Clerks director Kevin Smith had a lot to say about America’s decision to see Wild Hogs over Zodiac on his new podcast (SModcast) a couple weeks back. Now the director is outraged over this weekend’s box office results.
“What’s Costner’s line in J.F.K. again? ‘God, I’m ashamed to be an American today…’” wrote Smith. “Perhaps that’s overstating it a bit, but for me? It applies in this situation.”
“I’d say the problem was America most definitely was at the movie theaters this week - which is why the stuff that grossed higher than Grindhouse… grossed higher than Grindhouse,” Smith wrote. “That’s the third fantastic film of the year which has failed to attract the audience it richly deserved in its opening week. Add Grindhouse to a list that includes Black Snake Moan and Zodiac.”
I agree with Smith’s comments (with exception of Black Snake Moan). I don’t understand the recent disconnect with good films and America’s movie-going decisions.
April 9th, 2007 at 9:04 am
Is that a failure? Both 3 films are targeted a niche community, and hitted them well.
Aren’t we expecting too much? All the major box office movies are high budgeted big block busters….
April 9th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
He mentions movies which have “failed to attract the audience it richly deserved in its opening week” and he didn’t mention The Lookout… which was even better than Zodiac. Hard to believe after seeing the trailer, but so very true.
April 11th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Seriously, does anyone really listen to Kevin Smith today?
Grindhouse failed becuase its another regurgitated homage in a tired genre. Death Proof was expecially
boringly bad. Tarantino is uncool these days, Smith so happens is palsy walsy with him,
to give himself filmmaker cred which he poorly lacks in abundance!
April 12th, 2007 at 7:13 am
I find it ironic that there’s an ad for a crappy Nicolas Cage movie embedded in a news article about audiences choosing junk over quality.
April 12th, 2007 at 8:37 am
Listen, I understand where Smith and others are coming from, but damn it, get with the times buddy! ADULTS are increasingly staying at home, opting to watch DVDs instead of going out to the movies. That leaves the movie-going audience increasingly being the segment that doesn’t want to stay home: Teens. So what can anyone expect when an ADULT movie is not grossing the same as some idiotic teen flick?
Just get with the times man. Grindhouse will make a killing in DVD sales. (I know I for one want to see it, but 3:10min in a theater… no thanks!)
April 12th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Kevin Smith needs to grow a brain. Awww, Americans decided that they DIDN’T want to wallow in the cesspool of craptastic idiocy that was “Grindhouse”. Boy, that’s SO sad.
It’s a pretty good indication of how COMPLETELY out of touch guys like Smith (and apparently, 81% of RT’s critics) are with the rest of Humanity that they’re honestly confused by the fact that people did NOT want to see a movie that features jars of testicles, melting penises, a nude, butchered woman trussed up like a turkey in front of her screaming children, a knife through a girl’s groin, and a guy having sex with a severed head.
Seriously, some of you need to seek professional help if you HONESTLY thought that a movie like “Grindhouse” was going to become a mainstream hit. As for Kevin Smith… yeah, he and his fanbase of 40-year-old stoners can go directly straight to hell, because I think I speak for just about every NORMAL person in America when I say: “Go back to making your own crappy movies Kev, instead of shilling crappy movies for other people.”
April 14th, 2007 at 6:20 am
Wow because Blades of Glory is a better decision? John Heder has never been
funny because he doesn’t have any jokes or talent, just a retarded voice. Kevin Smith is an amazing writer and I agree that it’s a complete shame when stupid movies get more ticket sales than movies with any content and originality. Who needs another movie about a sport with Will Ferrel playing an eccentric sport’s star? Taladega was good, but stop it damnit!
I don’t think it was the writers or anything, I think it was solely based on the amount of time you have to sit at the theaters. I think people went “3 hours in a movie theater? doesn’t look THAT good.” It’s not like LOtR or something like that, it’s a niche movie, and it won’t appeal to people that don’t enjoy tht kind of thing with a 3 hr running time because it makes it that much harder for people to go out of their way to see it.
