Box Office

[Embrace Thou Maryse]

Most people KNOW The Walking Dead, just like they do WWE. Maybe half of them know Romero, like TNA, even less know Fulchi, like ROH, then you have your Streiners, & Russos, just like all those other companies that have a hard time filling a high school gym. The Walking Dead "show" as you called it, is a franchise, the show is just the latest incarnation of it. Multiple board games, including Monopoly, 2 separate toy lines, both sculpted by Todd McFarlane, 3 videogames, monthly comic books & magazines, 2 novels(with a 3rd in the works for a fall release), 5 ways to collect the 111 issues of the comic(singles, digitals, 6 issue graphics, 12 issue hardcovers, and 48 issue omnibuses), it has become so far removed from the rest of the Zombie Nation that it is its own phenomena.

Very few people would view Walking Dead as an empire though, to most its just a Television show. My brothers a huge fan of the show but doesn't give a shit about the comic books and all the other crap. Its just another zombie show/movie.

Hell most movies thesedays at least get some toys based on it released.

 

[ThatGuyFromNukemHigh]

If you are not on a NHL, MLB, or NFL team, or Halo, then its near impossible to get McFarlane to do a toy line these days. Not sure if you know, but his toys are among the best, that do not charge an arm & a leg.

Also, did you miss the post where the combined comic & graphic sales(total readers) are higher than the ratings for AMC? The show means very little in the grand scheme of things, it just reaches that market, that for whatever reason puts a bad stigma towards comic book stores, but even Wal-Mart has started carrying the graphics.

 

[Troy]

Nice to see Monsters University do so well. Impressive considering that it has been over a decade. Still shocked that World War Z did that well, apparently they are now considering a sequel to it.

@Troy, I understand the Superhero genre has been done heavily since Blade & Spawn proved there was a market(nearing 20 years, which would mean it has surpassed "fad" status), but I have to ask what you consider a "superhero movie". Movies like Road to Perdition & American Splendor are based on comics, with no superheroes, and were done due to the great storytelling, while movies like Sin City use a similar approach to a "Batman-esque Hero", no powers, often overly brutal, vigilantes. Then you have your V for Vendetta/Watchmen which are more about social commentaries than the heroes themselves. There is a lot more than just heroes.

I am basically lumping together all the X-Men, SuperMan, Batman, Avengers, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk etc. Basically comic book superhero adaptions that have flooded the market in recent years. I wasn't a fan of the Vampire phenomenon that occured recently as well in the cinema and on television. They just aren't two genres that appeal to me.

 

[Chris]

A bit late, but here's this past weekend's box office.

 

[Troy]

Poor start for White House Down, strange that it came out only a couple of months after Olympus Has Fallen which had the same plot. Good to see Monsters University hanging on and doing well. Going to drop this weekend with Despicable Me 2 coming out. Lone Ranger is the other wide release and it is another film that just doesn't appeal to me.

 

[Chris]

From what I've heard The Heat is actually pretty good, I still don't plan on seeing it anytime soon, but I was kinda' shocked when I saw it did as well as it did. Nice to see Monster's University still up top. Despicable Me 2 should do really well, and that's one I'm looking forward to, loved the original and think it's a bit underrated.

 

[SAIYANS]

Seen both, liked both for entirely different reasons, White House Down saw good acting by Tatum and a lot of shit blowing up. The Heat was just funny, if you liked Identity Theft, you will love it

Kevin Hart will top the charts this week

 

[Troy]

I never knew that Kevin Hart was this popular, through two days his stand-up film has earnt over $7 million and it could have over $20 million by the end of the weekend! Is he actually any good?

 

[Chris]

I never knew that Kevin Hart was this popular, through two days his stand-up film has earnt over $7 million and it could have over $20 million by the end of the weekend! Is he actually any good?

People will either tell you he's the funniest guy ever or he's horrible, no one's in between. I like him though, Laugh At My Pain[/I was one of the funniest stand-up shows I've seen in forever and I've been quoting since I first saw it.

 

[Chris]

 

[SAIYANS]

Kevin Hart is truly a hate him or don't guy. Its not a middle ground. But just for reference, other comedy shows that went to theaters

Eddie Griffin - Dysfucntional Family - 2.25mil - 2003
Martin Lawerence - Runteldat - 20mil - 2002
Harvey, Cedric, Hughley, Mac - Original Kings of Comedy - 38mil - 2000

Hart is a friend of the digital age. The invent of social media and streaming platforms like Netflix has garnered him huge support as opposed to those guys years ago because you can watch his old library and become a fan instantly whereas you had to go to blockbuster or video USA and hunt down their old def jam VHS tapes just to truly appreciate their evolution

 

[Troy]

Massive start for Despicable Me 2, good to see another quality animated movie doing well. Kevin Hart had a big start since he was only in 876 theatres, I was reading that he financed the whole movie himself so he is going to earn a fair bit of money from this. Lone Ranger bombed and it doesn't surprise me at all. I was happy to see The Way Way Back do well in limited release, it is from Nat Faxon and Jim Rash who wrote the Oscar winning The Descendants.

Grown Ups 2 and Pacific Rim start this weekend. Another week where neither wide release appeals to me.

 

[Chris]

Super late but here's last weekend. Pretty disappointed to see Grown Ups 2 beat out Pacific Rim since apparently PR is a really good movie.

 

[Rated R Superstar]

At least it's in the top 3, that's usually a good sign right?

 

[Chris]

At least it's in the top 3, that's usually a good sign right?

But with it's budget, that wasn't a very good start. Maybe with the good reviews, it'll help it keep steady so they end up making a good profit, but that doesn't seem like it'll happen at this point.