|
|
Your Weekly Guide to New Movies for
November 22, 2006
By Edward Douglas -
Greetings and welcome back to the Weekend Warrior,
your weekly guide to the weekend's new movies. Tune in every Tuesday
for the latest look at the upcoming weekend, and then check back on
Friday for final projections based on actual theatre counts. (This
week, there should be a minor update on Wednesday morning.)
This week's column is brought to
you by the Old
Boy Collector's Edition from Tartan Films' Asia Extreme. Well,
no not really, but since the holiday gift-giving season has officially
begun, this really is the coolest thing you can possibly give to someone
that you love. Or hate, for that matter. Yes, it's also the perfect
revenge gift for that person who ruined your life, by say, locking
you in a room for fifteen years. If you haven't seen Park Chanwook's
revenge masterpiece, you can't beat this amazing package!
(If
you have anything to say about anything written in this column, feedback
and Email is always welcome,
and almost always responded to.)
THE WEEKEND PREDICTIONS: (final update 11.21...Happy Thanksgiving!)
It's Thanksgiving weekend, which means that kids and family films will rule, though there are plenty of picks for younger guys and couples who won't be spending the entire weekend with their families. Still, it will be hard for any of the four new movies in wide release to surpass last week's powerhouse duo of Happy Feet and Casino Royale. Both should hold up strong, though the latter James Bond flick sees a bit of added competition in the form of Déjà Vu, which reunites producer Jerry Bruckheimer with his Crimson Tide actor and director, Denzel Washington and Tony Scott, coming off their 2004 hit Man on Fire. The action-drama should do a lot of business on Wednesday and Thursday before settling down on the weekend, ending up just behind the Bond powerhouse.
The fourth family film to enter the market is Fox's holiday-themed Deck the Halls with Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick, and while usually a comedy starring that duo would flounder in a busy spring weekend, this is a Christmas movie, and Thanksgiving weekend is the best weekend to release it. Its main competition will come in the form of Tim Allen's The Santa Clause 3, which has been in theatres for nearly a month, but it's a franchise that always picks up steam over Thanksgiving weekend.
Then there are the niche films that will appeal to specific fans but might not have as much interest to general audiences, and the real question may be whether Thanksgiving weekend stoners will go see Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny or Darren Aronofsky's trippy epic The Fountain. Movies geared towards the college crowd rarely do well over this weekend with the one exception being the holiday-themed Bad Santa, and neither is being released in over 2,000 theatres, but both movies are long-anticipated and should split that business to end up in the bottom half of the Top 10 with the Jack Black comedy having the advantage.
After an exclusive run in New York and Los Angeles last weekend, Emilio Estevez's Bobby will expand into wide release on Thanksgiving Day—an odd choice considering how much business a movie can do the night before the holiday—but it should bring in a solid older audience over the weekend. And just in case Saturday night comes around and you still can't find anything else to see, you might want to seek out the sneak peeks at Will Smith's new movie The Pursuit of Happyness, taking place in 500 theatres.
Last Thanksgiving, there were even more new movies—five!—but only Paramount's remake of Yours, Mine and Ours was able to make any sort of mark against the two-some of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which brought in $55 million over the three-day weekend, and the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, which made $19 million. The big screen adaptation of the musical Rent did decently its opening day but quickly tanked by the time the weekend came around and the other three movies (Just Friends, The Ice Harvest and In the Mix) just didn't have much interest for anyone. Keira Knightley's Pride & Prejudice had a successful national expansion into 1,300 theatres, where it made $7 million. The Top 10 made $143 million over the 3-day weekend, a number that is likely to be equalled or beat by this year's offerings.
THE CHOSEN ONE:
Usually, I'll save this spot for a limited release indie flick like The History Boys, but this week, we'll just cut to the chase since this is one of my favorite movies of the year:
THE FOUNTAIN (Warner
Bros.)
Starring Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Gullette, Sean Patrick Thomas, Donna Murphy
Written and directed by Darren Aronofsky (þ, Requiem for a Dream) w/Ari Handel (story idea)
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Drama
Rated PG-13
Tagline: "What if you could live forever?"
Plot Summary: As a scientist (Hugh Jackman) desperately tries to save his dying wife (Rachel Weisz) from a brain tumor in the present day, she begs him to finish her novel.
Of Note: Darren Aronofsky returns with his third and most ambitious film, a time-spanning love story starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz
REVIEW
INTERVIEW (with Darren Aronofsky)
There might not be a lot more that I can say about this movie that I haven't already said in my review and interview (above), except that it started the year as one of my most anticipated films and it certainly has delivered. I've seen it twice now, once in July and once a few weeks back, and it's really quite an amazing experience that is well worth the six year wait since Darren Aronofsky's last movie.
Then again, I'm also a huge fan of Aronofsky's. Most of his first film þ was set in my Lower East Side neighborhood—and yes, I've been accosted by Orthodox Jews wanting to pray with me—and I still remember the first time I saw the trailer for Requiem for a Dream, in front of the first X-Men no less, and it having more of an impact than the movie that followed. Of course, Requiem wasn't everybody's armful of smack, but it was an unforgettable visual experience due to the insane camerawork and editing. It was really exciting to visit the set of The Fountain way back in January 2005, meet Darren and his collaborators, like Clint Mansell, all of which built my anticipation of the movie even more.
The Fountain is just as amazing an achievement as Requiem, though it's a completely different animal. It's more about beauty than ugliness, it's about love and life, and it covers so many subjects, from religion to science and even Mayan mythology, to create an intricate layered story that really gets you to think about what you're watching. (A nice change in "The Year of the Dumb" let me tell you!) It's a very emotional and dramatic film mainly due to the love story between Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz's characters with many moments that will deeply affect you.
Sure, not everyone will love the movie as much as I do, but those with open minds will certainly appreciate what Aronofsky has achieved this time around. It's nice to have an intelligent alternative this weekend to movies like Tenacious D, Deck the Halls and the latest Bruckheimer/Scott flick.
Since The Fountain is opening wide in 1,400 or more theatres on Wednesday, I'll have to put aside my love for the movie and go through the normal formalities of figuring out how well it might do in theatres. (But everyone reading this should prove me wrong by going to see the movie, so it makes way more than my prediction, okay?)
Pros: It's been nearly six years since Darren Aronofsky's last film Requiem for a Dream, and though there was a lot of controversy surrounding his Hubert Selby Jr. adaptation due to its tough nature and its NC-17 rating, it didn't do very much business in theatres ($3.6 million). It has gone on to become a cult classic on DVD just like his previous film þ, and The Fountain has a lot more star power, including Hugh Jackman (his fourth live action movie this year!) and Aronofsky's own fiancée Rachel Weisz, appearing in her first film since winning an Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG award for her performance in The Constant Gardener earlier this year. Aronofsky holds a certain stature among 20-30 something genre fans, particularly due to his connection with comics (as seen by the graphic novel of the story released a year ago), as do Jackman and Weisz, having both starred in huge blockbuster genre franchises. With that in mind, Warner Bros. gave The Fountain a big push for the movie at Comic-Con in San Diego, except that was in 2005, which means that many people who may have been interested in what they saw might have already forgotten about it. The movie also has a strong love story, which could be a good selling point for women that dug movies like The Lake House and The Notebook, both which dealt with relationships over the course of time.
