By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com
All About Titanic
OK, today and tomorrow I’ll be catching up on the news of the biz before firing out my “Best Of” 1997. Wednesday will be The Ten Biggest Entertainment Stories of 97. Thursday will be my personal Top Ten. Friday, the Ten Movies That I Just Didn’t Get. And the weekend edition will offer up my Worst of 1997. Check it out.
The story at the box office is Titanic, Titanic, Titanic.The box office numbers are unbelievable. So much so that I don’t believe them. After opening last weekend, reporting that almost every seat was sold at most theaters, Titanic‘s three-day total for this weekend rose $7 million to $35.6 million. That’s a 25 percent rise in business. And I say “Bull****.” Maybe the holiday weekend could account for a 10 percent rise in the numbers (to $31.4 million), but a 25 percent rise would require an additional 1,000 screens or so. And I doubt that Titanic added that many screens in this crowded marketplace. Keep in mind that there’s almost nobody in Los Angeles this week — reporters or execs — to bitch and moan about these bizarre Titanic figures. And about Miramax’s revision of their Scream 2 opening figures (down by 15 percent) without anyone in the press noticing the “mistake” before it was announced. Another “mistake” wouldn’t be surprising.
Even if Titanic added 350 screens to reach 3,000 this weekend, the per screen average would be over $13,000. Do you know how many wide-release films, other than Titanic, did over $13,000 a screen on any weekend in 1997? Four: The Lost World, Men In Black, Batman and Robin and Star Wars. And all four did it in their first weekend, with at least 25 percent more showings over the three days. You know how many pulled it off in their second weekend? None. Excuse me. One. Titanic. If you believe that.
The funny thing is, I liked the movie as I watched it in the theater. I winced occasionally, but I enjoyed it. But actually thinking about the film after seeing it creates a kind of unavoidable contempt by way of familiarity. For a review that comes close to my complaints, check out the review from the always interesting Manohla Dargis. She and I don’t always agree, but this time we are in lockstep.