I haven't seen anyone mention MELANIA yet, and that seems like an oversight given our purview...
https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1520122/large/20260122edshe-b.jpg?1769106308
As early as Friday morning, some very enthusiastic coverage was coming in regarding the errr underwhelming attendance in other countries. For example, the first scheduled screening in London had sold only 1 ticket. I dunno how that is for a Friday afternoon opening in 2026, but 25 years ago when I ran movie theaters it would have portented a rather... slow opening weekend. Similar stats were plentiful across Europe:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/melania-movie-internationally
In Australia, something like 20 tickets were sold all weekend - yes, in the entire country. Apparently the film is being pulled from Australian theaters altogether.
More anecdotes:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/30/2366287/-Melania-doc-already-a-flop-overseas
Domestically and globally, the story of MELANIA's performance is a bit more... complex. Weekend grosses seem to be approximated at the $5-$7 million neighborhood. For a documentary, this is actually very very good!
However, keep in mind that the reported budget for MELANIA was $75 million dollars, though the actual cost is somewhere north of that. Amazon spent a reported $35 million on advertising and promo, on top of $40 million to Melania. Surely the actual production and post-production costs weren't zero... although sources who served on the crew have talked about 12-18 hour shoots with no catering :bouncegiggle: - yes, Amazon didn't bother to feed the poor b*****ds shooting their documentary - surely they paid director Brett Ratner, beloved auteur behind the RUSH HOUR canon.
So, Amazon is losing money on MELANIA, but some people are seeing it. How many people? The United States' dear President initially commented on social media about "tickets selling fast" and later boasted that MELANIA is "sold out everywhere". That later claim is easily defeated with light research. There have been reports of (large) half-filled theaters in places like Texas and Arkansas - so its legit possible that hundreds of people watched this movie together during its opening weekend.
However, there is also coverage about posts on Craigslist and elsewhere, offering $50 to anyone who would attend domestic screenings of MELANIA for free and endure through the closing credits... :lookingup: it's worth mentioning that conservative organizations have been known to purchase large blocks of movie tickets and then give them away for free just to get audiences in seats and exposed to propaganda. Paying someone 4Xs an American movie ticket just to sit through a movie is rather more unheard of! And in any case, large-scale "underwriting" of tickets to conservative propaganda has certainly paid off in the past - THE SOUND OF FREEDOM grossed well over a hundred million or something, with occasionally similar reports of "sold out" theaters with a handful of audience members actually watching the movie. So in the case of MELANIA, a meager $5-7million gross is again intriguing. The conservative action orgs don't think there's anything persuasive or educational about this documentary??? :buggedout:
Whatever one may a priori think about Melania or her husband, it is worth mentioning that MELANIA's director is a notorious sex pest/serial creepster:
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/01/melania-trump-documentary-brett-ratner-metoo/
...Which I guess made him an ideal candidate for the gig!
Finally, most apropos to this website, some fantasizing via TV's Frank:
https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1522703/large/MST3kMelania.png?1769809422
Quote from: M.10rda on February 02, 2026, 02:25:42 PMI haven't seen anyone mention MELANIA yet, and that seems like an oversight given our purview...
https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1520122/large/20260122edshe-b.jpg?1769106308
As early as Friday morning, some very enthusiastic coverage was coming in regarding the errr underwhelming attendance in other countries. For example, the first scheduled screening in London had sold only 1 ticket. I dunno how that is for a Friday afternoon opening in 2026, but 25 years ago when I ran movie theaters it would have portented a rather... slow opening weekend. Similar stats were plentiful across Europe:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/melania-movie-internationally
In Australia, something like 20 tickets were sold all weekend - yes, in the entire country. Apparently the film is being pulled from Australian theaters altogether.
More anecdotes:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/1/30/2366287/-Melania-doc-already-a-flop-overseas
Domestically and globally, the story of MELANIA's performance is a bit more... complex. Weekend grosses seem to be approximated at the $5-$7 million neighborhood. For a documentary, this is actually very very good!
