I didn’t care for it, but Adam Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore 2” is number 1 in over 60 countries on Netflix.
Most reviews were middling to poor, giving the sequel to Sandler’s original hit a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. People who’ve seen it don’t seem that thrilled, with the audience rating at just 71%.
Still, number in one over 60 countries is quite an achievement. The main outlier nations were Japan (number 10) and Indonesia. Also, number 7 in Bangla Desh, where survival is a daily issue.
Netflix’s Ted Sarandos was a little teed off at me for my review, pointing out that Sandler is a superstar and the popularity of the movie.
On the heels of Ted’s disappointment, I received an email from Toledo, Ohio reader Cynthia Mackley, who’s a marketing specialist and writer/web content manager.
I never print letters from readers, but Cynthia backed up Ted (who I don’t think she knows) and has some interesting insights.
Cynthia writes in response to “Fantastic Four” trailing off on Sunday:
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Happy Gilmore 2, cut into some of the expected box office for F4. While not my cup of tea, I know multiple coworkers who had planned watch parties for the weekend. Some who have those big inflatable movie screens and a projector (a really popular thing in the summer and fall in the Midwest where people have the space) And they were inviting other families over to watch with them and making a party out of it. Everybody was buzzing about HG2 last week, even my office mate’s 15-year-old and her friends who stopped in for a few minutes. I get it. Taking six people to the movies is an extravagant expense. You can pop the corn at home for pennies, fire up the BBQ, and have a few beers.
“My husband, who barely remembered watching the movie on video when it came out, watched the original and the sequel back to back yesterday because he wanted to be able to discuss with his coworkers. We’re big Marvel people, so we went to a 9 am showing of FF4 to fit it all in on Sunday. F4 was indeed fantastic. I looked the director up and realized he was in many of my favorite shows when he was a kid actor, including an episode of Highway to Heaven that I used to show to people on VHS to prove to them that Michael Landon could make them cry.”
She adds: “I’m fascinated by how few of my 20 and 30 something coworkers go to see films at the theater. Even their teens rarely go. Even going to see Superman, the theater was a bunch of middle-aged people.”
Thank you, Cynthia. Your voice is the one that needs to be heard in these matters!
