‘Mamma Mia!’ Breaks a Record ‘The Dark Knight’ Can’t
Plus, folks are already complaining 'Dark Knight' ain't for the kiddies
Considering the long line of great musicals in the history of film there is a new number one, at least in terms of opening weekend box-office numbers as Mamma Mia! slipped in under the radar. While everyone was rejoicing over The Dark Knight breaking midnight, opening day and opening weekend records, Mamma Mia! went ahead and beat last year’s Hairspray to enjoy the strongest debut for a musical with an estimated $27.6 million. Of course, this edges out Hairspray by just $0.1 million, which means the estimate is going to need to hold up or increase for the record to occur, but Universal already seems quite proud of the film that should have never been released it is so bad.
“You feel a little guilty bragging when Dark Knight was so huge, but we’re proud,” the studio’s Nikki Rocco told USA Today. “Older women are saying, ‘If there are movies for us, we’ll be out there, too.’ ”
Older women is right, while The Joker may turn on the younger and more male audience members, 75% of the Mamma Mia! audience was female, 64% of them 30 and older. You gotta wonder if Shady Pines just filled up the bus and shipped out the inmates for the weekend to enjoy a little rest and relaxation without a request for prune juice and no need to clean a bed pan for a few hours.
On a side note,
Ann Folger, 44, of Tulsa, is described by USA Today as thinking she was taking her family “to a superhero film in the vein of Hancock, a
Before I go further I should mention that Hancock had some serious dark moments including gunshot wounds and swearing. Apparently those things don’t bother Mrs. Folger.
“This is not a regular comic-book movie,” says Folger, who took her husband and two children, ages 11 and 14. “I know it’s a good movie, but it should have been rated R.”
Another genius that brought his technically underage son to the screening was Christopher Chin of Sacramento, who brought his 12-year-old son, he said, “There has to be a way to tell parents that someone is going to get a pencil in the skull. I’m not sure I would have brought him.”
Best part about this quote is that you don’t actually see the pencil go in the guy’s head. It happens off screen and is implied. Even better, is the final quote in the article from Larry Olmstead, 38, of Dallas, who went to see the movie with his wife and left his 10-year-old at home with a babysitter, “Did anyone not know this was a violent movie about a homicidal maniac in makeup?”
Bravo Mr. Olmstead, you sir get a gold star for having the capacity to think and also do some research before taking, or not-taking, your kids to a movie.







