Remarkable/Unremarkable Movies

Just a quick post as I get my day started here. A few things I found yesterday, that I thought a bit remarkable...
First, I'll start by saying I find I like so many of the photos in kaito_380's flickr photo gallery. Kaito's work reminds me of one of my favorite design mantras: "simple is the hardest." Excellent work.

Okay, on to the movie stuff. First, I've had a few conversations of late about Woody Allen films, from his more recent Match Point to an Allen fave of mine, The Purple Rose of Cairo (starring Mia Farrow).

DYK that a new Woody Allen film opened on July 28th? Sure, you prolly did, I'm usually the last person in the world to find out anything (slow learner?). Well, I'm guessing you didn't see it. How Allen can make a film, Scoop, on a $4 million budget with both Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson is kinda beyond me. Someone recently told me Allen's admittedly used the same font for credits in every one of his films- to save on licensing. I guess it's the little things.

Okay, but what I really don't get is how anybody can release a picture with those two that grosses a scant $9.18 million in its first three weeks. I mean, sure, it only opened in 538 theatres and will likely be just above the water line of 200 theatres after this weekend. All of that is just hard to imagine.

Okay, next. Miami Vice. Michael Mann made a very successful tv show over 20 years ago with a buddy cop action-drama set onto a pastel palette that we know as Miami. I guess twenty years is plenty of time for him to forget what was right about Miami Vice? It's documented he went way over-budget in the film's production (total reported at $135 million but speculated to be over $150 million).

Vice also released on July 28th and has a US gross $59.85 million. I blogged this tragedy-waiting-to-happen whiles back. And the really tough part? It's still in over 2,600 theaters (prolly due to a thinner opening schedule as back-to-school hits).

What about good news you may ask? Okay. Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest is still absolutely stellar after nearly seven weeks (opened 7/7). A total US gross of $401.2 million and $924 million worldwide on a production budget of $150 million. It will almost undoubtedly climb to fourth in all-time record top-grosses after this weekend; surpassing Star Wars: Phantom Menace and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Of course, I blogged about Pirates before also.

Don't forget the upcoming movies in our local theatres, tonight is Playtime at the Castro, which will also release on dvd on Sept 5th. I've blogged some notable upcoming films in recent posts, here and here. Cheers.

image credits: flapping of wings from kaito_380's flickr gallery, Scoop from imdb.com, Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest from allposters.com.