Sunday May 2, 2000

'U-571' Still Leads Box Office Fleet

By Dean Goodman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The submarine thriller ``U-571'' ruled the box office waves for
the second consecutive weekend, leaving three new movies in its wake, according to studio
estimates issued Sunday.

The World War II-set fictional movie, which stars Matthew McConaughey, grossed about
$12.3 million for the Friday-to- Sunday period, taking its 10-day total to $38.2 million. The film was released by Seagram Co. Ltd.'s (Toronto:VO.TO - news) Universal Pictures,
which also had the No. 2 movie: ``The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas'' rolled into the marketplace with $10.8 million for the three-day period.

Both Universal and Time Warner Inc.'s (NYSE:TWX - news) New Line Cinema had three movies in the top 10.

New Line's time travel thriller ``Frequency'' opened at No. 3
with $9.1 million, followed by fellow rookie ``Where the
Heart Is'' (Fox) with $8.3 million. ``Love & Basketball''
(New Line) fell three places to No. 5 with $5.5 million in its
second weekend.

According to Exhibitor Relations Co., which collects the studios' estimates, the top 12 films
this weekend grossed a total of $70.4 million, down seven percent from last weekend, but up 29 percent from the year-ago weekend when Sean Connery's ''Entrapment'' opened at
No. 1 with $20.2 million.

Wide releases opening next weekend are Russell Crowe's Roman epic ``Gladiator'' and Kim Basinger's ``I Dreamed of Africa.''

``U-571,'' a $62 million movie revolving around a bold mission to capture a secret Nazi coding device from a German submarine, also stars Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel and rocker
Jon Bon Jovi.

``The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas'' was crushed by critics, but it hit the jackpot with its target audience of youngsters. The film serves as a ``prequel'' to the 1994 feature ''The
Flintstones'' which debuted with $29.7 million and ended up with $130 million. The cast for each film was different.

Universal marketed the $58 million film as a ``colorful, enjoyable, fun ride,'' according to the studio's distribution president, Nikki Rocco.

Playing at 3,037 theaters, the largest count in the top 10, the film averaged a modest $3,556. ``U-571'' had the top average with $4,704.

``Frequency'' stars Jim Caviezel as a New York cop who communicates with his dead father (Dennis Quaid) via ham radio and manages to change the course of the family's history with numerous complications.

Containing elements of ``The Sixth Sense'' ``Back to the Future'' and ``Dirty Harry,'' the film was difficult to market, said New Line distribution chief David Tuckerman. ``We aimed it at everybody, and it seemed to work,'' he said. It averaged $3,472 from 2,621 theaters.

Based on the best-selling book by Billie Letts, ``Where the Heart Is'' stars Natalie Portman as a young woman who is abandoned at a Wal-Mart supermarket and gives birth there. A
spokesman for Twentieth Century Fox, a unit of Fox Entertainment Group Inc. (NYSE:FOX - news), was not available for comment. The film's average was $3,406.

After 10 days in release, the sports-themed romance ``Love & Basketball'' has earned $15.9 million. New Line's other film in the top 10, ``Final Destination'' tied for the last spot
with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.'s (NYSE:MGM - news) ``Return to Me,'' each reporting about $2.5 million.

Universal's third film was ``Erin Brockovich,'' which was ninth this weekend with $3.8 million, taking the 45-day total for the Julia Roberts vehicle to $113 million. 

The top 10 movies at the box office

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) - Following are the top 10 movies at the North American box
office for the April 28-30 weekend, according to studio estimates collected Sunday by
Reuters. Final data will be issued Monday.

1 (1) U-571 ............................... $12.3 million

2 (+) The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas .. $10.8 million

3 (+) Frequency ........................... $9.1 million

4 (+) Where the Heart Is .................. $8.3 million

5 (2) Love & Basketball ................... $5.5 million

6 (3) Rules of Engagement ................. $4.8 million

7 (5) Keeping the Faith ................... $4.6 million

8 (4) 28 Days ............................. $4.0 million

9 (6) Erin Brockovich ..................... $3.8 million

10-(9) Final Destination ................... $2.5 million

NOTE: Last weekend's position in parenthesis. + - new release.

``U-571,'' ``The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas'' and ``Erin Brockovich'' are released by
Universal Pictures, a unit of Seagram Co. Ltd. (Toronto:VO.TO - news).