However, keep in mind that the reported budget for MELANIA was $75 million dollars, though the actual cost is somewhere north of that. Amazon spent a reported $35 million on advertising and promo, on top of $40 million to Melania. Surely the actual production and post-production costs weren't zero... although sources who served on the crew have talked about 12-18 hour shoots with no catering :bouncegiggle: - yes, Amazon didn't bother to feed the poor b*****ds shooting their documentary - surely they paid director Brett Ratner, beloved auteur behind the RUSH HOUR canon.
So, Amazon is losing money on MELANIA, but some people are seeing it. How many people? The United States' dear President initially commented on social media about "tickets selling fast" and later boasted that MELANIA is "sold out everywhere". That later claim is easily defeated with light research. There have been reports of (large) half-filled theaters in places like Texas and Arkansas - so its legit possible that hundreds of people watched this movie together during its opening weekend.
However, there is also coverage about posts on Craigslist and elsewhere, offering $50 to anyone who would attend domestic screenings of MELANIA for free and endure through the closing credits... :lookingup: it's worth mentioning that conservative organizations have been known to purchase large blocks of movie tickets and then give them away for free just to get audiences in seats and exposed to propaganda. Paying someone 4Xs an American movie ticket just to sit through a movie is rather more unheard of! And in any case, large-scale "underwriting" of tickets to conservative propaganda has certainly paid off in the past - THE SOUND OF FREEDOM grossed well over a hundred million or something, with occasionally similar reports of "sold out" theaters with a handful of audience members actually watching the movie. So in the case of MELANIA, a meager $5-7million gross is again intriguing. The conservative action orgs don't think there's anything persuasive or educational about this documentary??? :buggedout:
Whatever one may a priori think about Melania or her husband, it is worth mentioning that MELANIA's director is a notorious sex pest/serial creepster:
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/01/melania-trump-documentary-brett-ratner-metoo/
...Which I guess made him an ideal candidate for the gig!
Finally, most apropos to this website, some fantasizing via TV's Frank:
https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1522703/large/MST3kMelania.png?1769809422
Ster Kinekor, South Africa's oldest cinema chain pulled the release of MELANIA before it had even opened. Not sure what happened there 😬
I heard a rumor that some theater in Arizona was printing out Utopia tickets instead of Melania tickets, but I can't find any info on that...
this sounds like it has the making a Razzie Award winner
I heard it was so bad that Texas governor Greg Abbot stood up and walked out. . .
:bouncegiggle: :bouncegiggle: :bouncegiggle: :thumbup: :thumbup: :cheers:
Imagine when airlines start playing it as their in-flight movie...
Quote from: indianasmith on February 02, 2026, 07:00:44 PMI heard it was so bad that Texas governor Greg Abbot stood up and walked out. . .
😳😄😃😀😆🐢
(https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk.com-vbulletin/2000x2000/20260202_124436_63dd3a8d52ff3a5154046cbfc1b0f4821f61f6d3.jpg)
presumably the movie is 90 minutes of her standing in the semi-background, staring at something just off camera with an expression that combines smouldering distain with mild confusion? that's the only thing I am aware of her for...
Quote from: claws on February 02, 2026, 11:35:04 PM(https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk.com-vbulletin/2000x2000/20260202_124436_63dd3a8d52ff3a5154046cbfc1b0f4821f61f6d3.jpg)
😆😀😃😄😂🐢
Quote from: zombie no.one on February 03, 2026, 04:11:20 AMpresumably the movie is 90 minutes of her standing in the semi-background, staring at something just off camera with an expression that combines smouldering distain with mild confusion? that's the only thing I am aware of her for...
All reviews support your assumption - except it isn't 90, it's 108!
dat extended cut swag... okay I'm in!!
We make fun, but the movie grossed $7 million in its opening week, making it the #3 movie of the week. :bluesad:
How did this cost 75m? It was director Ratner following Melania with only a camera, right?
