quote: article writer

---

film critics in Germany threatened Wednesday to boycott War of the Worlds

---

quote: Jeremy Fuentes

---

I fail to see how this could hurt the movie in anyway....oh wait, maybe its due to the people who cant think for themselves and listen to critics.

---

quote: Bill Gabel

---

that was always a sign of the studio having a turkey on it's hands.

---

quote: Bill Gabel

---

The Ziegfeld Theatre premiere in New York last night was an all Digital 2K Presentation.

---

How times have changed. I remember the late 1980s and early 1990s when just about anything playing at the Ziegfeld was shown in 70mm, a real big screen format. 2K video projection, even if its the latest greatest digital stuff, still pales in comparison.
 

---

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-24-2005, 01:34 PM:
 
There's every possibility that the film will be a crowd-pleaser, but not a critic-pleaser. If the studio knows this, then they're probably doing a good thing by keeping the critics from screening it. Then the critics will get peeved and write a bunch of "bad buzz" whining about how they were denied seeing the screening. Personally I feel that this type of bad buzz is probably not as harmful as a raft of bad reviews would be, so maybe the studio knows what it's doing.

We were planning on playing WOTW on the break but decided to back-off because we were getting too far behind other playable movies. I'm sure there are other small venues doing the same because of the crowded schedule.
 

---

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 06-24-2005, 01:56 PM:
 
We're not playing it because we think Tom Cruise has completely lost his mind.
 

---

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 06-24-2005, 02:48 PM:
 
On the Today show interview this morning with Matt he looked ready to be locked up One of Tom's eyes had a dark ring like he had been in a fight. His topic was his opposition, based on his religious teachings, to "mind altering" prescription drugs ....I'll go see the movie regardless
 

---

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 06-24-2005, 03:05 PM:
 
Maybe it could be the aliens from Battlefield Earth coming back for revenge on the critics.
 

---

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 06-24-2005, 03:10 PM:
 
I saw it ... not bad ...
 

---

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 06-29-2005, 09:31 AM:
 
I would like everyone to go over to the "film review' section and check the reviews for this film.

I knew it....
 

---

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 06-29-2005, 09:50 AM:
 
If Brad didnt like it, its pretty much a damn good movie. Brad doesnt know what he's talking about.
 

---

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 06-29-2005, 11:46 AM:
 
I think some are confusing a premier with a press screening. There were press screenings for the film - it's reviewed in this morning's NY Times. (They gave it a mixed review.)
 

---

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 06-29-2005, 07:44 PM:
 

quote: Jeremy Fuentes

---

If Brad didnt like it, its pretty much a damn good movie.

---

I have to agree! If Brad hates it then I generally run out to see it and usually enjoy it. He must be related to the late Gene Siskel for some reason or other... Gene didn't like many films either and the films he liked most others disliked......

Mark
 

---

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-29-2005, 07:57 PM:
 
Some people are so easily entertained.
 

---

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 06-29-2005, 11:22 PM:
 
And thank your lucky stars for that, otherwise y'all'd be workin' in other fields by now...
 

---

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 07-01-2005, 03:13 AM:
 
So, what kind of movies does Brad like where he can give a good rating?
 

---

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 07-01-2005, 03:17 AM:
 
I liked it!

(Oops! Wrong thread!)
 

---

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 07-01-2005, 01:31 PM:
 
Its doing much better than Batman did here. Whether or not it will have any legs still remains to be seen.
 

---

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-02-2005, 10:42 AM:
 

quote: Dustin Mitchell

---

Whether or not it will have any legs still remains to be seen.

---

Don't know about that either but it WILL always have plenty of tenticles .

Mark
 

---

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 07-02-2005, 11:45 AM:
 
Tentacles? Guess the anime otaku in me will have to go see this now, even though I can't stand remakes.
 

---

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-02-2005, 12:15 PM:
 
Get ready for another round of stupid news articles next week on the "failing movie business" when this movie does a few million less than Spider-Man 2 did last year.
 

---

Posted by Robert Burtcher (Member # 3227) on 07-03-2005, 01:56 AM:
 
WotW is doing pretty darn well at our theatre... We have it on 2 screens (out of 10 total), and while we didn't have any showings sell out, we came fairly close on prime round.
 

