It seems more likely it'll be #1 Friday but #2 over the weekend (with PANTHER on top).

Final Destination 3
12:15am, 500 seats, completely packed ($20M is a lock - not even WASC sold out last weekend)

Trailers
Running Scared
16 Blocks
The Hills Have Eyes
Stay Alive
Slither
Take the Lead

Movie
Absolutely loved it. I might have to watch it again, though, as the audience was so wild, it was kind of hard not to have a great time watching this film. Similar to Saw II, this movie surprised me at how good it could be. The deaths were just awwwesome. Better than all the first two films' deaths. Although the actual roller coaster incident was poorly filmed and kind of cartoon-ish, I loved it. Great pacing as well. I was entertained throughout. Probably the most fun I've had in a movie in a long time. I'll see it again, but for now, it's definitely the best film of this year so far.

Final Destination 3 sold out AMC Mercado's midnight show as well, something a film rarely does here. The 9:30pm one was of course sold out as well. Peaked in Pink Panther's 9:50 show, and it's about 60-70% full. Went to watch Firewall at 10:50pm, and it's about 30% full. The movie is pretty bad. The last 30 minutes saved it somewhat from a complete disaster, but it's just way too dull the first 2/3. A C grade. I was more entertained for the 40 minutes spent watching FD3 on the aisle (we got there at 10:15pm).

Doubtful. PANTHER will be at least a couple million behind it, probably more.

Look what happen today at my theater (before 6:45)

Curious George (400 seater)
12:35 - 36% full.
1:45 - 28% full.
3:05 - 32% full.
4:30 - 30% full.
5:45 - 28% full.
(Excellent increase from yesterday's matinees. It did 175% better than yesterdays matinees).

Pink Panther
12:30 (200 seater) - 47% full.
1:30 (160 seater) - 44% full.
2:45 (175 seater) - 52% full.
3:30 (200 seater) - 73% full.
4:25 (160 seater) - 64% full.
5:25 (175 seater) - 53% full.
6:25 (200 seater) - 77% full.
(Wow, this really made up from the terrible business it did yesterday. It increase 246% from the same 7 shows from yesterday).

Firewall
1:00 (175 seater) - 33% full.
2:15 (300 seater) - 22% full.
4:05 (175 seater) - 33% full.
5:05 (300 seater) - 18% full.
6:45 (175 seater) - 75% full.
(Another film destined for a big increase. It did 90% better than the same set of shows yesterday).

Final Destination 3
12:40 (600 seater) - 12% full.
1:40 (600 seater) - 8% full.
2:40 (300 seater) - 27% full.
3:40 (600 seater) - 17% full.
4:50 (600 seater) - 22% full.
5:40 (300 seater) - 44% full.
6:35 (600 seater) - 19% full.
(It did 120% better than yesteday's set of matinee shows).

Also.

When a Stranger calls made up alot of ground from yesterday too. The 5:35 got 60% full (250 seater).

Big Momma did good business too. The 6:30 got 52% full (250 seater)

Brokeback did 120% better than the same two shows yesterday. Nanny Mcphee did 359% better than the same two shows yesterday, but Hoodwinked made up the most ground. Yesterday, it did 13 people for the first 2 shows. It did 66 today (for a 408% increase).

Also, the 4:10 Capote got 67% full (90 seater).

The 4:35 King Kong got 56% full (110 seater).

the 4.25 Munich got half full (90 seater). Other films had nice increases too (except for Something New, which barely increased).

Overall, it got pretty busy for a Saturday matinee, thanks to the kid movies. It should make up for the Snowstorms.

Well me and my entire family and my cousin of 6 went into a 7:20 showing of Firewall. The snow was starting to hit so the theater itself was very empty. But I'll tell you I was shocked to go into about 75% full in a 300 seater.

Trailers
Alpha Dog (looks horrible, almost no reaction)
The Sentinal- some talks, I never heard of it, but it looks really good
16 blocks- not a real big reaction.

