Miscellaneous Movie Musings

[Alex]

My biggest complaint with the first two Spider-Man movies (I really liked the first, didn't care much for the second) was that for all the money spend the CGI was very poor, looking like video game cut scenes. Any improvement on that front?

The Metreon in San Francisco tried live announcers for a while but I think they stopped because the audience (every time) first ignored, then taunted, then laughed at the poor young kid forced to do it.

[Alex]

Where?

Unless it catches fire on word of mouth it'll pretty much be out of first run theaters by the end of May. It'll probably be starting to kick around second run by then.

It didn't open wide but the second weekend upped the screens by 50% and the per screen average dropped to a pedestrian $3,700.

There are going to be quite a few big opening action movies opening in the next month, all fighting for screens and, to a large degree, the same audience.

You might be able to find it (and maybe word of mouth will kick in), but I wouldn't count on it.

To give a sense, my local multiplex s currently showing 21 different movies. Only three of which have been out for six weekends (which would be necessary for Hot Fuzz to make the end of May). Wild Hogs and 300 are hits. Meet the Robinsons is only getting afternoon screenings for the kids. And it isn't nearly so crowded now as it will be in a month.

[innerSpaceman]

Alas, Spider-Man 3 does not deserve its own thread.


A very mixed bag, I found it to be a crappy film that was highly entertaining. Too many villains is the first problem, a somber story involving Mary Jane soap-operatics is the other.

The mid-section, though, of bad Peter Parker loving the dark side of Spider-Man, geeking out throughout Gotham in the series' funniest interlude ... was almost worth the price of admission for the laughs.

Ultimately, though ... the film falls flat after that. The fight scenes were too frenetic, trying so hard to top efforts from the previous films that I felt like I caught A.D.D. just watching them.

There were some entertaining performances though. James Franco was yummy as Harry Osborn, Topher Grace fun as Edie Brock / Venom, and Bryce Dallas Howard redeeming herself as Spidey's new love interest, Gwen. Thomas Hayden Church was appropriately meloncholy as The Sandman ... but of all the multiple villains, his was the part that should have been cut. Unlike the other characters, he had zero to do with the plot of the film ... and after a big set up for his character, he disappears till the overblown and unaffecting big showdown that was a giant yawn.


I think the best part of the film actually came before the movie started. The Cinerama Dome is a class act, since they have live announcers start off the proceedings by touting the cast of the film, and reminding everyone to turn off their cell phones and pagers.

Tonight's guest announcer was none other than Tobey Maguire.

[innerSpaceman]

I think the effects were better (certainly than the first film) ... but overplayed their hand so much that the actions portrayed screamed FX louder than lousy effects.


I'm glad Hollywood audiences are generally more polite to the poor kid who tells them to turn off their cell phones. It's fun that some major talent from the film being screened usually attends the opening show or shows in this town ... but this is the first time I've ever had one sub in for the usher.

Heheh, he had to say "Spider-Man 3, starring Tobey Maguire" with a straight face.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

I had a lukewarm reaction to the first Spiderman, loved the second, and actually thought, "How embarrassing!" for most of the 3rd. It was, on the whole, a bad movie. And though I too really, really loved the Geek out baddie moments with Peter Parker, it was followed up by that horrible restaurant scene. I was entertained at times, but bored silly during others. I felt every minute I was sitting in the theater. Ah, well.

[Alex]

I can't believe how actively bad Spider-Man 3 is. It isn't just standard lame but entertaining popcorn movie fare, it is actually bad.

It was like watching a young power hitter who is sure he has the next pitch figured. Misses completely, spins himself around, and falls down. I had no doubt that Sam Raimi could do "not good" but am shocked that he can do "really sucky."

[innerSpaceman]

And yet, like Pirates 2 ... it's broken all box office records and is thus considered uber-popular. When two of the worst movies make the most money ever ... it's nothing but incentive to make films that suck.

[Alex]

Well, I don't agree that Pirates 2 sucked but the incentive goes back a lot farther. And it hasn't broken all box office records, just the records for opening weekend which is a testament to marketing and hype not quality and popularity.

It'll be interesting to see how it holds up since so far I haven't run into a single person who has seen it and had much positive to say about it. By opening on over 10,000 screens did they blow their wad opening weekend? Will next weekend's drop be 50%? 70%? more?

A possible sign of things is the box office number for for Monday. Pirates 2 had a similar opening three-day as Spider-Man 3 and then made $18 million on its first Monday. Spider-Man 3 only made $10 million and will probably fall behind the pace of Pirates on Wednesday.

The theater I was in last night had maybe 12 people in it.

[innerSpaceman]

And it may have made $380 million instantly ... but with it's reported $280 mil production cost and figuring more than the average $100 mil marketing costs ... it's barely broken even. And huge opening numbers mean simply that everyone who wanted to see it, saw it right away. And word of mouth is, as Alex pointed out, quite crappy. Repeat viewings and latecomers will be harder to come by.

The money will be all in the DVD, which is nothing to sneeze at.


Heck, I didn't even like the film ... and I'll be tempted to buy it, simply to complete my Spider-Man "collection."




But I'm not going to see Pirates 3 ... unless and until I hear from reliable sources that a miracle has happened and that series has been saved.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Ok, cool, I'm now ok with not seeing this in the theater. GD is really happy right now