MCN Columnists
Leonard Klady

By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com

Posted Sunday, March 22nd, 2009 - Comments Off on Knowing … and Not Knowing
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Knowing … and Not Knowing

The science-fiction anxiety raiser Knowing led the weekend box office chart with an estimated $24.1 million. In a session where a trio of national releases was expected to be closely bunched, the separations were noticeable. The romantic comedy I Love You, Man debuted in second spot with $17.6 million and the tongue-in-cheek thriller Duplicity took the third slot with $14.4 million.

The new blood was viewed optimistically as the films were targeted to distinct and separate audiences. And while collectively they boosted ticket sales modestly from the prior weekend, they did not boost last year’s business.

The weekend also saw buoyant biz for the latest live from the Met outing, Bellini’s Sonnambula, and a hearty expansion for the indie saga Sunshine Cleaning. However, most freshmen in limited and exclusive bows were undistinguished. The wry The Great Buck Howard generated less than a $2,000 engagement average from 55 theaters and the ironically titledSuper Capers eked out $20,400 from 80 exposures. Conversely, fest favorite Sin Nombre generated a potent $78,200 at six screens and the portrait film Valentino: The Last Emperor tantalized $19,600 from a single Manhattan exposure.

Overall business generated roughly $107 million for a 7% improvement from seven days earlier. However, box office took a 5% hit from 2008 when the second weekend of Horton Hears a Who led with $24.6 million and the debut of Meet the Browns grossed $20.1 million.

The trinity of new movies lined up as anticipated though only Knowing, starring Nicolas Cage, performed close to tracking estimates. The pre-cognitive nail biter as expected drew in young males while I Love You, Man emerged as the weekend date movie and Duplicity tilted toward older women. On paper that sounded better than it played out and while the latter duo both earned good to rhapsodic reviews, each fell short of respective b.o. projections of $20 million and $18 million.

Added to the woes was a sharper than expected 47% drop for last weekend’s chart topper Race to Witch Mountain and the dissolution of first quarter warhorses including Paul Blart, Slumdog Millionaire and He’s Just Not That Into You.

There’s at least a glimmer of sunshine for niche product with the fan out of Sunshine Cleaning maintaining sturdy per screens and the bow of Sin Nombre drawing in upscale (though not ethnic) audiences. Still neither film has yet to demonstrate the on-going vigor of Little Miss Sunshine or Y tu Mama Tambien.

The immediate release horizon doesn’t appear to have comparably upbeat surprises to fill the imminent void but then again they wouldn’t be surprises if they performed to preconceived power. Still with ShoWest a week off, it will be interesting to see how the beleaguered Motion Picture Association and National Association of Theater Owners spin a positive future in recessionary times that have slowed building and expansion plans that were supposed to invigorate movie going.

