WEEKEND PREVIEW

Ah, the video game versus the animated historically twisted thriller… what a weird weekend at the movies.

Everyone is betting on Tomb Raider to wipe out Atlantis and it well may.  I remind you all, once again, that opening weekend is about marketing and buzz and not about the movies.  I wouldn’t bet too hard against any Disney animated film.  That said, Tomb Raider is certainly for boys and, with a woman of adventure at its center, it may well draw girls like crazy.  The good news for Swordfish is that not too many people old enough to get into an R rated film are going to buy a ticket for either weekend opener unless they are buying kids tickets too.  (Okay… cool down… set the bar at 35… is that better, boys?)

I’ve seen Atlantis and I liked Atlantis.  It’s a simple, solid action romp without too much silliness and a lot of very cool images.  The voice actors are excellent across the board and the story, essentially, works.  On the other hand, no one has really had a huge success in animation outside of musicals or comedies.   Atlantis sticks closer to its core audience than Titan A.E. did, but fish-nor-foul worries are still real.  So, we’ll see.

I haven’t seen Tomb Raider, though I suspect that I will this weekend.  I am at my sister’s and her about-to-be-12-year-old-son is ready to go.  Speaking of him…

THE GOOD:  Do you want to go see Atlantis?

Charles, 11 years old male: “The reason why I want to see it is I like the whole setting of it.  I want to find out what really happened.  Why did it all vanish underneath the sea?”

Amy, 36 year old female:  “Yes.  Because it looks visually enticing.”

Stacey, 50 year old female:  “Yeah, I’m intrigued by it.  I read about it in Time Magazine… it sounded interesting.  Shreak (sic) got the best reviews, but…” 

Do you want to go see Tomb Raider?

Charles:  “I’ve played the game before and I want to see the adventure Lara Croft goes on.”

THE BAD:  Do you want to go see Atlantis?

Alli, 10 year old girl:  “I don’t like cartoon movies that have to do with finding something.   They are trying to find Atlantis… boring.”

Do you want to go see Tomb Raider?

Alli: I don’t know what it’s about.  No.

Amy:  I want to see Angelina Jolie kick butt. I just realized she was Jon Voight’s daughter.  I had no idea.

Stacey:  No.  Doesn’t look interesting to me.  I saw the previews and it just looks too high tech to me and I don’t identify with Angela (sic) Jolie.  But I’m not a very good one because I don’t keep the movie business in business.

THE UGLY:  A few of you have written in to ask my opinion of the AFI Thriller List.  I don’t think it’s really worth analyzing.  The whole idea of AFI doing lists was to get them a TV show and to sell a bunch of videos.  Debating its legitimacy is kind of like arguing over who won Celebrity Death Match on MTV… there’s no point. 

But catching my eye was the ugly survey story of the week.   A psychologist named Donna Dawson did a report for Odeon, which is, according to Reuters, Britain’s biggest cinema chain, that explains the meaning of where you sit in a movie theater.  She broke movie patrons into 4 groups:  Front Row Film Fanatics, Mellow Middle Of The Rowers, Aisle-Siders and Back Row Sitters. 

Dawson found that the people who sit all the way in front or all the way in back are - taa-duh!!! – the most extreme.  The people in front are leaders.  The people in back are rebels.  And if you like an aisle seat, you are emotionally detached.

About the aisle sitters, Dawson writes, “They hate feeling crowded or harassed and choose an end seat because they want to be near an exit should anything go wrong.  Quieter and less self-confident -- they tend to have acquaintances, but only a few close friends.” 

As a guy who always wants to sit on the aisle, I must protest.  At 6’ and just over 200 pounds, I want the space… but not emotionally.  I am willing to deal with people climbing over me for the period before the film in order to not be stuck shoulder-to-shoulder with then during the movie. 

Anyway… dumb survey… dumb idea.  Read the Reuters story here. 

BAD AD WATCH:  Amazingly to me, The Palm Beach Post’s Thursday edition has a total of two movie ads and a movie time calendar that is less than a half of a page… that’s their entire movie coverage.  The Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel is more like papers I am used to in this regard.  They have an Atlantis ad that, interestingly, has raves from Elvis Mitchell of the New York Times, plus Two Thumbs Up, but leads with Neil Rosen from NY-1.  The New York Post, on the other hand, has neither Mitchell or Rosen, the two New York based critics, but only the two thumbs.  Meanwhile – and I don’t know if it’s catching – Swordfish is flipping quotes, losing Jeff Craig and adding Michael H. Kleinechrost of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.  Never saw Mr. K before, but it just goes to show, there’s really no need to make up a critic when there are real people out there.