Cons: Looking at the box office history of Aronofsky's previous films is daunting, since neither movie did very much business theatrically, finding their audience mainly on DVD. Thanksgiving weekend is generally not a good time to release an arty movie geared towards the 20-30 something crowd like this, especially in a busy weekend with so many other movies being released. The sword of Steven Soderbergh's Solaris hangs heavily over this film, as that was similarly esoteric, and it also failed to make a mark despite having the added benefits of being Clooney and Soderbergh's follow-up to the hit Ocean's 11. The Fountain looks better and has a bit more anticipation among Aronofsky's patient fanbase, but it's not likely to be of interest to others, since the commercials don't do very much to explain the movie's difficult premise. They tend to be all over the place, some of them focusing on the 16th Century stuff and others on the love story, but none of them really giving them the big picture. (I remember telling a WB publicist after seeing the movie that it could be the most unmarketable movie ever made, though they did a decent job with the trailer.) The graphic novel by Kent Williams might act as a double-edged sword, because the comic fans who picked it up and read it will already know the story, and whether they decide to see the film might be based on whether they liked it or not.
Comparisons:
Why I Should See It: Darren Aronofsky has created a masterpiece of visuals and sound… and the story isn't half bad either!
Why Not: Not everyone is going to understand the cerebral time-spanning nature of the movie; some might be so confused that they'll hate it.
Projections: Roughly $3 million Weds and Thursday, another $5 to 7 million over the weekend ($9 to 10 million 5-day); $20 million total (more if it gets any sort of awards attention).
DECK THE HALLS (20th Century
Fox)
Starring Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Davis, Kristin Chenoweth, Alia Shawkat, Sabrina Aldridge, Kelly Aldridge
Directed by John Whitesell (Malibu's Most Wanted, Big Momma's House 2, and millions of TV shows); Written by Matt Corman and Chris Ord (debut), Don Rhymer (Big Momma's House, The Santa Clause 2, Big Momma's House 2, Agent Cody Banks 2, The Honeymooners)
Genre: Comedy, Family, Holiday
Rated PG
Tagline: "There glows the neighborhood."
Plot Summary: Steve (Matthew Broderick) is an average family man living in the suburbs who suddenly finds himself in a holiday feud as his new neighbor Danny (Danny DeVito) decides that he wants to put on the biggest Christmas light show in the neighborhood, an honor that usually goes to Steve.
Of Note: It's Thanksgiving weekend and there's a new holiday-themed comedy featuring a bunch of third-stringers trying to get back into the limelight.
Pros: Really, the only thing going for this movie is its title, its premise and the fact that holiday movies tend to do very well over the Thanksgiving weekend, pretty much always and with few exceptions. The premise is one that people, especially those living in suburbs, could easily appreciate and relate to, since it's very common to be competing with neighbors to see who has the best-decorated house. (Heck, it was funny in 1989's Christmas Vacation, so why shouldn't it be funny 16 years later?) While there isn't the star power of a movie like Christmas with the Kranks, grown-ups will be well aware of Matthew Broderick from his days as Ferris Buehler or even Inspector Gadget, and Danny DeVito going back to his days on "Taxi." The wives, Kristins Chenoweth and Davis (no relation), have their own fanbase of women from Broadway and HBO's "Sex and the City," respectively. Besides the obvious holiday theme and title, the movie features very easy physical comedy, which often goes over well with kids and family audiences, and the movie has been worked over by the team behind 20th Century Fox's early '06 hit sequel Big Momma's House, as well as the co-writer of The Santa Clause 2. Also, it's rated PG, which means that the families going to the malls together on the day after Thanksgiving will be able to select this as a choice.
Cons: Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick really haven't been very strong box office draws in recent years, both appearing in smaller movies (no pun intended) and outright bombs like Broderick's attempt to revive his part in the hit musical The Producers last December. Without the star power of Tim Allen, who is clearly the king of Thanksgiving releases thanks to the Santa Clause and Toy Story movies, this movie might be a harder sell to kids and parents. Speaking of Tim Allen, the movie will also have to contend with the fourth weekend of The Santa Clause 3, a known quantity in a franchise that always does significant business over Thanksgiving weekend. The movie just looks dumb, which means that it won't have much interest from teens or older non-parents, and as we saw with the second weekend of Friday After Next, just having a holiday theme sometimes isn't enough if you don't have appeal to a wide audience. This is also a very crowded holiday weekend with many stronger choices for families.
Comparisons:
Why I Should See It: It's Thanksgiving weekend and with Christmas right around the corner, people may as well get into the holiday spirit early (or late if they missed The Santa Clause 3).
Why Not: Haven't American audiences figured out when they're being tricked into seeing a bad holiday comedy yet? I mean, c'mon, surely everyone knows that the only reason this movie is being made because Fox knows they can release it this weekend and make money.
Projections: $5 to 6 million on Weds/Thurs, another $15 to 17 million on the weekend ($20 to 22 million five-day); $52 million total.
DÉJA
VU (Touchstone Pictures)
Starring Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, Paula Patton, Bruce Greenwood, Adam Goldberg, Jim Caviezel
Directed by Tony Scott (Man on Fire, Spy Game, Enemy of the State, Domino); Written by Terry Rossio (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, The Mask of Zorro, The Legend of Zorro, Godzilla, Treasure Planet, Shrek, The Road to El Dorado), Bill Marsilii
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rated PG-13
Tagline: "If you thought it was just a trick of the mind, prepare yourself for the truth."
Plot Summary: After an explosion on a New Orleans Ferry that kills hundreds of people, ATF agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) must try to solve the crime, which may involve the mysterious body of a woman (Paul Patton) found at the disaster. What he isn't prepared for is the government's new system that allows him to look back into the past and possibly even change it.
Of Note: Superstar mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer reunites director Tony Scott and actor Denzel Washington for a high concept follow-up to their 2004 hit Man on Fire.
Mini-Review: For a movie from Jerry Bruckheimer and Tony Scott, this movie starts surprisingly slow as Denzel's Doug Carlin shows up after an act of terrorism, then spends the next hour investigating and sitting around watching monitors, obsessing over a woman whose body was found. It almost makes you think that this is going to be a dull dud even once the time-travel premise is introduced. Fortunately, things get more interesting as Denzel tries to figure out ways of stopping the inevitable from happening, and the last hour or so is infinitely more interesting than the first hour. From there, it starts veering into 12 Monkeys or Primer territory, though not doing nearly as much with the premise as another filmmaker might have done. Fortunately, it never turns into the kind of time travel movie that forces viewers to think too hard to figure things out and Scott minimizes the ridiculous amount of fast-editing and wild cameras he's become famous for. In general, if you like what Scott and Washington have done together before, either together or separately, you're apt to dig this intriguing action-thriller that doesn't challenge or demand too much from the viewer. Rating: 7/10
Pros: The most obvious one right off the bat is the presence of Denzel Washington, who has gradually become one of the most consistent box office stars in Hollywood. In the last 8 years, only one of his movies has grossed less than $40 million, while six out of his seven wide releases opened higher than $20 million. Tony Scott is a popular director, best known for his stylish filmmaking, and though he's had a few flops like The Fan and last year's Domino, he does make visually stimulating and entertaining films that audiences tend to enjoy (like Top Gun, for instance). His last teaming with Denzel Washington, Man on Fire, was a solid hit ($77 million total) and his two previous movies opened around this same time of year to decent success over the holiday weekend. Déjà vu is also the latest movie from mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean), who has had so many hits in his career, including Denzel's Remember the Titans and a few with director Tony Scott (Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Enemy of the State). This is the first time that the three of them have reunited since making 1995's Crimson Tide. Obviously, these are three really strong elements to this film's success, and though one would normally think of this as a movie just for guys, it's the type of movie likely to appeal to a wide range of demographics and ages. It's also the only movie that might have any sort of urban draw, both among men and women, because let's face it, you can't get much whiter than what is in theatres right now. Disney is giving the movie a very wide release with a huge marketing campaign that includes the distinctive repeated images in the trailer and commercials that always get attention.