– Leonard Klady

Weekend Finals – March 20-22, 2009

Title Distrib Weekend % Change Theaters Cume Wks
1 New Knowing Summit 24,604,751 – 3332 24,604,751 1
2 New I Love You, Man Par 17,810,270 – 2711 17,810,270 1
3 New Duplicity Uni 13,965,110 – 2574 13,965,110 1
4 1 Race to Witch Mountain BV 12,786,041 -48% 2187 44,496,593 2
5 2 Watchmen WB 6,801,114 -62% 3510 98,140,886 3
6 3 The Last House on the Left Uni 5,776,160 -59% 2402 23,902,420 2
7 4 Taken Fox 4,057,695 -38% 2661 133,096,403 8
8 6 Slumdog Millionaire Fox Searchlight 2,676,369 -46% 2067 137,178,177 19
9 5 Medea Goes to Jail Lions Gate 2,566,535 -50% 1835 87,264,219 5
10 9 Coraline Focus 2,130,746 -22% 1431 72,841,173 7
11 7 Paul Blart: Mall Cop Sony 1,842,984 -41% 1762 141,052,214 10
12 8 He’s Just Not That Into You WB 1,250,201 -57% 1302 91,544,583 7
13 New La Sonnambula Fathom 1,157,999 – 522 1,157,999 1
14 11 Confessions of a Shopaholic BV 741,893 -62% 917 42,928,251 6
15 13 Gran Torino WB 740,137 -51% 825 145,095,330 15
16 12 Fired Up Sony 701,639 -57% 1209 16,755,117 5
17 33 Sunshine Cleaning Overture 671,618 206% 64 960,041 2
18 10 Miss March Fox Searchlight 664,351 -72% 1742 4,121,295 2
19 14 The Reader Weinstein Co. 535,983 -59% 704 32,900,557 15
20 18 Hotel for Dogs Par 403,092 -30% 522 70,906,136 10
21 28 Under the Sea 3D WB 372,624 21% 54 3,886,959 6
22 15 Jonas Brothers: 3D Concert Experienc BV 362,694 -61% 468 19,024,826 4
23 24 Bedtime Stories BV 318,635 -17% 286 110,980,386 13
24 27 Dede a travers les brumes TVA 242,440 -23% 70 751,956 2
25 26 Entre les murs (The Class) Sony Classics 206,232 -38% 126 2,792,008 10
26 23 Two Lovers Magnolia 206,127 -62% 148 1,971,628 6
27 19 Push Summit 196,398 -64% 290 30,991,061 7
28 20 The Pink Panther 2 Sony 192,853 -64% 261 35,922,978 7
29 16 The International Sony 187,891 -74% 281 25,450,527 6
30 25 The Uninvited Par 178,418 -49% 282 28,436,011 8
31 21 The Wrestler Fox Searchlight 166,972 -63% 291 25,792,774 14
32 39 Bolt BV 166,932 -5% 202 115,202,295 18
33 29 Doubt Miramax 149,360 -48% 218 33,172,718 15
34 17 Friday the 13th WB 145,786 -75% 305 64,701,486 6
35 35 Marley and Me Fox 139,211 -28% 190 142,829,513 13
36 22 Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li Fox 138,425 -68% 186 8,459,301 4
37 31 Twilight Summit 132,914 -49% 247 191,368,384 18
38 36 Inkheart WB 127,553 -32% 194 17,066,686 9
39 30 Curious Case of Benjamin Button Par 123,045 -55% 206 126,759,635 13
40 43 Bride Wars Fox 120,962 -19% 162 58,321,581 11
41 New The Great Buck Howard Magnolia 115,004 – 55 115,004 1
42 45 Gomorrah IFC/E1 113,151 -20% 49 958,827 6
43 41 Last Chance Harvey Overture 111,913 -29% 244 14,590,164 13
44 40 Revolutionary Road Par Vantage 111,319 -29% 202 22,754,434 13
45 34 One Week Mongrel 102,546 -50% 57 801,162 3
46 38 Underworld: Rise of the Lycans Sony 98,983 -46% 171 46,601,533 9
47 New Sin Nombre Focus 81,446 – 6 81,446 1
48 32 Milk Focus 79,518 -65% 111 31,716,847 17
49 37 New in Town Lions Gate 71,205 -62% 158 16,699,684 8
50 42 Defiance Par Vantage 67,367 -57% 118 28,390,983 12
51 46 Che IFC/E1 66,911 -35% 47 1,613,268 15
52 44 Frost/Nixon Uni 62,225 -58% 131 18,593,156 16
53 70 My Bloody Valentine 3D Lions Gate 56,815 144% 171 51,635,373 9
54 55 Fly Me to the Moon Summit 46,964 -10% 9 13,303,373 32
55 48 Yes Man WB 44,025 -46% 53 97,632,413 14
56 56 The Tale of Despereaux Uni 43,590 -14% 90 51,150,016 14
57 51 Wendy and Lucy Oscilloscope 38,425 -41% 40 700,720 15
58 74 Space Station 3D Imax 37,389 84% 5 78,120,981 362
59 52 Everlasting Moments IFC 35,865 -37% 18 171,339 3
60 71 Magnificent Desolation Imax 35,518 86% 5 27,891,163 183
61 66 Tokyo! Liberation 35,053 36% 10 105,694 3
62 47 Crossing Over Weinstein Co. 34,864 -66% 39 347,004 4
63 RE Dolphins and Whales 3D 3D Entertainment 32,533 -1% 7 5,721,223 58
64 53 Jag Jeondayan de Mele H & H 32,293 -43% 12 559,830 5
65 50 The Unborn Uni 31,501 -56% 51 42,899,590 11
66 62 Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventu NatGeo 30,520 0% 15 21,055,453 77
67 58 Polytechnique Alliance 27,955 -28% 34 1,384,588 7
68 49 Valkyrie MGM 25,875 -65% 57 83,043,123 13
69 54 Waltz with Bashir Sony Class/E1 24,435 -53% 62 2,180,986 13
70 57 Je me souviens Atopia 22,655 -35% 17 180,536 3
71 91 U2 3D NatGeo 22,301 49% 8 9,772,237 61
72 New Valentino: The Last Emperor Truly Indie 21,762 – 1 21,762 1
73 New Super Capers Roadside Attract. 21,463 – 80 21,463 1
74 61 Deep Sea 3D WB 20,304 -37% 5 37,647,061 160
75 65 L’Empreinte de l’ange Seville 17,422 -33% 9 58,925 2
Source: EDI/MCN

