"Brokeback" expanding to more theatres faster than planned

[+ deej]

Wow!

[+ friendofsheila]

That's great that there's a demand. Let's hope it makes a difference for young people getting to see themselves in a movie that's getting lots of positive attention.

[OneFinger]

The Salt Lake City opening has moved up by 1 week. It now opens Decemer 30th.

 

I'm also impressed that it is opening at one of the larger and newer theaters. Usually gay-themed films in Utah get relegated to the "artsy" theaters with small screens and bad sound systems.

 

KSL, the largest radio station in Utah (and owned by the Mormon Church) has also acknowledged that "Brokeback Mountain" appears to be an excellent movie. Although they haven't reviewed it yet, at least they aren't coming out with negative comments.

 

-------------

"We need to have more respect for each other. Things have just gone really crazy, out of control. ... We're on a very weird kind of cycle." Stevie Wonder

[SAdler]

Do those of us who have seen the movie predict a decline in the national sales of fishing paraphernalia with such a widespread release?

[dfw2sfo]

I did a search on Google about BBM and, at the top, where the "news" pops up, this link popped up. I doubt it's true but I'll be interested to see what the result is from this weekend. What do you expect except inflammatory reporting from Fux News.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,179599,00.html

[Guest Adam4BlackMen]

>I did a search on Google about BBM and, at the top, where the

>"news" pops up, this link popped up. I doubt it's true but

>I'll be interested to see what the result is from this

>weekend. What do you expect except inflammatory reporting

>from Fux News.

>

>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,179599,00.html

 

Fox "news" is pablum for the republican masses that cannot handle the truth about their preisdent. It is no more a news channel than Comedy Central, and yet the Daily Show and Jon Stewart have more credibility than any Fox show or anchor could hope to aspire to.

[+ deej]

The amazing thing about that piece is that the entire premise is about the movie losing box office on the Mon/Tues/Weds after opening weekend.

 

Duh! They ALL do! Few movies stay on top (much less in the top 10) beyond opening weekend. It's not rocket science. Fewer people go to movies Mon/Tues/Weds.

 

Brokeback was marketed from the start as an arthouse film and was a complete surprise in the top 10 to begin with. If it drops out of the top 10, it's back where it was expected to be in the first place.

 

He says "few straight men will see it willingly" which is true enough. But the other side of that corrollary is "many straight men will see it unwillingly". This little "art house" film has chick flick written all over it and those str8 men WILL see it. (Or at least buy tickets, even if they keep their eyes squeezed tightly shut.)

 

This is going to be the date movie of 2006 for two reasons: Jake Gyllenhall and Heath Ledger. Women are going to see this movie and so are their dates, whether they like it or not. ;-)

[Guest zipperzone]

>Although they haven't

>reviewed it yet, at least they aren't coming out with negative

>comments.

 

Give em time - give em time........

[Guest bighugbearphx]

>Do those of us who have seen the movie predict a decline in

>the national sales of fishing paraphernalia with such a

>widespread release?

 

For the benefit of those who haven't seen it yet (It is not really a "spoiler"), Ennis and Jack got together regularly after their marriages by using the excuse that they were going on a "fishing trip." Ennis wife was wondering why he never brought home any fish, and he said they ate whatever they caught. One time she attached a note to his fishing line, asking that he bring home at least one fish; when he returned, she checked and the note was still intact, never had touched water.

 

Can you imagine the poor straight guys, who will now get looked at strangely by their spouses and girlfriends when they want to go with a buddy on a REAL fishing trip??

 

As for the reports of the film dropping following last weekend, I can only speak for the local theatre in Phoenix. Friends have told me the evening performances on Monday and Tuesday sold out, and another friend tried unsuccessfully to get tickets online for Friday night (several days earlier), being told that the tickets available online for those performances were sold out. The theatre was supposed to cut it back to one screen as of Friday to debut the new "Transamerica", but it postponed that until January 6th.

[BobbyThompson]

>For the benefit of those who haven't seen it yet (It is not

>really a "spoiler"),

>

 

It's not a spoiler, but for those who haven't seen the movie yet, this does ruin a rather poignant moment in the film.

