Big Picture

Kim & Kourt Take Bev Hills Plus, Daniel Radcliffe works his magic and Bruce Jenner blasts to the past. Get the latest pics!

MORE PHOTOS +

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.

Fashion Police

Leighton's Valentine's Look Plus, Ashlee Simpson and Cate Blanchett. Rate the highs and lows!

MORE PHOTOS +

Top Galleries

MORE PHOTOS +

Our Partners

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.

Why Good Li'l Flicks Bomb

Mon., Oct. 29, 2007 5:23 PM PDT by Caroline Kepnes

Warner Bros. Pictures, Samuels Media, Castle Rock Entertainment

We should all rejoice in the success of Saw IV. It's exciting to see a movie get people galvanized, especially when everything else—the stuff starring Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and George Clooney—fizzles. The Los Angeles Times just dedicated a big chunk of paper to analyzing why nobody went to see Michael Clayton, and I'll do them one better: I asked a filmmaker for his take on the disappointing box office.

So, meet Lawrence Blume, who directed the offbeat funny Martin & Orloff. Next up, he's writing Under the Black Sun, a sexy noir thriller. Here's one indie guy's take on a few little movies that couldn't get big numbers:

Peter Mountain/Paramount Vantage

The movie: A Mighty Heart
The big draw: Angelina Jolie as Mariane Pearl
The filmmaker's take: "Too serious a subject. People don't want to spend $10 to see the news on film. Hell, they don't even want to see the news."

Paramount Vantage

The movie: In the Valley of Elah
The big draw: Charlize Theron promotes the hell out of the Iraq war-comes-home mystery with tons and tons of magazine interviews!
The filmmaker's take: "Too dark, too earnest. Maybe if Paul Haggis (Crash) wins another Oscar, people will change their minds and go see it."

Warner Bros. Entertainment

The movie: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The big draw: Um, Brad Pitt is Jesse James. Casey Affleck is a breakout star. Do you need more?
The filmmaker's take: "Westerns are out of fashion this week. Ask any 14-year-old if he wants to see a western, not!"

Warner Bros. Pictures, Samuels Media, Castle Rock Entertainment

The movie: Michael Clayton
The big draw: George Clooney stars.
The filmmaker's take: "Perhaps it's too political for most moviegoers. It's a terrific film that no one seems interested in."

David Appleby/Sleuth Productions LTD/ Courtesy Sony Pictures

The movie: Sleuth
The big draw: Jude Law, anyone? What about Michael Caine? Anyone?
The filmmaker's take: "A bad remake of a lame adaptation of a wonderful play. No one cares."

Macall Polay

The movie: Reservation Road
The big draw: Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Connelly work so hard to make you depressed!
The filmmaker's take: "Too downbeat and bad word of mouth. It's only playing on a few screens, guaranteeing its failure."

MGM

The movie: Lars and the Real Girl
The big draw: Don't count this gem out yet. Ryan Gosling is superb. And Lars is really on the radar; more people have asked me about it than any movie on this list.
The filmmaker's take: "Too early to tell if it will do well. It's only playing in a few theaters right now, but the buzz is pretty good. Unfortunately, the silly concept may keep audiences away."