SEPTEMBER 19, 1999
Martin Lawrence Hot At Box Office With 'Blue Streak'
By Dean Goodman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After weeks of being scared out of their wits, North American moviegoers flocked to lighter fare in the form of the cop comedy ``Blue Streak'' and the romantic drama ``For Love of the Game,'' which opened in the top two spots at the weekend box office.
``Blue Streak,'' starring Martin Lawrence as a crook who disguises himself as a cop, grossed $19.2 million for the Friday-to-Sunday period, according to studio estimates issued Sunday.
``For Love of the Game,'' in which Kevin Costner plays a reflective baseball pitcher at the end of his career, hit $14.0 million in its first three days.
Horror movies rounded out the top five: ``The Sixth Sense'' fell one place to No. 3 in its seventh weekend with $11.2 million; last weekend's champ, ``Stigmata,'' slid to No. 4 with $9.0 million in its second round; ``Stir of Echoes'' dropped two to No. 5 with $3.9 million, also in its second weekend.
The last time a comedy topped the charts was seven weeks ago when ``Runaway Bride'' replaced ``The Haunting.'' ``The Sixth Sense'' began its five-week reign the following weekend.
According to Exhibitor Relations, which collects the studios' data, the top 12 films this weekend grossed a combined $67.8 million, up 2.6 percent from a week ago, and up 9.1 percent from the year-ago period when the buddy cop comedy ''Rush Hour'' was the top attraction with $33 million.
A spokesman for Columbia Pictures, which released ``Blue Streak,'' said the film was the No. 2 September-October opening ever, behind ``Rush Hour,'' and also Lawrence's No. 2 debut after ``Life,'' which launched to $20.4 million in April. The new film attracted a young, male audience.
Lawrence is currently recovering at home after collapsing and almost dying last month while jogging in heavy clothing under a blazing sun to lose weight for an upcoming movie.
The Columbia spokesman said the publicity ``certainly built up awareness'' for ``Blue Streak'', but pointed out that it had already been tracking strongly. While Lawrence had been informed of the figures, the spokesman declined to comment on his reaction or his current health.
``For Love of the Game,'' Costner's third baseball movie after ``Bull Durham'' and ``Field of Dreams,'' attracted females and older viewers, said a spokeswoman for Universal Pictures.
The pair were overshadowed to an extent by a film that opened at No. 11: ``American Beauty,'' a critically acclaimed family tragi-comedy starring Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening, grossed $841,000 from just 16 screens, giving it a huge average of $52,563. By contrast, ``Blue Streak'' averaged $7,020 from 2,735 screens, and ``For Love of the Game'' a solid $4,949 from 2,829 screens.
Since its Wednesday opening, ``American Beauty'' has earned $1.0 million. A spokesman for DreamWorks, which released the film, said the studio was considering rolling out the film more quickly than planned because of the strong numbers.
With a 45-day total of $213.2 million, Hollywood Pictures' ''The Sixth Sense'' surged past the $205 million tally of ''Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' to become the year's No. 2 movie behind the ``Star Wars'' prequel, which has about $423 million. Other totals this weekend include $32.6 million for Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer's ``Stigmata'' and $11.9 million for Artisan's ``Stir of Echoes,'' both after 10 days.
Rounding out the top 10 were ``Runaway Bride'' (Paramount), down two to No. 6 with $2.6 million (52-day total $144.2 million); ``The Thomas Crown Affair'' (MGM), steady at No. 7 with $2.0 million (45-day total $64.4 million); ``Bowfinger'' (Universal), down three to No. 8 with $1.7 million (38-day total $63 million); ``The 13th Warrior'' (Touchstone), down three to No. 9 with $1.5 million (24-day total $29.4 million); and ''Mickey Blue Eyes (Warner Bros.), down two to No. 10 with $1.1 million (31-day total $32.1 million).
Columbia Pictures is a unit of Sony Corp. (NYSE:SNE - news) Universal is a unit of Seagram Co. Ltd. Hollywood Pictures and Touchstone Pictures are units of Walt Disney Co. Paramount is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA - news) Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX - news) Artisan and DreamWorks are privately held.
The top 10 movies at the box office
LOS ANGELES, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Following are the top 10 movies at the North American box
office for the Sept. 17-19 weekend, according to studio estimates collected Sunday by Reuters.
Final data will be released Monday.
