Weekend Boxoffice Chart

[Evil Avatar]

Looks like even Hollywood's elite wasn't ready for a film about gay cowboys, as Crash walked away with Best Picture in the 78th Annual Academy Awards (http://www.oscars.com/) on Sunday night. At the theater, the Vampire action film, Ultraviolet, pulled down 9 Million and landed in 4th place.

Here is the Weekend Boxoffice chart for the weekend of March 3rd to March 5th.

Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion $13.0/$48.0
16 Blocks $11.6/$11.6
Eight Below $10.2/$58.7
Ultraviolet $9.0/$9.0
Aquamarine $7.5/$7.5
The Pink Panther $7.0/$69.7
Dave Chappelle's Block Party $6.5/$6.5
Date Movie $5.1/$40.7
Curious George $4.4/$49.2
Firewall $3.6/$42.5
Final Destination 3 $3.2/$49.6
Brokeback Mountain $2.5/$78.9

[Abednigo]

Looks like a whole lotta crap is out right now. I'll go see Narnia at the $1 theater. :)

[Major Dan]

Any one seen 16 Blocks, is that any good?

[F3nyx]

Is Ultraviolet any good, as compared to Equilibrium?

[GrinR]

Watching the Ultraviolet advertising made me too stupid to figure out how to leave my house, so I couldn't see it this weekend.

Irony.

[phantomhitman]

wow, ultraviolet hit rock bottom. I still want to see it, maybe dvd will make it better. I thought Chappelle would do better also.

[AversionFX]

Er. Ultraviolet is a VAMPIRE action movie? I thought it was about a futuristic, man-made superassassin?

Good thing I didn't bother seeing it!

[jeffool]

A pal of mine recommended 16 Blocks to me. I can usually trust him. I saw the play of Madea's Family Reunion, it was funny. No clue how true the movie is, though I'm sure it's funny as well.

[falcon]

Ultraviolet is pure and unfettered crap. Even the action scenes in the movie sucked ass. Go see Night Watch instead (it's worth hunting down) or better yet save your money.

[Rafer]

Ultraviolet: 3% on rotten tomatoes!

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10004504-ultraviolet/

You know, I think a lot of people were wrong calling Equilibrium a bad movie, but this time I think I gotta take people's word for it.

[kokyunage]

<Ultra Violet - spoiler alert - black text>

The premise of the Ultra Violet hero/characters is pretty cool. Something they don't show in the previews is that the hero and her like are vampires. They contracted a medically engineered "disease" and the medical military complex is trying to wipe them out. Now, they aren’t the blood sucking vampires. They require blood transfusions to stay alive.

</spoiler alert>

I bet the comic books are pretty cool. Now, that being said, it’s a pretty bad movie. The only reason why I saw it was (a) my girlfriend was out all weekend (b) hot girls in tight outfits always get my attention (c) no way I could ask my g/f to go see it after she endured Underworld 2 for me.

[Evil Avatar]

Er. Ultraviolet is a VAMPIRE action movie? I thought it was about a futuristic, man-made superassassin?

Good thing I didn't bother seeing it!

Futuristic, man-made, half-Vampire Superassassin, if you must know. ;)

[joruussuun]

I saw Ultraviolet... definitely not as good as I expected from the director of Equilibrium... I think it might be based off a comic book? Maybe, Russian. I don't know the opening made it seem that way, but I don't know if it was doing that for artistic style.
Yes the "hemophages" (vampires) are being wiped out by the humans. They don't even mention vampires until quite a way through the movie, as these is a more "realistic" (well... as realistic as you can get in this kind of setting) version, with slight elongation of the canines (but not sharpened to points), and enhanced agility/strength (we assume, as the humans were trying to use the disease to make super soldiers, and based on her fighting skills.) There is no sensitivity to light, though it's mentioned some of the vampires have it slightly.
It's highly stylized in a Sin City (not as much and not as good) kind of way. Lots of CG and "softness" filtered. The fight scenes have an over-the-topness to them as well (don't know how else to explain it.) Like I said, I don't know if it was an obscure comic book or not, so I don't know if the director was trying to match something with his particular vision.
In the end, the Main Character's hotness can't save the movie... I'd say a 6/10 (generously.)

