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Can I just say that IFC has had an amazing release slate so far this year? 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days; Flight of the Red Balloon; the completely exhilarating Love Songs; Savage Grace (Julianne Moore's best work since Far From Heaven); Paranoid Park.

I've made the effort to see these films in the theater, but I'm psyched that the First Take program makes them more accessible to people in smaller markets. In several cases, I've called my Mom in Pittsburgh (a city that likely would not book a theatrical run of, say, Duchess of Langeais) after seeing one and she's been able to take me up on the recommendation immediately.

Does anyone know there's any data to support whether or not people are using First Take?

This is the weirdest weekend - "Kung Fu Panda?" Or "Chop Shop?" I really, really can't make up my mind which of these two critical darlings I'll be seeing though it does appear a "double-feature" in the same theater will be out of the question.

Oh, man, did I hate Savage Grace when I saw it in January. It really struck me as a clueless train wreck. Nothing against Moore, who I think did the best she could with poor direction and screenwriting.

DP, I think your words at the top of this post are a good example of where problems originate.

"Please explain, J-Mc," DP asked like an idiot.

New York has a fine small film opening Friday at the Quad, an understated story similar to CHOP SHOP... called TAKE OUT. It's taken forever to get released, but it's a small, good one.

With an invitation like that, who could resist?

This weekend: If it's playing anywhere near you, check out Stuck No kidding.

Thanks for the tip, Ray...the Quad is around the block from me and I'll check it out this weekend.

Rob, couldn't agree more with you. IFC has released the best movies I've seen so far this year, including Paranoid Park which I think is just a flat-out masterpiece. I've been wondering for a while now how their "First Take" films are doing, whether or not they are making more money than they would have with a limited release and then DVD.

Most box-office prognosticators are expecting a typical Adam Sandler/mid-$30s opening weekend for "You Don't Mess With the Zohan." I'm not so sure.
Does anybody else get the feeling that this might sputter at the starting gate just like another "surefire," star-driven comedy ("Semi-Pro") did a few months back?
I know this is destined to be a minority opinion, but I really enjoyed "Zohan" (think "'Borat' meets 'Munich'") and I'd love
to see it do (at least) as well as "Chuck & Larry" did last summer which--sorry, Armond--was pure s***.
Yet, for some reason, I'm getting major flop vibes.
(And yes, I'm a big-time Sandler fan/defender: "Bulletproof," "The Water Boy," "Reign Over Me" and "C&L" are the only AS films I've ever panned.)
While I'd like to see the excellent "Kung Fu Panda" open as big as the pundits are predicting, $50-million-plus seems a trifle high, doesn't it?
Even if S&TC" drops 50% this weekend--which it's almost guaranteed to do--it should have no trouble hitting the magical $100-million mark by Sunday nite. Sarah JP & Co. have been raking in $5-million-plus every day this week.

"War, Inc." expands to NYC suburbs tomorrow -- let's hope the megaplexes pick it up before long.

As for "Savage Grace"? Let us count the ways it will tank . . .

Part of "First Take", thus the film gets frozen out of the big chains. Strike One.

Trailer name-checks a barely released arthouse pic and two pieces of Oscar Bait. Strike Two.

Trailer includes the deadly line phrase that pays "Academy Award Nominee Julianne Moore". Strike Three -- yerrrrrrrrr OUT!

In honor of my new policy of not arguing with irrational people who refuse to listen to reason, I'll just say that I think Chucky is wrong as always.

Especially on War Inc. - isn't it near-universally disliked?

for what it's worth, i loved 'kung fu panda'....as much for its script as for its visuals...and it's so densly layered in martial arts lore/trivia that i'm sure i missed several references.....
and--- like leydon said, stuart gordon's 'stuck' really is worth checking out....hilarious and horrifying and mena suvari has one of the best movie lines ever...
i hated both 'get smart' and '...zohan' (i just can't decide which one i hated most)....

The weird thing about "War, Inc." is that I had long heard that it was just terribly unwatchable/borderline unreleasable, but now it seems to have all these fans that are saying to look at it "as a parable" or to focus on what it's "trying to say" - as opposed, perhaps, to what's actually on screen.

When I worked the junket circuit, I remember getting those press kits that started out with, "A screwball throwback to the days of Preston Sturges" or something in relation to, say, Joe Roth's "American Sweethearts" (not to pick on John Cusack), which always seemed to chide reviewers and audience folks alike that if they didn't like the film, it meant they were rubes. Hell, I think they tried that with "Laws of Attraction" (while, of course, on the subject of forgettable Julianne Moore flicks - here's hoping on "Boone's Lick").

