http://www.defamer.com/hollywood/box-office/monday-morning-box-office-stealth-bomber-115180.php
Sad? Could it be just possible that it is because the plots and writing are the pits? Or that the audience is changing? Or it was because the previews just screamed: “you have seen this before!”?
Do you think big and dumb action movies are on the way out?
Let’s see how Doom goes. Not just a big dumb action movie, but based on a video game no less! It’s odds against.
For me, I think it has a lot to do with the marketing.
I would have seen the Island. I watched the preview online and it seemed interesting. Up to a point. Seriously this was my thinking:
“ooh, science fiction. Hey, it’s a a futuristic universe. And probably a mystery too. The Island? Is this like a Prisoner remake? Oh wow, Steve Buscemi is in it. Wait, what? Excuse me? Did I just hear things right? You just gave away the crucial plot point right there in the preview? Well…ok…I guess I don’t need to see this anymore.” And the fact that Michael Bay produced it means the movie has more explosions than two syllable words.
There’s another movie preview up right now called The Sound of Thunder that’s almost painful in its idocy. I don’t care how well put together the movie actually is, this preview makes me feel dumber for having watched it. I could almost feel the preview reach into my skull with tweezers and pick out brain cells to crush into oblivion. I won’t be seeing it in the theatre.
It’d be nice, but Fantastic Four did pretty well, and so did War of the Worlds, so two randomly-picked movies do not a trend make. I think the movies succeed or fail based on individual interest in them, not because people are bored with the type. Movies like this are usually hit-or-miss propositions and some of them fail spectacularly- at this point I don’t think most of them even make money in the theatres. But they’ll continue to be made because there’s so much cash to be had in a successful one. Maybe if all the summer blockbusters fail for an extended period of time, they’ll try something else.
Hell, he even says in the commercial “well, we just wanted a summer popcorn muncher.” I guess I should be thankful for a little truth in advertising.
I still don’t get why they advertise with Michael Bay’s identity : from the producer of The Rock and Con Air !!
And they say it like that is a good thing.
Hey, I liked The Rock! 
"Honey… do you wanna know who killed JFK?
I just hope The Transporter 2 does well. I really liked the original, and I’d love to see Jason Statham become a bigger star.
Heh, this is thankfully the first 100 million dollar disaster which sunk itself with the all-revealing trailer. I wasn’t completely ready to write it off because Michael Bay’s name was attached… but when they basically gave away the ending, what’s the fucking point?
I’m also heartened to see the likes of “The Wedding Crashers” be successful. It had old-fashioned bawdiness, actual naked tits, the verboten R-rating in this day and age. It felt like the late 70s all over again! Of course in the 70s they’d have full-on nudity and the lots of pot-smoking, but we take our victories where we can.
Best of all it was fucking funny.
In my opinion, Stealth has had the worst ad campaign I’ve seen this year.
First, the billboards. Stealth. Fear the skies. What the heck is that supposed to be a picture of? A robot? No names, nothing. Then, the week before the movie, the TV ads seem to just casually mention that, oh yeah, Jamie Foxx is in this movie.
Basically, what the ad campaign told me was “THIS MOVIE STINKS. WE ARE EMBARRASSED OF THIS MOVIE, AND SO ARE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON IT. YOU CAN PAY A LOT OF MONEY TO COME SEE IT IN THE THEATERS SOON, BUT WHY WOULD YOU?”
I think that might have something to do with the poor showing at the box office.
As far as the Island goes, I think people are just tired of being disappointed by Michael Bay movies.
STEALTH was the epitome of “I’ve seen this before.”
Even when the preview told you the entire plot you could still see it coming a mile away a quarter into the preview.
Three elite pilots. They rock. Wait, now they have a computer controlled fighter pilot. Let’s guess what happens next.
They pulled this right out of the big pile of “cliche’d to death” scripts.
IMO it was two movies, one which was really really good (the first half) and one that was really really derivative (the second half).
Unfortunately it looks like they’ve decided the second was the one to build a sequel around :(.
As for stealth, every audience I’ve seen the trailer with (both of them! :)) laughed at the trailer. I’m not really surprised that it bombed, more that it was made at all.
Top Gun was cool because there were real planes being used in the action sequences. Replace the action sequences with CGI and there’s no reason to see the movie. And looks, Stealth has proven me right!
I love going to the theatre, and so if I had the time and money I’d go and see almost every movie out right now.
That being said, and as I told a friend just the other night, if there were no crummy movies any more, all we’d have is crummy movies.
When there’s no flotsam for the truly good films to float upon, we lose our perspective.
And besides, those “popcorn munchers” as they are called are good for getting drunk to, since no concentration is involved.
[QUOTE=Hampshire
Three elite pilots…[/QUOTE]
Including one woman and one minority, of course.
Include a romantic subplot and it can’t miss.
“This is gold, Jerry. Gold!”
-Joe, cesium
My thought was “Hey, I saw this on Mystery Science Theater!”
That’s based on an excellent short story. (By Ray Bradbury, I think.) If it’s a faithful adaptation it might be good. On the other hand, it might end up being Jurassic Park 4, Now with time travel!
That was a really good episode, too. “Door to door Biography!”
Parts: The Clonus Horror.
Jurassic Park 4 is in the works, complete with cybernetically-enhanced velociraptor black-ops soldiers, named after Greek generals and controlled by a team of government scientists.
Homer: Aah! OK, don’t panic – remember the advice your father gave you on your wedding day.
Abe: If you ever travel back in time, don’t step on anything because even the tiniest change can alter the future in ways you can’t imagine.
I was pretty sure it was an adaption of the Bradbury story, but wasn’t completely sure. Nevertheless, it’s obviously not written by Bradbury. And when the preview screams at me to EVOLVE OR DIE!!! I have to stop breathing for fear I’ll inhale the stupid.