Monthly Archives: May 2010
A Decent Time At The Movies: Andy Burns on Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
Normally you’d think it would be the guy trying to drag his spouse to the movies to see something inspired by a video game. But believe it or not, it was The Queen who decided Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time would be our weekend viewing (thankfully, she took Letters to Julia off the table). This wouldn’t have been my first choice, mind you, for a few reasons. Films based on video games are not good as a rule (though I do have an admitted love for the first Resident Evil film); I haven’t played Prince Of Persia for longer than a demo, and a buff and Persian Donnie Darko looked like it was going to be a real stretch for this guy. However, The Queen is in the family way and should get to see whatever darn movie she wants with me (once again, as long as it’s not Letters to Julia). So with coffee in hand, off we went. And wouldn’t you know, Prince Of Persia was much better than I thought it would have been.
That doesn’t mean the story of Prince Dastan, the adopted third son of the King Of Persia falsely accused of murder who seeks to prove his innocence and winds up saving the world (of course), is great or even particularly good. There were a few cringe inducing moments throughout the film that didn’t come from core or snakes or special effects, but from pretty shoddy dialogue, most of of it ridiculous exposition from the characters (i.e. something along the lines of “sadly, my father, the wise king, is not here and left me to rule”). Dialogue isn’t Prince Of Persia’s strong suit. Neither is editing for that matter. As directed by Mike Newell (Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, Four Weddings And A Funeral), some of the many fights scenes have sudden slow motion sequences that are totally uncalled for and seem ridiculously out of place.
However, I am pleased to say that Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time is far better than it has any right in being, especially for a video game film. The production values are high and on display (they should be for a $200 price tag) and the Moroccan scenery is quite beautiful at times. The action scenes, when not moving in slow-mo, are pretty decent as well, and reminded me of a few instances of Raiders Of The Lost Ark at times. It’s just got that kind of vibe.
And while the script is clichéd and predictable script, the actors do fairly well with what they’ve got to work with. Two screen stalwarts shine throughout the film – Ben Kingsley as Dastan’s uncle Nizam and Alfred Molina as the head of a slave town Dastan comes across (reminding me of John Rhys-Davies’ Raiders role). Gemma Arterton’s Princess has her moments as well, but the script really can’t decide if it wants her to be regal or aggravating. She’s no Karen Allen.
As for Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role, he was surprisingly solid. Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised. In all the roles I’ve seen him in, from Donnie Darko and The Day After Tomorrow to Brokeback Mountain and Zodiac, Gyllenhaal always does great work.I think the previews were just making it hard for me to take him seriously as a mythic sort of hero, but there’s never a moment during Prince Of Persia where Gyllenhaal isn’t give it all he’s got, and clearly having a good time doing it.
At the end of the day, the Queen and I managed to enjoy a few hours together at a movie that wasn’t Letters to Julia. Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time is nobody’s definition of a classic, but as far as big summer blockbusters go you could do much, much worse.
Scotty G’s Box Office Wrap-Up Report
In a big surprise, Shrek Forever After is the #1 film for the second weekend in a row, out grossing both Sex and the City 2 and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. My predictions were what I consider to be the worst of the year. Even though I predicted all five films in the top five I only got two in order, and was absolutely way off on the predictions for the new releases this weekend. Here’s how the weekend broke down:
Staying in 1st place for the second weekend in a row is Shrek Forever After with a gross of $43.3 million (I predicted a 3rd place finish and a gross of $39.6 million). Shrek Forever After had a per theatre average of $9,926 (which for the second weekend in a row was the highest per theatre average in the top ten), and was down 38.8% from last weekend. I was wrong about what I thought audiences would want to see this weekend. The family audience dominated the Memorial Day Weekend, and easily led Shrek Forever After to a first place victory. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was geared to a little older audience, and Shrek Forever After was truly the only choice for families to go see together. It was also the only major release in 3-D, which helped its bottom line. The drop on the second weekend was pretty good for the Shrek franchise, as here’s the percentage drop for the Shrek films on their second weekend:
2001 – Shrek – $42.4 million second weekend gross – Up 0.3%
2004 – Shrek 2 – $72.1 million second weekend gross – Down 33.2%
2007 – Shrek the Third – $53 million second weekend gross – Down 56.4%
2010 – Shrek Forever After – $39.6 million second weekend gross – Down 38.8%
Unfortunately, the film is not on pace to surpass any of the other sequels in the franchise, as here are the total grosses of the Shrek franchise after their second weekend:
2001 – Shrek – $99 million gross
2004 – Shrek 2 – $236.9 million gross
2007 – Shrek the Third – $203.3 million gross
2010 – Shrek Forever After – $133 million gross
Yes Shrek Forever After has grossed more in its second weekend than the original Shrek did back in 2001, but Shrek Forever After is declining at a much faster rate, so I don’t think it will surpass the original Shrek’s total gross of $267.6 million, and if it does, it will not by very much.
