By Gregg Goldstein gcgoldstein@yahoo.com
Sundance Sales Chart Day Three
by Gregg Goldstein
Film | Section | Sales Co |
Odds | Pros | Cons | First Screening |
Today’s Top Five | ||||||
I Love You Phillip Morris | Prem | CAA/ End |
2:1 | A Carrey/McGregor prison romance from writers of “Bad Santa” | First-time helmers tackle subject matter that could go very wrong in the wrong hands. | 1/18, 9:30p, Eccles |
Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire |
DrComp | Cin | 2:1 | Standing O for audacious portrait of abused girl; vivid performances by Mo’Nique and wacky supporting cast (Mariah Carey, Sherry Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz) | How much of the rapturous response is the Sundance effect? And how do you sell it? | 1/16, 8p, Racquet Club |
Spread | Prem | CAA/ End |
2:1 | Gigolo satire from sexpert helmer of “Young Adam” | How many good Ashton Kutcher or Anne Heche comedies can you name? | 1/17, 9:15p, Eccles |
Humpday | DrComp | Sub | 3:1 | Straight best buds link for gay porn; those who loved it really have a hard-on for it | No stars, a premise not for the squeamish, and failed to turn some on | 1/16, 12:15p, Eccles |
The September Issue | Doc Comp | CAA | 3:1 | Rare inside look at the alleged inspiration for “The Devil Wear’s Prada,” Vogue’s Anna Wintour; great early buzz from SLC screening | Sellers still have to convince buyers it’s as theatrical as its subject | 1/16, 6:30p, Rose Wagner |
Other Narratives In Play | ||||||
An Education | World DrComp | CAA | 4:1 | ’60s coming-of-age romance from scribe Nick Hornby with Sarsgaard, Molina, Thompson and a breakout Mulligan | Subject matter too familiar and trite if not done right | 1/18, 3p, Egyptian |
Arlen Faber | Dr Comp | CAA/ ICM |
4:1 | Daniels, Graham, Pucci in romantic tale of reclusive author | Might be too navel-gazing or quirky for its own good | 1/18, 5:15p, Racquet Club |
Brooklyn’s Finest | Prem | WM/ CAA |
4:1 | Gere, Cheadle, Hawke, Snipes, Barkin in cop drama from “Training Day” director. Supposedly a few solid offers, and editing could continue | Not the feel-good film of the year. Audience liked sections of it, hated others. | 1/16, 6:15p. Eccles |
Cold Souls | DrComp | Cin | 4:1 | Giamatti, Strathairn, Watson, Ambrose in a unique “metaphysical tragi-comedy” | Yes. A metaphysical tragi-comedy | 1/17, 5:15p, Racquet Club |
The Greatest | DrComp | End/ CAA |
4:1 | Tearjerker with Brosnan and Sarandon called “as fine a debut as we can present” | Son dies in car accident; it better be a satisfying cry | 1/17, 3:15p, Eccles |
In The Loop | Premieres | Prot | 4:1 | James Gandolfini in satire of war and politics could be a sleeper hit; word-of-mouth building from pre-fest screening | Small, filled with unknown Brits and distinctly British humour | 1/19, 11:15a, Yarrow |
Motherhood | Premieres | End | 4:1 | Harried-mom comedy with Thurman, Edwards, Driver | Urban anxiety can make for anxious audiences | 1/21, 9:30p, Eccles |
Paper Heart | DrComp | UTA | 4:1 | Two words: Michael Cera. Possibly offbeat hit | Muted response to screener making rounds | 1/17, 8p, Racquet Club |
The Winning Season | Premieres | Cin | 4:1 | Female “Bad News Bears” centering on high school basketball team, Emma Roberts, late add like top-seller “Hamlet 2” | Sam Rockwell films sell big at Sundance, but haven’t performed. James Strouse a Sundance fave … but not for comedy | 1/19, 8:30p, Library |
World’s Greatest Dad | Spectrum | CAA/ Cin |
4:1 | Robin Williams in another dark comedy from “Sleeping Dogs Lie” writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait | Williams sometimes a selling point, sometimes a liability | 1/18, 5:30p, Library |
Big Fan | DrComp | Andr Hur |
5:1 | Good buzz on sports fanatic spoof directed by “The Wrestler” scribe … | … who also wrote “The Onion Movie.” Star Patton Oswalt an unproven commodity | 1/18, 8p, Racquet Club |
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men | Dr Comp | CAA | 5:1 | Hot star John Krasinski directing, starring and adapting from David Foster Wallace novel | Adaptations are tricky, and not every sitcom star is Zach Braff. Slot after heated sales lineup weekend | 1/19, 3:15p. Eccles |
Endgame | Prem | End | 5:1 | Good cast (Hurt, Ejiofor) in South African apartheid thriller | CNN currently chock full of other real-life political thrillers | 1/18, 6:16p, Eccles |
Five Minutes of Heaven | World DrComp | UTA | 5:1 | Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt and director of “Downfall” | Violence in Northern Ireland. Good times. | 1/19, 6:30p, Egyptian |
The Killing Room | Mid | CAA | 5:1 | Psychological thriller with compelling premise and solid indie cast slayed some audience members … | … while others feel it’s a pretentious “Saw”; could middling response kill its chances? | 1/16, 11:30a, Prospector |