``Frequency,'' ``Love & Basketball'' and ``Final Destination'' are released by New Line
Cinema, a unit of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX - news).

``Where the Heart Is'' is released by Twentieth Century Fox, a unit of Fox Entertainment
Group Inc. (NYSE:FOX - news).

``Rules of Engagement'' is released by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.
(NYSE:VIA - news)

``Keeping the Faith'' is released by Touchstone Pictures, a unit of Walt Disney Co.
(NYSE:DIS - news).

``28 Days'' is released by Columbia Pictures, a unit of Sony Corp. (6758.T).

JOHN L.:  It is the last week before Hollywood breaks out the big boys of the middle of the year known as the Summer Movies!  Ever since Twister, the Summer movie season has started with the first Friday of May.  Gladiator kicks off next week.  More on that and the rest of the Summer movies later in the report.  U-571 continues to dominate all comers.  The new movies are not appealing to a very large audience, but good enough to look respectable.  The 3 movies that came out this week all opened in the top 5 which is pretty good.  Let's look at we got this week.

The Flintstones is one of my all time favorite television shows let alone cartoon.  I grew up watching Fred, Barney, Wilma, Betty, Dino, Pebbles, Bam Bam, Great Gazoo, Mr. Slate, the dinosaur drive in, the pet saber tooth tiger, the catchy theme song, the Honeymooners references, the bare feet that can drive a car, the talking photo cameras, the elephant vacuum cleaner, Anne Margrock, the Royal Order of Water Buffalos, the twinkle toes bowling technique, the super glue in the bowling ball, the Addams Family type neighbors, and don't forget the Pebbles and Bam Bam teenage years episodes.  I even liked the Jetsons.  Back in 1994 I saw the Flintstones live action movie and was not that impressed, but it did imitate the gimmicks of the cartoon pretty well.  The casting at the time of John Goodman as Fred and Rick Moranis as Barney was perfect.  I think I may have out grown the antics, but I still have my fond memories.  So, when I heard that they were making a new live action Flintstones movie, I was like eh.  The cast and the movie looked like a straight to video sequel the likes of Addams Family 3, Richie Rich 2, and Simba's Pride.  Stephen Baldwin seems to be the biggest name in the movie and he is now more famous for being goofed on by a blue M&M. Fred is played by a guy who wanted to dance naked with a bunch of guys.  Wilma and Betty are played by 2 second tiered actresses on 2 of the most annoying shows on television, 3rd Rock and Ally McNeedameal.  The special effects looked more puppety and CGIed than even the first movie.  Also, The Great Gazoo shows up to cause trouble like he did on the tv show.  This is the reason I decided not to see Viva Rock Vegas until it comes out on video or cable.  Now, I was one of the few fans of the Great Gazoo on the cartoon.  Harvey Korman's voice work there always made me laugh and despite what Rickie Williams says, I thought it was funny a space aged alien in primitive prehistoric Bedrock.  The problem is that Viva Rock Vegas is a full length movie version of the episode of the show in which Fred/Wilma and Barney/Betty told the story of how they first met and fell in love when they met in Rock Vegas.   A prequel as the Holllyrock types like to say.  You know like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom takes place before Raiders of the Lost Ark even though ROTLA came out first.  In the cartoon, Gazoo came on the show many years after the 2 couples had already been married and had Pebbles and found Bam Bam.  It is not a big deal, but Gazoo should not have showed up until the 3rd movie.  This movie did not open as well as the first movie showing that the previews did not interest many beyond the kid set and that the adults who grew up watching the cartoon have not seen it in so long that they forgot they even cared.  It is funny that a movie about a stone aged family has so many advanced special effects to portray all of its goofy gadgets.  I remember when I was learning about dinosaurs in first grade and the teacher said that dinosaurs and humans never met each other in person because millions of years seperate the dinosaur apocalypse and the caveman (if you don't count the Adam and Eve stuff that throws all of those bones found by archaeologists out the window).  I still have not recovered from this historic betrayl.  It was like when I found out that Santa Claus' existence is questionable, there were no dinosaur rock quarries.  The comic strip B.C. still confuses the hell out me to this day.  I can never figure out when that is supposed to take place since they reference modern day events and still try to say that the wheel is a new invention while walking round talking dinosaurs and wingless birds.  Viva Rock Vegas has gotten  poor reviews, but it seems the average moviegoers are digging it.  It may make some money after all.

