DUE DATE

Written by Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, Adam Sztykiel and Todd Phillips

Directed by Todd Phillips

Starring Robert Down Jr., Zach Galifianakis and Michelle Monaghan

Ethan Tremblay: "Two and a Half Men" is the reason I wanted to become an actor - especially the second season.

Todd Phillips has been making male no-brainer comedies for quite some time now, with varied results. In 2008, he finally hit the jackpot, Vegas styles, with the international phenomenon THE HANGOVER. With that success, he took Zach Galifianakis’s bearded, beer-bellied buffoon and made him a comedy God in the eyes of guys everywhere and, while he was at it, made himself a bonafide player.

To the victor go the spoils and Phillips was certainly spoiled when he bagged everyone’s favorite charmer, Robert Downey Jr., opposite the aforementioned buffoon (Galifianakis) for his buddy road comedy, DUE DATE. He’s got the pedigree at his disposal – Downey Jr. doesn’t even have to try to get high-strung, expectant father, Peter Highman, down and even Galifianakis has been around enough blocks now to inject a little subtlety into his performance as wannabe actor, Ethan Tremblay – but, just like so much of Phillips’s past work, the antics are all too often just plain stupid instead of stupidly hilarious. It doesn’t help either that Ethan is so awkward at times that he goes from funny to the dreaded realm of uncomfortable.

To buy into DUE DATE, which has decent laughs but very few uproarious moments, you have to buy the really weak chain of events that sets the premise in motion. Peter ends up on a no-fly list after he and Ethan say words like “terrorist” and “bomb” a little too loud on a plane. Peter’s wife (Michelle Monaghan) is giving birth in a few days so he must get home somehow. With his wallet still on the plane, he must accept the offer to ride with Ethan and his masturbating dog, Sonny. Sure his wife could have certainly bought him a train ticket home on-line, but then we wouldn’t get to see these two polar opposites bond by living through several near-death experiences that wouldn’t have otherwise happened had they not gotten into this mess to begin with. Fortunately, the guys that Phillips is aiming for will buy into anything.

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Black Sheep @ The Box Office: Summer 2009!

It is Labour Day today - a day in which no one actually labours too hard, likely because they already went too hard doing something else last night. And as we sit here and recover from our evenings, we are really recovering from the summer as a whole. It all starts back tomorrow, school and sweater weather, that is. The summer blockbusters will make way for pensive Academy fare and before we all put on out glasses and thinking caps, let us raise a glass one last time to the summer of 2009.

(Click on any of the highlighted titles to read the Black Sheep review.)


I wouldn't go so far as to say there is a clear winner at the box office for the summer of 2009 but it can be definitely narrowed down to three. To look at the Top 10 worldwide grosses above, the Top 3 easily outrank the rest of the Top 10 and for different reasons. TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN, was the clear North American winner, pulling in just under $400 million during its summer run, from both regular and more expensive IMAX screens. The surprising international winner was the third installment of the ICE AGE series, pulling in over $640 million outside of North America. Despite these individual successes, one film did better combined and that was the sixth film in the HARRY POTTER series, proving that the franchise is nowhere near losing its magical touch and will likely ride it out through the remaining two installments. Fans were desperate for some Potter love as it had been over two years since the last film and the final book were released. Harry was due and he got his dues in return.


ANGELS AND DEMONS, the sequel to the infinitely more successful DA VINCI CODE, managed a surprise fourth place finish overall. This is the perfect example of how one film's disappointing domestic bow can be easily salvaged by international interest. International interest also saved TERMINATOR SALVATION and the second NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM even pulled in about $50 million overseas more than its domestic total. Contrarily, there are some films that perform significantly better domestically than elsewhere. The most notable example is STAR TREK. J.J. Abrams managed to successfully reboot the ancient franchise for North American audiences but did not drum nearly as much interest around the globe. It was still one of my favorite flicks this summer.


