Dredd - Box Office

[Beeks]

Just about to watch it for the second time

Yes I know I've been slacking but I've two young kids!!

Gonna look out for more board references this time!

[Jim_Campbell]

I wanna see your post about Canada's culture and why they don't get Dredd.

I don't know whether they do or not. This conversation specifically arose out of seemingly disappointing box office in the States. You seem determined to make this into a fight, apparently as a defensive tactic, when I'm not actually being in any way critical.

Are you suggesting that there isn't a cultural difference between American and British comics? I'd suggest the fact that, in an American book, exposure to mutation-inducing radiation gets you born as a psychic who grows up to be a smoking hot babe but in a British one you get an arm growing out of the side of your head or a face where your knee should be rather neatly illustrates the sort of thing I'm talking about.

I'm not saying one culture is better than the other, hence my bewilderment at your defensive tone, I'm saying that they're different which, I thought, was both undeniable and uncontroversial. I don't know whether, in your head, you're reading my posts as some veiled way of saying "Stupid Americans -- it's their fault there won't be any sequels!" but that's really, really not what I'm saying.

Cheers

Jim

[Keef Monkey]

Chill out,still early days.Batman made more money outside the US than in it.I think we will scrape it.Give it another weekend.

My worry is that if the numbers are as low as those predictions it's doubtful it will get a second weekend in any meaningful way. I do hope those estimates are wrong, because for a US release they seem very, very low.

[PsychoGoatee]

I wanna see your post about Canada's culture and why they don't get Dredd.

I don't know whether they do or not. This conversation specifically arose out of seemingly disappointing box office in the States. You seem determined to make this into a fight, apparently as a defensive tactic, when I'm not actually being in any way critical.

You say defensive, to me I'm being logical. It's not a fight, I'm just disagreeing with the ideas your throwing out there and explaining my thoughts.

I think "I don't know whether they do or not" would also apply to America if it applies to Canada. Nuff said really.

[JOE SOAP]

Jim is of course correct about cultural differences but to me Dredd is a character of certain appeal everywhere, not just in the US. Unfortunately for this film the '95 version haunts it. Once the words Dredd/Remake/Stallone are falsely braided together a lot of people in the mainstream have all ready made their minds up, but, I believe Dredd has enough appeal to be successful and to be sustainable and don't be surprised to see Dredd's viability as a sellable character become greater in the foreseeable.

[PsychoGoatee]

Also, the bit you just said about American comics versus Brit ones, oddly enough you just only used the superhero Marvel and DC comics. Let's not forget about all the other comics companies and their output. Really, your posts on the topic of America in general seem to be broad strokes and stereotypes, that's why I disagree.

[JOE SOAP]

Jim is talking about wide-appeal (where stereotypes can be true) not what indies are doing.

[PsychoGoatee]

A separate issue, but sexuality and sexism are not the same thing. An illustration of say a topless women which is meant to be titillating to male readers (and lesbians by the way) is not sexist. By some definitions art has to be sexless to not be sexist. But I know there's no real point in discussion our opinions on what's acceptable or not especially in that realm, everybody has their own lines.

[PsychoGoatee]

Woops, where's that edit button, debating in two threads at once and posted that one in the wrong place. 

And again, it's a bit odd to color everything other than Marvel and DC as not worth mentioning, it's a very sizable part of the market. Walking Dead #100 was recently the best selling comic, outselling anything by Marvel or DC. And it would not be out of place in 2000AD.

[JOE SOAP]

I think you're missing the point.

[PsychoGoatee]

I think you're missing the point.

An easy thing to say. He compared 2000AD as Brit and then said in America instead we've have "insert stereotypical Marvel/DC thing here". But the American market is much more than that, even in mainstream terms.

[Jim_Campbell]

Also, the bit you just said about American comics versus Brit ones, oddly enough you just only used the superhero Marvel and DC comics. Let's not forget about all the other comics companies and their output. Really, your posts on the topic of America in general seem to be broad strokes and stereotypes, that's why I disagree.

Umm. If one is discussing cultural differences, of course one deals in broad strokes. I'm also characterising British culture in broad strokes. 2000AD was most emphatically mainstream when the Strontium Dog stories I was referencing were running, so a direct comparison with Marvel is entirely appropriate.

I have to ask you again: is it your contention that there are no cultural differences between the two? And, no, I'm not talking about Canada, or Japan, or France, because this conversation arises from reports of disappointing US box office. The film has been heavily marketed and largely well-reviewed in the US, which is the key market and yet people still don't seem to be going to see it. I'm just wondering whether the fact that there is an undeniable cultural difference between the UK and the US plays some part in this and, if so, why that should be.

Cheers

Jim

[PsychoGoatee]

I'm just wondering whether the fact that there is an undeniable cultural difference between the UK and the US plays some part in this and, if so, why that should be.

I think plenty of reasons more tangible than that have been given for why Dredd is less popular in the US than the UK. And, for the record, it's less popular literally everywhere else on the planet as well.

And that you say you think something about the character of Dredd doesn't work for Americans, but you have no opinion on how this works for Canadians, to me says a lot.

[norse_sage]

American audiences haven't failed the movie, they just haven't seen it. And why should they?
It's not like they have a compelling reason to if they are not already fans who have followed the movie.

No, the only ones that failed whereLionsGate Films Marketing Department, the weakest link in Dredd's entire chain. It doesn't help that everyone else did their job to perfection when Tim Palen & Co failed so miserably at doing theirs...again. If anyone else still wonders why I keep going on and on about them, then this is why. They have, as feared, delivered the worst marketing campaign bar none this side of Conan, and in the process poisoned the Judge Dredd brand on film and killed even the remotest chance of a sequel happening.

Thankfully, we now have one proper Judge Dredd movie.
It is the only one we will get.

[Spikes]

Ive got to ask, but just why should Dredd be popular in the states? Has any foreign title ever taken America by storm? 

I know for a fact that Dredd is pretty well received by those that have had the opportunity to read the strip. Those case files seem to be doing a grand job at that. And more than the art (which you would think would be the case) its the stories, and the quality of the writing, that seems to grab. And yes, i think that as Dredd offers a 'British' or 'different' take on things, that is part of the appeal, as well.

Also, you never hear anybody giving Canada guff over these things, its always "the Yanks". 

Thats because of the hissy fit you lot threw in Boston.
Canada remained loyal to the crown, and didnt throw their Britishness away (with the tea), and for that reason are above reproach