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      <title>Film:Taxi</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/films/Taxi/229934/default.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<table width='100%' style='font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><tr><td><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t54109sm6es.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' /></td>
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<strong>Title:</strong> Taxi<br/>
<strong>Year:</strong> 2004<br/>
<strong>Director:</strong> Tim Story<br/>
<strong>Plot:</strong> An inept cop suddenly gets a new partner in the person of a cabbie with attitude in this high-rolling comedy. Washburn (<a href="/players/P___301488/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jimmy Fallon</a>) is a police officer who becomes the laughingstock of the department after a series of traffic accidents cause him to lose his driver's license. One day, Washburn gets an urgent call to head out to the location of a bank robbery; unable to drive himself there, he hails a cab. As it happens, the taxi is being driven by Belle (<a href="/players/P____40714/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Queen Latifah</a>), a single mom who, after making a name for herself as the fastest pizza delivery person in New York, has moved up to driving a hack. What begins as a wild ride to the scene of the crime gets even wilder as Washburn and Belle become unexpected allies while following the trail of a team of beautiful but reckless female bank robbers led by Vanessa (Gisele Bundchen). Adapted from a popular French action comedy with the same name, Taxi was <a href="/players/P___301488/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jimmy Fallon</a>'s first big-screen vehicle after leaving the cast of the popular sketch comedy series <a href=/films/220811/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Saturday Night Live</a>. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide<br/>
<strong>Times Tagged:</strong> 4<br/>
<strong>Number of Lists:</strong> 2<br/>
<strong>Number of blog posts:</strong> 2<br/>
<strong>SpoutRating:</strong> 2<br/>
</td></tr></table>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:00:44 GMT</pubDate><spout:Title>Taxi</spout:Title><spout:Year>2004</spout:Year><spout:Director>Tim Story</spout:Director><spout:Plot>An inept cop suddenly gets a new partner in the person of a cabbie with attitude in this high-rolling comedy. Washburn (&lt;a href="/players/P___301488/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Jimmy Fallon&lt;/a&gt;) is a police officer who becomes the laughingstock of the department after a series of traffic accidents cause him to lose his driver's license. One day, Washburn gets an urgent call to head out to the location of a bank robbery; unable to drive himself there, he hails a cab. As it happens, the taxi is being driven by Belle (&lt;a href="/players/P____40714/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Queen Latifah&lt;/a&gt;), a single mom who, after making a name for herself as the fastest pizza delivery person in New York, has moved up to driving a hack. What begins as a wild ride to the scene of the crime gets even wilder as Washburn and Belle become unexpected allies while following the trail of a team of beautiful but reckless female bank robbers led by Vanessa (Gisele Bundchen). Adapted from a popular French action comedy with the same name, Taxi was &lt;a href="/players/P___301488/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Jimmy Fallon&lt;/a&gt;'s first big-screen vehicle after leaving the cast of the popular sketch comedy series &lt;a href=/films/220811/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Saturday Night Live&lt;/a&gt;. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide</spout:Plot><spout:TimesTagged>4</spout:TimesTagged><spout:taglevel>Slightly Tagged (1-5)</spout:taglevel><spout:Numberoflists>2</spout:Numberoflists><spout:NumberOfBlogPosts>2</spout:NumberOfBlogPosts><spout:SpoutRating>2</spout:SpoutRating><spout:FilmCoverURL>http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t54109sm6es.jpg</spout:FilmCoverURL><spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL>http://www.spout.com/films/Taxi/229934/default.aspx</spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL><spout:type>Film</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: 5 State Skits That Should Be Movies</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/5/37003.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t54109sm6es.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 11/5/2008 5:00:44 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> When it was announced that David Wain would be directing Role Models — taking over from The Girl Next Door’s Luke Greenfield — there was room for disappointment. After all, for Wain to follow up his anarchic cult favorites Wet Hot American Summer and The Ten with a seemingly mainstream man-child comedy — one more suited to the talents of Todd Phillips or, well, Greenfield — was to crush his fans’ hopes for something more along the lines of his wacky web series, such as Wainy Days and Stella, or the old MTV sketch comedy show, The State.
But Role Models does look funny, probably because Wain ended up rewriting (with Paul Rudd and Ken Marino) Timothy Dowling’s original script. And it’s not as if Wain has suddenly gone and sold out with a bunch of really broad family films, as did his former State mates Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant, the screenwriting duo behind The Pacifier, Night at the Museum and Taxi. Still, many of us are holding out for that rumored State movie, or even better, a big screen adaptation of any of the following State sketches:


