The Trump Presidency, Season 2

[GoblinCampFollower]

I'm all for kicking the assholes at every opportunity, but you're comparing a "documentary" to movies like Avengers and Barbie? let's take the hit and move on.

After all, isn't it better to burn them on the reviews?

I see what you're saying, but upon further review, I don't think either of us are making fair comparisons. Melania's marketing budget towered above most "documentaries." I actually saw ads for it and I usually am able to avoid all movie ads. Your link compares it to After Death which had a marketing budget of 1.235 million. Melania had a marketing budget of 35 million, which is more comparable to some big movies.

 

[Noodles]

Just watch the Michelle Obama documentary on Netflix instead.

 

[Free]

I see what you're saying, but upon further review, I don't think either of us are making fair comparisons.

OK then, for a comparison: Two other films opened this weekend: Send Help (3,475 theaters), and Iron Lung (3,015 theaters). Neither were particularly huge releases but both hit nearly double the number of theaters domestically than what we see for Melania (1,778).

Money-wise, Send Help took in a bit more than $19 million, while Iron Lung made $17.8 million, Again, domestically. $7 million for a bit more than half the seats is not bad, especially for a documentary - even accounting for the marketing budget. I don't know about marketing dollars for the other two films, but likely they weren't even $40 million combined (Iron Lung was said to have cost $3 million to produce, so it might have already made it's money back!).

Melania will probably lack staying power over the next few weeks. If so, it'll be a big loss despite this weekend's success. But we know that's not the win anyone involved with the film cares about.

 

[Casey Pelous]

That thing grossed 7 million in the same universe where I grossed 10 million and made out with Brad Pitt.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

OK then, for a comparison: Two other films opened this weekend: Send Help (3,475 theaters), and Iron Lung (3,015 theaters). Neither were particularly huge releases but both hit nearly double the number of theaters domestically than what we see for Melania (1,778).

Money-wise, Send Help took in a bit more than $19 million, while Iron Lung made $17.8 million, Again, domestically. $7 million for a bit more than half the seats is not bad, especially for a documentary - even accounting for the marketing budget. I don't know about marketing dollars for the other two films, but likely they weren't even $40 million combined (Iron Lung was said to have cost $3 million to produce, so it might have already made it's money back!).

Melania will probably lack staying power over the next few weeks. If so, it'll be a big loss despite this weekend's success. But we know that's not the win anyone involved with the film cares about.

That's reasonable. I guess my basic points are

1) Some actually successful films gross more than their budgets just in their opening weekend. Melanaia has no hope of that.

2) Melania's budget towered above most documentaries, so it's not directly comparable to most documentaries. It's somewhere in between.

 

[Jopsy Pendragon]

"Send Help" seems like an blending of 9 to 5, with an Americanized "triangle of sadness". I do and don't want to see it... Watching actors I like play cruel sociopathic assholes can feel a little like betrayal. I'll probably watch it anyway, just for a bit of light schadenfreude.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

I'm all for kicking the assholes at every opportunity, but you're comparing a "documentary" to movies like Avengers and Barbie? let's take the hit and move on.

After all, isn't it better to burn them on the reviews?

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour film is essentially a documentary, and it grossed almost $100 million its first weekend.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

DOJ Lawyer Asks To Be Held In Contempt So She Can Sleep - Above the Law

Government lawyer tells judge 'this job sucks.'

abovethelaw.com

Federal attorney on ICE cases: ‘The system sucks’

A federal judge in Minnesota demanded to know why ICE is not complying with court orders and failing to immediately release immigrants who are being wrongfully detained as part of Operation Metro Surge. A government attorney responded that the federal government’s system “sucks."

www.fox9.com

 

[Ellie]

"Short-fingered vulgarian" hits differently this week.

Carter: [Trump] blames me for this more than Kurt. He'll send me pictures, tear sheets from magazines, and he did it as recently as [last] April. With a gold Sharpie, he'll circle his fingers and in his handwriting say, "See, not so short." And this April when he sent me one, I just — I should have held on to the thing, but I sent it right back by messenger with a note, a card stapled to the top, saying, "Actually, quite short." And I know it just gives him absolute fits. And now that it's become sort of part of the whole campaign rhetoric, I'm sure he wants to just kill me — with those little hands.

How Donald Trump Became “The Short Fingered Vulgarian”

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Trump scolds CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins for not smiling as she asks about survivors of Epstein's abuse

“What would say to people the survivors who feel that they haven’t gotten justice?” Collins asked.

“You know, you are the worst reporter,” Trump said disdainfully. “You know, she’s a young woman,” Trump said the Republican lawmakers arrayed around his desk. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile,” he said, turning back to Collins. “

“I’ve known you for ten years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face,” Trump said bitterly.

