News for
Go (1999)

advertisement

IMDbPro offers the latest entertainment industry news from the Hollywood Reporter. Sign-up for a two-week free trial today. Click here for a free trial!

Katie Holmes' Dominant Dad
19 October 2000 (WENN)
Actress Katie Holmes' sex-kitten image is reserved for the movies - because off-screen, her dad makes sure she's a good girl. The petite "Dawson's Creek" (1998) star amazed fans with her scenes in drugs-and-dancing movie Go (1999) - but her protective father taught her early on to be a good girl in real life. She explains, "My dad always tried to intimidate boys because he's quite tall. So I always dated very nice boys and got home early. Even now when I go home, my friends ask me, 'Katie, do you still have a curfew?'" And the gorgeous star isn't joking - her dad only stopped enforcing the strict time rule two years ago. She remembers, "That was pretty exciting!"

Entrapment Snags Big Bucks
4 May 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Entrapment (1999), starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones, snared $20.1 million at the box office over the weekend, a strong showing for this time of year, usually a slow period. However, given the film's $80-million estimated cost, it still appeared questionable whether it will eventually turn a profit. Matrix, The (1999) slipped to second place with $8.7 million, bringing its total-to-date to $129.7 million. The Eddie Murphy-Martin Lawrence comedy Life (1999) also moved down a notch to third place with $6.5 million. All other films earned less than $5 million each.

The top-ten films over the weekend according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):

1. Entrapment (1999), 20th Century Fox, $20, 145, 595, (New); 2. Matrix, The (1999), Warner Bros., $8, 715, 866, ($129, 715, 015); 3. Life (1999), Universal, $6, 481, 175, ($46, 260, 375); 4. Never Been Kissed (1999), 20th Century Fox, $4, 072, 477, ($36, 500, 423); 5. Analyze This (1999), Warner Bros., $2, 175, 397, ($98, 465, 052); 6. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Buena Vista $1, 811, 809, ($31, 135, 950); 7. Idle Hands (1999), Sony, $1, 807, 181, (New); 8. Lost & Found (1999), Warner Bros., $1, 254, 596, ($5, 007, 058); 9. Pushing Tin (1999), 20th Century Fox, $1, 250, 045, ($5, 846, 057); 10. Go (1999), Sony, $1, 152, 271, ($14, 387, 714).

The Old Man And The See
3 May 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Surpassing studio expectations, the Sean Connery-Catherine Zeta-Jones starrer Entrapment (1999) earned an estimated $20.7 million over the weekend, nabbing the top spot away from Matrix, The (1999), which dipped into second place with $8.7 million. Although the movie received mixed reviews (with one critic suggesting that the chemistry between Connery and Zeta-Jones "probably comes from a bottle of Viagra") Robert Bucksbaum of Reel Source told the Associated Press: "Sean Connery has been around forever and has a lot of star power. Adult women wanted to see him, and young men wanted to see her." Meanwhile, Analyze This (1999), starring Robert DeNiro, took in another $2.2 million, enabling it to cross the $100-million mark. It is the second film of 1999 to do so this year (the other being Matrix, The (1999), which has now earned $129.7 million).

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. Entrapment (1999), $20.7 million; 2. Matrix, The (1999), $8.7 million; 3. Life (1999), $6.4 million; 4. Never Been Kissed (1999), $4.2 million; 5. Analyze This (1999), $2.2 million; 6. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), $1.8 million; 6. Idle Hands (1999), $1.8 million; 8. Pushing Tin (1999), $1.3 million; 9. Lost & Found (1999), $1.28 million; 10. Go (1999), $1.2 million.

The Matrix Stamps Out "No. 1"
27 April 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Warner Bros.' Matrix, The (1999) regained the top spot at the North American box office over the weekend, grossing an estimated $12.9 million and pushing Universal's Life, which earned $11.6 million, into second place. Although Matrix, The (1999) bore all the markings of a summertime release, analysts said that its success at this time of year should teach the studios an important lesson. Robert Bucksbaum, president of box-office trackers Reel Source, told Bloomberg News Monday, "It goes to show that you don't have to release a film like this in the summer. ... You can spread the wealth and release it now to avoid all the competition."

The top-ten films over the weekend according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):

1. Matrix, The (1999), Warner Bros., $12, 642, 717, ($11, 708, 2992); 2. Life (1999), Universal, $11, 257, 995, ($37, 016, 425); 3. Never Been Kissed (1999), 20th Century, $6, 014, 493, ($31, 012, 917); 4. Pushing Tin (1999), 20th Century, $3, 555, 032, (New); 5. Analyze This (1999), Warner Bros., $3, 107, 637, ($95, 467, 098); 6. Lost & Found (1999), Warner Bros., $3, 024, 709, (New); 7. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Buena Vista $2, 717, 023, ($28, 771, 494); 8. Go (1999), Sony, $2, 020, 829, ($12, 502, 151); 9. Out-of-Towners, The (1999), Paramount, $2, 017, 725, ($23, 310, 698); 10. Forces of Nature (1999), DreamWorks, $1, 624, 689, $48, 125, 915.

