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Is movie dud/bomb 'Lions for Lambs' good news for movie 'Bella'
Vanity/Boxoffice websites/Reviews

Posted on 11/19/2007 5:59:55 PM PST by topher

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To: T Lady
Getting back to the original title, Lions for Lambs is not only now showing at less than half the theaters it was here in my city, but at one theater there are two showtmes daily for it. At the other theater, there is only one showtime daily, with two showtimes on Saturday/Sunday.

Bella, on the other hand, has 4 showtimes each day -- which means even though Lions for Lambs is at two theaters, there are more showings for Bella each week in the one theater it is playing at.

Of course, the marketers of Lions for Lambs probably bought the two theaters for a period of time, and it is a way to fulfill the agreement.

But a stinker is a stinker, and a good film is a good film...

It's A Wonderful Life -- the famous Jimmy Stewart/Frank Capra film bombed at the box office... Later it became legendary...

21 posted on 11/27/2007 11:02:31 PM PST by topher (Let us return to old-fashioned morality - morality that has stood the test of time...)
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To: topher
Talk Radio Show Host Dennis Prager was discussing a Wall Street Journal piece regarding anti Iraq War films like 'Lambs' which have bombed at the Box Office.

He offered the following theory as to why film makers (like Redford) make such films: It's not about the green (money), it's more about the Progressive/Liberal views they hold. Of course they'd like it if the films made money, but to them, espousing their views is important.

...My view is this: I will not spend one Red Cent on any piece of crap which denigrates the honorable men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. Period.

22 posted on 11/28/2007 10:01:23 PM PST by T Lady (The Mainstream Media: Public Enemy #1)
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To: T Lady
I think the Hollywood Left is starting to realize that if they keep on making anti-American films, they're going to start losing money BIG TIME, and that won't sit well with shareholders of entertainment companies.

Interestingly, the last movie to get major awards recognition and major audience approval simultaneously was The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, a movie based on the novels written by J. R. R. Tolkien, a devout Catholic himself.

23 posted on 12/01/2007 2:32:16 PM PST by RayChuang88
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To: T Lady
One thing that I see in the BoxOffice for Lions for Lambs is that it is now playing at 1400 fewer theaters than it opened at -- about 35% of the original theaters.

It was grossing a paltry $40 per day theater in the United States.

However, it seems to be doing well overseas as an Anti-American film in other countries made by Americans (how truly sad!)

The foreign gross is much more than the domestic gross for this movie.

This movie may help to endanger the lives of Americans overseas...

24 posted on 12/01/2007 6:50:31 PM PST by topher (Let us return to old-fashioned morality - morality that has stood the test of time...)
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To: topher
That is sad news about 'Lambs' doing well in foreign film markets; perhaps that may have been the intended goal of the film makers: To show the world what a terrible mistake the U.S. made in electing George W. Bush president, and going into Iraq, when Afghanistan was sufficient.

...Of course this is a rather warped viewpoint, since Hollywood is in a world far removed from reality anyway.

25 posted on 12/03/2007 8:19:41 PM PST by T Lady (The Mainstream Media: Public Enemy #1)
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To: RayChuang88
'I think the Hollywood Left is starting to realize that if they keep on making anti-American films, they're going to start losing money BIG TIME, and that won't sit well with shareholders of entertainment companies.'

You definitely have a valid point, although there are probably some among those shareholders who may have the same twisted world view. And these people probably figure that if the film doesn't play well in the theaters, DVD rentals and sales will make up for the losses.

And don't forget the political motivation of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (aka Oscar).

To paraphrase Rush Limbaugh, the Left has a penchant for rewarding failure, and 'Lions for Lambs' probably will not be an exception.

26 posted on 12/03/2007 8:35:55 PM PST by T Lady (The Mainstream Media: Public Enemy #1)
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To: T Lady

But you can only make these “statement” movies so long before constantly losing money starts to affect the bottom line of the entertainment company distributing the film.


27 posted on 12/03/2007 9:07:51 PM PST by RayChuang88
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To: RayChuang88; T Lady
Budget for Production is listed around $35 million.

I think the Box Office Gross includes how much the movie took in -- which is also the cut the theaters receive.

This movie has taken in less than $40 million, but I imagine it might have to take in $75 million to make a profit...

I would have to know how much of a cut the theaters get...

