SIX TIPS, OR HOW TO PLEASE YOUR SLATE – THE FILMS OF 8/8-10
Posted: August 7th, 2018, 3:28 am
Last week proved that as long as Tom Cruise is running, there’s no stopping him. No wonder American Made under-performed. YOU CAN’T RUN IN A PLANE, UNIVERSAL!!! So Cruise ran on auto-pilot through Mission Impossible: Fallout and the fans lay down to let him trample over them and their cash, as the film held incredibly well, making $35m in its 2nd weekend. Roll on Mission Impossible 7: Treadmill Time. Elsewhere, the wide openers all failed to meet expectations. Christopher Robin poohed all over itself and earned $25m, although audiences love it and WOM should ensure a strong hold. The Spy Who Dumped Me got its ass kicked by the Abba fans, hitting only $12m. Someone forgot to tell Fox that it wasn’t 2011 and so their YA film The Darkest Minds tanked. And Trump’s media disciple, the truth-averse Dinesh D’Souza directed the lowest opener of his career to date. This week 4 more flicks race after Cruise.
“You know what the problem with Jaws was? The shark wasn’t big enough”. Peter Griffin’s opinion has now become a film, The Meg (Warner Bros). Jason Statham fights a shark the size of an island. That’s kind of all you need to know. This type of film usually premiers on Syfy, but somehow it’s getting a wide release and somehow it’s getting traction, mostly because of the substantial Chinese money invested in it. Or maybe people want some no-brain fun that for once doesn’t feature The Rock. But before you snap this film up, I’d be wary of the current predictions. It shouldn’t go much beyond $20m in its opening weekend and $50m total. That’ll be around 8 T5 points, 3 PTA, and an IMDB in the high 5s. That makes it an okay pick in Ultimate ($12-14) and BO (12/13), but you might get better results elsewhere.
You know what the best way to treat a nonsense internet rumour is? Make it real! Peter Griffin’s logic is once again prevalent in Slender Man (Sony/Screen Gems), a horror based on an internet urban legend. Here, 4 girls try to debunk the myth only for it to be very real, and moderately scary. Directed by Stomp the Yard’s Sylvain White, this is another film that’s also tracking better than expected, perhaps because of the lack of supernatural horror besides the slightly arty Hereditary. And despite this and The Meg gunning for the same audience, apparently this is appealing to teens while Mega-Shark is baiting older men. While this won’t be Screen Gem’s next Don’t Breathe, it should open in the mid teens, top out at about $35m, earning you 4-5 Top 5 points, 0 PTA points, and a low 6 IMDB. In the June and July weeks, it might be worth it as a slate-filler in Ult and BO, although the $11 price tag in the August leagues might be a stretch.
Coming out tomorrow is Dog Days, released by LD Entertainment, a production company returning to the world of (self) distribution with this gem. It’s a series of various stories connected by dog ownership. Superstar Vanessa Hudgens headlines. Even at the lowly cost of $5/6, don’t even bother. Just put this disease-riddled puppy down.
BlacKKKlansman (Focus) marks the return of Spike Lee to racially-themed quality cinema. Based on a true story of an African-American cop who infiltrates the KKK in 1970s Colorado, the film stars footballer John David Washington and Adam Driver. Since its debut in Cannes the comedic crime film has been collecting glowing reviews and major buzz. However, before you twirl in joy, Focus are releasing it in 1500 theatres, making it a frustrating mid-level release. Focus can handle larger releases, but you’re going to need a huge PTA to justify picking it up in Ultimate. In BO, however, the $5 price tag might reap some impressive rewards.
Finally, on the limited front Madeline’s Madeline (Oscilloscope), an annoyingly titled drama about a young actress whose dedication to her art causes reality and fantasy to blur. Coming out of Sundance with positive reviews, this should top the weekend if Cameron Post doesn’t come out that much. But beware Oscilloscope, whose films tend not to perform well when expanding. 4-5 PTA points are the best it can get, but that’s only for $2/3, so consider it as a slate-filler.
