Can someone explain to me exactly what they would do differently if they were running Focus and were handling some of these movies: LIT, P&P, ESOTSM, BM, etc? Granted Focus does not seem to be able to get a film in over 1400 theaters which was detrimental to P & P and ES.., but what are they FU so badly that they get denigrated every other week for their "mishandling" of a particular movie? LIT died once it reached 800 theaters and Focus was able to keep it in theaters to have a second run around awards time, the other movies seemed to reach their natural saturation point through Focus expansion. I think many of you don't understand that overexpansion can kill a movie much easier than underexpansion. You have to get theater owners on board and they have to see some evidence that the movie will make them money.

So if anyone has an idea of how they would have handle a movie differently I would like to see it. For example show what should be the expansion for Brokeback Mountain or some other movie you think they mishandled. I think their handling of Brokeback Mountain is pretty smart. There is a ton of competition right now and it will get a ton of media attention for its high PTA and as it recieves more critical noms and awards. If it slowly opens up feeding off the free publicity it should helps it box office. I think the worst think they could do right now is expand it so wide that it drops down to a PTA of under $2,000 and is out of most theaters right after the New Year. It is not a movie that can just be foisted on the multiplex and expected to do well but with a slow roll-out and with some awards behind it might be able to do well in theaters next month or later that it would just get crushed in if it were to be in next weekend.

I just remember how everyone was ranting and raving about how Chicago needed to expand more the first few weeks it was out (I was probably one of the critics), but the roll-out worked perfectly taking advantage of the awards season.

I think anything over $20-25m for Brokeback would be excellent, the movie is just a tough sell for too many moviegoers, and I think the way Focus is handling it gives it the best chance at succeeding in the long run.