JUST WONDERING:  Petey was just wondering… “I know you are busy visiting family, but how come no mention of the release of Sexy Beast.  For a guy who complains about the quality of movies, shouldn't you at least let your readers know when an interesting film enters the marketplace.” 

David answers:  I feel like I’ve been pitching this film for a year already, after first hearing about it at Telluride and seeing it at Toronto.  But yes, now it is in the beginnings of its release from Fox Searchlight… get to it.  If you like solid, high-intensity-but-low-key Brit film, a la Croupier and The Long Good Friday, you are going to enjoy Sexy Beast.

READER OF THE DAY:  Another DP responds to Special K:  “The secret's out, Special K: http://www.moviewatcher.com.  It works exactly like you want, where you get points for each ticket bought and get free popcorn, soda, and tickets at milestones. This program all but guarantees my loyalty to the local AMC Theatre, even though it isn't the closest theatre to me. I rarely catch movies anywhere else.”

Not Helen of Troy follows-up:  “This probably isn't going to go anywhere, but I had to respond to Special K's  letter yesterday about wanting some kind of incentive for going to the movies.

I will admit right now I work for AMC, so let's get that out of the way.  But  outside of this experiment that's taking place in those 2 markets, there is something that he can get that is already widespread for AMC customers--a Moviewatcher card.  It does just what he asks for--you earn points everytime you go to a movie, and at certain point levels you get a free drink, free popcorn or a free movie pass.  

It surprises me that someone that seems to know quite a bit about movies and theatres like Special K didn't already know about this.  There's obviously lots of AMC Theatres in New York, so it would be right up his alley.

I know you probably can't/won't print this, because it's essentially an ad for AMC.  But maybe you can forward this letter to Special K--he might like to know.  Just go to moviewatcher.com, or just ask at an AMC Theatre, and he can get signed up for a free card.”

Frankie is our Moulin Rouge HOTD (Hater of the Day):  “One day someone will speak up and say to the world that Moulin Rouge is garbage.

Let's face it-the artists (I repeat, artists) who excelled at making the musical film-Vincente Minnelli, Kay Thompson, Arthur Freed, Robert Wise, Fred Astaire, Bob Fosse, Michael Kidd, Barbra Streisand, Alan Jay Lerner, etc-were working with and/or among their extraordinary peers to create timeless entertainment.  Everyone recognizes and can relate to the joy in the title sequence to "Singin' in the Rain" or the Ascot scene in "My Fair Lady" or any musical scene from an Astaire-Rogers film.

When these people passed away or decided to stop making musicals, who was left?  Those people who tried to change the artform for the most part failed.  Why?  The public wanted more.  The studios in the 1970s did not know how to make a musical film that could reach the public through music, technology, and performance.  Can anyone watch the atrocious Larry Kramer (!)-penned 1973 musical remake of "Lost Horizon" with a singing Sally Kellerman and a dubbed Liv Ullmann?  The 1980s studios' bright idea was to make films with pop songs (Footloose, Flashdance) that had little to do with advancing the plot or character. 

After dozens of jaw-droppingly 1970-1990s bad musical films (the nadir including Evita, A Chorus Line, Tommy, and Man of La Mancha), no wonder Hollywood and the public gave up.  The problem?  Finding the 'right' people with the artistic sense, vision, and studio support to make effective musical films.

Now Luhrmann and company make Moulin Rouge; a film with enough cake frosting to suffer the movie-goer with aesthetic nausea.  A film in which no one really sings well, no one really moves well, no one really acts well, and no one makes you care what happens to them.  Only the under-appreciated Jim

Broadbent emerges with some dignity when the film allows the actor's true wit to blast through the cacophony.

When all is said and done, the film will make about $40 million and garner 6 technical Oscar nominations that will be given out in a ceremony previous to the 'real' Oscar ceremony.

Ironically, the soundtrack is a big hit due to the "Lady Marmalade" track featuring 4 hot belly-shirted chicks, a video MTV shoves down our throats, and the savvy marketing trick of releasing the song to radio only.  With this ploy, the listener HAS to buy the CD instead of only a CD single.

Less is more.  Truly.  And in the right hands, less can be amazing.  For the misguided fans of Moulin Rouge, I advise an immediate viewing of 1972s Cabaret to see what artists can accomplish with taste, talent, and restraint.”

E ME:  Barbra Streisand?