “You-sold-out!!!”…
Well let me explain, and politely ask you to put your McRib(yummmm)and Low Foam Soy Latte down for just a moment and contemplate this: If you have no respect or pride for where you live, then what exactly
are you? Does it make you feel better to blame US of America for the world’s ails? You think W did all this. Nope. Read your history. We have a Senate and a House….and yet, you blame a guy who is nothing
more than a talking head. Yup. He made some blunders, God love him…indeed legendary…but some of the problems he adopted from a prior talking head. Yup. They all made some colossal mistakes…but in the
end…they are the president(s). Love’m or Hate’m.
Anyway…in general, all we really want is a cold beer, a slice of pie, and a little bit of action on the TV that doesn’t bash Uncle Sam every 30 seconds…mulling over the question of the hypocrisy that
Hollywood continues to bash US of America, force their writers into poverty conditions to bolster the $20m-per-movie wallets and egos of the megalomaniac SAG members “strike” you/me odd? They don’t respect
themselves, so why would they respect us, God or country?
Being a former-Kool-aid drinkin Golden Arches worshippin idiot savant before submitting to the GNP and realizing the good, bad and ugly of my country (at the same time makin sho’ the law bidin citizen sleeps
comfortably every night – - – come to think of it, kind of like a surrogate mommy and daddy, hunh?),and realizing how freakin pretentious the great pretenders of Hollywood are in the ivory-towers-made-of-
glass are I conclude with a word to the fruit punch mustacheoed apple seeds who Rock-the-Vote and love the duplicitous double-speak of the sofa-jumping-on national TV Hollywood:
“Wake up and smell the Kool-Aid,Mrs. Bueller. It’s a fool’s paradise. He is just leading you down the primrose path.”
OH YEAH!
Ran to see the very talented Don Cheadle in “Traitor” especially after the ever-so-progressive washington post saw fit to trash it and was most glad I did. Aside from being a well-paced thiller that kept the audience not only entertained but on the edge of their seats till the last minute, it struck me that while both the terrorists and their US government persuers were treated with mutual respect by the filmmakers, the post’s critic/propaganist was completely galled (semi-spoiler alert) to see (the) US come out on top. Kinda seems like the film critics, not to mention TV, fashion, food (?) and, of course, editorial writers find it more comfortable to allign themseves with THEM (time for a re-make?…we still got Peter Graves)!
Leo sunk with the Titanic. When will Hollywood learn that there are fans out here that long for the value filled, clean language, clean movies. We just saw a low budget movie called FireProof. Tickets were given to us by strangers. I cannot remember being so moved.
Hanks, Crowe, Serandon, Robbins and the others are not making the kind of movies Americans’ long for.
It is hard to watch actors that become political activists that attempt to push some agenda down our throats. Whether they like it or not, when they get up on the podium and spew things that half the society doesn’t agree with as well as another fourth that just doesn’t want to hear political garbage all the time, they lose their audience. As you watch their movies, you see them making their stupid speeches about how smart they are when they are nothing more than actors with no credibility.
gotta love the way this always degenerates into a lib/gop handbags at dawn….Body of Lies has failed for two reasons – poor marketing and quite possibly the worst title ever- makes it sound like a Steven Segal movie you’d find in the bargain bin at Best Buy. I mean seriously, did Ridley and the studio just pick two words out of a bag containing fatal, deception, lies, final, killers, body, evidence, gun and instinct??? – it’s a title you’d give to a movie when you sell it to a foreign market and the the original name doesn’t make any sense…a la ‘reindeer games’ becoming ‘deception’ -the whole thing ends up with the stink of a pic that’s sat on the shelf for a few years waiting for a release date (even though that isn’t the case here)
DiCaprio is one trick pony who got really, really lucky. As far as I care he has overcome his welcome and overstayed his 15 minutes. More often than not studios know when to pull the plug on bad investments, and Leo’s days as a “leading man” are numbered.
“You can dislike him but his acting ability cannot be denied.”
Wrong. I deny DiCaprio’s acting ability all the time.
Case in point: DiCaprio as a street-smart Southie working undercover in Jack Nicholson’s “The Departed” crew? You’ve gotta be kidding me. Anybody who acted like Metrosexual Leo in real life would have quickly ended up in a car trunk out in the weeds.
people are burnt out on hearing about leonardo dicaprio’s politics. russell crowe is a bully. and ridley scott is just collecting paychecks for his old age pension.
people go to the movies to be entertained, not preached to. that’s why all these iraq war films haven’t worked.
I’ll take the Chihuahua. Really, there is substantial irony in the fact that the tree-hugger enviro is in a dud film with a bunch of gasoline explosions as his co-star.
“W” is going to be the latest dreck to come out soon, character assassination specialist Oliver Stone has reached into his talent arsenal of Josh Brolin and his daddy in the back pocket of Barbra with this latest lying crap…doesn’t anybody have any talent, brains and character out on the Coast?
We need more gay actors!
The mouth-breathing conservative hate that has found its way to this site is largely too blinkered and uninformed to merit response…
But answer me this, Hollywood-haters…
If America really is tired of wealthy, privileged Hollywood and its product, why has a movie with BEVERLY HILLS in its title been #1 for the last two weeks?
I’m not surprise. Another verdict for a political movies. Don’t these Hollywood get it? that’s right, they don’t have brains like Leonardo CRAP-eh, Lindsay LOG-han. Wake up people!!!! we don’t need you. We want CHANGE in Hollywood.
There was a time that I thought Hollywood was all about making money, and entertainment. Now It seems to me that all they want to do is preach their ‘morals’. They are the least moral segment of America, and the most out of touch political group to be found, but they believe they should ake “important” movies(as THEY see them). They continue to throw their s**t against the wall thinking it will stick, but it just stinks. They love to slap each other on the back and tell each other how great they are (see OSCARS) but their CLIENTS – those who pay to watch, and their paychecks, stay away in droves. Just how smart are these FOLLYWOOD folks? They obviously live in a bubble, so they are bubbleheads!
