The Big Picture: The Numbers

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Delusibeta

Reachin' out...
Mar 7, 2010
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Do you know what did make money for Universal?



According to Box Office Mojo [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=paul.htm], Paul hauled in nearly $89million worldwide at the box office. Admittedly the majority of the money was outside of the US, but they still managed to nearly recoup the budget on US box office alone.

So, I would say that the next Wright, Pegg and Frost project is safe at Universal. Silver linings, etc.

(Also, woot post 3,000 etc)
 

NightlyNews

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Mar 25, 2011
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MacNille said:
More Scott Pilgrim bullshit? Also The expendepals was not that bad. There are worse movie out there like Twilight
I'm sorry but the expendables was absolute shit. Not only did it fail to have any plot and wanted me to care about a ***** who literally died as close to offscreen as possible (fuzzy and in the background jumping off a cliff). The action was just straight up boring.

Also they made Jet Li into the assclown in a room full of people who should be asking for favors on how to fight.
 

Blazeaga

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Dec 10, 2010
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I agree with many others :( This is plain depressing :(. I hope to god Guillermo del Toro's dream becomes reality :(. That movie would be soo awesome :D. Well this is proof that the general public / how the world works are sooo...whats a classy word to use? "LAME"
 

Blazeaga

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Dec 10, 2010
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worse* no such word as worser.
To be hoenst i enjoyed The expendables, just a turn you're brain of type movie :D, the thing i thoguht movie bob didn't like was probably why it was seen as better then Scott Pilgrim because normal people deemed it in that way more money, more fame = better.
Ceneruion ( i know i spelt it wrong ) was better then expendables FOR ME but i enjoy keeping my mind active in movies :D
 

rutger5000

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Oct 19, 2010
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sethzard said:
I didn't know that that film existed and it's a shame that it's been canned. Fuck you average moviegoer for forcing universal to make another mediocre film because it's the only way to make money.
Did you go to scot Pilgrim?
 

RanceJustice

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Feb 25, 2011
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First of all, del Toro is pretty much the ONLY fellow I'd trust with a full-out Lovecraftian Horror movie and bringing on Cameron could only make things better. The fact that anyone balked at this project being "R" rated is insane - there are tons of horror movies released with R ratings that either "hyper realistic shaky cam" or "forgettable slasher" and nobody bats an eye. If the project ever gets off the ground and is uncompromising as I hope Del Toro will be, I'll be watching it at the midnight premiere.

Next, to address Scott Pilgrim. Anyone who's seen the movie, I urge you to read the graphic novels upon which it was based. I'll say that it simply isn't a very robust movie adaptation of the novels. Don't get me wrong, the aesthetics and whatnot are fine more or less, but it didn't convey the gravitas and key points of the film. Also, you probably noticed that the entire movie led up to ending with a Scott+Knives relationship - This was how the movie was originally shot, but was changed when the graphic novel's artist ended the comic differently. Thus, the entire ending was really anemic - it didn't use the momentum of the film to create a conclusion, nor did it undertake and replicate the comic book's ending which was much deeper and more expository.

That said, I've seen a lot of criticism about the movie version of Scott Pilgrim that I feel is unwarranted, but generally unavoidable. Some of this transitions to the much deeper comic as well. First all the "video game" stuff - I didn't find it forced, but realize its a simple storytelling mechanic and metaphor. Scott's Toronto operates under video game physics, but its important to note how banal it is to all involved - its nothing special to be able to perform "video game magic" in Scott's world. It is important to note that the entire Scott Pilgrim story could have been told without any video-game combat, "awkward-chic" puns, and "indie/hipster" set. If it was, many would call it a chick flick, or at least a relationship based character study. Without the video-game battle metaphors, many of those that read/watched would have never sought out a similar study.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World is a study in Western 20-30something relationships and maturity. Sadly lots of the "big reveals" in the end of the comic were not present or weak in the movie. Scott and Ramona both act as many young people do with brash impetuousness, rarely considering the feelings of others or anything beyond their own whims. As the story progresses and they both learn to take responsibility for their past and decide what they want for the future, this contrasts against Gideon's paradigm. Without trying to give away too many spoilers, its really important that one read the complete graphic novel to see the full range the author intended. Its actually a fairly sophisticated investigation into relationships of today's youth, far more so then many that come to mind in recent years.