[Xerxes]

I bet the comic books are pretty cool. Now, that being said, it’s a pretty bad movie. The only reason why I saw it was (a) my girlfriend was out all weekend (b) hot girls in tight outfits always get my attention (c) no way I could ask my g/f to go see it after she endured Underworld 2 for me.

That's the thing. There is no comics. That was all for the intro of the movie. Ultraviolet was basically Aeon Flux, except for the dying all the time. Bad ass chick against odd society. The bad effects could slide, the action scenes ,which appear to be bad but really aren't could slide, her abs can definately slide. They should of took the "vampire" premise out and done something like Dune with super blue eyes or red so you'd know who the super powered are and who are not. The thing that knocks you on your ass like a medically perscribed 2x4 is once they try to actually act.

I can't believe the guy that made Equilibrium would follow up with something so poor. Story concept is perfect for that crap our culture would like in a action movie. They just can't act, the bad guy was decent enough but again, they can't act. Violet would of made a better mute. Kurt Wimmer must be in situation were he needed to ruin his credibility so he can leave his movie obligations to a movie studio or something.

Oddly enough I tried to imagine would if Christian Bale was Violet. I think that dude just make movies cool.

[The Continental]

Ultraviolet really is a DVD rental if you're interested at all. As a fan of Equilibrium I was pretty dissapointed in Ultraviolet. The whole movie has a very cheap vibe, like somewhere during filming they just ran out of money to film the rest of it and then had to get the CG done on the cheap. Everything about it is over the top, but I really think that's because it's aspiring to be a live action comic book. Pretty much everything this movie tries to do was done much better in Equlibrium.

If you do decide to go see it in theaters, keep in mind this movie has been on the shelf for two years while they try to figure out what to do with it, and then recently decided not to screen it for critics last week should give you a pretty good idea what to expect.

[Derella]

I didn't really expect much of Ultraviolet, so I doubt I'll be let down when I rent it. I just love Milla, even if all but 1 or 2 of her movies are total crap.

[Abednigo]

<Ultra Violet - spoiler alert - black text>

The premise of the Ultra Violet hero/characters is pretty cool. Something they don't show in the previews is that the hero and her like are vampires. They contracted a medically engineered "disease" and the medical military complex is trying to wipe them out. Now, they aren’t the blood sucking vampires. They require blood transfusions to stay alive.

</spoiler alert>



Sounds a lot like Milla's character in Resident Evil 2. :rolleyes: She's as bad as Michelle Rodrigues. Always playing the same type of character.

[mkelehan]

Looks like even Hollywood's elite wasn't ready for a film about gay cowboys, as Crash walked away with Best Picture in the 78th Annual Academy Awards (http://www.oscars.com/) on Sunday night.
Or maybe they just thought Crash was the better movie. Just a thought.

[Xerxes]

Pretty much everything this movie tries to do was done much better in Equlibrium.


For the most part yeah... The gun kata in this movie would of been great had he not tried to go over the top with effects. Like the blood chinoi scene. After a while it was like a scene from sin city with color, and badly done. I almost thought maybe if they took money from him, like EQ he would had to rely more on craft instead of bad effects.

[Hellstorm]

To be fair, the movie studio ripped UltraViolet away from Kurt Wimmer and recut and edited the film to "their" taste.

When something like that happens, nothing good is going to come of it. Overall Wimmer is a hell of a director, but like Lucas, you need to slap a tight budget on him or else he goes hog wild.

I liked UV for being what it is, a comic booky action flick. If I want deeper meaning to my gun shoot outs, I'll watch Equilibrium. But I give Wimmer big thumbs up for his sequence that is a homage to Lone Wolf and Cub/Shogun Assassin.

That said, Night Watch is an education course on how to film a great looking but boring movie. All my friends agreed when we walked out of it that it was boring, but because it was pretty, you sat through it.

Calling Night Watch a horror movie is like trying to call Hellraiser a romance movie. Nothing scary at all happens.

[Com_Gaunt]

16 blocks kicked total ass! even my wife loved it!
Everyone go see it!

[Librum]

Ultraviolet was one of the worst movies I've seen in some time. Lots of interesting ideas and a cool, artsy opening scene were wasted on this utter atrocity against the art of filmmaking. I loved Equilibrium and I was really, really wanting to like this movie.