Cons: The first and biggest obstacle Bruckheimer and company has is the direct competition that Déjà Vu has from the latest James Bond movie, Casino Royale, which is likely to keep trucking along from positive word-of-mouth after a strong opening weekend. Although this has many of the elements that fans of Washington and Scott will appreciate, the time travel premise might be a bit too confusing for some audiences, and the movie takes some time to get going, which might annoy some action fans. Scott may have lost some favor among movie-lovers after the trainwreck that was Domino, though this should have some strong early word-of-mouth from preview screenings. Because the movie is opening on Wednesday, many of Denzel's fans will rush out to see it on Wednesday and Thursday, which might take away from how much it can make over the weekend, especially since non-family/holiday fare doesn't always do that well over Thanksgiving weekend. The last time-travel action movie to open over the weekend was Richard Donner's Timeline, based on the book by Michael Crichton; the one before that was Nick of Time starring Johnny Depp. They both bombed.
Comparisons:
Why I Should See It: The decision by producer Jerry Bruckheimer to reunite Denzel Washington with Tony Scott after their second hit Man on Fire is pure genius.
Why Not: Time travel is known to give movie audiences a headache and all the explosions and gunfire probably won't help.
Projections: $9 to 10 million on Wednesday/Thursday, another $22 to 24 million over the weekend ($32 to 34 million five-day); $75 million total.
TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF
DESTINY (New Line)
Starring Jack Black, Kyle Gass, JR Reed, Roonie James Dio, Meatloaf, Ben Stiller, Tim Robbins, Amy Adams, Dave Grohl, Amy Poehler, Colin Hanks, Paul F. Tompkins, Troy Gentile
Directed by Liam Lynch (Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic); Written by Jack Black, Kyle Gass (AKA Tenacious D)
Genre: Comedy, ROCK!
Rated R
Tagline: "The greatest motion picture of all time."
Plot Summary: The origins of the "legendary" folk metal duo Tenacious D is told as JB (Jack Black) comes to Venice Beach from the MidWest where he meets KG (Kyle Gass) and they begin their path to become the greatest rock ‘n' roll band ever, by stealing a magic guitar pick housed in the Rock ‘n' Roll Hall of Fame 300 Miles Away.
Of Note: Comic superstar Jack Black returns to his roots as he and long-time musical collaborator Kyle Gass, collectively known as Tenacious D, star in a movie that tells the fictitious origins of the band.
Mini-Review: You may have to be a fan of the D's music to truly appreciate this rock opera that plays like an extended music video. Certainly, there are a good number of hearty laughs, mostly from Black's outlandish behavior, but it's mostly them doing the same thing they've been doing since the HBO show, which doesn't really work over such a long stretch without getting tiring, mainly because the actual story just isn't that interesting. Often, the movie's funniest parts involve impromptu cameos by the guys' friends, while young Troy Gentile may have a career ahead playing a younger Jack Black from his hilarious note-perfect impersonation of Black in the intro section. Towards the end, the poor production values start to get more apparent with cheesy animation ruining the final, so ultimately, only the most diehard D fans will forgive the flaws in this erratic comedy that probably won't stand-up to multiple viewings. Rating: 6/10
Pros: Over the last few years, Jack Black has become hugely successful as a movie star, and his band Tenacious D, who celebrate their twelfth anniversary this year, have found success along with him, despite their short-lived HBO show which only lasted six episodes and having only released one studio album (which went platinum).The duo first appeared on film together in 1996's bomb Bio Dome, but Black's musical partner Kyle Gass has appeared in a number of Black's movies since then (though never as Tenacious D). The duo has become a cult phenomenon from their rare live appearances and regular plays on college radio (at least the songs that could be played, their lyrics are filthy!) It made sense that they'd eventually come up with a movie based around the band, and the success of Borat's movie shows that having a character with a ground swell of fans could lead to huge showing at the box office. There have been some great rock comedies over the years, the most famous one being the classic This is Spinal Tap, and Black had a lot success with his own rock comedy, School of Rock, three years ago.
Cons: This movie has been over two years in the making, actually being shot in the spring of '05, but it's been delayed and moved around the schedule before being released into 1,850 theatres on a weekend that isn't great for an R-rated comedy, the one exception being the holiday-themed Bad Santa. (Adam Sandler's animated movie 8 Crazy Nights barely made in five days what most of his movies make opening day.) Despite the D having a huge fanbase, that doesn't always add up to big box office as seen by Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob and Clerks II, both which had a similar college-age fanbase due to his regular appearances, but his movies seem to have a ceiling on how much they can make. On top of that, we have to wonder how many Tenacious D fans there are out there and whether most of them will be heading home for the holidays and not get a chance to see this movie until they get back to school. If you're not a fan of the D's music, you probably won't get the humor in this rock epic. The movie also has a lot of direct competition for college-age males with Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain, Denzel Washington's Déjà Vu and even the fourth weekend of Borat taking away business, though it's very likely that the D's diehard fans will be out on Wednesday to see it.
Comparisons:
Why I Should See It: Black is always funny on his own, but when teamed with his partner Kyle Gass, they're hilarious!
Why Not: The D's music and lyrics aren't for everyone, and the movie is likely to feature a lot of the same raunchy humor as their tunes.
Projections: $11 to 13 million over the five-day weekend (around $8 million over the weekend) and $22 million total.
THE
HISTORY BOYS (Fox Searchlight)
Starring Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison, Frances de la Tour, Stephen Campbell Moore, Sacha Dhawan, Samuel Anderson, Dominic Cooper, Andrew Knott, Samuel Barnett, Russell Tovey, Jamie Parker, James Corden
Directed by Nicholas Hytner (The Madness of King George, The Object of my Affection, The Crucible); Written by Alan Bennett (Prick Up Your Ears, The Madness of King George)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rated R
Tagline: "History. It's just one bloody thing after another."
Plot Summary: As a group of smart but feisty students at a Sheffield grammar school prepare to take their Oxford/Cambridge entrance exams, a new teacher (Moore) shows up to help them, which irks the school's long-time history teacher (Frances De La Tour) and the lecherous English/arts teacher (Richard Griffiths).
