This clip is sort of apropos of nothing really. Apart from being generally hilarious, it's just one of those things that makes me appreciate seeing Danny Trejo in a major starring role all the more. Dude's had a crazy career, full of great movies, and, well...movies that star Ken Shamrock. That movie is called Champions, by the way. No need to watch it, you've now seen all the best parts.
So I'm sure you're curious how Machete did at the box office weekend, along with the other debuts. Well, it came in third overall, with around $11.3 million to its name. Under some circumstances, that might have been a disappointing debut, but take into account two factors. One, this is a crazy ass looking action movie starring a guy who has, up to this point, largely been relegated to back-up roles as thugs, gangsters, and generally threatening presences for the bulk of his career. This is like someone giving William Forsythe a major starring role in 2010, or Mark Rolston, or Tiny Lister. Secondly, Robert Rodriguez, being the frugal man that he is, kept Machete's production budget at around $20 million, which means that it's doing just fine, all things considered.
The surprise winner this week was The American, the George Clooney assassin picture that, by all accounts, is not the movie that it's been marketed as. Apparently it's a really awesome character study and features another stellar Clooney performance, but again, you watch those ads, you're expecting a lot of foreign intrigue and tense gun violence. I've heard more than my share of people talk about that movie like it was some colossal disappointment, which makes me wonder how word of mouth will treat it next week. We shall see.
The other debut this week, the surprisingly good Justin Long / Drew Barrymore romcom, Going the Distance, managed just fifth place, taking in about $6.9 million. That's better than The Switch managed upon its opening weekend, but that's not really much consolation, I'm imagining.
Little news of note around the other holdovers, except to say that Toy Story 3 saw a bit of a resurgence this week after reopening on 900 or so screens (though not enough to get back into the top 10), and Avatar: Special Edition continues to just kind of exist, making around $2.3 million on the same 800 screens it had last week.
[ Edit: Going to be a slow news day for Screened, as we'll be taking some downtime for Labor Day and to prepare for our upcoming Big Big Live Show Live!]
Enough of my rambling, just click on for the full list.
Box Office Results: 09/03 - 09/05
 | 1. The American $13 million / $16.1 million / NEW |
 | 2. Takers $11.5 million / $37.9 million |
 | 3. Machete $11.3 million / NEW |
 | 4. The Last Exorcism $7.6 million / $32.5 million |
 | 5. Going the Distance $6.9 million / NEW |
 | 6. The Expendables $6.6 million / $92.2 million |
 | 7. The Other Guys $5.4 million / $106.9 million |
 | 8. Eat Pray Love $4.9 million / $69 million |
 | 9. Inception $4.5 million / $277.1 million |
 | 10. Nanny McPhee Returns $3.6 million / $22.4 million |
Dropped Off: Vampires Suck, The Switch, Piranha 3-D
Source: Box Office Mojo
That is truly God's gift to the world this week.
I unfriended both of them.
Think it'd make a good date movie?
Yes.
ha...hahaha....HAHAHAHAAAAAA!