‘Blind Side’ Wins the Weekends: Christians vs. Vampires
by John P. HanlonMuch of the buzz about “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” has revolved around a debate between Team Jacob and Team Edward. Numerous articles have been written explaining the merits of these two characters who many girls have swooned over in theaters. As a Chicago Tribune article about stars responding to the question of which team they align themselves with asked, “Are stars loyal to brooding vampire Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson) or hulking werewolf Jacob Black ( Taylor Lautner) as the two duel over heroine Bella ( Kristen Stewart) in the film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s popular books?” Over the past few weekends, moviegoers have faced their own choice, not between Jacob and Edward, but between “New Moon” and another recently-released motion picture, “The Blind Side.”
On the one hand, “New Moon” is the highly-anticipated sequel to the blockbuster hit “Twilight.” As many sequels are, it has been heavily publicized and much has been made about the aforementioned two competing male characters in the film. From major interviews that the cast has done to magazine covers to speculation about the future movies in the series, “New Moon” has attracted a lot of attention as a popular book has been turned into a popular movie. Because of the fans of the book and movie, “New Moon” has unsurprisingly become a blockbuster hit and has made over $250 million dollars in only a matter of weeks.
On the other hand, there stands a movie about a Christian family that takes in a poor young kid and makes him part of their family. This movie, it should be noted, is based off of a non-fiction book about the Tuohy family. As many critics on this website have previously noted, “The Blind Side” starring Sandra Bullock, is a great family film with a meaningful message about changing a person’s entire life. As Richard Roeper aptly noted in an article about the film, “‘The Blind Side’ knows its football, but it’s even smarter about the priceless thing known as a family.”
What has been interesting these past few weekends is watching the box office results for these two motion pictures. Inevitably, “New Moon” has grossed much more than “The Blind Side.” According to the early box office results, both motion pictures have been out for three weeks and “New Moon” has grossed nearly twice the box office of “The Blind Side.” However, the latter film has also quickly beaten many expectations.
This past weekend (according to those early results), “The Blind Side” blindsided “New Moon” and won the weekend. The box office chart featured had “The Blind Side” with 20.4 million dollars and “New Moon” grossing 15.7 million dollars. The chart also noted that “New Moon” was playing on 4124 screens while “The Blind Side” was only playing on 3326 screens — meaning that the Sandra Bullock movie grossed more than the “Twilight” sequel while being in nearly 800 fewer theaters.
The box office results for “The Blind Side” and its staying power shows that there is an audience out there for inspirational movies about people reaching out to others in need. “The Blind Side” is not only inspirational, it is a smart, character-driven piece of entertainment. One hopes that Hollywood replicates that formula.
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62 Comments
I saw the Blind Side. It was very moving and, I think, one of the best movies in the last year. It made a distinct impression on it's audience and the positive message was very uplifting. This is my kind of movie and I hope the cast wins many honors and awards. Sandra Bullock gave the best performance of her career and deserves an Oscar for Best Actress.
Ahhh! Those pesky non-Christians! Keep that demonic Stephanie Meyer away from my kids!
Stephanie Meyer is a devout Mormon she went and graduated from BYU, I don't like her books or movies but she is not demonic, she is a lot like us, believes in god, family, pro life, and conservative beliefs.
Our family LOVED "The Blind SIde," all ages, the guys and the girls. This past weekend, theatre was PACKED. You could tell the mood when leaving, people were HAPPY. Everyone LOVED it.
The Brit guy on YouTube is evicerating Twilight, chapter by chapter, our kids can't WAIT for his next video – way more entertaining than the books, or the theatre version of stupid idiot girl stalks vampire metro and since WHEN do paper cuts BLEED like arterial pumpers? Kids saw the trailer and keep asking, "What's with the paper cut? WHat's with the paper cut? THey stupid?" New Moon must have peaked – no one else but a certain market niche of nincompoop girls and a few wussy guys need to watch it, but "Blind SIde," with fewer theatres and less publicity, yet a growing amount of word of mouth recommendations, has only the sky as the limit.
