InfoAnda - Geeks on a bad streak at box office

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

IBM uses DNA to make next-gen microchips | Technology | | 17 August 2009
US sees 'spike' in Vietnam human rights issues | 4 February 2010
Fla. governor taps ex-aide to replace US senator | 29 August 2009

Karzai says he's addressing corruption | International | | 9 November 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Geeks on a bad streak at box office

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Asia Pacific World Geeks on a bad streak at box office Reuters - Wednesday, August 18 Send IM Story Print By Carl DiOrio LOS ANGELES - Geeks might be less dependable than gals but not necessarily less desirable. That's the industry consensus after the simultaneous misfire of a fanboy movie and impressive launch of what only can be described as a chick flick last weekend. "Eat Pray Love" enjoyed a box office feast served up by overwhelmingly older-female audiences during the weekend, and "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" fought a losing battle to put geek butts in theater seats. Lionsgate's older-males magnet "The Expendables" topped domestic rankings with a $34.8 million opening, but Sony's book-based "Love" debuted impressively in second place with $23.1 million. The big love for "Love" followed lucrative outings by 2008's "Sex and the City" and "Mamma Mia!" -- which fetched $153 million and $144 million in their respective campaigns -- and last year's "Julie & Julia," a $94 million domestic grosser. The trifecta success of such female-targeting films makes it plain there is box office gold in the gender genre. So niche pics can be lucrative. But what's up with the penny-pinching geek squad? Universal's "Pilgrim" traveled to just $10.6 million in a fifth-place launch. The studio puts the pic's negative cost at $60 million after accounting for $25 million in tax credits. "If that film had been made for $15 milion-$20 million, nobody would be crying," an executive at a rival studio said Monday. "But you have an offbeat movie with an offbeat title starring somebody who is sort of a niche-targeted guy to begin with." Michael Cera's topline turn in the comics-spawned "Pilgrim" followed his roles in indie fare including this year's "Youth in Revolt," a $15.3 million domestic performer for Dimension, and "Paper Heart," which took in less than $2 million for Overture after unspooling in August 2009. Even Cera's pairing with Jack Black in Sony's $43 million grosser "Year One" last summer represents mere chump change compared with his $144 million and $122 million outings among the ensemble casts of Fox Searchlight's "Juno" and Sony's "Superbad," respectively, in 2007. By contrast, "Love" boasts the marquee magic of Julia Roberts and is based on a best-seller. But the question remains: If all creative and marketing considerations are equal, is the audience for a geek-seeking pic as big as that for a chick flick? "'Watchmen' opened to $55 million, so I think the answer is yes," a distribution executive mused. "Geeks can still rule, no question about it." With a production budget estimated at $130 million, Warner Bros.' comics-based "Watchmen" was considered a disappointment in fetching less than $108 million last year during its domestic run. But its big opening hinted at the enormous potential of fanboy movies that can tap into broader groups of moviegoers via positive word-of-mouth and mount leggy theatrical runs. Warners' "The Matrix" did just that. The 1999 Keanu Reeves starrer rang up $171 million domestically and spawned two sequels. "You can get lucky and hit like a 'Matrix' or a 'Watchmen,' or you can get unlucky and have a 'Scott Pilgrim,'" one industryite said with a shrug. The latter pic is expected to struggle to get past even $30 million domestically after opening so poorly. Its lack of commercial appeal might be conceptual in part. Directed by Edgar Wright , "Pilgrim" displays a quirky campiness that played well with critics but calls to mind the critically lauded but commercially limited "Kick-Ass," the Nicolas Cage starrer that Lionsgate unspooled in April and fetched $48 million in total U.S. and Canadian coin. That put the modestly budgeted actioner into profitability but lagged prerelease expectations for the fanboy romp. "Pilgrim" is about a teen who must battle his girlfriend's seven evil exes to win her heart. The film co-stars include Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans and Jason Schwartzman. One film producer suggested the pic would have been better served offering more of a date-movie vibe and leaning less on "geeky, kung fu movie" elements. Still, not even the core audience is guaranteed to show up if geek-seeking pics fail to heed fanboy sensitivities in transferring characters and story lines from the comic book page to the silver screen. To wit: Warners' Josh Brolin starrer "Jonah Hex" took in less than $11 million overall domestically after triggering fanboy ire this summer. Promoted heavily at Comic-Con, "Pilgrim" played well with its core audience but drew few outside the fan base. Opening audiences skewed 64% male, with 58% of patrons under 25. "They made a movie that was too niche, too geeky and too hipstery," an exec at a rival studio said. "You can't count on the comic to draw the audience." Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Windows 7 mobile phones will link to Xbox 360 consoles AFP - 12 minutes ago PlayStation 3 memory beefed up in North America AFP - 53 minutes ago 50 years after Beatles' first gig, Hamburg pays tribute AFP - 55 minutes ago US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary Reuters - 1 hour 34 minutes ago Spike Lee film shows New Orleans 5 years after storm Reuters - 1 hour 34 minutes ago News Search Top Stories US must support flagging housing market: Geithner S.Korea archaeologists uncover 7,000-year-old oar German investment sentiment slumps Canada's Potash rejects $38 bln offer from BHP British inflation eases to 3.1% More Top Stories » Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Tearful German pop star confesses in HIV trial Court blocks California gay marriage Eight killed, 12 injured in California desert race Zsa Zsa Gabor calls in priest for final rites British airports strike averted More Most Viewed » Obama endorses mosque plan near Ground Zero 40 US billionaires pledge half wealth to charity Visitors attack Taiwan 'haunted house' actors Calcium supplements linked to heart attacks: study Massive ice island breaks off Greenland glacier More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo! Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos World Cup 2010 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