To those expressing disdain for us “knuckle-dragging Conservatives”…the point is, we go to movies too. Like us or not, when the industry makes movies that insult our beliefs, and actors become Left-wing activists, we stay away in droves. If this is about successful movies, our opinions actually count, much as it pains you. Hollywood, like you, insultingly dismisses us, and then can’t figure out why their audience is shrinking. D’oh!
The BODY OF LIES preview looked dull. It looked like two guys arguing on a cell phone for two hours….and then some scenes of helicopters firing a missile.
Not only has this film been poorly marketed, but it was poorly conceived. Who thought it was a good idea for the two lead actors to spend the entire film on opposite sides of the world screaming at each other over the phone?
Of course DiCaprio’s politics turned viewers off. DiCaprio is an uneducated, self-important douche. He knows no more about politics or climatology than any average person you grab off the street. He thinks being famous and rich also makes him significant. It doesn’t.
And what the hell has happened to Ridley Scott? He’s now churning out one film after another like Spielberg, and only 1 in 5 is any good.
Gosh! What a debate we have here over this weekend movies
To sum it up….
Doctors cures the sick
Teachers teach
Clowns entertains
Musician sings
Actors act
The likes Jolie, Pitt, Clooney, Hayek, Bono, DiCaprio should stick to entertaining. We need no entertainers to tell us who to pick and who not to pick to run the country, which charity to donate to and how bad the world is becoming. Majority didn’t even finished their high school education, so why should we listen to some school drop-outs on how to better the world?
They earns millions, sleep on thousand dollars bed, jet-set on private plans, dine in 5-star places and cut thru’ securities in airports and having police escort (with our bloody tax payers money) and we are supposed to adore them for their humanatarian efforts? And we are supposed to buy tickets to their movies for their political beliefs?
Are we THAT stupid?
It’s pretty clear these comments are being targeted/spammed by some weird right wing group. It’s a shame since the comments here can often contain insightful commentary.
I normally don’t like moderation, but a little more might be in order. Or just put in a comment voting system so users don’t have to see all these freaks after they’re voted down by the larger group that’s reading.
In this thread, the “Conservative” posters are criticizing Hollywood’s propaganda films and Left-wing activist actors.
But, the “Liberals” are attacking the Conservative posters, calling them some combination of “stupid yahoo knuckle-dragging morons”.
What a perfect reflection of the current political dynamic.
too bad they get paid upfront…so tanking a film doesnt affect them except for mabey future deals. also never shake hands with any of these hollyweirdos cuz they might subscribe to the sheryl crow one ply ideology.
Sorry to change the subject, but where’s Appaloosa? Really, it grossed less than City of Ember?
Not seeing Body of Lies either. Liked Crowe in Gladiator and in Beautiful Mind, but nothing since then. A Year in Provence was particularly heinous.
Sad to see THE EXPRESS performed so weakly! Went to see it last night and thought it was TERRIFIC! Well worth your time!
who picks these movies(City of Ember) and how do they keep their jobs?
Um, are you not as bad as the “Hollywood liberals” when you bring YOUR politics to the theater and watch these films through your own political lens? Anti-American?? That completely depends on your idea of America:
“When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” — Sinclair Lewis
“Are some things still worth dying for? Is the American idea* one such thing? Are you up for a thought experiment? What if we chose to regard the 2,973 innocents killed in the atrocities of 9/11 not as victims but as democratic martyrs, “sacrifices on the altar of freedom”?* In other words, what if we decided that a certain baseline vulnerability to terrorism is part of the price of the American idea? And, thus, that ours is a generation of Americans called to make great sacrifices in order to preserve our democratic way of life—sacrifices not just of our soldiers and money but of our personal safety and comfort?
In still other words, what if we chose to accept the fact that every few years, despite all reasonable precautions, some hundreds or thousands of us may die in the sort of ghastly terrorist attack that a democratic republic cannot 100-percent protect itself from without subverting the very principles that make it worth protecting?” — David Foster Wallace
When Hollywood pisses off half of America with its political views, no wonder people stop showing up at the box office. The last movie I saw in the theater was Pirates of the Caribbean I.
Anyone who says that DiCaprio and Crowe are bad actors is an idiot. I don’t personally like Brad Pitt, but I’m not going to claim he’s a horrible actor.
Case in point:
The Departed
Blood Diamond
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Gladiator
The Insider
Those are just five of DiCaprio’s and Crowe’s great (and Oscar nominated) performances.
The problem with “Body of Lies” is that it’s gotten mediocre reviews (although the performances have been praised); movies that try to seriously address Middle East politics have repeatedly failed at the box office; and it’s unlikely the movie going public wants to see a serious, political drama when the ecomony is crashing and we’re in the midst of a presidental campaign.
One final comment: while you might not like being “preached” to by liberal actors, we liberals don’t like to be preached to by conservative actors either — a la, Reagan, Arnold S. and Fred Thompson.
We go to lost of movies and I have refused to go to anti-American or anti-war movies like this week after week. I’m just not interested in that and you know they’re going to give these movies Oscars to try and revive them, but the movie going public just isn’t interested.
I’m really a moderate not a republican too.
When a hack like Tim Robbins gets a star you know Hollyweird in general has jumped the shark. Russell Crowe is still a great actor but DiCrappio is just a little boy in a real man’s game. There’s a stealth boycott going on in flyover country, but the leftists in Bel Air just don’t know it yet. Why else would Speilberg cash out three years ago when Dreamworks sold itself?
Leo is washed up!!! Especially when he opens his mouth on Politics..
There are a coupla reasons why American Carol is tanking.
1. it’s not really that funny. (word of mouth)
2. Conservatives aren’t going to the movies much these days, for reasons noted above. Ergo, when they hear a movie’s not really that funny, they don’t bother.
3. Movie trailers are supposed to give people a reason to go see the movie. W’s trailer offers an utterly repellent view of the entire Bush family. Ergo, millions won’t go. The trailer has helped sink the film. Get it??
Happy to clear that up for you, Frank f, Strangle You and floatby, whatever yer frickin’ point was. After all, Religulous has tanked too!
Joe So say what you really mean: you don’t believe in the Constitution, democracy or free speech, and you want anyone to the left of George W. Bush to be imprisoned, deported or worse. And you are the truly unAmerican ones.
