RENT's Weekend Box Office- Page 3

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 7:24pm

well, i never did say in my post that the film version of hair didn't get good reviews.
~ it got terrific reviews!
vincent canby of the times went so far as to call it "the 'star wars' of movie musicals..."
~ which goes to show you that even though a movie may get *glowing* reviews it doesn't guarantee "stellar box office".

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 7:27pm

~ yes i have everythingisrent
and if you re-read my post you would see that i wrote that rent was *one* of the most poorly reviewed films of the year...not THE most poorly reviewed film of the year.
~ the difference between rent and those two films is that people are actually going to see chicken little and yours, mine and ours
people are forgetting that rentactually addded more theatres this week and it *still* dropped.
Updated On: 12/4/05 at 07:27 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 7:42pm

this thread is depressing me.
maybe when people realize how bad Just Friends and Yours Mine and Ours are, ticket sales will pick up....
i'm just trying to lighten the mood.

[Feathah]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 7:46pm

It's falling belows expectations but a flop it is not. A flop doesn't open in the top five. I do think the lack of star power and the misleading commercials are what's hurting it most. With the international release and dvd sales it will more than recoup.

[defying_gravity2]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 7:46pm

I'm gonna cry. I wish the movie was doing better. I really thought it would pick up after Thanksgiving. Does anybody know how it did yesterday and today?

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 7:47pm

can someone explain what about the ads is "misleading"?

[WickedRentLuv]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 7:50pm

They don't even hint on any of the heavy stuff, so people might not be expecting all of the tearjerkers in the second half. Also, not much of the plot is shown.

[twotrey]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 8:22pm

>>>maybe when people realize how bad Just Friends and Yours Mine and Ours are, ticket sales will pick up.... <<<

Well, apparently the general public doesn't think those are bad--especially Just Friends, which had a remarkable hold for its genre, falling only 37%, which indicates good word-of-mouth. 54% drop for Rent indicates less than thrilling word-of-mouth.

After seeing The Producers last week, I'm fairly certain that will be a hit, and Universal is being smart by letting the word of mouth build through a platform release. Of course, it'll also be bolstered by reviews that will be much stronger than Rent's...
Updated On: 12/5/05 at 08:22 PM

[WickedRentLuv]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 8:27pm

Really? I haven't heard much good about the Producers.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 8:28pm

What makes you so certain the reviews will be stronger? I mean, the film is cute, but stellar reviews? I dunno. The audience I saw it with was pretty lukewarm.

Updated On: 12/4/05 at 08:28 PM

[Tanssia]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 8:37pm

"They don't even hint on any of the heavy stuff, so people might not be expecting all of the tearjerkers in the second half. Also, not much of the plot is shown."

Maybe i'm missing something here, but the trailers showed a eulogy, a graveyard scene, girls kissing, men holding hands, did they not?

As for the plot in the adverstising, stylistically it made sense to play SOL in the background instead of, for instance, Mark narrating - so you lose the "30 second synopsis" that some trailers give. What was missing is AIDS and drug-using, but, IMO, those are catalysts for the story, but I don't think they are the end-all-be-all of the story.

[JenD512]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 8:50pm

Overall, box office is down for the year. I love going to the movies, but even I don't go as much as I used to--I just put a lot of them on my Netflix queue and wait for the DVD.

"Rent" as a whole has certainly made it's money and left it's mark in theater history, I don't think anyone has anything to be sorry about. It's got a whole new generation of fans, and will for years to come--especially now that it's a film, whether you liked the movie or not.

It's Broadway--it's a limited audience no matter how much you advertise it. Look at the ratings that the Tony's get (even with Wolverine hosting).

That being said, I think "Rent" will do gangbusters on DVD. I loved the movie, I can't wait to get it myself.

Rentheads...just enjoy the movie. And don't let the snobs hit you with 'I told you so' over anything.

[Tanssia]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 8:53pm

Well said, JenD :)

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 8:57pm

yay Jen! I like what you said...made me feel better. I know the box office $$$ goes hand in hand with how many people see the movie, so if you think of it that way, not as many people as we had wished have now experienced RENT.

But, I loved it. People I know who saw it loved it - and I think thats all I care about at this point. It wouldn't have mattered to me had RENT been a flop (which I don't think it is) or whether it became the next CHICAGO. I love it for what it is.

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 9:07pm

"It's Broadway--it's a limited audience no matter how much you advertise it.

Such a lame excuse. CHICAGO was a box office champ which goes to prove that if a movie musical is done well and captures the audiences' imagination people will go see it.

