Box Office: ‘Godzilla’ Roars to $9.3 Million at Latenight Shows in U.S.
Source: Variety
Godzilla pulverized the Thursday night box office, racking up a mighty $9.3 million domestically.
The film will now expand to 4,000 domestic locations, where it is expected to cast a big shadow across the multiplexes.
The latenight gross from 3,400 locations included $2.1 million from Imax sites. The sterling opening ranks among the 20 biggest midnight debuts in history, right ahead of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest ($9 million) and behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($10.2 million) in 19th place.
With such a roaring start, Godzilla should generate north of $70 million in ticket sales this weekend. The King of the Monsters could end up setting a monster movie opening weekend record, taking the crown from The Lost World: Jurassic Park, which opened to $72 million in 1997.
Read more: http://variety.com/2014/film/news/box-office-godzilla-roars-to-9-3-million-at-latenight-shows-in-u-s-1201183359/
onehandle
(51,122 posts)"GODZILLA ATTACK!" Reads Hacked San Francisco Road Sign
http://gawker.com/godzilla-attack-reads-hacked-san-francisco-road-sign-1577478515
frylock
(34,825 posts)I'd really like to see them resurrect some of the other kaiju, like King Ghidorah.
bigworld
(1,807 posts)Witness the endless Marvel superhero flicks.
sakabatou
(42,134 posts)Still, I would love to see the oldies.
derby378
(30,252 posts)Released on Mixcloud just in time for the film's debut on the big screen. Hey, why not? Give it a listen.
http://www.mixcloud.com/derby378/bruce-lee-vs-godzilla/
CTyankee
(63,882 posts)I just don't get it. On a long drive a week or so ago I heard a lengthy NPR piece on the whole Godzilla film history and there were all these callers who sounded like addicts to the Godzilla thing...I guess there are ardent fans of anything (I plead guilty to a near-obsession with art), but I really don't get it, except as a strange fascination...
uhnope
(6,419 posts)CTyankee
(63,882 posts)I'm interested...just tell me what you know...thanks!
uhnope
(6,419 posts)CTyankee
(63,882 posts)Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)Godzilla was created after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the movie is a metaphor for the dangers of nuclear war. I have not seen the new film yet, but I hear the updated version but I heard that there are climate change metaphors throughout. Godzilla may appear to be a dumb monster movie on the surface, but it actually does have something to say if you look beneath the surface.
CTyankee
(63,882 posts)I get the history and that is interesting from a sociological point of view, but the NPR show didn't talk about anything more than just that and the special effects...
Humanist_Activist
(7,670 posts)as a phenomenon though, its pretty powerful. The movies within the "Godzilla" franchise should be taken on their own merits, some sucked, others were excellent, such as the original 1954 version. Others were made for fun and they didn't' take themselves too seriously, indeed, pretty much all the later ones fit this category. They are just fun, special effects are secondary, especially considering that 99.9% of the time, its guys in suits.
Kaiju movies in general are like this, as are many monster movies of the west and monster movies the world over. Some have heavy themes, usually revolving around the environment. Some are about character development and personal stories, whereas others are about the larger social implications, and yet others are just mindless destruction for the sake of destruction.
I'll give a contrast between two movies, neither Godzilla movies though of similar molds, being "monster" movies. I like both for different reasons.
The first is "The Host", no not the Stephanie Myer abomination, no its a South Korean film that revolves around pollution causing a mutated creature to terrorize a city and kidnap a little girl, and the story is mostly about her family having to fight against the government and the creature to try to get her back.
The second movie is "Eight Legged Freaks", this movie is, simply put, a homage/parody of creature features and monster movies in general. It is a horror/comedy, doesn't take itself too seriously, and, despite its many flaws, love this cliched mess for what it is, mindless entertainment.
I would also recommend "Rogue" for more mindless entertainment, a film about a rogue saltwater crocodile, from what I can tell from it, the special effects are good, and they didn't need any mutations or other science fiction explanations to create this creature, though I'm hoping its behavior is unrealistic! Sometimes monster are real, lol.
For other types of Kaiju movies, "Pacific Rim" is awesome, as a homage to them in general, "Monsters" is a really excellent low budget film done by the director of this one, though more mindless space aliens.
Its a science fiction genre that includes both the really stupid and really excellent in filmmaking, Godzilla just happens to be one of the longest running(outside of King Kong) and most popular franchise within the genre.
yuiyoshida
(41,818 posts)When I heard about them making a Godzilla movie I was pretty skeptical. A good monster movie should be scary, and what is more scarier than a huge hulking creature walking though the city, stepping on things, and destroying buildings...casting radio activity all over. The American godzilla movies up to this point were not very good, but THIS ONE...looks like it might even top ANY that has been before, with the exception of the classic 1954 Gojira film. (Without Raymond Burr sliced in, and much of the original sliced out.)What made that movie spectacular was it was in black and white, and that made the creature hard to see. When you can't see it well, your mind fills in the blanks. Eventually you see the creature in whole.