Of Note: Alan Bennett's hit play is brought to the screen, reuniting the entire original cast with the original production's director Nicholas Hytner
Pros: It's not often where a play or musical comes to the big screen with the entire cast and crew intact, but that's exactly what Nicholas Hytner has done, bringing the Tony and Olivier award-winning play by Alan Bennett to the big screen so that theatre lovers who missed it on Broadway will have a chance to see it. Richard Griffiths and Frances De La Tour will be best known to Harry Potter fans as Uncle Vernon from the first three movies and as the giant Madame Maxine in Goblet of Fire, respectively. Both of them have won many stage awards for the parts and are thought to be in the running for Oscars for their film performances, plus they're joined by an amazing cast of young British talent. The movie has a great soundtrack of ‘80s tunes from The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen and The Smiths that might appeal to a hipper 30-something crowd
Cons: Some people might be put off by the homoerotic overtones of some of the relationships, like Griffiths' advances on his students, and the British academics might go over the heads of the less "anglophilic" Americans.
Comparisons: Gosford Park, The Dead Poet's Society, Mona Lisa Smile, The Emperor's Club, Proof
Why I Should See It: The full ensemble cast from the Tony-winning play is captured on film for the sake of anyone who never had a chance to see the play in person.
Why Not: Richard Griffith's lecherous teacher might give some people the creeps… or remind them too much of a teacher they know from school.
REVIEW
The History Boys opens on Tuesday in select cities.
OTHER LIMITED RELEASES:
BACKSTAGE (Strand Releasing) - Emmanuelle Bercot's drama about the obsessive fan of a French pop star who gets a chance to meet her idol creating an emotional dependency between them that sends both their lives out of control. Opening on Wednesday in New York at the Film Forum.
DHOOM:2 BACK IN ACTION (Yash Raj Films) The sequel to the 2004 Bollywood action comedy following a rookie cop (Uday Chopra) who now has to track down a high-tech thief who plans on hitting Mumbai, India. Adding the ubiquitous Aishwarya Rai to the mix, this globetrotting action-comedy sequel opens on Thursday in normal Bollywood outlets.
OPAL DREAM (Strand Releasing) - Peter Cattaneo's family film about a young Australian girl living in the Outback who has two imaginary friends named Pobby and Dingan, and what happens when they go missing when her father takes them down into the opal mines with him. It opens on Wednesday in New York and L.A.
OUR DAILY BREAD (First Run/Icarus Films) - Just one week after Richard Linklater's Fast Food Nation comes a documentary from Austria's Nikolaus Geyrhalter that shows where our food comes from, showing unedited or narrated footage of the farms and industrial factories where vegetables and animals are turned into the food we eat. It opens on Friday at the Anthology Film Archives.
Mini-Review (Coming Soon!)
VALLEY OF THE WOLVES: IRAQ (Filmmates Corp.) Based on the Turkish television show, this Turkish action thriller based on the events of July 4, 2003 when 11 Turkish soldiers were deported by American troops, so a special Turkish intelligence agent who goes to Iraq to avenge his humiliated friend.
THE WORK AND GLORY: A HOUSE DIVIDED (Vineyard Distribution) The third and final installment of the films based on Gerald N. Lund's best-selling novels about the early days of the Church of Latter-Day Saints opens in select areas.
Next week, December Madness (52 movies in 31 days!!!) kicks off with three very different movies, New Line's The Nativity Story starring Whale Rider's Keisha Castle-Huges as Mary, the vacation thriller Turistas and the long-awaited (?) comedy sequel National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj with Kal "Kumar" Penn.
Copyright 2006 Edward Douglas
Take on The Weekend Warrior in the box-office related movie games at:
Or enter the contests at the Warrior's other favorite haunt:
THE WEEKEND PREDICTIONS: (final update 11.21...Happy Thanksgiving!)
|
TW |
LW |
Title |
3-Day Weekend (in millions) |
5-Day Weekend (in millions) |
Change |
# Of Theaters |
Average |
Week |
|
1 |
1 |
Happy Feet |
$36.5 |
$49.5 |
-12% |
3,804 |
$9,595 |
2 |
|
2 |
2 |
Casino Royale |
$28.6 |
$39.7 |
-30% |
3,443 |
$8,307 |
2 |
|
3 |
New |
$23.3 |
$33.3 |
N/A |
3,108 |
$7,497 |
1 |
|
|
4 |
New |
$15.6 |
$21.0 |
N/A |
3,023 |
$5,160 |
1 |
|
|
5 |
4 |
The Santa Clause 3 |
$9.5 |
$12.5 |
15% |
3,043 |
$3,122 |
4 |
|
6 |
3 |
Borat |
$8.9 |
$13.1 |
-39% |
2,552 |
$3,487 |
4 |
|
7 |
New |
$8.3 |
$12.8 |
N/A |
1,919 |
$4,325 |
1 |
|
|
8 |
?? |
Bobby |
$6.3 |
$7.7 |
869% |
1,667 |
$3,779 |
2 |
|
9 |
New |
$6.0 |
$9.2 |
N/A |
1,472 |
$4,076 |
1 |
|
|
10 |
6 |
Flushed Away |
$5.4 |
$7.5 |
-18% |
2,621 |
$2,060 |
4 |
| 3-Day Weekend Total |
5-Day Weekend Total |
Est. Avg. Drop-Off |
Est. Average PTA |
It's Thanksgiving weekend, which means that kids and family films will rule, though there are plenty of picks for younger guys and couples who won't be spending the entire weekend with their families. Still, it will be hard for any of the four new movies in wide release to surpass last week's powerhouse duo of Happy Feet and Casino Royale. Both should hold up strong, though the latter James Bond flick sees a bit of added competition in the form of Déjà Vu, which reunites producer Jerry Bruckheimer with his Crimson Tide actor and director, Denzel Washington and Tony Scott, coming off their 2004 hit Man on Fire. The action-drama should do a lot of business on Wednesday and Thursday before settling down on the weekend, ending up just behind the Bond powerhouse.
The fourth family film to enter the market is Fox's holiday-themed Deck the Halls with Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick, and while usually a comedy starring that duo would flounder in a busy spring weekend, this is a Christmas movie, and Thanksgiving weekend is the best weekend to release it. Its main competition will come in the form of Tim Allen's The Santa Clause 3, which has been in theatres for nearly a month, but it's a franchise that always picks up steam over Thanksgiving weekend.
Then there are the niche films that will appeal to specific fans but might not have as much interest to general audiences, and the real question may be whether Thanksgiving weekend stoners will go see Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny or Darren Aronofsky's trippy epic The Fountain. Movies geared towards the college crowd rarely do well over this weekend with the one exception being the holiday-themed Bad Santa, and neither is being released in over 2,000 theatres, but both movies are long-anticipated and should split that business to end up in the bottom half of the Top 10 with the Jack Black comedy having the advantage.
After an exclusive run in New York and Los Angeles last weekend, Emilio Estevez's Bobby will expand into wide release on Thanksgiving Day—an odd choice considering how much business a movie can do the night before the holiday—but it should bring in a solid older audience over the weekend. And just in case Saturday night comes around and you still can't find anything else to see, you might want to seek out the sneak peeks at Will Smith's new movie The Pursuit of Happyness, taking place in 500 theatres.
Last Thanksgiving, there were even more new movies—five!—but only Paramount's remake of Yours, Mine and Ours was able to make any sort of mark against the two-some of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which brought in $55 million over the three-day weekend, and the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, which made $19 million. The big screen adaptation of the musical Rent did decently its opening day but quickly tanked by the time the weekend came around and the other three movies (Just Friends, The Ice Harvest and In the Mix) just didn't have much interest for anyone. Keira Knightley's Pride & Prejudice had a successful national expansion into 1,300 theatres, where it made $7 million. The Top 10 made $143 million over the 3-day weekend, a number that is likely to be equalled or beat by this year's offerings.