1 (+) Blue Streak ...................... $19.2 million
2 (+) For Love of the Game ............. $14.0 million
3 (2) The Sixth Sense .................. $11.2 million
4 (1) Stigmata ......................... $9.0 million
5 (3) Stir of Echoes ................... $3.9 million
6 (4) Runaway Bride .................... $2.6 million
7 (7) The Thomas Crown Affair .......... $2.0 million
8 (5) Bowfinger ........................ $1.7 million
9 (6) The 13th Warrior ................. $1.5 million
10 (8) Mickey Blue Eyes ................. $1.1 million
NOTE: Last weekend's position in parenthesis. + - new release.
Blue Streak is released by Columbia Pictures, a unit of Sony Corp. (NYSE:SNE - news)
For Love of the Game and Bowfinger are released by Universal Pictures, a unit of Seagram Co. Ltd.
The Sixth Sense is released by Hollywood Pictures and The 13th Warrior by Touchstone Pictures,
both units of Walt Disney Co.
Stigmata and The Thomas Crown Affair are released by Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Stir of Echoes is released by Artisan Entertainment, which is privately held.
Runaway Bride is released in North America by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.
(NYSE:VIA - news)
Mickey Blue Eyes is released by Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX - news)
(6758.T) (TWX.N) (DIS.N) (VIA.N) (MGM.N) (VO.TO)
JOHN L: After a long stint of staleness and boredom at the box office, this week we get some new blood in the top 2 spots. The rapture of horror is now fading from the public and the onslaught of celebrity crisis and scandal has reclaimed the top spot at the box office. Also known as HGGHDSABAS Disease (answer at the bottom of the bor). We also get the critic lathering limited release hit that grosses thousands and thousands of dollars making the producers think they have a hit on their hands just because New York and L.A. are flocking to it. More on that later. Okay, its time to junction some GFs, draw some magic, and lose more free time as we go over this week's box office totals.
Since George Michael only did a no holds barred interview and not a movie, the winner of "Bad Publicity Means Big Box Office" award goes to Martin "Wazzup" Lawrence and his movie Blue Streak. Over the past 3 or 4 weeks, the entertainment news has been filled with reports of M"W"L's daily condition. For those who don't know, he was jogging in a coat plastic thingamajig to lose weight for an upcoming movie role. Unfortunately, it was like 103 degrees outside when he did it and he acquired heat stroke and passed out putting himself in a coma for 3 days. Not the diet he was looking for I gather. The news kept showing his recent press junket interviews for Blue Streak and reported on his previous incident of waving a gun around on the street and yelling incoherent things like "Tisha Campbell's head really wasn't that big!" and "Eddie Murphy stole my entire act!" All of this publicity gave widespread notice to a movie that no one heard of 2 months ago. No one even knew the plot. All we had was a buck toothed pizza guy, a reluctant rogue cop, car chases, the box office staple of the infra-red beams in the art museum being dodged by the wiley thief, and a comatose star. Hmm, sounds like a hit to me. Lawrence is now as famous as he was when he was dissing Pam on his old tv show, but because of his own personal demons we are stuck looking at him say the same damn thing in that same damn beige suit. No comment from a guy who make his living from running his mouth. His pubicist tells him after all of this, he opens with the number one movie beating out Oscar winner Kevin Costner's continuation of the Baseball Saga: Life in the Dugout. Is he going to Disney World, no because Hurricane Floyd bought all of the E-tickets. Is he going to church to pray? No, too dangerous, you might get shot. How about a place where no one really knows him like East Timor? Oops. Mr. Lawrence is going to go the Howard Hughes route and let his potential $80 million - $100 million hit waste away like he almost did. He could have received $10 million for his next picture if he promoted it right. What a dope.