Comfort yourselves in *projected* DVD sales and unfortold International box office receipts.

The FACT of the matter is that this film is not doing well and certainly not what Sony/Revolution were expecting.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 9:15pm

"If it doesn't recoup in box office sales it will in DVD sales. That is where most of the money is in movies."

True. But even DVD sales and rentals aren't the sure thing they used to be. Growth in DVD sales in North America has stopped. The market has flattened out and is slowly decreasing just like movie theater ticket sales.

So the life raft of recouping costs or making a profit on DVD's if a movie tanks at the box office, is no longer certain.

The depressed movie market has EVERYONE in Hollywood concerned because they fear that the public is gradually and permanently turning away from movies - except for special events - and is opting for other forms of entertainment.

Updated On: 12/4/05 at 09:15 PM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 9:22pm

""It's Broadway--it's a limited audience no matter how much you advertise it.'

Such a lame excuse. CHICAGO was a box office champ which goes to prove that if a movie musical is done well and captures the audiences' imagination people will go see it. "

And that was a lame response. CHICAGO was most likely a fluke. You had three stars not known for singing nor dancing. It was a well made film, but that doesn't mean anything. Transamerica is one of the best films I've seen all year, but I doubt people will flock to it. Evita had Madonna, and people were very curious to see how she would pull it off. While I think The Producers will do better, I can't imagine it will do MUCH better, and it most likely will come nowhere near Chicago's box office.

Also, films that flop at the box office almost always make their money back on dvd sales. Phantom did, Hell, even Gigli made back its money. In fact, Studios are now relying on it. There's been talk for quite some time for studios to release a dvd of the film at the same time it releases the film at theaters. It hasn't taken hold yet because theater-owners are fighting tooth and nail. We'll see how it goes. RENT will clean up when released on DVD.

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 9:27pm

Yeah right. CHICAGO was not a fluke. Look at MOULIN ROUGE *another* musical movie that because of great word of mouth wound up doing major box office and racking up DVD sales.

You people are just GRASPING at straws.

ETA: The fact that CHICAGO was a box office success and managed to win 6 Academy Awards including BEST PICTURE with actors that were not primarily known for their singin/dancing skills is a quite a feat, don't you think?

Can't be saying the same thing for RENT with 95% of the ORIGINAL CAST in it now can you?





Updated On: 12/4/05 at 09:27 PM

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 9:45pm

I'm with Marquise on this one.

Personally, I think some of the advertising of this is misleading; I think if the movie was better made, reviews would have been MORE glowing, and more universally so; I think if the film was better-made, word of mouth would have been better; I think names may have something to do with it, but in the end the quality of the film has a HELL of a lot to do with it as well.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 9:48pm

I do think that having 50 percent of the reviews fall into the negative column hurt the film at the box office.

A film like this with stage origins and a concept that is difficult to market, has to have not just good but great reviews to be a hit.

But people who go to a lot of indie or art house films, seemed uninterested in Rent. This type of movie goer is perhaps the most natural fit (outside rabid Rentheads) for a Broadway show-turned into movie like Rent.

But they do read reviews and if they aren't mostly good, they stay away as with A Chorus Line.
Updated On: 12/4/05 at 09:48 PM

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 9:49pm

but that doesn't hold water for those of us who feel this IS a quality film...

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 9:52pm

"People are stupid, basically...when "Yours, Mine, Ours" is doing better than "rent," it just says that people are stupid and don't know what's good"

Um...right.

The reason "Yours, Mine, and OUrs" is doing better than RENT is because there is a serious lack of family/kid-friendly movies - parents are looking for movies to take their kids to and go as a family. Family movies - even bad ones - always do better then something like RENT. Your post is really illogical.

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 9:53pm

That's it BroadwayGirl - - -

*if* the film were better made that all-important word of mouth would have made this movie a hit and the reviews would have been favorable.
~ i don't mean to come off like an @sshole but i'm just looking at this realistically.
i was hoping much success for this film. hell, i've been waiting 9 years for it.
~ it would be one thing if it were a great movie and it was performing this poorly. this isn't the case.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 9:53pm

If someone's opinion doesn't coincide with yours, it's so easy to say that it doesn't hold water. Lies in the eye of the beholder.

Updated On: 12/4/05 at 09:53 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 9:56pm

The problem is most of the people who think the film is a great quality film are limited to boards like this. If the word of mouth was as strong as the love for it here, the film would be doing better. Reviews of course count a lot, but many films have overcome bad reviews to become huge hits. Apparently word on the street just isn't that great.