Men behaving badly left its usual mark on the summer box office, most notably with, the runaway success, THE HANGOVER, which performed well both domestically and internationally and the sequel is already in development. I'm not sure how many times we can watch these dopes get plastered and recreate their evenings but I wasn't sure anyone would care this time either so what do I know? Testosterone also fueled hits like Michael Mann's PUBLIC ENEMIES ($97 million in N.A.) and the summer kick starter, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE. Meanwhile, the women continued to prove that summer time is just as much their time as it is the boys'. The Sandra Bullock/Ryan Reynolds romantic comedy, THE PROPOSAL did exceptionally well, with a grand domestic total of $161 million, making the it the 9th biggest domestic summer title out there. And the ladies also enjoyed THE UGLY TRUTH ($87.6 million) JULIE & JULIA ($80.6 Million) and THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE ($55.8 million). Granted those three films combined still come nowhere near what THE HANGOVER made, it is a strong showing nonetheless.


3D added a new dimension to the box office this summer. With a higher ticket price, late summer entry THE FINAL DESTINATION was able to open bigger than any of the previous films in the franchise and G-FORCE was able to cross the $100 million mark for Disney. There was no bigger 3D success this summer though than Pixar's first 3D effort, UP!. UP! pulled in over $290 million domestically, making it the third biggest film of the year so far and the second biggest Pixar film in their history, behind FINDING NEMO, the highest grossing animated film of all time. Pixar will be re-releasing their first hits TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2 in 3D as a double bill for a limited run in October to whet our appetite for their next 3D entry, 2010's TOY STORY 3.


There were no major bombs this summer but there were a number of disappointments. The biggest was certainly BRUNO, which grossed more than $60 million less than Sasha Baron Cohen's breakout, BORAT did and it fell fast, proving that Twitter and texting can kill you dead and it can kill you quick. Other disappointments include Judd Apatow's return to directing, FUNNY PEOPLE ($51 million), the Apatow produced, YEAR ONE ($43 million) and the Sam Raimi directed, DRAG ME TO HELL ($42 million). Incidentally, that last one was actually really good so don't let it slip past you when it is released to rent and own this October.


The summer is also a time for little art movies to rise past the big explosions and make miniature waves of their own. Sam Mendes's AWAY WE GO charmed adult audiences at the beginning of the summer, finishing with a total gross of $9.5 million. Oscar contender, THE HURT LOCKER beat the war movie curse by taking in $11.7 million in limited release. No film crossed over better though that the modern romantic comedy, (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, which allowed the whole world to fall in love with Zooey Deschanel right alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt, to the tune of $28.4 million.


The final days of summer wound down with the reasonable launch of a new franchise based on a toy, G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA. The film pulled in about $141 million domestically and just about the same internationally. They aren't TRANSFORMERS size numbers but they will do for at least one sequel. Quentin Tarantino released what will go on to be the most successful film of his career with INGLORIOUS BASTERDS. The domestic total currently stands at $95 million and it will surely surpass the $107 million domestic gross of the Oscar winning, PULP FICTION. And then there was that phenomenal film about alien occupation on earth that many critics and moviegoers considered to be the best release of the summer, DISTRICT 9. The Neill Bloomkamp directed film has already taken in $103 million and Sony has greenlit not one but two sequels.


Overall, the 2009 worldwide summer box office took in over $10 billion, allowing it to surpass the records established two years ago. Apparently, the summer box office dollar is alive, well and in three dimensions.

Black Sheep's regular box office report will return next week.

Sources: Variety
Box Office Mojo

Black Sheep @ The Box Office: Yes, Sandra Bullock! We Will Marry You.

Albeit a premise that has been done many times before and despite a recently uneven track record for star, Sandra Bullock, North America has proclaimed a resounding, “Yes!” for THE PROPOSAL, as the comedy conquered all at the box office this weekend. I guess everybody loves a June wedding!


THE PROPOSAL had its rehearsal dinner last weekend, where a sneak preview allowed audiences to see the bride before the wedding. While that would ordinarily be considered bad luck, it was the complete opposite here. Like most marriages these days though, it will be the weeks to come that will show whether this marriage will make it to the golden years or end up in divorce.