I like sci-fi, I even like bad sci-fi, so when I'm sitting there going 'huh?', that usually means other folks are running for the exit, and I was going 'huh?' from pretty much the first scene. Might have been the first movie I've ever been embarrassed to be in when the lights came up.

[KDups]

Or maybe they just thought Crash was the better movie. Just a thought.

After watching Capote and Good Night, and Good Luck this past weekend I can't believe they thought Crash was better than those two movies.

[Wokapto]

I went to see Ultra Violet specifically so I could enjoy how bad it was. I thought it would be like seeing a bond movie (a recent one anyway), bad puns and over the top crap. I couldn't enjoy it though, because it was just so bad. There was basically no point to the movie. No begining, no end, just some chick with color changing clothes dodging bullets. It seemed like the original movie must have been like 6 hours long and they just cut an hour or so out of the middle and made that into the movie.

I didn't even realize that they were supposed to be vampires until like 45 minutes in. The opening narration went something like: "Scientists found a virus and tried to use it to make super soldiers. They failed, and instead made a super contageous form of the virus that lots of people caught. The government killed most of those people." There were super people anyway though, and I guess they were vampires.

I did like the bad guy though, he turned out to be kind of cool. Especially how he carried his gun around in sealed plastic pouch, that was funny.

[askheaves]

"Racism's Surprise Upset Over Homophobia"

- corner

[UnderHero5]

Well, Equilibrium only got a 4.7/10 on Rotten Romatoes and I loved that movie.

I find that my taste and movie critics tastes are NOTHING alike. I just go and enjoy the fucking movie, I don't pick it apart and criticise every little thing. How could you enjoy ANY movies at all if that's what you do?

I'm going to see UltraViolet tomorrow with a couple of friends and I'm sure I'll enjoy it.
There are VERY few movies which I haven't enjoyed. There's only about 3 that I've ever not been able to sit though... and I watch a LOT of "bad" movies.
The 3 I've had to shut off were really, really, REAAALLY low budget indy zombie movies. They were just horrible. No excuses for those.

But stuff like House of the Dead... I loved the movie. It was cheesey, campy, corny fun! Even the second one wasn't that bad (but not as good as the first). I enjoyed Doom as well.

Say I have bad taste, but at least I have a larger selection of movies to choose from.

[Evil Avatar]

Or maybe they just thought Crash was the better movie. Just a thought.

No. I read a couple of dozen articles about it right after the Oscars and the general opinion is that Brokeback was the favorite to win and that the committee just panned it at the last second because it was a "gay" film.

I don't agree with that at all. I don't have any problems with it being a gay film, I think the film was complete and total crap, but the fact that it was gay wasn't what made it a bad film, it was the fact that it had almost no storyline and poor acting that made it a bad film.

If you are going to pan something, do it for the right reasons. :)

[Evil Avatar]

"Racism's Surprise Upset Over Homophobia"

- corner

LOL! Too frackin' funny.

[jwbxx]

Broke back mountain had nothing that would spark my interest to see that film. It's basically like every other love story but the kicker is that these guys are gay, so what? Two gay cowboys? Ok, I need more substance in a movie, rather than having its only saving grace or "hook" is that these two cowboys are gay. I mean c'mon now if anyone has ever been to texas you can find plenty of gay cowboys walking down the streets all the time.

I thought block party was a pretty good movie.

And you guys need to really watch previews for movies. If you see an action movie advertised and it's rated PG-13 that should send up the red flag in the back of your head that it will be garbage.

[jBusy]

Er. Ultraviolet is a VAMPIRE action movie? I thought it was about a futuristic, man-made superassassin?

Ultraviolet has the most cohesive plot this side of Highlander 2.

[Kelegacy]

No. I read a couple of dozen articles about it right after the Oscars and the general opinion is that Brokeback was the favorite to win and that the committee just panned it at the last second because it was a "gay" film.

I don't agree with that at all. I don't have any problems with it being a gay film, I think the film was complete and total crap, but the fact that it was gay wasn't what made it a bad film, it was the fact that it had almost no storyline and poor acting that made it a bad film.