Debuting in a very disappointing 2nd place is Sex and the City 2 with a gross of $32.1 million (I predicted a 1st place finish and a gross of $62 million). The film had a per theatre average of $9,325. This has to be the last film in the franchise. Interest is just not there for audiences on the big screen anymore. If Sex and the City wants to continue to tell stories, it should go back to television. I don’t say that to be cruel, I say that because the numbers don’t lie. Let’s compare opening weekend grosses for the two films:
Sex and the City – $57 million opening weekend
Sex and the City 2 – $32.1 million opening weekend
Sex and the City 2 opened with only 56.3% of the originals opening weekend gross.
Now let’s compare the per theatre averages for both films on their opening weekends:
Sex and the City – $17,363 per theatre average
Sex and the City 2 – $9,325 per theatre average
Sex and the City 2 opened with 53.7% of the originals opening weekend per theatre average.
Needless to say, sequels are supposed to make more money on the opening weekend than the original. There’s more hype and more demand for a sequel, so the thinking is more money can be made. Sex and the City 2 did not do that, and I think people got their expectations out of whack. If Sex and the City 2 had moved to a non-summer release date, and had this gross on its opening weekend, I think people would be all right with it. Unfortunately, it got a prime summer release date, and $32.1 million is just not a good gross for the Memorial Day long weekend. I’m sure studio executives will be wondering what went wrong on this film. One more point to make on the Sex and the City franchise:
Sex and the City – $65 million budget
Sex and the City 2 – $100 million budget
There’s no way the sequel will be as profitable as the first film. Sex and the City 2 opened on Thursday, so the gross after 4 days stands at $46.3 million.
Debuting in 3rd place, to somewhat disappointing results is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time with a gross of $30.1 million (I predicted a 2nd place finish and a gross of $48 million). The film had a per theatre average of $8,275. I’ll be honest, I’m a little dumb-founded that this film did not gross over $40 million. In fact, of all the films that I used to compare Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time with on Friday, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time managed to have a lower gross than any of the movies I compared it with. Here’s the list from Friday:
Clash of the Titans – $61.2 million opening weekend
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian – $55 million opening weekend
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – $54.1 million opening weekend
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – $46.6 million opening weekend
National Treasure: Book of Secrets – $44.7 million opening weekend
The Mummy – $43.3 million opening weekend
Terminator: Salvation – $42.5 million opening weekend
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor – $40.4 million opening weekend
National Treasure – $35.1 million opening weekend
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - $30.1 million opening weekend
Reviews were mixed, but young men don’t care about critics. It was based on a popular video game, but it might have suffered from the fact that most video game adaptations do not do well in theatres (even though Rotten Tomatoes listed Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time as the best reviewed video game film in a recent article). Jake Gyllenhaal will escape unscathed from this because people didn’t come to the film to see him. People were supposed to see this film because it was a Jerry Bruckheimer event movie, and unfortunately the result on its opening weekend was very underwhelming. Like the execs at New Line for Sex and the City 2, the execs at Disney will be wondering why they green-lit a $200 million film, and why the film had such a subpar opening weekend.
