comment #1

Nick Rogers says ...

"Epic Movie" and "Date Movie" each have one remotely funny parody in play with 80 other minutes of trash. (Haven't seen "Meet the Spartans.") But it is still incredibly depressing to see these movies, jerry-rigged for first-weekend grosses, continue to clean up. It seems a special affront that even John Rambo couldn't take "Spartans" out.

comment #2

vansmith says ...

i mean what can you say the burger crowd has spoken.

comment #3

Reedyb says ...

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public."
H. L. Mencken

comment #4

Noah says ...

I have to wonder if the filmmakers even believe that they have made a funny movie. Do they just put in jokes that they are sure to gets the yuks from less discerning crowds or are they laughing on the set every time "Paris Hilton" says 'that's hot' and slapping each other five while farting?

comment #5

The Winchester says ...

Rambo did kick a lot of ass.

comment #6

ZacharyTF says ...

In 3 days, MTS has made more money than Walk Hard. If I hadn't already lost hope in the American movie-going public, this weekend would have sealed the deal.

comment #7

D.Z. says ...

Yeah, it'd be ok if Rambo lost to Cloverfield, but lame that it won to "Meet the Spartans". Still, for what it's worth, it was a narrow lead, and I imagine this wannabe Zucker/Wayans stuff is going to get old sometime soon. Last time, Epic Movie had a bigger lead over "Smokin' Aces"[Though Universal's ever-shitty marketing is likely to blame for that.], so the tide is turning.

comment #8

Craptastic says ...

The next Rambo film should be about a group of 15 year-olds from the heartland that beg John Rambo to drive them to see "Meet The Spartans". He warns them that it isn't safe, they might not come back alive.

However, the cute girl in the group mentions that she likes his headband... so the old softy gives in.

Hours after dropping them off, one of the kids parents arrives to tell Rambo that they were never heard from again.

It's up to Rambo to save them from the powers of the unfunny movie that has held them captive in the theater and refuses to let go until they promise to tell all of their friends to see it as well.

Cut to Rambo looking pissed.

I'll leave it up to you guys to finishes this...

comment #9

D.Z. says ...

Craptastic: Good one.

comment #10

BurmaShave says ...

Sorbo beats Stallone? Was wird aus dieser Welt?!!

comment #11

rocco says ...

Zach, I'm a fan of John C. Reilly and smart comedies, but I had/have no desire to see Dewey Cox...it just looks exhausting.

comment #12

D.Z. says ...

Damn, they're doing a Wild Hogs 2. http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/080127g.php

comment #13

christian says ...

Isn't MTS rated PG?

RAMBO is hard R and not likely to draw dates.

comment #14

Smurf says ...

12-14-yr-olds have NEVER seen Airplane, Hot Shots or Naked Gun, so when they see new ads featuring goofy references to 2007 blockbusters, they are momentarily smitten like rats to a Pied Piper - they aren't old enough to recognize a crapper from a lazy film team notorious for crappers - simply kids out for a good time with buddies, naively generous, willing to give such modern spoofs a $10 chance in hopes of a fun comedy classic their gen can call their own. Similarly, why Uni's delivering Fast & Furious 4.

comment #15

siamesecat says ...

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public."

And yet this film will clean up overseas as well.

comment #16

siamesecat says ...

"12-14-yr-olds have NEVER seen Airplane, Hot Shots or Naked Gun, so when they see new ads featuring goofy references to 2007 blockbusters, they are momentarily smitten like rats to a Pied Piper - they aren't old enough to recognize a crapper from a lazy film team notorious for crappers - simply kids out for a good time with buddies, naively generous, willing to give such modern spoofs a $10 chance in hopes of a fun comedy classic their gen can call their own."

Reason enough to deprive these kids of their allowances.

comment #17

Dave says ...

Rambo is most definitely NOT a date movie. Unless you have the awesomeest GF ever.

That said, I was surprised at how much I liked it, but still somewhat ashamed that I did. It's every bit as blood-porn as something like Passion of the Christ, only without the (partially) redeeming religious/moral messages.

It's "People piss Rambo off. Rambo kill people. Blend."

Was I entertained? Damn straight I was. By .50 caliber rounds exploding bodies apart, flaming viscera, children being tossed in fires, limbs being hacked off, heads being shot off, women being raped, etc., etc.

How this is really much different than something Eli Roth would do, I don't know.

Yet. . . I still cheered. It's ridiculous, the movie is totally ridiculous, yet I stilled cheered.

Cathartic AND repulsive, all at the same time.

comment #18

K. Bowen says ...

Is it just me, or did cloverfield kinda tank this second week? I wasn't expecting that large of a drop.

comment #19

Thrudvangar says ...

http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/rambo-death-chart.jpg

Compares the four Rambo films.

comment #20

MikeSchaeferSF says ...

K. Bowen: Yup, Cloverfield dropped something like 68% (!). I saw it Wednesday nite in SF, the crowd was older, including many groups of gay men (bears like their sci-fi, apparently), and the theater was *very* crowded for a weeknight. And that surprised me, I figured word-of-mouth would've kicked in by then and the older folks would've crossed it off their list.

comment #21

Craig Kennedy says ...

I know it delivered exactly what it promised so I'm a complete tool for complaining, but Rambo was a joyless piece of shit.

comment #22

tfresca says ...

We are at war the economy stinks. People just want to laugh. These movies at least LOOK funny even if they aren't Epic and Date movie are complete trash. But as a society we are looking for escapist material