Is it horrible that I find this weekend’s box office receipts absolutely delicious? I don’t care. It makes me happy. First off, the number one film in America is a family movie called Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, which took in more than $30 million. Second place went to The Informant!, the Matt Damon dark comedy. It actually did better than expected, which is great for Matt Damon. Third place? The Jennifer Aniston-Aaron Eckhart romantic dramedy Love Happens, which didn’t even break the $9 million mark.
Oh, what’s that? What came in fourth place? Why, a little film called Jennifer’s Body, which didn’t even bust the $7 million mark. Jennifer’s Body was probably the most heavily promoted film opening this past weekend – the studio poured money into advertising, and Megan Fox was giving multiple inane interviews every day for the past three weeks. Jennifer’s Body was considered Megan’s first real test – sure, people like her in Transformers, but will anyone go see her in a film not starring hundreds of millions of dollars in special effects? The answer is “nope”. Entertainment Weekly enjoyed some schadenfreude at Megan’s expense, asking if she’s really a movie star. They ask – “Wouldn’t Megan be better off on television?”
The disappointing box office returns for Jennifer’s Body over the weekend was a contrast to the success with which its star, Megan Fox, commanded every TV show she chose to slink onto while promoting the movie last week. On Live With Regis and Kelly, she shimmied up on one of the hosts’ high stools in a tight dress and beige pumps and let Kelly Ripa talk about how she, Kelly, had spotted stardom in Fox way back when Megan played a ditzy teen on Ripa’s short-lived sitcom Hope and Faith.
On The Tonight Show — the one Conan O’Brien hosts, not the one Jay Leno does — Fox came out in a tight dress and black pumps to say that she loves to eat at chain restaurants like The Olive Garden and Red Lobster, reserving particular praise for the latter restaurant’s cheese biscuits: “You’re the perfect woman!” joked Conan, meaning the perfect geek-fantasy woman: she’s hot-looking, and a cheap date!
Megan Fox sells sex and provocation. On TV and in magazines, it’s fun for an array of people — young and old straight men, girls who detect a dash of riot grrrl in her demeanor, gay men and women who recognize a present-and-future camp idol, if she lasts long enough to attract female impersonators — to relish her wanton kitty-in-stilettos image. She is, in short, great in interviews.
But actually paying a ticket ogle her is another, ah, proposition. Fox attracted a big following in the Transformers movies because moviegoers were paying for the big shiny robot toys and also got a human Barbie doll as an extra added bonus. But it took TV and print interviews for the Barbie doll to establish that she was smart, funny, and self-aware.
Well, aware enough to recognize that Diablo Cody had written her a terrific script in Jennifer’s Body. But (along with all the movie people who green-lit this project) not aware enough to foresee that asking citizens to utter the phrase, “I want to see Jennifer’s Body, please” was going to be sufficiently embarrassing to force a lot of them to opt with the more family-friendly sounding, “I want to see Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, please.”
For millions of people, I’m guessing, Megan Fox is the very definition of a guilty pleasure. And a guilty pleasure is something you enjoy in the privacy of your own home. You don’t go out, drive to a theater, and ask for a ticket to see Jennifer’s Body if you think the person behind the ticket window knows you’re asking for a ticket to see Megan Fox’s body.
[From Entertainment Weekly]
Box Office Mojo puts the sucky Jennifer’s Body box office on a ad campaign that focused too heavily on appealing to fanboys. They claim more could have been done to appeal to women, but I think that’s off the mark. I think most women view Megan as pretty dumb, and appealing solely to the fanboys. I’m not sure how “Megan Fox, television star” would really have a better time of it. She’s still going to say horrible things, and she’s still going to alienate people. I think if they had aimed the film at a female audience, the box office would have pretty much the same, maybe worse.
UPDATE: I got my numbers from Box Office Mojo, but it looks like they were slightly wrong (or racist?). Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All by Myself came in third place with $10 million. Then fourth place was Love Happens, then Jennifer’s Body in fifth place. The actual numbers for the receipts are the same, just the placement changes.
Photos are stills from Jennifer’s Body, thanks to allmoviephoto
Ha, I called it. Cheesy film got cheesy results.
Uh, I guess she is going to realize that the Michael Bey vehicle that she has complained about endlessly is the only way she can sell movie tickets and it has NOTHING to do with her! Haha!
Anyway, this film always looked cheap and stupid to me. No I haven’t seen it, but the clips have not impressed me.
It was a stupid movie with and stupid plot line , zombie chearleader, I think that is the plot line for scooby doo or a Sci Fi channel movie.
Kids movies always rule. I always heard you lose to 2nd, 3rd and 4th place. Movie makers should take note of what kind of movies we are sick of.
*sigh*
movies flop. it happens. *cue angry mob*
I didn’t see any advertising for any of these movies.
