“Redacted” an atomic bomb?
posted at 2:44 pm on November 25, 2007 by Allahpundit
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So says the Post. It’s only open on 15 screens nationwide so the per-theater average is a better gauge than the gross. According to BJM, it took $1,708 per screen — not disastrous, but not quite the movie event of the season either. Compare that to the per-theater averages for this weekend sample. “Redacted” compares unfavorably to, um, “Holly.”
No matter. This movie was never intended for American audiences, really. Check out the domestic box office in its first weekend vis-a-vis how it did abroad (i.e. in Spain, which is the only country it’s opened in thus far). That was good enough for 26th place in that country. Guess what number two was.
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It ain’t about the money, it’s about the message with the liberal left.
SuperManGreenLantern on November 25, 2007 at 2:49 PM
Well, finally some good news out of Hollywood! Less than $2K per screen. May they all do so well!
Grantman on November 25, 2007 at 2:50 PM
All fake; now fizzle?
andycanuck on November 25, 2007 at 2:50 PM
Message to the Hollywood left from the American movie going public: “F*ck you and your agenda”
georgej on November 25, 2007 at 2:52 PM
Then you have Argentina and Uruguay.
yo on November 25, 2007 at 2:52 PM
Yet it earned high praise in the NYimes, & The New Yorker.
Perhaps the much envied NY press is less than emblematic of the nation?
Stephen M on November 25, 2007 at 2:52 PM
Why am I getting the feeling that the list of unsuccessful anti-war movies of late will only continue to grow? The religion of Liberalism has to re-enforce itself constantly with a veil of projected fantasy on the real world. They need that constant affirmation otherwise they’d be forced to deal with reality…
…and become conservatives.
:)
Weebork on November 25, 2007 at 2:52 PM
Still whining about New York, Steven? Was a relative of yours mugged or assaulted there or something? Good lord.
Allahpundit on November 25, 2007 at 2:58 PM
/in my best Flounder-from-Animal-House-voice…
Hello little friend!
trubble on November 25, 2007 at 2:59 PM
Fixed it!
kiakjones on November 25, 2007 at 3:00 PM
May DePalma burn in hell forever! He goes from making The Untouchables to making anti-American, military-hating loony bullshit. Talk about celebrity meltdown. Die, you traitorous bastard, die!
thejackal on November 25, 2007 at 3:10 PM
The looney left wants nothing more then to be able to publicly spit on our troops.
Rode Werk on November 25, 2007 at 3:11 PM
Charter cable TV already offers it “On Demand”. Why?
Guess they want maximum propaganda effect.
boris on November 25, 2007 at 3:25 PM
I smell Oscar nomination next year. NPR thought it was dreck but loved the message. Apparently there is much infighting between big Bri and Mark Cuban over dead people photos at then end. Mark Cuban says no dice not because of decency but because he is afraid of being sued and losing what little money the movie will make from all those “patriotic” lefties.
RobCon on November 25, 2007 at 3:33 PM
That’s less a knock on “Redacted” and more a tribute to the cinematographical masterpiece that is “Holly” – an epic tribute to the ultimate triumph of the human spirit.
/de Palma spin
e-pirate on November 25, 2007 at 3:44 PM
Nobel peace prize for dePalma.
JiangxiDad on November 25, 2007 at 3:49 PM
Why don’t these left-wing anti-American morons just skip the middleman and just sell their snuff films in Europe.
We certainly don’t need the traitorous lot.
BKennedy on November 25, 2007 at 3:50 PM
ug… don’t we have any positive movies to look forward to, involving the us military?
liquidflorian on November 25, 2007 at 3:52 PM
Lions for Lambs was an OK movie. But I was barely able to get through Redacted without throwing up from the leftist propaganda.
But I’m sure some of Europe will love it. Hell, they’re so deranged that they would probably make love to it if they could.
Opinionnation on November 25, 2007 at 3:57 PM
De Palma looks really angry in that picture. Looks like he is thinking, Death to America.
RMR on November 25, 2007 at 3:59 PM
What ever happened to that Bruce Willis movie?
Opinionnation on November 25, 2007 at 3:59 PM
HDNET had a showing of Redacted the other night. I practiced my freedom of choice and did not watch. Nor will I waste my time on anything DePalma may produce.