Estimates: March 20 – 22, 2009

Title Distributor Gross (avera % chang Theaters Cume
Knowing Summit 24.1 (7,260) – 3332 24.1
I Love You Man Par 17.6 (6,490) – 2711 17.6
Duplicity Uni 14.4 (5,580) – 2574 14.4
Race to Witch Mountain BV 12.9 (3,670) -47% 3187 44.6
Watchmen WB 6.8 (1,950) -62% 3510 98.2
Last House on the Left Uni 5.8 (2,410) -59% 2402 23.9
Taken Fox 4.1 (1,540) -37% 2661 133.1
Slumdog Millionaire Fox Searchlight 2.7 (1,320) -46% 2067 141.9
Madea Goes to Jail Lionsgate 2.5 (1,380) -51% 1835 87.2
Coraline Focus 2.1 (1,450) -23% 1431 72.8
Paul Blart: Mall Cop Sony 1.8 (1,010) -43% 1762 141
He’s Just Not That Into You WB 1.3 (990) -56% 1302 91.6
La Sonnambula Fathom 1.2 (2,170) – 540 1.2
Confessions of a Shopaholic BV .77 (840) -60% 917 43
Gran Torino WB .74 (900) -51% 825 145.1
Fired Up Sony .73 (600) -56% 1209 16.8
Sunshine Cleaning Overture .69 (10,780) 215% 64 1
Miss March Fox Searchlight .65 (370) -73% 1742 4.1
The Reader Weinstein Co. .52 (740) -60% 704 32.9
Hotel for Dogs Par .44 (840) -24% 522 70.9
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) $101.40 – – –
% Change (Last Year) – -5% – – –
% Change (Last Week) – 7% – – –
Also debuting/expanding
Dede a travers les brumes TVA 24 (3,410) -23% 71 0.75
The Great Buck Howard Magnolia .11 (1,960) – 55 0.11
Sin Nombre Focus 78,200 (13,030) – 6 0.08
Super Capers Roadside At. 20,400 (255) – 80 0.02
Valentino: The Last Emperor Acolyte 19,600 (19,600) – 1 0.02
Skills Like This Shadow 8,300 (8,300) – 1 0.01
The New Twenty Wolfe 6,400 (6,400) – 1 0.01
Mancora Maya 5,700 (2,850) – 2 0.01
Perestroika REF 3,500 (3,500) – 1 0.01

Domestic Market Share – January 1 – March 19, 2009

Distributor (releases) Gross Market Shar
Warner Bros. (15) 452.9 21.20%
Sony (9) 302.7 14.20%
Fox (6) 282.3 13.20%
Paramount (5) 177.6 8.30%
Fox Searchlight (5) 177.3 8.30%
Lionsgate (6) 160.4 7.50%
Buena Vista (8) 158.4 7.40%
Universal (6) 93.6 4.40%
Focus (2) 87.7 4.10%
Summit (3) 52.2 2.40%
Paramount Vantage (2) 50.6 2.40%
MGM (3) 42.3 2.00%
Weinstein (6) 32.4 1.50%
Miramax (3) 22.1 1.00%
Overture (3) 14.9 0.70%
Other * (64) 30.8 1.40%
* none greater than 0.35% 2138.2 100.00%
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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.

And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.

There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher

“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.

~ David Simon