Other News on Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Two blasts rock Russia's Caucasus region
India rachets up pressure on BlackBerry
US must support flagging housing market: Geithner
Florida teachers warned not to 'friend' students online
S.Korea archaeologists uncover 7,000-year-old oar
German investment sentiment slumps
India says may drag US to WTO over visa fee hike
Big B's Shoot Ad At 'Serene And Pious' Sabarmati Ashram
Russia halves fires area as weather chills
Canada's Potash rejects $38 bln offer from BHP
British inflation eases to 3.1%
India to reprieve some BlackBerry services
Soccer Star David Beckham's Sister On Welfare
Man shot after rushing Turkish embassy |
UAE, Blackberry may soon resolve spat: diplomats
"Jersey Shore's" Snooki Gets Denied A Trademark
U.S. neighborhood bookstores thrive in digital age
Sandra Bullock's Ex Jesse James Linked To Kat Von D
Mel Gibson Involved In Car Crash
Wedbush initiates Google with underperform
DNA tests on chess champion's corpse exclude paternity |
Microsoft's Kinect to hit EMEA stores Nov 10
China's telcos gear up on 3G in growth push
US urges open N.Korea in Twitter tit-for-tat
US, Vietnam step up defence co-operation amid China concerns
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
India to reprieve some BlackBerry services |
Time-shifting on TV more than doubles in past year
Economists Seek Regulatory Changes to U.S. Mortgage Industry
Sony Playstation 3 to come with more memory |
Taiwan parliament approves China trade pact
Cancer Costs World Economy Nearly $1 Trillion Per Year
William Shatner reinvents TV image with new shows
July Factory Output Rise Higher Than Expectation
Sen Kerry: Karzai must fight graft or lose support
"Real Housewives Of New Jersey" Danielle Staubs Reacts To Rumors Of Being Fired
Singer Erykah Badu gets probation for stripping
SC Mother Admits To Killing Children; Unemployment, Stress Among Motives
Geeks on a bad streak at box office
Anti-War Protester Charged After Attacking Sen. Levin With Pie
Two Parents Arrested For Starving Their Autistic Boy
Study Suggests Marriage Reduces Stress
Gay couples have equal inheritance rights: top German court
Brazilian Waxing Another Disturbing Adult Procedure For Children
Was James Bond just a "neo-fascist gangster?"
More Than One Million American Kids Misdiagnosed With ADHD
Hip-hop stars diversifyin' to stay rich: report |
Time-shifting on TV more than doubles in past year |
Singer Erykah Badu gets probation for stripping |
William Shatner reinvents TV image with new shows |
Spike Lee film shows New Orleans 5 years after storm |
Geeks on a bad streak at box office |
Russia hosts Karzai, Zardari for Afghan summit
U.N. says secured more Pakistan flood relief funds |
British gov't enjoys political honeymoon 100 days on
US-TECH Summary
Dozens missing after landslide in southwest China |
Most US students think Beethoven is a dog
Man shot after rushing Turkey's Israel embassy
Romania orders tit-for-tat expulsion of Russian diplomat
Groupon expands to Japan and Russia
FACTBOX
Chavez signs law barring Venezuela brokers from fx, govt debt |
Two blasts rock Russia's Caucasus region
Bing starts powering searches in US
Sony Playstation 3 to come with more memory
59 die in suicide attack on Iraq army recruitment centre
Haiti commission earmarks $1.6 bln for recovery |
US Congress letter stirs 'net neutrality' debate
Taiwan parliament approves landmark China trade deal |
Israeli ex-soldier defends 'shameful' Facebook snaps
Australia's Labor to scrape back into power |
WikiLeaks gets new host -- Swedish pirates
Bomber kills 57 Iraq army recruits
NATO soldiers among dozens killed in Afghan unrest
Sony Playstation 3 to come with more memory
US report 'not beneficial' for military ties: China
Australia's Labor to scrape back into power
Outrage in Philippines over police torture video
Dozens missing in latest China mudslides
US singer Erykah Badu fined for public nudity
US to support UN Myanmar war crimes inquiry
Blagojevich guilty on one count, faces retrial
Bond writers take on international action thriller
