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Yes, yes, and yes. What? Am I supposed to avoid those films? After seeing the first ten minutes of Stealth; Im there. Dogs has Cusack. If I can set through America's Sweethearts in a theatre. This should not be that bad of an experience. Sky High takes me back to the fun of old school Kurt Russell Disney flicks. Plus, Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald, in the same film? THERE.

Yes, I'm totally there. They all look amazing. Hollywood should be proud of itself--3 original, amazing looking movies.

No

Sky High is actually pretty good. A sweet, pretty funny, tongue in cheek high school flick with an awesome cast.

Diane Lane is sexy. If she was a closeted lesbian scientologist, I'd be happy to pretend we were married. Still won't go to her movie though.

i might like to go to sky high but committed to a fest of thrillers etc

and

i just don't feel emotional prepared for Stealth or a rom com

Stealth, on a FX level on, has me excited. Easily one of the best first ten minutes sequences ever shown as an infomercial! Besides FX, Im always up for a Cusack movie. Especially where he can be charming and get the girl in the end. This film also has Diane Lane in it. Which has two charismatic leads that might make a weak premise. Transformer into a nice late July romcom.

Do people think these movies look lower-than-average for a typical Hollywood summer weekend? I think MLD will do well based on a lack of woman-appealing movies this summer.

I said on another thread that Must Love Dogs will probably succeed for the exact same reason that Monster-in-Law succeeded in May and why a lot of rom-coms succeed. Lack of options.

While those polls that always seem to be mentioned on box office sites always say that women make up 50% of the box-office I think that a lot of those are of the drag-along type. So now there is actually a movie that they can get excited about.

Did that sound sexist? Cause it wasn't meant to be.

But, hell, I'll be seeing Must Love Dogs. Looks fun!

Sky High looks more like a DVD movie; however, it DOES have Shia LaBeouf so that's a very big positive.

The only thing I know about Stealth is that it's sort of like FireFox and people protested it while it was being made. Fun.

Okay, so I confused Shia LaBeouf with some random called Michael Angarano. DVD it is...

People protested Firefox or Stealth? And why?

I think SKY HIGH is going to be a sleeper hit. It looks incredibly fun and there's not a lot of talk about it.

I will be going this weekend--to see Revenge of the Sith again, and The Island for the first time.

I had planned to see Stealth but probably will wait for the DVD. No to Sky High, or Must Love Dogs (even though I am the exact "target audience" for MLD--just doesn't interest me).

i'm guessing three bombs. stealth is doing it right though. selling biels hotness and foxx's comedy relief. it could actually surprise.

I'm having a hard time getting excited about any of them. And I stayed away from this past weekend's new offerings too. (But it looks like I wasn't alone in that).I did see the Constant Gardner last night, and it was incredible. It felt like the first real Oscar contender of the year. Between that and movies like Broken Flowers and Pretty Persuation it gives me hope that August will fall in line with past years where the late summer yeilds a lot of great indie sleepers, like a Garden State or an American Splendor, for example.

Why is Cusack wasting his time on movies like these? Does he like the paycheck and the easy work that much?

I'll be catching up with Last Days, and maybe checking out the Aristocrats... but if I fit in a new release, it will definitely be (my expectations aren't) Sky High. It looks kinda cute, if chintzy (and clearly Robert Rodriguez should've made it... oh wait, he pretty much already did, three or four times). Plus, it's got that Foley/McDonald/Bruce Campbell supporting cast, although how much do you want to bet you'll come out of it wishing it had been about a superpowered school faculty, not the kids? You know, like dropping the first season of Boston Public into a vat of radioactive material, from which emerges... SUPER FACULTY! OK, maybe that's just me, but it's not a great sign that I'm way more excited about the supporting cast than the central premise (as it seems to knock off Incredibles, Spy Kids, etc.).

Patrick, have you seen Me & You & Everyone We Know? It's not quite American Splendor or Garden State, but it's a fine little "summer indie."

I'll be using this weekend to catch up on things I missed. These three are a no go. I just don't have any interest in a kids movie, a romantic comedy about internet dating and what looks to be like a bad action, XXX type rehash.

This looks like a video weekend. Where all three would be better enjoyed. I don't know if I could live with myself if I actually paid to see any of these movies.

I'll be checking out "Charlie", and maybe marching along with the penguins.

Yeah, I saw Me, You and Everyone a while ago and it was great. Some of the indies that are coming out right now played at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival back in April, so it seems weird to finally see them in real theatres. Murderball is another great choice for those of you who haven't seen it yet.

I'm going to see Stealth. I'll admit Jessica Biel in a bikini sold me. I'm an easy piece of the target market.

No, I'm not a woman or a child.

Will def go see Charlie - again, and MLD. Stealth seems to be promoting Biel the most out of the leads, so maybe the male auds will show up, and Sky High looks to be fun for families.