If you are going to pan something, do it for the right reasons. :)
Crap acting and storyline, yet both actors were up for best actor catagories and it won a screenplay Oscar?

[ninjadan]

Crap acting and storyline, yet both actors were up for best actor catagories and it won a screenplay Oscar?

You mean if you win an Oscar you're automatically a good movie?

Quick! Someone let Lucas know that Episode III was awesome!

[Kelegacy]

You mean if you win an Oscar you're automatically a good movie?

Quick! Someone let Lucas know that Episode III was awesome!
It doesn't hurt.

The only thing Episode III would get an Oscar for would be special/visual/audio effects. The technical achievements. Like King Kong.

[askheaves]

Crap acting and storyline, yet both actors were up for best actor catagories and it won a screenplay Oscar?

This is the year for bravery. You are nominated for and win Oscars solely for being brave enough to tackle such hotly contested issues as racism, McCarthyism, homophobia, the difficulty of pimping, global warming and evil government... you know, the real global terrible issues that nobody has addressed so far.


Just HAVING a message got you a seat at the table.

Edit: oh yeah, I forgot about attacking Big Oil and the CIA. They've gotten a free ride so far.

[Vaginasaurus]

Why has a Big Momma's House-esque movie done so well these past two weeks? I know there's nothing but shit out there, but come on!

[Crabby]

Ultraviolet was one of the worst movies I've seen in some time. Lots of interesting ideas and a cool, artsy opening scene were wasted on this utter atrocity against the art of filmmaking. I loved Equilibrium and I was really, really wanting to like this movie.

I like sci-fi, I even like bad sci-fi, so when I'm sitting there going 'huh?', that usually means other folks are running for the exit, and I was going 'huh?' from pretty much the first scene. Might have been the first movie I've ever been embarrassed to be in when the lights came up.


I had to leave Dana Carvey's Master of Disguise. The kids weren't even laughing.

[Cyotik]

This is the year for bravery. You are nominated for and win Oscars solely for being brave enough to tackle such hotly contested issues as racism, McCarthyism, homophobia, the difficulty of pimping, global warming and evil government... you know, the real global terrible issues that nobody has addressed so far.


Just HAVING a message got you a seat at the table.

Edit: oh yeah, I forgot about attacking Big Oil and the CIA. They've gotten a free ride so far.

Hey, fuck that. Goodnight and Good Luck was a terrific movie, really deserved more acclaim than it got. Also, it ain't easy being a pimp yo'.

[Evil Avatar]

Crap acting and storyline, yet both actors were up for best actor catagories and it won a screenplay Oscar?

I can't help it if the fact that it was a gay themed movie made people think it was a good film - I've seen the film and it isn't good.

Almost nothing happens in the movie, there is no real emotional bond between the characters, we are given very little background on the characters and they just go up on the mountain and hang out for a couple of days and then start playing rump ranger out of the blue... where was the emotional bond? Why did these two people suddenly become attracted to each other? They never said anything to each other, how do you build a relationship on that?

Because they were alone and horny and gay it is a great romance? (And a great film?)

I didn't buy it and I didn't think the actors did anything to sell it to me. There was more romance (and personality) between the characters of Into the Blue. (And certainly more romance between the characters in Heath's other film, A Knight's Tale.)

I'm sorry to say that I didn't see Crash, because I don't give a shit about racism as a topic for a movie. That set off the snooze alarm big time. I hope it was a good film, it just isn't anything I would see. If you want to see a great film about racism, see John Travolta's White Man's Burden. (A fantastic film that no one seems to have seen.)

---

I think we need to go back to giving Oscars out to people just based on their lifetime career instead of how weepy eyed and emotional or how politically hot a topic is. At least I could get behind some of those nominations.

[Kelegacy]

I can't help it if the fact that it was a gay themed movie made people think it was a good film - I've seen the film and it isn't good.

Almost nothing happens in the movie, there is no real emotional bond between the characters, we are given very little background on the characters and they just go up on the mountain and hang out for a couple of days and then start playing rump ranger out of the blue... where was the emotional bond? Why did these two people suddenly become attracted to each other? They never said anything to each other, how do you build a relationship on that?

Because they were alone and horny and gay it is a great romance? (And a great film?)