Bodies found after boat sinks in Southern Ocean
Rocker John Mellencamp likens Internet to A-bomb |
Court says US-Colombia base deal unconstitutional
Leaked "Vampires Suck" hits 100,000 downloads
35 dead in Philippine bus accident
Cuba's first transsexual in the spotlight
Haiti waits to hear if Wyclef Jean can run for president
Flood aid flowing slowly to desperate Pakistan
Groupon expands to Japan and Russia |
Foxconn holds morale-boosting exercise in China
NY Governor to discuss relocating Muslim center
To US students Beethoven's a dog, Michelangelo a virus
Aircraft crash in China 'could be N.Korea chopper'
Global minimum and maximum temperatures
Windows 7 mobile phones will link to Xbox 360 consoles
PlayStation 3 memory beefed up in North America
50 years after Beatles' first gig, Hamburg pays tribute
S.Korean bonds fall early on U.S. lead
Korea Hot Stocks
Seoul shares edge up led by LG Elec, Kia
China to loan Ecuador one billion dollars
Indian energy giant may counter Vedanta
Vietnam devalues currency 2.1 percent
North Korea says it has joined Twitter, YouTube
Rocker John Mellencamp likens Internet to A-bomb |
Taiwan's legislature approves China trade pact
Leaked Vampires Suck hits 100,000 downloads |
Bond writers take on international action thriller |
Outsourcing boss 'wins bail' in giant fraud case
Last Palestinian tied to 1972 Munich attack dies
Michael Douglas cancer fight, halts Hong Kong trip
Security firm ban could affect Afghan aid: officials |
Dates or oil? Iraq's farmers fear gold rush
UAE talks with BlackBerry 'making progress'
Taliban prison said found in Afghanistan, 27 freed |
Kidnapped Mexican mayor found dead: reports |
China Voices Opposition To Pentagon Report, Calls Relations Important
S.Korea's KT Corp website jams on iPhone preorders
Karzai says Afghanistan needs Russia's support |
Embassy 'hostage taker' is ex-Israeli informer: lawyer
Afghans to shut 900 polling centers on security fears |
Fighter Jets Deployed Around Obama's Seattle Event
Taliban attack Afghan official's home, killing 2
More than 1 million South Africa state workers strike |
Finance Worker Arrested For Allegedly Ejaculating Into Coworker's Water Bottle
Anti-US protest blocks highway in east Afghanistan
Stevens To Be Laid To Rest Wednesday
Haiti electoral body postpones ruling on candidates |
Hundreds of Millions of Eggs Recalled Over Salmonella Fears
Japan analysing damage to tanker in Hormuz Strait
World War Two bomb shuts part of Milan airport |
Backstreet Boys And New Kids On The Block Collaborating On Joint Tour
Chocolate May Reduce Heart Failure Risk
Indian school collapse kills 18 children
White House: Deadline For Pulling U.S. Troops From Afghanistan 'Non-Negotiable'
Levi's new brand targets Asia's middle class youth
Cougar Town's First Season Out on DVD Today
Maroon 5 Singer Adam Levine Gets Into Fashion Retail
Australian leaders face voters in pre-election forum
Thailand tries to block WikiLeaks website
People magazine iPad app delayed by paparazzi
Gambling hub Macau to hold pop culture auction
Thai court to rule on Russian 'arms dealer': lawyer
Lindsay Lohan faces grim career options
N.Korea producing badges of heir apparent: report
Rocker John Mellencamp likens Internet to A-bomb
US opposes use of force in South China Sea dispute
N.Korea sought summit after warship sinking: report
People magazine iPad app delayed by paparazzi |
`Eat Pray Love' star Julia Roberts happy as is
Dell CEO gets fewest investor votes in election |
Malaysian economy surges 8.9% in second quarter
NZ home affordability improves in July
Q+A-Pakistan refinancing risks after floods
Pakistani stocks up; rupee, o/n rates flat
Asian markets close mixed despite bright US data
iPhone preorders jam S.Korea website
E-commerce sales in China surge
Everbright Bank shines in Shanghai market debut
Taiwan dollar flat; cbank move offsets risk appeal
Vedanta willing to relocate controversial India mine
Lindsay Lohan faces grim career options |
People magazine iPad app delayed by paparazzi |
CBS, Reliance Broadcast start Indian TV network |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01