'Where The Wild Things Are' Runs $32.4M 
Oscar Can't Always Get What He Wants 
NBC Bright Spot Of Lousy GE 3Q Earnings; 4Q … 
Oops! Vivendi May Delay 20% NBCU Sale? 
65 Nations Vie For Foreign Language Oscar 
Elle's Women In Hollywood Power List 
HOW BIG IS BIG? AEG Predicts Michael Jackson … 
Sane Debt-Reduction Move By Redstone; But … 
EXCLUSIVE: Comcast Wants NBCU Deal Done … 
SATURDAY PM / SUNDAY AM: Warner Bros' The Hangover still rules at the North American box office and looks to sail past $200M domestic, according to even rival studios. (As the saying goes, failure is an orphan, but success has many fathers, so see my previous How 'The Hangover' Got Made.) The R-rated no-stars low-brow laffer from Old School director Todd Phillips made $10.5 million Friday (only -37% from its opening a week ago) and $12.9M Saturday (+24%) from 3,355 dates. With a terrific hold of only -26%, it racked up a $33.4M second weekend for a new cume of $105.3M. Never underestimate the comedy tastes of moviegoers, eh? This is the first film of this summer to stay at No. 1 for 2 consecutive weeks.
Pixar/Disney's blockbuster Up ended its 3rd weekend #2 with $30.5M after scoring another $8.8 million Friday and $13.1 million Saturday and an estimated $8.6M Sunday from 3,886 runs. Pixar movies always keep going, and going, and going... and this is now the 3rd-highest domestic grossing one.
As for The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3, when I fell asleep Friday night, it was looking to open at No. 2 based on East Coast numbers. But Sony Pictures' adult thriller starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta didn't get as big a late-night kick as expected and fell to No. 3 where it stayed all weekend. Why anyone remade the classic 1974 film is inexplicable, especially in this CGI-heavy summer. (Now, if the subway turned into a Transformer...) Also, Travolta's recent family tragedy meant the actor wasn't able to promote the film. Rival studios called Friday's opening of $8.3 million followed by Saturday's $9.6M from 3,074 theaters very soft. 
By the end of Sunday, the total was only $25M with Sunday's estimate. Exit polls showed that 54% of the opening weekend audience was male and 62% over 30 years old. Sony now must depend on strong overseas sales for Pelham.
Why studios still cast Eddie Murphy as the lead in a live action film is beyond me, even if it's a family film. So Paramount's Imagine That just looks weak all around. It came in 6th with only a $1.8 million debut Friday and $2.2 million Saturday from 3,008 venues. Worse, it's now a trend that Eddie's movies can't open to more than a $6M weekend. (Remember last summer's other Eddie bomb Meet Dave?) This one did only $5.7M.
Now, for the Top 10:
1. THE HANGOVER (WB) Week 2 [3,355] Wkd $33.4M (-26%), Cume $105.3M
2. UP (Pixar/Disney) Week 3 [3,886] Wkd $30.5M, Cume $187.1M
3. PELHAM 1 2 3 (Sony) NEW [3,074] Wkd $25M
4. NATM 2 (Fox) Week 4 [3,365] Wkd $9.6M, Cume $143.4M
5. LAND OF THE LOST (Universal) Week 2 [3,534] Wkd $9.1M (-51%), Cume $34.9M
6. IMAGINE THAT (Paramount) NEW [3,008] Wkd $5.7M
7. STAR TREK (Paramount) Week 6 [2,638] Wkd Est $5.6M, Cume $232M
8. TERMINATOR SALVATION (WB) Week 4 [2,658] Wkd $4.6M, Cume $113.8M
9. ANGELS & DEMONS (Sony) Week 5 [2,436] Wkd $4.2M, Cume $123.3M
10. DRAG ME TO HELL (Universal) Week 3 [2,273] Wkd $3.8M, Cume $35.1M
Loading ...
The Hangover becoming a blockbuster is a sign of the downfall of western culture.
This was honestly one of the dumbest movies I’ve ever seen.
Why Hollywood fails to learn its lesson of hiring actors whose ROI is on the negative ends is a no brainer
Eddie and Crowe, just to name a few are the likes whose names simply turned off movie-goers. Yet, Hollyland still would want to hire them. Go figure!!