Just like a hysterical liberal. Anyone who dares state a view opposite of theirs is a dangerous as anti freedom loving despot.
People are free to choice who they wish to give their hard earned money and if an actor puts his ideology ahead of his role as an entertainer, then people have the right NOT to pay to see the actor’s propaganda. Just as they are free to state their opinion on any available public forum.
At least for the time being…
“An American Carol” failed too. Of course it did. Contrary to the opinions of many on the coasts, there are plenty of college-educated conservatives out there who find the whole “Git-R-Done” “Love America or Leave It” mentality as stupid as you do. Stupid is stupid no matter your ideological views.
However, even college-educated conservatives can only take so much pontificating by these celebrities before we just refuse to support their work. Sean Penn did that to me years ago- and unless he makes something along the line of Citizen Kane I won’t watch his movies. I can’t listen to Springsteen or Sheryl Crow any more because their political persistence has made it so I can’t separate their entertainment from their politics.
“Body of Lies” may indeed be a good movie, worthy to see on its own merits. But I can’t look past the actors to do so. They’ve poisoned their own work before people even watched it.
I hope this is a more reasoned explanation for some of the more inflammatory posts you’ve read above.
Ronnie Pudding needs to learn a little about history. In spite of Hollywood’s constant flaying of Senator McCarthy, the historical facts prove something rather different.
In case you haven’t kept up, McCarthy bashing is rather old-hat these days. Truth, as it has a tendency to do, is emerging from the morass of lies and hysteria. It turns out that old Joe’s assessment of the situation was, if anything, an underestimate of the number of active Communists in government and entertainment, etc. quite actively working for the overthrow of the United States government.
Where are you getting your news? Daily Kos? Believing McCarthy was a “bad guy” today is sort of like believing the earth is flat.
I had high expectations on BOL because of the team of talent behind this picture, but I was very disappointed with the end result.
I haven’t read the draft Monahan turned in before it was shot and cut, but from what made it on screen, I would say the script needed another draft or two minimum.
I found myself disconnected throughout most of the film, which always means story problems. I didn’t care about the characters either, which is the price you pay when you leave “Save the Cat” moments out.
Most of the time, I was visually entertained, but not intellectually engaged. A good story sets up and answers plot questions in the mind of the audience from one scene to the next. This script did not do that well.
It wasn’t until Leo’s character hatched up the plot to bring the bad guy out of hiding that I actually started to take an interest in the story, but by then it was already act 3 and the payoff in the end was not very satisfying.
To sum up, the script wasn’t ready for prime time.
For everyone here, who thinks political stories don’t work, keep in mind that popular opinion thought for decades that pirate stories don’t work either. Everything is about story. If you deliver something satisfying to an audience, you can write about anything. Any day of the week.
Just so you know.
The comments I’ve read have been interesting to say the least, but they also make me very sad. To the uninformed, to those who do not live in our country these comments (on both extremes) paint a picture of our country that is troubling.
Opinions to right and left with the stench of intolerance so strong it assaults the senses.
I’ve found that intolerance is often either based in arrogance or fear.
So many site love of country and god as their reasons for their opinions. I wish people would stop using god as a crutch and instead use the principles of all religions in day-to-day practice. Isn’t the golden rule treat others as you wished to be treated? Is this how you would want someone to treat you?
If DiCaprio has no talent in a person’s eyes, then don’t go see his films. But to use his political opinion as a reason then that is sad. Not because I agree or disagree with his opinion, but because the person spewing the hate doesn’t see how far off the principles of why our country was formed they have gone.
Our country was borne from those who fled intolerance, ignorance and suppression of freedoms. And yet now, those who make the loudest noise are those spewing the most hate and are doing so in the name of god and country!
I do long for the past where polite company did not speak of politics and religion. Your opinion on politics was expressed in the voting box and your opinion on religion was expressed by how you lived your life and how you treated others.
I admit I’m not perfect and I have the same prejudices and fears as many. I often struggle to put the lessons I’ve been taught to day-to-day use. Not just “talk-the-talk but try to walk-the-walk.
I try to see both sides and then try to make my decisions based on common sense and what is best overall. Sometimes what is best for our country is not necessarily best for me. That’s where too many of our corporate leaders and our political leaders have failed.
It concerns me when our political leaders abuse their powers.
It concerns me when our political leaders become complacent and ineffective.
It concerns me that greed was so rampant in our country that we are now facing a total meltdown of our financial systems. Greed in the boardroom and lack of oversight by our government is now leading to the government having to socialize banks.
I am concerned at the lack of trust we are seeing overall. Not just in our country but worldwide.
I am concerned about the lack of integrity that has permeated not only our board rooms but our government and ourselves. In the past, a person’s character determined whether they were a credit risk. No more.
As much as I feel bad that so many home owners are at risk, I am also upset that they took on more risk than they could handle.
And I won’t even go into what I think about the mortgage brokers that preyed on them.
Yes, I am angry too, but I can only hope that the energy that has been put into the comments here can be channeled into taking a hard look at what our country has become and maybe, spending some energy on what we can do to make it better – not just using our energy to tear each other down.
If this gets posted I would like to say that the hurricane damage in Texas (especially the Galveston area) has been devastating and because of our current economical problems has not gotten the media attention is should.
Americans are suffering unbearably in the Gulf Coast area.
If you can help, please go to http://www.bushclintoncoastalfund.org
All this because a movie studio made a film.
So did this story also get linked by Drudge or did the wingnuts simply bookmark Nikki’s site for the duration?
YOU ARE ALL MISSING THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. It’s not just a couple of movies but HOLLYWOOD that sucks. Their “numbers” (the only thing they care about) have been down for years, probably because they only know how to remake the same four movie plots over and over. I mean, a “spy thriller” about a “secret agent” who goes to (war torn country), risks his life, gets double crossed by his own people, becomes disillusioned, and begins to question all he THOUGHT he knew. Sounds like the same action-packed garbage, proffered by soulless creeps who can’t even SHOOT a gun, that I’ve been seeing my whole life. And as for Leonardo, the only people who really seem to like him are the ones who keep putting him in films. He sucks.