THE CHOSEN ONE:
Usually, I'll save this spot for a limited release indie flick like The History Boys, but this week, we'll just cut to the chase since this is one of my favorite movies of the year:
THE FOUNTAIN (Warner
Bros.)Starring Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Gullette, Sean Patrick Thomas, Donna Murphy
Written and directed by Darren Aronofsky (þ, Requiem for a Dream) w/Ari Handel (story idea)
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Drama
Rated PG-13
Tagline: "What if you could live forever?"
Plot Summary: As a scientist (Hugh Jackman) desperately tries to save his dying wife (Rachel Weisz) from a brain tumor in the present day, she begs him to finish her novel.
Of Note: Darren Aronofsky returns with his third and most ambitious film, a time-spanning love story starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz
REVIEW
INTERVIEW (with Darren Aronofsky)
There might not be a lot more that I can say about this movie that I haven't already said in my review and interview (above), except that it started the year as one of my most anticipated films and it certainly has delivered. I've seen it twice now, once in July and once a few weeks back, and it's really quite an amazing experience that is well worth the six year wait since Darren Aronofsky's last movie.
Then again, I'm also a huge fan of Aronofsky's. Most of his first film þ was set in my Lower East Side neighborhood—and yes, I've been accosted by Orthodox Jews wanting to pray with me—and I still remember the first time I saw the trailer for Requiem for a Dream, in front of the first X-Men no less, and it having more of an impact than the movie that followed. Of course, Requiem wasn't everybody's armful of smack, but it was an unforgettable visual experience due to the insane camerawork and editing. It was really exciting to visit the set of The Fountain way back in January 2005, meet Darren and his collaborators, like Clint Mansell, all of which built my anticipation of the movie even more.
The Fountain is just as amazing an achievement as Requiem, though it's a completely different animal. It's more about beauty than ugliness, it's about love and life, and it covers so many subjects, from religion to science and even Mayan mythology, to create an intricate layered story that really gets you to think about what you're watching. (A nice change in "The Year of the Dumb" let me tell you!) It's a very emotional and dramatic film mainly due to the love story between Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz's characters with many moments that will deeply affect you.
Sure, not everyone will love the movie as much as I do, but those with open minds will certainly appreciate what Aronofsky has achieved this time around. It's nice to have an intelligent alternative this weekend to movies like Tenacious D, Deck the Halls and the latest Bruckheimer/Scott flick.
Since The Fountain is opening wide in 1,400 or more theatres on Wednesday, I'll have to put aside my love for the movie and go through the normal formalities of figuring out how well it might do in theatres. (But everyone reading this should prove me wrong by going to see the movie, so it makes way more than my prediction, okay?)
Pros: It's been nearly six years since Darren Aronofsky's last film Requiem for a Dream, and though there was a lot of controversy surrounding his Hubert Selby Jr. adaptation due to its tough nature and its NC-17 rating, it didn't do very much business in theatres ($3.6 million). It has gone on to become a cult classic on DVD just like his previous film þ, and The Fountain has a lot more star power, including Hugh Jackman (his fourth live action movie this year!) and Aronofsky's own fiancée Rachel Weisz, appearing in her first film since winning an Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG award for her performance in The Constant Gardener earlier this year. Aronofsky holds a certain stature among 20-30 something genre fans, particularly due to his connection with comics (as seen by the graphic novel of the story released a year ago), as do Jackman and Weisz, having both starred in huge blockbuster genre franchises. With that in mind, Warner Bros. gave The Fountain a big push for the movie at Comic-Con in San Diego, except that was in 2005, which means that many people who may have been interested in what they saw might have already forgotten about it. The movie also has a strong love story, which could be a good selling point for women that dug movies like The Lake House and The Notebook, both which dealt with relationships over the course of time.
Cons: Looking at the box office history of Aronofsky's previous films is daunting, since neither movie did very much business theatrically, finding their audience mainly on DVD. Thanksgiving weekend is generally not a good time to release an arty movie geared towards the 20-30 something crowd like this, especially in a busy weekend with so many other movies being released. The sword of Steven Soderbergh's Solaris hangs heavily over this film, as that was similarly esoteric, and it also failed to make a mark despite having the added benefits of being Clooney and Soderbergh's follow-up to the hit Ocean's 11. The Fountain looks better and has a bit more anticipation among Aronofsky's patient fanbase, but it's not likely to be of interest to others, since the commercials don't do very much to explain the movie's difficult premise. They tend to be all over the place, some of them focusing on the 16th Century stuff and others on the love story, but none of them really giving them the big picture. (I remember telling a WB publicist after seeing the movie that it could be the most unmarketable movie ever made, though they did a decent job with the trailer.) The graphic novel by Kent Williams might act as a double-edged sword, because the comic fans who picked it up and read it will already know the story, and whether they decide to see the film might be based on whether they liked it or not.
Comparisons:
|
Title |
Release Date |
Theater Count |
Previous Box Office (in millions) |
Weekend Box Office (in millions) |
Average |
Total Box Office |
|
Requiem for a Dream |
10/6/00 |
2 |
$0.06 |
$32,385 |
$3.65 |
|
|
The Prestige |
10/20/06 |
2,281 |
$14.80 |
$6,489 |
$49.42 |
|
|
The Constant Gardener |
9/2/05 |
1,346 |
$1.72 |
$10.96 |
$8,144 |
$31.25 |
|
Enemy at the Gates |
3/16/01 |
1,509 |
$13.81 |
$9,152 |
$51.40 |
|
|
The Lake House |
6/16/06 |
2,645 |
$13.60 |
$5,148 |
$52.32 |
|
|
The Notebook |
6/25/04 |
2,303 |
$13.46 |
$5,847 |
$79.67 |
|
|
Solaris |
11/29/02 |
2,406 |
$2.67 |
$6.75 |
$2,807 |
$14.91 |
|
From Hell |
10/19/01 |
2,305 |
$11.32 |
$4,911 |
$31.60 |
|
|
Alexander |
11/26/04 |
2,445 |
$8.15 |
$13.69 |
$5,598 |
$34.29 |
Why I Should See It: Darren Aronofsky has created a masterpiece of visuals and sound… and the story isn't half bad either!
Why Not: Not everyone is going to understand the cerebral time-spanning nature of the movie; some might be so confused that they'll hate it.
Projections: Roughly $3 million Weds and Thursday, another $5 to 7 million over the weekend ($9 to 10 million 5-day); $20 million total (more if it gets any sort of awards attention).
DECK THE HALLS (20th Century
Fox)Starring Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Davis, Kristin Chenoweth, Alia Shawkat, Sabrina Aldridge, Kelly Aldridge
Directed by John Whitesell (Malibu's Most Wanted, Big Momma's House 2, and millions of TV shows); Written by Matt Corman and Chris Ord (debut), Don Rhymer (Big Momma's House, The Santa Clause 2, Big Momma's House 2, Agent Cody Banks 2, The Honeymooners)
Genre: Comedy, Family, Holiday
Rated PG
Tagline: "There glows the neighborhood."
Plot Summary: Steve (Matthew Broderick) is an average family man living in the suburbs who suddenly finds himself in a holiday feud as his new neighbor Danny (Danny DeVito) decides that he wants to put on the biggest Christmas light show in the neighborhood, an honor that usually goes to Steve.
