tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post9015718596269896528..comments2024-03-29T08:44:59.154-05:00Comments on The Signal Watch: The Curious Case of Tom Cruise and The Fall of the Star SystemThe Leaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-52771041250034011612010-06-30T13:08:55.342-05:002010-06-30T13:08:55.342-05:00My theory: People like fart jokes and slap-sticky...My theory: People like fart jokes and slap-sticky comedy. This movie promised that sort of stuff in spades.<br /><br />Its also an interesting question between Stars and Trusted Actors. Certainly not every Adam Sandler (and especially not every Chris Rock movie) has been a raging success. I'd go so far to point to Sandler as at least semi-representative of the Star System ideal, but he seems to be adapting with an ensemble movie, and bringing in enough of his colleagues to make it work, somewhat like comedies like "The Hangover" have done, but which Sandler's "Funny People" failed to draw.<br /><br />But when the guy can sell tickets to "You Don't Mess with the Zohan", he's a pretty darn good argument that I am wrong. And people like some really dippy stuff.The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-89279331421873060982010-06-30T07:06:38.614-05:002010-06-30T07:06:38.614-05:00Your numbers look right. Maybe very profitable is ...Your numbers look right. Maybe very profitable is an overstatement. If that's how much it costs to make this movie, then I agree with you more strongly than I did initially.<br /><br />I still think opening against a Pixar movie in its second week is kind of idiotic, and definitely part of the problem. Which is another way of saying, "I am super impressed it did so well, when the only things the movie had going for it are Cruise and Diaz."<br /><br />Perhaps you are right, though. My expectations for the movie were lower than Hollywood's, and that's a problem for them. If they were expecting a number one movie against Toy Story, that's kind of ridiculous.<br /><br />Finally, I'll note that a lot of studio peeps are probably getting the wrong lesson from this weekend. They're looking at the strong numbers Grownups put up and thinking: "Hey, maybe Chris Rock and Adam Sandler aren't washed up!" <br /><br />What's your theory for that movie's opening success, which had to have actually surpassed expectations?Marshalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07444928977781912680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-72085446660616305562010-06-29T14:10:56.746-05:002010-06-29T14:10:56.746-05:00I have no particular bone to pick with Cruise. Wa...I have no particular bone to pick with Cruise. Watchable? Possibly. Profitable? "Knight and Day" reported costs of $150 million just to produce (that's before tacking on $10's of millions for marketing, and god knows what the real number was). Anything less than a $45 million domestic opening will have been far below studio estimates. Movies generally see a 50% drop off in week two, and are gone in 4 - 5 weeks.<br /><br />Break even after Blu-Ray is a best case scenario at this moment, unless Asia decides this movie totally rocks.<br /><br />"The sky is falling" is far from the intent here. It's recognizing a shift in what draws people to movies, not suggesting any disaster. I'm using Cruise as the most obvious target here, and asking why entertainment media writes fakes articles, mystified about a mediocre opening anyone could have predicted.<br /><br />The Star System was deeply important circa 1995, and Cruise continues to perpetuate that model (and a narrative the entertainment media has been comfortable with since the 1920's), despite a lack of evidence that he provides the draw that can support the model. Or that ANY actual personality would be the force that sells tickets to support a $150 million dollar movie in 2010.<br /><br />In many ways, the movie is a bellwether for what Hollywood will and won't be willing to risk money on in 2011. I am betting aging film stars and standard-issue action plots won't be it.<br /><br />Also, I have no recollection of Interview with a Vampire other than that it was sort of boring and I may have hit fast forward through a large part of the middle.The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-38000342422310592612010-06-29T13:45:03.168-05:002010-06-29T13:45:03.168-05:00I just want to point out that all this crazy "...I just want to point out that all this crazy "sky is falling" crap is a little pre-mature for a film that took in 27 million opening against Toy Story III.<br /><br />This movie's going to be very profitable, and probably quite watchable. Haven't seen it. I think Cruise 1) Shot himself in the foot trying to be the lead in "serious" pictures (which, as you point out, turn out to be serious embarrassments) 2) Is still capable of creating something large numbers of people will watch. In part because he's so damn watchable when he's not trying to impress you with his "serious" face.