re: Why did the Burt Wonderstone movie bomb so badly?

Terrible marketing. Had no idea Steve carrell had a movie coming out this week.

I read your other posts which somewhat tempered your original quote that "Carell has done shite in the lead role and nothing of note" and that "he isn't a box office draw."

I understand your point but think that dismissing movies because they don't qualify under your now, more specific focal point to be misleading. I agree with your analysis on some of these movies. I loathed Dinner for Schmucks and that movie was filled with actors I typically like. Similarly, I found Date Night rather boring. Still - they made money. And I thought that's what I was addressing - the fact that Steve Carrell movies have made money in the past.

Also, I think ignoring animated films entirely is disingenuous to this discussion. Though animated films appear to be a license to print money for film companies, there are many animated flops outside of the Pixar universe that suggest perhaps the cast of an animated film may affect the financial performance (why else would studios have shifted to a star-based case rather than use cheaper, professional voiceover actors?).

Now, you can try to draw a correlation between quality of past performances affecting the financial success of future movies, but as I said, I think we're too early to see if there is some sort of trend developing with Carrell. We won't know until the next two or three Carrell star vehicles come out to determine if that's true or not.

I enjoyed Dinner With Schmucks and Date Night, FWIW.

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I enjoyed Dinner With Schmucks and Date Night, FWIW.

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To each their own. Comedy is so subjective that I don't understand why folks get so upset about someone liking or hating a particular comedy.

I really loathed Carrell's character in Dinner with Schmucks and found the movie to be boring on top of it. The actual dinner kind of worked for me but thought they took too long to get to it.

As to Date Night, I didn't find it offensive or anything. Just thought that with Fey and Carrell (who I both enjoyed on TV) that it would be funnier.

Sadly carells best work was in little miss sunshine...in a supporting dramatic role...the guy just aint that special

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also if you notice this film was put together on a relatively small budget of $30M. if this same film had been put together 5 years ago, it likely would have had a budget of at least double that amount. studios are doing everything they can do adjust to the "Give me everything for free" generations coming up.

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what about the lone ranger?

I think Date Night is great fwiw

customers getting more picky?

that's probably not it, but I've found myself staying home more and more instead of going to see things in the theater because the price of a ticket and the mediocre product makes it just an unenticing idea to go to the movies

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Weebie

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So it costs about $35 for two people to go to the movies and get popcorn and Coke and you are blaming the public for not going to the movies? Ha, you dumb.

It looks awful and people are getting tired of Steve Carell.