The Matrix Takes First Again
26 April 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Matrix, The (1999), repeatedly singled out by the news media during the past week as an example of Hollywood's "trenchcoat violence, " appeared to benefit from the controversy as it returned to the No. 1 spot at the box office. It had been knocked out of that spot last week by the Eddie Murphy-Martin Lawrence comedy, Life (1999), which changed places with Matrix, The (1999) this weekend as it lost 43 percent of its audience. Other films failed to make much of a showing (a usual occurrence at this time of year). Pushing Tin (1999), a comedy starring John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton, opened in fourth place with just $3.6 million, while the poorly reviewed Lost & Found (1999), featuring David Spade, opened in sixth with $3.1 million.

The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. Matrix, The (1999), $12.9 million; 2. Life (1999), $11.6 million; 3. Never Been Kissed (1999), $6.2 million; 4. Pushing Tin (1999), $3.6 million; 5. Analyze This (1999), $3.2 million; 6. Lost & Found (1999), $3.1 million; 7. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), $2.8 million; 8. Out-of-Towners, The (1999), $2.02 million; 9. Go (1999), $2 million; 10. Forces of Nature (1999), $1.7 million.

WHY Go Didn'T
21 April 1999 (StudioBriefing)
How to explain the fact that a critically acclaimed film like Go (1999), which was arguably the most talked about movie at the Sundance Film Festival, tanked at the box office this month, while films that were lambasted by the critics, including last weekend's Life (1999), become wildly popular? Go (1999) director Doug Liman has told today's (Wednesday) New York Post that he believes he understands the phenomenon. "People go to movies where they understand what they're going to get. It's going to be mediocre, but mediocrity is safe." Moreover, Liman says, "The most talented writers, even the smartest ones, realize they're better off writing a script the studio's going to respond to, and they're going to sell and get made, than to do something that's a real personal passion. That's just smart business for these people."

Life Breaks Out
20 April 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Audiences thumbed their noses at critics over the weekend and turned out in huge numbers for the Eddie Murphy-Martin Lawrence prison comedy Life (1999), shelling out $20.4 million, according to final box-office figures released Monday by Exhibitor Relations. The sci-fi thriller Matrix, The (1999), which had held the top spot during the previous two weeks, slipped to second place with $17.9 million. (Nevertheless, the Keanu Reeves starrer appears certain to become, by the end of the week, the first movie released this year to cross the $100-million mark.) The third place finisher was Drew Barrymore's teen comedy Never Been Kissed (1999), which pulled in $8.4 million, a 30-percent drop from the previous weekend. The only other new film to open wide over the weekend, _Goodbye, Lover (1999)_, tanked, earning only $1.01 million and finishing out of the top ten.

The top-ten films over the weekend according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):

1. Life (1999), Universal, $20, 414, 775, (New); 2. Matrix, The (1999), Warner Bros., $17, 941, 314, ($98, 946, 842); 3. Never Been Kissed (1999), 20th Century Fox, $8, 411, 489, ($22, 911, 743); 4. Analyze This (1999), Warner Bros., $3, 925, 813, ($91, 149, 603); 5. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Buena Vista $3, 733, 562, ($25, 136, 802); 6. Out-of-Towners, The (1999), Paramount, $3, 114, 729, ($20, 503, 962); 7. Go (1999), Sony, $3, 018, 312, ($9, 359, 328); 8. Forces of Nature (1999), DreamWorks, $2, 464, 522, ($45, 786, 811); 9. Cookie's Fortune (1999), October, $1, 801, 083, ($3, 363, 030); 10, Shakespeare in Love (1998), Miramax, $1, 750, 254, ($89, 856, 022).

Critics Can't Take Life Out Of Life
19 April 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Demonstrating anew that poor reviews are of little consequence at the movie box office, the Eddie Murphy-Martin Lawrence comedy Life (1999) took in an astonishing $20.7 million in its first weekend, pushing the previously blazing Matrix, The (1999) into second place with $18.1 million. Universal distribution chief Nikki Rocco credited the urban (read "black") audience for turning out in droves for Life (1999). The film had received a handful of positive reviews on Friday, but most critics slammed it, with some suggesting that it marked the low point in Eddie Murphy's career. But Dave Davis, an analyst at Houlihan, Lokey, Howard & Zukin, told Bloomberg News: "This shows that Eddie Murphy has rejuvenated his career." And Hollywood Reporter box-office analyst Brian Fuson, in reporting on the results, commented that the movie "puts Murphy on a more positive box-office track."