Now for my mini review. The film is a solid A. I'm sorry but the audience was really into it. This is definately the best film Ford has done since Air Force One. The cinematography and score are top notch. The acting is up to par, and the story has enough twists to keep you on the edge of your seat, even if you should know the big ones. And now onto my dear boy. Ford was superb. His presence was definately missed the last three years, and he performs the goods, and quite realistically this time around. I will say anyone saying Ford is trying to hide his age, you'll be pleasantly suprised. I'll go on and say that Ford and Bettany have the best fight I've seen since Uma vs. Daryl in Kill Bill Vol 2. It is actually quite brilliant and gritty and really shows Ford in his most vulnerable state. This isn't Ford on top of the game, he is constantly getting it handed to him that you really think he won't make it this time. And the supporting cast was really good. I'll tell you the kids were garbage, they were loud and never really felt to not even grasp they were in danger. If your a fan of Harrison Ford, you'll be pleasantly suprised, even with the bad reviews. And I'm saying this as the biggest Harrison Ford fan out there, and I havent seen a film of his in theaters since Six Days Seven Nights (Which is actually quite a shocker). I'm seeing it again tomorrow with more people.


Then onto the Pink Panther. I have a friend on the inside, so he got us in right when Firewall ended. The Pink Panther was a 9:30 show. Theater was actually rather empty. Same Size as Firewall, about only 30 people. I guess more kids stayed in due to the storm.

Trailers were nothing new.

The film is quite a change of pace from Firewall. Being a big fan of the originals its best not to compare to them, where this film succeeds on every level. I give a B+. Early it was stated to be very bad at times, and you can tell they did a big editing job on this one. And at a mere 80 minutes long, I think they did a lot. But what they kept has some really laugh out loud moments, the crowd was into and so was I. Martin's best comedy since probably Father of the Bride and his most laugh out loud since, I would even say Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. It's funny. Martin is only 2 years younger than Ford, and he is still quite fresh and comical. I guess because Martin has mostly always had white hair, the transition hasn't been much. But this is classic Martin, and there are some great moments that also stretch the G rating. And you'll notice a wink to Planes Trains and Automobiles, a famous scene.

Both films were really good so I recommend both of them.

Saw the openers (sans George) today:

Final Destination 3 - 75% full in 500 seat Ultrascreen @ 3:40 PM - Entertaining sequel that is better than the original but not as good as the second since the death scenes weren't as elaborate. It was also missing much of the humor of the second but is still very entertaining. The ending was great and boy, was the film gory. The audience seemed to enjoy it, making audible gasps after some of the more grotesque deaths.

Grade - B+

Firewall - SOLD OUT in a 400 seater @ 5:25 - Once again, an entertaining film. Sure, the plot is derivative but the actors give it their all and the second half is very good.

Grade - B+

Pink Panther - 80% full in 400 seater @ 7:20 - Starts out decently funny but loses energy about halfway through. Some of the lines and mannerisms of Martin are fun but the jokes start to repeat themselves after a while. The humor in this is anything but sophisticated and thus doesn't hold one's attention after the fifth time someone gets hit by an object or falls down.

Grade - B-

Overall, a pretty good night at the movies. Cannot wait for Final Destination 4 but I hope someone other than James Wong directs. Bring David R. Ellis back.

FINAL DESTINATION 3
7:30 @ Parkwood 18 in Waite Park, Mn
Around 80% Full in a 200-Seater

Trailers:

V FOR VENDETTA (Didn't really get a reaction other than a couple of people saying it looked weird. I do think it looks strange too but will see it just for Natalie Portman.)
ALPHA DOG (Yo dog, dis movie looks wack! Reprezent! It looks OK but kind of laughable. The acting from the trailer seems stupid and fake. Even Emile Hirsch looks bad in it. This seems like HAVOC 2 but not as good (What's funny is that both are from New Line). The performances seem worse. People in the theater started laughing when Justin Timberlake opened his mouth. I'll rent the DVD but it doesn't look like anything real special. Just a bunch of loser thugs acting all tough. It's like BULLY meets HAVOC. Maybe if it had a better cast it wouldn't seem as lame. The cast of young male actors pretty much blows (Justin Timberlake, Anton Yelchin, Vincent Kartheiser). Only a couple of them are decent. The title is stupid too. It didn't get much of a reaction from the audience, other than some laughs at the characters acting "gangsta" and doing a not-so-impressive job at it.)
TAKE THE LEAD (I've avoided watching this trailer for awhile when it was on shows such as Coming Attractions because it just sounded stupid. But having to watch it now in front of a movie it actually doesn't look bad at all. It looks pretty decent. It got some laughs from the audience at funny parts, but that's about all the reaction it got.)


