Siskel and Ebert and Flops

If you are not producing a movie, if you did not put up the money for a film to be made, the box office receipts should not matter to you. Weekend box office is a molehill the media has turned into a mountain. I am Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times.

"And I am Gene Siskel from The Chicago Tribune. There are many ways films can be successful. The movies that make the most money are not always the best."

RE: Adjusted to inflation, Gone With the Wind is probably the biggest moneymaker. More people saw that film in theaters than any other.

GS: Avatar had surcharges for 3-D or IMAX which made their take a lot higher.

RE: They aren't the only franchise that did that. Every tentpole movie acts like they are going to make their money back. Some do, some don't. I have more respect for Francis Ford Coppola bringing Megalopolis to the masses than I have for a Joker sequel.

GS: Not every movie needs a sequel. Two hundred million dollar musicals have an uphill battle.

RE: They should have consulted Francis Ford Coppola. He funded One From the Heart.

GS: I had to watch that twice to see if I missed something. I barely recall that film.

RE: It is rarely shown. Cocoon is not available on streaming services. That movie made money and could end up a lost and/or forgotten film.

GS: Don't get rid of your DVD's. That is not a way movies can recoup their budgets.

RE: People can still pay too much to watch a movie in a hotel room.

GS: Most movies eventually break even, at least. There are stories about movies with weaker opening weekends. It's not the end of the world.

RE: The sign of a good movie is if it is still relevant after the advertising campaign ends.

GS: Marketing can get a movie through the door. If the film is no good, word of mouth will spread.

RE: Maybe this will cause Hollywood to stop funding bloated superhero movies. You can see where the budget of Megalopolis went. It's on screen.

GS: That movie gestated for forty years. It looked like it would be one of the great unreleased films. I would rather have it available than to think what might have been. It mans more than a Joker musical.

RE: That might take the heat off Cats.

GS: That was a film best forgotten. Did that cause the Covid-19 pandemic?

RE: Conspiracy theories started as a joke -and I understand where you are coming from- lead to nothing good. I think people need to seek out the movies that interest them, regardless of budget, regardless of hype.

GS: Every ticket purchased is a ballot for the kind of movies the public wants to see. Corporations can write off big budget bombs. Try finding John Carter anywhere. Some movies find audiences eventually.

RE: Scarface was considered a bomb upon release. It is now considered a classic. Porky's made a lot of money in the same era and no one recalls that.

GS: We were subjected to that unfortunate trilogy. We're not going back. (to the camera) On that sour note, remember that you did not put up the money for any given film. It does not affect your life if a movie is successful or a failure. Watch the film yourself and choose the best movies for you to enjoy. For Roger Ebert, I am Gene Siskel and the balcony is closed.