Weekend choices: 'Lost,' 'In Ruins,' or 'Hangover'

By Sarah Sluis

This weekend, it's the battle of the comedies. Each targets a slightly different segment of the comedy crowd. Because of its PG-13-rating, $100 million budget, and big-name star Will Ferrell, Land of the Lost is the front-runner to come in behind Up this weekend. However, low-budget, R-rated The Hangover could give it a run for its money, despite its comparatively miniscule budget. Advance ticket sales for The Hangover surged yesterday, bumping its total pre-sales up to 35% of all advance tickets, while Land of the Lost has only 9%.

The Hangover (3,269 theatres) went from production to release in less than a year. It literally started shooting last fall, and a sequel has already been green-lighted: the studio believes in this one. It appears the PR people have anointed Zach Galifianakis as the star to showcase. The NY Times Magazine profiled him and his offbeat humor, and New York Magazine did a Q&A. The movie is incredibly raunchy and a hard R. I loved the way the emphasis wasn't on the characters doing crazy things to make the audience laugh, but them trying to figure out what crazy things they had done during the night they didn't remember. It put less pressure on the audience to laugh, making the film much funnier. The "mystery" framing makes the reveals shockingly funny. There's a real sense of surprise, especially in the reactions, that doesn't feel performed or staged.

Land of the Lost (3,521 theatres) is a comedic adventure in a crazy world. If you come in with no expectations, as I did, you'll probably enjoy it. In a nod to its detractors, it's not ground-breaking comedy, and has unevenly balanced humor. I think the biggest problem people have been having with the movie is that the comedy never grounds itself: it's crazy people in a crazy environment. For me, Danny McBride was able to be the yin to Ferrell's yang and balance his overblown, egotistical character. I expect that teen audiences will enjoy the film, but interest will drop as age, and comedic savviness, increase.

My Life in Ruins (1,164 theatres), which our reviewer Doris Toumarkine called "bland but sweet-as-baklava," also opens in wide release, but on the small side. If Fox Searchlight took care in selecting those theatres, it could open with a high per-screen average, despite the fact that it's not expected to open particularly high. On television, star Nia Vardalos has been pleading with female audiences to "vote with their pocketbook and see the film opening weekend in order to give more female directors and female-oriented films a chance." I find the argument strange, especially since My Big Fat Greek Wedding was known for its slowly increasing rollout--it had its highest weekly gross four months after its release, and never earned more than $14.8 million in one weekend. Even that was over a three-day Labor day holiday. Despite this unconventional pattern, it grossed $241 million. I think that instead of trying to make middle-aged women act like teenage boys who drop their Wiis to catch a film right that Friday night, studios should respect, and market to, an audience that prefers to see films recommended by their friends, and might take weeks to "get around" to seeing a movie. The proof is in the profit.

While the three films releasing this weekend will provide a much-needed comedic relief, the most buoyant title is Up, which is expected to return to the top spot this weekend after glowing reviews. It earned $68 million its opening weekend, and its weekday grosses are above-average, totaling $86 million as of Wednesday.

On the specialty front, Focus Features releases Away We Go in 4 theatres. Even though it's a film many wanted to love, especially with its pedigree writer and director--Dave Eggers wrote and Sam Mendes helmed--it seems to fall flat. The film will expand over the next two weeks, so it will be looking for strong opening weekend per-screen averages.

Next weekend, Speed-on-a-train film, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, will open wide, along with family comedy Imagine That, which stars Eddie Murphy. Disney is also sneaking The Proposal, hoping to drum up business for a big opening weekend.