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Leonard Klady

By Leonard Klady Klady@moviecitynews.com

Posted Monday, May 26th, 2008 - Comments Off on Crystal Blue Persuasion…
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Crystal Blue Persuasion…

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and if that’s not quite the case for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, one can certainly say that audiences maintained a healthy enthusiasm for the fedora-topped adventurer. The long in the musing fourth chapter of the franchise grossed an estimated $123.7 million during the four-day Memorial holiday frame that ranked it second only to last year’s $139.8 million debut of Pirates of the Caribbean At World’s End in opening potency.

Audiences got their Jones on with about 60% of weekend business spent on his latest cinematic quest. No one dared -Uwe Boll notwithstanding – enter the fray against the movie though a number of films fared well in limited debuts. The Chinese-UK Children of Huang Shi grossed close to $50,000 from seven exposures while War Inc. tallied about $34,000 at four sites.

Boll received considerable free advertising when several movie circuits declined his black comedy Postal. But his 10 playdates went pfffft with an $8,200 box office.

Business expanded 34% (3-day to 3-day) from the prior weekend but again ran into a wall when pitted against 2007 figures. Despite the fierce activity the box office slipped by 17% from 12 months back.

Even before Crystal Skull generated $25 million for its pre-holiday Thursday launch, speculators were spit-balling a $150 million booty for its first five days. Sunday estimates place it marginally back at $148.8 million but actuals could well put it square within the bullseye.

Initial overseas box office added $146.4 million to Indy’s coffers. The filmed opened day and date in 57 countries including all major territories save Japan. Its dominance everywhere reflected the American experience.

With the onslaught on summer tentpoles the selection at the nation’s multiplexes has contracted considerably with just nine movies grossing more than $1 million during the holiday frame. The heartier titles proved to be comedies and romances while Speed Racer continued to lose traction with another hit of more than 50%.

Also taking a steeper than anticipated tumble was The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian that experienced a 58% erosion. While hardly a casualty of Speed-y proportions, Caspian will have to pull a rabbit out of some hat (preferably not composed of felt) to generate close to the potency of the initial outing … and one can already predict some serious rethinking if it hopes to complete the full cycle of C.S. Lewis books.

The relative paucity of viewing choices has been a boon for such films as The Visitor, Then She Found Me, Young@Heart and Son of Rambow with each managing to secure a steady, incremental weekly expansion in screens while maintaining relatively consistent theater averages. However, it appears inevitable that all four are on the verge of reaching peak exposure with the coming week’s new releases pushing them out of the waning number of available multiplex screens.

