Author: Guy LeCharles Gonzalez

This author has written 1997 articles
An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Superman Returns, Disappoints, May Disappear Again and Take His Friends With Him

Superman Returns as... Brandon Routh?The initial weekend estimates are in and, like Lex Luthor with Kryponite, it’s bad news for the Man of Steel as Superman Returns pulled in a mere $11.6 million in its third week, bringing its total domestic box office to $163,648,000 and pretty much guaranteeing that it will fall short of the $200m mark that’s been rumored as the minimum benchmark to greenlight a sequel. (Or, at least, one with Brian Singer at the helm.) While its 46.7% dropoff wasn’t nearly as bad as last weekend’s 58.5%, its miserable $3,086/theater average when there was no new direct competition would seem to suggest that lukewarm word of mouth countered its mostly positive reviews and strong, if not overwhelming, opening week at the box office.

Domestically, it’s now dead in the water as four major new releases will take over the theaters this coming weekend — Clerks II, Lady in the Water, Monster House and My Super Ex-Girlfriend — and Pirates of the Caribbean could drop 70% next weekend and would still easily land in the Top 5. With Devil Wears Prada having a better per-theather average this weekend, it’s not impossible to think that Superman Returns could actually fall completely out of the Top 10. The foreign box office numbers for this weekend will be of particular importance then, as it finally opened in several European and Latin American markets, delayed thanks to the World Cup. If it underperforms as some have expected it will, the chances of a sequel become that much more unlikely.

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

COMMENT: Under the Covers

Pop quiz: What's the difference between these three magazine covers? If you said "everything", you get a no-prize! I purposefully made the images small so the copy would be hard to read and you'd first have to focus on the pictures. On the Teen People cover, Ms. Simpson (good thing she kept her maiden name, yes?) has a big smile on her face, with "Sister Power" clearly visible, suggesting the story inside is a positive one, probably a fluff celebrity piece. The Maxim cover knows its target audience, commanding their attention to Ms. Simpson's two best features and printing her…

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

COMMENT: Superman Returns Sequel Hinges on $200m

For those who thought I was off the mark with my speculation over Superman Returns' not broaching $200 million domestically, rumor has it that the suits at Warner Brothers are worried it won't make that much and have made it the line in the sand on whether or not a sequel gets made:After a $225 million "Pirates of the Caribbean" sailed into port, taking the wind out of "Superman Returns'" $205 million Spandex, Warner Bros. executives are said to be circumspect as to whether the Man of Steel will fly again. Talent agency insiders with ties to the film tell…

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Hot Butter on Breakfast Toast

The company softball season is rolling along, and after a tough loss last night we are now 4-2, with three games remaining in the regular season. Last two games I played center field and moved up to the second spot in the batting order and have done quite well. Plan on switching back to SS, though, as the main field we play on is rather small and you don't so much as play center field as you play the fence most hits end up clanging off of.Through five games (I missed our first game of the season), I'm 6-13 (.462)…

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

On the Shelves: 7/12/06

Support GOOD Comics! Try something new EVERY month. My weekly look at select comic books being released Wednesday, 7/12/06. The full shipping is list available at ComicList. [NOTE: Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. If your LCBS offers a pre-ordering service, be sure to take advantage of it. If not, find another one; or try Khepri.com or MidtownComics.com] PICK OF THE WEEK Left Bank GangARCHAIA STUDIOS PRESS Mouse Guard 3rd Prtg #1 (Of 6), $3.50 I love how much attention this comic has received, a genuine sleeper hit that's unfortunately also caught the attention of…

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

Say What?: Battle of the Sex(ists)es

"My career really didn't begin until I started working on books that I helped create. Vertigo is probably the only publisher today that wouldn't have laughed me out of their offices for pitching them a fully painted hardcover novel for 'mature readers' about the Iraq war... starring talking lions."--Brian K. Vaughan, Graphic Attack: Vertigo Raises the Bar (Again) (via Blog@Newsarama)"I always get the impression these articles assume that the baseline for comics is violent, costumed soap opera and these bizarre aberrations exist to fool the rib so we boys can continue to high-five each other and grunt approval to the…

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An arm with a tattoo: "I was made for the library, not the classroom."

COMMENT: ‘Twas Marketing Killed the Son of Krypton

“Son, I’m Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?”
“Son, I’m Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?”

While Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest finishing first at the box office this weekend was a no-brainer, I doubt even the most optimistic pundit predicted an eye-popping, record-breaking haul of $132 million in its first three days.

$132 million: aka Biggest. Opening. EVER!

Savvy, indeed!

Boxofficemojo’s ALL TIME BOX OFFICE: OPENING WEEKENDS chart puts that number in perspective:

1) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest — $132,028,000
2) Spider-Man — $114,844,116 ($403,706,375; 28.4%)
3) Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith — $108,435,841 ($380,270,577; 28.5%)
4) Shrek 2 — $108,037,878 ($441,226,247; 24.5%)
5) X-Men: The Last Stand — $102,750,665 ($231,288,000; 44.4%)

Considering the first Pirates opened with a relatively paltry $46,630,690 on its way to a $305m domestic haul (plus an amazing $348m overseas), the sequel should be a shoo-in for breaking the $300m mark again, with a decent shot at pulling a Shrek 2, outperforming its predecessor and reaching the rarified air of a $400m+ box office upon initial release. (Star Wars and E.T. took multiple releases to surpass that mark.)

But what of the Man of Steel and his reported $21,850,000 booty, a harsh 58% drop from his opening weekend (Friday-Sunday only) for a stinging $5,375/theater average that pretty much guarantees a significant drop in theaters as Pirates and “sleeper” hit, The Devil Wears Prada (a 43% drop in its second weekend, while matching Superman’s average in nearly a third fewer theaters) will still be drawing significant audiences next weekend. Plus, there’s four new major releases opening the weekend after next.

With $141,677,000 over its first 12 days, while Superman Returns is definitely no Spider-Man and can hardly be considered a franchise-killer on par with Batman and Robin, will it at least be considered a success on the level of Batman Begins, or is it more of an underwhelming disappointment that calls for a return to the drawing board, like The Hulk?

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