I'm seeing Sky High tonight, for free. Can't imagine paying to see Stealth or Must Love Dogs.

No, no, and maybe. Stealth looks terrible and full of cliche's. Cusack does well in these types of films and I loke Diane Lane but just not into Romatic Comedies. And Sky High looks interesting for a Disney film.

Harry Knowles claims that Stealth is as bad as House of the Dead. Not that I always agree with Knowles, but yikes.

Could Stealth be the next XXX: State of the Union, in terms of box office?

You have to love Knowles' use of hyperbole. Of course he has made such statements that indicate he can understand Korean cinema without understanding the language or using subtitles. Such a truly whacky individual. Shouldnt someone mention the Blade 2 review?

He is a nutjob, and I disagree with him at least as often as I agree with him, but it's not hard for me to believe that Stealth is that bad.

Very true. Though as I have previously mentioned. The opening sequence in this film has some of the better FX I have seen in a film all year. Im curious to see if the People. Will go to see Stealth. If so, they might enjoy an short-circuit inspired action film more so than most.

harry has the worst taste in movies. if he doesn't get a free gift bag he'll bash a film.

Poland wrote: So, here it comes... Stealth, Must Love Dogs, and Sky High...Anyone planning on going to the movies? >>>

Not to any of those. Stealth looks dreadful, and I would never see Sky High. I'm a fan of Cusack and Lane and so considered seeing Must Love Dogs, but a colleague of mine saw it two days ago and reported that it was dreadful. So, it'll be late catchup on Charlie.

Why see Sky High when you can buy The Incredibles on dvd for under ten bucks?

This is the movie Kurt Russell does? This is what we fans of Snake Plisken have to see now? It's Kurt Russell. He can't do Big Trouble in Little China 2 or something? Does he need the cash?

Cusack breaks my heart everytime he does one of these movies. Serendipity? Shoot me.

If Charlie falls off by 40%, and Wedding Crashers falls of only 30%, then Crashers will be the top film next weekend. And I don't think that is a stretch, everyone I've talked to has LOVED Wedding Crashers. The word of mouth is huge. Crashers could take the top spot next weekend if Stealth doesn't top $20 mill.

Stealth could be the next I, Robot or the next XXX:State of the Union. We'll have to see.

SKy high sounds better after Dave's review. rather have Snake Plisken do one 'o these movies than another shitty Snake plisken sequel.

Any person that wants to see Snak do kiddie moves isn't a real fan. It is almost sacreligious. Then again in this room sacreligious is about 50% of you.

What if it's actually a good movie?

What if The Devils Rejects wins an Oscar? A lot of if's in the world.

Well Bruce I think very highly of actors who can do several genres well--Kurt Russell can do alot. It's no shame to be in a movie that the younger cinephiles can enjoy (Family genre), especially if it's good.

What's wrong with doing kids movies anyway? If Hollywood doesn't court the future how can they expect a child to choose a movie over a videogame? Beware of the future is about the best business advice for the movie industry becasue if they don;t keep the kids, they won't have them as adults in 10 years either. My youngest bro is a good example. Hwood lost him awhile back and he waits for DVD or does games.

Besides--kids movies are enormously profitable becasue there isn't much to choose from week to week. Look at Pixar, who have done many things right.

I'm an old school Kurt fan and I don't know why hes disappeared the past few years. He was on his way to becoming one of the best stars and then he did Soldier and the wheels fell off. This isn't his comeback movie. He starring with Kelly Preston. That makes this automatically subpar.

By the way--with the gray list and all, people like Kurt are not going to get offered the prime-cut action roles. If a studio has a choice they'll get Will smith first, and I am sure many studly dudes are on the list ahead of Kurt.

IF Kurt's movie does really well (same for Preston) they'll get offered better stuff but not the best.

Kurt is not going to get any action roles. At least the prime ones. His chance was 5 yrs ago. Now he is a second banana. A bad guy. Which isn't bad. He was talking with The Punisher people about the role Travolta took.

Who is the audience for this movie? Kids under 12? I can't see it doing well.

Kurt Russell did get his start as a Disney kid. I guess its full circle now. Look at what being in a hit kids movie did for Antonio Banderas' career. He is scorching hot.

I know I won't be seeing him in these kiddie films. Not my cup of tea. The only role in the past few years I recall him in was Vanilla Sky. That was a supporting role.

I did like him in Dark Blue. That's the kind of role I like Kurt in. Dark. Violent. When he really gets to show his chops. But I can avoid the 3000 Miles to Gracelands. Otherwise you know he comes to play when he goes to work.

