This past weekend at the movies has got to be one of the most pathetic and dull in quite some time, and the lethargic numbers at the box office are evidence. I've been meaning to go see Open Range but haven't had the chance due to familial obligations, but for viewers who already saw it or have no interest, there wasn't much else out there unless you're dying to see S.W.A.T. or Freddy vs. Jason, or if you live in select cities there was the well-received Thirteen.

For those of you stuck in the wide release markets (which is most of you) the only other new offerings were My Boss's Daughter - a complete dud starring Ashton Kutcher and Tara Reid that sat on a shelf for nearly two years - and The Medallion - what appears to be a mediocre Jackie Chan flick out of Hong Kong. Has anyone else noticed that the only decent Jackie Chan movies are the ones that co-star another male actor (Rush Hour 1 & 2 with Chris Tucker, Shanghai Noon & Knights with Owen Wilson) and not an actress (The Tuxedo with Jennifer Love Hewitt)? Oh, I almost forgot - Marci X starring Lisa Kudrow and Damon Wayans was another new release over the weekend, which apparently was also forgotten by Paramount's marketing department. What a disaster.

I would talk more about the numbers, but I don't think anyone really cares about Freddy vs. Jason staying on top for the second weekend in a row (myself included). This is definitely what you'd call the late summer malaise, which is either the result of audiences getting burnt out and needing a break, or simply that studios always decide not to release anything worthwhile this time of year. Maybe they're distracted by the Toronto Film Festival, or perhaps they just assume the kids will be too busy getting back into the swing of things at school. I honestly have no interest in anything until the weekend of September 12th, when suddenly audiences will have to choose from Cold Creek Manor, Cabin Fever, Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Matchstick Men.

Posted August 26, 2003 | link