Will Bill O'Reilly Play in Peoria?
I think this is kind of cute. Since the grand old age of Hollywood, it's been cliché for producers to judge a movie's mainstream appeal based on whether or not it will "play in Peoria." In the Jan 30 - Feb 5 weekly edition of Variety, Ben Fritz puts the old maxim to the test by checking box office receipts at the lone Peoria, IL theater showing Brokeback Mountain, a film derided by conservative pundits everywhere as being too far outside the mainstream to ever be a hit outside of liberal metropolitan areas.So, were they right? Not if Peoria audiences can be any indication. The movie earned $15,695 its opening weekend, surpassing national top-earner Underworld: Evolution to become the theater's most popular movie.
posted by Nick Ryan @ 12:32 PM
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