February 10, 2003

Bill Goldman seems to be everywhere these days and this weekend at the box office made his classic turn of phrase seem as prescient as ever.  Nobody knows anything.

What does this figure mean to you?  $22,490,160.

It’s the combined opening weekend gross of Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey’s last films, The Four Feathers and Reign of Fire.  Combined costs of the two films, including P&A was well over $200 million. 

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, which cost around $50 million, will be Hudson’s biggest grossing film ever by the middle of next weekend.  The film is likely to pass McConaughey’s pairing with J-Lo, The Wedding Singer, and could even pass U-571, making it McConaughey’s biggest film since 1997’s Jodie Foster/Bob Zemeckis flick, Contact, and his biggest starring vehicle ever. 

Four days ago, most people would have told you that this film was another nail in the coffins of these two actors.  Instead, both of them will find themselves more in demand than ever.  Go figure.

Shanghai Knights opened to almost the same exact opening as Shanghai Noon, though this start is a little more impressive, given that it’s a February opening, not a summer season opening.  It’s not a home run, but the film has gotten nice reviews – as did the original – and there is some room for a family-friendly romp to play out pretty nicely. 

You never know what Miramax will report, but the expansion of Chicago stands as a solid success, though not a mind blowing one.  Miramax will, no doubt, get this film to $100 million.  But just barely… regardless of the Oscar race.

The rest of the Oscar potential movies aren’t quite as happy a story as Chicago.  Of course, Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers is over $330 million and quietly heading to about $340 million domestic.  About Schmidt is approaching the $50 million mark.  But The Hours just passed $20 million.  Antwone Fisher is pushing $20 million.  Adaptation is at $17 million.  The Pianist will pass $9 million this week.  And Kangaroo Jack is… who cares?!?!

Focus Features went out with its first “urban” film, Deliver Us From Eva, and didn’t do as well as Fox Searchlight’s last effort, the not-so-great Brown Sugar.  Personally, I find Eva a more attractive proposition, with two stars that have some real movie star qualities.  Nonetheless, Eva was $4 million behind Brown Sugar’s first weekend and $5.6 million behind big Fox’s Drumline opening. 

There were some landmarks this weekend also, with Die Another Day hitting a Bond-breaking $160 million, Rings hit $320 million, Gangs of New York hit $70 million, My Big Fat Greek Wedding hit $240 million, and Catch Me If You Can passed $155 million.

SIDE DISH:  I was in my favorite BBQ place in L.A., The Pig, and I noticed that there was a jukebox page for “Chicago.”  Oh my God!  Maybe it really is a phenomenon.  After all, this is a place where I got abused for playing The Eagles on the jukebox when I was there soon after they opened.  And now they are into musicals?  Nope.  Unless Renee & Catherine are now singing 25 or 6 to 4.

TWO GREENLIGHTS:  Sunday night, there were two compelling stories about movies that have gotten start dates this spring.  The first is a big grin… Stephen Frears, who has the great Dirty Pretty Things due out soon, will return to the dark edge of the world with Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones in Racetrack, a film described by Variety as a romantic, double-crossing racehorse flick.  Very, very cool.  Frears may be the least appreciated working director in the business today.  He has a few Mary Reillys on his resume, but this guy is the real deal and he works with topics that tend to leave other directors and studios squirming. 

Also, Rod Lurie found himself pushed out of Mooseport, the presidential comedy co-starring Ray Romano that Dustin Hoffman was flirting with for a while.  Instead, he will jump right into Heart of a Soldier, a romantic story about a West Point cadet and a Manhattan socialite.  Paul Walker is attached to the long-gestating project at Universal.  It’ll be Lurie’s first trip back behind a feature film’s camera in about two years.  Rod’s a friend and I look forward to a cameo in the film, hopefully in the Manhattan part of the film, not as a cafeteria server at West Point.  (Just kidding… I won’t work as an extra or under-5.  It’s above the title or nothing, baby!)

AMAZING: Michael Wilmington did a Sunday story on the 75 worst Oscar oversights… and amazing list.  Right here.


OSCAR NOMINATION DAY:  All the action tomorrow will be over at Movie City News, where we will be covering all the day’s events with commentary from the whole MCN crew.  Don’t miss it.

READER OF THE DAY:  NOT SWEET BABY JAMES writes: “Mr.. Poland...With a possible war looming with Iraq in the months ahead, a sequel to that blockbuster the Gulf War from a few years back, if you will, I have been thinking about the film Three Kings, one my favorites from 1999, lately.

Friday night, I took some much needed time off from my school work and went to a friend's house to enjoy a quiet evening and maybe watch a flick.  The guy has a serious home theater.  well, I got there and he had the aforementioned DVD, so we sat back, the small group of us, and watched the film.

I had not seen for at least a couple of years or so, maybe less.  Has there ever been a film made that was more predicting about war than this one?  I kept thinking how odd it was every time someone mentioned George Bush I's name.  This is a film that could have been made a couple of years from now (sadly, with a president who seems to get a hard-on for anything to destruct from his lame domestic and foreign policy work, there will be one, probably) and it wouldn't have been made.

The scenes of Mark Wahlberg getting tortured are possibly some of the most truthful things ever said about the numbing, grayness of war.  They also speak to the idea that there are no winners in a war, just losers.  There is no black or white, just grey.

Also watching the film made me more impressed with David O. Russell's work.  Whatever happened to that guy (aside from his brief cameo in Adaptation)?  Also, the film contains what is for me (until Solaris came along) George Clooney's best work.  The film works on every level, comic or tragic, sad or hilarious.  Check it out now.  Or wait till we go into Iraq.  The film both shows the past and the future and it makes the idea that history really does repeat itself all the more vivid.”

DAVID NOTE:  I’m not sure what’s next for Russell, besides hanging out with Bob Evans by the pool, but many people are waiting…

JOEY! writes:  “A while ago, I remember reading in your column about how critics have gotten really arrogant, and they make it as though their opinions are facts, and anyone who disagrees with them is a complete idiot.  Now, I've been hearing a lot of negative things about "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," and I'm sure they're valid.  Unfortunately, my girlfriend is dragging me to see it later today, but that's okay since I'll be dragging her to "Shanghai Knights."  But anyway, the general consensus is that the movie is a disaster.  However, is THIS absolutely necessary?

"This is a stupid movie for stupid people.  If you're a stupid person, knock yourself out.  Please."  --Closing statements of the review of "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," written by Gregory Weinkauf (Miami New Times)

And JOHN looks to the future:  “Got to see a screening of Old School last night here in San Diego. I went into it hoping it would be as "good" as Van Wilder. Just hit the high notes, show me some Will Ferrell comedy and I'd be satisfied. After the showing it seemed that most of the people had gone in with similar expectations. We were all surprised at how damn funny this movie is. It helps that I fall into a time when I can still remember college life, yet know what they are going for with these early 30's guys hitting the wall. Heck, we missed so many punch lines because we were still laughing.

One key was not going over the top with certain aspects. Jeremy Piven as the Dean was not a cartoon character who'd go to any lengths etc. He was a pissed off former nerd with issues.

Watching some TV after the screening, every time an ad for Old School would come on, the entire room laughed.

Not sure if this will make much money or get any attention, but as far as quality comedy goes, I'll take Vaughn and Ferrell any day.

Seeing the daughter from "24" in her skivvies doesn't hurt either. “

E ME:  Skivvies good… Will Farrell’s ass bad.  Are y’all excited about going Old School?