Sci-Fi News and Reviews

Big Surprise - "Ice Age" Melts The Box Office

So fine. I knew that "Ice Age: The Meltdown" would be number one at the box office this weekend. We all did, didn't we? What's surprising is how big the take was after ticket sales have been in a serious slump for some time.

According to Variety, the animated sequel brought in a whopping $70.5 million. To the number crunchers, that means it's the second biggest opening ever for a "non-summer, non-holiday season" release, behind only "The Passion of the Christ."

When compared to other animated films, "The Meltdown" is virtually tied with "The Incredibles" and "Finding Nemo" for the second largest animation debut ever, following "Shrek 2."

How did "Slither" do? Well... let's just say it beat out "Basic Instinct 2." That's something, right? Despite my plea for everyone to go see it, I guess it's just not everyone's cup of tea.

While the popularity of horror films in general is rising, horror comedies are still hard to sell. They play to a very specific audience. "Slither," in particular, seemed to be written for true horror fans. While it had some serious laugh-out-loud moments (as I knew it would), it was chock full of references that only horror fans might catch - e.g. a guest appearance by Trauma Entertainment founder Lloyd Kaufman. However, no matter what types of films you prefer, you'll appreciate the great performances of Nathan Fillion and Michael Rooker. That's for certain.

I could go on and on. I think I will. Check back to this site for a full-on review of "Slither." --Shannon Nolley

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Posted by Shannon on April 3, 2006 11:25 PM
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