Sounds like the production company is out about $5 million to $20 million or more at this point. There may also be marketing charges for going into both domestic and foreign markets.

So I imagine that Redford and others might have sunk $50 million or more into this bomb...

28 posted on 12/03/2007 11:44:45 PM PST by topher (Let us return to old-fashioned morality - morality that has stood the test of time...)
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To: topher
That remains to be seen. Meanwhile, I just read a Cultural Media Institute Alert from Robert Knight regarding the new film 'The Golden Compass'.

Being heavily marketed as a children's film in the same vein as 'The Chronicles of Narnia', 'Compass' is, at least according to the release from CMI, an atheistic screed dressed up to distract parents and their children from the author's anti-God message. Mr. Knight also cites an Op-ed written by a secularist Liberal in the San Francisco Chronicle.

29 posted on 12/04/2007 10:08:54 PM PST by T Lady (The Mainstream Media: Public Enemy #1)
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To: T Lady
One problem with the movie The Golden Compass is that it would influence children to buy the books for Christmas, etc.

Some say the movie is not bad, but the book is very slanted and has the views of the atheistic writer...

30 posted on 12/05/2007 4:45:54 PM PST by topher (Let us return to old-fashioned morality - morality that has stood the test of time...)
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To: topher
'Some say the movie is not bad, but the book is very slanted and has the views of the atheistic writer...'

And therein lies the rub...at least according to Mr. Knight: If 'Compass' rakes in good box office, there are plans to film the second and third books by the author, with no effort to camouflage his unchristian views. If you have children, perhaps you'd better tread slowly with this one...

31 posted on 12/05/2007 7:13:25 PM PST by T Lady (The Mainstream Media: Public Enemy #1)
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To: T Lady
Both Golden Compass and Lions for Lambs are now in serious trouble at the boxoffice.

Golden Compass is having trouble with just its opening weekend.

Lions for Lambs, on the other hand, is about to disappear from American theaters. It is now playing at just a handful of the theaters that it opened at a few weeks ago. It has gone from playing at 2200 theaters to now around 350. At this rate, it will not be playing at any theaters by Christmas.

Bella, on the other hand, seems to be steady about the number of theaters it is playing at (almost) since peaking at 457 theaters around November 19. It is now playing at more theaters than Lions for Lambs but not by much.

Both Golden Compass and Lions for Lambs will have to rely on foreign sales after this weekend to make almost any money.

Both are now associated with the word bomb in terms of its US BoxOffice gross...

32 posted on 12/09/2007 9:29:20 PM PST by topher (Let us return to old-fashioned morality - morality that has stood the test of time...)
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To: topher
And it also doesn't help that most (Liberal) Critics don't like 'Compass', either, although Time gave it a grade of 'B' in it's current issue. And that the AP stated it had a 'modest' opening at the the Box Office.

Leave it to the Elites to attempt to prop up this Paper Tiger.

33 posted on 12/10/2007 9:56:25 AM PST by T Lady (The Mainstream Media: Public Enemy #1)
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To: T Lady
I am about to post a thread on Movies and Chit/Chat titled Golden Compass: A Sucker is born every minute.

It will be a take off on W.C. Fields famous line but geared to the marketing effort being done for Golden Compass.

You might feel like a stupid sucker after seeing the movie...

There is even better news on Bellas that is offical:

Bella is grossing about twice the dollars/theater as Lions for Lambs, and now Lions for Lambs is playing at fewer theaters than Bella.

One interesting thing about Bella was that about a month ago, Bella was doing better on Sundays than Friday or Saturday. This was the strong drive by Churches to get people to see the film, and many saw it after their pastors/ministers/preachers told them about the movie on Sunday...

34 posted on 12/10/2007 7:23:59 PM PST by topher (Let us return to old-fashioned morality - morality that has stood the test of time...)
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To: topher
'There is even better news on Bella that is official: Bella is grossing about twice the dollars/theater as Lions for Lambs, and now Lions for Lambs is playing at fewer theaters than Bella.'

That is sweet, Poetic Justice. Especially to those Corporate Moguls who agreed to spend upwards to $200 million in marketing for 'Compass'. And in the case of 'Lambs', a huge victory for our Military, and a slap in the mug for Robert Redford.

...Looks as though the Catholic League and the Troops did get the last laugh.

35 posted on 12/11/2007 6:31:19 PM PST by T Lady (The Mainstream Media: Public Enemy #1)
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