I thought he was excellent in Dark Blue.

kurt was on a great strong of movies there. breakdown, executive decision, stargate, tombstone, backdraft, tango and cash, the hits just keep on coming. i wonder why he got lazy in the new decade. only role of note was miracle.

i will see Stealth....have no expectations going into it...hope it's a fun ride...but i am preparing for a majorly stupid movie...sky high (from the director of Surving Christmas and Deuce Bigalow) looks retarded to me...while Diane Lane is hottter than hot and Cusack is always cool, rom-coms don't generally do it for me. there is nothing "good" coming out till Constant Gardner it appears...I hope 40 Year old Virgin is funny...

He is right. The director of Sky High has on his resume Surviving Christmas and Deuce Bigalow. This is going to be good?

Every tv spot I see on the 40 yr old Virgin really makes me crack up. I am definately looking forward to that one.

Steve Carell is going to the next comic star. Even bigger than Will Ferrel. You heard it here first. Give this gal some credit when it happens or when you tell your friends.

Never seen Surviving Christmas. From all I hear I should be thankful of that. I think Sky High is going to join the club.

Carpenter and Russel really both want to make a Big Trouble in Little China 2. But that property is tied up in rights hell. So that is why it's not happening, it has nothing to do with a lack of desire on the creative peoples part.

I'd much rather see a movie like that than Sky High. Jack Burton needs to have a sequel.

We may be staring at the worst weekend during a Summer in a long, long, long time. Charlie and Crashers picked great times to come out.

What I can't find is a quality studio product coming out this year in late July or August...someone seriously, correct me if I'm wrong. In summers past at least we had Collateral, Seabiscuit (late July), and heck, even Open Range was decent. Why did the studios front load everything in the first half of summer?

Oh god, Surviving Christmas... I didn't believe that could be as bad as people said. I was wrong.

It's pretty safe to say that the Surviving Christmas is one of the worst movies of the past 5 years. And that director needs to repent for his sins.

Just got back from seeing Sky High. Poland is right. I can't believe how much I enjoyed it. Not as good as The Incredibles, and definitely not perfect, but overall it's pretty damn enjoyable. There are a lot of clever, amusing moments and I laughed quite a bit. Gets very predictable and routine at the end, but for the most part it's fun.

You can tell me SKy High is going to win awards and I still ain't seeing it.

Good for you. I might have said the same thing if I hadn't seen it, but I'm glad I did.

because Bruce Campbell is in Sky High, I'll see it.

Could they have picked a better title for Sky High?
One that doesn't sound like it could be mistaken for a movie about illicit drug use? I really think they could have come up with something better.

I'm waiting for some organization to say the title promotes drug use to chilcren and teens, and that it's part of a hideous plot for liberal hollywood to corrupt America's youth.

I'll be seeing Charlie, and maybe Batman again.

Warner Bros. has me by the ***z this summer.

Why compare The Incredibles to Sky High? It just seems like a faulty start to a comparison.

LesterFreed it's perfectly fine for you to not want to see kids movies but maybe (and it's a wacky thought) Kurt Russell wanted to make this movie. Maybe he thought he just wanted to make a fun superhero movie that kids could see?

JUST A HUNCH

And I COULD NOT let this one slide:

"I don't know if I could live with myself if I actually paid to see any of these movies."

Giving all new life to the term "hyperbole" there blustealer. So if you ever ended up giving any money to see any of these three movies (2 of which look perfectly servicable for their genre) you would grab a gun and shoot yourself? Or maybe poisoning yourself is the way to go? Hmmm...

"Why did the studios front load everything in the first half of summer?"

The Island.

And to paraphrase somebody on the IMDb forums, what would you prefer Sky High to be called? Kid goes to a superhero school in the sky and then must save the planet from the evil villain?

Or how about Super School? School of Superheros? School in the Sky?

Anybody who has seen a trailer, an advert, a poster, anything for Sky High knows it is not a stoner movie.

and on one last note, I suppose Steve Carrol is funny to people who find the rest of those guys funny, but I don't see it. Just like Will and Ben and for the most part Vince (although he IS likable I didn't think he "saved" Mr & Mrs Smith or anything like that)

lets be honest. kurt russel did this movie for the easy paycheck. nothing more.

You can't compare this movie to The Incredibles. No matter how good some people say this really is.

First of all, I said it wasn't as good as The Incredibles. Got that everyone. Not as good as The Incredibles. And if you haven't seen it, then how in the hell do you know how good it is?

It's really obvious isn't it? It's like saying that Casino is The Godfather. While Casino may be good its not in the league of The Godfather.

I can't see this movie being even a modest hit. The advertising for it has been god awful early on. I don't think many people even know its coming out.

Now I bet dollars to donuts that Stealth falls on its face.

I agree Bruce. This just smells like it will be a really slow weekend with low numbers for the new releases.

Good news for Charlies and Wedding Crashers and even Fantastic Four with the way that has been holding up.

charlie keeps on chugging along. turning into a pretty big hit. #1 three weeks in a row during the prime summer season its impressive.

