I'll deal with the other box office stuff in the usual weekend column. But The Men Who Stare At Goats (projected weekend take of about $12 million) a disappointment in comparison to what exactly? How many times are we going to read about a George Clooney vehicle disappointing by opening to around $10-13 million? It's a phenomenon that goes back to his first major vehicle, The Peacemaker, which 'disappointed' by opening to just $12.3 million in October 1997. It happened with Out of Sight ($12 million) in June of 1998, Intolerable Cruelty ($12.5 million) in October 2003, Syriana ($11.2 million) in December 2005, again with Michael Clayton ($10.3 million) in October 2007, and again in April 2008 with Leatherheads ($12.6 million).Where is this magic all-by-himself starring role that Clooney opened to $20 million or more between 1997 and today? Guess what? George Clooney vehicles are not major openers. But they are also usually pretty cheap, adult-driven pictures that are not the sort of movie to burst out of the opening gate. Heck, his only adult films to open above $13 million were Three Kings ($15.8 million) and the Coen Brothers' all-star comedy Burn After Reading ($19.1 million). Face it, when you're dealing with George Clooney films that aren't a Batman film, a special effects event film, or an all-star caper, $10-13 million is what you should be expecting. Expect this crap all over again when Up In the Air 'only' opens to around $12 million next month.
Scott Mendelson
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