Of Note: It's Thanksgiving weekend and there's a new holiday-themed comedy featuring a bunch of third-stringers trying to get back into the limelight.
Pros: Really, the only thing going for this movie is its title, its premise and the fact that holiday movies tend to do very well over the Thanksgiving weekend, pretty much always and with few exceptions. The premise is one that people, especially those living in suburbs, could easily appreciate and relate to, since it's very common to be competing with neighbors to see who has the best-decorated house. (Heck, it was funny in 1989's Christmas Vacation, so why shouldn't it be funny 16 years later?) While there isn't the star power of a movie like Christmas with the Kranks, grown-ups will be well aware of Matthew Broderick from his days as Ferris Buehler or even Inspector Gadget, and Danny DeVito going back to his days on "Taxi." The wives, Kristins Chenoweth and Davis (no relation), have their own fanbase of women from Broadway and HBO's "Sex and the City," respectively. Besides the obvious holiday theme and title, the movie features very easy physical comedy, which often goes over well with kids and family audiences, and the movie has been worked over by the team behind 20th Century Fox's early '06 hit sequel Big Momma's House, as well as the co-writer of The Santa Clause 2. Also, it's rated PG, which means that the families going to the malls together on the day after Thanksgiving will be able to select this as a choice.
Cons: Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick really haven't been very strong box office draws in recent years, both appearing in smaller movies (no pun intended) and outright bombs like Broderick's attempt to revive his part in the hit musical The Producers last December. Without the star power of Tim Allen, who is clearly the king of Thanksgiving releases thanks to the Santa Clause and Toy Story movies, this movie might be a harder sell to kids and parents. Speaking of Tim Allen, the movie will also have to contend with the fourth weekend of The Santa Clause 3, a known quantity in a franchise that always does significant business over Thanksgiving weekend. The movie just looks dumb, which means that it won't have much interest from teens or older non-parents, and as we saw with the second weekend of Friday After Next, just having a holiday theme sometimes isn't enough if you don't have appeal to a wide audience. This is also a very crowded holiday weekend with many stronger choices for families.
Comparisons:
|
Title |
Release Date |
Theater Count |
Previous Box Office (in millions) |
Weekend Box Office (in millions) |
Average |
Total Box Office |
|
The Producers |
12/16/05 |
975 |
$0.25 |
$1.62 |
$25,765 |
$19.38 |
|
The Stepford Wives |
6/11/04 |
3,057 |
$21.41 |
$7,003 |
$59.48 |
|
|
Inspector Gagdet |
7/23/99 |
2,814 |
$21.89 |
$7,779 |
$97.36 |
|
|
Election |
5/7/99 |
827 |
$0.53 |
$3.16 |
$3,821 |
$14.88 |
|
Be Cool |
3/4/05 |
3,216 |
$23.45 |
$7,292 |
$55.81 |
|
|
Death to Smoochy |
3/29/02 |
2,164 |
$4.27 |
$1,972 |
$8.36 |
|
|
Yours, Mine and Ours |
11/25/05 |
3,206 |
$6.86 |
$17.46 |
$5,446 |
$53.30 |
|
Christmas with the Kranks |
11/26/04 |
3,393 |
$9.25 |
$21.57 |
$6,357 |
$73.70 |
|
Surviving Christmas |
10/22/04 |
2,750 |
$4.44 |
$1,615 |
$11.20 |
|
|
Bad Santa |
11/28/03 |
2,005 |
$4.51 |
$12.29 |
$6,131 |
$59.43 |
|
Jingle all the Way |
11/22/96 |
2,401 |
$12.11 |
$5,044 |
$60.59 |
|
|
Christmas Vacation |
12/1/89 |
1,744 |
$11.75 |
$6,737 |
$71.30 |
Why I Should See It: It's Thanksgiving weekend and with Christmas right around the corner, people may as well get into the holiday spirit early (or late if they missed The Santa Clause 3).
Why Not: Haven't American audiences figured out when they're being tricked into seeing a bad holiday comedy yet? I mean, c'mon, surely everyone knows that the only reason this movie is being made because Fox knows they can release it this weekend and make money.
Projections: $5 to 6 million on Weds/Thurs, another $15 to 17 million on the weekend ($20 to 22 million five-day); $52 million total.
DÉJA
VU (Touchstone Pictures)Starring Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, Paula Patton, Bruce Greenwood, Adam Goldberg, Jim Caviezel
Directed by Tony Scott (Man on Fire, Spy Game, Enemy of the State, Domino); Written by Terry Rossio (Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, The Mask of Zorro, The Legend of Zorro, Godzilla, Treasure Planet, Shrek, The Road to El Dorado), Bill Marsilii
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rated PG-13
Tagline: "If you thought it was just a trick of the mind, prepare yourself for the truth."
Plot Summary: After an explosion on a New Orleans Ferry that kills hundreds of people, ATF agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) must try to solve the crime, which may involve the mysterious body of a woman (Paul Patton) found at the disaster. What he isn't prepared for is the government's new system that allows him to look back into the past and possibly even change it.
Of Note: Superstar mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer reunites director Tony Scott and actor Denzel Washington for a high concept follow-up to their 2004 hit Man on Fire.
Mini-Review: For a movie from Jerry Bruckheimer and Tony Scott, this movie starts surprisingly slow as Denzel's Doug Carlin shows up after an act of terrorism, then spends the next hour investigating and sitting around watching monitors, obsessing over a woman whose body was found. It almost makes you think that this is going to be a dull dud even once the time-travel premise is introduced. Fortunately, things get more interesting as Denzel tries to figure out ways of stopping the inevitable from happening, and the last hour or so is infinitely more interesting than the first hour. From there, it starts veering into 12 Monkeys or Primer territory, though not doing nearly as much with the premise as another filmmaker might have done. Fortunately, it never turns into the kind of time travel movie that forces viewers to think too hard to figure things out and Scott minimizes the ridiculous amount of fast-editing and wild cameras he's become famous for. In general, if you like what Scott and Washington have done together before, either together or separately, you're apt to dig this intriguing action-thriller that doesn't challenge or demand too much from the viewer. Rating: 7/10
Pros: The most obvious one right off the bat is the presence of Denzel Washington, who has gradually become one of the most consistent box office stars in Hollywood. In the last 8 years, only one of his movies has grossed less than $40 million, while six out of his seven wide releases opened higher than $20 million. Tony Scott is a popular director, best known for his stylish filmmaking, and though he's had a few flops like The Fan and last year's Domino, he does make visually stimulating and entertaining films that audiences tend to enjoy (like Top Gun, for instance). His last teaming with Denzel Washington, Man on Fire, was a solid hit ($77 million total) and his two previous movies opened around this same time of year to decent success over the holiday weekend. Déjà vu is also the latest movie from mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean), who has had so many hits in his career, including Denzel's Remember the Titans and a few with director Tony Scott (Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Enemy of the State). This is the first time that the three of them have reunited since making 1995's Crimson Tide. Obviously, these are three really strong elements to this film's success, and though one would normally think of this as a movie just for guys, it's the type of movie likely to appeal to a wide range of demographics and ages. It's also the only movie that might have any sort of urban draw, both among men and women, because let's face it, you can't get much whiter than what is in theatres right now. Disney is giving the movie a very wide release with a huge marketing campaign that includes the distinctive repeated images in the trailer and commercials that always get attention.