Going to be interesting to see the long run for both films: New Moon has pulled in close to 600 million so far, and that includes an impressive overseas haul as well as its over $250 mill here. Blind Side has yet to pass 200 million, but will do it easily over the next few weeks, but I'll be curious to see how it plays overseas. Both films were made for relatively little money, and it's sort of wonderful to see how well they're doing. Pound for pound, given their relatively modest budgets, I don't see how "Avatar" can possibly turn anywhere near the kind of profit these two films have made.
If there truly is any cosmic justice in the world, one day the entirety of our culture will called to the floor and made to answer for the career of Sandra Bullock… and the boxoffice of this mawkish, pandering treacle will serve as fairly damning evidence against us.
To quote YOU from another thread, Bob:
"Regarding a movie as a MOVIE… what a radical proposition
"
Yeah, and I know what hyperbole is, but it worries me what all that bile may be doing to your health.
I had never heard of this film prior to its mention on BH. After reading about it and seeing its success, I am going to add it to the "must see" list.
Take that back about the woman I love.
Next to Mariska Hargitay of course.
Just saw "The Blind Side" this afternoon. Went with a girlfriend and we both loved it. Treacle it is not. It was inspiring and it felt good to leave a movie house full of joy and loving people – until I read MovieBob's review! Him I'm not so fond of!
I for one am tired of all the contortions over these vampire movies.
1. Vampires are made up, so therefore there is no breaking of the rules. Don't like twinkly vamps, watch something else.
2. Where is it written that watching or reading or dressing up like a vampire dqamns one's soul? I thought it was harry potter that did that. No wait, Snow White.
3. The Blind Side and New Twilight are not competing for the same customers. The makers of the two films aren't setting up some sort of showdown.
4. It is just entertainment, not the end of the world.
5. I believe that the non sex having vampires is actually a positive (even though this is the first vampire series that makes me think being a vampire would be crummy. Normally I am a vampire guy, but in the twilight universe, I'm on team Jacob)
6. how much of this hatred for the movies stems in dislike of the authors faith? Se normally when a movie or books aren't that great, one just pans them and moves on with the rese of thier life. But with this? people linger. it's weird, seriously.
My teenaged cousin asked me if I was on "team Jacob" or "Team Edward". As a 40 year old male and her role model , I told her "I'm on team "I've got better things to do"."!
It's just a damn movie! Not a way of life. Now excuse me, "rocky horror picture show" is showing this weekend and I got to get into my make up*.
*Just kidding about RHPS.
The promote-Bullock's-movie campaign is alive and well all over the Blogosphere. Too bad it's working. Why are we on the right so willing to be duped into enriching lefties who couldn't care less about our values. The snark about Bush tells the tale that Bullock et al. need money and are willing to make a movie pandering to conservatives as long as everyone they cares about understands why they're doing it.
MovieBob–I thought the same from the initial trailer, but too many people I trust say it's great. WIll be seeing it soon. And don't hate on Bullock! She may have made some stinkers over the years, but she's a great lady!
I have to respond to members who are ill informed about demonic spirits. We have movies that rake in billions world wide, yet the vast majority of the world is blithely, sublimely ignorant of the spirit world. I could write a book on Demonic Influence in our culture today. Here I am compelled to be brief. There IS a spirit realm. There IS a battle for men's souls. When you hear of a 9 year old girl kidnapped raped, killed, and dumped…several in the past few weeks now…or a man who was found to have 11 women's corpses stashed around his home in Chicago…This is demonic activity. Just today, the story broke about a man who lost 127 million dollars at Harrah's Casino. This too is demonic activity. Tiger Woods' swoon into the arms of Golf Tour following women who swoon over men with wealth, and will whore themselves to get at it, never mind the destruction of a man's career, and the loss of family, children and many millions…this is demonic activity. But we must also focus on the liberal media…that IS what this site is about…the media which glamorizes wealth and popularity…and at the same time, glamorizes the female author who made millions off of Potter's sorcery, now witches, werewolves, and vampires are also made to look wickedly handsome and desirable.
