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I was reading in Variety about the race for top boxoffice takes in Germany and the race there between "League of Extrondinary Gentlemen," Pirates of the Carribean," & "Bad Boys II." It surprised me to find that League won that race with the highest boxoffice take. It didn't do all that great here so I was wondering what makes the difference? Why does a movie bomb in one country and become a smash hit it another?

Talk about 'little questions' with BIG answers! The reasons are almost endless and would require a sociology thesis to go into it. Suffice to say: "there's no accounting for taste" as the old saying goes.

Some stars are especially popular overseas (e.g., Jerry Lewis in France). Some genre are region specific (e.g., Westerns and Civil War dramas tend to be more popular in the US than overseas), and some movies are great successes in Europe, but not the US (e.g., Roberto Benigni's "Pinocchio")

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
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Also timing. What else was coming out against it at the time in Germany? Totally different release sked in Europe. Plus they're Germans!

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Michael Hurley
Impresario