Predicting the Movie Hits and Bombs of 2017

Er, hasn't that always been the case?

 

I looked at IMDB and they didn't list a US release, so I thought that meant it'd not come out here.

I poked around and found US reviews but I can't find evidence that the damned thing plays anywhere!

Did it get a super-limited release in the US?

 

Yep, that'll do it! Such bad timing...

 

Not this quickly, no. This is a relatively-recent development since the massive deployment of digital cinema about 6-7 years ago. A movie might be in 3 screens in 1 theater on a Thursday, and then be down to just 1 screen in the same theater on Sunday because it flopped.

Naw, let's agree to disagree. I read pretty much every issue of Spiderman and the derivative Marvel titles from about 1966-1982 (give or take), and read the earlier ones through reprints, so I know the gist of the characters pretty well. I think Marvel made some very wise choices with casting this time compared to the last three people who've played Spiderman on TV and film.

 

Ah I see.

 

Agreed. The multiplexing of theaters seems to make it much easier to pull a movie off screens in a hurry. A shame really, as some pictures just need a few weeks of word-of-mouth to find their legs, so to speak. I've been telling everyone who asks to go see 'Blade Runner 2049' but they balk at the run-time of nearly 3 hours. Long movies are a tough sell it seems...

 

I saw American Made and I thought it was a well made movie, all around.

You never get that "this movie is dragging".

The movie keeps moving.

And, it's based on a true story. As I understand it, it is fairly accurate to the actual events that took place.

 

I have that issue somewhere-he thought there was a salary involved

 

It may have been titled as a Captain America movie, but no way was that a "solo character film[]."

 

Thor is easily the least popular Avenger of the ones that have received solo movies. Even Marvel fans consider his two films some of the more forgettable Disney Marvel films.

 

I agree - I was just picking the ones billed as "solo character films". I realize it was almost an Avengers movie in execution.

Marvel movies that include only one hero seem to have died off for the most part. Did "Doctor Strange" include anyone else? Can't recall...

 

Hulk suffers from the 2 least successful solo films - though he seems to be a largely loved character.

People really hated the 2003 "Hulk", though! The 2008 one was better liked but not more of a hit - I think the stench of the 2003 film contaminated it...

 

Didn't see Strange...forgot it came out...are they about to saturate their market?

 

Doctor Strange was almost entirely a solo movie. It had a couple of references to the Avengers.

 

I liked the 2003 Hulk, but hell, I would see a Telly Tubbies movie if Jennifer Connelly was in it.

 

Thanks! I didn't think any other heroes actually appeared onscreen in it.

I guess the "Guardians" movies don't involve any of the "earthbound" Marvel heroes, do they? They're not "solo films" unless you count the Guardians themselves as one entity.

Of course, they had Howard the Duck cameos, but I don't recall anything related to the heroes we see elsewhere in the MCU...

 

The Ang Lee "Hulk" just seems like it tries way too hard to be deep 'n' meaningful. Which is fine in theory but it just doesn't work in the movie.

The CG Hulk also looked terrible even 14 years ago - though I still don't think they've pulled off a convincing CG Hulk. When I watch the MCU movies, I never buy the Hulk as a living organism - he just has that "CG look" to me...

 

I agree about the appearance in that movie-just did not work at all.

 

I swear to god, there was maybe 12 people in the entire audience last night. Granted, this was a late showing on Sunday night, but at a high-profile Beverly Hills-adjacent neighborhood.

 

Film any good, or meh?

 

L.A.? We know they weren't at a football game!

But that's what happened at my theater, too: maybe 20 people at a weekend showing.

 

West Hollywood?

 

I like the first one a lot.

Second one, yeah, not the best, but still pretty darn good and a money-spinner as well. I'll watch it again any old time.

For me, Marvel has yet to make a real dud. In fact, they've had an amazing run and a lot of filmmakers would love to have Thor: The Dark World in their filmography.

 

Both films had references to Adam Warlock, who has not yet appeared, but will undoubtedly play a part in Avengers Infinity War.