At least Kidman’s overseas ROI is much stronger to justify her fees.
I’m a huge fan of Eddie Murphy, but the preview for Imagine that looked terrible, but heard that it has a nice twist at the end. I just really wish that Eddie would return to the Eddie of the 80’s — 48 hours, etc and I wish that they would finally put Beverly Hills cop 4 on the fast track with Jerry Bruckheimer as producer. This is not the Eddie we all fell in love with.
Without the article here, I had to go to my local theater’s website just now to see if “Imagine That” is playing there and what the hell it is. It is playing there, but I’ve never heard of it… haven’t seen a single trailer on television or ad on the web.
So no great surprise it’s bombing when John and Jane Q. Public out here in the heartland didn’t even know it existed. How irrelevant has Eddie Murphy become when they don’t even bother to promote his films?
I wonder how many people will strain an abdominal muscle or crack a rib from all the forced guffaws during “The Hangover”.
It’s a phenomenon I’ve noticed: whenever a movie is touted for its ribald hilarity, each quip or pratfall elicits this contrived response because, I suppose, many audience members want to be with the “in crowd”, the ones who get it, not a bunch of humorless prudes.
For instance, I saw a scene in a preview where the clueless Zack Galifianakis character asks the desk clerk at Caesars’ Palace if the real Caesar actually stayed there. Mmmmm, I can just hear the hearty bellows of forced laughter over this incredibly stupid line.
Then again, I just might not be cool or hip enough to get it.
Gotta give Nikki credit, she posts the numbers quicker than any other blog/site I know.
How many more Eddie Murphy family film debacles before people realize these films don’t work?
I wonder if Eddie Murphy ever imagines how much better off his career would be if he stopped making these ridiculous family “movies” and returned to the style of comedy that made him who he is… er, who he USED to be. A world where Eddie Murphy is funny again and not a box-office bomb… imagine that, folks. Imagine that.
Moon was sold out at the Friday Arclight 5:30 show. Good movie.
Who would lay out $14 to watch Eddie Murphy’s movies at this point?
Saw interview with jerry stiller re:original. Only did well in
Cities with mass transportation. Is that what
Happened here with east coast estimates? History repeating……
Well, looking on the bright side, at least the stars got their usual fees, 20 million or so. I guess they’re happy.
How fast do you think Eddie Murphy is going to agree to do Beverly Hills Cop 4 now? He needs it in the worst way. Either that, or another Nutty Professor movie.
As for Pelham, I think this movie would have done better in the holiday season, or late summer slot. I would have pushed it back just to see if John would feel up to promoting it by then. Still, if it squeeks out 60 to 70 million domestic, I think that’s okay.
Murphy had better choose his next films wisely. If he doesn’t, he’s going to be starring in direct-to-video flicks.
Pelham does not come across as a must see at the theatre type summer flick. The fall would have been a better time to open the film.
@Sal: No, the Land of the Lost becoming a hit would have been a much bigger sign of the downfall of western culture. Plus, The Hangover is getting good feedback in the UK and Ireland as well, so it just may become a European hit too.
@P: If you’re only going on one tiny scene in a preview, don’t make judgements about the movie. More importantly, don’t judge the people that go to see it. You sound very arrogant, as well as uncool and unhip.
There was no advance marketing here for Eddie Murphy’s movie. Never heard of it until yesterday, when the Washington Post gave it a pretty good review, hidden inside the Style section.
Did Eddie piss someone off?
Why is Eddie Murphy still making movies, and starring in them to boot?
He was over long ago. These foolish studio decisions affect everyone because studios always decree that such and such type of movie is dead instead of admitting they made an error in judgment with casting, etc.
Now what? One wretched “Hangover” replication after another?
“No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of …”
Well, you know the rest.
Maybe audiences don’t want to see old guys.
Maybe they don’t buy old guys in action roles.
Maybe audiences are tired of seeing the same faces over and over and over again.
“Hangover” (not funny, boring, derivative) provided a reprieve from the same old faces over and over and over, as does “Up.”
Perhaps that’s a large reason for the “Hangover” box office numbers. Gotta be.
People can’t be THAT stupid.
Can they?
