The Weekend Warrior: February 22 - 24 (ComingSoon.net Blog) - ComingSoon.net

The Weekend Warrior: February 22 - 24 (ComingSoon.net Blog) - ComingSoon.net

There are four new films, but Oscar weekend is usually an off-week for the box office because the big film buffs are watching the telecast. Three of the four new films are expected to struggle in limited distribution and are likely to gross less than $5 million.

The film most anticipated by film buffs is Be Kind, Rewind (800 theaters), the latest from the offbeat genius, Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine). Unfortunately, a great idea with a great director does not equal a great movie in this case. The honest reviewers said it was silly and a padded-out short, but it did get 64% positive reviews. Take note, however, many of the "positive" reviews threw Gondry a pity fuck with comments like this:

• "...has enough heart in the end to make up for the fact that it isn't nearly as funny as its premise might suggest."
  
• "A scruffy, likeable little comedy, even though it's not actually very funny or involving."
  

The mainstream film which is likely to win the box office (with a mediocre $21m in about 3000 theaters) is Vantage Point. The local Austin stations have been running commercials for that film for what seems like months, but the film has not been pre-screened for critics. Those are bad signs.

Charlie Bartlett is a would-be Ridgemont High for the new millennium and has 79% positive reviews. (I liked the movie, but didn't find it especially funny. It's more of a quirky coming-of-age film than a high school comedy.) It is cursed, however. It's an R-rated film with a target audience under 17. The math on that formula often fails to balance, so the film will only appear in 1000 theaters.

The fourth ... er ... major film is Witless Protection, starring Larry the Cable Guy. For some reason, that one has not been pre-screened for critics either. Gee, I wonder why. That will be in 1250 theaters, and my uncanny powers of prediction sense that there will not be many positive reviews. This is the same ESP I use to know that a ring on my fax line indicates that I will soon receive an amazing travel offer, or that a scan through my e-mail inbox will show that I've won several more European lotteries.