The Critical Drinker is a hoot, but one of his signature catch phrases is no laughing matter.
The YouTube star will refer to a film's liberal bent in a simple, stark way. He calls it "The Message," with an audio tweak for emphasis.
Moviegoers know exactly what The Drinker means. Films and TV shows where the progressive themes interrupt the story or otherwise make their presence known.
Think films like "Barbie," "Booksmart," "Snow White" and "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy."
What do those projects have in common? Only one delivered a huge crowd - "Barbie" was an unabashed hit. The rest, which is more typical of recent "message" movies, bombed with audiences.
Which brings us to "Digger."
The Tom Cruise vehicle may become one of the biggest box office disasters in recent memory. Worse than "Supergirl." Worse than "The Bride!"
Cruise is typically a box office draw, but the actor covered up his marquee looks to play an oil baron behind an ecological disaster. Audiences, apparently, want nothing to do with a Tom Cruise movie where the actor looks nothing like Tom Cruise.
More importantly, the film is a two-hour Climate Change screed, teeming with lectures about big, bad oil and Mother Nature's fragile state. That's more than hinted at via the trailer.
The film opened to an anemic $1.2 million via Thursday preview screenings and could make less than $10 million in its opening weekend.
The film's budget? A reported $180 million. Was it something Cruise said? Yes and no.
Cruise remains apolitical in his public appearances, but his film can't stop yapping about a divisive issue many Americans no longer care about. Check the polls.
Audiences who crave lectures can find killer TED talks on YouTube. They'd rather be entertained when paying big bucks for a movie ticket.
Another movie suggests that Drinker "message" warning will come into play anew. Yet again, the box office predictions look dismal.
Writer/director Aaron Sorkin continues "The Social Network" story with "The Social Reckoning." The film skewers Mark Zuckerberg for letting free speech flow on his Facebook platform. Reports say it all culminates with Jan. 6.
Of course.
Sorkin has gone on record blaming Facebook for the Capitol riots.
"The Social Network" earned a hefty $96 million stateside in 2010. "The Social Reckoning" doesn't open until Oct. 9, but the box office prognosis looks bleak.
Box Office Pro predicts a $6-10 million opening. World of Reel suggests a lower amount, closer to $4-6 million. Here's what the latter site describes the film, based on reactions from an early screening.
It's an angry message movie about Facebook's algorithm fueling extremism.
To its credit, "The Social Reckoning" likely has a much lower production budget than "Digger," but that's little comfort for Sorkin. He must be hoping to spread his message far and wide with his film.
How about near and thin?
Oscar season, which we're unofficially in, is typically filled with "message" movies. "How to Rob a Bank" is on deck soon. Many often flop. One of the more notorious duds? "She Said," a retelling of the Harvey Weinstein saga through the eyes of the reporters who helped expose his crimes.
That film made a whopping $5.8 million at the U.S. box office.
The message? For lecture movies, it's often Return to Sender.
