Box Office: Bruce Willis' "Death Wish" Earns a Promising $13M

Forbes ^ | March 4, 2018 | Scott Mendelson

[PBRCat]

The other wide release this weekend is MGM’s Death Wish remake. The film was already delayed from Thanksgiving after the Vegas mass shooting and was lucky to not get delayed again after the latest mass-casualty school shooting just two weeks ago.

[D]irected by Eli Roth and starring Bruce Willis, the film earned brutal pre-release reviews even outside of the cultural/political considerations. Fair or not, it's going to be a long time before it's the "right" time for a movie like Death Wish, especially one that doesn't update its politics or its demographics beyond an angry white guy shooting bad guys of color. And while this one isn't actively political, it's also not very satirical or deconstructionist, offering less commentary than even the 1974 Michael Winner-directed original.

Truth be told, there are enough moments of quality (Vincent D’Onofrio and Dean Norris are terrific, and the notion of a trauma surgeon shooting bad guys on the side is interesting) to make me wish it was a good movie.

Regardless, I'd be curious to read Carnahan's original screenplay as there are nuggets of a good movie amid this otherwise disposable Saturday night rental. The $30 million production earned $13m over its debut weekend.

MGM will hope that the film can leg it to $30 million domestic, but it will have to depend on overseas (or a strong post-theatrical life) to actually make money from this questionable remake. The film scored a promising 3x weekend multiplier (+23% on Saturday) and snagged a B+ from CinemaScore. It played 57% male, 53% over 35-years old and 28% 25-34-years old. It played 57% Caucasian, 19% Hispanic, 13% African American and 11% Asian.

[longfellow]

How’s about you join us in kicking some hitlary Nazis this time?!
Bring the meshugana falcon.

[longfellow]

He was great.

[Jewbacca]

Both Grandpas did it, dad and I have been relegated to Arabs and various related pseudo Nazis. (I’m Israeli.)

Be more than happy to help.

[7thson]

You must of been to the bathroom in the three scenes - count them - three - where is showed Willis practicing firing the Glock in an abandoned garage.

[dennisw]

Joe Bob used had a bared breast count too? It’s been a long time since I read his brilliant reviews in the local alternative press weekly fish wraps.

[Rebelbase]

Taken, the TV series is in it’s 2nd season. Kind of a prequel to how a younger Bryan Mills obtained his “particular set of skills”.

[longfellow]

Did dad fight the Farhud during WW2? People don't know the history of how vicious they were to the Jews. The SS were even shocked. Glad to fight along side you my friend.

[PBRCat]

Rahm Emanuel is fond of claiming to be advancing “our values” to defend his leftist policies. Here is the result:

https://heyjackass.com/

[E. Pluribus Unum]

https://www.joebobbriggs.com/2009/11/21/faq/

[Jewbacca]

It was both grandads. One was US Army Air, then Israeli air, and the other was some sort of French unit fighting under England. I believe the second was part of the D-Day assault. Not sure where they landed.

[longfellow]

either Omaha or Utah. God bless them. My uncle was in 101st, Battle of the bulge and the other was on a destroyer. Leyte gulf.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

What a literally sterile ending.

You did notice all the radiation he absorbed saving the ship?

Yes, he would have ended up sterile.

[usconservative]

I know that website all too well! LOL!!!

[PreciousLiberty]

“You must of been to the bathroom in the three scenes - count them - three - where is showed Willis practicing firing the Glock in an abandoned garage.”

Actually, I probably missed one or two for that reason and forgot about the other. I’m planning on renting it when available (the wife wants to see it too) so I’ll make a point of noticing. ;-)

Thanks for the heads up!

[Zhang Fei]

You did notice all the radiation he absorbed saving the ship?
Yes, he would have ended up sterile.

---

One of the alternate endings filmed by the director featured an army of children. His choice entirely. The audience has already suspended its disbelief for 2 hours. What’s another minute or so, in the scheme of things?

[sit-rep]

are you kidding me?? it started many years ago when the white girls became sex objects for black men on national television. hell 20 years ago Barney had white girls and black boys only!! The “White Guy” got pushed out long ago man!! now just about every TV show there is has that “Special” couple or the beginning of one... (spit...)

[x]

Almost everyone who saw the original thought the casting of the criminals was motivated by leftist ideology.

Almost everybody?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

It is the kind of thing that can jolt you out of your suspension of disbelief.

Where would those children have gotten food? There were limits on what the machine would dispense.

And where would those grandchildren come from?

Were the children practicing incest or were they taking a page from daddy's book and waking up other passengers in order to have mates?

[Zhang Fei]

Were the children practicing incest or were they taking a page from daddy’s book and waking up other passengers in order to have mates?

---

This. But you’re right - unless they were willing to wake up a whole of bunch of passengers, some amount of cousin marriage would be necessary.