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR2PbMzYM5Y_OtdjYywX6HZdcdcyCqrDYSwqg&s)
(Brett Ratner with friends)
Quote from: Rev. Powell on February 03, 2026, 09:31:57 AMWe make fun, but the movie grossed $7 million in its opening week, making it the #3 movie of the week. :bluesad:
I've heard reports of people buying tickets then offering to pay others $50 plus their ticket if they'll sit through the entire movie.
There's far more tickets being sold than there are people actually watching.
Quote from: chainsaw midget on February 03, 2026, 12:38:53 PMQuote from: Rev. Powell on February 03, 2026, 09:31:57 AMWe make fun, but the movie grossed $7 million in its opening week, making it the #3 movie of the week. :bluesad:
I've heard reports of people buying tickets then offering to pay others $50 plus their ticket if they'll sit through the entire movie.
There's far more tickets being sold than there are people actually watching.
Don't kid yourself. If 10% of all Americans are die hard MAGA, which is the low end of estimates, there are 33,000,000 potential viewers, more than enough to make it a hit.
Quote from: claws on February 03, 2026, 11:22:52 AMHow did this cost 75m? It was director Ratner following Melania with only a camera, right?
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR2PbMzYM5Y_OtdjYywX6HZdcdcyCqrDYSwqg&s)
(Brett Ratner with friends)
I think most of that money was legal bribery.
Again, at the risk of denying the first lady her due, $7m is good for a documentary's opening weekend but less good for the $75m+ budget. (Again, for Claws and anyone else joining in progress - that's $40m to Melania herself and $35m advertising, plus whatever they paid Ratner and the rest of the crew and post-production staff). It's also pretty weak for a film w/ so much money spent on promo AND a conservative pedigree... films like SOUND OF FREEDOM might start slow and grow in ticket revenue due to word of mouth and commentator support. However after all the pre-opening advertising, it's hard to imagine (particularly w/ the reviews) that significantly more people will go to theaters in week 2 to see MELANIA than saw it in week 1... in other words, it doesn't seem likely to be a grower. If people want to see it and they haven't this week, I suspect they'll wait for it to be included free w/ their Prime subscription. (I guess Prime is fine w/ that, too, but it will be hard for the president to brag about a $10-ish million total box office gross against a $80-ish million dollar budget.)
https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/melania-doc-white-women-red-states-drove-box-office-1236648382/
Eh!
The plot thickens... block ticket purchases/giveaways for MELANIA are no longer speculative. Here's proof of one:
https://meidasnews.com/news/gop-candidate-hoping-for-trumps-endorsement-gave-away-free-melania-tickets?cdmc=39D6wCOpDAz4ny0J4Sf3EZLXaWq&refcode2=39D6wCOpDAz4ny0J4Sf3EZLXaWq&refcodecdmc=39D6wCOpDAz4ny0J4Sf3EZLXaWq
Less of a smoking gun, yet related:
https://meidasnews.com/news/exclusive-white-house-advisor-pushed-bulk-sales-for-melania-movie
One more time: $7 million opening weekend for a documentary is nothing to cast shade upon.
EXCEPT - docs rarely get released as widely as MELANIA.
Some outlets report MELANIA played on 1800 this weekend - but I'm unclear on whether that's just North America or international.
I tried to recall another documentary with such a wide opening. I remember FAHRENHEIT 9/11 opening pretty wide in 2004 (it played at the suburban multiplex that I managed, owned by a staunch Republican, anyway). I couldn't easily ascertain how many screens FAHRENHEIT 9/11 played on, but it grossed $24 million its opening weekend. Of course, that was in the pre-streaming age........
But anyway. If MELANIA grossed $7million on 1800 screens - that's an average of $3,888 per screen. That would be very good at my small art house triplex from '99-'03 (MEMENTO would often gross $4-$6k a screen per weekend... in its first 2-3 months... then $1-2k per weekend thereafter). $4k per screen @ the multiplex in '03-'08 would be less impressive. Also remember tickets were $4-$6 per ticket in '99, maybe up to $8 or so in '08. So that was more bodies per showtime per weekend.
