Oh and BTW, maybe a greater poster could resist posting a comment like this but, urgh, I can't:

"Can't wait until the gay porn industry hears about this one. Could you imagine all the directors rushing to copyright the name "Bareback Mountain" hehe."

Yeah, we've already mentioned this before...

damn...

The poster is an homage to Titanic

see here: http://www.oscarwatch.com

$600 Million, here we come!!!!

The whole thing is getting really interesting... It really needs to be a landmark film to break, for example, $50 Million... but many people are saying It is.

It´s got the reviews, very likely awards, a sentimental story (this is no cold, art house "difficult" film)... but does it have a big enough portion of the straight male audience?

Well, if the movie noticably starts to alienate straight males and right wing ass-holes, then we know it's made a dent into the public concious.

Anyway, don't get me wrong, I know that's not what the movie's about...or what it's supposed to do. It'll definately be interesting to see how it fares though, since it's one of those "unprecedented" box-office moments.

I've read the short story (it's short people, it won't kill you to check it out).


Ok, since there will be spoilers:



The Gyllenhaal character dies, likely killed, in all likeliness by his father. The story is quite disturbing because there is no happy ending or anything close to it. This isn't like Titanic were you have two kids (male/female). These are adults. Two profoundly depressed adults married to two profoundly depressed women whom they don't love (and who suspect and know what's going on between the two men). Plus, there are many different victims. I felt as much if not more for the two women who are forced into the situation against their will. Expect two great performances from the ladies. It's the kind of stuff that is pure gold for actresses.


The film is not only limited in its scope due to the gay theme, but will be limited again due to it being a serious and mature story. One thing that never changes is that, whether young men are straight or gay, most are idiots. Titanic, besides the straight lovers, had a big ship that sunk. This one will have sheep

Anyways, it's basically screwed. It's true that North America has 8-33m gays and lesbians, but aside from most of them not being out, I highly doubt many would choose to go to a public theatre and watch the film rather than in the privacy of their homes. It's one thing doing that in San Francisco and New York, something else when you're in Omaha, Nebraska or Abilene, Texas. Imagine people's surprise there when they go in thinking it's a John Wayne type cowboy flick

A resounding NO! Most (wo)men, any (wo)men, have a hard time sitting through ANY serious film, period. Given that this film is "gay", you think they'll be cool with telling their friends about watching a film like that? To be blunt, the prime male audience for this film is in the age bracket that is most sexually sensitive; most are busy trying to get girls to sleep with them and other men to admire them. A serious film has no chance against such shallow endeavours.


Just think: Million Dollar Baby, with all the hype and Oscars, barely edged past $100m.

Can you really imagine going out with your friends to see a movie like this? wouldn't you feel wierd sitting next to another guy for a movie like this anyway?
(I'm not plainning on seeing this movie at all)

Exactly! People like you will guarantee that this film will not be a big box office success nation-wide. Few things are as reliable as people's prejudices, and few things as consistent It will be big in the major cities, though.

Yeah. You know everytime I go with a friend guy to watch a movie that has a rape or sexual harrassment scene in it I just sit there feeling really odd and uncomfortable...like he's going to molest or rape me.

The shower scene in Jarhead made people figgity and giggly in my audience.

You know, that's funny. I have similar feelings. Only, when I watch a film with a female friend where a woman is being raped or harassed (and who doesn't do that occasionally!), I always get uncomfortable because I fear that my friend will turn to me and violate me in retaliation. Retaliophobia

I keep trying to think of comparisons with other films in terms of how it'll do at the BO, but I just can't come up with any. Box mentioned Million Dollar Baby just edging past $100 million -- with the awards, but minus the alienation factor -- and I also think those are pretty high expectations for Brokeback. Frankly though, I'll be more than happy to label it a success if it breaks $50 million.

I honestly think Brokeback would be considered a success with only $40 million.

I hadn't really thought about how I'm going to go see this movie, and it begs the question. I can't go see it with my friend because that would just be too weird (he's 17 and I'm 29 and that's just... no). Should I go see it alone? HMmmmmmmmmmmm!

Maybe I'll go see it with my friend and his partner. Somehow seeing this in a theater in downtown full of gay men is going to be easier than walking into the suburb theaters to see it.

Yeah, I think I'll just show up to scope out the demographics...could be interesting for a sociology report

Maybe I'll go see it on Christmas day at like 11:30 in the morning

you can pretend you didnt know what it was about.

that's what i do pretty often.

"wtf, wallace and gromit was a claymation kiddie film, give me my cluffin money back"

I kind of agree with you, but have a little bit more faith in the audience. Specially cause for a movie like "Brokeback", $100M would be a dream come true. And yep, "serious" films are not blockbusters. But BBM doesn´t need to be one, either.

It also has something for it: It´s a love story. Yes, an adult one. But an emotional film nevertheless. An important part of the women´s demographic could be interested, certainly the part who doesn´t mind (or likes) two guys getting it on. The great reviews can oply help. Awards consideration? Very likely. Buzz? Check. All this is fine, but probably not enough to make that much money. But then... there is something else.

Controversy.

http://www.drudgereport.com/flash3bm.htm

“Don't try and take what we had, which was wonderful -- the cowboys that settled the state and made it what it was -- don't ruin that image... There's nothing better than plain old cowboys and the plain old history without embellishing it to suit everyone."


Some people are already getting heated up about it. Internet forums are crowded with posts about "Hollyweird" and "Ewww, gross" comments. (Check out IMDB, really ilustrative). There is a big part of America (and the world) that is not exactly pro-gay and is, and will be even more as the release date approaches, enraged by it. And the more succesful it becomes, the angrier they´ll be.

Now, I am not saying this is going to be "The passion of the crist" or "Fahrenheit". But what if this is THE film that gets many straigh men and women who don´t consider themselves homophobic, to look at the other side of the fence and see the right-wing reaction and think "Am I like them? Am I going to miss what It looks like a good film cause the thought of two men making out makes me icky? What´s so wrong about it, anyway?"?

For that, "Brokeback" needs to be a milestone. It needs to be groundbreaking in more than one sense to make a significative dent at the BO, let´s say $50M. That is the challenge, but It´s going to be so damn interesting to see what happens, if It can make it or not. If it does, it could truly be called a "Landmark film". And there are not many of those out there right now...

Go on your own!

(But don´t sit next to anyone... could be extremely dangerous! Specially if the have one of those phalic bottles of water... grossssssssssss!)

If Brokeback Mountain can make The Hour's number at the box office, it'll be a great success.

BJ thinks it will be the lowest grossing major oscar contender of the year.

BJs prediction:

? / 45m-65m

I go even lower. If this one breaks $30 million, it will be considered quite a success. I mean just read it: "It is a love story of two gay cowboys". Does that sound like box-office magnet?

Not realy, but it wouldnt stop me if the film woas good