Regarding the Foxnews article today on the 11th hour...

[dave123williams]

Here's what Foxnews wrote:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295768,00.html




Here's what I wrote to them:


From Roger Friedman's article, "Leo's Eco Movie Bombs":

"His environmental documentary, "The 11th Hour," has been a total bust at the box office. After 18 days in release, the film has grossed only $417,913 from ticket sales. The 90-minute snore-fest is playing on 111 screens this week, but that number is likely to be reduced this Friday. The film will be sent to DVD heaven after that."

Your slogan is 'we report, you decide'.

So I decided to do a little research, and it turns out that, yes, Roger Friedman likes to just make stuff up:

1. The movie, in fact, has been in release 10 days, not 18 days.
2. It has only grossed $150,138, not $417,913.
3. It is playing on 20 screens, not 111.
4. That gives it a per-screen average of $3486, which is currently stronger per screen than Rush Hour 3, or the Bourne Ultimatum. Interestingly, Roger's story fails to note that.

Here's the data:

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=b_o_weekend_all&dept=Film&sort=AVERAGEPERSCREENTHISWEEK

How do you explain the difference between the actual box-office reports, and what Roger wrote?

Do you not employ fact checkers? Or, are you as I suspect, in the business of deliberately publishing lies, even in your movie reviews, to further a bankrupted and disintegrating ideology?

Barring some other explanation from your editorial staff, I think it's really got to be one or the other.

You tell me.

[poverlay]

1. Really well done. Stupid faux snooze...nt

[Bicoastal]

2. Fox may be full of shite as usual...

But I know I'm not going to see this movie anytime soon. It was panned by everyone--even lefty critics--for being an incredibly hamfisted, sanctimonious retread of issues already covered in that OTHER giobal warming documentary. I trust Al Gore on the environement, but Leo is nuttin' but a dilettante. There, I said it.

[Ian David]

3. Maybe Leo's office deliberately sent press releases to Fox with the wrong information?

You know, just to make them look bad?





Yeah, I'm kidding.

[niceypoo]

4. Someone should send this to Keith Olberman...

I bet he would have a field day with this one....

[onenote]

7. Not if he fact checks it.

Hate to say it, but Fox has the numbers right (although they are spinning it)

[dave123williams]

8. Uh, no they don't. Check that Variety link.

[onenote]

9. you might read the entire thread before you post and embarass yourself

The information in the variety thread was box office receipts through August 26. The info Fox gave was correct.


http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=11thhour.htm

111 screens at its widest release; $436,505 domestic box office through Sept 4 (just under 3 weeks).

However, note that it only opened with four screens and averaged $15,000 plus per screen

The $417,913 figure apparently is through last weekend: http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/boxoffice/weekend

and the $150,138 figure was its box office through August 26 (and during its initial limited release) http://boxofficemojo.com/daily/chart/?sortdate=2007-08-26&p=.htm

[madinmaryland]

5. Fox News and Facts in the same sentence?

:rofl:

[onenote]

6. actually, it appears that Fox has the gross and number of screens correct

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=11thhour.htm

111 screens at its widest release; $436,505 domestic box office through Sept 4 (just under 3 weeks).

However, note that it only opened with four screens and averaged $15,000 plus per screen

The $417,913 figure apparently is through last weekend: http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/boxoffice/weekend

and the $150,138 figure was its box office through August 26 (and during its initial limited release) http://boxofficemojo.com/daily/chart/?sortdate=2007-08-26&p=.htm