Peter & Vandy | DrComp | End | 5:1 | Some good buzz behind Manhattan romance with Sundance “Teeth” award-winner Weixler | Stage adaptations risk being stagey; Star Ritter must live down last year’s “Good Dick” | 1/19, 8p, Racquet Club |
Shrink | Premieres | WM | 5:1 | “In Treatment” has proven the appeal of therapy dramas | Spacey’s star power has shrunk; Hollywood inside baseball? | 1/18, 11:15a, Yarrow |
Dare | DrComp | xCin | 6:1 | Sex-charged teen romance featuring Emmy Rossum | Supporting cast (Gasteyer, Cumming, Bernhard) from many an indie stinker | 1/19, 5:15p, Racquet Club |
The Messenger | Premieres | UTA | 7:1 | Talented scribe Oren Moverman’s directing debut | Another Iraq war drama; Ben Foster, Harrelson have spotty track records | 1/19, 9:30p, Eccles |
Amreeka | Dr Comp | WM | 8:1 | Sometimes humorous, very topical struggle of Palestinian mom on West Bank | No stars, Iraq war backdrop … it better be great | 1/17, 12:15p, Eccles |
Black Dynamite | Mid | End | 8:1 | Blaxploitation satire with potential for cult following | Too culty for its own good? | 1/18, 11:30p, Library |
Helen | Spectrum | Little | 10:1 | Ashley Judd sinks her teeth into bipolar role, and can sell some ancillary | Seems to be depressing buyers, and audience response is tepid | 1/16, 8:45, Library |
Manure | Premieres | v | 10:1 | Thornton, Leoni, McLachlan in what could be the Polish Bros’ Coen Bros moment with a ’60s period comedy | Polish Bros artiness sometimes overwhelms all else | 1/20, 9:30p, Eccles |
Mary & Max | Opening Night | Icon | 10:1 | Quirky Aussie claymation from Oscar-winning director good enough to attract Hoffman and Collette | Too quirky for many at the opening night screening, garnering mixed reactions | 1/15, 6p, Eccles |
Mystery Team | Midnight | Sub | 10:1 | Potential sleeper with foul-mouthed teens; could hit right chord… | …or extremely wrong one. Online trailer looks iffy; no-name cast | 1/17, 11:30p, Library |
Toe To Toe | DrComp | WM | 10:1 | Complicated relationship between two female high school teammates; interracial issues a hot topic | Early buzz not looking good, but many have yet to weigh in | 1/16, 3:15p, Eccles |
The Vicious Kind | Spectrum | ICM | 10:1 | Tough portrait of emotionally damaged father | See “Pros” | 1/17, 8:30p, Library |
Don’t Let Me Drown | DrComp | Loeb Loeb |
20:1 | Latino high schoolers in post-9/11 romantic drama | No stars, depressing premise | 1/18, 12:15p, Eccles |
Other Documentaries In Play | ||||||
The Carter | Midnight | Cin | 4:1 | One of the hottest selling rappers in a hurting music biz, Lil’ Wayne | Will the audience for this film go to the theater or wait for DVD? | 1/17, Midnight Eccles |
When You’re Strange | Doc Comp | Sub/ Cin |
6:1 | Indie vet Tom DiCillo unveils all-original footage of The Doors | Video sales assured, but will it break on through to theatrical? Some industry office screener feedback less than stellar | 1/17, 9p, Temple |
Good Hair | Doc Comp | ICM | 5:1 | If every black hair magazine reader buys a ticket to producer/star Chris Rock’s comic, celeb-filled take on the topic, it’s a hit. | Interest in niche topic could be hair today, gone tomorrow | 1/18, 9p, Temple |
Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy | Spectrum | WM | 5:1 | Robert Townsend interviews a Who’s Who of top comedians. The next Kings of Comedy? | Maybe be too long on analysis, too short on laughs | 1/17, 5:30p, Prospector |
Passing Strange | Spectrum: Docu Spotlight | End | 5:1 | Spike Lee filmed this unconventional, Tony-nominated musical, and both names will help sell the project: some good initial word | Still has to show its theatrical pull | 1/16, 2:30p, Library |
Reporter | Doc Comp | Films Trans |
6:1 | A New York Times reporter’s valiant attempt to put an African crisis on the map speaks volumes about the state of journalism today | Most political docs have had a tough boxoffice ride | 1/16, 9:30p, Temple |
We Live In Public | Doc Comp | Sub/ Cin |
6:1 | Stranger than fiction dot-com boom art experiment from Web entrepreneur | Must rise above Discovery Channel audience interest to sell | 1/19, 6p, Temple |
The Cove | Doc Comp | Sub/ WM |
8:1 | Fascination with dolphins may propel sale of this dark tale | Animal Planet shows wade in similar waters | 1/18, 3p, Temple |
No Impact Man | Spectrum: Docu Spotlight | Cin | 8:1 | Family undertakes controversial experiment to live a year with no carbon footprint; could tap “An Inconvenient Truth” audience | Another inconvenient truth: many socially conscious docs have no theatrical impact | 1/16, 11:30a, Library |
Art & Copy | Doc Comp | Sub | 6:1 | Ad industry study getting good word of mouth; could it be this year’s “Helvetica?” | Amidst interest, some are questioning commercial appeal | 1/16, 5:30p, Prospector |
Big River Man | World Doc Comp | Salt | 20:1 | Slovenian man’s attempt at record swim could be Michael Phelps meets “Grizzly Man” | No waves just yet. | 1/16, 3:15p, HV4 |