This is one reason that the whole "Twilight for Boys" laughable take on it (originally pronounced by a Fox News reviewer , no less) - Twilight can be interpreted as anything from a mormon morality fable/acceptable "Porn", to a MarySue-filled fantasy fulfillment. Scott Pilgrim is the antithesis of this, as its primary underlying theme is one of maturity and taking responsibility for one's actions. Scott, despite his powers, is not a "self-insert" hero. Depending on the media he's more awkward (movie, as per Cera's typical portrayal), stupidly oblivious and in some cases a downright jerk (move visible in the comics). All his powers don't bring him happiness until he learns to gain some new perspective and change his interactions with others. The lead female, "Ramona" doesn't simply fall into his lap because he's there and in fact has some considerable flaws of her own and undertakes a journey entwined with but different from Scott. Characters on the periphery give some insight into the main themes and have stories of their own, which were mostly underserved in the film. Anyone who sees Scott Pilgrim as a primary "video game fighting action movie" is missing the point.

Ultimately, this is the problem with the story and medium. When brought to film, especially with all the cuts and adaptations made, the video game aesthetic basically summoned a much larger demographic to the theater. The very core audience for the film is likely the same 20s and 30s portrayed within, but this brings an important issue to light. The underlying story about maturity and relationships is only accessible to those viewers who have already made strides in that area themselves. If Scott Pilgrim himself was to have seen the film, as the character he was during the start of the comic, he probably wouldn't have thought it was much more than some video-game shiny action and might even find it bland. Lots of young people have the attitudes and behaviors of the story's characters, but I find it disconcerting that older reviewers seem to have difficulty grasping these concepts as well. Perhaps they are simply biased by the video-game retro trappings and can't or don't wish to see what's under them, but sadly there are many "grown adults" who maintain the same kind of oblivious selfishness all their lives when it comes to relationships, thus compounding their inability to understand the film's message.

Putting out a movie like this, especially lacking the robust story elements present in the comic, was really asking for trouble. Marketing it solely on its retro VG aesthetic and trying to make it less complex and more accessible was not, in my opinion, the best decision for the medium. However, even diluted as it is Scott Pilgrim is a "good" movie, but really could have been "great" had there been no compromises made and the mythos fully fleshed out. There still would have been the problem of viewers not "getting it", but perhaps if all the exposition was present the themes would be easier to absorb. Really, the source material deserved more than was given on screen, and even the movie deserved to stand on its own merits sans those without the capacity for understanding the themes or those with inherent biases against the aesthetic passing judgment.
 

Jimmybobjr

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Aug 3, 2010
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I. Friggin. HATE. Scott Pilgrim.

I really do. i hate it with a passion. It wasnt smart. It wasnt Funny. It wasnt worth $11 or nearly two hours of my time. It wasnt worth SHIT.
Why?
Trying too hard. It was 90% crappy romance movie, 8% actiualy interesting and 1% pacman reference. Oh, and a slight mentioning of a Final Fantasy one, too, i belive. I wasnt entertained. i wasnt interested. And what do i keep hearing? "Movie of the year!" "MY new favourite movie" "A instant Classic!" "Everyone who is a gamer/geek should see it!"

I pay my $11 to see a movie that entertains me. This didnt entertain me.

/Rant.

So, the original point of my message:

Bob. What your saying that ANY movie that is a sucess is INSTANTLY Bad?
Coz thats what im getting out of this video. The movies you listed are
1) Nothing New
2) Usialy Sequils
3) In your opinion, Stupid.

But one second; If the movie is selling well, then people MUST be enjoying it? Right? OR ELSE THEY WONT KEEP MAKING MORE MOVIES.
THATS HOW THE INDUSTRY WORKS. SUPPLY MEETS DEMAND.

If theres DEMAND, you must SUPPLY. The Best Supply is SEQUELS or something similar to the original product. Thats how it works.
 

googleback

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Apr 15, 2009
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Scott Pilgrim had a PANTS third act. it was going well to the halfway mark.
Its not a very good movie. not at all. just alright.
 

Korne

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Nov 30, 2009
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If you look at other writer/directers like Tarantino, Rodriguez, and even Ritchie... style goes a long way. The recent release of Hanna was a success with a lot of style and a generic plot, and is right now, one of my favorite films of the year. Other Del Toro films like The Orphanage and The Devil's Backbone show that he can have substance, and Pans Labyrinth shows how he can marry the substance to an interesting plot.
 