Louie (aka the “I wanna dip my balls in it” guy)
The ensemble behind The State was never interested in recurring characters, but MTV supposedly pressured the show to be more like SNL, and so the ironic “Louie” was born. As little more than a joke on recurring characters and their catch-phrases, “Louie” may not seem the best character to mine for a feature-length movie. But considering Wain and the others were likely just as against sketches spinning off into movies as they were against recurring characters, it would be suitable for such a film, something to lampoon the Lorne Michaels tradition, if that’s at all possible. And I can already see the ad campaigns: posters with just a release date and the words “Dip Your Balls In It.”

Lincoln Logs: The Unauthorized Biography of Honest Abe
After the release of Oliver Stone’s W., something like this deserves to be made into a movie. Maybe Stone could even direct it from a script by some of the State writers. It could complete his evil Republican president trilogy. And if they act quick enough, it would be awesome if the movie could go up against Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln.

The Bearded Men of Space Station 11
This skit really stretches a single joke really thin (like many State sketches), but the simple premise — a space station crew is illogically incarcerated for growing beards in space — could be a mere jumping ground for an hilarious sci-fi comedy. Sure, the genre has hardly been successful outside of Spaceballs and Galaxy Quest, but if anyone can give us another great parodic outer space movie, it’s Wain and friends. Think of Hitchcock’s wrong man scenario, multiply it times five, and throw in a lot of silly shenanigans.

Porcupine Racetrack
This simple cross between Guys and Dolls, Cats and the “Ascot Gavotte” scene from My Fair Lady is so, so stupid, yet so, so brilliant. And a feature-length version would be as surprisingly beloved as the skit was, especially if there’s some way of also slipping in some reference to the “Gang Fight” skit (that was the “Beat It” video meets West Side Story segment involving an Amish street gang), the “Super Robby” skit (turns out the orphanage that needs saving is cruelly convincing kids they can fly out windows) and the “Mind Match” skit (the orphans are ultimately given away as prizes on a game show). If anything, a silly song penned by Teddy Shapiro would have to receive an Oscar nomination, thereby elevating the Hollywood cred of the State ensemble enough for potentially more ridiculous films.

The Inbred Brothers
I’ve come to realize that most of these movie ideas come from skits likely conceived by Lennon and Garant. This only furthers the point that the pair NEEDS to work on something State-related before putting on the blindfold and writing Night at the Museum 3. And there’s really no better project than a movie based on their Inbred Brothers characters, Emmett and Lyle. Think of Step Brothers with an even dumber duo. How could this not be a success? The merchandising alone is worthy: t-shirts that say “Whaddamydoin?”; talking dolls that also hit themselves in the head with sticks; Halloween costumes (I actually was a non-specific “Inbred Brother” for Halloween back in the ’90s). To make the dream complete, though, Michael Ian Black has to appear as the French exchange student. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:00:44 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>11/5/2008 5:00:44 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>When it was announced that David Wain would be directing Role Models — taking over from The Girl Next Door’s Luke Greenfield — there was room for disappointment. After all, for Wain to follow up his anarchic cult favorites Wet Hot American Summer and The Ten with a seemingly mainstream man-child comedy — one more suited to the talents of Todd Phillips or, well, Greenfield — was to crush his fans’ hopes for something more along the lines of his wacky web series, such as Wainy Days and Stella, or the old MTV sketch comedy show, The State.
But Role Models does look funny, probably because Wain ended up rewriting (with Paul Rudd and Ken Marino) Timothy Dowling’s original script. And it’s not as if Wain has suddenly gone and sold out with a bunch of really broad family films, as did his former State mates Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant, the screenwriting duo behind The Pacifier, Night at the Museum and Taxi. Still, many of us are holding out for that rumored State movie, or even better, a big screen adaptation of any of the following State sketches:


Louie (aka the “I wanna dip my balls in it” guy)
The ensemble behind The State was never interested in recurring characters, but MTV supposedly pressured the show to be more like SNL, and so the ironic “Louie” was born. As little more than a joke on recurring characters and their catch-phrases, “Louie” may not seem the best character to mine for a feature-length movie. But considering Wain and the others were likely just as against sketches spinning off into movies as they were against recurring characters, it would be suitable for such a film, something to lampoon the Lorne Michaels tradition, if that’s at all possible. And I can already see the ad campaigns: posters with just a release date and the words “Dip Your Balls In It.”