Cons: The first and biggest obstacle Bruckheimer and company has is the direct competition that Déjà Vu has from the latest James Bond movie, Casino Royale, which is likely to keep trucking along from positive word-of-mouth after a strong opening weekend. Although this has many of the elements that fans of Washington and Scott will appreciate, the time travel premise might be a bit too confusing for some audiences, and the movie takes some time to get going, which might annoy some action fans. Scott may have lost some favor among movie-lovers after the trainwreck that was Domino, though this should have some strong early word-of-mouth from preview screenings. Because the movie is opening on Wednesday, many of Denzel's fans will rush out to see it on Wednesday and Thursday, which might take away from how much it can make over the weekend, especially since non-family/holiday fare doesn't always do that well over Thanksgiving weekend. The last time-travel action movie to open over the weekend was Richard Donner's Timeline, based on the book by Michael Crichton; the one before that was Nick of Time starring Johnny Depp. They both bombed.
Comparisons:
|
Title |
Release Date |
Theater Count |
Previous Box Office (in millions) |
Weekend Box Office (in millions) |
Average |
Total Box Office |
|
Inside Man |
3/24/06 |
2,818 |
$28.95 |
$10,275 |
$88.49 |
|
|
The Manchurian Candidate |
7/30/04 |
2,867 |
$20.02 |
$6,982 |
$64.82 |
|
|
Man on Fire |
4/23/04 |
2,979 |
$22.75 |
$7,637 |
$77.86 |
|
|
Out of Time |
10/3/03 |
3,076 |
$16.19 |
$5,262 |
$40.91 |
|
|
John Q |
2/15/02 |
2,466 |
$23.61 |
$9,575 |
$71.03 |
|
|
Training Day |
10/5/01 |
2,712 |
$22.55 |
$7,315 |
$76.26 |
|
|
Remember the Titans |
9/29/00 |
1,865 |
$20.91 |
$11,212 |
$115.60 |
|
|
Domino |
10/14/05 |
2,223 |
$4.67 |
$2,101 |
$10.14 |
|
|
Spy Game |
11/23/01 |
2,770 |
$8.88 |
$21.69 |
$7,830 |
$62.34 |
|
Enemy of The State |
11/20/98 |
2,393 |
$20.04 |
$8,374 |
$111.54 |
|
|
The Fan |
8/16/96 |
2,016 |
$6.27 |
$3,110 |
$18.58 |
|
|
Crimson Tide |
5/12/95 |
2,382 |
$18.61 |
$7,813 |
$91.37 |
|
|
Twelve Monkeys |
1/5/96 |
1,533 |
$0.37 |
$13.84 |
$9,028 |
$57.14 |
|
Timeline |
11/28/03 |
2,787 |
$3.98 |
$8.44 |
$3,028 |
$19.44 |
|
Nick of Time |
11/24/95 |
1,849 |
$2.78 |
$1,504 |
$8.09 |
Why I Should See It: The decision by producer Jerry Bruckheimer to reunite Denzel Washington with Tony Scott after their second hit Man on Fire is pure genius.
Why Not: Time travel is known to give movie audiences a headache and all the explosions and gunfire probably won't help.
Projections: $9 to 10 million on Wednesday/Thursday, another $22 to 24 million over the weekend ($32 to 34 million five-day); $75 million total.
TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF
DESTINY (New Line)Starring Jack Black, Kyle Gass, JR Reed, Roonie James Dio, Meatloaf, Ben Stiller, Tim Robbins, Amy Adams, Dave Grohl, Amy Poehler, Colin Hanks, Paul F. Tompkins, Troy Gentile
Directed by Liam Lynch (Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic); Written by Jack Black, Kyle Gass (AKA Tenacious D)
Genre: Comedy, ROCK!
Rated R
Tagline: "The greatest motion picture of all time."
Plot Summary: The origins of the "legendary" folk metal duo Tenacious D is told as JB (Jack Black) comes to Venice Beach from the MidWest where he meets KG (Kyle Gass) and they begin their path to become the greatest rock ‘n' roll band ever, by stealing a magic guitar pick housed in the Rock ‘n' Roll Hall of Fame 300 Miles Away.
Of Note: Comic superstar Jack Black returns to his roots as he and long-time musical collaborator Kyle Gass, collectively known as Tenacious D, star in a movie that tells the fictitious origins of the band.
Mini-Review: You may have to be a fan of the D's music to truly appreciate this rock opera that plays like an extended music video. Certainly, there are a good number of hearty laughs, mostly from Black's outlandish behavior, but it's mostly them doing the same thing they've been doing since the HBO show, which doesn't really work over such a long stretch without getting tiring, mainly because the actual story just isn't that interesting. Often, the movie's funniest parts involve impromptu cameos by the guys' friends, while young Troy Gentile may have a career ahead playing a younger Jack Black from his hilarious note-perfect impersonation of Black in the intro section. Towards the end, the poor production values start to get more apparent with cheesy animation ruining the final, so ultimately, only the most diehard D fans will forgive the flaws in this erratic comedy that probably won't stand-up to multiple viewings. Rating: 6/10
Pros: Over the last few years, Jack Black has become hugely successful as a movie star, and his band Tenacious D, who celebrate their twelfth anniversary this year, have found success along with him, despite their short-lived HBO show which only lasted six episodes and having only released one studio album (which went platinum).The duo first appeared on film together in 1996's bomb Bio Dome, but Black's musical partner Kyle Gass has appeared in a number of Black's movies since then (though never as Tenacious D). The duo has become a cult phenomenon from their rare live appearances and regular plays on college radio (at least the songs that could be played, their lyrics are filthy!) It made sense that they'd eventually come up with a movie based around the band, and the success of Borat's movie shows that having a character with a ground swell of fans could lead to huge showing at the box office. There have been some great rock comedies over the years, the most famous one being the classic This is Spinal Tap, and Black had a lot success with his own rock comedy, School of Rock, three years ago.
Cons: This movie has been over two years in the making, actually being shot in the spring of '05, but it's been delayed and moved around the schedule before being released into 1,850 theatres on a weekend that isn't great for an R-rated comedy, the one exception being the holiday-themed Bad Santa. (Adam Sandler's animated movie 8 Crazy Nights barely made in five days what most of his movies make opening day.) Despite the D having a huge fanbase, that doesn't always add up to big box office as seen by Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob and Clerks II, both which had a similar college-age fanbase due to his regular appearances, but his movies seem to have a ceiling on how much they can make. On top of that, we have to wonder how many Tenacious D fans there are out there and whether most of them will be heading home for the holidays and not get a chance to see this movie until they get back to school. If you're not a fan of the D's music, you probably won't get the humor in this rock epic. The movie also has a lot of direct competition for college-age males with Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain, Denzel Washington's Déjà Vu and even the fourth weekend of Borat taking away business, though it's very likely that the D's diehard fans will be out on Wednesday to see it.
