Posted on 12/17/2007 10:55:37 AM PST by icwhatudo
“I Am Legend” (distributed by Warner Brothers), starring Will Smith, right, in a postapocalyptic vision of a zombie-infested Manhattan, hauled in an estimated $76.5 million in its debut to capture first place in the weekend box-office rankings compiled by the tracking company Media by Numbers. Second place went to another newcomer, “Alvin and the Chipmunks” (Fox), a resurrection of the musical-cartoon franchise, which took in $45 million. Dropping to third place from second last week, the fantasy “The Golden Compass” (New Line) had $9 million in sales. “Enchanted,” Disney’s revisionist fairy tale, took in $6 million, bringing its total gross to $92.2 million in its fourth week in release, and the Coen brothers’ latter-day western, “No Country for Old Men” (Miramax), finished fifth, with $3 million in its sixth weekend.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
You should have paid for his ticket.
Your wife may like it, but the rest of us, who paid the same money as you did, don’t really appreciate it.
When I finally get time, save up money, and find a sitter for my kids, the last thing I need is someone ruining the ending.
LOL! How true!
I will give you that, the movie was better, but I have never been a big Benchley fan. And while I am NOT a big fan of L. Ron Hubbard I do consider Battlefield Earth to be a great read. It is so vast in scope and somewhat campy in a Buck Rogers sort of way. It was as if he used the unoffical sci-fi story formula of the 30’s or 40’s. Could not be done in a movie unless it was many parts, like Star Wars, or a long tv mini-series like The stand. As to Soylent Green, if I recall correctly it was originally a novel by Harry Harrison called Make Room Make Room. The book had the story of the murder, the crowbar used and all that. But the soylent green was just food and had no connection to anything at all.
I had it figured out, some 5 minutes into the movie! I let on, but told no one. I still enjoyed the movie, even though I knew the twist.
“No Country for Old Men”
Saw it and loved it. Javier Bardem is the spookiest movie character to come along in a long time.
If you wanted to say that something... anything... was in the second position last week and the third position this week, 99.9% of the time you would say "Dropping from second place to third this week..." That is the standard construction. It places the rankings in chronological order, and is the way people expect to see the information presented for maximum clarity. It uses the term "this week" instead of "last week", so the information sounds more current, which is always rule number one in the newspaper business.
Instead, the New York Times utilizes the clunky "Dropping to third place from second last week, the fantasy..." to describe what happened to The Golden Compass.
Here is a clue. When the New York Times uses such a backward and awkward construction, they are trying to obfuscate. They realize that most of their readers are scanning the newspaper, and that a certain percentage of the readers will see "...third place...second place...Golden Compass...", and get the mistaken impression that their precious Atheist epic is rising in the standings.
It is yet another small, insignificant example of the New York Times failing at their most basic function of presenting factual information clearly, and a minuscule demonstration, as if another was necessary, that they are advocates in all things, rather than reporters.
You have GOT to be kidding!
I watched it again last week and it reminded me of a couple of kids with a camcorder.
And frankly, modern direction. The old actors were very good, but the scifi and horror directors were a joke.
Dude, come on. I know you well enough to know that you HAVE to have forgotten Matheson's preposterous explainations for stakes, aversion to sunlight, re-animation, crosses...etc.
You'd butcher anyone else for such artless prattle.
He had a great idea, but his story sucked!
Ok, you make a good point. I’m guilty as charged.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.