InfoAnda - Spoofs seek proof of life 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

Electric cars take on hybrids at Tokyo show | 22 October 2009
Hundreds of Saudi Shi'ites protest in east | | 25 March 2011
Retail therapy as Thai malls open after protests | 25 May 2010

Security tight in Tibet on uprising anniversary | 10 March 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Spoofs seek proof of life at box office |

Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared Aerosmith's Steven Tyler falls off stage again 18 Aug 2010 Eggs linked to salmonella outbreak in 3 states 18 Aug 2010 Google CEO Exposes Dark Side of Social Networking 18 Aug 2010 Factbox: Highlights from GM's IPO Filing 18 Aug 2010 Rocker John Mellencamp likens Internet to A-bomb 18 Aug 2010 Harvard tops university list as China progress 18 Aug 2010 Tai Chi beats stretching in fibromyalgia study 18 Aug 2010 Chrome OS tablet from HTC reported to ship in November 18 Aug 2010 GM files for IPO and plans dual listing 18 Aug 2010 Scientists suggest fresh look at psychedelic drugs 18 Aug 2010 Aerosmith's Steven Tyler falls off stage again 18 Aug 2010 Tai Chi beats stretching in fibromyalgia study 18 Aug 2010 Google CEO Exposes Dark Side of Social Networking 18 Aug 2010 Eggs linked to salmonella outbreak in 3 states 18 Aug 2010 ICE cuts staff at Chicago Climate Exchange-sources 12 Aug 2010 Harvard tops university list as China progress 18 Aug 2010 Facebook location service could kill Foursquare, ignite privacy issues 18 Aug 2010 Scientists suggest fresh look at psychedelic drugs 18 Aug 2010 Foxconn to up China workforce, cut Shenzhen 18 Aug 2010 Book says many U.S. universities are waste of money 30 Jul 2010 Spoofs seek proof of life at box office Digg This Tweet This Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Related News Geeks on a bad streak at box office Tue, Aug 17 2010 Will Ferrell hoping for rebound with "Other Guys" Fri, Aug 6 2010 Comic-Con match-ups: Who won? Mon, Jul 26 2010 Director Noyce back from cold with "Salt" thriller Wed, Jul 21 2010 Related Topics Fashion » Entertainment » Film » By Jay A. Fernandez Thu Aug 19, 2010 12:02am EDT LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Is the joke on spoofs? Historically durable and profitable, the laugh-a-minute genre is showing signs of exhaustion. With Fox-based producer New Regency's latest effort, "Vampires Suck," opening in theaters Wednesday, audiences will another chance to see if there's still blood coursing through those comedic veins. But some spoof boosters are not optimistic. "Right now, spoof is creatively dead," writer-director Craig Mazin ("Scary Movie 3," "Superhero Movie") said. "There's a big quality problem, and there needs to be a big shift." The creative team behind "Vampires Suck," which takes its inspiration from the global popularity of the "Twilight" movies and the current obsession with vampires generally, is seasoned with the newest, 21st century-style of spoof movie. Writer-directors Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer have had a hand in "Spy Hard," "Scary Movie," "Date Movie," "Epic Movie," "Meet the Spartans" and "Disaster Movie" (that last one proved far too true to its name). Almost all are concept-driven projects that don't hold to any real story line and are nothing more than grab bags meant to survey the year in pop culture. In the days before its release, "Suck" is tracking best among young women (again, the "Twilight" connection) and might at best gross in the high-teen millions during its first five days. In all but the rarest cases, spoofs make money, which is why studios and producers seem ever ready to produce another one -- creative integrity be damned. The vaunted history of the genre might derive from the inspired creative lunacy of Mel Brooks, the David Zucker-Jim Abrahams-Jerry Zucker troika and the Wayans clan, but the new iterations are more mercenary affairs. The most successful releases in the genre caught the zeitgeist organically. Mike Myers and New Line Cinema's "Austin Powers" trilogy grossed hundreds of millions worldwide on budgets that never