It will be another close call between UP and Hangover. Hangover had a 3 million lead last Friday and held on by 800k over UP. Now, it only has a 1.5 million or so lead and UP makes most of it’s money on SAT and SUN as do most family films. Nevertheless, both of them should finish around the 30-32 million range, and it’s a coin toss to see who’s no.1. The bottom line for me is that I’m thrilled to see two great films in UP and The Hangover doing remarkably well. For once, quality films are actually being rewarded justly by the moviegoing public
Who or What is Vivendi Entertainment. They released Tennessee last week which was a bomb and they dropped another bomb this weekend with Call of The Wild 3d. Please donate the money you are investing in these garbage projects to charity, much better use.
I don’t who’s picking Eddie’s movies lately, either. His next out should be “1000 Words”, which isn’t Eddie funnyman Murphy either – a movie with a message. He showed so much range in “Dreamgirls” that I’m surprised he’s not taking a more dramatic route. Maybe he owes some movies to these people (Tim Allen in the “Santa Claus” franchise).
I agree with all of the “Hangover” comments. It’s like the kids who grew up on video games and MTV just get stoned and laugh at anything they’re told to.
Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen – take notes…
Just back from the multiplex. Loved the first PELHAM and the remake is quite good. Denzel’s character an improvement on the original (sorry, Walter), Travolta a little over-the-top ala Pacino, but still enjoyable. Audience enjoyed it. With all the kvetching about why-a-remake, I’d bet most under 40s have never even seen the first one.
On to UP. The first 20 minutes or so, the set-up, are magnificent. A model of visual storytelling. The rest is OK, especially if you’re a kid, I guess. Much like how the first half of WALL-E was much better than the second. Not as good as Brad Bird’s INCREDIBLES and RATATOUILLE. But the kids will like it and another smash for Pixar.
“P” is a pretentious snob who probably thinks cinematic comedy died after the heyday of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin! Go back to the art house to watch your black and white short films, P, and leave the commentary on movies that actually seek to entertain to those who are at the multiplex to have a good time and don’t want a profound meditation on the human condition.
The haters will eventually come around and be wholly appreciative of the indisputable fact that The Hangover is an instant genre classic that’s entirely deserving of its phenomenal success. It will probably be the most profitable film of the year relative to production costs, and deservingly so. I’ve honestly never laughed harder at anything in my life anywhere. This is a movie I’ll be quoting affectionately for the rest of my life. I’ve seen it three times already with different people on each viewing and everybody I brought with me loved it just as much as I did. It truly is a comedy where the humor therein gets richer and richer the more you see it.
Sal was alone first in the pack and P joined in later. Maybe their newly formed two man wolf pack should run around the desert together in Las Vegas, looking for strippers and cocaine. Maybe then they’ll get it.
I’m overjoyed that Up is doing so well. That film deserves every single penny.
Pelham, on the other hand…what a MESS.
How…how can The Hangover be number 1? Hollywood has been telling us for years that R-rated movies dont make money and everything has to be PG-13 and star Zac Efron!!! Honestly,I dont care if The Hangover is a good movie or not…I’m just glad an R-rated comedy is doing so well. And as for Eddie Murphy…if they do make a Beverly Hills Cop 4,expect him to be in a fat suit for half the film and then in the second act learn he has a long-lost son….played by Shia Lebeouf. And it’ll be PG-13….and directed by either McG or Brett Ratner. The Heat is on again,Summer of 2011!!!!
I agree with the posters above who said that “Pelham” should have opened at a later time (not summer). I doubt if Travolta’s lack of promotion hurt the film. It just didn’t appeal to me as a summer must-see flick. Besides, I’m not swayed by an actor’s promotion of a film and I doubt if many are either.
Look at Land of the Lost. Will Ferrell promoted the hell out of that movie and it still bombed. Audience-goers, like me, know what films they want to see. We don’t need an actor’s promotion to convince us.
Dance Flick was championed by BRAD WESTON. Imagine that was pushed by BRAD WESTON. GI Joe (future bomb) was greenlit by BRAD WESTON who claimed his father created the toy.
Whose turn is it to go? BRAD WESTON.
How come no one wants to acknowledge the big ass pink elephant in Eddie’s room.
