Friday, 14 April 2000

WEEKEND PREVIEW

This should be a challenging weekend.

4 wide releases, but 4 films that have question marks floating all around them. Does anyone really want to see American Psycho outside of New York, L.A. and Chicago? Can Ed Norton and Ben Stiller open a movie? Does anyone really believe that Where The Money Is could play like a legitimate "Paul Newman movie?" And Sony has created its own doubts about 28 Days, switching to an ad campaign in the last few days that completely avoids the central topic of the film, dealing with addiction. Instead we get a wacky Sandra Bullock movie campaign. I'm not even willing to side with those who don't like the movie. It might be fine. It might be great. This campaign switch doesn't speak to the quality of the film so much as polling that is probably telling Sony that no one wants to see a rehab comedy.

Oddly enough, I have seen a grand total of none of these movies. I didn't make American Psycho at Sundance and though I have gotten lots of clever e-mails from whomever is publicizing the movie, I still haven't been roped into the seeing the film...though I would like to. I bought the book despite the protests and got about halfway through before the repetition bored me more than amused me. But I am very curious about how Mary Harron handled the material and Christian Bale's performance looks memorable, albeit from a distance. Where The Money Is played at ShoWest, but I saw something else and the film hasn't been screening for press very much if at all. I don't know why Disney didn't ask me to see Keeping the Faith, but they didn't and I didn't exactly break their door down, though again, I am curious and hopeful. And 28 Days, I just missed. A few times.

In any case, things could get ugly before they get pretty with this group. Neither Rules of Engagement nor Erin Brockovich should be able to make more than $8 million this weekend, so the top slot is open and 28 Days will probably take it...but not by a lot. Keeping The Faith and American Psycho will also likely make the Top Ten, but further down that list. And it seems that Ready To Rumble could actually drop from the weak-opening six spot all the way out of the Top Ten in just its second weekend. Not pretty. Ted, just close your eyes and think of Bo.

There will be no Box Office Extra this week because of my travels.

THE GOOD: I'm actually in Bermuda as you read this. Well, almost. If it's afternoon in New York, I'm in Bermuda. I'm here for the 3rd Annual Bermuda International Film Festival and I'm thrilled to be coming to a festival where I can see every single movie during my brief stay. I'm rushing off a little early to meet family commitments in Chicago, but if I stayed any longer, I'd have way too much time for hanging out and snorkeling and smoking Cuban cigars. (Grrrr...I hate Castro! Please no protests.) Thank goodness I'm leaving. The only two titles at the festival that you may already know are Genghis Blues, the great documentary about a jazzman's trip to Tuva and Human Traffic, which was at Sundance and is opening in America in the next few weeks. There's also a new documentary from Liz Garbus, whose The Farm: Angola, USA was Oscar-nominated last year. But a big part of the fun for me is seeing this stuff without any expectations. I want to be surprised.

Coverage will start on Monday, simply because of internal scheduling issues. But I'll make up for it with an extra day or two of coverage even after I've left.

Plus, you can still make plans to go to the 2nd Annual Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival. Again, this is a festival where you can see all the films...and probably haven't seen many of them before. Silent Film, Black & White, Animé, Documentary, Aussie Film, the Todd AO format and even Miramax product shows up as overlooked. But most enjoyable of all, it's three days and a matinee of damned good movies in a beautiful old house loaded with lots of special guests. But more on them next week. For now, if you want a sublime movie experience, make plans to check it out for yourself.

THE BAD: Rumors from the Charlie's Angels set are now making it to the trades with details. That's a bad sign. If Michael Fleming is willing to print the ebb and flow of a conflict between Bill Murray and Lucy Liu, you have to believe that there is some truth to the more extreme stories. And what the hell is Lucy Liu doing messing with Bill Murray? You gotta respect your elders. And more importantly, you have to respect the guy who is going to give your movie its best chance of selling.

"Worse, Ugly & Turning Your Screenplay Into Cash"