Dude, have you ever BEEN to a comic book store in the last few years? Pilgrim, most especially in Canada, is a huge hit and is constantly suggested reading among clerks. I didn't say "superhero" audience, I said "comic book" audience; the people who walk into a comic book store on a semi-regular basis. The last volume of Scott Pilgrim sold out of its first run and I guarantee the vast majority of people who read it are seeing it opening weekend. Don't try arguing with me on this shit. You're right on the rest, though.
"No one" in North America? Right. That's over-embellishing. Try "no one who pays attentions to directors" or "no one who looks at the credits" or "no one who reads IMDB".
I still think Expendables is going to be second place, though. To hell with Julia Roberts.
Edgar Write's mainstream contributions (the ones on IMDB that I recognize) have been Grindhouse and Shaun of the Dead, two movies that are cult favorites at best (SotD had a 30 million worldwide gross according to boxofficemojo.com). This is not mainstream success, regardless of how big the cult following SotD and Grindhouse is. I watch a lot of movies, I watch the opening and closing credits, but I don't camp myself on IMDB because I couldn't care less what film snobs think. I had to look this guy up to find out who he is. TLB has you on this point. I'm most looking forward to Scott Pilgrim. The "comic crowd" is a minority of the movie goers out there. Studios aren't basing any predictions of success off of that slice of the pie.
The Expendables looks like an '80s action flick, which I'm assuming is the goal of the filmmakers. They are likely banking on the nostalgia factor to have a good opening weekend or two. The thing is, '80s action flicks look dated, and while I enjoy a good romp through
Commando, Terminator, Rambo, Die Hard, etc, those movies would have a hard time finding success among the audience that they established...isn't that a little ironic?
As I said above, I like '80s action movies, but I have little desire to see The Expendables. I'd rather spend that money to see Inception again.[/QUOTE]
1) Edgar Wright was not heavily involved in Grindhouse. He directed one of the trailers that appeared in between the two parts.
2) Somehow you missed Hot Fuzz, which grossed $80 million worldwide, by far making it his most successful film to date.
Now, still you are correct that this doesn't compare to the kind of money Stallone and co have each brought in with their movies in the past, but you are still avoiding and misrepresenting the facts to suit your point.
Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz may be only cult successes financially, but they are both critical successs. Each has 8/10 at IMDB and 91% at Rotten Tomatoes, and Hot Fuzz more than doubled the intake of Shaun of the Dead. Most people may not know him by name, but the "From the director of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz" before the trailers for Scott Pilgrim is not exactly going to waste.
Hot Fuzz also opened number 6 in the box office its first weekend. Which is not overly impressive, but considering it was only his second movie released worldwide, it does bare a little weight, I think.
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what the FUCK
IMDB is not filled with film snobs.
True. It is filled mainly with idiots, actually. The IMDB messageboards are not unlike youtube comments most of the time.
..it is a fantastic movie) is not a main draw for the regular folks. I agree with Chuck's assessment of the upcoming weekend, though I would put expendables out there a bit higher, since it seems to be generating some buzz fromt he average movie goer.