But I did see Meatballs this weekend and it was fun.
The answer to the question “Wouldn’t Megan be better off on television?” is no remember she tried that first on Hope & Faith. I didn’t like her on that either.
I’m surprised that the movie did so poorly. The studio probably went overboard in promoting Megan and the lesbian kiss. Her stupid interviews probably didn’t help things either. I think now people won’t use websearches and downloads to determine boxoffice appeal.
can’t say that wasn’t unexpected, i mean how many people are going to see a cheesy teenagey horror flick that isn’t even scary.
I have to say that I am a little disappointed. Well what is new. Did Love Happens and Jennifer’s body do well – no. Fine to call them out. However neither did Matt’s. The Informant was predicted to make 15 million and it’s per average theatre total was 4,200 while Love Happens theatre total was 4,400. Love Happens opened in less theatres. Why is it that the writers on this blog always call out women for their faliures but never men. Seriously call Matt out. HIs movie made a little over 10 million in 2,500 theatres. If you look at his stats except for Ocean’s and The Bourne series his movies do not do well. But because he is a man no one calls him on it. Why as women are we always so happy to see other women fail but try to make men look good? This article would have been fine had you called Matt out to. His movie flopped – it made only 10 million and was in over 2,500 theatres. Why does this site pick on women so much?
HA HA HA! Makes the open letter to Megan a little more believable now, doesn’t it? Looks aren’t everything!
I’ve been waiting to see how this turned out. I figured it would bomb but it was so heavily advertised I wondered if I was wrong. Glad to know I wasn’t.
This movie looked stupid to me. It’s not that I mind Megan Fox on film, I just didn’t want to see her in this one. I do however, I hate her in interviews. Gah.
As long as she looks the way she looks and acts the way she acts, she will have that movie star status appeal. Hollywood is shallow and she fits the bill.
Eventhough she’s annoying as all get out, she’ll still be around making weird quotes that give her news worthy headlines. Ugh!
That’s not accurate. Everywhere I have checked Tyler Perry’s I can do bad all by myself came in 3rd place.
Love happens came in at 4th place.
Jennifer’s body came in at 5th place?
Sorry – but this was Megan’s first movie on her own. How many first time actresses make a huge amount at the box office – hardly any. Angelina’s first six movies made under 8 million for there whole run. Pusing Tim made three million on it’s first weekend. Cate Blanchett, her first movies made 2 million for it’s many weeks in the theatre. There are many like that. And then some male thinks that after one movie and international stardom – admit it you may not like her but Megan is an international star – she should go to TV. I really think that we need to stop being so tough on women. I am not crazy about Megan – but really give her a break. Her movie did much better then many.
Channeling Nelson Muntz: HA-HA!!
The only person I feel bad for is Diablo Cody…for thinking that Megan Fox is star quality.
That girl wouldn’t be anything if she wasn’t pretty and controversial.
I think all the so-called ‘bad press’ and drama that’s been going on with Megan Fox was supposed to create buzz for the film, but it appears to have backfired. I can’t decide if she’s faking it or if she’s really as mentally unstable as she seems to be in interviews.
eh, I’ve heard “Jennifer’s Body” is actually enjoyable… but sure, jump on the Megan Fox hate-wagon, folksies.
Hope that will shut her up!
For Amanda Seyfried’s sake I wish it had done better. She is a great actress.
I read this article this past weekend on Megan Fox.
People are referring to some of the dumb things she has said. Read what happens when two people heavily invested in this sinking ship try to save it.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/movies/sly-as-a-fox-despite-her-handlers/article1294139/
This was not unexpected. BAy is the only reason why she is in the position she is, not her. She has nothing going for her, I guess she shouldnt have dropped out of highschool to continue her ‘acting’ career!
STAY IN SCHOOL! GRADUATE AND EXCELL!
the clips are mostly of her shaking her ass, kissing a girl and trying to seduce young men… why would any woman want to go see that? why should they? I know, I know… if we don’t want to watch another female spew their sexuality on a screen, then we’re just jealous … of course that’s how she’s going to vindicate herself… *eyeroll*
I’ve got nothing personal against Diablo Cody, but I’ve always felt that she’s over-hyped and over-rated. We’ve seen writers like her come and go. As for Megan, who annoys me… Outside of fanboys and gossip sites, no one even knows who Megan Fox is. It’s not surprising that the movie did poorly.
@Jon – Thanks for the link to that article. Sums it up pretty well.
on the other hand, i’m with joe… movies with female leads hardly ever do wel, even if megan fox isn’t in it…
This movie appealed to fanboys, alright, but the studio should have considered the AGE of their fanboys.
The movie has a 14A rating.
Most of her ‘fans’ can’t see this movie on their own.
