edited by Jonathan Doyle

Cloverfield [BLU-RAY] (Paramount Home Entertainment, 6.3.2008) Disguised under deliberately goofy, yet deliciously edible-sounding, aliases such as Cheese and Slusho, Matt Reeves' Cloverfield was produced and rushed into theaters under an equally appetizing shroud of secrecy. From last year's incredibly elusive Super Bowl ad to the film's viral marketing campaign, Cloverfield had everybody scratching their heads and drooling in anticipation. Aside from the as-yet untitled title and the Blair Witch-ian visual style, the film's biggest appeal was the enigmatic creature who was last (un)seen hurling the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty onto the crowded streets of New York City. All we knew about the mysterious beast was that it was big and angry. Now that the highy-anticipated project has come and gone, one question has fortunately been answered: Cloverfield was a major success. (continued)

Upcoming

December 31

Defiance

Good

January 2

Cargo 200

January 7

Silent Light

January 9

After Dark Horrorfest 2009

Bride Wars

How About You

Not Easily Broken

The Unborn

Yonkers Joe

January 16

Chandni Chwok to China

Cherry Blossoms

Hotel for Dogs

My Bloody Valentine 3-D

Notorious

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

January 21

Of Time and the City

Thursday tracking

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The Eye is tracking at 72, 35 and 12 -- on a normal weekend the Jessica Alba thriller would be looking at something like $15 million, but tempered by Sunday's Super Bowl it may dip down to the $11 or $12 million range. Over Her Dead Body is at 65,25 and 4. Strange Wilderness...36, 25 and 2. For whatever reason the significant indicators that the Hannah Montana concert film will be extra-big (as indicated by yesterday's Fandango report) aren't showing up in tracking...79, 15 and 4..

Fool's Gold, opening next week, is now at 81, 33 and 7....decent. Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show...28, 11 and 0. Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins...59, 29 and 5. Definitely Maybe (2.14) is now at 35,29 and 1. Jumper...52, 39 and 6....not bad. Vantage Point (2.22) is at 44, 38 and 4...it could pop.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 31, 2008 at 11:48 AM

comment #1

BurmaShave says ...

Enough. Please. There can't be anyone other than an actuary who finds this stuff interesting. I understand it's the film BUSINESS, but this is just depressing.

Posted by BurmaShave at January 31, 2008 12:14 PM

comment #2

Rich S. says ...

I don't understand exactly how this tracking thing works, but I would imagine that Hannah Montana is not tracking big because it is a limited engagement, with a limited target audience, and, as I understand, all the shows are already sold out. Interest doesn't matter because there are no tickets available, anyway.

Oh, how I miss Ian Sinclair. He would be able to explain how the plucky Miley Cyrus is now clearly an Oscar frontrunner, but you won't understand that until you see the film in 3D. (Or England)

Posted by Rich S. at January 31, 2008 12:16 PM

comment #3

MikeSchaeferSF says ...

Granted, Strange Wilderness looks atrocious (it's from the House of Sandler), but who-the-hell releases a comedy aimed at young men on Super Bowl weekend?

Posted by MikeSchaeferSF at January 31, 2008 12:19 PM

comment #4

Josh Massey says ...

Jumper could be huge, which is something I never thought I'd say again about a Hayden Christiansen movie. It should have at least one big Super Bowl ad to drive it home.

Posted by Josh Massey at January 31, 2008 12:19 PM

comment #5

OddDuck says ...

Wouldn't it be great if it turned out that Doug Liman made a smart (enough) big budget high concept action thriller in Jumper? Have there been any advance reviews put out? I haven't heard anything about it, and looking at the trailer, I can easily see it being a complete piece of shit, but still hold out hope that he made something to elevate the genre, ala Bourne (big time) or Mr and Mrs Smith (ever so slightly)...

Posted by OddDuck at January 31, 2008 12:29 PM

comment #6

rocco says ...

For whatever reason the significant indicators that the Hannah Montana concert film will be extra-big

[Typical exchange on the ride to 'Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour']

Daughter: Daddy, why were you and mommy fighting about Hannah Montana before we left?