Iron Man 2 dropped from 2nd place to 4th place with a gross of $16 million (I predicted a 4th place finish and a gross of $14.9 million). Iron Man 2 had a per theatre average of $4,215 and dropped 39.2% from last weekend. Continuing what I did last weekend, I wanted to bring up an interesting point of comparison. Here are the numbers for the two Iron Man films on their 4th weekend:
2008 – Iron Man - $20.4 million fourth weekend gross // 35.8% drop from previous weekend. Total gross in its third weekend – $252.6 million.
2010 – Iron Man 2 - $16 million fourth weekend gross // 39.2% drop from previous weekend. Total gross in its third weekend – $274.6 million.
It is interesting to note that Iron Man out grossed Iron Man 2 on both its third and fourth weekends. The rapid decline on the sequel is not a good sign for Marvel, and I’m sure they are noting that. However, the franchise is still healthy and Iron Man 2 should be able to pass the original Iron Man’s gross of $318.4 million, but not by very much.
Dropping from 3rd place to 5th place is Robin Hood with a gross of $10.3 million (I predicted a 5th place finish and a gross of $11 million). Robin Hood had a per theatre average of $3,055 and dropped 45.1% from last weekend. The film will be out of the top five next weekend. One has to say that the domestic gross for the film has to be a little disappointing (considering the reported $200 million budget on the film), although the foreign grosses are more than making up for it. After three weekends Robin Hood has grossed $83 million.
The only other major story of the weekend was the continued decline of MacGruber. The film grossed $1.4 million in its second weekend, and suffered a drop of 63.5%. That’s bad, but not as bad as the per theatre average. MacGruber is playing in 2,546 theatres, so therefore the per theatre average is $580. I do think MacGruber will find an audience on DVD, because I don’t think this is the type of film people want to shell out $12 for to see in theatres.
Here’s the How to Train Your Dragon report for the weekend to see if it can succeed in its quest to become the highest grossing non-Shrek film in DreamWorks animation history. This weekend How to Train Your Dragon finished in 10th place with a gross of $1.025 million. Its total gross stands at $212.6 million, and it is now less than $3 million away from surpassing Kung Fu Panda for the title of highest grossing non-Shrek film in DreamWorks animation history. Here’s the list:
1) Shrek 2 – $441.2 million
2) Shrek The Third – $322.7 million
3) Shrek – $267.6 million
4) Kung Fu Panda – $215.4 million
5) How To Train Your Dragon – $212.6 million
In limited release:
Micmacs – The film by acclaimed director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (of Amelie fame) that follows a video store clerk who turns a dump into a place of wonder and magic grossed $48,700 from 4 theatres giving it a per theatre average of $12,175, which as of this writing is the highest per theatre average of any film in release this weekend.
Breathless – The classic film by Jean-Luc Godard got re-released this weekend and grossed $32,700 from 4 theatres for a per theatre average of $8,175.
George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead, Mademoiselle Chambon, Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies, and Agora have not reported their opening weekend grosses as of this writing.
So to recap, here were my predictions:
- Sex and the City 2 – $62 million
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – $48 million
- Shrek Forever After – $39.6 million
- Iron Man 2 – $14.9 million
- Robin Hood - $11 million
And here are the actual numbers:
- Shrek Forever After – $43.3 million
- Sex and the City 2 – $32.1 million
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – $30.1 million
- Iron Man 2 – $16 million
- Robin Hood – $10.3 million
My predictions were off by $53.3 million.
Next weekend, Shrek Forever After looks to be the #1 film at the box office for a third weekend in a row against Get Him to the Greek, The Killers, Marmaduke, and Splice. Check out Biff Bam Pop next Friday to read my predictions!
