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#1
Bad Movies / Some sort of noteworthy Event ...
Last post by M.10rda - Today at 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
- 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...
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??? 
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
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
- 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...
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??? 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
#2
Good Movies / Re: Recent Viewings, Part 2
Last post by M.10rda - Today at 12:00:21 PMTHE ELECTRIC HOUSE (1922):
At 23 minutes, this is probably the funniest Buster Keaton solo film I've seen. Like a lot of gag-driven comedy, perhaps Keaton movies just work more affably in short form rather than feature length. It's inescapably founded upon a classic idiot plot, where all action proceeds from a simple yet implausible misunderstanding that would have been avoided had one character invested even the most rudimentary care and attention to their affairs and a second character (Keaton) had bothered for a moment to point out that an obvious mistake had been made. But that's wacky farce for ya', I guess!
Once the action is underway, I laughed out loud twice and chuckled a handful of other times. Most of those resulted from an ongoing bit involving an escalator and a window that is LOL-worthy the first time, LOL-worthy the second time, and still amusing on several more iterations. Although the lightly sci-fi premise is supposed to be somewhat grounded in uhhh "science", none of the engineering science makes any sense, which gives THE ELECTRIC HOUSE an understated quality of surrealism. At one point Keaton falls prey to some automatic doors and there's simply no way he wouldn't be decapitated or at least have his neck broken - but he persists!
I bet David Lynch (now gone from our Earth some 54 weeks or so, incredibly) enjoyed THE ELECTRIC HOUSE or would've enjoyed it if he'd seen it. The pilot episode of ON THE AIR could've been influenced by this one.
3.5/5
Also, this is the second Keaton film I've seen that ends with him attempting suicide, which is such an odd/atonal choice amongst the surrounding frivolity.
At 23 minutes, this is probably the funniest Buster Keaton solo film I've seen. Like a lot of gag-driven comedy, perhaps Keaton movies just work more affably in short form rather than feature length. It's inescapably founded upon a classic idiot plot, where all action proceeds from a simple yet implausible misunderstanding that would have been avoided had one character invested even the most rudimentary care and attention to their affairs and a second character (Keaton) had bothered for a moment to point out that an obvious mistake had been made. But that's wacky farce for ya', I guess!
Once the action is underway, I laughed out loud twice and chuckled a handful of other times. Most of those resulted from an ongoing bit involving an escalator and a window that is LOL-worthy the first time, LOL-worthy the second time, and still amusing on several more iterations. Although the lightly sci-fi premise is supposed to be somewhat grounded in uhhh "science", none of the engineering science makes any sense, which gives THE ELECTRIC HOUSE an understated quality of surrealism. At one point Keaton falls prey to some automatic doors and there's simply no way he wouldn't be decapitated or at least have his neck broken - but he persists!
I bet David Lynch (now gone from our Earth some 54 weeks or so, incredibly) enjoyed THE ELECTRIC HOUSE or would've enjoyed it if he'd seen it. The pilot episode of ON THE AIR could've been influenced by this one.
3.5/5
Also, this is the second Keaton film I've seen that ends with him attempting suicide, which is such an odd/atonal choice amongst the surrounding frivolity.
#3
Good Movies / Re: Recent Viewings, Part 2
Last post by M.10rda - Today at 11:32:35 AMI think I can vouch for ROGUE ONE being the STAR WARS movie for people who no longer like or care about STAR WARS movies. 
#4
Games / Re: Answer the question with a...
Last post by Rev. Powell - Today at 09:13:05 AM
When were you born?
#5
Games / Re: Movie Title Chains
Last post by Rev. Powell - Today at 09:03:09 AMFor a Few Dollars More (1965)
#6
Bad Movies / Re: Generate Movie Poster with...
Last post by Rev. Powell - Today at 08:59:24 AM
I'm a little surprised Copilot was willing to get so saucy with this request.
#7
Entertainment / Re: What have you been listeni...
Last post by Rev. Powell - Today at 08:57:18 AM
An album made in 1977 but not released until now because the Brazilian government suppressed it (despite the fact that it's abstract jazz, not some revolutionary screed)
#9
Bad Movies / Re: RECENT VIEWINGS (Bad Movie...
Last post by zombie no.one - Today at 02:22:31 AMQuote from: M.10rda on February 01, 2026, 01:25:29 PMBut LOADED WEAPON has Tim Curry and William Shatner!
Quote from: chainsaw midget on February 01, 2026, 04:25:28 PMI LIKED Loaded Weapon!
ah, cool. I just found it so dry. compared to the 'subtlety' of the NAKED GUNs and the craziness of HOT SHOTS or something... we wuz spoiled for spoofs back then
#10
Good Movies / Re: Recent Viewings, Part 2
Last post by chainsaw midget - Today at 12:20:44 AMQuote from: FatFreddysCat on February 01, 2026, 08:52:56 PM"Solo: A Star Wars Story" (2018)I thought Solo was better than most of the new Star Wars movies. Certainly better than Rogue One, which seemed to be the one that gets all the praise.
Alden Ehrenreich tries to fill some very big shoes as the young Han Solo in this prequel set ten years prior to the original "Star Wars." It's basically an "origin story" showing Han as a youthful thief and wanna-be smuggler, joining up with a criminal crew for his first big score, meeting Chewbacca and Lando for the first time, and taking possession of the famed Millennium Falcon.
I thought this movie was great fun but it wasn't well received at the time. A troubled production and backlash from fan boys made it the least successful of the new "Star Wars" flicks. That's a shame because I would've liked to see more of these stand-alone tales.