Grab your tent, cuz it's about to get real campy.
But in the fun kind of way!
“How much NOS did you put in the tanks?
Enough to shame the space shuttle.”
Soooo what are the rules on when one has to declare publicly they were wrong? Because the way Avatar: The Way of Water is making money, I feel like I’m getting preeeetty close to the point where I might have to do that. If you remember, back in May I talked about the large (and larger) gaps between sequels to Avatar andTop Gun and their chances at relative success. At the time I said (initial part in reference to Avatar: TWOW)…
“My guess is there is an initial wave of interest, but unlike the original, which dropped very little at the box office over its first few weeks, it'll see fairly steep declines, petering out at a lot less than the first one. Sort of in contrast to Top Gun: Maverick in that it'll "underperform," while the Cruise starrer will be considered a big "overperformer" - even if Avatar 2 ends up making more money.”
While I’d say I was right about Top Gun: Maverick becoming a massive success, and that it even became the “overperformer” I said it would be, I’m also starting to feel like I might need to admit I was wrong about part two of that prediction - but not quite yet. While The Way of Water still has a while to go before it even gets close to the first Avatar (we’re at $1.5 billion for TWOW to the original’s nearly $3 billion - and that’s in 2009 money) the movie is making bank. As I also talked about in May, the Avatar movies have been very hype driven in that they became “must-see” movies in the theaters, and I think rightly so. I still don’t think they’re the greatest movies personally1, and I stand by that I’ll probably forget most of the plot over the years, but they are excellent visual movies perfect for a massive screen (that underwater whale scene? dope) and big sound. But this hype pushes people to theaters because “everyone” is talking about them. And while the drops have been larger for the sequel, the opening weekend was also larger.
The movie has apparently hit its break even point budget-wise, so that’s a good start, but you have to imagine Disney is looking for more than not losing money on a movie of this proportion. I feel like we’ll have a greater sense of the perception of success in another month or so. We shall see. But until then, I’ll hold my declaration of wrongness and just say I’m “wrong in waiting.”
Note: And speaking of money, you may also remember that when I made the switch to Substack (the platform where this is published), I mentioned that it allowed me to create a paid subscription option. I said I wasn’t sure when or if I would, but I was recently asked about just that ability (to pay).
While it’s still not my intention to focus on making money with the newsletter, and I’m not taking it behind a paywall (likely ever), I am adding an option for people to join as a paid subscriber with this week’s edition. I like to think of it more as a thank you tip than anything else, but you can think of it however you want. That you can “own” a small piece of me, or even maybe get me to dance monkey, dance. Whatever the reasons, and no matter how nefarious, it’ll be appreciated (although very much not necessary).
Figured I should let you know in case you share an email with someone and they mention it. Or if you, like some readers, have been curious about how to become paid, but haven’t been able to.
Anyway, most important this is, thanks as always for reading. 🤘🏼
Extra Credit Movie(s):
Women Talking - about a group of women in a deeply religious community discussing / debating what they should do about the abuse they’ve suffered under men (based on a book). The movie’s release has been shifting a ton recently, and in part because of the box office performance (not great). I’m mentioning it here because I’m unsure the support it’s getting from the studio, but want you to be aware for when it shifts (likely quickly) to streaming. In large part because it’s gotten very good reviews which have said it’s a bit difficult, but deeply affecting and say it tackles some difficult and complex topics smartly and effectively. Playing in Limited Theaters now and expanding “nationwide2” this weekend.
The Pale Blue Eye - this is the third time director Scott Cooper and actor Christian Bale have teamed up. This time it’s for basically a whodunit set in the times of poet Edgar Allen Poe - “set in the times of” because Poe is an actual character who helps solve the mystery. Reviews are decent, but more on the ok side of things. Saying it’s a bit slow and not able to pull off everything it achieves, even if it does try for some stuff. Playing in Limited Theaters now and Streaming on Netflix Friday.
This is pure fucking looney tunes stuff right here. The kind of thing the internet eats up, digitally masticates and spits out with some witty commentary or acerbic take.
And it’s all perfectly, precisely, intentional.
If you watched the trailer for M3GAN when it was first released, you probably had a similar reaction to most people, which was some version of “um, what the hell did I just watch?” or “that looks absolutely freakin bonkers.” And while I wasn’t in the email threads of the Universal marketing team post release, I’d bet they were all applauding their work for generating such a reaction.
But the filmmakers deserve the real praise as the movie itself apparently pays off such a ridiculous premise (see RT score below). Well, maybe not the premise, but the proposed execution of said premise. Because creepy killer doll movies have been around for millennia (editor’s note: more like a few decades, but fair, it does feel like it), but none have been so bold as to have their homicidal moppet3 execute a stiff bodied, yet oddly athletic dance routine right before offing one of their victims4. It's the kind of stuff that can make your movie be laughed at instead of laughed with, but reviews say the thematic tones are handled deftly, with knowing emphasis on the ridiculous than the horrifying. That’s not to say you should go in expecting a 104 min American Girl commercial, just that its desire to be a bit silly and the PG-13 rating (smart!) blunts the outright horror sensibilities a bit.
“M3GAN is like HAL 9000 meets a lost Olsen sister meets Chucky.“ - from the Variety review of M3GAN
But it’s the new year, we’re just days removed from a holiday season where earnestness and emotional sincerity abound, which is obviously ok, but it’s also ok to want some time to not give a damn and submit yourself to happy fun yay! times. And sure, it’s always a bit odd when your personal enjoyment is accompanied by someone else’s skin being punctured with a nail gun or a teenager’s ear being cleaved off their skull, buuuut screw it, remember, new year, new… you? 🙃
You don’t have to justify anything, but if you want to, you can just say you’re trusting producers James Wan (director of Saw, The Conjuring, Insidious5) and Jason Blum (producer of Paranormal Activity, Get Out, Black Phone etc. etc.), who are partly responsible for nearly all of the horror movie hits over the past 15-20 years, and you’re sure they’re going to give you yet another reason to cackle in a theater with strangers6.
For what it’s worth, there is a whole other angle about how the doll is “AI” and in context of the ChatGTP thing and everybody already worrying about being nefariously tracked by every digital device they use (including the one you’re reading on currently I imagine), but honestly, it’s more likely that you’ll simply be geeked out by the fact M3GAN is a damn creepy doll. Because dolls are kind of inherently creepy! Which is why we’re sure to keep getting movies featuring them for another millennia.
Or, ya know, until the computers takes over and they start making creepy human movies.
🤖
Out: Friday
Where: Theaters
1 hr 42 mins | PG-13 | 🍅: 98%
We have a horror movie in theaters, sooo we get a horror movie trailer to go along with it? Look, I don’t make the rules. And there are actually ✌️ if you count the fact they released a “green band” (PG-13 basically) and a “red band” (R rated basically) version of the trailer for this, the “evolution” of the Evil Dead franchise. It’s titled Evil Dead Rise. And funny enough they’re the only two trailers I have to share with you this week.
If you’re familiar, this is not a direct sequel to the 2013 re-boot/make with Jane Levy. Same book, new story. Still lots (and lots) of blood. No word on an Ash appearance though..
if you watched, would love to know your thoughts
but unsure just how many theaters
slightly “off” dance routines are kind of having a moment as the straight faced dance from the Netflix show Wednesday also got a ton of love
Wan did not direct here, that would be Gerard Johnstone, he just produced
as they cackle over their millions - M3GAN was reportedly made for $12 million and is set to make close to $20 (or more!) million this weekend