April 16th, 2007 at 12:14 am
Kevin is right…Grindhouse was amazing and America’s tast in general is a joke…mainstream movies, music and just about everything else is HORRIBLE. Grindhouse is pure entertainment from beginning to end. People like Maven need to lighten up and relax…stop trying to fit people into categories…”normal”, “stoners” etc.
I’m 29 years old, financially stable, fun loving and not much of a pot smoker but I still dig Smith movies and Grindhouse…and many others like it…it’s FUN and ENTERTAINING…jars of balls and all!
April 16th, 2007 at 12:17 am
…and yeah. The reality is it BARELY matters what a movie does during it’s theatrical release…the money is in the DVD market plain and simple. I’m sure Rodrguez, Tarantino, Smith and just about everyone else would rather have good reviews, poor theatrical release and then sell MILLIONS UPON MILLIONS of DVD’s….the game has changed but they are still making the money!
April 16th, 2007 at 8:03 am
I need to “lighten up”? Given that I’m not the one who lost over 80 million dollars on “Grindhouse”, it appears to me that I’m not the one who needs to adjust his attitude. Grindhouse fell down below EVERY other newly released movie this weekend, and was even below “300″ which has been out for quite a while now. It appears to me that it’s guys like D@N who need to re-evaluate their views on movies.
April 16th, 2007 at 9:51 am
Excuse me… Kevin Smith, the mega producer is upset because this crappy corny cheesy movie failed… poor baby… This means a lot coming from a guy who makes movies about standing outside a video rental store all day with an even bigger loser….
American film sucks and Kevin is a big part of it…
April 19th, 2007 at 6:36 am
i haven’t seen any movies directed by jason bourne
so i would think kevin smith has a better opinion than you and if you knew any thing about this topic you would know that kevin agrees taht the jay and silent bob dick and fart jokes have grown a little old (no matter how good)and the is why he is making red state
April 19th, 2007 at 6:51 am
@Maven
Nobody lost annything on Grindhouse DVD is not out and GH will sell like more than enght, theatrical release is not much more than a good advertising for the dvd D@N is right I am 22 and like Kevs fliks and I don’t belive that kev is just buttkissing Tarantino he isn’t doing it on Afflecks movis, so why Tarantinos.
And to evrybody who post this “Who listen to smith annyway ..blabla fat jerk..blabal”
Than DON’T FUCKING LISTEN
I am loking forwart to see Grindhose, but I am german so I have to wait till 07.26.07
I think i oder the USA DVD :(
April 24th, 2007 at 6:16 am
“Grindhouse failed becuase its another regurgitated homage in a tired genre. Death Proof was expecially
boringly bad. Tarantino is uncool these days, Smith so happens is palsy walsy with him,
to give himself filmmaker cred which he poorly lacks in abundance! ”
-Yeah, what this guy said.
Smith is nothing but a clueless neurotic who has no business in the film industry. Proof being that he has had to publicly apolygize for TWO films he has released (I think he needs to step up and apolygize for that dump swill of a sequel he just put out too). Time to SIT DOWN, fatboy.
April 24th, 2007 at 8:34 am
Grindhouse failed because of poor marketing to middle America. Think about it…..to middle America grindhouse sounds either like a slasher flick or a coffee shop. It isn’t either one. Then you see the posters which said Death Proof and Planet Terror. Hmmm….so lets see Mom and Pop Joe American is NOT going to rush out to see something they are not entirely sure what it is. Add to that it is over 3 hours long and I think everyone involved with Grindhouse needs a big WTF were you thinking?? Peoria isn’t going to see this flick. I consider myself a movie buff but i was born in the 70’s so i missed the entire Grindhouse experience they were trying to capture. I think anyone who believed that a micro-niche film was ever going to be mainstream needs some help.