To that, I'm planning to NetFlix "War, Inc." me-self.

If "Savage Grace" is so great how come AMC, Regal and Cinemark/Century will not play it? First Take = Video on Demand.

Those who hate "War, Inc." also thought "Wag the Dog" was a fantasy.

Have you actually seen it, Chucky?

I, for one, have no problem with the politics of John Cusack or of his compatriot Tim Robbins. My problem is with the sledgehammer-like subtlety they use to make their points. Satire requires a defter hand than I think Cusack -- who, for better or worse, always comes across as a high school kid who just discovered his first punk rock single -- is capable of.

Whew; that's a relief.
Just read A.O. Scott's rave review of "Zohan" on NYTimes.com.
Now I don't feel so out on a limb after all, lol.

Just saw that Wilmington reviewed the new James/Gilbert doc, "At the Death House Door," giving it three stars. It's quite a movie, actually, though I felt it ran out of gas. The first 45 minutes or so - where it shows how a local minister went from dealing with a horrifying hostage situation at Huntsville prison that resulted in the death of two female members of his parish to him becoming the death house chaplain at the same prison - is extraordinary. Watching how this man deals with this great responsibility is pretty fascinating, but - for me - when it becomes an anti-death penalty film, it wasn't as interesting as, sadly, it's a story that was pretty familiar.

Doesn't War, Inc have OSCAR WINNER Marisa Tomei in it?

It must be a piece of shit!

Maybe you guys had already heard this one, but i just saw a commercial for The Happening, where the trailer guy ACTUALLY SAID: "m. knight shyamalan's FIRST R-RATED THRILLER..."

So, if i'm to understand correctly, some marketing genius (read: his assistant) actually came up with the hail-mary idea to address the constant whining on AICN (and other places) about the lack of good R rated fare. SO, since the studio knows it's not really a good film by any stretch, they go the geek-talkbackers-appeasement route. there must be some term for this, something with "post-post" in it...

Yes, i think i finally understand marketing 101 in 2008.

In defence of the argument I was having with Eric a few threads over, at least we were arguing about a movie.

"If "Savage Grace" is so great how come AMC, Regal and Cinemark/Century will not play it?"

Because it's about incest? I can't imagine "the masses" would be flocking to that one even in a fit of "oh let's be daring and see one of those foreign films." Not the greatest movie I've ever seen by a long shot, but Moore was fabulous and the storyline was definitely ripe for the picking.

Moreover, the "R" in THE HAPPENING is colored red at the end of the trailer when they do the title card thingy. WTF? "R" hasn't been a big deal in 5 years....

No, they're highlighting the R in the ads to make the movie look more enticing. Same Shyamalan stuff, but now more explicit/violent/bloody!

Congratulations to the 2008 Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings. I long for the day when someone else gives a shit.

Anyone here go to the Hulk NYC screening? Poland? You were in town when it went down.

Camel, I wondered for a moment if that was directed at us, too, but I quickly just wrote it off as more of DP's passive-aggressive sniping at Jeff. I think we've got a long way to go before we unseat Jeff from his special place in Poland's heart.

sloanish, i'm with you. love the game. people would rather watch reruns of Bones instead of the finals... their loss.

I for one am much more interested in sports than cinema this weekend... what with the finals at Roland Garros (can Nadal catch up to Bjorn Borg's 4-tournament in a row winning streak? or will Federer finally get the one jewel missing on his crown? if he can continue playing the way he is and defeat Monfils in this semifinal; can Safina pull off a surprise victory and do what her brother couldn´t?), plus the beginning of the European Soccer Championships. Spain´s got it´s fingers crossed hoping our team will finally make it past the 1/4 finals!

but all that interest might be due in part to the fact that there's still nothing interesting playing around here... how depressing!

how's Leatherheads? I just realised it's finally out here! I didn't recognise it with the weird name change! (comes out to "She's the Game")

Haha, Leatherheads made an astonishing debut at the Australian box office at #14! Not even George Clooney can make people give a damn about american football outside of the US.

I think the spanish promotors are taking that into account here kamel (lack of american football interest), they've been pushing the "romantic" aspect more... is there one? :p

Thanks Eric. Obviously I need to call more people offensive names to get into good graces.

It helps to do it all in caps, too.

Don't forget Big Brown going for the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes tomorrow afternoon.

crazy, they did it here too. The poster features George and Renee looking lovingly at each other. Nary a mention of American football. Alas, we're smarter than that.

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