November 22, 2009

Readers, I need an explanation . . .


Opening Weekend: 140.7 Million dollars.
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29 comments:

  1. Joey MagidsonNovember 22, 2009 at 3:27 PM

    this is why I'm agnostic...

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  2. AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 5:01 PM

    I think that after Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, this was one of the most anticipated movies for the fans this year, besides all the press that had, well deserved!

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  3. Joey MagidsonNovember 22, 2009 at 5:05 PM

    Eh, my only issue is that it's an inferior product, not that it had a big opening

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  4. AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 5:16 PM

    what I meant is that the number reflects the expectation that had the audience for what they had seen in the first movie and other ...

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  5. Joey MagidsonNovember 22, 2009 at 5:17 PM

    Same as what I meant, the first movie was atrocious, so it boggles the mind to think that twice as many people would go see a sequel on opening weekend, but that's just me...

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  6. Myles HughesNovember 22, 2009 at 5:31 PM

    What pisses me off is that it's easily trouncing all the records that Dark Knight broke last year, but with only a fraction of that film's quality (and even that's being generous). What was cool about Dark Knight holding all those records is that it was a geniunely good movie, and it felt like it earned its place in the books. This thing, on the other hand, was rushed into production after the first film was a hit, and from what I understand is just more of the same. It's tasteless popcorn, whereas the Dark Knight was intelligent, well-made on all fronts, and had something to say.

    Alright, I'll stop now.

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  7. AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 5:49 PM

    I agree. It's absurd. It's even more astounding that every heterosexual male in the world can skip this movie and it STILL made this kind of money. And Joey is right, it's a complete pile of steaming crap. No way in hell it deserves this. The Dark Knight was an event in cinematic history, New Moon is mindless garbage. The books are just as bad, and the only reason they are so popular is because they're easier to read than the alphabet and have "hot guys" running round shirtless in them. This weekend was sad indeed when a terrible film with shitty writing, shitty acting, and is all around shit can make this kind of money.

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  8. Joey MagidsonNovember 22, 2009 at 5:52 PM

    Luckily, my current lady-friend wanted to see Pirate Radio, so I lucked out from having to take her...

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  9. RobertNovember 22, 2009 at 6:19 PM

    "This is why I'm agnostic..."

    Nicely put.

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  10. Joey MagidsonNovember 22, 2009 at 6:20 PM

    much obliged

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  11. AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 8:21 PM

    Apparently, 80 % of the people that went to go see this movie were women. The other 20 % had to comprise of boyfriends and gay dudes. I don't know a single single dude that went to see this film (thankfully). The Dark Knight (and Spiderman 2) were more accessible than New Moon. Both were better products, and yet New Moon is making just as much money in a fucking recession. I'm no sexist, but this supports my claim that most girls have terrible taste in movies.

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  12. AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 9:09 PM

    Keith does have a point. It's beyond absurd at this point. I was at blockbuster the other night and these girls were trying to pick out a movie and one of them suggested something like Motorcycle Diaries and one of them was like "Noooo, I don't wanna think." I hoped this was a one time incident, but it's happened more times than I care to remember.

    Sadness.

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  13. AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 9:09 PM

    Keith does have a point. It's beyond absurd at this point. I was at blockbuster the other night and these girls were trying to pick out a movie and one of them suggested something like Motorcycle Diaries and one of them was like "Noooo, I don't wanna think." I hoped this was a one time incident, but it's happened more times than I care to remember.

    Sadness.

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  14. AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 9:51 PM

    I think we have to accept that many girls have been socially constructed to be idiots. It's not their fault entirely, but when a movie like New Moon makes a ton of money, it makes me rethink my position on equal rights for women.

    The same thing might be said for black people and their affinity toward Tyler Perry movies, but I'm black, so I cant defend that.

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  15. AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 10:31 PM

    Hilarious points as always. I think that the main problem with films leik Twilight and Sex and the City is that they destroy everything women's lib and feminism stand for, and yet take in this kind of box office. By that same token, a film like Whip It, which is a really entertaining and well made film with a strong message for young girls barely does any box office at all.

    That being said, I know PLENTY of girls (including my own girlfriend) with great taste in movies who hate Twilight and everything it stands for. Unfortunately, the target audience seems to be sorority chicks and younger, less intelligent, self-respecting women.

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  16. Joey MagidsonNovember 22, 2009 at 10:33 PM

    I have to say...sorority chicks are usually very hot...not sure if that defends them at all, but it's a good observation from my college days...

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  17. AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 10:36 PM

    LOL Joey. Just remember that they should all be wearing shirts with the sentence "I wish these were brains) written across their chest. I don't think they would be as hot as you remember them either. A lot of them these days (at least at UT Austin) look like pornstars, and not even in a good way.

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  18. Joey MagidsonNovember 22, 2009 at 10:38 PM

    There's always those, but the ones in New York ran the gamut, some rather stunning, and some that look like they'd just feel sticky...I had my fun with them, but agreed that it's not quite the same, post-grad...

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  19. Myles HughesNovember 22, 2009 at 10:56 PM

    I'd like to agree with neo's point earlier, because that may very well be the key. I remember waiting in line for a film with a friend last year, and I pointed out a poster for Doubt, suggesting it looked rather good. He agreed that it would probably be intellectually stimulating, but said that he "wasn't interested in seeing something that might challenge his beliefs or cause him to think. Now what's this one about Adam Sandler having gumballs raining on him?"