were more than $63 million. Dimension and Keenen Ivory Wayans' "Scary Movie" scared up $278 million worldwide in 2000 with a budget in the $20 million range. Although budgets for sequel installments eventually climbed to $60 million, grosses for "Scary Movie 3" and "Scary Movie 4" still landed above $130 million worldwide. The Leslie Nielsen "Naked Gun" franchise doubled or tripled its investments. But even the most craven attempts to cash in on the spoof gravy train -- "Not Another Date Movie," "Epic Movie," etc. -- are strong bets. As long as budgets remain small, like $15 million to $30 million, these movies are not much of a gamble. Here's why: Among all variations of American comedy, this is the only one that translates overseas. Half of the "Scary Movie" money comes from international. The 1991 "Top Gun" spoof "Hot Shots!" made nearly twice its $70 million domestic haul overseas. The more recent crop averages about a 50-50 split between U.S. and foreign audiences, so even a seeming stinker like "Meet the Spartans" (a goof on "300") can gross $84.6 million worldwide, with more than half of that total coming from foreign audiences. Mazin chalks this up to two key elements of the spoof: It's mostly physical comedy, which knows no borders, and the types of movies lampooned always are big Hollywood products that play around the world. Other common parameters of the genre are hugely beneficial to the way the movies play. For one thing, they are impervious to -- and even can benefit from -- low production values, so a large budget isn't necessary. Mazin called this the "cheap-is-better factor." "Because the whole point of a spoof is to take the piss out of Hollywood excess, they tend to be funnier when they look cheaper," he said. Spoofs also are built for young audiences that typically are less discerning; they don't require major stars; and often they're extremely short, running 80-90 minutes, meaning theaters can get away with more showtimes. "Vampire Sucks" clocks in at 77 minutes. As a corollary, spoofs play well in ancillary markets like DVD because their silly, mindless content makes for easy repeat viewing and doesn't call out for the theatrical experience. "You don't need to see a spoof movie on the big screen," Mazin said. "It's not 'Avatar.' You could watch it on your iPod and pretty much get the point. In that regard, they're also pretty robust entertainment; they can live anywhere." As a result, flops are rare. They do happen -- "Dance Flick," "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," "An American Carol" -- but they are the exceptions that prove the rule. Then again, the profit margin appears to be shrinking. Which is why the creative part actually matters. Although the instinct to throw no-brainer visual jokes about Lady Gaga and the "Jersey Shore" cast ensures the up-the-minute recognition factor, audiences respond with more enthusiasm when presented with the actual spine of a story. "It's supposed to be dumb on some level," Mazin said. "But there's smart-dumb and dumb-dumb." Fashion Entertainment Film Add a Comment *We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Reader Feedback Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Analyst Research Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week FindLaw Reuters on Facebook Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Thursday, 19 August 2010
Weather shifts behind disasters need 'urgent' probe: UN
Verizon eyes live TV app for tablets including iPad
Suicide car bomber kills 4 in southern Afghanistan
Criticism mounts over France's Roma expulsion
US-TECH Summary
Khamenei: Iran won't talk with U.S. in current climate |
Regulatory tensions dragging on US economy: NYSE chief
Eminem Recovers The #1 Spot On Billboard Albums Chart
Cuomo says 6 settle on hidden online shopping fees
"The Expendables" To Premiere On Spike TV
Japan analyzing damage to tanker in Hormuz Strait |
Party-Backed Kendrick Meek Leads Democratic Primary Race For Senate
WikiLeaks says US willing to talk about leaked papers
Proof of Extra-Terrestial Life in 25 Years Speculates Scientist