Predictions for the weekend
1. The Meg - $19m
2. Mission Impossible: Fallout - $18m
3. Slender Man - $15m
4. Christopher Robin- $13m
5. Blackkklansman- $6m
PTA: Miseducation of Cameron Post, Madeline’s Madeline, The Meg, MI6, Blackkklansman
Next weekend Walleye peeks at some Crazy Rich Asians, , Mark Wahlberg’s actioner Mile 22, caveman survival story Alpha, and 3 limited releases: Juliet Naked (there are 2 things wrong with this title), We the Animals, and The Wife.
“You know what the problem with Jaws was? The shark wasn’t big enough”. Peter Griffin’s opinion has now become a film, The Meg (Warner Bros). Jason Statham fights a shark the size of an island. That’s kind of all you need to know. This type of film usually premiers on Syfy, but somehow it’s getting a wide release and somehow it’s getting traction, mostly because of the substantial Chinese money invested in it. Or maybe people want some no-brain fun that for once doesn’t feature The Rock. But before you snap this film up, I’d be wary of the current predictions. It shouldn’t go much beyond $20m in its opening weekend and $50m total. That’ll be around 8 T5 points, 3 PTA, and an IMDB in the high 5s. That makes it an okay pick in Ultimate ($12-14) and BO (12/13), but you might get better results elsewhere.
You know what the best way to treat a nonsense internet rumour is? Make it real! Peter Griffin’s logic is once again prevalent in Slender Man (Sony/Screen Gems), a horror based on an internet urban legend. Here, 4 girls try to debunk the myth only for it to be very real, and moderately scary. Directed by Stomp the Yard’s Sylvain White, this is another film that’s also tracking better than expected, perhaps because of the lack of supernatural horror besides the slightly arty Hereditary. And despite this and The Meg gunning for the same audience, apparently this is appealing to teens while Mega-Shark is baiting older men. While this won’t be Screen Gem’s next Don’t Breathe, it should open in the mid teens, top out at about $35m, earning you 4-5 Top 5 points, 0 PTA points, and a low 6 IMDB. In the June and July weeks, it might be worth it as a slate-filler in Ult and BO, although the $11 price tag in the August leagues might be a stretch.
Coming out tomorrow is Dog Days, released by LD Entertainment, a production company returning to the world of (self) distribution with this gem. It’s a series of various stories connected by dog ownership. Superstar Vanessa Hudgens headlines. Even at the lowly cost of $5/6, don’t even bother. Just put this disease-riddled puppy down.
BlacKKKlansman (Focus) marks the return of Spike Lee to racially-themed quality cinema. Based on a true story of an African-American cop who infiltrates the KKK in 1970s Colorado, the film stars footballer John David Washington and Adam Driver. Since its debut in Cannes the comedic crime film has been collecting glowing reviews and major buzz. However, before you twirl in joy, Focus are releasing it in 1500 theatres, making it a frustrating mid-level release. Focus can handle larger releases, but you’re going to need a huge PTA to justify picking it up in Ultimate. In BO, however, the $5 price tag might reap some impressive rewards.
Finally, on the limited front Madeline’s Madeline (Oscilloscope), an annoyingly titled drama about a young actress whose dedication to her art causes reality and fantasy to blur. Coming out of Sundance with positive reviews, this should top the weekend if Cameron Post doesn’t come out that much. But beware Oscilloscope, whose films tend not to perform well when expanding. 4-5 PTA points are the best it can get, but that’s only for $2/3, so consider it as a slate-filler.
Predictions for the weekend
1. The Meg - $19m
2. Mission Impossible: Fallout - $18m
3. Slender Man - $15m
4. Christopher Robin- $13m
5. Blackkklansman- $6m
PTA: Miseducation of Cameron Post, Madeline’s Madeline, The Meg, MI6, Blackkklansman
Next weekend Walleye peeks at some Crazy Rich Asians, , Mark Wahlberg’s actioner Mile 22, caveman survival story Alpha, and 3 limited releases: Juliet Naked (there are 2 things wrong with this title), We the Animals, and The Wife.