MELANIA is a 108 minute movie, so it would've probably gotten 4 Friday showtimes and 5 Saturdays and Sundays. Let's say therefore it played 14 times per screen on many of its screens this weekend.
That means it grossed $277.71 per showtime on each of those screens. $277.71 for one show would be okay-to-slow for a movie back in 2003. $1K+ in tickets to one show was cookin'! Again - roughly $5 per ticket = 200 people in my theater, and that was pretty good!
Today tickets probably cost... on average... $12?
$277.71 divided by $12 = about 23 people per show of MELANIA this weekend. Average multiplex theater seats 200-300. Some are much smaller, some may be much larger. My screens were mostly in the 250 range, w/ one 500-seater @ the triplex. I forget how big the biggest ones were at the multiplex, but probably only 350-400. So 23 people in a single show... wasn't nothin', but also wasn't anything to get excited about. You wouldn't send in extra ushers after the show or anything.
Some showings of MELANIA this weekend were certainly full. Some were certainly empty. If only 23 people ON AVERAGE saw each show... clearly "sold-out" screenings with standing-room only capacity (as was claimed this week on Fox News) were an outlier. Mathematically, half of all shows were attended by 23 or fewer patrons.
Again, working w/ uncertain numbers here for the US, but in the UK...
It played on 155 screens. (I dunno if that's on top of the 1800 or included in the 1800.)
It grossed $42,000 US.
It was #29 on the UK charts for the weekend. :bouncegiggle:
It averaged $277.97 (US) per screen. That would be a HUGE FLOP at my arthouse in 2003... that movie wouldn't be back for a second week. :lookingup:
Here's a great article analyzing ALL this weekend's box office reports - including though not limited to MELANIA:
https://tombrueggemann.substack.com/p/five-box-office-results-this-weekend
This author is also skeptical about MELANIA's, err, "legs".
Also, Chris Pratt in MERCY (also from Amazon/MGM) looks like another big ol' bomb. So this has been a fine two weeks for MovieBezos. And good!
On the other hand... the Charli XCX mockumentary is... on the kind of fire that I would've been THRILLED to shout in my usually-undercrowded movie theaters! :smile: Grossed $425,000 on FOUR (4) SCREENS. Wow, cinema managers... better order a lot more raw corn!!!!!!! :hot:
UPDATE: I slept on the biggest news re: this thread, because I had no idea what IRON LUNG even was...
Yeah, the #1 movie of the weekend is Sam Raimi & Disney's flick, but the #2 movie is a $3 million indie that opened w/ an $18 million gross... more than 200% MELANIA's weekend gross on probably 1/30th MELANIA's budget. Maybe Bezos should hire Markiplier!
Just in: "Melania" nominated for "Best Documentary" by the FIFA Awards.
:bouncegiggle:
I keep hearing that Bezos is able to afford losing tens of millions of dollars, but then he just laid off a third of the Washington Post staff, so... :bluesad:
99% "Audience" score at Rotten Tomatoes. Rated higher than The Godfather :bouncegiggle:
Who do they think they are fooling?
If you ever needed proof that RT are rigged, here it is.
Quote from: claws on February 05, 2026, 10:51:41 PM99% "Audience" score at Rotten Tomatoes. Rated higher than The Godfather :bouncegiggle:
Who do they think they are fooling?
If you ever needed proof that RT are rigged, here it is.
Why I still use IMDB (where it's 1.3/10)
Quote from: claws on February 05, 2026, 10:51:41 PM99% "Audience" score at Rotten Tomatoes. Rated higher than The Godfather :bouncegiggle:
Who do they think they are fooling?
If you ever needed proof that RT are rigged, here it is.
Seems high, but except for paid critics, no one went to see "Melania" who wasn't going to rate it an A++++ no matter what. I mean, would you pay money to see it? I wouldn't go if you paid me.