RIP Dennis Hopper by Andy Burns
I was sitting at home this afternoon (Saturday) surfing around Facebook when I saw a status update from my good pal Scotty G reporting the death of Dennis Hopper. My first reaction was “no!” For those of us following, it’s been no secret that Hopper had been battling cancer for months. Though he was able to receive his much deserved star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, he was clearly suffering from his illness. But I was still sad to see the news. This one even trumps the death of Gary Coleman in my book. I’m not trying to make light of Coleman’s death at all – he certainly brings back fond memories of my youth. But Dennis Hopper is and will always be a legend.
My favourite Dennis Hopper performance has got to be his role as The Reporter in Apocalypse Now!, one of my top ten films of all time. I don’t know what the man was on at the time (he must have been on something, right?) but his performance is the most dynamic in a film where both leads Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando are more measured. Sure, Robert Duvall gets the most memorable line of the movie, but it’s Hopper’s manic ramblings that crack me up every time I watch the film.
I didn’t really “get” David Lynch’s Blue Velvet until watching it for the third time last year. Maybe as a teenager the subtleties and crazed humour throughout the film was over my heard, but on last viewing it was as though it all became clear. There uncomfortable parts are still there, but Dennis Hopper’s performance as the absolutely batshit crazy Frank Booth is the perfect melding of over the top craziness with just the hint of tragedy as the below scene demonstrates (but just a hint, seeing as the guy is a total psycho).
I could go on. His villain in Speed. Or the amazing tutorial he puts on with Christopher Walken in True Romance. Classics.
Here’s to you, Dennis Hopper. RIP.
Scotty G’s Box Office Predictions – Weekend of May 28th, 2010
It’s a battle of the sexes weekend at the box-office. In the women’s corner, from New York City, wearing silver, we have Sex and the City 2. In the men’s corner, from parts unknown (ok, it’s Persia, but I always like when wrestling announcers say that), wearing brown, we have Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. For the women, their favourite role models return for another big screen adventure in the hopes of making more money than the first film. For the men, one of the most popular video game franchises of all-time comes to the big screen, and looks to avoid the video game curse (i.e. – video games that become movies are usually terrible films). Here’s how I see the weekend breaking down:
Jake Gyllenhaal takes the lead in what he hopes will become a franchise with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The story focuses on a hero (Gyllenhaal) who is charge of a magical dagger that can alter time. He does his best to make sure that it does not fall into the wrong hands. The story is not why people are going to see this film. They will see it because it is a special-effects driven, Jerry Bruckheimer film. The question is how will it do? It has one strike against it because as most people know, there really has never been a film based on a video-game that audiences and critics have fallen in love with. Unfortunately, as you will find out later, that trend continues, although the mixed reviews the film is receiving is better than most video game adaptations. When I was coming up with a number for the film, I decided not to compare it to past films based on video games, because very few of those films had a budget like Prince of Persia’s, as well as the expectations of being a release on Memorial Day weekend. Here are the films that I used to come up with my prediction, and how they did on their opening weekend:
2010 – Clash of the Titans – $61.2 million opening weekend
2009 – Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – $54.1 million opening weekend
2009 – Terminator: Salvation – $42.5 million opening weekend
2008 – The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor – $40.4 million opening weekend
2008 – The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian – $55 million opening weekend
2007 – National Treasure: Book of Secrets – $44.7 million opening weekend
2004 – National Treasure – $35.1 million opening weekend
2003 – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – $46.6 million opening weekend
1999 – The Mummy – $43.3 million opening weekend
Average Opening Weekend For The Above 9 Films – $46.98 million
I think all the films above had about the same amount of hype as Prince of Persia, so my prediction is just slightly higher than the $46.98 million. Reviews have been mixed, with Rotten Tomatoes listing Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time at 45% as of this writing. Men will not care about what critics have to say, because it gives them an excuse to not see Sex and the City 2 with their girlfriends. Opening in 3,646 theatres, I’m predicting Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time will open with $48 million, giving it a 2nd place finish.
