Billy’s Blog: Da Vinci Alarm (May 19, 2006)

I am stunned. The reviews for “The Da Vinci Code” are brutal. Anything other than tepid is cause for alarm. Here are the ?See it/Skip it? results on the show tonight:

THE DA VINCI CODE

Variety                             Skip
The Hollywood Reporter  Skip
Entertainment Weekly      Skip
People                             Skip
The Philadelphia Inquirer  Skip
The New York Times      Skip
Roger Ebert                     See
MovieMantz                    Skip

I don’t know why Roger Ebert is so often giving his thumb up to movies the majority of his colleagues reject… my theory is he is repenting for past pannings and put-downs. But who knows?

Ron Howard has called the review crisis “frustrating”, and frankly his honesty and lack of requisite spin are refreshing, but this could be tough for the film’s longevity at the Box Office as well as its hopes for Oscar consideration down the road. As of this moment, fans don’t seem to be derailed from going this weekend…the movie should do well.

And how bitter must Tom Cruise be? He stayed as far away from The Code and Memorial Day Weekend as he thought it necessary to do. But his movie, “M:i:III,” was WELL received. He might have made a bigger splash over the long weekend had he opened closer to it.

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