Is it possible to make so many lousy movies, so many flops at the box office, that you lose your mind? Liz’s eye-opening perspective on Herr Doktor Uwe Boll certainly suggests that that’s possible, but now we’ve got one more chunk of data, courtesy of Hollywood Life.net:
Dane Cook was evicted from his Hollywood apartment last month, but he is back in court fighting to stay put because he believes the ghosts that live in his house inspire him. According to court papers he claims, “I know that the presence of those that have lived there before me affects me deeply and provides me with inspiration.” “In the same way that writers can get writer’s block, comedians can really easily run out of ideas and ‘stories’; I am extremely frightened that this will happen to me if I am forced to move out of my apartment.” “I’ve seen it happen to other comics, that something interferes with their connection to their creative muse, and it’s destroyed careers.”
Apparently comedian Cook hasn’t been paying attention TO his career lately, which is actually quite destroyed all by itself. I’m guessing he didn’t see the eight million My Best Friend’s Girl took in at the box office, less than one fifth of its shooting budget. In fact, let’s take a look at the four BEFORE this flop:
Employee of the Month
Budget: 12 million
Total gross: 28 million
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 21 %
Dan In Real Life
Budget: 25 million
Total gross: 48 million
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 66%
Good Luck Chuck
Budget: 25 million
Total gross:35 million
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 3%
Mr. Brooks
Budget:20 million
Total gross:28 million
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 56%
So you can see from the numbers–no huge grosses, no big ratings, no big deal at all. Dane, if I were you, I’d move out and get me a different set of ghosts before my whole career goes up in flames.
Popularity: 2% [?]
I am in no way defending the quality of these movies as art, but from a strictly financial standpoint, these actually quite good returns on investment, nothing under a 40% ROI. Any Hollywood studio would be very happy with that from a business sense. Sure, he’s not winning any Oscars, but I think we can expect to continue to see more of his Ghost Inspired Comedic Stylings in the years to come.
At least for now, Jay. Notice that Cook’s work never has a big budget by Hollywood standards–there’s nothing here over thirty million, and that’s small change by Hollywood standards. Kevin Smith’s dying for five to make Red State. I suspect he’s on thin ice–not trusted with any serious budget because he’s always one step away from being an actual money LOSER. Sure, he’s got good ROI, but how much of that is because he doesn’t have much I to RO?