Box Office "Guru" Strikes Again

[JonathanLB]

Dang will this guy ever grow a brain and get anything right? He's one of the worst box office "experts" I've ever seen, yet he still manages to be quoted in USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and many other publications.

First, he says how there is "little interest in another World War II movie" after 1998's Saving Private Ryan. Ok, hello, U-571?!?! RING A BELL, moron? That movie did quite well, actually. Furthermore, I have just two words for Mr. Idiot (maybe the stupidest person on earth): PEARL HARBOR.

'nuff said about the moronic World War II comment.

Damn this guy just keeps proving how stupid he is with every continuing week.

Then you can tell what a pansy he is since he clearly has something against action movies. The moron looks at this weekend, with two strong movies opening, and can say nothing more than that it looks like the downward box office spiral will continue. Umm...ok I think not, the two "action movies" (one of them is not just action) that opened are high profile films, not little independent movies.

He guessed Exit Wounds would make $9 million, and it will probably make about $18 million. He guessed Enemy at the Gates would make $7 million, and it'll probably get to $15. That is terrible predicting. Anyone with a brain could have told you that Enemy would make over $10 million at the very least.

Dang I don't even know why I go to his site, it had been about 5 weeks since I visited last, but he is such a total moron. Gitish Pandya? Truly is Gayish Panda, if you ask me. What a pansy.

haha, not much interest in WWII movies, that's a good one, I'll have to remember that when Pearl Harbor opens with $50 million.

[R2 NCH0]

yeah, because when a film gets released, people are sick of that kind of film for 3 years afterwards:)

[JonathanLB]

haha, yeah really.

Ever since TPM came out, no sci-fi movie has done well...umm...NOT!

Ever since TPM came out, no Star Wars film has done well in theaters, though...oh wait, no other SW movie has come out since TPM...hmm. :)

[Darth23]

Well Lee's predicted something like 11 for Exit Wounds and 10 for Enemy at the Gates.

[JonathanLB]

Well that is BETTER at least. Not as bad, and plus, I don't think too many people, including myself, would have said over $15 million for Exit Wounds.

I probably would have said $10 million for Exit Wounds, $16 million for Enemy at the Gates. I'd have been pretty far off on EW, and closer on Enemy...

The comment about WWII movies just pissed me off, though, he's a box office expert, yet he sounds like he's been in hibernation for years. lol.

[Darth23]

Well I said that Exit Wounds would probably be Number One.

2800 screens to 1500 goes a long way.

[JonathanLB]

lol, yeah but I hadn't even bothered to look at the screen counts, that's why my prediction would have been way off...

Exit Wounds got an A- from audiences according to CinemaScore! Damn, that's good, hehe. I'd give it a B-, or 3 stars out of 4. I liked it, but come on, A-? Dang...

It's cool that Enemy at the Gates expands to 2,000 theaters next weekend, I might want to see that movie again...

[Ashedrav]

Jon, not for nothing, but I seem to remember you last year predicting that GLADIATOR would reach near 300 million. I mean, you were only about 120 million off. Don't go slamming people like the guy on BOGuru as if you are the leading expert when it comes to BO predictions.

[ReaperFett]

sorry person I dont know, but Jon is completely right. The "guru" is wrong

Also, Gladiator made about $260million worldwide, so he was close

[Jedieb]

Exit Wounds&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 19M
Enemy At The Gates&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 13.6M
The Mexican&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 8.1M
See Spot Run&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 5.2M
15 Minutes &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp 4.4M

Well Jon's crystal ball seems to have gotten better reception than the Guru's when it came to Exit Wounds. But to be fair, that opening certainly was a surprise, considering how poorly Segal's films have been doing. I think he was clearly helped by joining DMX and Joel Silver. I think the key was Silver, who has a long history of BO success and knows how to put an action film together. Segal's last few films have looked like TV movie of the weeks.

I think ashedrav was just responding to Jon's tone towards Guru. To be honest, I don't think Jon was being literal, he was just listening to the dark side he was. Yes, quick to answer he was. NO BO expert or entusiastic will be correct 100% of the time. If you had to lay your neck on the line week after week you'd lay the occasional egg too.

[JonathanLB]

That's a good point, I'm way too harsh on poor Pandya, haha.

No seriously, you guys are all better predicting the box office than he is, I think our forum has been much more accurate in general.

As you said, to be fair, nobody expected over $18 million from Exit Wounds. I would have said $10, just because I felt it would find an audience, but probably not a huge one...

I guess the theater count helped too.

I said that Gladiator could reach $300 million? Hmm...No I don't think I said that, because I try to avoid saying that any movie will beat ESB at $291 million, haha. I like to think it'll just stick around at 11th place until the next re-release, err...wait, until the next SW movie :)

I wish Gladiator could have made a solid $250 million, but hell it still made tons of money. Plus, best-selling DVD of all-time, 12 Oscar nominations, I think they should be VERY happy with the results, don't you think?

I admit that I thought Gladiator could make a bit more, I thought it could clear $200 million, but we're not talking overall predictions here, we're talking weekend box office figures.

Really, I've not noticed that Pandya is a very good predictor, though I will give him credit for knowing how the smaller movies will open, because I would have no clue about some of those smaller films that make $3 or $5 million or whatever.

When it comes to the main openings, I'm usually "wrong" too, but I'm close than he is. He'll say $20 million, I'll say $30, and it'll be $35 or something.

I don't have a problem with his terrible predicting, really I don't, but I do have a problem with stupid commentary. Is he a critic, or is he a box office analyst? I think he should stick to his day job personally, but if I had to choose between the two, predicting is better suited to him. He's not a very good writer as you may or may not have noticed. It's not a big deal, it doesn't require that he is a great writer or anything, but he uses tons of annoying cliches and "cute" catch phrases, then breaks a few other rules of generally accepted writing too, lol.

Speaking of writing, I set the curve on my Macbeth essay, yay. I don't know why I just said that, but I'm still happy about it :) There were two major essays this year, both curved, and I set both curves (out of 90 students).

Ok no more dissing on the Guru, he's a cool guy, but he just gets some stuff wrong a lot of the time. I'd love to have a site as popular as his, though, so I'm just jealous and bitter! haha.

[Darth23]

Joel Silver may have made it a better movie, but I think that DMX's name put butts in the seats.


How was he, anyway?

[Jedieb]

One quick question, just who the heck is DMX? ;) I can guess that he's a rapper but I'd be damned if I could name a single song he's done. I do agree with you that he helped a great deal, but I also believe Silver probably did a good job of putting the flick together, casting, director, script, etc. The movie is testing better than any other Segal film I've heard of. In fact when I called my parents in Miami this weekend they told me they were going to the movies to see the "new Segal movie:. And my parents go to maybe 3-5 movies a year. That should have tipped me off the movie was going to do better than expected.

[Darth23]

From www.allmusic.com: (http://www.allmusic.com:)


...DMX built himself an excellent reputation in the rap game, working the fragile territory between intense, metaphysical lyrical concerns and his image as a canine-obsessed personality who often uses a backing track to bark assent to his own raps. All this from a tremendously successful chart act, whose first three albums debuted at number one and sold well over ten million records in just a year and a half..