Monday Morning Quarterback Part II

By BOP Staff

January 5, 2010

Bring on Usain Bolt!

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Michael Lynderey: Nine has about zero to no chance of actually winning any major awards (i.e. acting or directing), but it may sneak in a few nominations yet. Box office wise, I don't think Nine is a bomb, simply because my expectations were severely lowered in the weeks right before release - when the reviews started coming in on the wrong side of the Tomato Meter. I know they spent a lot of money on this one, but when you think about it, none of the stars are really solid box office draws - with the possible exception of Kate Hudson, who's been in a hit or two lately. The rest of the cast - Day-Lewis, Cruz, Cotillard, Kidman, and certainly Dench - are prototypically Oscary actors but not box office stars, and so when they're in an Oscar movie that's not getting very gushy reviews, it performs as Nine has.

Tom Macy: A budget of $80 million, starring six (6!) Oscar winners - including both Best Actor and Best Actress of 2007, directed by Rob Marshall whose own Chicago - of which Nine is extremely similar - brought home six (6!) Oscars and over $300 million worldwide... yeah, I'll call that a pretty solid bomb. Only the new format of ten Best Picture nominees gives the fading Weinsteins the slimmest of hopes. But I wouldn't hold my breath.

David Mumpower: I fully agree with Tom. I know it's a bit of a stretch since the film I'm about to reference only earned $7.2 million domestically, a total Nine beats handily. Even so, the movie of which Nine reminds me forcibly is All the King's Men. On paper, that production was an awards season force to behold. In reality, it was a failed production across the board, and at a price tag of $55 million. Percentage wise, Nine isn't as weak a performer, but it may lose more in terms of overall dollars. Both are regrettable mistakes, but I understand why each got made. In theory, they were both huge winners. In reality, they were...this.




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Blue is the new black

Kim Hollis: Avatar earned another $68.3 million, giving it a running total of $352.1 million domestically, while also becoming the fifth film to earn a billion dollars worldwide. What is your opinion of the film now as opposed to the last time we talked in Monday Morning Quarterback after its opening weekend?

Tom Macy: GOOD GOD!!! I can't wait to see how the rest of you attempt to put this into words. In a few days James Cameron will have directed the two biggest films of all-time. My mouth is still agape at the sight of its third weekend. Now that he is behind the two films to perform the most abnormally in the face of current box office trends in the last 20 years, Cameron has to be included with the likes of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas when discussing the most commercially successful filmmakers in history. I haven't been this riveted by a film's success in a decade. Huzzah!


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