– Leonard Klady

Weekend Finals – May 24-26, 2008

Title Distrib Weekend % Change Theaters Cume Wks
1 New Indiana Jones & Kingdom of Crystal Sk Par 126,917,373 4260 151,958,445 1
2 1 Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian BV 29,810,163 -59% 3929 97,855,173 2
3 2 Iron Man Par 26,111,130 -36% 3915 258,278,546 4
4 3 What Happens in Vegas Fox 11,363,713 -34% 3188 56,609,605 3
5 4 Speed Racer WB 5,272,202 -51% 3112 37,481,539 3
6 5 Made of Honor Sony 4,240,435 -29% 2393 39,901,734 4
7 6 Baby Mama Uni 4,208,105 -28% 2158 53,016,250 5
8 7 Forgetting Sarah Marshall Uni 2,269,775 -36% 1073 58,798,745 6
9 8 Harold & Kumar Escape Guantanamo WB 1,163,460 -54% 750 36,152,416 5
10 10 The Visitor Overture 940,037 8% 270 4,591,262 7
11 15 Horton Hears a Who Fox 625,105 16% 488 152,076,723 11
12 9 Forbidden Kingdom Lions Gate 556,015 -61% 487 51,358,618 6
13 12 Then She Found Me Thinkfilm/TVA 503,004 -15% 150 2,181,214 5
14 17 Young@Heart Fox Searchlight 425,820 -3% 212 2,510,297 7
15 11 Nim’s Island Fox 397,290 -49% 426 45,794,492 8
16 14 21 Sony 393,720 -24% 386 82,704,535 9
17 19 College Road Trip BV 360,438 7% 283 44,275,094 12
18 18 Drillbit Taylor Par 246,197 7% 218 32,537,768 10
19 21 Son of Rambow Par Vantage 323,617 2% 152 939,530 4
20 13 Prom Night Sony/Alliance 253,294 -54% 287 43,818,159 7
21 31 Roman de Gare IDP 201,142 44% 35 506,277 4
22 26 Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure nWave 181,517 2% 48 13,090,865 34
23 30 Dolphins and Whales 3-D 3D Entertainment 139,964 7% 14 1,856,577 14
24 34 Before the Rains Roadside Attract. 139,382 4% 41 352,614 3
25 20 88 Minutes Sony 133,532 -60% 150 17,159,216 6
26 22 10,000 B.C. WB 132,053 -49% 187 94,549,440 12
27 28 The Counterfeiters Sony Classics 129,548 -18% 107 5,039,883 14
28 39 The Spiderwick Chronicles Par 129,088 50% 74 71,614,175 15
29 23 Street Kings Fox Searchlight 122,740 -50% 119 26,141,878 7
30 25 National Treasure: Book of Secrets BV 111,242 -46% 87 219,884,740 22
31 27 Leatherheads Uni 110,115 -42% 182 31,115,515 8
32 72 Superhero Movie MGM 108,747 316% 153 25,529,584 9
33 53 Reprise Miramax 107,885 72% 14 181,566 2
34 New Bujjigaadu: Made in Chennai Tollywood 106,170 24 106,170 1
35 33 The Ruins Par 97,135 -20% 123 17,262,818 8
36 47 Priceless IDP 92,093 14% 38 1,294,507 9
37 36 U2 3D nWave 88,481 -10% 10 8,121,948 18
38 38 Jumper Fox 87,143 -6% 64 79,834,745 15
39 48 Shine a Light Par Vantage 79,510 21% 38 5,223,448 7
40 16 Redbelt Sony Classics 75,342 -85% 82 2,214,484 4
41 24 La Piege Americain Alliance 73,305 -63% 44 302,958 2
42 45 The Fall Roadside Attract. 67,759 -24% 20 280,010 3
43 55 The Bank Job Lions Gate 66,085 17% 122 29,953,137 12
44 37 Smart People Miramax 65,266 -42% 54 9,454,310 7
45 44 The Bucket List WB 56,379 -33% 69 93,409,577 22
46 New The Children of Huang Shi Sony Classice 55,760 7 55,760 1
47 54 The Stone Angel Alliance 50,928 -1% 10 220,675 3
48 52 My Blueberry Nights Weinstein Co. 48,825 -31% 59 724,907 8
49 51 Under the Same Moon Weinstein Co. 48,557 -34% 63 12,432,513 10
50 New War Inc. First Look 47,933 3 47,933 1
51 32 Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed Rocky Mountain 46,314 -66% 83 7,598,071 6
52 63 Magnificent Desolation Imax 44,632 24% 8 23,906,339 139
53 60 Deep Sea 3-D WB 43,530 11% 10 35,337,346 117
54 56 Flawless Magnolia 41,587 -22% 40 1,109,252 9
55 42 Fugitive Pieces Maximum/IDP 40,310 -53% 23 404,162 4
56 61 Where Love Begins ABS 40,228 0% 4 108,521 4
57 66 OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies Music Box 38,220 8% 13 119,890 3
58 35 How Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer Maya 37,993 -69% 41 158,142 2
59 43 Step Up 2 the Streets BV 36,197 -48% 19 58,053,980 15
60 58 Space Station 3-D Imax 35,729 -21% 8 75,146,799 318
61 57 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Focus 35,511 -35% 59 12,349,205 12
62 29 Dans une galaxie pres de chez vous 2 TVA 33,295 -75% 45 1,665,829 6
63 46 Fool’s Gold WB 33,154 -56% 58 70,224,196 16
64 73 The Band’s Visit Sony Classics 32,086 35% 35 2,958,019 16
65 41 Bhoothnath Eros 31,619 -64% 35 507,651 3
66 40 Mama est chez les coiffeurs Equinoxe 30,886 -66% 42 451,464 4
67 49 Never Back Down Summit 30,742 -55% 21 24,814,367 10
68 65 Roving Mars BV 30,530 -11% 10 8,764,411 122
69 64 In Bruges Focus 29,874 -17% 29 7,643,742 16
70 93 Surfwise Magnolia 27,974 238% 4 53,570 3
71 69 My Father My Lord Kino 26,740 -15% 7 61,176 2
72 88 Standard Operating Procedure Sony Classics 26,267 71% 18 154,451 5
73 50 Vantage Point Sony 25,473 -63% 34 73,048,435 14
74 70 Up the Yangtze KinoSmith/Zeit 24,713 -13% 10 665,018 16
75 71 Edge of Heaven Metropole 24,377 2% 4 103,320 4
76 59 Meet the Browns Lions Gate 24,163 -48% 35 42,131,849 10
77 79 Jellyfish Zeitgeist 22,598 20% 9 199,735 8
78 80 The Life Before Her Eyes Magnolia 21,246 19% 11 249,395 6
79 78 Mister Lonely IFC 19,647 -15% 8 100,720 4
80 62 Shutter Fox 19,073 -51% 30 25,830,449 10
81 75 Flight of the Red Balloon IFC 18,476 -21% 12 317,773 8
Source: MCN/EDI