As a strong Independent, I am disgusted with the hate from both parties. Especially those from the left winged liberals who tell the right winged conservatives to keep quiet.
Ever hear of Freedom of speech? People are entitled to their opinions, if you don’t like it, skip over it. But don’t tell others to shut up.
As for Dicaprio, he is a good actor, but nothing special. He doesn’t wow me, in fact I don’t care for most of his films.
There are no real actors in Hollywood anymore, ones what WOW me.. I haven’t been to the movies since the last Harry Potter film, why because I want fun movies not serious.
Most people don’t do war movies, which is why most fail today. Wasn’t “Saving Private Ryan” the last good war movie made? I never watched it, but I had friends who loved it.
There are only few actors I respect in this world, ones that do real honest to god charity work, because they believe it’s the right thing to do. And those who keep their political mouth shut. To me the list is very short… Which again is why I respect Jensen Ackles, he keeps his political mouth shut, and does charity work.
Hey Righties
Dont forget all the movies slamming the Clintons..there was ..umm…ah
Nevermind
Obama’s ahead in all of the polls.
203 resonses to a box office result post?
Who let all you people in here?
Go see THE EXPRESS, it’s one of the best films I’ve seen all year.
And I just saw a cool little Famke Jansen thriller at Screamfest in Hollywood called 100 FEET this weekend. Also very good.
And BTW Warner Brothers,
Real “Event” movies don’t open on Oct. 10th.
If you wanted an Oscar wait til Thanksgiving.
If you want a big gross open in the summer.
Why do we still have to explain this to you?
Either it’s that, everyone on both sides already knows what is going to happen in a Dicaprio/Scott movie (conservative America is bad) so why go? Or, I guess, it could be because the majority of Americans don’t think the way you hollywood elitists do about America.
Doggone Liberal Elitists with your education and “truth” and movies and need for people to get along and control of both coasts along with all means of production and tolerance and refusal to bomb all brown-skinned people into oblivion. Completely un-American. We’ll show you in 2012!!! We’ll win the White House with our usual landslide 49% and then we’ll clean up Hollyweird up by appointing Jim Zucker & Kelsey Grammar the new overlords of the Occupied State of Califronia!
-Palin/Miley Cyrus 2012!!!
I believe “Body of Lies” did badly because Americans don’t like the unlikeable personality of Russell Crowe, who is also a foreigner. Leonardo DiCaprio was excellent in “The Aviator” and previous movies. However, he looks like he has never facially matured or grown muscle (why doesn’t his agent hire a trainer for him). In the “Revolutionary Road” trailers, he looks like the kid in the old “Frosted Mini-Wheat” commercials from the nineties. Also, most Ridley Scott movies like “Black Hawk Down” and the “Gladiator” tend to be formulaic, even though the action sequences are top-shelf. The title of the movie and memory of the dozen past movies which attempt to rip the living spirit out of our republic convinced weary cinema attendees to see a the comedy or horror movie for relaxation.
when are horn and meyer going to get it??? Robinov has to be the worst executive out there. first, speed racer and now this. he had nothing to do with batman and hated heath ledger which is why the producers had to fight him. Everyone knows he hates women and has no sense of huror. When are the two guys at the top going to do something and save us poor time warner shareholders. Fire Robinov, put us all out of our misery and hire someone talented like Mary Parent or Nina Jacobson.
As a WB insider I prefer not to publish my name or mail as there could be repurcussions. Robinov is a notorius guy to “Get Even no matter what!!!”
>>What’s with all the asshole McCain supporters here?
Most American don’t support Bush’s misguided, illegal, multi-trillion dollar war and occupation. Get a clue, GOP dummies.
Yeah, go watch that piece of crap American Carol, with those great thespians Kelsey Grammer and Jon Voigt. Perfect entertainment for brain-dead reactionaries.
Comment by GiorgioNYC — October 11, 2008 @ 4:30 pm <<
Um, Bush and McCain aren’t the same man, sweetheart. While I personally dislike Bush and many things that he stands for and has done, I’m voting for McCain because not only do he and Sarah Palin share my views but I have to vote for them anyway because, as a former Democract up until Clinton was thrown under the bus (despite getting more votes), I’ll do whatever it takes to deny the media appointed Messiah Obama from getting his grubby little claws into the Oval Office.
I don’t care who’s a “good” actor any more. I care that they are Hate America liberals and I win’t spend a dime of my money or a second of my time.
How quaint that this pop piece should point out that “Bill Maher’s liberal spoof Religulous from Lionsgate thrashed David Zucker’s conservative satire An American Carol.” I am a conservative, and marvel at how this publication, along with the culture, have come to use those terms “liberal and conservative.” One film trashes people of faith (I just returned from Church, myself) while another lauds July 4 with cussing, sexual inendo, and other pop-trash tricks (like I said, I just returned from church). Why would a true conservative bother going to endure any manure defecating from those cultural flesh ovens?? You guys are so silly… decayed and dying, but silly none-the-less.
I think studios are underestimating the fallout when actors espouse political views. In the past 3 elections, the tally has been nearly 50:50, so figure that if your “star” starts dissing one side of the electorate, he’s alienating half of the country and half his potential viewership.
I think people like Leonardo diCaprio do not share my worldview and I make a conscious effort to avoid his movies. I imagine many others do the same for other actors, whichever side of the aisle they sit on.
An American Carol beat Religulous last week, and you know it! You’re entitled to be left wing, liberal and bias. But you are not entitled to make up your own facts!
I get it. All smart people are democrats. All people who read books and think about stuff are democrats. It was so simple but I was too simple to realize it.
HOLLYWOOD LEFT WING COMMUNIST GREATS LIKE DICAPRIO WILL DESTROY THE FILM INDUSTRY. WHO WANT TO SEE ANTI AMERICAN/ANTI MILLITARY GARBAGE!!!!!!!!!!
I saw Body of Lies. It was a terrific movie, better than the book. Leo and Russell played off each other, and both were amazing. The movie is not anti-american. I am Republican. Russell fights for the Bush-Cheney view, and Leo is a agent out there with his butt on the line trying to make sense of what he is seeing and feeling. He falls for a woman, that has more to do with his feelings than anything else. The movie is acion-packed, funny, quick witted, heart pounding,suspenseful, and the end caught me off guard. It is too bad people will judge this movie without seeing it. It was a wild ride. We all loved it.
