"Killer" Name Change

Fox's new TV drama, reviewed here as "The Gate" and previously known as "Deviant Behavior" has been renamed yet again as "Killer Instinct." I wouldn't be surprised if it gets changed again, since there was a 1994 Video Game and no less than 6 movies since 1987 that were known by this title at some point. In other changes, actor Kristin Lehman has become the leading lady, replacing Marguerite Moreau from the pilot.

Unfortunate Irony

If you look closely at the above picture of a double-decker bus destroyed by the London terrorist attacks, you can see that part of an ad for a movie called "The Descent" remains attached. A close up of part of this ad from another bus appears below. The ad reads, "Outright Terror...Bold and Brilliant." The film has been marketed with the tag-line "Face Your Deepest Fear." A most unfortunate coincidence.

Weekend Results - Fantastic!

1.) Fantastic Four ($56M, $15,546 th. avg.)
2.) War of the Worlds ($31.3M, $8,005 th. avg.)
3A.) Batman Begins ($10.2M, $3,055 th. avg.)
3B.) Dark Water ($10.1M, $3,811 th. avg.)

Dark Water floated right to where I expected it; Batman did a little better over all, but note the weaker per theater average. I really thought that in week 4, Fantastic Four would pull away much of the Comic Book fan audience, despite the differences in style (Batman is darker, FF looks to be campier, ironically something more like Schumacher's Batman & Robin.) But I guess all the comic book fans went weeks ago, leaving for this weekend those who won't be at San Diego's ComiCon next weekend.
FF created the third biggest opening this year, and broke the record-breaking streak of 19 weeks of sagging returns. War of the Worlds holds the number two opening record for it's premier last weekend (behind Star Wars III), but it had Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg. FF is the first surprise breakout, so let me send my congratulations to writers Michael France & Mark Frost, director Tim Story, producers Ralph Winter, Bernd Eichinger, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan, & Avi Arad, and an army of Production Assistants who will net close to minimum wage for their efforts. Good work all.