My thoughts on the movie:


An absolute blast! Better than the first and on par with the second. Though the second had some cooler deaths and the accident scene was cooler. Still, the roller coaster scene here was very cool and I honestly never want to go on a roller coaster again and doubt I will. The deaths were all still pretty cool though. Even the tanning bed one, which sounded lame and has been done before, was quite cool. It was better than the other one I saw in Urban Legends: Bloody Mary.

I really liked both the lead male and female. I liked them so much that I didn't want them to die. The other characters were mostly unlikable and you don't give a crap about any of them. I both liked and didn't like the ending. I liked it because it was kind of cool but didn't because *****SPOILERS***** they kill off the characters we liked, at least I did anyway. For once I'd like one of these movies to leave the main characters in peace. *****END SPOILERS*****

I saw it with my sister, her husband, my mom, dad, and brother. My mom, sister, and I all loved it, and my dad and brother really liked it. My brother was glad he went to it. He really wanted to go to WHEN A STRANGER CALLS but since we were all going to see this he decided he'd come along and not go see the other by himself like he was planning on doing. I don't know what my sister's husband thought. This isn't even the kind of movie he usually likes. He doesn't like horror movies and everything makes him sick like he's going to puke. But whatever. The audience seemed to enjoy it too. It got screams and then laughs after the screaming. Even I took part in that, though I didn't scream like a girl . The deaths in these movies are so fun because they startle you and then you laugh and are like, "Oooh, that's cool!"

Bring on another FINAL DESTINATION! These movies kickass! The second and third mostly. I prefer the more fun tone of these to the serious tone of the first. This will easily be one of the most fun times I have at the movies this year. My mom and sister both said if they make another one we have to go see it in theaters. I just hope it can live up to the first three and doesn't disappoint.


Grade: 8/10 (B+)

Glad to know I wasn't the only one who loved the second FD more than the first. The premise is so inherently outlandish it should not be taken seriously. The original did that and while still decent surprising at times, was also too draggy as it grinded to a halt in a futile attempt to explain everything. In the two sequels they give a cursory explanation but mostly assume that everyone has seen at least one of the two prior films. I really hope they keep making these. New Line, please, for the love of god, don't relegate further sequels to direct-to-video status as these films need a budget in order to stage the elaborate scenes. Heck, Final Destination 3 had two elaborate bookend accidents that made it look like the costliest film of the series thus far.

I liked the second FD2 slightly better than the first as well. It wasn't as creepy, but it was simply more fun and had better deaths.

That's exactly why I liked the second more. I gave all three B+ ratings, however when it comes to entertainment value I'd much rather watch the second (and now even the third) over the first. It's a very good movie, but so serious (in comparison to the sequels) that it just doesn't have as much rewatch value. The second and third have cooler deaths and are gorier, and the gore is pretty cool. The death scenes are just a lot of fun to watch, and one of the main reasons to watch the second and third. I hope they can come up with some really cool idea for a fourth. And I agree, if they started going direct-to-DVD they would not be nearly as cool. We'd get more obvious and worse CGI and stuff. They need a bigger budget. If they keep making them this fun and obviously crowd-pleasing then I don't see why death would come knocking on the door of this franchise any time soon. Though it would be nice if they'd end up adding a little more to the next ones and so forth so they don't seem like they're all just death after death, even if it is fun. People might get sick of that eventually though and think these movies are pointless and be annoyed that they all have new characters for the most part. And I do think it would be cool to see a lead come back in a sequel as well.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR FD3 TO FOLLOW:

[spoil]Well, no one will be coming back from #3 as everyone died. Also, I was kind of pissed at Morgan and Wong though with the ending as a train wreck would have been the perfect opening to the fourth. What else is left?[/spoil]

A bridge collapse or maybe some sort of natural disaster.