Thanks Kamikaze Camel for giving me permission to see whatever movie I want to see with my money. Thank the Lord for your permission. Now I can avoid this movie and not feel bad about it.

"Stealth" is pro-war propaganda that Columbia is pushing hard. "Sky High" is another "Bad News Bears" -- very little promotion until a few days before release.

I'd love to see "Happy Endings" but Lions Gate won't expand it beyond the arthouse ghetto. The megaplexes may need that pic in August given the product coming out.

Also, Fox Searchlight was to have opened Russian thriller "Night Watch" this week in NYC but has delayed it indefinitely (due to the London bombings?)

Pro War propoganda? How is fantasy land this time of year? Hot? Humid?

Stella's Boy is right: "Sky High" is delightful. The ads don't do it justice. The writing is genuinely clever. And it's very easy to see why Kurt Russell wanted to play the super-heroic father: He gives a sly, self-mocking performance that probably demanded a lot more skill and thought than is readily apparent, and he makes it look almost too easy.

Russell, I think, belongs in a very select group of actors in a specific age group -- along with Dennis Quaid and Jeff Bridges. Real grown-ups. Guys we take for granted, dependable professionals who rarely get their proper props. Every few years, they do something absolutely amazing -- like, Bridges with "Fearless," Quaid with "The Rookie" or "Flesh and Bone," and Russell with "Miracle" -- to remind you just how great they really are.

Well then there;s something(SKY HIGH) to look forward to. I just got out of a screening of LAST DAYS so I have to try to banish the notion that I want cut my numbed self to make sure I am still alive. AHHHHHH! Well the movie wasn't that bad, but to some people I suppose it was as a number of people got up and left.

No wonder Saint Lota never used drugs. I wished death upon every character in that movie(LAST DAYS).

Sure was documentary like though. There will be an extremely narrow audience for this. It would have been better made 6-7 years ago.

Mark and Chucky, have either of you actually seen Stealth?
I haven't either, but I am open to the possibility that, like no small number of movies, it's pro-war.

Screw these, I'm seeing HUSTLE & FLOW on Friday.

Stealth is really bad...but it's worth seeing on the big screen just to get the full effect of all that money being thrown away. (It's a shame that Cohen didn't rehire the puppeteer from Team America for this thematic sequel.)

Stealth seems openly pro-war. The fact that the main human characters are against a technological development that could save thousands of lives purely because they ENJOY flying around seems pretty ludicrous. I wouldn't call it propaganda though.

But, i dunno. I'd have to see the movie first and I have no intention of doing so until DVD.

Can we stop talking about OLD GRIZZLY MALES not getting enough movie roles? How about the women? Sigourney Weaver? Joan Cusack? Goldie Hawn? ELLEN BURSTYN? et cetera, et cetera...

Ebert gave Stealth 1.5

eep.

Of the three new (wide) releases this week, Sky High is the pick of the crop -- by a long shot.

What a pleasant little surprise THIS was. I fully expected it to be Thunderbirds-ish. Flick had me chuckling throughout. And every single grown-up in the movie gets laughs. Even Lynda Carter!

Has anyone noticed the rating for "Sky High" on Rotten Tomatoes? Like, 81 freakin' percent POSITIVE? And even the NY Times has nice things to say about it? Wonder if it could wind up as a surprise No. 1 for the weekend?

Rog was being too kind... maybe he gave half a star to each cheek and another half for the boobs.

Joe, that's probably because the film is actually good but people here can't seem to fathom the thought that a movie predominantly aimed at kids is actually good. It could get anywhere from $10mil open to Spy Kids like numbers if parents see the reviews.

I have no idea what the advertising has been like because we won't be getting it til September (just like Charlie)

damn school holidays. Why do they have to be in September?

Sky High is cute, but anyone making it seem like the next Spider-Man should get their head examined. It's pretty much kid-friendly fluff with a plot taken right from Saved by the Bell and the effects are about as bad as Shark Boy and Lava Girl. The only reason it's not as painful is that it doesn't have George Lopez making bad puns. The only reason it's getting positive reviews is that it's not as bad as it could have been. It's not good..it's passable.

(I'm willing to bet that any of the critics who gave it a Fresh review were offered the chance to see the movie again for free..without kids...they'd pass)

I expected Sky High to be passable at best, and was shocked to see how enjoyable it really is. I saw it without kids the first time, and I'd see it again if the opportunity presented itself. It's a good time.

Wedding Crashers was number one on Friday with $6 million. Charlie made $5.2 million. Stealth made $5 million, Sky High $4.8 million and Must Love Dogs $4.4 million.

Based on those numbers that Stella just posted, it's possible (I won't say "likely") for "Sky High" to wind up as #1 for the weekend. Remember how "Madagascar" gained enormous traction over the course of its opening weekend? Family films often do much better on Saturdays and even sometimes Sundays than Fridays.

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