Lincoln Logs: The Unauthorized Biography of Honest Abe
After the release of Oliver Stone’s W., something like this deserves to be made into a movie. Maybe Stone could even direct it from a script by some of the State writers. It could complete his evil Republican president trilogy. And if they act quick enough, it would be awesome if the movie could go up against Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln.

The Bearded Men of Space Station 11
This skit really stretches a single joke really thin (like many State sketches), but the simple premise — a space station crew is illogically incarcerated for growing beards in space — could be a mere jumping ground for an hilarious sci-fi comedy. Sure, the genre has hardly been successful outside of Spaceballs and Galaxy Quest, but if anyone can give us another great parodic outer space movie, it’s Wain and friends. Think of Hitchcock’s wrong man scenario, multiply it times five, and throw in a lot of silly shenanigans.

Porcupine Racetrack
This simple cross between Guys and Dolls, Cats and the “Ascot Gavotte” scene from My Fair Lady is so, so stupid, yet so, so brilliant. And a feature-length version would be as surprisingly beloved as the skit was, especially if there’s some way of also slipping in some reference to the “Gang Fight” skit (that was the “Beat It” video meets West Side Story segment involving an Amish street gang), the “Super Robby” skit (turns out the orphanage that needs saving is cruelly convincing kids they can fly out windows) and the “Mind Match” skit (the orphans are ultimately given away as prizes on a game show). If anything, a silly song penned by Teddy Shapiro would have to receive an Oscar nomination, thereby elevating the Hollywood cred of the State ensemble enough for potentially more ridiculous films.

The Inbred Brothers
I’ve come to realize that most of these movie ideas come from skits likely conceived by Lennon and Garant. This only furthers the point that the pair NEEDS to work on something State-related before putting on the blindfold and writing Night at the Museum 3. And there’s really no better project than a movie based on their Inbred Brothers characters, Emmett and Lyle. Think of Step Brothers with an even dumber duo. How could this not be a success? The merchandising alone is worthy: t-shirts that say “Whaddamydoin?”; talking dolls that also hit themselves in the head with sticks; Halloween costumes (I actually was a non-specific “Inbred Brother” for Halloween back in the ’90s). To make the dream complete, though, Michael Ian Black has to appear as the French exchange student. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: 10 Most Critically Acclaimed Action Movies of the Past 10 Years</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/26/31749.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t54109sm6es.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 6/26/2008 5:00:43 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Over the weekend, Wanted had a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.com. It’s since  gone down to 81% (at the time of this writing — and with top critics it’s down to 67%), though that’s still pretty good for a movie that initially looked like just another Matrix knockoff.
But will the good reviews make for great box office? Last night, while viewing the latest trailer in a theater with some friends, I mentioned that Wanted was receiving great reviews. Nobody believed me at first, and then they didn’t care; they still thought it looked terrible.
Good reviews rarely help an action movie, and bad reviews rarely deter audiences from seeing them. However, if we look at the top 5 most critically acclaimed action movies, it’s clear that people do often prefer a good action film to a bad one. The next 5, on the other hand…

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 94%  (top critics: 98%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #9  ($377 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “The film event of the millennium.” (Richard Corliss, Time)
 My Analysis: In terms of both reviews and gross, it is possible that, yes, this final LOTR film was the film event of the millennium only three years in. It even won the Oscar for Best Picture, as well as ten other Academy Awards. However, we do have a few hundred years left, and Corliss’ assessment is likely to be challenged one of these centuries.