The only worse geek than Leo is Tom Cruise.
Hollywood needs to find real action HEROES, maybe Ted Nugent or one of the http://www.blackfive.net guys.
Calling Uncle Jimbo!! We need you to save sinking Hollywood.
At first glance body of lies looks like another “make terrorists look like idealists” type film, and people are kinda tired of this.
Comment by Nate K — October 11, 2008 @ 11:53 am
Bingo! All you Hollywood zealots should read that and remember it.
GGRRR GHARGH HOLLYWEIRD HATE MURIKA GHARGH HYRGH I OWN A MCMANSION AND THREE PICK-UP TRUCKS ALL ON CREDIT CARDS HYUCK I HATE THEM DEMS FOR WHAT THEY DO TO THIS COUNTRY GONNA PUT MY MORTGAGE ON A VIA CARD HYUCK HYUCK HYUCK.
Seriously, Nikki needs to stop blowing her load ’cause Drudge gives her a ton of traffic … quality is more important than quantity, and the fat, mouth-breathing idiots here (someone said RELIGULOUS tanked … I don’t think that person can even be jokingly referred to as intelligent) definitely qualify as quantity, not quality.
Whoever that was that said RELIGULOUS tanked needs to go back and look at the numbers. If you have trouble interpreting it, come back here, post your e-mail, and I’ll send you a nice, easy to read, color-coded chart with a simplistic explanation so you can see not only that you’re wrong, but that you clearly shouldn’t attempt brain-busting activities like “interpreting simple numbers on simple charts.” KTHANX
I just am wondering, what movies do you guys go to? Everyone in Hollywood is liberal. No one is more liberal than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, that do fundraisers for Obama, they tout Global warming, and Gay rights, they spew that drugs should be legalized, they feel marraige is no longer needed to raise a family, they think Americans are arrogant and prefer to live abroad, they give millions when it is time to promote their movies, just today the New York Times released that the state of Lousianna will be stuck with a bill of 27 million dollars from the filming of Brad Pitts movie THe Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Burn After Reading made fun of our CIA basically saying how stupid they are WANTED Jolies film was fileld with violence, and rape against women, and yet it was heralded a great succcess, yet some countries would not show her poster. They whine about their privacy yet they display every private moment in magazines, right down to her nipples and the kids in the bathtub. Leo is a very private man. Brad Pitt is not anywhere the actor Leo is, who does not use a private plane, who still owns the same home he has for 20 years, while these other two have homes all over the world. Leo is a humble man. I don’t think many really know who he is. He never puts americans down, he never bashes our country like Sean Penn or Matt Damon or George Clooney, he is one of the more repectful actors there is in Hollywood, and considered extremely talented. This film by the way is not anti American. It has nothing to do with that. It is about a covert CIA oepration, insider Jordan, the issue of trust, using technology or men. Simple as that. It is based on a book by the same title.
Well with 100+ channels, DVR recorders, Netflix and iTunes, who the heck has a) any time to go see movies in the theater anymore, and b) wants to pay $60 to take your family of 4 to a theater? Enough of the insanity already.
DHD regular Crystal Diane Stevens says she is a “former Hillary Clinton supporter”
That’s why she hates Obama.
But she says Sarah Palin shares her views.
So Palin=Clinton? Really?
But Palin doesn’t share Clinton’s views for the future of our nation or equality for women in the workplace or personal choice OR ANY POLITICAL ISSUE!!
So that leaves some of us other readers with a feeling that folks like Crystal Diane Stevens are hypocrites, racist or just plain stupid.
Your choice.
If there is another reason I’ve missed please let me know.
Uh – it could be that many movie-goers are like me. I have a HD satellite set-up with damn near every movie channel in the USA plus a nice handy HD DVR and a very comfortable room with an HD LCD TV in which to watch the stuff I record. Since I don’t particularly like to sit in a theater and be bombarded by ads, annoyed by chatting fools and have to buy wildly overpriced food I wait 6-8 months and watch flicks at home.
I can watch all kinds of new and old flicks from Hollywood and the rest of the world. I am also a conservative who could care less about the politics of actors and directors – IF – they are doing top notch work. If they are average or below I just ignore them.
One more thing. I suggest anyone who wants to see a very good war flick try “Letters From Iwo Jima”. It shouldn’t matter that Spike Lee and Clint Eastwood piss each other off. It’s just a damn good movie.
These movies go on to do great in the rest of the world. And we wonder why we are universally hated? Thanks for that, Hollywood!
I believe the problem isn’t the actors,it’s the audience.Who makes up the largest demographic of audiences? People under 30. That being said,if a movie anymore doesn’t have a teen or young actor like shia lebeouf Not my favoritemany under 30 won’t likely buy a ticket,also anything about war,or a political theme again not a big seller. On the other hand a coming of age film,a film with contemporary music artists,or anything with college frat partying,or a modern sadistic horror film,will likely make bank.
1. SINCE AFTER 911 I ABSOLUTELY STOPPED COLD PUTTING OUT MONEY FOR ANY MOVIES/DVD’S ETC. OF HOLLYWOOD ULTRA LIBERAL ACTORS WHO BAD MOUTH OUR COUNTRY & BY EXTENSION “OUR” PRESIDENT. NOR DO I GIVE MONEY TO MY KIDS TO SUPPORT THESE PEOPLE EITHER.
2. AMERICANS ARE ON POLITICS, WAR, AND TERRORISM OVERLOAD. STOP! STOP, TRYING TO FEED US A STEADY DIET OF THIS CRAP (ESPECIALLY THRU YOUR EYES).
3. I WOULD SEE THIS MOVIE FOR RUSSEL CROWE ALONE BUT WILL NOT EVER BECAUSE DICAPRIO IS IN IT. SAIDS IT ALL.
Hollywood lost it a long time ago. The real artists are moving toward other careers, having had it with the Hollywood elite. It makes sense why all great films are coming from Europe now.