PS- Allah, I always enjoy my visits to the only “City” in the USA, New York City. Love eating at Fraunces Tavern (when I’m with customers).
Zorro on November 25, 2007 at 4:05 PM
I’m still a fan of De Palma’s early, horror movies. In that genre he’s a master. When he steps out of it into “the real world”, as in “Bonfire Of The Vanities” or “Redacted” he can get into trouble. I thought “The Black Dahlia” was as low as he could sink, but I was wrong. The final ghastly image of “Redacted” is in fact horrifying, powerful, haunting, and more effective than the previous 90 minutes. The image is staged, of course; which is really the whole point of all the criticisms of the film.
WasatchMan on November 25, 2007 at 4:12 PM
RobCon on November 25, 2007 at 4:14 PM
Heh.
Steven M, buy a vowel from someone who has posted more than my fair share of stupid comments here? Of all my regrettable comments, the one that got me the quickest kick in the nuts from Allah was when I dittoed a particularly thoughtless Coulter quip about NYC and 9-11.
Just in case you haven’t caught on yet.
Jaibones on November 25, 2007 at 4:50 PM
Wait…this douche directed Bonfire of the Vanities and Black Dahlia?! Those are two of the biggest turkeys in history.
I love it.
Jaibones on November 25, 2007 at 4:52 PM
The following is a letter I wrote to San Franciso movie critic Joe Garofoli in response to his recent column lamenting the fact that no one was going to see these stinkos. A column which, incidently, never mentioned the movie’s themes might have something to do with their failures, which extensively quoted an anti-war Iraq vet, which suggested soldiers were all poor, exploited people, and implied most vets were profoundly, and probably forever, screwed up as a result of their service experiences.
Dear Mr. Garofoli:
I believe the major reason for the recent war films tanking is very simple. They all take the leftist view that the war is bad, our government is bad, our army is bad, and we are bad. Instead, apparently, Americans need to sit around, hold hands and chant. Then all will be well.
Please! I don’t need that delusional crap. I’m certainly not going to pay for it. And it looks like many others are with me.
Since you seem so puzzled by these films failures, what you need to ask yourself is why did “The Kingdom” do best? I would suggest it is because part of its ending, at least, was pro-American. A fact the director has, incidently, publicly expressed great humiliation about, and remorse over.
In other words, these movies’ templates are not isomorphic with flyover country beliefs. And flyover’s a large hunk of the U.S.A. market. Not to worry, however, I’m sure you know most B.O. now comes from foreign sales. And “Redacted” and the others will certainly do boffo in Iran, North Korea, and Syria. After all, their citizens are much more enlightened and less stupid then we poor non-elites.
Sincerely,
Dr. Charles G. Waugh
Dr. Charles G. Waugh on November 25, 2007 at 4:58 PM
Cool Presidentual Candidate Duncan Hunter just slamed this movie on Fox News with his Military Son beside him
Video
William Amos on November 25, 2007 at 5:06 PM
Sorry Allah, but you just got seriously burned. New York embraces this kind of crap, and you know it.
MadisonConservative on November 25, 2007 at 5:14 PM
“Redacted” by Brian Re-dickhead-ulous De Palma.
Wants Americans to rub their noses in his fatuous portrayal of a renegade anomaly in Iraq and pretend that it is symbolic of the entire military effort to defeat Islamofascism.
Painting America as an immoral and out of control, hegemonic Empire, when an imperialistic theocratic movement -to truly establish a global terror state- is on the march.
Agitprop-meister for al-Qaeda is a lousy legacy.
What part of “aiding the enemy” …who would behead him on camera while laughing… doesn’t this flatlining moron grasp?
profitsbeard on November 25, 2007 at 6:13 PM
Did anyone notice that Mark Cuban had a military Appreciation/Green Earth day at a Mavericks home game right after this rag of a movie was released/on Demand? What a clown.
As for Depalma, “The Untouchables” was the only good movie I could watch. Although now, I will probably never be able to watch it again knowing he made this trash.
jdsmith0021 on November 25, 2007 at 6:16 PM
According to my reading, I do believe he said:
Note the word “press.” As in media. As in MSM.