Sprinal

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Jan 27, 2010
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Watching this I came to the conclusion that Bob was unimpresssed and really quite "pissed off" in general.

Same can be said by me in responce to what happend.

Bob right on this one . one-hundred percent.
 

Sethzard

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Dec 22, 2007
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rutger5000 said:
sethzard said:
I didn't know that that film existed and it's a shame that it's been canned. Fuck you average moviegoer for forcing universal to make another mediocre film because it's the only way to make money.
Did you go to scot Pilgrim?
Twice, otherwise I would be a hypocrite.
 

SadakoMoose

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2009
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Rabidkitten said:
Well except in the long run Scott Pilgrim will be a cult classic that will pull it's weight in DVD sales for years to come. No one should expect a good box office run with that movie. Many of our favorite movies were total failures at the box office, Blade Runner anyone?

But let's face it, the world is full of people who are dolts. Most people don't graduate from highschool in the US, which is sad because you pretty much just need to show up to graduate. All of us white collar college graduates sit around and wonder what is wrong with everyone because everyone we know and work with has good tastes. It's just that now that we all grew up and no longer associated with the masses doesn't mean they aren't still their loving Fast and the Furious, Professional Wrestling, movies starring big name HipHop stars, and so forth. That mass of people aren't reading this website, their at home getting drunk after a day of work at the construction yard.

Last I heard Wolfman was bad, and I think Hellboy two was pretty mediocre. Lame 10 minute beer commercial in the middle and all.
Well, a lot of that high school graduation rate problem is related heavily to socio-economic inequality as opposed to intelligence. Aside from many school districts having a pedagogical philosophy that is unintuitive to learning, we also have a situation where many have to begin working as teenagers just to support their families. We also have a situation where in many parts of the country there is no incentive to pursue higher education, nor the funds. A coal mining family in West Virginia can't afford to send their children to college, nor can afford to have too many members of their family away from where they are most needed.
A kid in the worst part of New York has no reason to sit and wait in a classroom until he's 18, so he can hit a glass ceiling when he's 30, when he could be dealing. Everyone sees the gang leaders with their jewelry and their cars and their women. Because of how they've been basically abandoned by their government, they see few other options. They've never been given any real sense of agency, so they think that bad stuff just happens.
Even then, taste is defined by what you have access to, and what you have been nurtured by.
If you grew up in a household with someone that had a lot science fiction around, you're probably going to like science fiction.
Personal taste in entertainment has no real correlation or causation to intelligence, economic status, or any thing else that we use to discriminate against each other in this "post racism" world.
It certainly isn't a post class-ism world.

By the way:
Famous people who are fans of pro wrestling:
Stephen King, Billy Corgan, Daniel Radcliff, Conan O'Brien, Jimmie Carter, Andy Kaufman, FDR, and the Queen.
So how about leaving my favorite sport out of your mindless snobbery, you half baked, Idiocracy fellating, Gerbner worshiping, MEF pushing, Seth McFarlane level, sociology department reject.
 

nondescript

New member
Oct 2, 2009
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LordBojangles said:
Isn't the whole business model for the film industry kind of broken nowadays? People haven't primarily used theaters to see movies for a while now...why such emphasis on box office?
You and I might not care, but companies like Universal put stock in it. I think that was his point.

For the record, Expendables was 2 hours of mindless waste. Scott Pilgrim was interesting but for a while it felt like I was on drugs with the effects.

And I hope Guillermo gets his movie. I'll go see it.
 

Oly J

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Nov 9, 2009
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Togs said:
First half= geek out
Second half= on the verge of tears

Fuck you general population, fuck you very much.
seconded, I never saw F&F 1-4 I will not be watching 5 or 6 when it comes out...which it will because god forbid the general population actually entertaining something resembling independent thought
 

Gralian

Me, I'm Counting
Sep 24, 2008
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THE NUMBERS, MASON!

I'm glad to see MovieBob acknowledge that what sells is what's important in the industry, even if what sells is complete garbage.

The optimist in me says that people will eventually get sick of cookie-cutter stories and we'll have our very own contemporary renaissance of film, much like how modern art today is weird and wonderful and has got a lot of acclaim, so too will movies move away from the core concepts and find success in the auteur and the big risk borderline surrealist ventures. Just give it time.