When Americans stopped paying $20 for lame elitist movies, the Hollywood elite blamed DVD’s. When the question was asked why Hollywood makes bad movies, lame execs answered by saying it’s what the public wants to see.
Government has already moved in on business and free markets, so what makes Hollywood innocent. Hollywood has destroyed America starting when Paramount bought MTV, and turned the station into a cultural drawing board.
Russel Crowe is the worst thing to hit Hollywood since the idiot George “Looney” Clooney. He is no Mel Gibson (one of a few artist still left in Hollywood), no matter how hard he tries. Crowe only plays himself in his movies. He smiles in the camera, or tilts his head and says a line… That’s talent?
Dicaprio was a talent to be reckoned with, but the elitists Hollywood sucked him up after Titanic. He needs to do some soul searching, and decide if he wants to act in Hollywood or agitate the political arena. They all want to follow in Reagan’s footsteps now, but they all insist on wearing different shoes.
if anyone thinks DiCaprio can’t act, I suggest watching Gilbert Grape. He should of earned the award with that role. One of the best actor’s to grace Hollywood. He just got brainwashed by the people writing his paychecks.
If you want to fix Hollywood, stop going to the movies. That’s it. Put the people in charge out of work. Sad thing is, elitist Hollywood knows the Americans are way too narrow-minded and lazy to forbid themselves from the $20 snowjobs on the screens every week.
>>What’s with all the asshole McCain supporters here?Most American don’t support Bush’s misguided, illegal, multi-trillion dollar war and occupation. Get a clue, GOP dummies. Yeah, go watch that piece of crap American Carol, with those great thespians Kelsey Grammer and Jon Voigt. Perfect entertainment for brain-dead reactionaries. Comment by GiorgioNYC — October 11, 2008 @ 4:30 pm <> “Um, Bush and McCain aren’t the same man, sweetheart. While I personally dislike Bush and many things that he stands for and has done, I’m voting for McCain because not only do he and Sarah Palin share my views but I have to vote for them anyway because, as a former Democract up until Clinton was thrown under the bus (despite getting more votes), I’ll do whatever it takes to deny the media appointed Messiah Obama from getting his grubby little claws into the Oval Office. Comment by Crystal Diane Stevens — October 12, 2008 @ 12:03 pm”<<
WOW!!! Crystal Diane Stevens, I’d like to shake your hand, but since I can’t I’m repeating your post because it just was a hum-dinger great opinion piece. I too saw HILLARY GETTING MORE VOTES THAN OBAMA , but ‘the media’ kept saying that ‘it didn’t make any difference, because Obama already had it won.’ Well, that doesn’t make any sense to me either. ALL the Dems in my family are voting for McCain this time (and for Hillary in ‘12.) GiorgioNYC can just stick that bit of reality in his pipe and smoke it!! [Ditto ReelBusy who doesn't understand that there are light years between Hillary and "the messiah."]
I’ve been looking for a theatre showing An American Carol….can’t seem to find it within 30 miles of my home. Also hear rumors that tickets bought for that movie are printed as another movie’s title….therefore, not registering as An American Carol, but some other liberal “preferred” movie….maybe Bill M’s????
Be proud, Liberals! Another lie in reporting.
Another anti-American film fails… Hallelujah!
(Maybe they will now understand that anti-Americanism doesn’t sell…)
So many Hollywood directors and bigwigs are so out of touch with reality and still don’t understand that most Americans don’t share their anti-USA biases and hatred of patriotism. They continue to make movies that embody their own twisted leftist bigotries…then appear to be confounded when ‘ordinary’ Americans stay away in droves.
Never mind, they might still collect a few Oscars…and the French will applaud
“When Hollywood pisses off half of America with its political views, no wonder people stop showing up at the box office”
Well, this is just wrong..
It’s fascinating to hear reports from this alternate reality of yours. It is quite clear that actual facts and nuance and feasability and levelheadedness mean nothing as soon as a right wing mouthpiece conjures up some theory validated by an obviously absurd and unreal interpretation of things.
Rhetoric only loosely based in reality is not the same as empiric fact! Yes, Leo has been quite markedly political. Yes, that might’ve put some people off. But still, No, this is not why Body of Lies failed or why Hollywood is getting poor returns lately. There are many other much much more plausible and real reasons for that, such as an overall saturatedness of media, lack of exciting material and easy access to other distractions (dvd, youtube, blogs, facebook, pirated material).
With all these weird distortions of actual facts or events from your right wing commentators, why do you all not take notice when they are refuted or proven to be false? Can’t you see a pattern? Even while some corners of the mainstream media might have liberal values, what they don’t try to do is to interpret, reimagine and shape the reality and events to anywhere near the extreme entent that Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Malkin and to a lesser extent Fox News do.
Can’t you see that this is a dead end now that serious business minded and scholarly republicans are denouncing McCain? Can’t you see it is not sane or even healthy to continue to stay within this alternate reality??
..I hope someday someone will make an expose of what it’s really like living in this maelstrom of distortions that is the right wing propaganda machine, where easily refuted perceptions get promoted to fact by the sheer use of authority and the right amount of agitation.
WHAT?????!!!!!!!!!!????????
These comments are insane. Somebody wrote: “We need McCarthy back to run these “mental giants” back to the Kremlin. ”
Do you people come here to talk movies, or spew hate ala McCain town hall meetings and Palinites screaming “treason”?
Mr. DiCaprio builds libraries, donates millions to save Amazon rain forests, and uses his celebrity to encourage people to vote, to read, to study the issues and challenges we all have a residents of Planet Earth.
Most importantly, he gets off his rich a$$ and DOES something. He does not sit around Sunday afternoons typing venomous epithets on movie blogs.
Movies productions involve thousands of people. It’s a miracle when all the pieces fall into place. I think movies should go “small” again, start back at ground zero. Keep it simple.
Escapism + good marketing + decent WOM = success.
All the comments about crowded frames, multiple entertainment choices etc…are all true but Hollywood will continue to throw money and proven bets because who wants to risk 100M+ on untested anything? No one…wait, that’s not true. Wall Street seemed to enjoy purchasing those mortage backed securities…but most people are going to return, like a dog to it’s vomit, to what worked in the past.