I didn't buy it and I didn't think the actors did anything to sell it to me. There was more romance (and personality) between the characters of Into the Blue. (And certainly more romance between the characters in Heath's other film, A Knight's Tale.)

I'm sorry to say that I didn't see Crash, because I don't give a shit about racism as a topic for a movie. That set off the snooze alarm big time. I hope it was a good film, it just isn't anything I would see. If you want to see a great film about racism, see John Travolta's White Man's Burden. (A fantastic film that no one seems to have seen.)

---

I think we need to go back to giving Oscars out to people just based on their lifetime career instead of how weepy eyed and emotional or how politically hot a topic is. At least I could get behind some of those nominations.

Crash was excellent. I am not upset it won Best Picture. It was definitely the best movie I saw last year. Crash has a bunch of stories going on that get intertwined during a 36 hour period. I loved it.

[OldBrownShoe]

Why has a Big Momma's House-esque movie done so well these past two weeks? I know there's nothing but shit out there, but come on!

Perry knows his audience (mainly Christian African American women) and plays to them well while being the only one who really does. Stick anything in a vacuum and it'll blow up.

[askheaves]

I saw Crash this year and thought it was OK. I've seen better movies. Basically, it turns out that everybody is a little bit racist. By the end of that movie, though, I was laughing everytime they tried to do something poignant. I really expected them to kill off a kid at a certain point just for 'emotional impact.'

It doesn't do your movie about racism much of a service to have all of your ethnic characters be completely one dimensional.

BTW, 'poignant' is a hard word to spell. Google didn't even offer me the correct spelling of it because so many other people get it wrong too.

[NELS]

It doesn't do your movie about racism much of a service to have all of your ethnic characters be completely one dimensional.

I am really wondering how you think that. Can you explain how the ethnic characters seem one sided to you, as I loved Crash because every character was so complex and not one sided?

[MojoJojo]

I wasn't that impressed with Crash[i]. It was an ok movie, but they really tried to shove the "message" down your throat. [i]Syriana was similar.

You can make a message movie without deepthroating the audience. See American History X.

[51|RandoM]

Saw ultraviolet, crappy movie, but it was filled with cool sci-fi stuff. It was fun to see things like personal gravity manipulation, extra-dimensional storage, on the fly color changeable hair/clothing. The extra-dimensional storage was particularly well done.

It really felt like it should've been an animated show, or just a comic book.

Ultimately, a movie with lots of ideas and very little thought.

I don't even know why the vampire subplot was there, it was completely extraneous. Sure, manmade vampires as super soldiers might be an interesting story, but they never told that story.

[Selar]

I went into Ultraviolet with low expectations expecting a mindless action movie with lots of eye-candy CGI, and was still incredibly disappointed. The CGI was pretty good, but there was a definite lack of fighting. Either a fight scene was too short, or they cut away from it, or they were too far between. The plot was worse than expected, predictable, cliched and obtuse at times.

I wouldn't even rent it. If you want stylized action in a dystopian society, watch Equilibrium. If you want vampires, watch Blade.

[Hellstorm]

I went into Ultraviolet with low expectations expecting a mindless action movie with lots of eye-candy CGI, and was still incredibly disappointed. The CGI was pretty good, but there was a definite lack of fighting. Either a fight scene was too short, or they cut away from it, or they were too far between. The plot was worse than expected, predictable, cliched and obtuse at times.

I wouldn't even rent it. If you want stylized action in a dystopian society, watch Equilibrium. If you want vampires, watch Blade.

You do know the writer/director of Equilibrium wrote and directed Ultraviolet, right?

[Crabby]

You do know the writer/director of Equilibrium wrote and directed Ultraviolet, right?


Does it make a difference? The movies are what they are, right?

[Selar]

You do know the writer/director of Equilibrium wrote and directed Ultraviolet, right?

Yes, I am aware of the fact. Equilibrium is a much better movie than Ultraviolet. It has a cohesive plot, much better use of effects, much more interesting action scenes and better acting (or perhaps, better actors?). Don't get me wrong, I'm not nominating Equilibrium for an Oscar or anything, but I got more than what I had hoped for out of it. Ultraviolet is pure garbage.

[Montgomery_Python]

Or maybe they just thought Crash was the better movie. Just a thought.