Back to the Future 4 was released this week under the name of Frequency.  This movie was getting some big hype as saying it was a very moviing father/son story that will make grown men cry.  Oh yeah, guys want to see that.  The gimmick of the film is that during a storm a guy's ham radio is able to pick up a signal from 30 years ago so that he can talk to his father who died in a fire.  However, if he saves his father's life, history changes and all hell breaks loose like family photos fading away ala Marty McFly in Back to the Future.  The reason the movie failed to catch on is that the premise is just too farfetched.  The key to time travel movies is if they can make the time travel process plausible in some way. It does not take much. A machine that you sit in like a Delorean or a chamber is okay, but sound waves from a radio is like that crap the movie Contact tried to get over in that movie.  Dennis Quaid is one of those actors that makes a movie every year, but cannot seem to get a hit film.  He has never ever had a hit movie.  Quaid is still Mr. Meg Ryan.  I am a fan of Innerspace and Dreamscape, but it seems that when Dennis Q shows up on the marquis, people stay home.  Dennis Quaid and Alec Baldwin should do a movie together and it just might get a negative box office total.   This movie needed to stress the time travel part more to bring in the sci fi fans and downplay the heart to heart "I love you Dad but  you're not going to get my beer" stuff.  Obviously no one ever saw an episode of Star Trek.  If they had, as soon as the son realized he was talking to his dead father, he would have destroyed the radio with a sledgehammer.

Our third debut is the women's picture of the week "Where the Heart Is" with those 2 actresses that the critics keep telling us will be big stars in the future, Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd.  The critics may have a case since the last time these 2 showed up in a major motion picture they dominated the box office scene.  Portman ended up in one of the most successful movies of all time by playing Darth Vader's future concubine, and Judd had a huge hit with Double Jeopardy.   So, on paper, it looks like putting these two relatively attractive young ladies in a movie together would be box office gold, and to a certain extent it is.  This movie did not cost that much and opened pretty well for being a story about an unwed mother giving birth in a Wal-mart.  However, this is not a crossover plot.  Guys are not likely to go see this movie and it does not play well as a date movie since the Portman character seems to be a barefoot and pregnant type who gets used by men.  Us men don't need that lecture from our women.   Women will go see it, but they will most likely have to see it with their girlfriends.  It is funny how a movie that has hot women does not necessarily attract lots of guys. Women tend to like the women themed movies and are willing to see the violent guy action flicks (if they get to see the romantic or Meryl Streep accent movie next week).  There has not been a lot of publicity for the film, but it did open pretty well.  It will probably stick around for a while.  

REST OF THE TOP 10 IN 10:

1.    U-571 is not sub par at the box office.

2.    Next year at this time, a movie like U-571 will mean the beginning of the Summer movie season and not just the end of the Spring one.

3.    Love and Basketball is still scoring in the paint.

4.    L&B is an example of a romantic picture that can also bring in the guys because of the sports theme.

5.    Sam Jackson is the hardest working man in show business and will return to the box office in a few weeks when Shaft comes out.

6.    Tommy Lee Jones is the second hardest working man and will also show up later this summer with Space Cowboys.

7.    Keeping the Faith may not be a big hit, but it is still staying in the top 10 despite the appearance of Jenna Elfman.

8.    Sandra Bullock is still searching for that Julia Roberts like push and is still falling short.

9.    Julia Roberts has earned her salary for the 3rd time in a row and can now go off and date.

10.    Final Destination will not go away, and with it's sleeper success, look for a sequel to come out within two years.

 SUMMER 2000 MOVIE PREVIEW - TOP 10 TO COME

This is my list of 10 movies I think will be the most talked about of the summer.  This is just in order of appearance. 

1.    Gladiator - opens May 5th.  This movie should open huge this weekend. This first week in May usually means big money for a super hyped movie.  Gladiator has a great preview and its Kid Rock sports themed tv trailer is very popular and makes you psyched.  This looks like a pure guy film that women will be reluctant to see.  If the action scenes are several and exciting it could make $200 million.  Opening weekend  box office - $40 million to $50 million.

2.    Battlefield Earth - opens May 12th.  John Travolta brings to the screen L. Ron Hubbards thousand page epic to the big screen.  This movie is getting a bad rap for being connected to the Scienctology moviement, but I believe the movie should be judged on its own merits. The buzz is not strong and the preview has too much of Travolta in is "ain't it cool" villain persona that I hate so much.  They want to make a sequel to this especially since I believe the movie is only the first 400 pages of the book.  Opening week box office - $15 million to $23 million.