Justin Bieber, B.o.B. Performing At MTV Video Music Awards
Homeless NJ Man Discovered Living In Library Basement
Steven Tyler Reportedly Already Signed On For "Idol"
News Corp. Cites GOP's "Pro-Business Agenda" In $1 Million Donation
Deadly Russian heatwave declared over |
Former Bolivian dictator sent for drug rehabilitation |
CA Appeals Court Rules Shopping Mall Cannot Infringe On Free Speech Of Customers
Gaming giants bet on 3D for next big boost
Chicago Area Pickpocket Arrested For 58th Time
American-Filipino tenor's rise from rock to opera
U.N. secures more Pakistan flood relief funds
China warns U.S. military report threatens ties
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
China lashes out at Pentagon military report
Child of shrinks recalls his childhood in memoir
US ballet troupe to dance in Cuba for first time in 50 years
T-Mobile USA plans high-speed Android phone |
Verizon eyes live TV app for iPad, other tablets |
Dr. Laura to end radio show after racial slurs
Cuomo says 6 settle on hidden online shopping fees |
Syria tourist numbers up over last year
Author Geraldine Brooks to receive Dayton literary prize
Foxconn holds morale-boosting exercise in China
Betty White books to reflect on sex, aging, animals
German robber nabbed after mocking police in email |
Former outsourcing tycoon 'bailed' in big fraud case
Model Macedonian school aims to bridge the ethnic divide
Gaming giants bet on 3D for next big boost
Reliance-CBS announce new TV channels for India, S.Asia
'Mr. Right' gets modern makeover in The Switch |
Dr. Laura to end radio talk show after racial slurs |
Betty White books to reflect on sex, aging, animals |
Author Geraldine Brooks to receive Dayton literary prize |
Man behind Bozo the Clown remembered in new book |
Pentagon says no to 'sanitized' WikiLeaks release
U.S. says troop numbers in Iraq at 56,000 |
Bull rams spectators in Spain, 30 injured
Facebook adds location-sharing feature
U.S. says troop numbers in Iraq at 56,000
Over 4 million homeless in flood-hit Pakistan: U.N. |
GM files for landmark public share offering
Criticism mounts over France's Roma expulsion
Khamenei: Iran won't talk with U.S. in current climate
HP names firm to spearhead CEO search
Eminem Recovers The #1 Spot On Billboard Albums Chart
China rescuers seek 90 missing after landslide |
Obama tries to boost faith in US economic revival
U.S. companies, others meet again on Internet traffic
Venezuela bans papers from printing violent photos |
Afghanistan, African countries top index for food insecurity
Titanic to come to 3D life in scientific expedition
Body of kidnapped mayor dumped in northern Mexico |
Verizon eyes live TV app for iPad, other tablets
T-Mobile USA plans high-speed Android phone
Wyclef Jean says threats won't deter candidacy |
North Korea confirms Chinese among detained fishermen |
Police detain suspect after blast kills 7 in Xinjiang |
Cuban dissidents denounce government harassment |
UN to meet on Pakistan as fears mount for survivors
Hairdresser defrauds Hollywood starlets
Indonesia's coral reefs dying at alarming rate
Kings of Leon reject "Glee" request
Last US combat brigade pulls out of Iraq
US base ruling risks new tensions for Colombia's president
HP names firm to spearhead CEO search |
Paroled US radical ordered back to prison in Peru
India finds a way to access BlackBerry emails: report |
Ernest Borgnine to be honored by Hollywood actors
U.S. Clarifies E-Mail Tough Talk With India Over Bhopal Gas Tragedy
Global minimum and maximum temperatures
Apple iPhone 4 may go on sale in China by Sept: report |
Man Racks Up $1 Million In PayPal Charges Over Phishing Attack
S.Korean tyre firm eyes Indonesia plant
US Releases Reply Letter Refusing To Negotiate With WikiLeaks
September 11 anniversary set for Muslim centre marches
Stocks Keep Gains For Second Day
Tata Motors targets 700 million dollar issue
Pentagon rules out Wikileaks negotiations
Asia's booming middle classes unmasked in new study
US opposes use of force in South China Sea dispute
Hairdresser defrauds Hollywood starlets
U.S. companies, others meet again on Internet traffic |
Titanic to come to 3D life in scientific expedition |
