Jigsaw in Real Life
30 Days of Night is going to do far better than my already optimistic forecast. Everything else from last weekend will do far worse.
10/26
Wide
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Dan (Steve Carell) goes to his family reunion and falls for his brother’s (Dane Cook) girlfriend (Juliette Binoche).
WILL IT SUCK?
Writer/director Peter Hedges lives and breathes this stuff. His Pieces of April covered similar ground. It’s almost enough to make me ignore the unbelievably cheesy trailer. Early buzz is good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Evan Almighty proved that Carell’s not invulnerable. Then gain, even The Family Stone made some bank. $61mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Hedges directed Patricia Clarkson to a nod in April, so it’s not out of the question.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
More torture and shit.
WILL IT SUCK?
It’ll be interesting to see what Feast writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan do with the material. (There’s a Feast 2 and 3 on the way for some reason, by the way.) Same director as II and III. Oh, and Jigsaw’s dead, right? Yeah, interesting to see what they do with that, too.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The closest thing you’ll get to a blockbuster this month. $81mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Most Punctual Franchise? Seriously, every Halloween they’re Johnny-on-the-spot with that shit.
Limited
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Kevin Bacon forms a bond with the kid who’s mom used his train to commit suicide.
WILL IT SUCK?
Directed by Clint’s daughter, Alison Eastwood. No pressure. Early buzz is mixed.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
In a very crowded season, I’m not sure anyone besides Clint knows about this one. $1mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
It took her dad a long time before the Academy started looking at him as a director. Of course Coppola’s daughter got the nod on her second flick.
BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Two brothers conspire to rob their parents.
WILL IT SUCK?
Sidney Lumet at the helm. As often as not a good thing. Early buzz is good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Need more buzz. $1mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Looks like a juicy role for Philip Seymour Hoffman, but it’s not like he’s due.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Jimmy Carter goes on a book tour. Jonathan Demme watches.
WILL IT SUCK?
Demme is an accomplished documentarian, and the early buzz seems to say that streak continues, with one critic liking the film better than the book Carter was promoting.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Political doc Darfur Now will likely trump this political doc next week. $500,000.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Most Grammatically Troublesome Title.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
A deaf guy and a guy with CP go around solving mysteries. Okay, actually they help create the Americans With Disabilities Act, but I like my plot, too.
WILL IT SUCK?
Really not much known about the writers or director. Ron Livingston and Michael Sheen should make a good leads, and the presence of Clint Howard makes any movie better.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Even with my brilliant mystery-solving premise, this film would need better marketing. $750,000.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Both leads have disabilities? That’s like Oscar gold! But will enough people see it?
Next week: Sort of like The Pursuit of Happyness if Will Smith imported heroin in coffins.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:53 am
Why in the blue hell do people keep casting Dane Cook? He can’t act, he’s not funny…and from what I recall, for the most part, he’s box office poison. I just don’t get it.
As for “Saw” and all the other torture porn wannabe grindhouse flicks…I’m just going to sit back and wait for Robert Rodriguez to make good on “Machete”.