In fairness, if you release a Christmas movie in October - how popular do you think that's going to be? Surely waiting for the December release would have guaranteed a better opening box office? I wonder what the studios are thinking sometimes, I really do.

poor, poor ben affleck.

i actually really like him, and he is just getting put through the wringer, i wish he would stop picking these "safe" bullshit mainstream movies, that not even the mainstream audience wants to see.

and, i am just going to throw this out there....

I liked Paycheck.

I saw this flick, as I told you last week I was going to, and I posted my mini review. In short, this movie could really use a redo. Ben is the best thing about this flick, but his supporting cast is just as brilliant.

What isn't brilliant, however, is the script, the direction and the comedic timing. Do all of those over with new people, and this movie really could be a little gem.

JMO.

Looks like the studio had no faith in this movie so they dumped it, rather than release it in mid-November, which would have been the most appropriate window for it. Affleck himself seemed dispirited and not-into-it in the interviews he did to promote the movie.

Affleck hasn't been doing well at all in the box office. Paycheck, for example, was actually a good movie, but flopped. Uma was in it, hot off of Kill Bill Vol. 1 fercrissakes, but the movie still flopped. The only logical explanation, from the studios' standpoint, is because of Affleck starring in it.

The fact is, the whole Bennifer thing burned out the general public towards him. (Bengar isn't helping matters for him either.) The lesson here is: If you are a famous actor or musician, you should really keep your personal relationships out of the media. If there is more ink devoted to the relationships you are in verses the projects you're in, that's a bad, bad sign. The unwashed masses should be interested first in your new project, not who you are currently fucking.

Just goes to prove that movie studios are stupid. Who the hell wants to see a Christmas movie during Halloween season? What was the rush, couldn't they wait one more month to release it?

Just goes to prove that movie studios are stupid. Who the hell wants to see a Christmas movie during Halloween season? What was the rush, couldn't they wait one more month to release it?

Mo: Just my speculation, the studio dumped the movie. They knew what they were doing. It would have certainly cost more to promote and release it around mid-November when TV and radio ad rates shoot up, and the field gets really competitive against other high-profile movie releases.

So I'm guessing the studio probably made the "smart" move here. They cut their losses now, so that they could devote resources to plugging their other releases for the holiday season.

I wouldn't be surprised if "Surviving Christmas" hits the Blockbuster new release shelf in December. All joking aside, maybe pay-per-view by then wouldn't be out of the question.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6308326/

"In interviews for the flick, some journalists thought Affleck behaved strangely, seemed uninterested in talking about the movie, cursed rather freely, waved his arms distractedly, and even put his head in co-star Christina Applegate’s lap. “It was, to put it mildly, an odd experience,” noted Paul Fischer, who interviewed Affleck and Applegate for DarkHorizons.com.

"Affleck, for example, took a swipe at his long-time friend, Kevin Smith, who is said to be mad at him for not appearing at the DVD launch of “Jersey Girl.” “It wasn’t enough that I went to Vegas to play in his lame charity poker tournament for the DVD launch of ‘Jersey Girl,’ but I also had to go out to his fucking store where he’s opening a store where all he’s doing is selling more T-shirts of him and his jackass friend and he’s roped in an entire generation of kids into thinking it’s worth spending $30 on and $50 if he signs it,” Affleck explained. “I mean the whole thing is a complete travesty and he wanted me to participate in it and I won’t do that.”"

What the hell? This should have opened right after Thanksgiving. It would have done more without any advertisement if it had opened in the Xmas season.

Audiences are tired of Affleck, He knows that and he's trying to piss off the media so they'll just leave him alone, even if it makes him look like a jackass. He's sabotaging his interviews with off topic remarks and languages that gives the interviewers very little information. Just my opinion.

Somebody clarify this for me.

Ben Affleck has a new movie out??

He's fucking Christina Applegate now?? What happened with the Alias manjaw girl??

Is George Carlin in this movie too, playing a guy who gives blowjobs??

Here, Here Mark.

Ya know, James Gandolfini didn't seem too terribly excited to promote this film, either. For a guy who supposedly hopes to break away from Tony Soprano, picking a mediocre film project that bombs on its opening isn't going to help things much...

That's what Ben Affleck gets for being overexposed.