 

It is a great scene though. I thought Michelle Williams was fantastic in her small role. I thought she'd never live down the stigma of being on...eee...."Dawson's Creek."

[Guest Adam4BlackMen]

Bareback Mountain

 

So when does the inevitable porn ripoff "Bareback Mountain" come out?

[Guest Dan]

RE: Bareback Mountain

 

>So when does the inevitable porn ripoff "Bareback Mountain"

>come out?

 

 

That's really dumb. Everyone knows that it's going to be called "Bareback MOUNTING!"

 

As for the Fox News Friedman piece on BM's decline at the B.O., anyone for a fatwa?

 

If you want to see good deal of online material on BM, go to towleroad.com He has a page devoted to it.

 

Dan Dare

http://meetlocalmen.com/mlm/dandarela.html

[+ deej]

RE: Bareback Mountain

 

It might actually work as a marketing gimmick except that it seems a third of porn titles today already start with the word Bareback. x(

[foxy]

RE: Bareback Mountain

 

I saw the movie this afternoon with a friend at the local multiplex. I assumed no one would be going to the movies on Christmas afternoon but the parking lot was full and we got the last two seats in the theater. From what I could tell before the lights went out it was not a gay audience.

 

I did think it was interesting that the trailer they showed before the movie started was for "Casonova" staring Heath Ledger in a straight role looking a lot gayer than he did in "Brokeback Mountain".

[+ Hoover42]

RE: Bareback Mountain

 

>[...] "Casonova" staring Heath

>Ledger in a straight role looking a lot gayer than he did in

>"Brokeback Mountain".

 

Apple.com has a five-minute Quicktime snippet of the new movie "Casanova" if anyone wants to see what Foxy is referring to.

 

Click here for the snippet: http://www.apple.com/trailers/touchstone/casanova/5minuteclip/

 

...Hoover

[JesusNYC]

Bravo

 

Bravo!

 

Let's make Hollywood executives spend more on Gay Films...

 

Support Brokeback Mountain and our dollars will show them the demand.

 

Enjoy the movie, boys. Anybody need a date. I will go with you to a matinee on Saturday or Sunday. Nights are out for me. I work late... Don't we all.

 

JesusNYC

}( :9

[ValleyDwellerNorth]

http://img431.imageshack.us/img431/9466/animateddoigiveadamn6in.gif

 

This message has been brought to you by the "Pre-LoneStar Posting Blitz Restoration Foundation".

[Trixie]

At my workplace, we have a mass date planned whereby all us gay guys (3) are escorting the straight guys (7) to BBM. I'm the only gay one who's not seen it yet, but some of the straight guys actually seem more excited about going than I am!

It's always interesting to see what some liberal men will put themselves through to get their props.

 

One straight young idealistic buck I work with has been has been so supportive in celebrating the film's success! He keeps raving about the film's power to bring "authentic gay experience" to the mainstream... I have to remind him that BBM is a period piece after all, we homosexuals don't all lead such tragic-romantic lives, and a more truly "authentic gay experience" on film would more likely be that dull what's-his-name (David?) on Six Feet Under.

 

Still, I appreciate his enthusiasm! It would be great if BBM at least imparted a bit of glamorous mystique on our people.

 

La Trix

[Guest zipperzone]

> and a more truly "authentic gay

>experience" on film would more likely be that dull

>what's-his-name (David?) on Six Feet Under.

 

He may be dull but he has a great ass!

[Guest Dan]

And so today we had AP giving the opposite spin of Friedman to make it seem like BM is as big a hit in small towns as a Harry Potter flick, when in fact, it's gross this week was on a par with last week's despite the expansion. This caused it's per screen average to plummet. Still, not bad, but no word yet on how it did in the one theatre it played in Wyoming. The pony express couldn't deliver the data in time for publication.

 

Dan Dare

http://meetlocalmen.com/mlm/dandarela.html

http://www.geocities.com/dandare_laca/DanDare4Hire.html

[+ Hoover42]

IMDBPro.com reports that Brokeback Mountain's per-screen average of $13,599, is higher than any of the current top ten grossing films in the market.

 

The next highest per-screen averages are Munich ($11,355), and King Kong ($9,305)

 

Note: These figures were taken from last Friday's report, the most current date for which data was reported for all films.