I hope that the increases are as large as Scott suggests.. damn Snowstorm will be working against them though...

The Pink Panther - 2/11/06
2:35pm showing
50% full (357-seat auditorium)

TRAILERS
Madea's Family Reunion (silent)
Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (laughs and talk)
The Shaggy Dog (lots of laughs)
The Benchwarmers (lots of laughs)
RV (lots of laughs)

Actually an ok movie with a few good laughs. The audience really enjoyed it though --- many laughs throughout the film and clapping at the end.

I thought so too. That would have been a great beginning to FD4. I was trying to think of what else could be done for the fourth and I had no idea. I would think of some and then be like, "No, that's stupid." And a bridge collapse would be so Mothman Prophecies . I don't know, it could work, though it's almost too similar to the second, being stuck in traffic and seeing a big accident (this time the bridge collapsing though).


*****SPOILERS*****

It is possible though that they didn't die. It could have somehow been a trick, like the ending of I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER. Or she might have survived. Since she saw the train coming in her vision she might have gotten out of the way this time before it came. And maybe she managed to do things differently with her friend/sister by letting them know what she saw, so they might not have died. I think her sister could have died anyway and just her and him survived again . I think they could easily have some excuse as to how she would have survived, maybe even him. We'd just have to go along with it.

All I know is they better think of something to mix it up a little for the next one to keep things fresh, even if I did love these ones and find them to be a blast.

***END SPOILERS***

UK.

Final Destination 3
11th Febuary 2006
Cineworld, Glasgow
7.00pm. Sold Out.

Trailers:
Slither (no reaction)
The Dark (very little talking)
The Proposition (Nothing)
The Hills Have Eyes (lots of talking, and some gasps from screamy teenage girls)

Movie:

Loved it. The deaths were very very effective, unexpected and completely original. So inventive. The acting was fine, for what is required, and they were all pretty enough. Minus Iain. hehe. The coaster scene, i thought was fantastic, and i was actually so tense before the accident, it was unreal. And the build up scene in the hard ware store, ripped my nerves to shreds. Seriously. I think i'm the only person who enjoyed these movie's most in reverse order...3, then 2, then the original?

Anyway....brilliant...

Firewall - 2/12/06
4:30pm showing
100% full (432-seat auditorium)

TRAILERS
The Sentinel (silent)
16 Blocks (some talk)
Poseidon (talk)
The Da Vinci Code (lots of talk)
X-Men: The Last Stand (lots of talk)

Very good movie....lots of clapping at the end as well.

Also, it looks like the cold weather was a good thing down here. I was at two theaters today, and both were getting much more business than a usual Sunday would get.

Saw a 4:10 showing of Brokeback. About 60% full in a 200-seater.

After all this time, I think my disappointment with the film was inevitable. And I was disappointed.

On the threshold of brilliance but never really reached it for me.

Another showing of Firewall at 4:45.

Theater was 300 seater, same as yesterday. This one was not 50% and not 75% I'll say somewhere in the 60s. Another strong reaction, this one I think will suprise with some legs. I havent met anyone that hasn't liked it yet. And I've gone with about 20 people in the last two times. This one actually had some clapping at the end, which was odd considering it was an older crowd. But that fight at the end really got the crowd into. They were whistling, and the earlier parts of the film seemed as strong as before.

Clapping at the end of The Pink Panther?? Really?? I'm wondering if the audience was clapping cause they were glad it was over or the movie was actually good which I find hard to swallow?? Hmmm..

I still can't get over the fact that American's clap at movies....when no one from the movie is there to appreciate it??

Really strange....if you done that in the UK, you'd be slagged out of the cinema.