I agree with you on The Host. There is a sequel I would love to see of that film, that is out now, somewhere on dvd. The South Koreans did a great job with that movie.. and some where I have it in my collection.
I am looking forward to the new Godzilla film, though I found it funny, that the Japanese said that this Godzilla looks too FAT... (And of course they said it figures, because in general Americans are over weight.) Still.. It should be an awesome movie if it reflects the tone of the trailers I have seen. I look forward to hitting up the IMAX and buying my small tub of popcorn!
Humanist_Activist
(7,670 posts)screening and the people there loved it.
I want to see the Host 2 as well, saw a trailer for it, looks awesome.
I won't spoil the first movie, but it has the best "take that" against a monster in any film I ever seen. You can tell that family just had enough, it was awesome.
I use awesome too much, lol.
yuiyoshida
(41,818 posts)a possible awesome movie and using awesome can not be used enough with Gojira! RRawrrrr!!!
RandySF
(58,437 posts)Godzilla was made right after some Japanese fishermen were caught out in the middle of a nuclear weapons test over the Pacific. The outrage was still fresh when then movie was released.
Beaverhausen
(24,469 posts)have you seen any of the trailers?
OK, some people I know saw it and said it was great.
and Bryan Cranston.
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)CTyankee
(63,882 posts)JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)He's a force of nature, etc.
I'm speaking to my motivation, and others', to watch Godzilla do it. In a movie, anyway.
CTyankee
(63,882 posts)Last edited Sat May 17, 2014, 01:37 PM - Edit history (1)
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)There's no telling if he's frustrated or feeling any other emotion. He's a reptile.
CTyankee
(63,882 posts)I mean, I'm guessing it's because we have a deep fear of reptiles and they are ugly and scary looking, but do you see a deeper meaning? I know about the nuclear thing, so if that is the answer, as in "unleashing terrible powers of destruction on the world", then I think I get it. We brought it on ourselves and we deserve to be destroyed. Sort of the same vein as "Planet of the Apes."
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)People getting a comeuppance they have coming to them is kind of the story, or the moral. If only on the surface. If you think about it, once Godzilla's on the loose, all human responsibility ends. We're helpless to do anything about it. The outcome returns to fate.
As with most films, I think the appeal that most draws the audiences is tactile, sensory if you will. In this case the thrill is that people enjoy watching all this order and predictability and social-behavioral facades and repressions of their own terrors get smashed up by an invincible big lizard. Long as society's still there in reality when they exit the theater (or, as is now more often the case, switch to the next entertainment at home).
CTyankee
(63,882 posts)we like to be frightened but only up to a point.
RandySF
(58,437 posts)And radioactive materials are found where people are found.
CTyankee
(63,882 posts)IOW, we brought it on ourselves.
RandySF
(58,437 posts)Man's recklessness coming back to bite him in the ass.
CTyankee
(63,882 posts)now I get it. So it IS like the theme of Planet of the Apes...
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)How many depictions of St. George and the Dragon can you name?
There was the one by that Dutch guy, and a whole bunch by, like, three of those Italian guys...
CTyankee
(63,882 posts)was your reference to Rubens?
catchnrelease
(1,944 posts)I really can't tell you why. Watching back then I didn't realize how cheezy the monster costume really was, so it seemed really scary to me. But I loved it then and still do. My husband and I went to see the new one this afternoon and we went for the whole extravaganza--IMAX 3D. (And I have only done that for LOTR/The Hobbit) I loved it and will undoubtedly buy the DVD when it comes out.
I'm not expecting Shakespeare or cinematic excellence when I go to see this kind of movie, so I usually get my money's worth, This version did have the background story about the government lying about early nuclear tests and the folly of trying to control nature. I'm sure there will be people that hate it but I'm not one of them. I'm hoping for sequels!!
YOHABLO
(7,358 posts)You'd think ''the people" would rise up and do something about it. Oh, I forgot .. it's just Hollywood ..or whatever. Is there no imagination left? Do we have to return to 'B' level monster movies? Yet, people flock and the movie companies make big profits. Says something about our culture doesn't it. Sorry but not at all interested in this one.
RandySF
(58,437 posts)1. Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971) A dark movie by any standard.
2. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)
3. Destroy All Monsters (1968)
4. Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S.
5. Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
Stardust
(3,894 posts)SunSeeker
(51,502 posts)Great little movie. Too bad it will be totally drowned out by Godzilla.