SPEARE'S TIPS - The Films of 8/19/11

[silversurfer19]

But was the movie even finished by then? This was this week, so I would prefer to go by something we know is definitely up to date and as close to the finished product as it can be. And even then, the marketing hasn't been the best for the movie (it's being advertised as a straight horror in the style of Disturbia, when it's much more of a comedy horror) so maybe the testing audience were put off by something they were not expecting.

[Buscemi]

The movie was almost complete when the test was done. The only thing that wasn't finished was the 3-D.

[ROBDude]

Well, here's some breaking news guys, Fright Night is getting positive reviews from critics. It currently has a 69% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

[Buscemi]

That's not breaking news, I just posted that.

[Shrykespeare]

Official theater counts:

Spy Kids 4 - 3,295
Fright Night - 3,114
Conan the Barbarian - 3,015
One Day - 1,719
Amigo - 11


Estimates for next week:

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - N/A ("Wide")
Colombiana - 2,500
Our Idiot Brother - 2,000
Brighton Rock - 11
Circumstance - 6
Higher Ground - NY/LA
Buzzkill - N/A


As of now, here are this week's RT scores and IMDb Ratings (if applicable);

Spy Kids 4 - 9% (1/11)
Fright Night - 76% (59/77)
Conan the Barbarian - 25% (17/67), 5.7 (594 votes)
One Day - 30% (21/70), 6.4 (389 votes)
Amigo - 63% (17/27), 6.1 (117 votes)

Obviously, Spy Kids 4 was not screened for critics.


Early RT scores for next week:

Colombiana - 0/2
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - 5/7
Our Idiot Brother - 7/8
Brighton Rock - 20/35
Circumstance - 5/7
Higher Ground - 4/4
Buzzkill - N/A

[Buscemi]

The Help is estimate to win the weekend with $18-19 million. Because audiences want to see The Blind Side redone with maids.

[silversurfer19]

The Help is estimate to win the weekend with $18-19 million. Because audiences want to see The Blind Side redone with maids.

I can't seem to stop this record skipping....

[Buscemi]

But that's the whole reason for the movie existing. The Blind Side made a lot of money so studios want to make more movies about white people fighting racism because they want that coin.

[Shrykespeare]

The Help was a bestselling book. You really think the decision to greenlight a movie version hinged solely on the success of The Blind Side??

[MisterInformative]

If you're so pissed off that another movie with racial sensitivity undertones seems to merely be a 'copy,' how are you not upset that tons of musicals came out after Chicago, or raunchy buddy comedies after Wedding Crashers, or superhero movies after Spiderman?

[Buscemi]

Actually, I was upset by the constant raunchy comedies after Wedding Crashers. Mostly due to a number of them not having much in the way of story and using cheap and tasteless gags instead. At least Wedding Crashers and The 40-Year-Old Virgin had stories (of course, the latter led to Judd Apatow padding his movies like crazy).

And plenty of bestselling books don't get adaptations. How come it's taken so long to do A Confederacy of Dunces? And why did it take over 80 years to adapt A Princess of Mars?

My main problem with The Help is that it's using the same components of The Blind Side (white hero, stereotypical portrayals of African-Americans, overacting) to sell the movie. Instead of making a much more respectful account of the Civil Rights Movement, we get yet another movie showing how white people saw it and that they were the real heroes of the movement. Not only is that completely untrue but it creates unfortunate implications.

[undeadmonkey]

after this summer with almost every R rated comedy over performing, expect a lot more R rated comedies down the road.

[MisterInformative]

Exactly my point, imitation is just normal business for Hollywood. Why is it so much more infuriating in this one case?

[Geezer]

Because Boush HATES white people. I thought this was understood?

[undeadmonkey]

haha, i was about to say because he is racially sensitive. and how in the world could there be racially insensitive movies.....