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Crossover!

Kim Hollis: Hot Tub Time Machine, a movie about, well, pretty much that, opened to $14.0 million. Should MGM be pleased with this or is it another Snakes on a Plane?
Josh Spiegel: I think that the movie did...okay. All things considered, I expected the movie to open higher, somewhere around $20 million. However, what I forgot is that the main audience for this movie is probably at home watching March Madness on CBS. I'm guessing MGM hoped people would check the movie out after the games, but the appeal wasn't there. And, considering that this movie has a budget near $50 million (having seen the movie, I have NO idea where that money went, because the film looks so cheap), it may not have the legs to survive the potential onslaught of male-friendly Clash of the Titans.

Michael Lynderey: Hot Tub Time Machine did pretty well for what it was. Here's a movie with just one kind-of-sort-of-maybe a star, and three other lead actors who don't even (yet) fit that description. If the reviews weren't as generally pleased with the film as they are, I don't think it would've pulled in half of what it did. The Hangover's 100 box office days of summer '09 may have bumped up some people's expectations, but since I never learn from my mistakes, I didn't think another movie could do what The Hangover did, or even come close. As for Snakes on the Plane - I wouldn't necessarily make that comparison; Snakes seemed for some reason like a summer blockbuster ready to erupt. It sputtered. Hot Tub Time Machine never reached that level of message board anticipation. It just looked like maybe a neat little comedy, and the numbers reflect that.

Jason Lee: To me, Hot Tub Time Machine was always destined to be a moderate BO success, a strong player on the DVD Sales/Rental chart and a Cable TV favorite for years to come. It's performing up to my expectations so far. Color this a win for MGM.

Reagen Sulewski: I think it's correct to say that it's almost impossible to lose with a title like this, with the potential rewards being massive. But the comparison with Snakes on a Plane is accurate in one respect - the title failed the laugh test for most audiences. Another example: Dude, Where's My Car?. Expect this to be ubiquitous on cable for years to come, though.





David Mumpower: I expect Hot Tub Time Machine to be more fondly remembered than what its box office run will indicate. It's a sloppy mess of comedy and the commercials failed to deliver that one killer joke that would sell most consumers on the product. I understand why others here are saying this isn't that bad a performance, but I disagree. We're only talking about $4 million more than She's Out of My League made with its debut. That film starred Jay Baruchel. This title has John Cusack and several other recognizable faces in comedy. All other things being equal, this one should have done quite a bit better. The problem is that Hot Tub Time Machine tried to co-opt the idea of making fun of its title in the commercials, which has proven to be a miscalculation. In the future, what I would like to see done with these clear, semi-lampooned movies is to play up why they are worth seeing. Let the easily identifiable branding work its magic without embracing the silliness of it. Otherwise, you're needlessly diminishing your own property.

Reagen Sulewski: I disagree on the self-aware tone, David. I think they needed to address the ridiculousness of the premise early on to let people know that, no, you weren't supposed to take this seriously. It's a calculated gamble.

David Mumpower: I would imagine we're having exactly same debate that the people cutting the trailer did. They had that choice of being self-aware or not and I am of the opinion that in showing Craig Robinson make that joke, they took a needless risk that failed. I think they would have been better served playing up all of the 1980s retro jokes straight down to the presence of Chevy Chase. All of those are better, funnier gags. They also do not diminish the product. You say it's a calculated gamble while I say it's a miscalculated one.

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