Hardly a condemnation of New York City as a whole. Although, I must say, you would have to kick me in the nuts to visit that city. The county dump holds more allure.
And he spells his name “Stephen,” not “Steven.”
Now, go get me a juice box, JuiceBox.
:-P
Vinnie on November 25, 2007 at 6:20 PM
I hope all the investors lost a ton of money on this traitorous bilge.
Mojave Mark on November 25, 2007 at 6:31 PM
Has anyone given thought to what kind of lawsuit could be brought so as to cause DePalma and Cuban to forfeit the revenues, particularly the foreign revenues, of what is a traitorous movie that endangers our troops?
Phil Byler on November 25, 2007 at 6:49 PM
Well, the New York media does anyway. With a total box office take of only 25 grand, it seems this movie is not being embraced by anyone, anywhere.
Slublog on November 25, 2007 at 7:02 PM
Hey, Hollyweird, I hope you’re payin’ attention to this news! 300, in which the Greeks are the good guys and the Persians are the bad guys, made big bucks. Tranformers, in which the U.S. Military is shown in a positive light, made big bucks. Redacted and Rendition? Crash and burn. Get it? Are you in the business of making money? Then make a movie we wanna see. Try Lone Survivor. Nevermind, you guys don’t understand how the Free Market economy works anyway, you socialist idiots.
Tony737 on November 25, 2007 at 7:03 PM
I love that libs like the people responsible for this film constantly lament about how America’s standing abroad is so low, and then they export anti-American agitprop like this. Even Rex Reed panned this turkey.
Actually, I’m just still mad at DePalma for leaving me out of The Black Dahlia.
Dudley Smith on November 25, 2007 at 7:28 PM
there fixed it
Mojack420 on November 25, 2007 at 8:00 PM
Even though Lions for Lambs came in second, it’s nearly 40% dropoff is not good. Anything more than a third less the second week does not bode well for the long term,
Anyway, if the Spanish want to be bored to tears listening to Robert Redford preaching and Tom Cruise doing his worst Dick Cheney imitation, that’s there loss, not ours.
rick moran on November 25, 2007 at 8:20 PM
God was The Black Dahlia a dreadful movie!
Hilts on November 25, 2007 at 8:35 PM
I’m glad to see all these movies tank. I don’t expect the left dominated Media to make any positive movie about the United States though. They are so pathetic.
CCRWM on November 25, 2007 at 8:38 PM
Personally, I wish bankruptcy and oblivion on all the Hollywood studios. Almost everything they put out is garbage, either anti-American or otherwise nihilist or pornographic non-art, non-cinema. To borrow from Shakespeare, ‘A plague on all their houses!’
DavePa on November 25, 2007 at 9:26 PM
Have DePalma grow a beard and wear a diaper on his head and he could be an Ayatollah.
infidel4life on November 25, 2007 at 9:29 PM
DePalma should renounce his US citizenship then move to Cuba. Then he should try his hand at writting some anti-Fidel / Anti-Cuba screenplays. I would imagine he’d long for his old homeland then.
TheSitRep on November 25, 2007 at 9:34 PM
Make that a long beard.
infidel4life on November 25, 2007 at 9:43 PM
As mentioned, Al-J uses this stuff in propaganda, so they should be prosecuted for aiding the enemy; not just a lawsuit, but criminal charges.
IrishEyes on November 25, 2007 at 10:11 PM
Does this mean DePalma has pulled off the dual feat of making a movie that grosses less AND sucks more than ‘Mission to Mars’?
thirteen28 on November 25, 2007 at 10:49 PM
You mean a Norh Korean boat anchor that failed
the fission process.haha
canopfor on November 25, 2007 at 11:25 PM
And to think that these are the smartest business men in the Universe. Making movies for foreign audiences because Americans are too stupid to keep up with the nuance.
pat on November 25, 2007 at 11:46 PM
Bad news: With a reported budget of 35 million, Lions For Lambs will roughly break even after distribution and marketing costs… though it will still raise eyebrows about Cruise/Wagner’s stewardship of the rebooted United Artists.
Good news: Antiwar films may get nominated for the Oscar, but — if past is prologue — won’t win, due to lackluster box office.
