comment #1

AH says ...

I hate to say this but looks like this movie is going to lose money.

comment #2

Devin Faraci says ...

I loved this movie. It is going to tank so badly.

comment #3

dre says ...

Come on American public...surprise us! Hey, The Good Shepherd pulled in 60 mil and I didn't think it was going to bank more than 30.

comment #4

MASON says ...

According to David Poland, all of us and all the critics who love this flick are "suckers."

He just never stops, does he? I love it. What's he going to do next? Predict the best actor winner for next year even though the movie he's in hasn't even started shooting yet?

Wait, he actually did that?

comment #5

Kristopher Tapley says ...

That sounds like a twist on another occurence. I heard David Fincher was so irritated with what Fox did to "Alien 3," that he told them "I brought you a te cup and you turned it into a beer stein." Or something along those lines.

comment #6

dre says ...

Poland is just being an ass. More than a few critics/bloggers like to point fingers at the critical community as a whole when a movie they didn't like is getting mostly raves.

I tend to think there IS a certain portion of the critical community that will wet their thumb and see where the wind is blowing before giving their review BUT on the whole, if people like the movie, they say so. If they don't, they don't.

When Poland is part of the herd, he's right. When he isn't he's still right.

comment #7

Craig Kennedy says ...

I just watched the SE of Alien 3 last night and though it wasn't as bad as I remembered, the problems seemed to begin at the script level. I haven't had the patience to compare it directly to the theatrical cut, but I doubt a great movie could've been made from it no matter what the form. Charles S. Dutton was good though. He's another guy that isn't used in enough good things.

comment #8

jeffmcm says ...

I used to think Poland was right more often than not, and for a long time he was...not so much lately.

comment #9

Geoff says ...

I'm assuming Poland is going to be way off as far as my tastes are concerned. First Children of Men was all style with little substance. Now it's Zodiac. He always needs more more MORE!

comment #10

Craig Kennedy says ...

Does anyone else think sometimes Poland just hates something because Jeff likes it and visa versa?

comment #11

Alan Cerny says ...

I wish they'd just get together and hate fuck. Poland could post it on his video blog.

comment #12

Craig Kennedy says ...

"Nooner with David"

comment #13

le corbeau says ...

I like the gritty texture of Alien 3 but the script starts off so completely destroying the audience vibe from Aliens that it's impossible to imagine the successful movie that could have come from it. Dead Newt in a body bag-- no movie's getting past that.

comment #14

christian says ...

"Dead Newt in a body bag"

exactly.

but sigourney weaver is awesome as usual.

it's still fincher's excessive video camerawork that ruins the film for me. and it's so dark. dark. it's dark.

comment #15

The Movie Man says ...

I think Alien 3 and The Game are undeserving of their neglected step child status within the Fincher filmography. Neither are great movies but they are both good ones, popcorn thrillers that are above and beyond what usually counts as a good thriller these days.

Alien 3 is daring in its perverse undoing of the prior installment (a movie I love), and it has a legitimate existential dread that makes the entire thing hard to shake, and, as christian says, weaver is awesome.

The Game is basically Scrooge dressed up as a Fincher thriller, and the happy ending there is as shocking as the black endings of Alien 3, and Seven. Michael Douglas is terrific playing a part that he admittedly can do in his sleep, and Sean Penn gives one of his last performances before his "GREAT AMERICAN ACTOR" self-consciousness robbed him of seemingly all his humor and spontaniety.

At this point Fincher is not a great director (haven't seen ZODIAC yet), because his movies, with the exception of the hypocritical yuppie rage of Fight Club, aren't really about anything. But Fincher is a good director, and, unlike alot of filmmakers, there's the thrill of never quite knowing what you're gonna get when you walk into one of his films. I see Zodiac tomorrow, can't wait.