RT breaks down audience ration between verified ticket buyers and unverified ones (i.e. people who probably didn't see it but want to rate it either 5 stars or 1 star for political reasons). The 99% is for verified ticket holders. If you include the unverified "Viewers" that RT audience rating drops to 29%.
On the other hand, I can rate "Melania" at IMDb right now without supplying any proof I've seen it, which is why the IMDb rating is low. It's the IMDb rating that's being review-bombed. IMDb ratings are generally less reliable for politically charged movies. (IMDb ratings are great for movies that no one has any reason to go in an rate unseen.)
Quote from: claws on February 05, 2026, 10:51:41 PM99% "Audience" score at Rotten Tomatoes. Rated higher than The Godfather :bouncegiggle:
Who do they think they are fooling?
If you ever needed proof that RT are rigged, here it is.
:bouncegiggle: :bouncegiggle: :bouncegiggle:
Quote from: Rev. Powell on February 06, 2026, 09:22:24 AMSeems high, but except for paid critics, no one went to see "Melania" who wasn't going to rate it an A++++ no matter what. I mean, would you pay money to see it? I wouldn't go if you paid me.
Perhaps I am mistaken... I thought you were a paid critic. You serve on a critics award panel for documentaries, right?
In 100% sincerity and seriousness, I was waiting for you to inevitably have to see MELANIA for one of your gigs. If you told me it was actually worth seeing, I would probably have to shut up about it! (...Not about Melania being an amoral enabler and opportunist, perhaps, but at least about the movie being objectively Bad...)
Quote from: Rev. Powell on February 06, 2026, 09:22:24 AMSeems high, but except for paid critics, no one went to see "Melania" who wasn't going to rate it an A++++ no matter what. I mean, would you pay money to see it? I wouldn't go if you paid me.
RT breaks down audience ration between verified ticket buyers and unverified ones (i.e. people who probably didn't see it but want to rate it either 5 stars or 1 star for political reasons). The 99% is for verified ticket holders. If you include the unverified "Viewers" that RT audience rating drops to 29%.
On the other hand, I can rate "Melania" at IMDb right now without supplying any proof I've seen it, which is why the IMDb rating is low. It's the IMDb rating that's being review-bombed. IMDb ratings are generally less reliable for politically charged movies. (IMDb ratings are great for movies that no one has any reason to go in an rate unseen.)
If you only count the people who paid for the experience, you're measuring 'fandom,' not 'film quality.' RT's system solved the bot problem but created a 'selection bias' problem in its place.
Quote from: claws on February 06, 2026, 12:32:30 PMQuote from: Rev. Powell on February 06, 2026, 09:22:24 AMSeems high, but except for paid critics, no one went to see "Melania" who wasn't going to rate it an A++++ no matter what. I mean, would you pay money to see it? I wouldn't go if you paid me.
RT breaks down audience ration between verified ticket buyers and unverified ones (i.e. people who probably didn't see it but want to rate it either 5 stars or 1 star for political reasons). The 99% is for verified ticket holders. If you include the unverified "Viewers" that RT audience rating drops to 29%.
On the other hand, I can rate "Melania" at IMDb right now without supplying any proof I've seen it, which is why the IMDb rating is low. It's the IMDb rating that's being review-bombed. IMDb ratings are generally less reliable for politically charged movies. (IMDb ratings are great for movies that no one has any reason to go in an rate unseen.)
If you only count the people who paid for the experience, you're measuring 'fandom,' not 'film quality.' RT's system solved the bot problem but created a 'selection bias' problem in its place.
That's true; you just need to keep in mind what the "audience score" is actually measuring. I trust the critics' score more, but my tastes align with movie critics.
Quote from: M.10rda on February 06, 2026, 11:27:33 AMQuote from: Rev. Powell on February 06, 2026, 09:22:24 AMSeems high, but except for paid critics, no one went to see "Melania" who wasn't going to rate it an A++++ no matter what. I mean, would you pay money to see it? I wouldn't go if you paid me.
