Bayistas:

I have one more pass to go see a free screening of Stardust on Thursday. It's at 7:30 at the AMC Van Ness - it's a press screening, so getting there early-ish (like 7) is advised. If anyone would like to join Suzi and myself, please let me know!

I'm in, juliana!

Unless, er, someone already e-mailed you or something.

Also, happy birthday!

Hmmm. I just noticed Captivity is co-written by "Joseph Tura". That's a made up name if ever I saw one. Wonder what that's about.

From boston.com:

Finicky film freaks will recognize "Joseph Tura" as the name of Jack Benny’s character in the classic ‘‘To Be or Not To Be,’’ which means someone’s hiding under a pseudonym and it’s probably Joffe.

How is that made up? I don't get it.

ETA: And ita comes through.

I was kind of surprised that Captivity TANKED at the box office. Horribly. Then I noticed that only a thousand theatres even carried it. And it was still beaten by Sicko.

I was kind of surprised that Captivity TANKED at the box office.

Despite all the hullabaloo, I thought it still kinda looked bad.

There's probably a lot of markets where they wouldn't open it thanks to all the bad press. "Family theater" chains and the like.

I was kind of surprised that Captivity TANKED at the box office.

I guess misogynistic fictionalized torture and rape just don't bring 'em in like they used to.

Despite the low theatre count (er, for a wide release), it's per screen average was still rubbish. It tanked. Given the amount of media hype, you would have thought it would have done better, so I think Steph is correct.

The studio tried to play a strange (but obvious) game towards the end -- they sighted the film as an example of female empowerment, for example, then had a launch party which they told the media in advance would send women's groups nuts, and had things like this at the launch party: [link]

That party also had the banners the MPAA had demanded they remove from distribution up. The MPAA got them to take them down at the party. It was a cynical publicity attempt.

I've been looking at Lion's Gate recently, and 'torture porn' accounts for just over half a million dollars of their theatre gross for the last few years, and totals $2bn (estimated) with DVDs.

Given the amount of media hype, you would have thought it would have done better

If media hype couldn't make Snakes On A Plane a hit, even gawking curiosity shouldn't make a big difference to Captivity's numbers.

I guess misogynistic fictionalized torture and rape just don't bring 'em in like they used to.

Steph, may I tag?