April 25th, 2007 at 12:33 am
@Hellmonkey
” Proof being that he has had to publicly apolygize for TWO films he has released”
WTF, ok I know you mean jersey girl and mallrats ,but mallrats ok it did do on the big screen but it did extremly good on dvd otherwise Weinstein woude never give the ok for the 10th jears anaversery and jersey girl wiht the hole benifer thing it had bad critics but again it didn’t do bad on dvd. Kevin didn’t apolygize, for anny movi. Sorry but if you start to make up shit, I am just gona go ahead and tell you some of the stuff I heard.
I heard for 1$ hellmonkey spanks your monkey, I have no back up for this it is just what i heard.
See I can make up shit to, no proof, but I can post it too and feel good about my sellf ;)
Don’t take it the wrong way but I am just tired of hearing some mad up bullshit!!!
April 25th, 2007 at 5:46 am
Yoyoyoyo, fanboy.
If I’m making shit up, as you say, then how do you know I was talking about Mallrats and Jersey Girl, since I never mentioned any film by name?
Apology for Mallrats: 1995 Independent Spirit Awards. Look it up.
Apology for Jersey Girl: 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Ditto (look it up).
My point wasn’t that any of his films did or didn’t make money (Navy Seals made money on DVD too, I’m sure), rather Smith himself didn’t feel very highly of them artistically, otherwise why would he be making public apologies for them? My explaination is that he’s a neurotic hack.
April 25th, 2007 at 9:38 am
Ok You don’t undersand this at all, mabe he did Apology but it was a joke!!
He didn’t like the first reaction on thos two fliks (spacely Jersey Girl) but he is still proud that he made thous fliks.And I didn’t mean they made money, I meand they mad way more money than they costed specely Mallrats, That movie is Kult FACT!!!
Navy Seals had a 20million budget I don’t think it did so well!
Jersey Girl ok it didn’t helb to cast JLO, but I loved Gerog Carlin!!!
Kevon is ok the filiks, the fans are, the Studio ist ok wiht ist, why Apology, don’t take evrything so serious that you read on the net.
April 25th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
“Why apology”, indeed…
April 26th, 2007 at 12:57 am
Hey I am german so apologize or Apology, i don’t give a fuck!!
It was a fucking joke that was taken out of context.
April 26th, 2007 at 6:16 am
Oh, relax. I’m joking too. You’re very defensive. But I shouldn’t be surprised by that since you’re also a fanboy.
April 26th, 2007 at 6:51 am
Hey I am relaxed, I just enjoy cursing, I am the kind of guy that sits in a fancy restaurant an saith to the waiter:” Give me some fucking bread I’m fucking starving, and hurry the fuck up!!!”
;P
Just for the look on his face!
July 9th, 2007 at 3:35 am
Taranteenhole can rest easy. At the Karlovy Vary Film festival in the Czech Republic this weekend, his Death Proof won healthy acclaim which is why they are splitting the films up. I do feel though that his career is finished simply because he hasn’t gauged the zeitgeist on this one as well as he might. Elderly geekery has its window of opportunity, y’know.
January 18th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
“I think I speak for just about every NORMAL person in America”
NORMAL people don’t spend time on forums,being rude for no
reason to people who have their own opinon,like you have.
NORMAL people don’t obsess over directors they say they don’t
like(Eli Roth),like you have.
“Seriously, some of you need to seek professional help”
IRONY
January 19th, 2008 at 9:14 am
to Shawn.
Welcome to 2007, when people still were talking about Grindhouse. Want to give us your insigtful opinion on Watergate now, you pathetic loser?
May 15th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Yes, Welcome to 2008. Lets see did I not see the DVD version of Wildhogs in the $5.00 rack at Wal-Mart while Zodiac was still in the $12.99 and up section? Few people actually venture out to see movies anymore, they wait for the DVD releases with exceptions of films like Star Wars and Indiana Jones that have already made their mark on society and people really want to go see the latest addition to the saga. Didn’t Kevin learn this 2 years ago when Clerks 2 was released?