We saw a 12yr old boy try to convince the ticket seller that he was 15. I wonder how many other fanboys were rejected.
has anyone on the board actually seen it? i haven’t. probably because i’m not a high school boy, which i’m assuming is the intended audience, for all diablo cody’s talk of a feminist message. i dunno – it looks pretty bad, regardless of who’s in it.
N: LMAO! Good point.
megan fox is not dumb. she is an eccentric girl with low self-esteem and the fact that you can’t recognize the difference is a reflection of your lack of intelligence.
this movie did not do well because the writing was shit. plus it was rated R but appealing to teenagers. therefore, half of the people who want to go see it can’t because they are too young.
Thanks for the link: Schneller had some interesting stuff in there.
I’m pretty out of the loop, but to think that six months ago, I had never heard of her, to now–where I’m hearing stories from the TIFF underbelly about her being rude to sandwich vendors in Yorkville (I’m sure a sandwich in Yorkville costs more than my already-insane Toronto rent)–I don’t know how to end that sentence, actually.
So Megan Fox has proven to be not all that and a bag of chips… She’s obnoxious and trying way to hard to be the next Angelina Jolie, but she’s failing pretty miserably on that spectrum.
I was flipping through channels the other day and noticed the Lindsay Lohan Disney movie “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” I only stopped because there was a brunette who’s voice was over the top and hella lot of over-acting. I imdb’d the thing only to find out that said obnoxious brunette is none other than Megan Fox. I guess Amanda and Megan had that going for them in this movie- they both worked on a high school based movie with Lilo.
I like Amanda, honestly, if she were the lead in it, it might have been better. People are sick of Megan- pretty face but not much more.
Where is the thread on Aniston and her BOMB.. why the focus on Megan. this is her first movie as a lead.. I think she can be cut a bit of slack. In all fairness. But Aniston is supposed to be a big name.. Her movie did not make that much more then Megan’s. Where is that thread I would like to know.
I saw the movie and while it was not great..it was not that bad.. Almost like a B movie. you know it is not Oscar worthy, but it had funny moments and was campy.. So Kaiser why nothing on Aniston and that crap Love Happens..hmmmm..
funny when Marley and Me made more money then Ben Button that was a focus. but this second Bomb in a roll is swept under the rug.. yeah I get it..
@ lisa – I have a great idea for you. If you started your own blog, you could post on whatever you wanted. If you wanted to spend all day taking each story that comes down the pike and putting an Aniston spin on it, you COULD! Then you wouldn’t have to use up your valuable time reading about people other than Aniston, and criticizing other people’s sites. It’s win-win, really.
Back on-topic: I hate to say it, but I think that it’s the script’s fault… or the directors. More than Megan’s anyway. Juno was a tricky script, and in someone else’s hands the lingo and quirk would have fallen flat. Jennifer’s Body is, I think, kind of a homage to slasher films, but I don’t know if it was marketed very well… Then again, I don’t really like slasher pics, so I wasn’t going to go no matter what.
Hey p. pea, Lisa can say what she wants! She has a good point. Fox is an up-and-comer who fizzled, BUT Aniston is supposed to be a star. Conan O’Brien introduced her as an “A-list actress and a BIG star.” She came in 4th after Medea, a plump Matt Damon in an indie movie, and a movie about Meatballs. OUCH. This is her 2nd bomb in a row. She can’t open movies either.
hi, I don’t care if Cate Blanchett was the star of this movie, there is no way it would have done well. A chick who eats people?? Seriously now, Megan Fox sucks as an actress but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out this movie script was going to bomb regardless of who was starring in it.
Aniston is A-list? In whose mind? The only reason she is making one movie after another is because she is financing them.
Aw that’s too bad, I was kind of rooting for her. Not enough to go see the movie, but still 😛 Besides I really like Amanda Seyfried & would have liked to see her have a hit.
P.S. @ Joe – I read a quote recently (I’ve no idea of the origin) that said women would rule the world – if we didn’t hate one another so much. Sadly I think it’s very true.
Joe, you make a lot of sense.
This movie would only be a bomb if it didn’t make its money back. It only cost 16 million to make. It will easily get that back in time. I saw it. It wasn’t that bad, but wasn’t that great either. What do you expect from a film about a cheerleader who eats boys?
http://feministguidetohollywood.blogspot.com/
WTF??!?? Why R U pulling the race card?? So damn tired of hearing it.
I don’t like Megan Fox because I RESPECT & admire women.
I’m too tired from work to explain that comment. I’ll just leave it at that.
to HELLO.. thanks for the support..