Casino Royale (2006)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 94% (top critics: 95%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #133 ($167.5 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “This is the best James Bond film in at least 17 years, and Daniel Craig might be the best 007 … ever.” (Eric D. Snider, EricDSnider.com)
 My Analysis: Most critics and audiences agreed that this was one of the best 007 films ever and that Craig was at least the best Bond since Connery. Still, it only grossed a mere $7 million more than Die Another Day, which was certified rotten by RT.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 93% (top critics: 97%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #62 ($227.5 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “It is probably the best action films to date that doesn’t involved so much special effects.” (Wilson Morales, BlackFilm.com)
 My Analysis: I agree that it’s the best of the series and one of the best action movies in years, maybe even best to date not involving special effects, as Morales says. But really the only reason that Ultimatum is higher up on the b.o. charts than The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy is because people took awhile to get into the series, with many of Ultimatum’s audience having seen the previous two for the first time on DVD. Still, along with both Return of the King and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it’s one of the rare threequels that earned the highest gross of its series. Considering Return, that says one thing, while considering Indy, that says something else.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 93% (top critics: 95%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #10 ($373.6 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “[It's sure to] join the upper echelons of action movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, and Die Hard.” (Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer)
My Analysis: If this sequel were switched in ranking with its predecessor (see below), it might say something more about reviews equaling revenue, but otherwise between the two installments, there is evidence that good superhero movies will perform better than bad ones. Just don’t pay any attention to Spider-Man 3, which is also pretty close on the b.o. charts, but which is pretty far below in RT ranking (62%, whole; 44%, top critics).
Iron Man (2008)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 93% (top critics: 92%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #26 ($305.9 million and counting)
 Sample Critic Quote: “It’s the best movie of its kind since the second Spider-Man movie four years ago.” (Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle)
 My Analysis: Fitting to LaSalle’s quote that Iron Man is just behind Spider-Man 2, and with only another $70 million to go in order to be just behind it on the b.o. chart. Unfortunately, as far as ticket sales show, it’s really only the best movie of its kind since the third Spider-Man movie one year ago.
Spy Kids (2001)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 92% (top critics: 96%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #309 ($112.7 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “To sum up, if you want your children to someday appreciate the true art of cinema, Spy Kids is a terrific movie to start with.” (Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News)
 My Analysis: If by “true art of cinema” Strauss means the kind of action movies that receive good reviews, then he’s right. Film critics love the well-directed spy movies (see #2 and #3). As for kids, they don’t care about reviews, which explains why Alvin and the Chipmunks made almost double what Spy Kids grossed.
Out of Sight (1998)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 92% (top critics: 90%)
All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #1,395 ($37.6 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “In a summer filled with mega-hyped disappointments, Out of Sight proves the undeniable value of story, characterization, and — most of all — intelligence.” (Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat)
 My Analysis: The mega-hyped disappointments of that summer include Godzilla, which made about $100 million more than this film. Of course, Out of Sight isn’t really an action-packed action movie, and it only starred George Clooney, who despite being a huge movie star has never really been that big a box office draw. Meanwhile, 1998’s biggest box office winner, the more-action-packed Saving Private Ryan (which RT apparently doesn’t consider to be an action movie), was also one of the five best-reviewed films of the year.
Hot Fuzz (2007)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 90% (top critics: 92%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #2,029 ($23.6 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “Hot Fuzz is everything an action-comedy should be. It achieves through parody what most films in the genre can’t accomplish straight.” (Nathan Rabin, The Onion A.V. Club)
 My Analysis: The best action buddy comedy in ten years, yet it’s gross is hardly comparable to the box office success of the Rush Hour movies, Bad Boys II, Lethal Weapon 4 and … Starsky & Hutch? Even Jimmy Fallon’s Taxi performed better domestically.
Rescue Dawn (2006)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 90% (top critics: 88%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #3,970 ($5.5 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “A potentially commercial audience-pleaser that retains all of the characteristic Herzog complexity and nuance, Rescue Dawn is an electrifying action adventure that clamps your nerves with jaws of steel.” (Rex Reed, New York Observer)
 My Analysis: Too bad more moviegoers don’t read Rex Reed, because that’s a mighty good sell. Unfortunately, Rescue Dawn suffered a double blow because of who directed it. Critics certainly overpraised it, just because it’s an Herzog film; audiences likely avoided it because of the same reason (not by name, but had it opened bigger right away, audiences wouldn’t have even noticed the art house connection and might have gone to see the new action movie starring “Batman”).
Spider-Man (2002)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 90% (top critics: 85%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #7 ($403.7 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “Let the gauntlet be thrown: Spider-Man may be the best comic adaptation of all time.” (Todd Gilchrest, FilmStew.com)
 My Analysis: In terms of box office receipts, it is indeed the best comic adaptation of all time. But as we see by two titles above, it’s since been beat in terms of critical acclaim, just in this decade alone (and from earlier, at least Superman: The Movie has a better RT score). Still, it would almost be evidence that critics and box office can sometimes go hand in hand if it weren’t for that certified rotten movie that ranks just above it on the box office chart: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.
 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:00:43 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>6/26/2008 5:00:43 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Over the weekend, Wanted had a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.com. It’s since  gone down to 81% (at the time of this writing — and with top critics it’s down to 67%), though that’s still pretty good for a movie that initially looked like just another Matrix knockoff.
But will the good reviews make for great box office? Last night, while viewing the latest trailer in a theater with some friends, I mentioned that Wanted was receiving great reviews. Nobody believed me at first, and then they didn’t care; they still thought it looked terrible.
Good reviews rarely help an action movie, and bad reviews rarely deter audiences from seeing them. However, if we look at the top 5 most critically acclaimed action movies, it’s clear that people do often prefer a good action film to a bad one. The next 5, on the other hand…