After all of his homophobic rants, he was suddenly suspect himself after being arrested with a tranny in his car. He dodged the rumors and become a recluse, running around with his pack of all male friends.
Then came the mean divorce, the Mel B baby fiasco then a second marriage to Tracey Edmons that lasted three hours!
Eddie ruined his goodwill with America and that’s why no one wants to see his films.
The same people that made Meet Dave also made his next film, 1000 words.
Can’t wait to see the news on that one.
P,
Yes, you’re right hundreds of people in the theater laugh at jokes they see onscreen only to be cool. Never because the jokes made them actually, you know, laugh.
Galafanakis is playing a lovable dumb guy in a role that feels like it was written for Jack Black. (Although its a bit sweeter than that.) Just as the Bradley Cooper role feels like it was written for Vince Vaughn. It may not make you laugh, but humor is always subjective. The idea that people are laughing at his antics to be hip, is one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever heard.
The movie is damn funny. Far from flawless (the Mike Tyson stuff is especially weak) and some jokes fall flat. But a lot of them hit and it’s a fun time at the movies. And that’s all it’s going for. It’s not trying to be hip, nor are the people who go see it (OR God forbid dare to laugh at a silly joke that’s well delivered during the trailer.)
Get over yourself.
What Happens In Vegas, Paul Blart Mall Cop, The Hangover…it’s a race to the bottom and the lowbrow viewing public just laps it up. I don’t blame the studios though. Why bother to make good films when this is what the people want? Just throw a handful of dung against the wall and go with what sticks.
Am at home tonight and saw that The Haunted Mansion on ABC.. did Murphy no favors to run that on the weekend of Imagine That. Any possible thought I had to catch the new flick was immediately quashed after seeing only a few minutes of Haunted Mansion. He’s terrible.. and worse, unfunny.
Maybe studios could reduce their costs (and keep employees who run the business) by paying ’stars’ less than the insanely over inflated $20 million per pic price.
The Hangover maybe #1 again next week, with Year One and The Proposal opening next Friday.
I’m surprised Phelham isn’t doing better…very surprised. Two of the best male actors…no one does “snarky & crazy” like Travolta (remember FACE/OFF). I don’t know…maybe seeing his face and knowing his heartbreak is something people can’t get past right now.I hope it’s not that people are only interested in toilet humor comedy.
>>How fast do you think Eddie Murphy is going to agree to do Beverly Hills Cop 4 now? He needs it in the worst way.<<
Forbes recently released their list of 2008’s highest-earning celebrities. Believe it or not, Murphy was ranked 4th!!
http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/09/movies-sandler-depp-business-media-hollywood.html
As for Imagine That, I’d never even heard of it until last week. It’s rare that a major release gets past my radar, but I never even saw a poster or trailer for this one.
Actully, IMAGINE THAT is getting substantially better reviews than most of Murphy’s films- which will probably just discourage him from trying to improve the quality of future efforts, and guarantee his next film will be shameless, desperate pandering.
Saw Pelham 1, 2 3 and it is surprisingly a movie that never lets up from start to finish, it is an enjoyable ride.
Eddie can you please do R rated movies again and make Beverly Hills cop 4 the first one. I saw the preview to Imagine that and I’m sorry I just couldn’t imagine going to see that movie.
Very excited about the proposal next week — I wonder how the sneak peeks did — that’s a rarity these days — the studio must have real faith in this movie and it looks hilarious.
Gonna be a long summer for sony.
“The Taking of Pelham 123″ is a solid summer action flick. Hope good word of mouth will generate some heavy business for this thriller which I enjoyed as much as I enjoyed the original film. About the only thing that disappointed was the last ten minutes of the film. Wish they would have come up with a more clever ending otherwise this is one I would recommend even with the F word being used in just about every sentence and I wonder why the script writer decided to go this route. Oh, well, enjoyable just the same.
Lighten up tightasses. Hangover is funny. You aren’t better than
Anyone else just because you haven’t killed that
Bug up your sophisticated asses. Laugh a little.
Can Denzel act in a movie without Tony Scott?
Sy, since Denzel won both his Oscars working with other directors, I would contend that he can.