I always find it so funny that any time a negative comment is directed towards Jen that person gets attacked. My point was the same as many. That Megan is not a lead actress. I also note Gerry Butler had a Bomb too. and that was not talked about. So what happens. Only certain stars get the Trash treatment if they have a movie that under performs. Look at Kate W. Her films NEVER make a lot of money. Yet she is not ragged for it. If Jolie has a movie that is not number one. Then it is the Main story. I just get tired of the double standard. Aniston had 2 bombs in a row. Megan F. has her first leading role.. and to me her film did fine considering she does not have a MOVIE base at this time. So time will tell. My point about Jen is Megan (first time out) her movie made close to what Anistion’s made. And she is supposed to be a big film star. (not my words… her fans)
And to p/ pea..
I will post whatever comment I want. just because you don’t agree fine but don’t tell me what I can or can’t say or think. Eveyone here is posting their opinion. And it is quite obvious that you yourself are quite biased as well..
What Princess Pea said – and Jennifer too. Sadly women will never ever ever stop hating each other I don’t think.
@Lisa-so true.
It seems like the “the big pink elephant in the room” and people are afraid to talk about it because Aniston might have a break down. Since Jen movie flopped to.
Well, since I cannot watch a Megax fox movie, I can’t imagine anyone else who can. So am not terribly shocked. I want to see love happens but will have to make time this weekend or next weekend.
I’m no fan of Fox’s (I hate her interviews), but I was actually thinking about seeing Jennifer’s Body (still might). I like a campy horror movie every now and then.
Yae: “I don’t like Megan Fox because I RESPECT & admire women.”
Thank you! I agree with that.
Criticizing Megan Fox isn’t automatically women hating women! Perhaps many people aren’t a fan because she comes across arrogrant, constantly makes negative comments, and has little talent to back up her inflated ego!
I think people rightly criticize stars with big egos who have little acting skills. Aniston falls into this category too! Sometimes a pig is just a pig!
I agree that Matt Damon and Gerard Butler haven’t been called on their bombs. Gerry has yet to prove himself as a viable leading man. He did very well leading 300, which was an action film with special effects. However, he stumbled with Gamer and The Ugly Truth. As for Matt, I think since he’s been around so long and has an oscar he cannot be equated to Aniston’s movie career. Even George Clooney has made movies that fall short of expectations: “Solaris”, “Michael Clayton” (critical success, but not a top earner), “Intolerable Cruelty”. Whereas Jen has all the publicity of an A-list star but with each movie she puts out has been a turkey. Her most recent successful movie was “Marley & Me” where the star was the dog!
She was huge on friends, but her movie career doesn’t justify the press she recieves or the image she has of herself as a major movie star.
Megan comes across as awful in interviews. Had the promo team not been pushing the lesbian kiss so much, instead of what the film is really about, I might have wanted to see it.
I have no problem with a lesbian kiss, but if that’s the entire reason to see the movie, I have stuff at home that will suffice. Sorry Megan, you’re not good enough in that area, either. lol
Ahh, schadenfreude. Sweet sweet schadenfreude.
To me personally, for a movie to qualify as a “Bomb” it has to fall short of artistic expectations as well. Of course, that’s subjective, as opposed to box-office stats, but it’s worth mentioning. Sure, Solaris or Pushing Tin may have not impressed the money counters, but they’re great films nonetheless. I don’t think these movies are made with the thought they’d make a ton of $.
As far a Jennifer’s Body not rising to expectations, this movie has been pushed so aggressively that the fail is seen as sharp relief. A good friend of mine attended the fest. in Toronto and said the crowd around the theater of people who didn’t even have passes was ginormous. Meanwhile, other great movies played to audiences of 20.
Sexism lives!
I wonder how Jennifer is going to spin this BOMB. What will be the excuse this time?
ZOE, since when does Aniston represent all of womankind? I have respect and love for the women in my life. I also like Kate Winslett, Cate Blanchett, and Charlize Theron. Sorry I’m not in love with the fake, no-talent, self-obsessed fameho, Aniston. Plus, you are the one who makes snarky comments about women (saying Angelina is on heroin, for one), so that really makes you a hypocrite.
I think the problem is women do not like her and do not want to see a movie with her. That’s one half of the potential watchers missing..
Yae–I agree! Megan is not a good example for women! I would much rather a smart, classy, beautiful woman. But I’ve said that before.
So this film was supposed to be campy?? It didn’t look campy to me. Just stupid. Right over my head.
I do agree about Jennifer financing films and that she doesn’t carry a movie well. I don’t think she would even have a film career without the whole Bermuda Triangle and her money.
“I think the problem is women do not like her and do not want to see a movie with her. That’s one half of the potential watchers missing.. ”
Rosi, you hit the nail on the head!
I don’t like her. Though some woman don’t like Angelina, she still has A LOT of female support and plays strong women in films. Megan is always a one-note sexpot.
I thought she already was on TV, as the teenage daughter Sydney on Hope & Faith? You can’t tell because she’s conservatively dressed and none of her tatts show.
Maybe she should try a porn flick. I bet she’d do a great job in that.