Quarantine was my choice for the movie to watch this week. No need to watch an anti-American movie like Body of Lies that hollywood tries to push on us to make us think republicans are the reason muslim terrorists are trying to destroy America.
No one is going to his movie because the people are getting sick and tired of Hollywood calling us stupid if we do not vote their way. The elites are eating themselves alive and it is ok with me. There a a lot of so called “Stars” that i will not walk across the street to see and the list is growing daily. They call us stupid, but they are too stupid to get it. We Do NOT want to hear their Political Views.
The point a lot of the conservative folks make is an interesting one. A lot of the democrat stars speak too much about their political ideologies. Just leave the politics to the politicians.
If I was a producing a movie I would tell them before signing on to do the role, I need them to stay away from political commentary, because my bottom line can’t afford them pissing off half of my audience. Just entertain and keep it moving, or run for office.
I don’t think that’s too much to ask. I work in Hollywood myself, but not everyone is a democrat. Just the ones with the biggest soapboxes [not a Pub either though].
Threre’s nothing noble or difficult to play a liberal in real life for these big stars and lib’s and conservatives know this. The hypocrsiy is mind-blowing and, though it hasn’t bothered me in the past, it now does. It appears that dreaded cognitive dissonance sets in. There’s no doubt in my mind this feeling of being duped by the actor by theese clueless activist actors kills the chances of the filn before it gains an audience.
I can always tell when a story on Niki’s web site gets linked to a right wing blog or Drudge we get flooded with people who have no industry knowledge but are just full of nonsense. I’ve been Niki fan since she tumbled with Newscorp. I hope this blog doesn’t become some kinda of right wing mouth piece, it’s much better than that.
Hey, conservos…
Here’s something you’ll never hear…
HOLLYWOOD BAIL OUT.
You know why? Because unlike Wall Street, and the Auto industry and the airlines and pretty much every other big industry in this country —
WE MAKE A PRODUCT PEOPLE SEEM TO WANT
Don’t like the movies? Don’t go. But every time DiCaprio steps in front of a camera, THOUSANDS of people (tens, even hundreds of thousands) collect a paycheck… for building sets, making food, tearing tickets at the multiplex, working the counter at the local video shoppe, just to name a few. So shut it with the “Contribute nothing to society” shit. DiCaprio contributes more to the US economy and jobs just by acting in one movie than most of you will in a life time.
STFU. Hollywood is the last great American Industry.
Shawn you need to do some research before spewing lies. Neither Brad nor Angelina have done any fundraisers for anybody or endorsed anyone, Leo has. They have the right to live anywhere they want to as American citizens last time I looked. Johnny Depp lives most of the time in France, why not mention that. Brad and Angelina have homes in LA and NOLA, they were just in NOLA this week for the first families to move into the homes Brad’s group has built for Katrina families, they are renting now in Berlin where Brad is making a movie with QuentinT. BAR was a Coen Bros film, they are known for dark comedies. COBB qualified for the film subsidies under La law, Brad did not produce the film, Paramount and Warner’s did. Brad and Angelina travel by commercial planes when they do not have their kids with them, Leo also travels by both private and commercial flights as he said at Cannes last year. The only time either Brad or Angelina talk about privacy is when their small kids are terrorized by the paps who invade their private space. Both have said they know the drill re being celebs and they do not complain. Neither Brad, Angelina or Leo have ever bashed the USA. The problem with BOL is that the public just is not interested in Middle Eastern conflicts at this time and the script was poor, it should have more closely followed the book.
Nikki:
I’m more than a bit freaked reading these posts. The anger. Touting McCarthyism as a good thing. Calling people Marxists. Something creepy has invaded this site…and not just because many of the posts differ from my opinion. The anger and rage in the anonymous posts. It’s off the charts. Something’s up.
Let’s just sum it up: Leo: a boy, not convincing as a man. Leo: nice guy, but not too bright. Leo: actor who thinks he’s here to save the world, but in reality just a actor activist with puffy substance. Titanic: stupid movie, basically ruined the majesty of that ship and the tragedy. Howard Huges: really???? Leonardo as Howard Hughes… what an insult to Mr. Hughes!! Russell: wrong movie dude, looking forward to something else, but be smarter in your choice!
I too saw HILLARY GETTING MORE VOTES THAN OBAMA: saxifrage
What a bunch of bitter whiners.
It’s just about votes to you huh?
Like baseball and the World Series, national elections in the USA don’t go to the team that only scores the most runs in the series.
In baseball and in the primaries and electoral college you have to win enough GAMES TO TAKE THE SERIES!!
Hillary lost the series 4 to 3.
Those are the rules. I know you want to change them because you were losing but too bad. hill ran a bad campaign. Almost as bad as Grandpa McCain is now.
PS: I love the McHaters that blame Hollywood for Americas lost values.
If Palin is such a good mom why did her daughter engage in premarital sex and get pregnant?
Blame Leo DiCaprio.
That’s easier than you folks looking in the mirror and taking responsibilities for yourselves and your families.
I guess some right wing wacko’s got a hold of the site.
No one wants to see movies about the war. And that has been proven time and again but Warner’s chose to make this movie anyway. This is a Warner problem. It should be laid at their feet.
It’s not Leo or Russell or Ridley. It’s the suits at Warners (Rabinov and Horn) who are sooo out of touch with the audience. Lynn Harris included.
They hate women, they hate emotional writing, they hate story that builds on character in situations that people can identify with on some emotional level. (Many women in Hollywood hate women just as much as the men do … Maybe more).
Warners thinks the audience is pretty stupid. All their movies are comic books or things that blow up. They don’t make comedies. It is a very toxic and macho and deeply over paid environment there. They can’t recognize a good story or a story with heart because they are so out of touch with their own emotions. The audience wants to be entertained with characters they can relate to. That doesn’t mean have a beer with…it means relate to. This place would never even buy a script like Casablanca today. With the Warners team of heartless execs it wouldn’t get past coverage. They would have Bogart killing people with his bare hands and blowing things up.
