Shame On You America! • I've been avoiding this news all day in some kind of denial-based anger-fog, but Couples Retreat was/is the #1 movie in America? Well played, Paul Blart: Tropical Resort Cop. These colors run to terrible movies in droves, apparently.

Comments (13) latest by Dave

Duh Aficionado Magazine: Land Of The Lost Bombed

It's official, Land of the Lost is the first bomb of the summer. Everyone says so. The AP says so. Variety says so. The New York Times even says so.

Every summer movie season brings with it at least one sleeper hit and one big-budget bomb, but rarely do both happen on the same weekend.

The headache -- and it was a big one -- belonged to Universal Pictures and its financing partner, Relativity Media. "Land of the Lost," a star vehicle for Will Ferrell based on the 1970s-era television show, essentially failed to have an opening, landing in third place with $19.5 million in sales. That total is disastrous for a movie that cost an estimated $200 million to produce, market and distribute worldwide.

Well, duh. Regardless of the fact that it got terrible reviews and that it was some kind of cross between Jurassic Park and Gone Fishin', that movie just didn't need to be made. Vulture asked the important question last week: why does this movie exist?

Things get silly, though, when New York Times attempts to explain what happened:

Continue reading Duh Aficionado Magazine: Land Of The Lost Bombed...

Posted by Gabe at 10:00 AM in Box Office Poison
Tags: Danny McBride | Land Of The Lost | National Failures | Will Ferrell

Comments (27) latest by Scott

Schadenfreude Corner: Punisher Opens In Eighth Place

The newest entry in the Punisher franchise opened this weekend, and fell just shy of The Dark Knight's record-breaking 155.3 million dollar opening weekend with a four million dollar box office and coming in eighth place. Zingisher: Zing Zone!

Just to put it in perspective:

1. "Four Christmases," $18.2 million.
2. "Twilight," $13.2 million.
3. "Bolt," $9.7 million.
4. "Australia," $7 million.
5. "Quantum of Solace," $6.6 million.
6. "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," $5.1 million.
7. "Transporter 3," $4.5 million.
8. "Punisher: War Zone," $4 million.
9. "Cadillac Records," $3.5 million.
10. "Role Models," $2.6 million.

That is embarrassing! I don't know why, but for some reason I feel so satisfied that Punisher: War Zone (shut up, "war zone") did as badly as it did. I have nothing against the actors or director or the Punisher franchise in general. Maybe it's just a slap in the face to a cash-hungry Hollywood, and a stark reminder that we will not just swallow any garbage that you shove in front of us. We said thanks but no thanks on that Punisher to nowhere.

Meanwhile, Four Christmases holds steady in the number one spot for a second week in a row. Yay! That's the new Charlie Kaufman movie, right? We did it!

Posted by Gabe at 11:15 AM in Box Office Poison
Tags: Lexi Alexander | Punisher: War Zone | Ray Stevenson

Comments (3) latest by bryan

Love Guru Halloween Costumes Selling Like Love Guru Movie Tickets • Save some money this year with a Guru Pitka costume, already 25% off. Aww. So mean. (Via Paul Scheer.)

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