Seoul shares up for 3rd day on Hyundai Motor, Hynix
Muslim employee sues US Disneyland over headscarf ban
Another region in China raises minimum wage
CBS developing "Undercover Boss" companion series
Korea Hot Stocks
China starts trading Malaysian ringgit against yuan
Bret Michaels sues concert promoter for $5 million
China province shuts fireworks plants after blast
"Saw" veteran makes date for '11 11 11'
BRIEF-Moody's Korean telcos improve profitability
NZ consumer confidence edges higher in August-survey
Kings of Leon reject "Glee" request
Spoofs seek proof of life at box office
Year since bomber freed, Lockerbie tries to move on
Aerosmith singer Tyler joining "Idol": bandmate
Broadband network could switch Australian voters
Aerosmith singer Tyler joining Idol: bandmate |
Iceland aiming to be a global press freedom haven
Bret Michaels sues concert promoter for $5 million |
Lohan attorneys meet with judge, new hearing set |
Apple iPhone 4 may go on sale in China by Sept: report
Spoofs seek proof of life at box office |
CBS developing Undercover Boss companion series |
Kings of Leon reject Glee request |
Eric Clapton reunites with Sheryl Crow on album |
BBC News apologizes for weatherman gesture |
Saw veteran makes date for '11 11 11' |
Jersey Shore star Snooki pleads not guilty |
Analysis
Scores expelled in French crackdown on Roma
Seoul fights to block N.Korea's Twitter propaganda
South Africa police fire rubber bullets at strikers |
China says crashed North Korean jet had mechanical failure |
A year on, Lockerbie bomber casts a long shadow |
Alleged Paramount Leaked Email Reveals Upcoming Projects
Gaza-bound aid ship aims to leave Lebanon on Sunday |
Egg Recall Expanded to 380 Million Over Salmonella Outbreak
Mandela charity trustee quits over Campbell gems |
Betty White Inks Deal For Two Books
France expels radical cleric in anti-crime drive |
Afghanistan marks independence day
12-Year-Old Girl Busted In NYC Drug Raid
Wyclef Jean says threats won't deter candidacy |
Over 200 mln US eggs recalled in salmonella scare
Facebook "Places" lets users track friends and services
Appeals Court Rules Utah Roadside Crosses Unconstitutional
Short-Short Clad Women Cause Highway Pileup
Prenatal Exposure To Pesticides Linked To Attention Problems
Latest China mudslides leave 14 dead, dozens missing
Israel, Lebanon oppose border escalation: UN force
Georgia Cop Charged With Protecting Drug Dealers, Stealing
Explosion in China's restive Xinjiang kills seven
Pakistan flood homeless toll put at over 4 million
Early Life Events Impact Adult Mental Health
Kabul defiant on private security firms despite fears
Myanmar opposition widens reach before poll
Even Modest Weight Gain Could Harm Youngsters' Blood Vessels
Taliban attack road crew in south Afghanistan
US raises Myanmar heat with war crimes panel call
US service member killed in southern Afghanistan
Bangladesh shuts gas filling stations for Ramadan
Facebook Places lets users track friends and services |
US teen hopeful for peace after N.Korea visit
Japan's Ozawa may challenge PM in party vote
Dilmaboy and Twitter: Brazil election goes online |
N.Korea confirms it seized S.Korean fishing boat
Farmer suicide joke falls flat in Bollywood hit
Attack kills 7 in China's restive Xinjiang
Titanic to come to 3D life in scientific expedition |
Muslim employee: Disney banned her head scarf
Kosovo hurdles for Roma kids expelled from Germany
Operator of Wis. ride where girl fell is charged
Thais to rule on suspected arms dealer extradition
Myanmar pro-democracy leaders praise US decision
Rare double quake blamed for South Pacific tsunami
China Mobile profit lifted by economic growth
Japanese shares close higher on hopes of action
Indonesia railway launches women-only carriages
ADB prepares two billion dollar fund for Pakistan
India's BlackBerry formula amid security concerns
Seoul shares up for 3rd day on Hyundai Motor, Hynix
ADB offers flood-hit Pakistan $2 bln package
A Minute With: Emma Thompson as Nanny McPhee |
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	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01