Father: Fighting? We weren't fighting...

Daughter: Oh, ok...Hey Dad??

Father: Yes, sweetheart?

Daughter: Can I get some popcorn at the theater?

Father: Sure, whatever you want...popcorn, soda, skittles...

Daughter: Really? Cool!.....Can I get an erection?

Father: Wha...what?

Daughter: Well I heard mom say YOU were gonna get one, can I get one too?

Posted by rocco at January 31, 2008 12:32 PM

comment #7

Josh Massey says ...

Jumper could be huge, which is something I never thought I'd say again about a Hayden Christiansen movie. It should have at least one big Super Bowl ad to drive it home.

Posted by Josh Massey at January 31, 2008 12:32 PM

comment #8

Josh Massey says ...

Dang cellphone posting. Haven't gotten used to this yet.

Posted by Josh Massey at January 31, 2008 12:34 PM

comment #9

BurmaShave says ...

rocco that was creepy on any number of levels.

Posted by BurmaShave at January 31, 2008 12:44 PM

comment #10

115thDreamer says ...

Dear God, what a depressing weekend. The Alba trying to act, Steve Zahn stuck in 'Wilderness', which does look atrocious, and perhaps worst of all...Paul Rudd slumming in 'Over Her Dead Body'. How does 'OHDB' even get green-lighted? It looks like something from the 80's - did the producers of "Mannequin" or "Weekend At Bernie's" get back into the business after a long lay-off? I'm at a loss...again, not a banner weekend.

Posted by 115thDreamer at January 31, 2008 12:48 PM

comment #11

rocco says ...

burma, commenters here have spoken openly about their lust for the adolescent Cyrus...while I don't share or condone the feelings, I'm sure their no limited to male readers of HE....

Posted by rocco at January 31, 2008 12:54 PM

comment #12

rocco says ...

...they're not...

Posted by rocco at January 31, 2008 12:57 PM

comment #13

Terry McCarty says ...

Didn't the LOS ANGELES TIMES project $26 million for the Hannah/Miley 3-D concert's opening weekend? And apparently Disney will add a second week depending on grosses.

Posted by Terry McCarty at January 31, 2008 1:45 PM

comment #14

Terry McCarty says ...

115th Dreamer wrote:
How does 'OHDB' even get green-lighted? It looks like something from the 80's - did the producers of "Mannequin" or "Weekend At Bernie's" get back into the business after a long lay-off?

Actually, the trailer looked more like a remake of KISS ME GOODBYE with Eva in the James Caan role.

Posted by Terry McCarty at January 31, 2008 1:48 PM

comment #15

Jason says ...

Anybody care to wager that Meet the Spartans will drop out of the top 10? As of yesterday, it's already down to #7.

Posted by Jason at January 31, 2008 1:51 PM

comment #16

Josh Massey says ...

Over Her Dead Body reminded me of Shelley Long's Hello Again.

(So is that the first time Hello Again has been mentioned on this site?)

Posted by Josh Massey at January 31, 2008 2:16 PM

comment #17

Brian O says ...

"Steve Zahn stuck in 'Wilderness'"

Stuck? Yeah, sure...

The man has made a career out of awful comedies.

Three films this weekend kept from press screenings. That has to set some record.

Posted by Brian O at January 31, 2008 2:18 PM

comment #18

moviemaniac2002 says ...

"Over her dead body" actually looks abysmal
enough to miss the top 10...(although on Super
Bowl weekend, it may squeak through)...
Here's a question..this time next year, when
the "Spartans" team puts out their next atrocity,
will the 14-to-25 year old demographic remember
how they felt they'd flushed their 9.50 ticket
money down the toilet for "Spartans"...since the
success of these, uh.."film-makers" depends on
the lobotomized memory of their target audience(and their ability to blank out all memory of
"Date Movie" and "Epic Movie"

Posted by moviemaniac2002 at January 31, 2008 2:27 PM

comment #19

MattM says ...

Kids' movies always undertrack vs. performance, and this will be no exception since adults are not going to be hugely interested apart from children. Also, in NYC all tickets, all shows are $15--no kid discount at all--at theatres where it's normally $12/adult, $8.75/children. That'll help juice the gross.