<br /><br />I concede it's possible that the only reason I still favor Cruise is that I can't thank him enough for providing the only watchable moments in <i>Interview with a Vampire</i>.Marshalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07444928977781912680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-24571464697171100452010-06-29T10:52:34.002-05:002010-06-29T10:52:34.002-05:00Tom Cruise, in roles and in life, sort of makes th...Tom Cruise, in roles and in life, sort of makes this face that lets you know he's got the moral upper hand. You saw it in A Few Good Men, and you saw it when he was dressing down Matt Lauer for being "glib". I sort of felt that "Born on the 4th of July" was two straight hours of "I'm Tom Cruise in crazy make-up making this face so you'll know how serious I am". <br /><br />Not a terrible movie, but not outstanding.<br /><br />Honestly, I never saw Magnolia (which I feel bad about), not Vanilla Sky (which I do not feel bad about).<br /><br />But, yeah, "Vanilla Sky" was probably the canary in the mineshaft for folks to see that Cruise wasn't able to carry just any old kind of movie anymore. <br /><br />Its certainly true that Cruise and other stars can appear in, support and provide something to movies that are not all about their role. But those movies aren't usually being made around the star, and its a different kind of picture than, say "Let's see Tom Cruise... as a samurai!"The Leaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04836241071795980225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-60951475678001661282010-06-29T09:54:17.915-05:002010-06-29T09:54:17.915-05:00Tom Cruise is as good a star metaphor as any big H...Tom Cruise is as good a star metaphor as any big Hollywood gun for this post, but although a great many of his films aren't outstanding, I did want to point out a couple that I enjoyed that I didn't see on the list here.<br /><br />Born on the Fourth of July: Now, it's been nearly 15 years since I've seen it all the way through, but I do remember being pretty impressed with Cruise's performance as Ron Kovic. A great story of personal transformation.<br /><br />Magnolia: Cruise brings the internal pain that manifests itself outwardly with misogyny.<br /><br />Vanilla Sky: Well, I think I'm one of about 29 people that likes this movie. He does a lot of acting behind a rubber mask. While not entirely successful, his role is kind of meant to simultaneously build the Cruise persona and destroy it.Nathannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-9180462606141657022010-06-29T08:43:48.804-05:002010-06-29T08:43:48.804-05:00I think that Hollywood is suffering from the same ...I think that Hollywood is suffering from the same kind of thinking that the software industry has been guilty of for many years. You may have heard of the axiom "Nobody got fired for buying Microsoft". That just ensures that people never take risks or even think about purchasing decisions. This type of thinking works up until a point that it just doesn't anymore. The time of MS has passed. <br /><br />It is worth noting that the axiom used to be "Nobody got fired for buying IBM". To me that means at some point in time someone took a chance on MS and then everyone decided to do the same thing.<br /><br />I guess I'm trying, and failing, to draw and analogy between the current transition from the Hollywood star system to our new commodity system. Hollywood is at the point now where they won't take a chance on anything that doesn't already have a track record on TV, books or comics. This kinda works as long as they don't mess with what made the property popular in the first place. Poor, poor Jonah Hex.<br /><br />Honestly, I've never liked Tom Cruise as an actor. There are many movies I just haven't watched because he's in them. I've never seen Top Gun completely. I've seen bits and pieces on TBS but that's about it. <br /><br />I just looked Cruise up on IMDB and here are his movies I've seen start to finish:<br /><br />Cocktail<br />Far and Away<br />A Few Good Men<br />The Firm<br />Mission Impossible<br />Jerry Maguire<br />Mission Impossible 2<br />Minority Report<br /><br />That is about 6 more than I would have liked.Simon MacDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14749383583517044214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7294499213897153104.post-45808248928070054302010-06-29T01:36:27.772-05:002010-06-29T01:36:27.772-05:00Yeah, I heard that Cruise had fired his publicist ...Yeah, I heard that Cruise had fired his publicist and hired a relative prior to the couch-jumping thing.<br /><br />I've also heard that the only working actor who fits the definition of "movie star" currently is Will Smith, who's had a pretty amazing career since "Parents Just Don't Understand".<br /><br />Personally? Actors who will guarantee I'll see the film? Pretty short list. Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Gonzo.<br /><br />Seeing the film in the theater? You must be joking.Fantomenoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02943650057872740425noreply@blogger.com