The week’s other big release generated about as much interest as a high school history lesson. YEAR ONE starring Jack Black and Michael Cera as some of the first people to ever grace this good earth, pulled in a modest average of just under $7K per screen. I would call that historic and I’m fairly certain, it will soon be forgotten.


Meanwhile, the rest of the Top 10 continued to separate the men from the boys as THE HANGOVER, UP!, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2 and STAR TREK all posted declines of 30% or lower. UP! is now in the perfect position to not only become this summer’s biggest hit (so far) but it will also most likely finish its run as the second most successful animated film of all time, behind another Pixar classic, FINDING NEMO.


Below the Top 10, summertime independent, AWAY WE GO continued its successful expansion, with a potential Top 10 appearance likely in the next couple of weeks. FOOD INC and MOON held up solidly, if not spectacularly, in their second weeks. It was Woody Allen though that made the big splash this weekend. After the summer success of his last film, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, Allen returns this summer with his first New York City based film in years, WHATEVER WORKS, starring Larry David. WHATEVER WORKS, which will be reviewed by Black Sheep this week, opened on just nine screens (vs. almost 700 screens for VCB) but pulled in an average of over $31K on those screens for a total of $281K. The film expands next week and will try to match VCB’s $23 million domestic tally, the most for an Allen film is years.

NEXT WEEK: TRANSFORMERS 2 is expected to be the biggest thing this summer and it hits this Wednesday on more than 4000 screens. And you know you’re in trouble when the trailer almost makes you cry; Cameron Diaz returns to screens in MY SISTER’S KEEPER (2600 screens).

Source: Box Office Mojo

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: UP! Stays Up

The forecast did not look good on Friday. Before going into the weekend, prognosticators expected an easy second week win for Pixar’s latest hit, UP! It was then expected that Will Ferrell’s remake, LAND OF THE LOST, would follow in a distant second and R-rated comedy, THE HANGOVER, would post impressive but limited R-rated numbers. Then THE HANGOVER went and captured over $16 million on Friday to win the day and the title of second biggest R-rated comedy opening day in history (behind the $26.8 million one day haul SEX AND THE CITY took in last year). Suddenly the skies were not so clear for another UP! victory.


Ultimately, UP! won the weekend with a slight 35% decline. This marks the shortest second week decline for a Pixar picture since FINDING NEMO, which would eventually go on to become the top grossing G-rated movie of all time with just under $340 million. With no other significant family film or animated feature before the latest ICE AGE installment on July 1, UP! is in a great position to reach similar numbers to FINDING NEMO and will certainly surge past recent hits, WALL-E and RATATOUILLE.


Just because LAND OF THE LOST was being released on more screens, contained a PG-13 rating and starred Will Ferrell, people were expecting it to be the weekend’s big hit. Go figure. I would consider it a testament to a new audience intelligence that they didn’t just go see it because it was big and shiny but then again, they threw a ton of money at THE HANGOVER instead. To be fair, I actually thought THE HANGOVER, directed by Todd Phillips, who directed Ferrell in OLD SCHOOL, would be much better than it was and went to see it opening day as well. I found out very quickly just how sobering an experience it was. Warner Brothers is happy though. The unexpected success of THE HANGOVER affirms that it was the right decision to green light a sequel before the film even hit theatres.


No film came anywhere close to matching the per screen average of this week’s breakout art house success, AWAY WE GO. Directed by Sam Mendes (REVOLUTIONARY ROAD), AWAY WE GO follows John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph around the country as they search for a place to call home and raise their first child together. The simple and touching story received a mixed reaction from critics but audiences were drawn to it as it pulled in $143K on four screens for an average of nearly $36K per screen. The film will continue to unspool slowly in the weeks to come. Other notable limited releases include SERAPHINE, a French film by Martin Provost. The winner of seven Cesar Awards (the French equivalent of the Oscar), including Best Picture, SERAPHINE pulled in nearly $40K on six screens, for an average $6.5K. And proving further that she is box office poison, Mariah Carey starred in TENNESSEE and brought in a grand total of $10K on 15 screens (most of them actually in Tennessee) for a very un-diva like average of under a grand.