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 94%  (top critics: 98%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #9  ($377 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “The film event of the millennium.” (Richard Corliss, Time)
 My Analysis: In terms of both reviews and gross, it is possible that, yes, this final LOTR film was the film event of the millennium only three years in. It even won the Oscar for Best Picture, as well as ten other Academy Awards. However, we do have a few hundred years left, and Corliss’ assessment is likely to be challenged one of these centuries.

Casino Royale (2006)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 94% (top critics: 95%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #133 ($167.5 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “This is the best James Bond film in at least 17 years, and Daniel Craig might be the best 007 … ever.” (Eric D. Snider, EricDSnider.com)
 My Analysis: Most critics and audiences agreed that this was one of the best 007 films ever and that Craig was at least the best Bond since Connery. Still, it only grossed a mere $7 million more than Die Another Day, which was certified rotten by RT.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 93% (top critics: 97%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #62 ($227.5 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “It is probably the best action films to date that doesn’t involved so much special effects.” (Wilson Morales, BlackFilm.com)
 My Analysis: I agree that it’s the best of the series and one of the best action movies in years, maybe even best to date not involving special effects, as Morales says. But really the only reason that Ultimatum is higher up on the b.o. charts than The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy is because people took awhile to get into the series, with many of Ultimatum’s audience having seen the previous two for the first time on DVD. Still, along with both Return of the King and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it’s one of the rare threequels that earned the highest gross of its series. Considering Return, that says one thing, while considering Indy, that says something else.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 93% (top critics: 95%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #10 ($373.6 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “[It's sure to] join the upper echelons of action movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, and Die Hard.” (Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer)
My Analysis: If this sequel were switched in ranking with its predecessor (see below), it might say something more about reviews equaling revenue, but otherwise between the two installments, there is evidence that good superhero movies will perform better than bad ones. Just don’t pay any attention to Spider-Man 3, which is also pretty close on the b.o. charts, but which is pretty far below in RT ranking (62%, whole; 44%, top critics).
Iron Man (2008)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 93% (top critics: 92%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #26 ($305.9 million and counting)
 Sample Critic Quote: “It’s the best movie of its kind since the second Spider-Man movie four years ago.” (Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle)
 My Analysis: Fitting to LaSalle’s quote that Iron Man is just behind Spider-Man 2, and with only another $70 million to go in order to be just behind it on the b.o. chart. Unfortunately, as far as ticket sales show, it’s really only the best movie of its kind since the third Spider-Man movie one year ago.
Spy Kids (2001)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 92% (top critics: 96%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #309 ($112.7 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “To sum up, if you want your children to someday appreciate the true art of cinema, Spy Kids is a terrific movie to start with.” (Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News)
 My Analysis: If by “true art of cinema” Strauss means the kind of action movies that receive good reviews, then he’s right. Film critics love the well-directed spy movies (see #2 and #3). As for kids, they don’t care about reviews, which explains why Alvin and the Chipmunks made almost double what Spy Kids grossed.
Out of Sight (1998)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 92% (top critics: 90%)
All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #1,395 ($37.6 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “In a summer filled with mega-hyped disappointments, Out of Sight proves the undeniable value of story, characterization, and — most of all — intelligence.” (Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat)
 My Analysis: The mega-hyped disappointments of that summer include Godzilla, which made about $100 million more than this film. Of course, Out of Sight isn’t really an action-packed action movie, and it only starred George Clooney, who despite being a huge movie star has never really been that big a box office draw. Meanwhile, 1998’s biggest box office winner, the more-action-packed Saving Private Ryan (which RT apparently doesn’t consider to be an action movie), was also one of the five best-reviewed films of the year.
Hot Fuzz (2007)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 90% (top critics: 92%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #2,029 ($23.6 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “Hot Fuzz is everything an action-comedy should be. It achieves through parody what most films in the genre can’t accomplish straight.” (Nathan Rabin, The Onion A.V. Club)
 My Analysis: The best action buddy comedy in ten years, yet it’s gross is hardly comparable to the box office success of the Rush Hour movies, Bad Boys II, Lethal Weapon 4 and … Starsky &amp; Hutch? Even Jimmy Fallon’s Taxi performed better domestically.
Rescue Dawn (2006)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 90% (top critics: 88%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #3,970 ($5.5 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “A potentially commercial audience-pleaser that retains all of the characteristic Herzog complexity and nuance, Rescue Dawn is an electrifying action adventure that clamps your nerves with jaws of steel.” (Rex Reed, New York Observer)
 My Analysis: Too bad more moviegoers don’t read Rex Reed, because that’s a mighty good sell. Unfortunately, Rescue Dawn suffered a double blow because of who directed it. Critics certainly overpraised it, just because it’s an Herzog film; audiences likely avoided it because of the same reason (not by name, but had it opened bigger right away, audiences wouldn’t have even noticed the art house connection and might have gone to see the new action movie starring “Batman”).