Regarding Pelham, never expected to be so entertained. Visually, it was exciting with tons of style. have to say it was one of the most uniquely executed action flicks to come along in a long time. Just read the reviews. It’s style is in a class all its own. Loved it! Travolta rocks as the bad guy…
Eddie doesn’t “pick” his films, he takes what is offered to him from Hollywood… He has never dug in and done the hard work of actually developing vehicles for himself and his total weirdness has made him a non-starter for A list directors who don’t want to deal with his foolishness… Thus, the only work he gets is dumb family films that pay him big bucks, but are artistically vacant… Ironically, his early success has led to his career downfall, it killed any initiative on his behalf to explore his potential… Instead, he has devolved into a Howard Hughesesque recluse who pops up now and again to trade in on his former fame… There continues to be nothing new from him, just more of the same and the public is done being disappointed..
Dumb dudes,
Calling those who can’t swallow the secondhand slop that is Hangover “art house snobs” is a tired cliche. Can’t you even be original in your comebacks? No one said anything about art house cinema.
“Hangover” is hackneyed and you are dumb enough to buy it.
But, hey, there are far more dumb people in the world than not, and the studios know if they aim at your level they will clean up. Meanwhile, this piece of caca is taking up space at the multiplex where maybe a good flick could otherwise sneak through.
Why do they keep paying Eddie Murphy $20 million when his movies are bombing? That’s just a waste of money. Might as well flush it down the toilet. It’s practically the same thing.
I wonder when the last time that the top 6 films were from the top 6 MPAA studios?
If you’ve got children (and I’ve got a bunch) you’ve been seeing trailers for “Imagine That” EVERYWHERE for the past 4 months. I’ve seen the trailer before movies like “Monsters vs. Aliens,” “Earth,” and “UP.” My children watch Nickelodeon and other kid channels, so we’ve seen it on TV too. Sounds like there has just been no advertising in the adult oriented media for this one. I thought it looked horrible, despite the so-so reviews I’m reading for it now. My kids have expressed no interest in seeing it either.
Calling “The Hangover” Low- Brow is like calling ‘The New York Times’ a rag. In a world where ‘Scary Movie’ or ‘Dance Movie’ exist, or let’s face it, anything by the Wayans brother exists – the Hangover is more Dostoyevsky than doo-doo.
My god, some of you have such sticks up your arse. “The Hangover” is just a good fun time at the movies. I imagine people poo-pooing that movie also decried audiences for laughing at movies like “Stripes”, “Caddyshack” and the like, which are now considered comedy classics. And movies like “Wedding Crashers” prove these sort of comedies can be huge. What’s so unexpected and shocking?
“Why anyone remade the classic 1974 film is inexplicable, especially in this CGI-heavy summer.”
Why is it “inexplicable”? “Pelham” is hardly a classic, anyway. Not many people who weren’t around during the time the original was released would have seen it. And as “The Hangover” suggests, you don’t need to be overflowing with CGI to become a hit.
This entire entry was filled with such strange bits and pieces.
I knew the Hangover was going to be big when I caught a 10pm show on a tuesdays night and the theatre was packed. I think the film appeals to the masses because quite simply anyone can relate to these guys. You have seriously flawed characters, new faces that don’t carry any baggage, Vegas is actually presented in a real light considering we’re still in an economic downturn, it’s accessible in all the right ways. Not all of it works, but when the bits that do work, it’s a grandslam. I think the studios are going to go into a serious period of reassessment concerning their business model. I mean they’re already doing it, but still…this movie, along with Iron Man and TDK, proves once again that you need real TALENT to make your product successful. There’s no more room for shortcuts. The director, the script, and the marketing hook are the real stars now.
Saw Hangover. It was okay, not phenomenally funny like these frat guys and studio heads keep touting. Old School was waaaay funnier. Too many plot holes and too many “huh?” lines for my taste. And not every woman has a problem with bachelor parties or strip clubs. So get over that typecast bullshit. It’s old, and so are these silly whiteboy movies.
And I think I’ll stick to the original Pelham 123. It’s bad enough that Travolta has that revolting tattoo on his neck but was it necessary to make Swordfish 2.
Denzel and Scott again. Really?! Can’t Hollywood find new talent? There’s like two other brothers beside Will and Samuel he could of gotten, but I guess that requires actual casting.