3.    Dinosaur - opens May 19th.  Looks like Land Before Time 7 with a very similar plot.  The original no talking dinosaur preview is really good, but the talking dino one makes the movie look a little silly.  However, dinosaurs are always popular so this movie should open very well and do well on its look alone.  Opening week box office - $25 million to $30 million.

4.    Road Trip - opens May 19th.  This is the "American Pie" of 2000. Also Tom Green may get the testicular cancer sympathy box office take if it's hyped up a bit.  The movie looks funny in a scatalogical way but the competition will be very strong at this time.  Opening week box office - $12 million to $15 million.

5.    Mission Impossible 2 - opens May 24th.  This is tne big movie of the summer with the first teaming of Tom Cruise and John Woo. The preview makes you think it might be better than the mess of the first one.  It should open well, but if if does not kick ass it will probably make less than MI part one.  Cruise needs a hit after his last 2 movies failed.  Opening week box office - $45 million to $50 million.

6.    Gone in 60 Seconds - opens June 9th.  Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie steal cars.   I don't dig the premise and the preview does not really make you want to see the movie.  Opening week box office - $15 million to $18 million.

7.    Titan A. E. -  opens June 16th.  This movie has a similar plot to Battlefield Earth with aliens taking over our home planet and causing all sorts of mayhem. Matt Damon and Drew Barrymore are the voices of the main characters.  I am looking forward to it and it just might open better than Travolta's flick.  Opening week box office - $18 million to $23 million.

8.    Me Myself and Irene - opens June 23.  Jim Carrey goes back to what made him famous and that is acting like a complete maniac.  He teams up with those nutty Farrelly Brothers who like Mr. Carrey need a hit after both of their last movies bombed.  The preview for MMAI gets lots of laughs and despite the appearance of Rene Zelwegger, should open well.  $30 million to $35 million.

9.    Patriot - opens June 30th.  Braveheart meets Al Pacino's Revolution I guess.  Mel Gibson seems to making a war movie hero trilogy or series of movies. What's next a Civil War movie?  This movie should open well, but the American Revolution is more famous for giving us a holiday with fireworks and cookouts than our freedom from British rule.  The hype should be good leading up to the opening and it is around that Big Willy 4th of July weekend.  Opening week box office - $30 million to $35 million.

10.    X-Men - Oh yeah, I am looking forward to this car wreck.  I am a big fan of the comic book and I like all the so called internet geeks was dissapointed in the fashion look of the X-Men superheroes. It is way too Matrix like which will hurt the movie since imitation is the sincerest form of box office failure.  Patrick Stewart looks like Professor X though.  Many kids and overgrown kids read the comic, but that does not mean lots of box office.  This needs to attract people that have never heard of the X-Men and I don't think it will do that.  Batman and Superman are household names that everyone knows. If you have never read the comic, a wolverine is a wild dog like wolf thing and a storm means you will need an umbrella.   Marvel has an awful track record in terms of theatrical films based on their comics with only the Incredible Hulk  and Spider-Man cartoons being successful.  Opening week box office - $22 million to $25 million.

Other movies to look for as sleepers.

Nutty Professor (July 28th) - Would have been in top ten list, but ran out of space. Opens to $25 million

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (June 30th) - This is not going to be successful.  Robert Deniro is box office poison sad to say and with R and B being animated and not computer 3D images means opens at $10 million.

Hollow Man (July 28th) - Kevin Bacon is invisible and has lots of problems.  From what I have seen of it, it looks sort of cool. With a good preview it should open around $18 million.

Shaft (opens June 16) - Samuel Jackson vs the American Psycho.  Richard Rountree shows up as well.  If if is blaxploitation cool, it just might make it.  Should open around $15 million.

Chicken Run (opens June 23) - Mel Gibson shows up as a voice in this clay animation movie by the makers of Wallace and Gromit.  I have not seen any previews of it, but if they hype the movie up a bit, it just might sneak in out of no where. Opening week should be aroun $5 million.

That is all for this week.  I should be seeing Gladiator this weekend and have a full review posted.  It looks good, but it could get tedious and if there is a lot of talking, a bit boring.  Also, I keep thinking of Peter Graves in "Airplane" when he asks that kid if he likes gladiator movies.  Buy your tickets early because it should be a busy weekend.  Bye for now.