NEXT WEEK: Oh joy … Eddie Murphy is back in IMAGINE THAT (2800 screens). In this one, he bonds with his daughter because her imaginary friends have great stock tips. I enjoyed this premise the first time I saw it on “The Simpsons” when Homer was using Lisa for football tips. And aging A-listers, John Travolta and Denzel Washington go head to head in Tony Scott’s remake of THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123. On the smaller side of things, look for documentary, FOOD INC, Sam Rockwell vehicle, MOON and the latest Francis Ford Coppolla attempt to recapture his creditability, TETRO.

Source: Box Office Mojo

THE HANGOVER

Written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
Directed by Todd Phillips
Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galafinakis and Heather Graham


Stu Price: Why are you peppering the steak? You don’t even know if tigers like pepper.
Alan Garner: Tigers love pepper. It’s cinnamon they don’t like.

I think its fair to say that anyone who will see THE HANGOVER knows the pain of waking up to the birds chirping cheerfully outside and the sun shining brightly through the curtains, all the while wishing that it would all go away so you can sink into the hell you brought upon yourself. I myself have certainly shuffled back and forth between my bed and the toilet more mornings that I care to recall. What I don’t understand though is why anyone who does know this excruciating pain would choose to visit it voluntarily on the big screen. While watching THE HANGOVER does not inspire the same kind of nausea as a night of serious drinking, it does capture the subdued tone of the dreaded morning after pretty well. I stopped drinking excessively specifically to avoid this tone and THE HANGOVER is nowhere near a good enough reason to go back there.


From the moment THE HANGOVER begins, the voice is unmistakable. A wedding is being set up, from the flowers at the ends of the aisles to the frilly icing on the cake. As we know that we are about to watch a buddy movie where four guys get wild and rowdy on a Las Vegas bachelor party, there is no question that director, Todd Phillips, is speaking distinctly to the men out there and that the beautiful floral arrangements and final wedding details are meant to be ridiculed. Look at how preposterous all these finishing touches are, men. Aren’t women completely out of their heads for spending so much time on all of this? Let’s go get drunk already. If you’re the type of man who thinks that tired and immensely ignorant setup is hilarious than you may very well love THE HANGOVER. After all, it isn’t long after this that you get to delight in the demonizing of women as every one we meet is controlling, manipulative and callous. It’s all very modern bride.


THE HANGOVER is not about the women though; it is all about the men and their bond. The trouble is that I didn’t see anything remotely redeeming about this sad pack of losers. The groom himself, Doug (Justin Bartha), is completely uninteresting but that doesn’t matter as he is misplaced for the majority of the film. His impending brother-in-law, Alan (Zach Galafinakis) is a fat, furry troll of a man who is socially inept to the point of extreme discomfort – painful awkwardness is always a pleasure to watch on screen. Doug’s buddy Phil (Bradley Cooper) is ruggedly handsome but he steals field trip money from his elementary school class to spend at the tables and has zero respect or appreciation for his wife and child so it isn’t so easy to find him endearing. In fact, the only one of the bunch that is remotely winning is Ed Helms as Stu Price. Of course, Stu is completely whipped so you’ve got to love the guy. Poor thing has to answer to someone else; it is so horrible that people should be expected to be held accountable to the person they claim to love.

Frankly, I couldn’t have cared less what happened to these guys as I wish that less guys like this actually existed. Really, how am I supposed to root for guys who are so dumb that they would leave a baby in a parked car alone? While Philips is savvy enough to structure THE HANGOVER so that we piece the mysterious evening together at the same time as they do, it all amounts to these unappealing characters going from scenario to extreme scenario asking people if they remember anything about their interactions from the night before. It also doesn’t amount to very many laughs so maybe the real hangover isn’t from a heavy night of drinking but rather an excessive indulgence in overdone average dumb guy comedy.

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