The top ten films over the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. Life (1999), $20.7 million; 2. Matrix, The (1999), $18.1 million; 3. Never Been Kissed (1999), $8.7 million; 4. Analyze This (1999), $4 million; 5. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), $3.7 million; 6. Out-of-Towners, The (1999), $3.2 million; 7. Go (1999), $3 million; 8. Forces of Nature (1999), $2.6 million; 9. Shakespeare in Love (1998), $1.9 million; 10. Cookie's Fortune (1999), $1.8 million.

The Matrix Cuts A Fine Figure
13 April 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Matrix, The (1999) remained clearly The Movie To See over the weekend, pulling in $22.6 million, well ahead of the rest of the box-office pack, according to Exhibitor Relations. The film's results were almost twice those for the Drew Barrymore starrer Never Been Kissed (1999), which opened in second place with $11.8 million and more than four times those for the third place 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), the teen-oriented version of Taming of the Shrew which collected $5.05 million. In fourth place was the Steve Martin-Goldie Hawn comedy Out-of-Towners, The (1999), with $5.01 million. Today's (Tuesday) Los Angeles Times observed that Out-of-Towners, The (1999) is likely to become a major flop for Paramount, earning only $30 million while costing $40 million. An even bigger failure, the Times observed, may be Universal's EDtv, which is likely to earn only $25 million while costing $55 million.

The top-ten films for the weekend, according to final figures released by Exhibitor Relations:

1. Matrix, The (1999), Warner Bros., $22, 563, 331, ($73, 310, 417); 2. Never Been Kissed (1999), 20th Century Fox, $11, 836, 707, (New); 3. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Buena Vista $5, 049, 227, ($20431363); 4. Out-of-Towners, The (1999), Paramount, $5, 010, 781, ($16, 203, 092); 5. Analyze This (1999), Warner Bros., $4, 997, 020, ($85, 848, 183); 6. Go (1999), Sony, $4, 706, 795, (New); 7. Forces of Nature (1999), DreamWorks, $3, 537, 259, ($42, 393, 313); 8. Twin Dragons (1992), Dimension, $2, 829, 990, (New); 9. Doug's 1st Movie (1999), Buena Vista $2, 407, 375, ($14, 018, 000); 10. Foolish (1999), Live, $2, 184, 633, (New).

The Matrix Stamps Out $22.2 Million
12 April 1999 (StudioBriefing)
Film distributors received another reminder of the power of teenage filmgoers as the box office continued to produce mid-summer-like revenue during the second weekend of Spring Break led by Matrix, The (1999) with an estimated $22.2 million (bringing its total to about $72.9 million after two weeks; the Keanu Reeves starrer reportedly cost $60 million to produce). Although a year ago no film did so well as Matrix, The (1999), overall box-office revenue was 4.4 percent higher then as moviegoers fanned out at the multiplexes to see such films as City of Angels (1998), Lost in Space (1998), Species II (1998) and the still-strong Titanic.

The top ten films at the box office, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

Matrix, The (1999), $22.2 million; Never Been Kissed (1999), $11.7 million; Out-of-Towners, The (1970), $5.3 million; 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), $5.2 million; Analyze This (1999), $5.1 million; Go (1999), $4.7 million; Forces of Nature (1999), $3.7 million; Twin Dragons (1992), $2.8 million; Doug's 1st Movie (1999), $2.3 million; Foolish (1999), $2.3 million. (EDtv (1999), the Ron Howard comedy that opened to warm reviews, fell out of the top ten, earning only $2.2 million, less than half of what it took in last week.)

Movie Reviews: Go
9 April 1999 (StudioBriefing)
The recommendation of most critics about the new, low-budget black comedy Go (1999) is...."Go!" Janet Maslin in the New York Times writes that director-cinematographer Doug Liman "creates a film that lives up to the momentum of its title." Liam Lacey in the Toronto Globe & Mail uses the admittedly square word "tickled" to describe his response to the film, which he calls a "nasty, witty, cheerfully disaster-prone comedy." Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times concludes: "Go is perfectly titled: Exhilarating and sharp, it never stops for a second." Rod Dreher in the New York Post writes: "Hipster filmmaker Doug Liman's breakneck, raucous and thoroughly exhilarating Go is flat-out the best thing I've seen all year." Virtually all of the reviews compare the film with Quentin Tarrantino's Pulp Fiction (1994). In fact, Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times writes: "I'm not saying Go couldn't have been made without the example of Pulp Fiction (1994), but it can't be seen without thinking of it." And Jay Carr in the Boston Globe comments that "Pulp Fiction wannabes don't get much slicker or edgier than Go."