I always wondered why homogay cowboys might equal an Oscar. Crash was actually good.

[dr_wily]

ill have to get ulotraviolet a rental since i totally love equilibrium.. even if it isnt on the same par..

comon kurt wimmer give me something better!

[TrackZero]

"Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion"

Never even heard of this flick, and I'm a movie guy. Prehaps it's only airing in the states.

....just checked a bunch of theatre listings, it's only playing in a few places in Toronto (and not even the "arthouse" theatres either).

[MosBen]

I didn't feel like the Academy snubbed anybody this year. As far as I could tell just keeping track in my head, it didn't seem like any one film got an overwhelming number of awards. Any time the big four awards (Best Movie, Director, Male lead, and Female lead) go to four different movies it's hard for me to believe any one film was being snubbed.

[51|RandoM]

ill have to get ulotraviolet a rental since i totally love equilibrium.. even if it isnt on the same par..


Definitely not the same par, heck it is putt-putt vs. the masters.

[bradlay]

You mean if you win an Oscar you're automatically a good movie?

Quick! Someone let Lucas know that Episode III was awesome!

A Beautiful Mind was such a steaming pile of crap. All the reviews when it came out said 'steaming pile of crap' then it won an oscar.

Also, Crash was mediocre.

[kickmybum]

Anyone see Chapelle's Block Party? I heard on the radio it was hilarious.

[jeffool]

Why has a Big Momma's House-esque movie done so well these past two weeks? I know there's nothing but shit out there, but come on!


Perry knows his audience (mainly Christian African American women) and plays to them well while being the only one who really does. Stick anything in a vacuum and it'll blow up.Eh, the stuff I've seen of Tyler Perry isn't cheese like Big Momma's House. It's a comedy, but not a self-referential slapstick comedy. And while you're absolutely right that it is aimed at black and Christian audiences, that's not to say that the movies are completely without any merit. I'm neither black nor Christian and have to say that the guy can write. (Sadly, sometimes his final act falls apart, but the Family Reunion is actually one I enjoyed.)"Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion"

Never even heard of this flick, and I'm a movie guy. Prehaps it's only airing in the states.

....just checked a bunch of theatre listings, it's only playing in a few places in Toronto (and not even the "arthouse" theatres either).Well his movies were adapted from the plays he made and toured around the southern US (where I live.) When approached to do movies he was already rich and regionally a hit. He was actually in a position to be able to walk away and stop the movie if he didn't like the way it was going, and he actually retains complete ownership of his characters. Of course, he could use a little help from screenwriters, as his transition to film hasn't been seamless (Diary of Mad Black Woman was his, and suffered from a bad third act and some theatrical sensibilities that don't carry over into film.)

[jwbxx]

Anyone see Chapelle's Block Party? I heard on the radio it was hilarious.
Go see it, it's worth paying 8 bucks to see.

[Xerxes]

Eh, the stuff I've seen of Tyler Perry isn't cheese like Big Momma's House. It's a comedy, but not a self-referential slapstick comedy. And while you're absolutely right that it is aimed at black and Christian audiences, that's not to say that the movies are completely without any merit. I'm neither black nor Christian and have to say that the guy can write. (Sadly, sometimes his final act falls apart, but the Family Reunion is actually one I enjoyed.)Well his movies were adapted from the plays he made and toured around the southern US (where I live.) When approached to do movies he was already rich and regionally a hit. He was actually in a position to be able to walk away and stop the movie if he didn't like the way it was going, and he actually retains complete ownership of his characters. Of course, he could use a little help from screenwriters, as his transition to film hasn't been seamless (Diary of Mad Black Woman was his, and suffered from a bad third act and some theatrical sensibilities that don't carry over into film.)

He's more cheese than big momma. Although I only seen the first one cause the second is a poor attempt at getting in my wallet. In my book that dude is corny. I don't think he can write. I mean he says a bunch of dumb downed crap with no new flavor to it and it's like he's amazing. He says po-po, the people laugh, he says weed, they clap, then he pulls a pop culture catch phrase from 1980-2000 and every roars. Cigaweed. I say a line from friday and now i'm a goddamned genius. I'm black and I can't figure it out at all.