Considering I've seen almost no TV ads for Jumper (and quite a few for Defintely, Maybe), those numbers are solid--with good ads (say, during tonight's "Lost" premiere and the big game Sunday), that'll pop. The "Lost" premiere is also a solid place for "Vantage Point" to start its big push.

Posted by MattM at January 31, 2008 2:57 PM

comment #20

Rich S. says ...

"So is that the first time Hello Again has been mentioned on this site?"

God I hope so. First and last.

Posted by Rich S. at January 31, 2008 2:58 PM

comment #21

Mr. Peel says ...

At least Hello Again had Austin Pendleton. Over Her Dead Body doesn't even have that much going for it.

Posted by Mr. Peel at January 31, 2008 3:01 PM

comment #22

PerfectTommy says ...

Hey Rich, you made a second 'Hello Again' mention. Mr. Peel got the third and I got the fourth. I think we can quit now.

I will claim the first (?) reference to 'Camp Beverly Hill' and hope it goes no further.

Posted by PerfectTommy at January 31, 2008 3:08 PM

comment #23

Cadavra says ...

And let's not forget TOPPER and BLITHE SPIRIT...

If everyone's darling Reese Witherspoon couldn't make the concept work, why would anyone think the loathesome Eva Longoria can?

Posted by Cadavra at January 31, 2008 3:12 PM

comment #24

MattM says ...

Also, the Hannah Montana audience isn't likely to take much of a hit because of the Super Bowl--the female 8-13 demo and moms may well just go see Hannah Montana instead of watching the game.

Posted by MattM at January 31, 2008 3:33 PM

comment #25

BurmaShave says ...

Eva Longoria is an overrated beauty, but she has the ingredients to be a decent comedienne. I wouldn't quite be ready to call her loathsome. Just think how far she's come! Only two years ago she was being sexually harassed by Kiefer Sutherland, and now she's playing a brown harpie ex-girlfriend after death. I really hope this movie was pitched as "Rita Moreno in WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP meets THE SIXTH SENSE"

Posted by BurmaShave at January 31, 2008 3:36 PM

comment #26

Josh Massey says ...

Oh, Perfecttommy, you dare impugn the memory of Troop Beverly Hills by getting the title wrong.

I did like Outrageous Fortune, though.

Posted by Josh Massey at January 31, 2008 3:45 PM

comment #27

lazarus says ...

I feel that it would be insulting to even mention Truly, Madly, Deeply among these ghost-romance atrocities.

Oops, too late. Sorry, Mr. Minghella.

Posted by lazarus at January 31, 2008 3:51 PM

comment #28

D.Z. says ...

So does anyone know why Alba still gets leading roles?

Posted by D.Z. at January 31, 2008 4:01 PM

comment #29

PerfectTommy says ...

Okay Josh, so you got to make the first and thus far only mention of that film. I will take this opportunity to mention "The Money Pit" as a picture I truly loathed. (SAT question: "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" is to "The Money Pit" as "Topper" is to _________? The answer, of course, "Over Her Dead Body".)

The Alba question is a puzzeler, D.Z. If someone is researching why "Meet the Spartans" was #1 last weekend, could you move on to D.Z.'s question after you finish up with that?

Posted by PerfectTommy at January 31, 2008 5:05 PM

comment #30

Aris P says ...

Question: How does Over Her Dead Body even get greenlit?

Answer: New Line.

Posted by Aris P at January 31, 2008 5:22 PM

comment #31

insidah says ...

Shelly Long had a good run: Cheers, Outrageous Fortune, Troop Bev Hills, The Brady Bunch Movie. She actually had talent. Now, in terms of Alba...well, I guess she's multi-ethnically attractive so....is that why they put her in movies? I don't know.

Posted by insidah at January 31, 2008 5:39 PM

comment #32

D.Z. says ...

Tommy: At least that Spartan movie gives people what they want. But Alba doesn't do nudity, and no one watches her movies for her or her acting(or lack thereof), so why is she still getting parts? She's as successful as Shannon Elizabeth after American Pie, so why would any respectable Hollywood producer want to keep casting a box office dead-weight like her?