Comparisons:
|
Title |
Release Date |
Theater Count |
Previous Box Office (in millions) |
Weekend Box Office (in millions) |
Average |
Total Box Office |
|
Nacho Libre |
6/16/06 |
3,070 |
$28.31 |
$9,221 |
$80.20 |
|
|
Envy |
4/30/04 |
2,445 |
$6.16 |
$2,520 |
$12.18 |
|
|
School of Rock |
10/3/03 |
2,614 |
$19.62 |
$7,507 |
$81.05 |
|
|
Orange County |
1/11/02 |
2,317 |
$15.05 |
$6,497 |
$41.03 |
|
|
Shallow Hal |
11/9/01 |
2,771 |
$23.28 |
$8,401 |
$70.83 |
|
|
Saving Silverman |
2/9/01 |
2,467 |
$7.41 |
$3,004 |
$19.35 |
|
|
High Fidelity |
3/31/00 |
1,183 |
$6.43 |
$5,435 |
$27.04 |
|
|
The Cable Guy |
6/14/96 |
2,657 |
$19.81 |
$7,456 |
$60.17 |
|
|
Clerks II |
7/21/06 |
2,150 |
$10.06 |
$4,680 |
$24.14 |
|
|
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back |
8/24/01 |
2,765 |
$11.02 |
$3,985 |
$30.06 |
|
|
Adam Sandler's 8 Crazy Nights |
11/29/02 |
2,503 |
$4.61 |
$9.43 |
$3,769 |
$23.44 |
|
Airheads |
8/5/94 |
1,228 |
$1.91 |
$1,555 |
$5.02 |
|
|
Wayne's World 2 |
12/10/93 |
2,400 |
$13.52 |
$5,633 |
$47.07 |
Why I Should See It: Black is always funny on his own, but when teamed with his partner Kyle Gass, they're hilarious!
Why Not: The D's music and lyrics aren't for everyone, and the movie is likely to feature a lot of the same raunchy humor as their tunes.
Projections: $11 to 13 million over the five-day weekend (around $8 million over the weekend) and $22 million total.
THE
HISTORY BOYS (Fox Searchlight)Starring Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison, Frances de la Tour, Stephen Campbell Moore, Sacha Dhawan, Samuel Anderson, Dominic Cooper, Andrew Knott, Samuel Barnett, Russell Tovey, Jamie Parker, James Corden
Directed by Nicholas Hytner (The Madness of King George, The Object of my Affection, The Crucible); Written by Alan Bennett (Prick Up Your Ears, The Madness of King George)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rated R
Tagline: "History. It's just one bloody thing after another."
Plot Summary: As a group of smart but feisty students at a Sheffield grammar school prepare to take their Oxford/Cambridge entrance exams, a new teacher (Moore) shows up to help them, which irks the school's long-time history teacher (Frances De La Tour) and the lecherous English/arts teacher (Richard Griffiths).
Of Note: Alan Bennett's hit play is brought to the screen, reuniting the entire original cast with the original production's director Nicholas Hytner
Pros: It's not often where a play or musical comes to the big screen with the entire cast and crew intact, but that's exactly what Nicholas Hytner has done, bringing the Tony and Olivier award-winning play by Alan Bennett to the big screen so that theatre lovers who missed it on Broadway will have a chance to see it. Richard Griffiths and Frances De La Tour will be best known to Harry Potter fans as Uncle Vernon from the first three movies and as the giant Madame Maxine in Goblet of Fire, respectively. Both of them have won many stage awards for the parts and are thought to be in the running for Oscars for their film performances, plus they're joined by an amazing cast of young British talent. The movie has a great soundtrack of ‘80s tunes from The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen and The Smiths that might appeal to a hipper 30-something crowd
Cons: Some people might be put off by the homoerotic overtones of some of the relationships, like Griffiths' advances on his students, and the British academics might go over the heads of the less "anglophilic" Americans.
Comparisons: Gosford Park, The Dead Poet's Society, Mona Lisa Smile, The Emperor's Club, Proof
Why I Should See It: The full ensemble cast from the Tony-winning play is captured on film for the sake of anyone who never had a chance to see the play in person.
Why Not: Richard Griffith's lecherous teacher might give some people the creeps… or remind them too much of a teacher they know from school.
REVIEW
The History Boys opens on Tuesday in select cities.
OTHER LIMITED RELEASES:
BACKSTAGE (Strand Releasing) - Emmanuelle Bercot's drama about the obsessive fan of a French pop star who gets a chance to meet her idol creating an emotional dependency between them that sends both their lives out of control. Opening on Wednesday in New York at the Film Forum.
DHOOM:2 BACK IN ACTION (Yash Raj Films) The sequel to the 2004 Bollywood action comedy following a rookie cop (Uday Chopra) who now has to track down a high-tech thief who plans on hitting Mumbai, India. Adding the ubiquitous Aishwarya Rai to the mix, this globetrotting action-comedy sequel opens on Thursday in normal Bollywood outlets.
OPAL DREAM (Strand Releasing) - Peter Cattaneo's family film about a young Australian girl living in the Outback who has two imaginary friends named Pobby and Dingan, and what happens when they go missing when her father takes them down into the opal mines with him. It opens on Wednesday in New York and L.A.
OUR DAILY BREAD (First Run/Icarus Films) - Just one week after Richard Linklater's Fast Food Nation comes a documentary from Austria's Nikolaus Geyrhalter that shows where our food comes from, showing unedited or narrated footage of the farms and industrial factories where vegetables and animals are turned into the food we eat. It opens on Friday at the Anthology Film Archives.
Mini-Review (Coming Soon!)
VALLEY OF THE WOLVES: IRAQ (Filmmates Corp.) Based on the Turkish television show, this Turkish action thriller based on the events of July 4, 2003 when 11 Turkish soldiers were deported by American troops, so a special Turkish intelligence agent who goes to Iraq to avenge his humiliated friend.
THE WORK AND GLORY: A HOUSE DIVIDED (Vineyard Distribution) The third and final installment of the films based on Gerald N. Lund's best-selling novels about the early days of the Church of Latter-Day Saints opens in select areas.
Next week, December Madness (52 movies in 31 days!!!) kicks off with three very different movies, New Line's The Nativity Story starring Whale Rider's Keisha Castle-Huges as Mary, the vacation thriller Turistas and the long-awaited (?) comedy sequel National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj with Kal "Kumar" Penn.
Copyright 2006 Edward Douglas
Take on The Weekend Warrior in the box-office related movie games at:
Or enter the contests at the Warrior's other favorite haunt:
Main
| Features
| Movie News
| Film Database
| Trailers & Clips
| Movie Release Dates
| Movie Reviews
| Top Previews
| Production Stills
| CS Indie
| Awards Hub
| TV News
| DVD News
| DVD Release Dates
| DVD Reviews
| The Weekend Warrior
| Box Office Report
| Boards
| Contact Us
| News Feeds
| Advertise
| Privacy Statement
| Terms of Use
| Copyright Statement
| Superhero Hype!
| Shock Till You Drop
Partner Sites: SuperheroHype.com CraveOnline.com ActionTrip.com DVDFile.com CraveFix.com CraveLyrics.com PSP3D.com Bloody-Disgusting.com RedBalcony.com Soundtrack.net SpikedHumor.com RPGamer.com TattooNow.com ImpactWrestling.com SeekLyrics.com PedalBMX.com WildKO.com vidKing.com StrategyInformer.com HHdb.com RapLeagues.com HipHop-Lyrics.com Cravecocktails.com ThePhatPhree.com RideJudge.com HottieSpots.com
Hosted
by NEXCESS.net