Yes Sy-
Try Philadelphia, Glory, Remember The Titans, Malcolm X, Inside Man, John Q, The Pelican Brief and Courage Under Fire, to name a few.
I bet all the boobs droppin’ loads on “The Hangover” are the same types of guys who always brag about how they got sooooooo drunk and wasted over the weekend, as if it were a feat similar to scaling Mount Everest.
Maybe the wild antics and hangover-soaked stupidity of the characters causes these said boobs to point at the screen and howl, “Hey, those guys, they’re just like me and my buds, man!”
So I guess the gushes of orgasmic praise by the douchebag set makes perfect sense.
And though I’ve been pilloried for being some kind of elitist, “The Hangover” fanatics have actually been the pompous blowhards, frothing at mouth and attacking anyone who flings a dingleberry at their beloved buddy flick.
When I saw the trailers for Imagine That (and there were trailers) I actually thought it would work only from a counter-programming standpoint (work with the little girl-princess crowd, I mean).
The fact it tanked so hard speaks a lot about Eddie’s marketability, as Nikki predicted way back when.
To those who think Eddie Murphy should stop making family movies and go back to what he used to do, might I suggest renting some of the following non-family films he’s made since 1985.
“The Golden Child”
“Harlem Nights”
“Another 48 Hrs.”
“The Distinguished Gentleman”
“Metro”
“Beverly Hills Cop 3″
“Showtime”
“Bowfinger” *
“I, Spy”
“Vampire in Brooklyn”
“The Adventures of Pluto Nash”
“Meet Dave”
*”Bowfinger” doesn’t really belong on this list, but it is of note for co-starring Steve Martin, another undeniable comic genius with an uncanny knack for largely appearing in bad movies.
Taking of Pelham 123 is a solid adult oriented thriller. I LOVE the original but this is a solid re-imagining. Denzel and Travolta are top notch,. It’s a quality film well worth checking out.
chuck
Hey P!
I’m a female in my early 20’s who never gets drunk and doesn’t really like being around the people you just described and Guess What?! I thought The Hangover was hilarious. In other words, people don’t have to be drunk fratboys to find humor in a movie that you don’t think is funny.
Pointing out that comedy is subjective is kind of pointless since others have already said it and you don’t seem to care, but I’m going to anyway.
People aren’t attacking you because you said the movie wasn’t funny. I, and I’d say most people, don’t care if you found the movie funny. You’re fully entitled to like the type of humor you like. People are responding to you in the way that they are because you’re demeaning them and insinuating that they only liked the movie because they’re sheep.
Wow, “P” – could NOT have said it better. Bravo!
_________________
I bet all the boobs droppin’ loads on “The Hangover” are the same types of guys who always brag about how they got sooooooo drunk and wasted over the weekend, as if it were a feat similar to scaling Mount Everest.
Maybe the wild antics and hangover-soaked stupidity of the characters causes these said boobs to point at the screen and howl, “Hey, those guys, they’re just like me and my buds, man!”
So I guess the gushes of orgasmic praise by the douchebag set makes perfect sense.
And though I’ve been pilloried for being some kind of elitist, “The Hangover” fanatics have actually been the pompous blowhards, frothing at mouth and attacking anyone who flings a dingleberry at their beloved buddy flick.
Paid to see Metro in theaters my friends and I were almost thrown out of the theater for howling at the screen. The movie was that bad. Does anybody else think a no holds barred Barbara Walters or Oprah type interview with Eddie wear he bares his soul and seems contrite could revive his career. I think that, coupled with a good movie, could actually work.
Although I dislike 90 percent of the movies he’s done recently he did co-write and I believe produce Norbit, which made a boatload of cash.
Honestly though the man needs to be open enough to give himself over to the process of making a good movie with talented people.
>>To those who think Eddie Murphy should stop making family movies and go back to what he used to do, might I suggest renting some of the following non-family films he’s made since 1985.<<
Yes, it’s been two decades since Coming To America, which I believe was the “old” Eddie’s last hit. Even then, you could already see him wanting to move away from his edgier style of comedy.
He’s now pushing fifty and has had more hits in family films than anything else. Even if he wanted to, I’m not sure he could transition back to his Beverly Hills Cop/48 Hours/Delirious persona all that easily.