I adjure everyone to think about these things, and try to wrap your mind around how easy it is to recruit suicide bombers who are wiling to die to destroy "The Great Satan"…which we have become, and is broadcast to the entire world, daily. Yes…everyone is sublimely ignorant of the danger. If this trend is not restrained…we all face the end of our so called 'civilization'….just as other great civilizations ended…in carnage, rape, fire,and pillage as the 'dogs of war are unleashed upon the land. Consider yourself warned.
Really? You spent time to hate on Sandra Bullock? Sandra Bullock?
Just guessing, but…you haven't seen it have you?
You probably write non-read book reviews on Amazon, too.
"now witches, werewolves, and vampires are also made to look wickedly handsome and desirable. "
After all, we all know how real these are. I'll give you Wicca for witches, but that is more related to environmentalism and feminism than to sorcery.
"Consider yourself warned."
Thank you Christo-fascist. I too am a believer (although your kind often refutes that), but these kinds of hellfire and brimstone sermons are what keeps people from taking conservative values seriously. I was with you up until you equated literary characters (symbolic as they might be) with real live demonic people and activities. Lets keep them out of this and deal with the first part of the sermon.
Hopefully someone in Hollyweird will get the memo that there is a large untapped audience waiting to go the theaters to see a wholesome, uplifting movie. If there was a really, really smart producer he/she would have a bio pic in the works covering the life of Ronald Reagan from his boyhood until he gets his big break in Hollywood. One that wouldn't be a hit job, but rather a celebration of the American dream. The real life story of the young Ronald Reagan cries out for a movie to be made. Here's hoping against hope that someday it will get made, and with a stellar cast and production team.
"the entirety of our culture will called to the floor and made to answer for the career of Sandra Bullock" Them is fighting words. Very much a fan of Ms. Bullock. So mind your manners.
i'm getting a little frustrated with the Hope Hollywood makes more of these. I only see Hollywood making its version of Christianity and/or Conservative value movies. True, once and awhile something great comes out, but we keep RELYING on Hollywood… or RELYING on public schools or RELYING on Govt to do it… we.. the commenters on here, us… WE THE PEOPLE should be making movies. The right kind of movies. that are not Christian-Lite or Multi-cultural Christianity that is really Liberal communism which is in the end what Hollywood will make.
"Demonic activity" absolves folks of being complicit in all the stuff you just listed. I happen to think there are sometimes just bad people who do bad things, but maybe that's a crazy idea.
In my opinion, though, it's a lot less crazy than thinking invisible bad guys are forcing humans to misbehave.
Just Kiddin? dam! *puts away the fishnets*
Christians vs. Vampires? umm, ok, how about good story with developed characters played by talented actors vs. Days of our lives with bad makeup and red contacts.
"Where is it written that watching or reading or dressing up like a vampire dqamns one's soul?"
wrong. Playing D&D does that, which is why I'm going to Hell in a Bucket… But at least I'm enjoying the ride.
"Man gives himself in to evil and temptation just fine without any help from me, thank you very much"
~ the Devil in "Wholly Moses" as played by the late John Ritter
She didn't bleed that much from the paper cut – she bled more because when Edward pushed her away from Jasper, he pushed her into a table and she got hurt more, which is probably half the reason Edward decided he needed to be away from her: it wasn't just because of Jasper – he felt he was a danger to Bella, as well.
Meanwhile, can you provide a link to the guy who takes down Twilight? I love Twilight, but I know that's just because I'm a silly girl. The less silly part of me thinks she might enjoy those vids!
Also, I'm sure The Blind Side is a better movie, and I'm gonna see it as soon as I can!
OMG, don't tell me you LARP, too! ^__^
I saw "The Blind Side" and loved it. Haven't read any of the "Twilight" books, haven't seen the movies, don't plan to. But just from the movie poster and publicity stills, does anybody besides me want to hold the vampire guy down and comb his hair?