---

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 07-03-2005, 03:17 AM:
 
Welcome, Robert! I used to live in Edmond - absolutely loved it. I serviced the Penn Sq. booth, too, back when it was GCC.
 

---

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 07-04-2005, 03:47 PM:
 
It's official, Hollywood is in the 19th week of a slump at the BO...

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050704/D8B4NGN80.html

Spielberg, Cruise Wage 'War' With $77.6M

Jul 4, 1:56 PM (ET)

By DAVID GERMAIN

LOS ANGELES (AP) - "War of the Worlds" conquered the box office as easily as the movie's aliens overpowered Earth, but it did not have enough firepower to overcome Hollywood's prolongued box office slump.

Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise's sci-fi tale took in $77.6 million over the long Fourth of July weekend, lifting its total since debuting Wednesday to $113.3 million, according to studio estimates Monday.

That fell well short of the all-time high held by "Spider-Man 2," whose $180.1 million haul in its first six days led Hollywood to a record Fourth of July weekend last year.

The top 12 movies took in $160.1 million, off 25 percent from that 2004 record weekend.

It was the 19th straight weekend that domestic revenues were down compared with last year's, extending the longest slump since analysts began tracking detailed box-office figures. The worst downturn previously recorded was 17 weekends in 1985.

For the year, revenues are down about 7 percent, while factoring in higher ticket prices, admissions are off 10 percent. The longer the slump drags on, the harder it gets for Hollywood to dig itself out of that revenue hole, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"There's a spotlight on the slump and people's dissatisfaction about going to the movies. That negative perception can create a negative reality," Dergarabedian said. "It also gives people the opportunity to vent all the reasons they don't like going to movies, whether it's high ticket prices or the costs at the concession stand. So they feel validated in that by the slump."

"War of the Worlds," Spielberg and Cruise's update on H.G. Wells' classic about space invaders laying siege to Earth, had the second-best four-day opening over Fourth of July, behind the $115.8 million for "Spider-Man 2."

"Anybody disappointed with the second-biggest opening ever on Fourth of July weekend should really sort of seek help," said Rob Friedman, vice chairman for motion pictures at Paramount, which handled domestic distribution for "War of the Worlds."

The studio hopes "War of the Worlds" will have a long shelf life at theaters, since Spielberg and Cruise's audiences tend to skew older than crowds that rush out over opening weekend for such comic-book adaptations as "Spider-Man 2," Friedman said.

"This is not a sequel. It's not based on a comic book and a young fan-based property. This is based on a 100-year-old literary property," Friedman said. Spielberg and Cruise's "movies tend to play longer, stay in the marketplace longer, so I think as it relates to 'Spider-Man 2,' we'll have to wait and see what the long haul brings."

Opening in 78 countries last week, "War of the Worlds" took in an additional $102.5 million overseas from Wednesday to Sunday, putting its worldwide total at well over $200 million. Paramount did not yet have figures on how much the movie took in internationally on Monday.

"War of the Worlds" bumped "Batman Begins" to second place after two weekends in the top box-office slot. "Batman Begins" hauled in $18.7 million over the four-day weekend to raise its three-week domestic total to $154.1 million.

The weekend's other new wide release, the Martin Lawrence basketball comedy "Rebound," fouled out with just $6 million from Friday to Monday, coming in at No. 7.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Monday at North American theaters, according to Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. Final figures will be released Tuesday.

1. "War of the Worlds," $77.6 million.

2. "Batman Begins," $18.7 million.

3. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," $12.7 million.

4. "Bewitched," $10.8 million.

5. "Herbie: Fully Loaded," $10.5 million.

6. "Madagascar," $7 million.

7. "Rebound," $6 million.

8. "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith," $5 million.

9. "The Longest Yard," $3.5 million.

10. "George Romero's Land of the Dead," $3.2 million.
 

---

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 07-04-2005, 07:27 PM:
 

quote: Mike Heenan

---

"This is not a sequel. It's not based on a comic book and a young fan-based property. This is based on a 100-year-old literary property," Friedman said.

---