STOP-LOSS IS D.O.A.: “I’m told #7 Stop-Loss opened to only $1.6 million Friday from just 1,291 plays and should eke out $4+M. Although the drama from MTV Films was the best-reviewed movie opening this weekend, Paramount wasn’t expecting much because no Iraq war-themed movie has yet to perform at the box office.” And yet they keep churning out these antiwar bombs.
Related item here.
UPDATE: Reader Dave McCune suggests “an X-Prize for an Iraq war movie that doesn’t suck:”
Proposed ground rules:
1) US armed forces, allies, and their supporting families are the good guys
2) Jihadis are the bad guys
3) Freedom-seeking civilians are caught in the middle
4) #1 defeats #2 to liberate #3.
How hard can that be? It’d be entertaining, closer to the truth, and would probably make a ton of money.
I know I’d both donate to a prize fund and go see the product.
I suspect a lot of people would.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Don Wolff says it doesn’t matter, as Hollywood will soon be replaced by videogame-based platforms for moviemaking anyway. “One or two more generations in tech development, who’ll need Hollywood to make movies?”
Meanwhile, here’s a less-than-positive review of Stop-Loss: “What is possibly left to say about a poorly produced, poorly acted, poorly directed, and very poorly written anti-war film that defames our troops…? What’s left to say that hasn’t been said about the dozen or so that came before? The only new angle here is that we’re told Stop-Loss is co-written by a conservative. Either this poor guy was steamrolled flat in story meetings or it’s true that Hollywood’s idea of a conservative is someone who only kinda hates President Bush.”
And Tom Brosz emails:
Dave McCune says “I know I’d both donate to a prize fund and go see the product.”
I noticed on your link to Outside the Wire that they are trying to sell 2,900 DVDs to make their point. Maybe you need to plug that a little harder.
Consider it done!
MORE: McCune emails back:
Thanks for the tip about Outside The Wire. I’m going to buy one and then donate it to my local library. Lord knows they already have enough copies of Bowling for Columbine. If any of your readers inquire seriously about starting a prize, feel free to forward them.
Good idea.
STILL MORE: Reader Pete Jernakoff emails:
I’d love to see a movie made from David Bellavia and John Brunning’s book entitled ‘House To House’ which chronicles the US Army’s advance into Fallujah in November, 2004. It is absolutely riveting. And the US Army are the good guys! I cast my vote for Bruce Willis as Staff Sargent David Bellavia.
That would be cool.