Indeed I do.. and am partnering with a few friends to creat a 13 episode web series following the misadventures of a group of gamers who get sucked into their game world (with hilareously disaterous results). If all goes as planned we begin shooting in June 2010.
Currently I am working on a Vamp movie here in Michigan (stunt/fight coordinator and filling the one of the roles – a werewolf Swordsman)
I play a great healer/wielder of holy magic. If you ever shoot in or around NJ, lemme know. Oh, and link me when you're done with the series!
Haha my husband hates her too. No thumbs down from me.
Good work Buckwheat.
Why the fuck should Hollywood be responsible for churning out happy, wonderful, blessed be, baby jesus and guns movies for the Christian population? Make your own propaganda films. There are plenty of people who don't share your gun-toting, wal-mart loving, disney princess, evolotion is a lie lifestyle. I believe in God, just not the evil, punishing God who damns everyone to hell because they don't go to church on Sunday's. This blog is scary – like cult scary. Shiver.
I'm with Dustin and buckwheat. The writer is an anti-Mormon pure and simple. The vampires are just pretend and the whole Twilight storyline is an allegory for maintaing one's virginity until marriage. I want to see the Blind Side too (maybe it'll come to an MWR movie theater here in Iraq) But honestly! How can you tear down a story that's pro-abstinence. Poor Stephanie Meyer can't win. The snooty chattering liberals don't like her cause her characters display prudish ideals and the religious right just doesn't like where she spends her Sundays.
I guess nobody here catches sarcasm. While I agree with dustin and Buckwheat, it is funny that they couldn't see I was making the same point.
Amen! (I pend my Sundays in a place similar to Ms. Meyer)
Sweeet! Every adventure party needs one of those – unfortunately ours get's stuck with a noob that's armed with a magical Mace-of-Healing (yes he has to smack down on you to heal you – and sometimes forgets to say the activation phrase properly before employing said tool).
All the independants I work with are here in Michigan, but if we do get out to NJ you will be the first to know. The series most likely will be ready by this time next year though "Vladimir" (the vamp one) should be ready for release by late summer 2010 (or so is the plan).
Oh, and if your curious about Vladimir, our producer set up a group on Facebook titled: Empress Film Productions LLC
Wow. You are wrong on so many points, and I'll bet you consider your stupidity a badge of honor. Hollywood used to be responsible, period. Movies used to be produced by mature, intelligent, artistic people who were able to see the many perspectives of life and produce stories worth watching. Now all do is produce worthless trash produced by narcissistic, juvenile, self-promoting folk who think that anything they put on film is "art." Considering that Hollywood has only been able to produce 3 original plotline movies in the last decade should be an indicator of how intelligent these folks are.
You say you believe in God, and define the "god" you believe in. Obviously not the God of the Bible, but one you've created for yourself, which is known by folks who deal in reality as an "idol." That means you've made up your own god. If you were truly interested in knowing the real God, you would crack open the Bible and see what God has to say about Himself, as well as mankind. Having read the Bible from cover to cover many times, I don't recall ever reading that God is going to "damn everyone to hell because they don't go to church on Sunday's." We are separated from God because of "sin," which sadly you probably have no concept of. And considering the fact that Jesus Christ died to pay for the penaly for your sins so that you have the opportunity to live in heaven for eternity, considering you take the step and recognise and accept who He says He is, I think is a pretty loving gesture, not a hateful one. God has given you a choice, so if you end up in hell, it is because you chose that path for yourself, not because you "didn't go to church on Sundays."
Cool, I'll check it out!
The silly thing about the Vampires is they're just a bunch of boring teenagers who hang around malls and whinge about nothing. Homework and quizzes and school dances. zzzzzzzzzz.
