Sin City: A Dame to Kill For opened in eighth place with just $6.32 million. That’s down a stunning 78 percent from the original Sin City‘s debut. Excluding his first movie, El Mariachi, this is the third-lowest debut of director Robert Rodriguez‘s career (Machete Kills and Shorts were worse).
During the nine-year gap between the first and second Sin City, a few key things happened. First, the comic book aesthetic that made Sin City so unique has been cribbed by many other movies; ironically, some of the most obvious imitators are fellow Frank Miller projects 300 and The Spirit. What was once a fresh approach now has a “been there, done that” feel to it.
Adding to this is the fact that director Robert Rodriguez’s brand has taken a bit of a hit in recent years. Specifically, Rodriguez has had a tough time selling sequels: Spy Kids: All the Time in the World was off 66 percent from its predecessor, while Machete Kills was down 70 percent.
I can only speak for myself. I loved the original movie, even bought the two-disk special edition. Then Robert Rodriguez stepped on his dick. The plot, marketing and braggadocio of Machete was frankly anti-American. All the Americans were evil and venal. The goal of taking the southwest back for the brown-skinned good guys was trumpeted. So Robert Rodriguez went on the list of assholes along with Sean Penn and other scumbags that I do not put down any money on their work. Not a dime. It’s getting to the point that there is a increasingly short list of directors, actors or actresses and studios that I will go see.
I think I need to order Turner Classic Movies (if it’s available streaming).
I don’t know why everybody else passed it up, but that is my reason.
On the North River 
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I won’t pay to see it either. Saw the last one when it came out, but I was a different person then still enamored of the dark. Rodriguez, Penn and all the rest can go pound tar. Just discovered and joined yer blog. Expat Bay State Swamp Yankee now residing in a mostly red state.
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Thanks for commenting.
“Swamp Yankee” That a fact? Two great guys that are helping to correct the multitude of mistakes (made by others when I rebuilt the house after a fire) are self-described Swamp Yankees. By the time I get finished I’ll have a file of fun facts and anecdotes to tell.
One little problem is the difference between the “New” pressure treated wood and the bad, old PT. I’ve got a piece of old PT that I stuck in the ground at the end of the driveway 32 years ago, still there. My Swamp Yankees are replacing new “Green” PT supports in the ground less than eight years and then we need a plan for what to do about the posts on the porch, wrapped in white aluminum that rots where it touches the “Green” PT.
That will be a good story.
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Good luck with the rehab and the townies. My old man was a carpenter and would burn his wood scraps in the workshop woodstove, “Hungry Helen” and when that PT stuff came out he burnt that too! I could never convince him not to, and would locate myself nearest a window. Gawd it was awful. Can’t say that I know much about either, we probably used some when I was trying to fix up the old family place, but hell, that was nearly thirty years ago now and I can’t remember what I did an hour ago. Great blog and pictures, I miss the rivers, marshes and of course, stuffed quahogs.
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Hopefully there will be new photos “on the river”. I’m still recovering from a spinal cyst that knocked me off my feet. Now it’s a question of working up the nerve to get back out again since the function is back and the pain is a mere shadow of what it was.
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Well, hope you feel better soon. Fall is coming and that’s a nice time to be on the river. I grew up on a tidal estuary in Bristol County. Would spend hours working along the rivers edge at high tide, catching blue crabs, battling horseflies…there were eels when I was a kid, but I think they’ve disappeared…maybe they are back? Anyhow, I miss the rivers, I am land-locked these days.
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I haven’t seen an eel in decades. Sorry to say, them’s good eating!
Have you been to Nantasket Beach? Went cycling there on Labor Day, the scenery was Tremendous!
Sigh, soon, too soon, long coats and scarfs.
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No, I have not been up that way in years. We drove up last February for a funeral and stayed close to the old hometown. Spent most of my time when I lived there on what’s now referred to as the “South Coast” that area from the Rhode Island border to the Canal…I guess. Never spent much time on that side of the Cape, unfortunately. The weather here holds out pretty well, so it will be a while before the old Columbia emerges from the closet. The old timers used to make eel pie…I never wanted anything to do with it. I Miss casting for Bluefish, that was the best. Being out on the river when they would run the Menhaden up into the grass…and school like mad. Crazy!
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