Sex and the City 2 is going to be the #1 film this weekend. I’m sure most men will be upset at that because it means they are going to be dragged to see it against their will, but women love this franchise. The sequel has the girls dealing with different struggles in their lives (unhappy marriage, kids that drive them up the wall), so they end up going to Abu Dhabi to live the good life for awhile. Unfortunately for one of the characters, an old flame appears, and the question audiences will want to find out the answer to is will she fall for him again, or be faithful to her husband? It’s hard to compare Sex and the City 2 with any other film except the original, because there are not many female franchise pictures. The original grossed $57 million on its opening weekend back in 2008, and sequels usually have stronger opening weekends than the original films. However, the only new release that was against the original Sex and the City back in 2008 was the horror film The Strangers which did relatively well grossing $20.9 million and finishing in 3rd place. This time there is better competition and Sex and the City 2 will be in a battle for 1st place. I have no doubt that the sequel is going to make more than the original, but it won’t be by very much because of Prince of Persia. I think that to an extent, they are going to hurt each other’s box office. That’s my take on the audience, but what about the critics? If the critics had their way, they would send you to see Prince of Persia because as of this writing, Sex and the City 2 has a 14% positive rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Women will not be deterred by this, and go to the theatre in droves to see it anyways. My prediction for Sex and the City 2 is as follows. It is opening in fewer theatres than Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (Sex and the City 2 is only in 3,445 theatres), but it will have a higher gross, as I think it will make $62 million over the Friday-Sunday period, and be the #1 film at the box office.
With Sex and the City 2 and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time both making the top five, I’m predicting that Just Wright and Letters to Juliet will be leaving the top five. (Both films will be leaving the top five in their 3rd weekend of release). Here’s how I see rest of the top five shaping up:
Shrek Forever After just does not seem to have the buzz factor to me. I think it will do better than I might originally have predicted (my original prediction was a 55% drop) because of the Memorial Day long weekend in the U.S. Still, it does have the highest theatre count of any film in release with 4,367, which will be of some benefit. It is also the only major release in 3-D, which will help the bottom line. I’m predicting a drop of 44% from last weekend, which will give Shrek Forever After a gross of $39.6 million and a 3rd place finish.
Iron Man 2, like Shrek Forever After, probably would have had a bigger drop at the box office this weekend, if it were not for the Memorial Day long weekend. I think that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time will take away a fair chunk of Iron Man 2’s audience, but it could have been a lot worse. I’m predicting Iron Man 2 will drop 43% for a gross of $14.9 million, giving it a 4th place finish.
Robin Hood will drop from 3rd to 5th this week because of a 41% drop at the box office. It will give Robin Hood a gross of $11 million. Even though Robin Hood is not a big hit in North America, it is doing very well overseas. I’m not giving any other predictions for films that could be close to making the top five; because there is no way that I am going to be wrong this week about what films are in the top five – Absolutely no way.
Opening in limited release, we have the following films:
Breathless (Re-Issue) – The classic film by Jean-Luc Godard gets a re-release in 4 theatres. I watched the DVD a couple of months ago, and it holds up very well.
George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead – This film deals with two opposing families who battle over how to deal with the zombies on their island. I know the premise sounds comical, but it’s definitely not a comedy. It does not have an official theatre count, and has a 35% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Micmacs – This film is by acclaimed director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (of Amelie fame) and is about a video store clerk who turns a dump into a place of wonder and magic. The film does not have an official theatre count, and has an 81% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Mademoiselle Chambon – This is a French film about a schoolteacher who has a romance with the father of one of her students. The film does not have an official theatre count, and has a 100% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Picasso and Braque Go To The Movies – This is a documentary about how art, history, and film all came together in the early 20th century. The film does not have an official theatre count, and has an 80% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Agora – This film stars Academy Award Winner Rachel Weisz and is a drama about the Egyptian philosopher Hypatia. The film does not have an official theatre count, and has a 65% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
So to recap, here are my predictions:
- Sex and the City 2 – $62 million
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – $48 million
- Shrek Forever After – $39.6 million
- Iron Man 2 – $14.9 million
- Robin Hood - $11 million
Remember to check back on Sunday to see how I did!