Karl on November 26, 2007 at 12:15 AM
Hey AP,
What’s with the screencap of General Zod?
Dave Shay on November 26, 2007 at 1:39 AM
AP, btw, is dead wrong about this part:
In fact, DePalma was quoted back in August:
On that score, it is a bomb.
Karl on November 26, 2007 at 3:14 AM
I’m still chuckling over the fact that Mr.Cuban tried to sell his piece of this movie back to DePalma,who,is having none of it.Welcome to Hollywood,Mark.Keep your day job….
Regney on November 26, 2007 at 5:26 AM
Good point. DePalma has been quoted as saying that the point of the movie is to get us out of Iraq. Swaying the three pro-war opinions in Dusseldorf will hardly effect that.
Jaibones on November 26, 2007 at 9:51 AM
Megyn Kelly, who puts the fox in Fox News, just said the movie made $25,000 this weekend AND that because of this, other war movies have been shelved. I assume these were ANTI-war movies, I doubt they were gonna make any PRO-war films, because those might actually make money.
Tony737 on November 26, 2007 at 10:29 AM
And we all know what the likelihood of seeing a movie about either American heros or Muslim terrorists…
taznar on November 26, 2007 at 10:54 AM
If Redacted had only cast Jerry Lewis, it’d be a smash in France.
Megyn Kelly is gold, Jerry! Gold! I’m ashamed of the thoughts running through my head, when she’s on. Ashamed.
:O(
OhEssYouCowboys on November 26, 2007 at 3:02 PM
I don’t believe that Americans have EVER enjoyed watching war flicks, fact or fiction, that depict us losing. I watched Tora, Tora, Tora about 20x growing up, and even though we got creamed at Pearl Harbor, the focus was on character development, awesome war scenes, tragedy (of course), and bravery in the face of the attack(s). These anti-military, ‘anti-everything that’s made us #1′ box office dogs do not generate overwhelming pride, that’s their failure point. These directors set out to induce shame, and that’s a stake upon which most are inherently reluctant to impale themselves.
If you want to see the ugly, dark side of the war, just read (or watch) the lefty MSM. After a couple years of negativity, why pay $10 to sit and watch Hollywood’s trumped up version?
I can’t say that there’s a good, cool, truthful movie waiting to be made just yet. I think the body’s still warm so to speak. How long after 9/11 did H/wood wait before putting out anything, either as a docu-drama or movie (thinking that Nic Cage flick…)??? Give it some time and someone will fund a difficult, in your face, profoundly tragic war flick that reflects not the failure of our policy or our military; rather, it will have a storyline based in truth showing the successes AND failures faced by our military in Iraq/Afghanistan. There might be a happy ending (returning grunt is greeted by his wife & newborn child) but the story will be about the trials of war, NOT that it was wrong/bad/criminal.
Or at least that’s what I’m hoping for….and willing to pay $10 to see.
Biffstir on November 26, 2007 at 5:55 PM
What is amazing is that back in WW II, Hollywood consistently made pro-American and even pro-War films that demonized the enemies and glorified the US Miilitary.
Plus Hollywood stars were active participants in War Bond drives and USO tours to aid the troops. Hollywood was as patriotic as you can get back in the 1940s.
And today Hollywood is full of self-loathing, America-hating, terrorist-enabling brain-damaged leftist cretins who prefer Hugo Chavez and DinnerJacket to the US President.
Dont talk to me about “progress”.
Always Right on November 26, 2007 at 10:20 PM
More good news as Dallas has lost their last 3 games in a row.
The Pentagon did some Wizardry on the Mavericks tonight and beat them by 12 in Dallas. Looks like Cuban should not mess with Washington and our Military.
WoosterOh on November 27, 2007 at 12:27 AM
The biggest shock was finding out that “Lions for Lamebrains” was made by Fox.
Rupert! Get a grip!
uptight on November 27, 2007 at 1:42 AM
Hollywood–Seditious Entertainment for America’s Enemies
Wonder if it would fit on that hill under the big letters?
NellE on November 27, 2007 at 4:30 PM
Im convinced that the fact that they are money losing ventures is still all worth it to them.
malkinmania on November 27, 2007 at 5:32 PM
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