Perhaps I am mistaken... I thought you were a paid critic. You serve on a critics award panel for documentaries, right?
In 100% sincerity and seriousness, I was waiting for you to inevitably have to see MELANIA for one of your gigs. If you told me it was actually worth seeing, I would probably have to shut up about it! (...Not about Melania being an amoral enabler and opportunist, perhaps, but at least about the movie being objectively Bad...)
I rarely get paid directly for reviews. I make money (increasingly less and less) from advertising on my website, and from book sales. But if someone tried to commission me to see MELANIA I like to think I would turn the offer down. I'm not even morbidly curious about it, and penning yet another obvious hate-piece wouldn't be satisfying. The only way I could morally justify it is if I signed the check over to some anti-MAGA politician's campaign.
Thanks for the clarification and as long as I brought it up, please post a link to your website! (I remember you posting youtube links in the past but I don't remember the website url etc.)
Primary site: https://366weirdmovies.com/
:thumbup: I'm sorry, I have seen this before - my mind is just a sieve. Happy to visit again and see what's new so you get some clicks for the advertisers.
Frank Kermode didn't like it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTyUni8dbkE
New numbers are in
$12,001,736 - Domestic
$161,791 - Worldwide
I'll just leave it at that.
Quote from: Dr. Whom on February 08, 2026, 05:59:48 AMFrank Kermode didn't like it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTyUni8dbkE
oddly subdued review by his standards (although he sounds like he has a mild cold)
his reviews of SEX & THE CITY 2, and the ENTOURAGE movie are some of my favourite things to rewatch.
Quote from: claws on February 08, 2026, 12:11:07 PMNew numbers are in
$12,001,736 - Domestic
Okay, so - I was gonna' give it the benefit of the doubt and say high-end estimates for Week 1 were $8m and it made half that much in Week 2... googling it though provides a less rosy picture:
https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/melania-box-office-plunges-send-help-stays-first-slow-super-bowl-1236656120/
Multiple sources say MELANIA plunged 67% in Week 2 and is now in 9th place domestically. Whatever spin they apply to this will be... interesting.
I think this film, and the people / forces / institutions behind it, are beyond money... a multi billion $ loss would not even mean anything.
Yeah, you're right... I need to get over it. Clearly I am suffering from MDS... Melania Derangement Syndrome. :smile:
Okay, now it's purely schadenfreude:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/melania-movie-phantom-thread-music-jonny-greenwood-anderson-1236500497/
...But good for Jonny and PTA.
As much as this is a very notable badmovie, at the same time, I don't want to do anything to glorify it.
If you asked me to make a list of the top 200 bad movies of the last two years ... well, first off I probabaly wouldn't do it, because that's a lot of movies, but if I did, i still wouldn't want this anywhere near the list.
I hear you, and your sentiments echo my own from the AFTER LAST SEASON thread of last month.
Besides being a rabid cinephile, I'm also a news junkie, so my obsessiveness over this one is very much a manifestation of my chronic nervous condition over ongoing events. And, as I said, schadenfreude. I'd be okay with MELANIA the movie being forgotten outside of classes that study propaganda... after she's out of the White House and the public eye.
I don't think anyone is claiming "Melania" is so-bad-it's-good. It will be totally forgotten very soon.
This is old news but I thought it was funny. I couldn't find ANY info about how much MELANIA made this past weekend - apparently it wasn't ranked among the top 30 grossing films in the US, in spite of POTUS still gloating about it being #1 within the last week. :lookingup: Nevertheless it appears to have grossed about $15.9 million dollars total, domestically, thus far. Heck, it could've cracked $16m - if Amazon didn't pull it prematurely from a new booking in an Oregon arthouse:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/2/11/2368326/-Amazon-pulls-Melania-the-movie-from-Oregon-theater
...I guess the White House or Trump-friendly forces at Amazon determined that the theater's interest in the film wasn't, uhhh, sufficiently sincere? :bouncegiggle: