************************************ [All sing: Hungry, hungry, hungry...] Dieter: Hey, Duane. Duane: What? Dieter: Your turn. Duane: What, my turn? Dieter: Stack it up. Duane: Oh, alright... You ready? Bottom shelf, rapsberry pie. My mom makes the crust as thick as a steak. Top shelf is a turkey. I'm not talking Thanksgiving big. I'm talking an obscene, enormous, like 35-pound turkey with the breast the size of Jayne Mansfield. [All laugh.] You see what I mean? ...with gravy, stuffing, 6-pack of budweiser... Dieter: No, no, no, no, no. I prefer the Bavarianstein, you know, with a quarter of a gallon, and it's dark and cool, and you get the foam, like going all over the side... Duane (staring at Dieter unhappily): Yeah, ok, but that's your frig. This is MY frig. Alright? Dieter: Oh, I'm sorry. Duane (stare at Dieter, keep going): Six-pack stays where it is... Dieter: Yeah, ok. Duane: Muffins, oranges, ok... a couple dozen eggs, and ooh, a pile of ... a huge pile of pancakes, with tons of syrup, just soaked Dieter: Why always the sweet stuff? Duane: OK, you go ahead. But it's my turn... Dieter (keep talking): Noodles and spam... oh, sorry, go ahead, it's your turn. Duane: Alright. Some cakes... See, you ruined it. Why kept always interruptin' me? God...
综述:2001以来,感恩节的冠军头一次不是上周的“老片”(2001: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"; 2002: "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"; 2003: "The Cat in the Hat"; "2004: "National Treasure"; 2005: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"; 2006: "Happy Feet")。正所谓长江后浪推前浪,一代新人换旧人,可喜可贺(呵呵,说说而已)。"Beowulf"的“失败”自然和此片面向的观众群相对较窄的缘故。本周末前十位票房(三天估算)总额为~$142M,和去年(~$141M)基本持平,基本说明感恩节携家带口或者呼朋唤友的票源非常稳定。
综述:同样是感恩节前一个周末,本周前十位总票房约$93M,仅仅相当于去年同期("Happy Feet"$41.5M; "Casino Royale"$40.8M)的70%,不可谓不萎靡。两部新科魔幻片的表现一部差强人意,一部惨不忍睹。遥想前年此时开画便大收1亿的"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"就更只能摇头兴叹了。下周三蓄势待发的"Enchanted"大概也是满头大汗吧...
#1. "Beowulf" (新) ($28.1M,累计$28.1M) 【预告片里肌肉男的"I - AM - BEOWULF!"的怒吼让人情不自禁地联想到"300",而乱真的图像却让我想起了当年大败的"Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within"。在各地的IMAX和3-D放映厅强势推出和各媒体出奇一致的"B"级中肯评价却并没有给预算为1亿5千万的传说肌肉男带来滚滚的金钱,血本无归几成定论。下次投资者们再看到这种漂亮的真人般的动画可真要捂紧口袋好好想想了。】
#7. "No Country for Old Men" (第二周,本周小规模扩映) ($3.1M,累计$4.9M) 【这部甫一上映便受尽赞扬的科恩兄弟的新作绝对是本周的大赢家:相对于都有3000多家影院上映前的五名选手,只有148家影院上映的农村杀手居然拿了$3.1M (单家平均为~$21k)!下周扩映至800家影院,相信会继续有令人兴奋的表现。】
很多的讨论都在说片子过多地美化了Frank Lucas (Denzel Washing饰)这个把用烈士的棺材走私上百公斤的毒品、骗取压榨着穷人们血汗钱的大毒枭。影片中除了寥寥几个镜头展示着遭受毒品折磨的人们,大部分时间都在用浅显的语言明目张胆地“暗示”观众说,这个Frank其实只要行事得当,完全可以逃脱法律的制裁而乐得逍遥。加上最后Frank和Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe饰)看起来非常快乐的合作,影片的正义倾向性是非常模糊。
把一个剧本如此处理,自然是考虑到两位同等大牌,完全不能委屈了其中一位的缘故。然而两位在影片中同等重要的影帝男主角根本没有面对面飚戏的机会(最后那几乎没有对话的5分钟显然不过瘾),非常令俺失望。另外,由于要照顾到时间分配,故事真正的主线– Frank Lucas这头–在时间上感觉跳跃,血淋淋的发家过程交代相当粗线条(e.g. 他不是要向参加葬礼的人要钱么?怎么要的?买毒品的第一笔巨款哪里来的?),大概便成了我开篇说到“过度美化”的抱怨的最初来源。当然,老Scott牛X之处这里体现出来,他在这不多的时间里穿插着用几个特点鲜明的小故事来勾画Frank的智慧、心计、残忍甚至偶尔却致命的脆弱的一面。人物是刻画出来了,故事的背景却被弱化了。
话说回来,这两位头牌的表演实在是让人心悦诚服,看着任何一位在屏幕上的出现本身就是一种极大的享受。Washington的表演我这通篇零碎有提到,多说也说不出花来。Crowe这回演一个表里如一的(生活作风除外)正义的好警察,虽然角色不如《3:10 to Yuma | 决斗犹马镇》复杂,但是这后者里故事的硬伤让Crowe的任何表演尝试都显得突兀。在A.G.里Crowe如鱼得水,表情动作手到擒来,虽然有老纽约们说他是“带着澳洲和纽约混合口音”的Richie,我是自然听不出也不会去理那套。
“Bumpy was rich, but he wasn't white man rich. See, he wasn't wealthy. He didn't own his own company, he thought he did, but he didn't. He just managed it. White man owned it, so they owned him … Nobody owns me though.”
这句话是给黑兄弟们励志的,不过我看也可以给我们黄种人打打气。似乎"rich but not wealthy"也适合我们中的许多人吧。
【周末榜单】 #1. "American Gangster" (新) [相关链接:先睹为快:American Gangster] ($46.3M,累计$46.3M) 【进入秋季以来的票房低迷被两大“头牌”担纲的A.G.一扫而光,成为2004年来万圣节后的第一个周末开画最高的作品(2004: "The Incredibles" $70.5M; 2006: 仅仅在837家影院开映的票房神话"Borat" $26.5M)。不仅如此,不由得你不信,由超出半数女性观众和大量中老年观众捧场的A.G.的票房至少有三个把第二远远甩在身后的第一:(1) 有史以来开画最高的黑帮犯罪片(#2: "Sin City" $29.1M; #3: "The Departed" $26.9); (2) Denzel Washington有史以来开画最高的电影 (#2: "Inside Man" $29.0M;#3: "" $22.8M); (3) Russell Crowe有史以来开画最高的电影 (#2: "Gladiator" $34.8M; #3: "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" $25.1M)。What?? Are you kidding me?? 原来这两位实力派巨星从来没有票房牛X的一米的作品嘛。】