'Van Helsing' Stomps Olsens, Tops Box Office

Fox News Online ^ | 5/10/04 | AP

[TheBigB]

LOS ANGELES — Dracula, the Wolf Man and Frankenstein stomped the Olsen twins in the first major box-office contest of the summer blockbuster season as the monster-hunting adventure "Van Helsing" opened at No. 1 with $54.2 million.

Mary-Kate and Ashley's comedy "New York Minute," a major test of the direct-to-video starlets' theatrical prowess as they near age 18, debuted in fourth place with $6.2 million -- a weak showing compared to the popularity of other recent teen comedies like "13 Going on 30" and "Mean Girls."

"Mean Girls" fell to second place in its second week with $14 million, while Denzel Washington's "Man on Fire" continued its robust run with $7.9 million in its third week, raising its total to $56 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Van Helsing," which stars Hugh Jackman (search) as a fearsome creature-slayer, also earned another $53 million internationally after opening simultaneously in 41 countries, according to Universal Pictures, which released the movie.

The first-weekend ticket sales landed between director Stephen Sommers' two previous monster smashes -- "The Mummy," which had $43.3 million in 1999, and "The Mummy Returns," which had $68.1 million in 2001.

[what's up]

Yes...

John Q.

Hurricane

Ugh.

[Ms. AntiFeminazi]

[isthisnickcool]

[kaylar]

My favorite part was the distance shot of the Frankenstein monster carrying Dr Frankenstein to the windmill-slowly. Behind them are the torch-weilding villagers-also slowly walking. The monster gets inside the windmill, starts to shut the door-and then you see the villagers break into a run. The audience is supposed to think it saw the villagers chasing the monster and the doctor-but the lousy editing made the scene laughable.

[Xenalyte]

But of COURSE Drac's vixens stole the show! We always do. (saith the Tall Vixen from last year's Upstage Theatre production).

[Xenalyte]

Ever see Zoolander? I hated it the first time I watched it, but it grows on you if you give in to the ridiculousness.

Sloth and Skooz, pinging y'all because I know one of you is a Z fan!

[Ciexyz]

I also saw "Bobby Jones" and enjoyed it. Jim Caviezel played Jones. I'd recommend it.

[ECM]

If only the unintentionally hilarious sequences ended there, right at the beginning...little did anyone know that it would continue for at least another 2 hours.

[TheBigB]

I saw it and I thought [blue steel] it was pretty funny, but I like I said earlier, I'm ambivalent about [ferrari] Stiller. :)

[Xenalyte]

Just don't slip and show me Magnum. We shouldn't even be talking about that in public.

[TheBigB]

Just don't slip and show me Magnum.

Whoa...just had a Prom Night flashback there...

[Xenalyte]

I bet you did! Now go put some ice on that. :)

[TheBigB]

Can't refuse one of Drac's vixens...

[ServesURight]

The good news is that the Olsen twins will be 18 next month.

[Sloth]

Sloth and Skooz, pinging y'all because I know one of you is a Z fan!

Yeah, much to my wife's chagrin. :)

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

This is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. DON'T GO.

I almost did this past Saturday. I decided not to and went instead to see "Hellboy" with my teenage son. We loved it. Very much like the comic books. Very entertaining. Ron Perlman was his usual sublime self.

[BibChr]

LOL, I'll bet you had fun with your campy vamping.

Dan

[Qwinn]

I couldn't bring myself to go see Van Helsing. After watching a preview on Sci Fi showing the Van Helsing character doing multiple backflips over the backs of the horses on a runaway stagecoach, I knew the film wouldn't be able to contain even a thimble of Willing Suspension of Disbelief for me.

It'd probably have the same effect on me as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Enjoyed it for a while, until that -absurd- scene where they're in a runaway train cart careening towards a huge chasm. Oh no - what will Indy do?! Easy - close his eyes, duck in sheer terror, and wait as the cart jumps over a 30-40 foot wide chasm and lands -perfectly-, without a bump, on the other side of the tracks and keep goung. After that? *snoooorreee* I mean, when you have it rubbed in your face so massively that the hero characters are all apparently wearing Bracers of Infinite Luck, how can you even maintain the illusion that they could fail, or feel the slightest pleasure when they don't?

Qwinn

[Xenalyte]

It was a blast! My costume was three nightgowns, all layered, and some Victorian-looking jewelry I found on eBay. I ratted the hell out of my hair, stuck in my fangs with white Silly Putty, and wriggled and crept all over.

I'd vixen again in a heartbeat!

[Xenalyte]

I mean, when you have it rubbed in your face so massively that the hero characters are all apparently wearing Bracers of Infinite Luck, how can you even maintain the illusion that they could fail, or feel the slightest pleasure when they don't?

You're just sore 'cause that lich ran off with your Bag of Holding and your Zarvon's Ogre Sword (that does a +9 against ogres).