 

...Hoover

[trilingual]

In beautiful Kansas City, buckle of the Bible Belt (the place where they want to repeal evolution, at least in Kansas ) BM is currently playing at 3 theaters: one huge multiplex in Olathe, a Kansas suburb famous locally for its mega-churches and extreme right-wing evangelicals, and at two of the local "art" houses, one in the Kansas suburbs and the other in the central city on the Missouri side. From looking at the schedules, the film must be playing on more than one screen at the Olathe multiplex, with shows every couple of hours from noon to 10:00 p.m. Similar extensive showings at the two "art" houses.

 

As it happens, I'm in Rio, so I don't know how long the film will keep playing such schedules, or if it will even still be showing in K.C. by the time I return at the end of January. I haven't seen any official opening dates yet here in Brazil, but I saw a poster for it in the lobby of the new Arteplex in Botafogo where I caught a sneak preview of "The Producers." It's been announced for February in Buenos Aires, so it may open in Brazil at the same time. There's been lots of news coverage of the film in both countries, so it will probably do well here. BTW, there was a surprisingly good size audience for "The Producers" sneak, considering it was the evening of Xmas Day. The Portuguese subtitles were pretty good (sometimes they aren't) but the lines go by so fast it's hard to keep up with them. Still, the audience seemed to be understanding everything and laughing at the right places, and there weren't many gringos in the audience. My friend and I enjoyed it a lot, and the local critics give it 3 stars (out of 4). Sometimes you just need an evening of real absurdity, and this was a treat!

[+ ArVaGuy]

RE: "Brokeback" - Don't Forget the Book

 

I saw the movie yesterday with friends in Dupont Circle. It was packed of course but that's to be expected in the gayborhood. There was a good number of heteros there, older couples mostly, which was interesting. Heath Ledger was outstaning -- its likely his best work yet and makes up for the Brothers Grimm.

 

Guys, don't forget the book is available as well. Its really just the short story in more like booklet form. Great for in-flight reading or the subway. I am sure its avaiable on Amazon but better yet, go to your local bookstores and ask for it. I may be one of the few people left who seldom buy books on line. I much prefer the smaller independent stores anyway and would rather support them than a huge dotcom. Plus when I buy my books I want to read them immediatley rather than wait for the postman.

[+ deej]

RE: "Brokeback" - Don't Forget the Book

 

For more immediate gratification, it's available in PDF several places around the net. Google should cough it up fairly easily.

[Guest bighugbearphx]

An article in Tuesday's VARIETY confirms that, as a result of unprecedented demand by theatre owners and the public, Focus Features has announced that the planned "wide" release of "Brokeback Mountain" in the US has been accelerated to January 6 rather than the 13th.

 

The film originally opened in three theatres in the US on December 9th, and expanded to the current 69 theatres on the 16th. The original plan was for it to increase to 250 screens on January 13th. Now, it will expand to an estimated 300-400 screens on January 6th, and likely another 100 or so screens (those originally scheduled for that date, which were unable to move it up a week) on the 13th. Most theatre owners have expressed a desire to get it on as many screens as possible, as soon as possible.

 

Here in Phoenix, where it is appearing on two screens at the Camelview 5 theatre, a Harkins Theatre spokesperson said it broke a 20-year old record for the most tickets sold per screen, selling over 8,000 tickets in its first weekend, significantly more than the previous record held by the musical "Chicago." They had to open a rarely-used second box office to keep the lines manageable, and the film also doubled the record for online ticket sales through MovieTickets.Com.

 

The reporter in the Arizona Republic, movie critic Bill Muller, says that Focus Features was being overly cautious in releasing the film, due to the gay content. The spokesman for Harkins explained that the strategy was to premiere the film in most cities at theatres that have a reputation for showing "art" films, the audience for which would be more accepting than the general population of a film with gay characters and situations. Muller concludes that "the popularity of Brokeback Mountain should convince studio heads that serious movies with gay themes shouldn't automatically be consigned to art theatres. Given the movie's multiple awards to date and its director and cast - Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams - Brokeback is more mainstream than avante-garde. In the meantime, they'll still be lining up around the block at the Camelview."