I am criticized for liking really stupid movies and giving no love to the most well loved movies of our time. I did not like Top Gun, I did not like Pulp Fiction. I did not like Unforgiven. I did not like Scream. But there are 2 movies that I saw when they came out that to this day I give a thumbs down and put on my top 50 list of worst movies of all time. Those 2 movies are Bull Durham and Field of Dreams. I did not like BD's "this humor is adult and is the funniest, most clever dialogue ever written, and touching the small of a woman's back will make them woo" schtick. Field of Dreams was worse with its "If you build it, I will suck" claptrap. The simple fact that every form of entertainment has ripped off that bit pisses me off. Only interesting part was when Gabby Hoffman almost choked to death on her hot dog. I still weep for James Earl Jones. After that track record, I hear that KC and is Baseball Band are back to finish out the trilogy with For the Love of the Game. In BD KC was a young up and coming baseball guy, and now he is an old timer who should retire, but still must make monkey love with Mrs. Vinnie Barbarino. I will pass on this one, even though my boy Sam Raimi directed it. Note to SR, stick with horror, comedy, action. Your drama stuff just sucks. What was Simple Plan all about? This movie also has had some controversy this week when it was announced that KC's full frontal dangle berry shot was being cut out of the final cut. This is the second time his little Kevin has caused him editing trouble. The theatrical release of Dances With Wolves cut out his master of his domain sequence. Look for the DVD sales of FTLOTG to go through the roof in Yenta heavy areas if they put it in a director's cut. Also of note is the relatively low box office for the movie. I think that it is the best opening for a Costner baseball epic, but I doubt it will have the staying power of the previuos two. KC is looking for a comeback hit. Tin Cup made a bit of money, but he has not had a bonafide blockbuster since the Bodyguard. He was at one time thinking about making The Bodyguard 2 with Princess Diana. When she got the news she ran off the road. True story.
American Beauty is the movie of the week getting all of the good buzz. It has Kevin Spacey as a guy obsessed with some girl who I guess is a true American beauty hence the title. I have seen reviews that give it 4 stars, As, thumbs up, and a look for it at Oscar time comment. It has made a whopping $1 million in limited release. The producers are looking to open it wide because the word of mouth is so good. It could be the next sleeper of the year on the lines of Blair Witch and Sixth Sense's success. Another plus is when describing the reason behind the movie's R rating it says "R for strong sexuality, language, violence and drug content." A can't miss rating summary. That's what the R was invented for, sex, violence, and drug use. What could be the one thing that would sink this potential box office success? I got 2 words for ya, ANNETTE BEATTY! Warren Beatty's wife co-stars in the movie and anyone who has read my box office reports knows, her name means box office death. The critics have loved her since the Grifters, and Beatty has loved her since she told him to jerk himself off in Bugsy. If she is in the movie, it bombs. Just ask Denzel, Jack, Harrison, and Douglas. They were are in movies that had blockbuster or hit written in stone, but as soon as Annette entered the scene, pumice. American Beauty has no hopes of getting more than $50 million in total. Prove me wrong Annette, I dare you. Robert Downey Jr. curses your image every day in his prison cell as he counts the cigarettes he's earned for his master. Blair Witch broke records in limited release and went on to be a success even though it faded quicker than most thought. AB has no chance of reaching those heights with the woman who lost her only chance at stardom when she became pregnant just before shooting started on Batman Returns in which she would have played Catwoman. Loser.
Now for our 1-3 sentence per flick rundown of the rest of the top 10. The Sixth Sense has overpowered the superspy. You did not have to be psychic to see that coming. Stigmata falls to Hell in its second week proving that Patricia Arquette is in that Bening class of box office stars. Stir of Echoes is still in the top 5, but its box office sucks. Too bad, it looked somewhat interesting, but Haley Joel's wet upper lip and Ileana's bug eyes will kill you every time. Look out Jay Mohr. Will someone tell Julia the Summer is over, you can stop making money now. Thomas Crown and Bowfinger are the little movies that could. Look for better things on video and DVD. Why is Antonio still in my box office report. He has a movie coming out in which he directs his box office leper of a wife, Melanie Griffith in some Southern murder/race drama. How do you spell bomb in Spanish? Mickey Blue Eyes is still hanging in there. Do you think Hurley has satisfied him orally in the last 4 years? Fugeddaboutit! Of note, The Blair Witch Project is finally out of the top 10. All hail the the
Lookfortheblairwitchprojectondvdonoctober22thankyou
Witch is dead!
That's it for me this weekend. I will be back next week with more fun and obvious opinions on the box office. I may even make a list of the top 10 actors and actresses that guarantee a box office bomb most of the time. If you are a regular reader, you know who will make that list.
And for the answer to the ACRONYM OF THE WEEK:
HGGHDSABAS = HUGH GRANT GETS HIS DICK SUCKED AND BECOMES A STAR
Was it really worth the wait? Bye for now.
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