“Well,” Collins interjected, “I’m asking you about survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, Mr President.”

Ignoring her reply, Trump continued his rant: “You know why you’re not smiling? Because you know you’re not telling the truth. And you’re a very dishonest organization, and they should be ashamed of you.”

“These are survivors of a sexual abuser” Collins replied.

Trump’s aides were so proud of the tantrum he threw at Collins on Tuesday that they immediately clipped video of the exchange and posted it on an official White House social media account with a caption suggesting he had “nuked” her.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Lengthy article about the appalling Steve Miller

The most dangerous man in America

Understanding Stephen Miller: “Trump’s Prime Minister”

samf.substack.com

Evernote Link

There are plenty of podcasters and posters in the Trump regime – like Kash Patel or Pete Hegseth – who speak like they’re on talk radio and post outrageous memes, but who have no idea how to run their institutions. What makes Miller unusual is his ability to combine these behaviours with an understanding of bureaucratic power and a determination to use it.

His goal is the massive expansion of executive power, something that all authoritarians seek to achieve. Trump shares the same aim, but for him it’s about personal power and wealth rather than effecting a permanent shift. Nor does he have the focus or intelligence required to defeat institutions that are still willing to put barriers in his way, at least not beyond gangsterism and intimidation. He’s not one for bureaucratic detail.

Miller, though, is.

Raises an appalling prospect

 

[Free]

I'm going to regularly refer to him as the "appalling Stephen Miller" from now on. I've previously called him the "asshole Stephen Miller" and the "Nazi Stephen Miller," but the change will improve my vocabulary a bit.

 

[Beebo Brink]

File this under "reasons Beebo loves her wife":

Mrs. Beebo was shopping at Lowe's today, in search of filters for our humidifiers. (Our house is heated by old-fashioned radiators that really dry the air out, so we are constantly running a humidifier in various rooms.) The guys helping her searched the shelves, searched the backroom, and confirmed that there were no filters in stock and no plans to order any more.

"That's a shame", says my wife. "I don't want to order them from Amazon because they're such TrumpSuckers."

She reports that the two guys cracked up, then agreed with her. So at the very least it was a moment of solidarity.

 

[Casey Pelous]

Oh, Portland, I do love you so ....

Amazon pulls ‘Melania' from Oregon movie theater in response to marquee jokes

The jokes: "Does Melania wear Prada? Find out Friday!" and - quoting Sun Tzu - "To defeat your enemy. You must know them. Melania."

After they pulled the film, they put this on their marquee: "Amazon called. Our marquee made them mad. All "Melania" showings cancelled. Show your support at Whole Foods instead. Join Amazon Prime for Free Two-Day Shipping."

 

[Essence Lumin]

Oh, Portland, I do love you so ....

Here in the NJ burbs of Philly, Melania doesn't seem to be doing well. I looked at this evening and Saturday evening. There are two tickets sold for each.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

The Independent: Melania makes just £33,000 at UK box office after near-empty screenings

Melania, the documentary about Donald Trump’s wife, the current US first lady, might have generated a media firestorm, but it failed to dent the UK box office in its first weekend of release, opening at just No 29.

Brett Ratner’s film amassed £32,974 from 155 cinemas in total, a screen average of £212.80. While the takings are a far cry from the reported $75m (£54.6m) paid by Amazon to distribute and promote the film, it’s not the disaster that was projected.

That's about US$290 per theatre.

 

[Free]

The Independent: Melania makes just £33,000 at UK box office after near-empty screenings

That's about £210 per theatre.

fify...

 

[Casey Pelous]

While the takings are a far cry from the reported $75m (£54.6m) paid by Amazon to distribute and promote the film, it’s not the disaster that was projected.

Good lord! What sort of "disaster" does this dimwit writer think was projected? Even if we buy the 7 million/first week figure, which I'm pretty sure is absolute hogwash, films usually make 25% - 35% of their eventual total domestic (US) revenue in the first week. It is rather hard to imagine it will have any better foreign box office than it is having in the US, especially considering £212.80 per screen; this bomb ends up at about $25m somewhere (far) out in the future. Maybe. I'm no mathematician, but I'm pretty sure that's a lot less than $75m. It's better than Adventures of Pluto Nash, but only because it cost less to begin with.

Meanwhile, folks being laid off at Amazon are more than a little peeved at this bribe investment.

 

[detrius]

A summary of Trump's presidency so far.

Melania at 0:40.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Uh oh....

Financial Times: US government to fund Maga-aligned think-tanks and charities in Europe (Evernote Link because paywall)