Let’s not forget that Brian Robbins the genius that gave us Norbit and Meet Dave. Thanks for nothing you hack.
I love those people who blame the time of year for “Pelham” doing just average business. Are we in the middle of crazy, fun hot summer? No, it’s not even summer yet. this movie will make the money it deserves and that’s not bad. it’s about terrorism on a subway, something people might not love seeing. sure the actors are great and earn top dollar but summer, winter, late August or late February, it’s an old fashioned taut claustrobic flick with a director who has become almost predictable, not the most interesting way to spend hard earned dollars.
Fat Jesus is the funny friggin guy I have seen in years. I laughed so hard in this movie. You know, I like the Apatow movies but his characters aren’t really relatable. They are just losers getting the girl. These guys seemed like the guys I know and they were all kind of different. It was funny and it was really well written for a comedy and I loved how no one was really famous in it. That’s what made it cool because you had no idea what to expect from their acting. Just think if you put every huge male actor in it how bad that movie would have been. I’m sick of seeing the same old people in everything. This was fresh!!!
Pelham 123 was so…blah. The story never picks up any steam and it just ends up landguishing while the mtv editing tactics fail to stir up any real excitement or tension.
It was fairly easy to detect that everyone from the impressive assembly of talent – from director Tony Scott and screenwriter Brian Helgeland to bit players James Gandolfini and John Turturro – were just phoning it in for a paycheck. Travolta wasn’t terribly intimidating either and Denzel didn’t seem very committed to the material.
I hoped this would be a fun popcorn thrill ride. Instead I was lulled into total apathy.
Eddie Murphy needs to get arrested or sent to rehab to rescue his career.
@Mxw Since you represent the bastion of open-mindedness, hipness and coolness, I’ll take your word for it that The Hangover is just the best ever.
No, wait. Actually, I’m with Sal and P. This is the usual Hollywood schlock reprocessed yet again and sold to the sad, wannabe hipsters who long to see what “cool” people do when THEY binge drink, black out and finally come to. It’s so cool when THEY do it. On the other hand, when WE do it, we end up with fewer friends, relationships and more jailtime and fines…if we survive, but hey, that’s just US. If only we were COOL Hollywood types…the kind that aren’t stars, of course, but the yet undiscovered, i.e., Ed Helms and the others who are hidden gems of talent — get a clue, most of us have seen these guys before on Comedy Central and deemed them mediocre even then. As is The Hangover…mediocre drivel (at best). But I’m sure it’ll be nominated for several Golden Globes, Oscars, et al…for writing, of course.
@Glenn “My god, some of you have such sticks up your arse. “The Hangover” is just a good fun time at the movies. I imagine people poo-pooing that movie also decried audiences for laughing at movies like “Stripes”, “Caddyshack” and the like, which are now considered comedy classics. And movies like “Wedding Crashers” prove these sort of comedies can be huge. What’s so unexpected and shocking?”
The difference, Glenn, is that Stripes, Caddyshack and, yes even Wedding Crashers (to a lesser degree) were good movies.
You might even call these movies (NOT films) innovative because AT THE TIME THEY WERE RELEASED they were rare gems of mindless humor. Now mindless humor (and mindless violence and just plain mindless) is the overwhelming norm.
@Anonymous
It’s not summer yet? Sure feels like summer.
@ Santa’s (oops Satan’s) PA
“Why do they keep paying Eddie Murphy $20 million when his movies are bombing? That’s just a waste of money. Might as well flush it down the toilet. It’s practically the same thing.”
Well, Santa, Murphy’s movies ALWAYS make money. They might not make a bundle here in the good ‘ol USofA on the big screen, but family crap always does well, in particular when the mindless masses aka families see someone they know in a lead role…where Murphy fills in nicely.
Video and the other secondary and tertiary markets are where most movies make their dough. In the meantime, we all get to suffer through most of this crap filling the multi-plexes. Not that I mind, I haven’t been to the cinema in years. $20 for a load of hackneyed BS, crowds of “Hangover” fans, and a dose of Swine Flu just doesn’t sound like entertainment to me.
Star Trek has some serious legs for what was a bad script
HANGOVER STILL KING OF THE PROM.
UP JUST KEEPS ROLLING ON.