    My point is, it's not just women. Have we forgotten how much money films like Transformers have made off of largely male audiences? We live in a society that goes to movies to escape, not to think, and that's what it's like in a recession/depression. The Dark Knight, sad to say, was a fluke because it successfully combined popcorn thrills with a thought-provoking crime saga. If you look at the top earners after it, it's films like Pirates 3, Shrek 3, Spider-Man 3, etc. People like comfort food, they like enjoying what they're familiar with, they like to get what they expect. And I'd wager that most people going to see Twilight know what they're going to see, and if they're going anyway then they clearly enjoy it/want to get laid.

    As a final point, what is the one film that is still our top earner, the one that even Dark Knight couldn't top? Titanic. An epic romance propelled largely by teenage girls and their boyfriends. Arguably, this is the same demographic as Twilight. It's wrong, it's sad, and it may indicate the decline of our civilization, but when you think about it, it isn't really that surprising.

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  20. Andrew K.November 22, 2009 at 11:07 PM

    neo 78956: as mediocre as it as i think it's a disservice to the sex and the city franchise to compare it to the mindless drivel that is twilight.

    i was no big fan of the dark knight but it's obviously a better film than this. but in a way, i'm glad new moon is breaking these records. it only proves my points that general modern audiences=morons. sad, but true. sigh.

    PS. this is quite funny since some one was recently lamenting the fact that titanic grossed so much and it was a "silly, love story" as far as they were concerned. granted, i am a fan of titanic, but when they said they were looking forward to new moon any modicum of credibility i had for theme was gone.

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  21. AnonymousNovember 22, 2009 at 11:43 PM

    I agree on all acounts Myles. It's sad, especially because it's not just women, its everyone. My roommates here at my apartment (save for one of them) would rather watch Crank 2 than Children of Men, There Will be Blood, etc. I've seen a lot of movies, and I can tell you without any shadow of a doubt, Crank 2 is the worst film I have EVER seen. I literally have never seen a film quite as bad as Crank 2. The first one was fun in it's over-the-top looney toons esque ridiculousness, but I would rather have watch New Moon any day than watch Crank 2. The younger audiences, especially a lot of college kids these days, tend to want something easy filled with explosions and sex (though I will say that Pirates 3, despite its flaws, is a part of one of my favorite franchises and infinitely better than the aforementioned films). For me, I try to ignore it, since the streaming ocean of crap that pollutes cinemas all year long tend to be small enough to ignore. If it weren't for the fact that I can't seem to escape the Twilight crap (as I'm constantly surrounded by people wooed by it), I would find it easier to ignore. But unfortunately, it gets all this attention and I find myself surrounded and suffocated by it.

    As far as my women point go, all I'm saying is that this is why I think that not only does Kathryn Bigelow deserve Best Director this year, but it's incredibly important that she wins, as I think it would send out a really strong message.

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  22. Myles HughesNovember 23, 2009 at 12:06 AM

    I absolutely agree, and as you'll see from the chart, I currently have her predicted to win.

    Also, don't tell anyone, but the Pirates films, while overblown and all about an hour longer than they need to be, are guilty pleasures for me too.

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  23. AnonymousNovember 23, 2009 at 12:22 AM

    I'm glad my jokes sparked such an intense discussion. I agree with what everyone has said so far. Most people see movies like they view roller coasters: they just want to have fun. They don't see the artistic merit, and hence you get blockbusters like New Moon.

    What's disappointing is that most people went to go see the Dark Knight for the very same reason they went to go see Transformers. We were lucky that the film was actually good, but most people probably didn't consider the artistic value of the film.

    I know people that list Twilight, Transformers, and the Dark Knight as their favorite movies. It only makes sense when you look at the paradigm that most people judge movies by. Clearly, the Dark Knight is a better product, but that's irrelevant to many movie watchers. The critics don't matter, nor does the final product. It's all about hype and having something to do on a Friday night.

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  24. AnonymousNovember 23, 2009 at 12:53 AM

    Yay, someone else loves the Pirates movies. Now, you can't deny that the firts one was an unqualified success, and Johnny Depp and Geoffery Rush make the movies awesome just with their banter. :)

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  25. Joey MagidsonNovember 23, 2009 at 1:03 AM

    I'll stay out of that one, none of the Pirates movies did for me at all, but I'd agree that they're better than Twilight/Moon, damning with faint praise as that might be...

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  26. Matthew BarkerNovember 23, 2009 at 3:42 AM

    Ah, sweet, sweet popularity. That said, I shall be lining up to ogle the talent! And by ogle, I do indeed mean to check out their physical attributes as opposed to their acting prowess. Eh, I am as superficial as the next fifteen year old! lol

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  27. Myles HughesNovember 23, 2009 at 12:43 PM

    Why yes, I enjoyed the first Pirates film immensely, and the performances (that is, the performances that weren't Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley) were basically what sold me. Though again, that may have been what crippled the series: thousands of big budget special effects and spectacular fight sequences, and the best part of all three films is getting to watch a slightly drunk Johnny Depp.

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  28. AnonymousNovember 23, 2009 at 3:41 PM

    I feel asleep on the first Pirates movie, and didn't bother to watch the other six. I felt like the film was kind of aimless. But, I feel asleep on Master and Commander, so maybe it's just movies with large ships.

    The only way I'll watch New Moon is if I'm captured and locked in a Chinese prison camp, and they force me to watch it. Other than that, I'll live my life Twilight free. I will break up with my girlfriend (if I had one) if she even hints toward wanting to watch it.

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  29. Joey MagidsonNovember 23, 2009 at 3:44 PM

    I saw about a half hour of the first Pirates on TV, did nothing for me...I saw the second one with a girl as a compromise for coming to see Clerks 2 with me, and ended up getting to nap through it, which is good since the movie was 17 hours long....

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