My kids are reading Edgar Rice Burrough's TARZAN. Anyone realize Tarzan learns to speak FRENCH before he learns to speak English? But he can read English and speak Ape, so he's a bit conflicted, doesn't fit in, nearly freaked out when he went thru puberty thinking he was turning into an ape, Kershak was beating his mother so there's a big show-down, he makes big mistakes and gets in fights with apes that hate him, humans who cheat him, but he's a melting puddle for Jane, who's actually a blonde-blue-eyed AMERICAN girl.
You are a good sport! Here you go:
Alex reads Twilight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L253VLwH3w
skip over the intro and ending – he's got some silly add on that is ignorable and get to the monologue itself. He's got chapters 2, 3&4 and I guess we're waiting for 5.
Enjoy!
Put your hat back on, Frank. You know, the one with the tinfoil in it.
LOL, Mace-of-Healing!
I have to admit, I've always had a special interest in vampires. Blame it on Bela Legousi and Vincent Price.
One thing I find fascinating, is pretty much every culture on earth has some version of vampires in their ancient mythology and culture. Same thing with dragons. That is rare. And interesting.
I want to, I really really want to. I have screamed about this over and over on the blog. The problem is that it still takes talent, cooperation, and most importantly MONEY. What we need is a leader who will say "I will take the fist step," and then follow them. There was someone here who keeps touting his own movie. Although I think he toots too much of his own horn, the least I can do is ask him how he was able to complete it and if he would be willing to try again?
I find vampires less offensive when they're scary. Typically, the gushing children that get in a knot about Twilight don't have the same vicarious fantasies about living the life of the lead vampire in Salem's Lot.
That said, anyone that dislikes Twilight because the author's a Mormon is a creep. Anti-Mormons push me ever deeper into the Romney camp, just out of spite.
Oh, just an example of how PC Disney messes with reality AND the PUBLIC – okay … ANOTHER of countless examples:
In the Disney TARZAN cartoon movie, John CLayton is the big, noisy,pushy annoying and brutal hunter who wants an ape trophy to take back. He gets done in after a big fight with Tarzan in a manner that audiences have been coached throughout to think he deserves.
In the actual BOOK, TARZAN of the Apes, "John CLayton " is Tarzan's father's name – thus TARZAN's REAL NAME. He is John Clayton, heir to the Greystoke estate fortune.
Cute, DIsney. Bet they were laughing their heads off at the public.
Can I just say? I love the word "treacle."
For all the amazing potential God gives us, we often prefer to act like the shaved apes with lizard brains nature kick started us with. It's easier to blame demons for our failings, but unfortunately the bad things are human, too. Sorry, Frank, but we have as much capacity for unspeakable evil in our human souls as we do for good.
And anyway, everyone knows it's disco we'll be called to account for!
Yeah, there is a bit of an issue at times with sarcasm and humor around here.
*giggles*
You do that for laughs don't you? Well, sorry, I won't be feeding you this time.
It's about football? YAWN!
I actually don't mind Bullock but I think I'll take the badly acted, poorly plotted, evil vampire films please. Hey, they sparkle! That makes up for all the evil demonic stuff!!
Say hi while in there *smiles*
It's one of my little touches, that and the ravaging horde of vicious jackalopes they will be fighting off in one of the later episodes.
“The Blind Side” is the best sport movie ever made. And the best for Sandra Bullock.
Insinuating a person is stupid is juvenile.
I'm a snooty, chattering liberal who doesn't like her because prudish ideals can be told in better written, more interesting stories. But, vampire stories, in general, tend to be grating and surprisingly bland. "Let the Right One In" was a great vampire film, in my opinion.
OMG LOL. Quite enjoyable!
Just seen the blind side…..the family who took this NFL player off the street sure did well with him – he obviously was a good seed to start with with a big heart; not sure if one part in the movie is really a guage on tests but he had the highest score in protective instincts….sounds like God has blessed him very much in crossing the paths of the individuals who provided a loving home and a place to rest his head; while at the same time offered encouragement and support and the right tools to become the success he is today – I think all parties did an "excellent" job and were a good fit for the role they played in this movie…btw..I loved the little boy kid actor he was a hoot
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