Estimates – May 24-26, 2008

Title Distributor Gross (average) % change * Theaters Cume
Indian Jones & Kingdom of Crystal Skull Par 123.7 (29,040) – 4260 148.8
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian BV 29.2 (7,440) -58% 3929 97.3
Iron Man Par 25.4 (6,500) -37% 3915 257.6
What Happens in Vegas Fox 13.9 (4,270) -31% 3188 45.24
Speed Racer WB 5.1 (1,650) -52% 3112 37.3
Made of Honor Sony 4.2 (1,740) -31% 2393 39.8
Baby Mama Uni 4.1 (1,910) -39% 2158 52.9
Forgetting Sarah Marshall Uni 2.2 (2,000) -39% 1078 58.7
Harold & Kumar 2 WB 1.2 (1,570) -53% 750 36.3
The Visitor Overture .92 (3,410) 7% 270 4.6
Forbidden Kingdom Lions Gate .54 (1,110) -61% 487 50.79
Then She Found Me Thinkfilm/TVA .44 (2,840) -23% 155 2.1
Horton Hears a Who Fox .41 (1,200) -21% 342 151.9
Young@Heart Fox Searchlight .40 (1,900) -6% 212 2.5
21 Sony .36 (880) -30% 411 81.5
Nim’s Island Fox .32 (970) -56% 331 45.5
Son of Rambow Par Vantage .30 (1,980) -1% 152 0.9
Weekend Total ($500,000+ Films) – $205.60 – – –
% Change (Last Year) – -17% – – –
% Change (Last Week) – 34% – – –
Also debuting/expanding
Children of Huang Shi Sony Classics 49,600 (7,090) – 7 0.05
War, Inc. First Look 34,200 (8,550) – 4 0.03
A Jihad for Love First Run 13,300 (13,300) – 1 0.01
Postal Peace Arch 8,200 (820) – 10 0.01
* percentage changes are 3-day to 3-day

Domestic Market Share – To May 22, 2008

Distributor (releases) Gross Market Share
Fox (12) 552.5 16.80%
Paramount (10) 497.6 15.10%
Warner Bros. (14) 451.2 13.70%
Sony (14) 371.5 11.30%
Buena Vista (9) 340.9 10.30%
Universal (9) 264.5 8.00%
Lions Gate (8) 201.6 6.10%
Fox Searchlight (5) 148.6 4.50%
Par Vantage (8) 70.3 2.10%
New Line (4) 61.8 1.90%
Focus (4) 59.7 1.80%
Miramax (5) 47.5 1.40%
MGM (9) 46.1 1.40%
Summit (2) 34.8 1.10%
Overture (3) 24.5 0.70%
Other * (141) 122.9 3.80%
* none greater than 0.5% 3296 100.00%

Top Domestic Grossers – To May 22, 2008

Title Distributor Gross
Iron Man Par 232,167,416
Horton Hears a Who Fox 151,451,618
Juno Fox Searchlight 115,528,466
10,000 B.C. WB 94,399,183
The Bucket List WB 92,598,405
National Treasure: Book of Secrets BV 86,509,816
21 Sony 81,310,815
Cloverfield Par 80,048,433
Jumper Fox 79,747,602
27 Dresses Fox 76,799,867
Vantage Point Sony 73,022,962
The Spiderwick Chronicles Par 71,485,087
Alvin and the Chipmunks Fox 70,235,929
Fool’s Gold WB 70,182,818
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian BV 68,045,010
Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Concert in 3- BV 65,281,781
Step Up 2: The Streets BV 58,017,783
I Am Legend WB 57,047,856
Forgetting Sarah Marshall Uni 56,528,970
The Forbidden Kingdom Lions Gate 50,802,603
* does not include 2007 box office
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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