Spider-Man (2002)
 Rotten Tomatoes’ “T-Meter” score: 90% (top critics: 85%)
 All Time Domestic Box Office Rank: #7 ($403.7 million)
 Sample Critic Quote: “Let the gauntlet be thrown: Spider-Man may be the best comic adaptation of all time.” (Todd Gilchrest, FilmStew.com)
 My Analysis: In terms of box office receipts, it is indeed the best comic adaptation of all time. But as we see by two titles above, it’s since been beat in terms of critical acclaim, just in this decade alone (and from earlier, at least Superman: The Movie has a better RT score). Still, it would almost be evidence that critics and box office can sometimes go hand in hand if it weren’t for that certified rotten movie that ranks just above it on the box office chart: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.
 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:comedy</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comedy/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/comedy/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>comedy</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1085</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 253</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 1339</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:42:37 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1085</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>253</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>1339</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:hilarious</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/hilarious/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/hilarious/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>hilarious</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 222</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 165</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 331</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:39:04 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>222</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>165</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>331</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:robbery</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/robbery/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/robbery/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>robbery</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 3798</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 42</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 103</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:33:51 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>3798</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>42</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>103</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:police</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/police/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/police/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>police</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 3104</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 37</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 172</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:56:49 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>3104</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>37</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>172</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:undercover</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/undercover/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/undercover/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>undercover</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 782</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 25</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 48</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:02:59 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>782</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>25</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>48</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:carchase</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/carchase/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/carchase/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>carchase</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 33</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 12</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 14</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2009 13:02:10 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>33</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>12</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>14</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:taxi</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/taxi/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/taxi/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>taxi</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 101</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 11</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 17</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:32:17 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>101</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>11</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>17</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:cabdriver</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/cabdriver/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/cabdriver/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>cabdriver</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 224</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 10</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 13</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:02:48 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>224</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>10</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>13</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:bankrobbery</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/bankrobbery/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/bankrobbery/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>bankrobbery</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 383</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 6</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 10</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:03:15 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>383</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>6</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>10</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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