Aris: Over Her Dead Body is like Ghost Dad with a second-rate Jennifer Lopez in the lead.

insidah: Someone at the now defunct Whatever-Dude had an article with an industry person saying exactly that. [I think they called her "ethnically ambiguous" or something like that.]

Posted by D.Z. at January 31, 2008 6:02 PM

comment #33

jeffmcm says ...

Daniel Zelter, are you asking serious questions? Really?

Posted by jeffmcm at January 31, 2008 6:33 PM

comment #34

K. Bowen says ...

Based on that tracking info ..... I bet Hannah Montana has a huge weekend.

Posted by K. Bowen at January 31, 2008 9:47 PM

comment #35

cute4u23 says ...

Jessica is my favorite. I love her. But just saw her profile on millionaire dating site called http://WealthyRomance.com last week. It seems she is still single.

Posted by cute4u23 at February 1, 2008 2:00 AM

comment #36

Howlingman says ...

DZ: Over Her Dead Body is like Ghost Dad with a second-rate Jennifer Lopez in the lead.

-- Okay, that was funny. Good one.

Posted by Howlingman at February 1, 2008 7:22 AM

comment #37

rocco says ...

If Alba's only a second-rate Jennifer Lopez then what does that make her compared to, you know, someone with talent...a third-rate Salma Hayek? Fourth-rate Rosario Dawson?

Ok, I'll give Lopez 'Out of Sight,' but that was 10 years ago. One movie.

Posted by rocco at February 1, 2008 7:45 AM

comment #38

moviemaniac2002 says ...

"Hannah Montana" runs 75 minutes, almost the same running time(minus credits)of "Cloverfield"

And the films are identical - both feature
an unstoppable entity impervious to any damage and capable of striking fear and loathing in
countless adult hearts.

Posted by moviemaniac2002 at February 1, 2008 8:20 AM

comment #39

Joe Leydon says ...

Don't forget Shelley Long as the perky hooker in Night Shift!

BTW: In Houston, Strange Wilderness had the smallest opening-day newspaper ad any major studio release has had since... well, ever. Is that the case elsewhere as well? Also, my 21-year-old son, who watches a LOT of sports on TV, had no idea what I was talking about when I told him about seeing the movie last night. Have they even run TV spots for this one?

Posted by Joe Leydon at February 1, 2008 12:52 PM

comment #40

christian says ...

I forgot to bring up HELLO AGAIN in my career interview with Austin Pendelton. Apparently, I was the only one...

Long is a terrific comedic actress. She just committed the number one sin of Hollywood actresses: she aged past 40.

And doesn't Jessica Alba play a blind world-class violenist in THE EYE? Who says Hollywood doesn't make great fantasy films?

Posted by christian at February 1, 2008 1:00 PM

comment #41

Terry McCarty says ...

Re insidah and D.Z.'s posts:
Now, in terms of Alba...well, I guess she's multi-ethnically attractive so....is that why they put her in movies? I don't know.
But Alba doesn't do nudity, and no one watches her movies for her or her acting(or lack thereof), so why is she still getting parts?

Maybe because she's the Raquel Welch of her generation.

Posted by Terry McCarty at February 1, 2008 3:41 PM

comment #42

Terry McCarty says ...

Joe Leydon wrote:
BTW: In Houston, Strange Wilderness had the smallest opening-day newspaper ad any major studio release has had since... well, ever. Is that the case elsewhere as well? Also, my 21-year-old son, who watches a LOT of sports on TV, had no idea what I was talking about when I told him about seeing the movie last night. Have they even run TV spots for this one?

I don't know about TV spots, but it was plugged for a few minutes on THE HOWARD STERN SHOW yesterday.

Since ex-SNL writer Fred Wolf was involved, I'm surprised that Sandler's company didn't ask Paramount to come up with a tagline like: FROM THE WRITER OF JOE DIRT!

Posted by Terry McCarty at February 1, 2008 3:45 PM

comment #43