Ward’s World: David Ward on Christopher Hitchens’ Hitch-22
Twice a month, David Ward (the artist formerly known as Ogmios) invites us into his world of literature, comics, horror, sci-fi and more. It’s his world – we only read about it.
Hitch-22, Christopher Hitchens
448pp, McClelland & Stewart (Canada); Twelve (US)
When I crack the cover of any Christopher Hitchens book, I do so with both excitement and trepidation. His rhetoric is intimidating, and this isn’t because of his moral and righteous indignation, though his critical observations and hypotheses can incite even the most open-minded of readers to the tossing of bricks through his Maryland home’s front window, but rather because the man’s gift with words is nothing short of exemplary. Hitchens’ abilities, derived from a lifetime of writing for countless print and online media sources, remind me that writing is still an art, both terrifying and beautiful.
Hitch-22 is a memoir of Hitchens’ life to date. Scathing reviews of the book point to his massive ego, his propensity for name-dropping, and comparing himself as equal to, or in many cases more equal than, some of the major intellectual figures of the past forty years. Yes, Hitchens is full of himself, but like his contemporaries and friends Martin Amis and Salman Rushdie, I feel this intellectual elitism is entirely justified. Hitchens is a brilliant writer, and he knows it. He is no apologist; he states his case, describes his life, and screams from the mountain-top “Look at me, what I’ve done, and how brilliant I am.”
Complaints about the humbleness of an author in a memoir, autobiography, or even an autobiographical essay strike me as redundant and without merit. Memoirs are exercises in intellectual and biographical onanism. Even if it’s a case where the author is, at least from the outset, a humble one who has overcome all manner of horror or perhaps personal strife and adversity, readers cannot deny the inherent masturbatory nature of the memoir’s form. The writers want us to know how they dealt with things, whether this be in the dregs of a Mumbai slum or perhaps the cobblestone-laden paths of Oxford, Paris, or Milan; they want us to know how great they are, even if this is couched in self-deprecating rhetoric and word-craft.
While I’ve never met Hitchens, I have met Salman Rushdie, and at an event one of the vapid questions thrown at him at the end of the session* lauded Rushdie for his modesty. I burst out laughing, but, thankfully, so did he. Hitchens, I’m sure, would do something similar, though likely through a haze of booze (I’d have once said “and cigarettes” but Hitchens, and with some fanfare, gave up smoking a year or so ago). Brilliance and modesty rarely go hand in hand, and it cannot be expected of a text that uses its own writer as its focal point.
Hitchens understands the form and uses it to its full potential, showing the reader a picture of him, his life, and the vicissitudes of the late twentieth- and early twenty-first centuries. And yes, Hitch-22 is self-congratulatory and self-indulgent, but the prose is erudite, hilarious, and nothing short of brilliant. Throughout the book he injects nuggets critical insight and hilarious bits of writing. To finish, I offer the following, which had me guffawing on the TTC. It’s from a footnote in a chapter describing some of his later schooling years before his time as an undergraduate at Oxford, and a close relationship he had at school, which almost had him expelled.
The following does not deal with that relationship or Hitchens, but rather . . . well, just read it:
This is why, whenever I hear some bigmouth in Washington or the Christian heartland banging on about the evils of sodomy or whatever, I mentally enter his name in my notebook and contentedly set my watch. Sooner rather than later, he will be discovered down on his weary and well-worn knees in some dreary motel or latrine, with an expired Visa card, having tried to pay well over the odds to be peed upon by some Apache transvestite.
*Like they do for radio phone-in shows, I feel that the questions thrown at writers during the “open-question” period should be screened in advance, if for no other reason than to filter out the “umm”-laden, badly constructed excrescences that issue forth from the audience’s largely unintelligent toothy anuses they call mouths.
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