Posted on 08/21/2009 3:03:59 AM PDT by abb
The spring and summer box office has murdered megawatt stars like Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Eddie Murphy, John Travolta, Russell Crowe, Tom Hanks, Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell.
Can Brad Pitt escape?
A-list movie stars have long been measured by their ability to fill theaters on opening weekend. But never have so many failed to deliver, resulting in some rare soul-searching by motion picture studios about why the old formula isn’t working — and a great deal of anxiety among stars (and agents) about the potential vaporization of their $20 million paychecks.
“The cratering of films with big stars is astounding,” said Peter Guber, the former chairman of Sony Pictures who is now a producer and industry elder statesman. “These supertalented people are failing to aggregate a large audience, and everybody is looking for answers.”
Mr. Guber added, “Even Johnny Depp” — starring in the drama “Public Enemies” — “didn’t exactly deliver a phenomenal result.” (The A-list results may be damped partly because Will Smith, a regular summer powerhouse, had no movie open this season.)
Mr. Ferrell bombed in “Land of the Lost,” a $100 million comedy that sold only $49 million in tickets in North America. Ms. Roberts missed with “Duplicity,” a $60 million thriller that attracted $40.6 million. “Angels & Demons” (Mr. Hanks) was soft. The same for “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” (Mr. Washington and Mr. Travolta).
“Imagine That,” starring Mr. Murphy, was such a disaster that Paramount Pictures had to take a write-down. Mr. Sandler? His “Funny People” limped out of the gate and then collapsed. Some of these may simply have not been very good, but an A-list star is supposed to overcome that.
The gradual trend away from big-star vehicles in the summer has been under way for years.
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(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Really interesting movie, you never know what to expect next in it.
I’m waiting to see Public Enemies on DVD. Just for fun I watched the 1973 film “Dillinger”, which was factually way off but fun.
I don’t have the faintest idea who thought Ben Johnson looked like Purvis. Richard Dreyfuss as Baby Face was funny too.
They did get the guns right, I only saw one gun goof (a 50’s style forend on a Winchester Model 12 that flashed on the screen for about a half second...)
Make David Drake’s “Hammer’s Slammers” or “With the Lightnings” into a movie.
If they don’t screw up the story lines too badly, they’ll be rolling in cash. Both would have overseas appeal and a lot of potential for merchandising, too.
If they want comedy, they should combine some of Keith Laumer’s Retief stories in to a story arc, and make a movie of that. Dunno who you could cast as Jame Retief, though.
http://www.cjr.org/the_audit/post_11.php
The Chasm Between the Value of Print and Web Readers
http://www.observer.com/2009/media/sam-dolnick-member-sulzberger-ochs-family-joining-times-newsroom
Sam Dolnick, Member of the Sulzberger-Ochs Family, Joining Times Newsroom
Surely you jest.
We’re making Scooby Doo and Transformers films now.
If that isn’t art and originality, what is?
http://www.newser.com/off-the-grid/post/248/im-proud-to-kill-the-news.html
I’m Proud to Kill the News
Yes, exactly. Plus, I’m completely reluctant to enjoy what has become the movie theatre experience - large people speed-munching junk food & crinkling wrappers throughout the film; talking throughout the film; and especially, answering cell phones!! That’s happened the last 3-4 times (and I’ve gone like once or twice a year) and I really can’t see myself paying for that experience.
Even more satisfying is TMC----and other classic channels----in which old movies actually had values........and even (gasp) religion.
EXAMPLE Garbo in the classic "Camille"---includes a scene in which a little girl celebrates her First Holy Communion (a Catholic ceremony).
The religion-hating Follywood Left must be swilling vodka and valium at the thought.
ROTFL.
In the same vein, I've always thought an arc based on Harry Harrison's "The Stainless Steel Rat" would be great. Same problem, though: who'd you cast as Jim DeGrise?
That WOULD be hard...
Streep and Stanley Tucci were especially good in "Julie and Julia"(and I bet she got her $20 million).
"District 9" a sci-fi with some originality although it was raw at times.
"A Perfect Getaway"...distracting, cheesy B-entertainment with a twist.
Based on what I saw in the Matrix movies, and the GI JOE trailers, another good candidate for loads of cash would Timothy Zahn’s “Cobra” series. No casting problems there; you don’t even need any “A-List” idiot actors.
Anybody got a $100 million I can borrow? I bet I could get you a 50% return on it and a darn good movie, too! (And then I could go on to make even more: “Bolo - The Honor of the Regiment” anyone?)
Yep, that would be good!
Pretty much so. Michael Mann is a stickler for details. He is one director who really does his research, but again he can’t get a story line to hold you.
I hear routinely the 'progressives' around work these days: 'Times are different.....Things are diffent now, that's just the way it is..." GMAFB...that doesn't mean different is smart nor better.......
We make a point of catching only films we couldn’t experience the same way at home, those 3D movies you mentioned and then only as a matinee.
All the rest we can easily wait until Redbox hands them out at $1 a day with their DVD debut.
We canceled the cable subscription because the antenna with digital signals gives us almost 3X the channels we had with analog and it’s even more than what our prior basic cable gave us, and these channels are in HD (cable charges a lot more for HD basic cable packages).
I would love it if everyone would do as we do.
To quote Robert Novak: “The dogs just don’t like the dog food.”
Looney, and the rest of those losers make a pile of money because of their efforts primarily in the greatest country on earth (in spite of zer0). They then crap on us with their public pronouncements and in their choices of roles. I think Looney is nothing less than despicable for taking part in Munich and some of the other trash he has “starred” in.
By the way, I’m a Marine dad. All the best to you.
Cell phones, talking, ‘ youts ‘, idiots filming the movie, people throwing things. This types of crap happens all the time at the best movie theater in Boston. Its a disgrace.
Maybe four; often times just going to the movies can be a very unpleasant experience.
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