PELHAM’S NO THRILLER,
MUSEUM’S STILL A KILLER,
AND MURPHY DROPS A BIG FUCKIN’ BOMB.
Zack Galifianakis for Best Supporting Actor!
The film itself should warrant strong consideration for Best Picture, too. A raunchy guy comedy has never won the top prize and the time seems right for one as perfectly made as this to at least be nominated.
Dear Mr Murphy,
Please stop. Please.
It’s just $. Haven’t you made enough @ the expense of your once brilliant comic legacy?
I can’t look @ you w/out cringing.
I would love to know ‘above the line’ for PELHAM. It has to be close to $60 million dollars. I guess that means the movie itself only cost around $40 million dollars. I think Mr. Scott should be congratulated for bringing in such a sophisticated work for that kind of money. That couldn’t have been easy.
I actually can’t believe Nikki and some of the people on this blog.
The same fools who a couple of weeks ago lauded Shawn Levy — master hack craftsman of garbage like CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN and THE PINK PANTHER with Steve Martin — for making, what, a half-dozen pieces of crap that all opened at #1? And yet here they all are a couple of weeks later, decrying a genuinely funny movie like THE HANGOVER for being a success??
What the hell am I missing? Or is everyone here a lot more clueless than it looks? Sorry but I don’t get it.
Video sales are declining rapidly. Piracy, Netflix, and competition from other stuff make life no longer 1999. So too, foreign sales. Particularly hard hit by piracy. Even Johnny Depp in a movie, indie or not, is not enough to generate pre-sales and foreign distributors have gone under, done in by piracy out of Russia and China.
Much of Hollywood is failing because it can’t understand, connect, sympathize, or relate to it’s audience who are considered “dumb boobs” per most of the commenters here. Having atagonistic views of one’s audience is a sure fire way to lose them. Hangover and Up seem decent, fun movies that promise entertainment not depressing debasement like far too many movies these days. It’s pathetic that it took a foreigner to make the only action movie (Taken) worth seeing in years.
The problem with studio execs is that they (and hot writers, producers, directors, and actors) live for years in the “bubble” where they have people fawning over them telling them they are god, when they are socially isolated, hot-house environment humans sharply cut off like Versailles aristocrats from their audience. The social distance from the head of Paramount Studios to say, an accountant who buys a ticket to Star Trek, is at least as vast as that of a French Peasant to Louis XVI.
I watched The Hangover last night with a packed cinema and I (we) loved it.
But if WB/Legenadary really paid a reported $35m budget for this film then I have a bridge to sell them.
Even for a big studio that film shouldn’t have cost more than $20/25M. Tops.
Comment by Sy — June 13, 2009 @ 10:56 pm
Emm..good question Sy.
We have Leo with Martin Scorsese over 4 movies already
Then we have Russel with Ridley Scott and Shia with Spielberg.
We’re seeing a pattern emerging from Hollywood. Kind of reminded one of the Golden years when Studios ruled over their actors./
The downfall of Eddie Murphy’s career is truly a sad one. Here’s the biggest comedy star of the 1980’s, who has some of the best raunchy comedy hits under his belt, metastasizing into a forgettable, sell-out ‘family movie’ comedy failure. He’s gotta know his career is in a nosedive. Why does he keep picking such shitty projects?! Is anyone in his circle talking any sense into him?
Where’s the Eddie Murphy from ‘48 Hours’,'Beverly Hills Cop’,'Trading Places’,'Delirious’,'Raw’,and ‘Coming To America’? And then there are the troubles with his personal life.. This guy is his own worst enemy.
The Hangover becoming a blockbuster is a sign of the downfall of western culture.
This was honestly one of the dumbest movies I’ve ever seen.
Comment by Sal — June 12, 2009 @ 11:32 pm
——–
I’ve been saying it for years. Just like borat, bruno, mall cop, etc… this movie only proves how dumb the movie goers are today. There is no substance on the screen and clearly there is no substance in the heads of the people of this country who like this crap. I’m sure people like Mike Martineau, who are proud of thier crap work, will object out of ignorance.
Hangover is aimed at 25 to 45 not necessarily college educated American GUYS. So not everyone will find their wet dreams of hookers and cocaine funny. In fact, some do find it “low-brow”. As the saying goes, can’t please everyone all the time…