It is unfortunate because Warners had a legacy of great film making that has been all but destroyed. Someone wrote they should get Nina or Mary Parent in there. It’s true. Universal, Fox 2000, Fox Searchlight and even Sony sometimes have some real chops. Paramount is terrifying. Brad Weston and Brad Grey are as scary as Alan and Jeff. Paramount seems to be imitating the Warner model.
It’s not that people don’t want to see movies…it’s that the powers of Hollywood are so cold and dysfunctional as humans they don’t know how to make movies people want to see.
Oh my God! What happened to this site? The anger, the hate…Mcarthyism lauded…. calling people Marxists? Intelligent people were drawn to you to discuss the crazy movie business we are in and react to your reporting/inside comments. The hate, the anger…who are these people and what is their agenda? What happened to class and articulate comments? Something ugly has crept in…
The reason people are staying home in droves over Body of Lies is because every trailer, poster, and billboard there’s been for it make it look like a phoned in execution of Generic Spy Thriller #14 script. If this movie is _not_ horribly generic then it’s still horribly marketed, because there is nothing remarkable at all about it. On my way to work I pass by billboards for new films. The Body of Lies and Eagle Eye billboards both feature generic “action pose” photos of the stars that are heavily tinted blue. Somewhere along the line tinting photos blue became synonymous with thrillers.
An example of how poorly Body of Lies has been marketed is that until a day or two ago I didn’t even know that Ridley Scott directed it. And I consider myself to be a Ridley Scott fan!
And then there’s also the fact that this is a terrible time to release films, because there are things happening every day in the real world that trump the movies when it comes to drama and tension. The state of the world’s economy and the current financial meltdown has been compelling. You don’t have to understand the intricacies of it (lord knows I don’t) to appreciate the extraordinary nature of what’s happening and the seriousness of it. Add a tense presidential race on top of that, and why go to the movies? There’s real drama happening on the world stage and it’s having a direct effect down to the individual level. How many of us have seen the banks we keep our money in collapse or be rapidly bought out in order to avoid collapse? Mine was. And this drama is far from over.
IMO the door for non-franchise films is shut, for the time being. Until the economic storm cedes a bit and the elections are over, no big budget movie short of the next Harry Potter film is going to win much money at the box office. It’s not the time.
Wow, where did all the right-wingers come from? All the hate!
Nevertheless, I think everyone – left and right – is missing the point. Which is that people go to the movies to forget about reality for a while and be entertained. People don’t want to watch movies about the Middle East and politics because it’s depressing – it reminds everyone of the big, big mess we have on our hands. You can sit at home and watch CNN if you want to be depressed. That’s why a Chihuahua (!!) movie can rake in money – pure escapism from the nasty reality that everyone has to deal with the minute they step out off the movie theatre.
It’s not liberal or conservative politics here – just that the average American wants to forget politics for a few hours, not be reminded of it.
I don’t know why Quarantine was such a surprise. It’s October, horror fans are ready willing and able to choke down anything remotely palatable right now. Even if they do give away the ending in the commercials, there’s nothing else out or even coming out anytime soon to satisfy that demographic. Unless you happen to have digital cable and can watch the Midnight Meat Train.
Any time a movie about Iraq or the Middle East comes out and disappoints at the box office, the right wing crazies bombard these message boards with uninformed drivel about how the country is sick of Hollywood’s anti-American leftist propaganda.
In reality, the problem isn’t with Hollywood or its leftist stars. Damon’s Bourne series is a cash cow. DiCaprio’s Departed was a huge hit. The American public is perfectly willing to get behind these stars. The public just doesn’t want to see war movies right now. The war on terror has been a total embarrassment. It’s like a huge wart on our collective face. Most people would rather not be reminded that it exists.
The most profitable movies are the ones that tell the audience what it wants to hear: good triumphs over evil, the underdog can win, the world is fair and just, etc, etc, etc. Tell these Cro-Magnons what they want to hear and they’ll line your pockets with gold.
I am so glad to see “An American Carol” tank. I think Michael Moore is a joke, but making a movie about it is borderline retarded. Really? A country star showing Mike Moore the errors of his ways, when in reality the ecomomy is in the tank and the election is swinging away from the folks who like this sort of movie?
The movie “W” will be a hit because it is relevant, unlike this waste of film stock.
Amusing how the liberals are screeching about all the hate in these comments when conservatives are simply saying that they don’t go to movies starring actors who feel obliged to get all political on their ass. It’s the liberals who come riding in and calling everyone who disagrees with them various versions of stupid, ignorant, racist and retarded. Liberals, before more of you bitch and moan about the hate around here, take a look in the mirror okay? Cheers.
If he wasnt such a mindless liberal….I might have watched his movie….guess I expected the movie might have some sort of negative liberal message in it.
Well-said EGG. I read through this entire post and what struck me was the disparity in the positions taken by those who chose to talk about the politics of Hollywood rather than the movie. Overwhelmingly the conservatives spoke negatively of Hollywood and their anger at actors preaching their politics. In response, the vast majority of Liberals insulted the intelligence of those on the other side.
Conservatives referred to Hollywierd – an industry – not a person, in their posts. Liberals called out other posters with disparaging names. For all of the educated people obviously on this post, why are there so many posts that appear to be on a third-grade level?
Whatever happened to tolerance of other’s opinions and healthy debate? In history, Fascism and censorship always came wrapped not in a flag, but in a promise of “justice” for the lower class. In that, Sinclair Lewis was wrong.
Apparently Ridley Scott enjoys working with Russell Crowe; and he likes to make movies that raise international awareness… that’s a good thing i’d say
As an independent voter, it appears that those on the left side of politics who seem to live in a bubble world called Hollywood (surrounded by like minded individuals) have just become aware of the conservative public. Their response is to denigrate these people who are expressing their complete frustration with the lack of balance coming out of Hollywood. Calling these people knuckle-draggers, insisting that their comments be removed by the moderators, and blaming Drudge for them even showing up seems to be illustrating the point that Hollywood is living in a fishbowl of self-delusion.
Most businesses respond to potential customers by trying to make them happy, Hollywood tells them to go F themselves. The culture war has exploded into movies because movies were used to push an agenda, now the industry that makes movies is paying the price for abusing the trust of 50% of their potential customers. Wake up before you put yourself out of business.