Online 'Zyzzyx' gate
Low grosser gets attention through Net buzz
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The film grossed $30 in a week-long stint in one Dallas theater, the lowest tally of any pic since modern record-keeping began in the 1980s. The stunningly feeble gross figure was first noted Dec. 31 by online film site Chud, following a reader's tip. A Daily Variety story followed and the online crowd started weighing in -- getting the film much more attention than it got in theaters.
Leo Grillo, who exec produced and starred in the film along with Tom Sizemore and Katherine Heigl, called Daily Variety on Jan. 5, in the wake of the online buzz. He admitted, "We definitely set the world record for box-office futility. Six people bought tickets at five dollars each - and two of them were crew people.'" For a modest fee, he hired the releasing arm of Regent Entertainment, the L.A.-based outfit known for helping back films like "Gods and Monsters" as well as producing film and TV content, to distribute for a week to satisfy Screen Actors Guild rules dictating pay levels. But he neither wanted to four-wall the theater nor have Regent distribute it with any splash, for fear of driving away any interested suitors. "The idea was to stay out of the game entirely and just avoid the guild penalties. We worked with Regent to pick the worst times - 11 a.m. shows in February - and there was no advertising at all."
"I didn't want anyone to have the idea that we had just rented the theater ourselves because you can shoot yourself in the foot as far as getting a domestic deal," he said. Regent also sold the film overseas, where the film has been distributed theatrically and on DVD in several territories.
The $30 tally was mentioned in a Jan. 4 Daily Variety article, which neglected to credit Chud. That throwaway non-mention became an online Zyzzyx-gate. The perception of malicious literary thievery spawned numerous fulminations, initially on Chud but soon linked to by several other entertainment sites eager to decry the establishment's alleged disdain for the Net. Rarely has a low-grosser stirred up so much excitement.
Grillo said he had been out of town during the flurry of Web activity and admitted he doesn't often go online anyway. But when alerted to the stir, he called Variety to set the record straight.
There is, as of yet, no U.S. homevid deal, though surely all of these Internet hits must add up to something. Perhaps Grillo will address the homevid issue when he talks to Chud.com on Saturday, as was promised Friday afternoon on the site.
