Here are the complete rules for the 2008 Summer Blockbuster Contest.
First, here are this year's six films:
You are to guess the amount grossed by each of these films during the summer period. You get points for being closer to the correct gross than any other participant. High or low doesn't matter, just close. You must also choose the title of the film not on the above list that you think will make the most money during the summer.
Don't bother flaming me if you think the six films I've selected are not those that will do the best. We're all guessing here, including the folks releasing the films.
Here are the more precise rules, including details on scoring.
1) Gross, not net.
2) Choose in round millions of dollars. Any non-rounded entries will be rounded before scoring.
3) The "summer period", for the purpose of this contest, extends from May 16th to the end of the Labor Day week (September 4th, for Variety reporting purposes). Only North American earnings during that period count. Entries from other parts of the world are welcomed, but any money these films might make in those parts of the world don't count towards this contest's results.
4) Figures published in weekly Variety will be used to score the contest. The first issue to appear following the end of the Labor Day week (which will come out on September 8th) will have the final gross totals used for scoring. The Variety figures will be rounded to the nearest million before being used for scoring. Variety publishes a table of North American gross earnings. Those figures will be used, not figures published in any other source or in any other part of Variety. Variety counts US and Canadian grosses in North American gross, but does not count Mexican grosses. Any geographers who have complaints about that should contact Variety, not me.
5) Only films that open in wide release in North America on May 16th or later are eligible as a sleeper film. In particular, that means that Iron Man and Speed Racer are not eligible. Consider it my part in the unending struggle to prevent the dilution of the meaning of the term "summer." If you are unsure about a particular film, send me email asking if it's eligible. If the sleeper film you choose is pulled from the release schedule before opening, you have my condolences, but tough luck. You only need to guess the identity of the sleeper film, not its gross.
6) Only entries received before May 16th will be accepted. That means they have to be in my hands by May 15. Any received later will be ruthlessly tossed into the bit bucket. Entries posted to the net will be ignored. Only one entry per person will be accepted. Anyone caught trying to stuff the ballot box will have all entries tossed and will be subjected to massive net ridicule for being desperate enough to try to rig a contest in which there is no prize.
7) Final results will be posted to the net by September 15th.
8) Scoring - All entrants will be ranked for each of the six films by the difference between their guesses and the actual gross of the films. It doesn't matter if you guessed high or low, only the magnitude of the difference will be taken into account. The entrant or entrants closest to the actual gross will get 15 points. The next closest will get 14 points, the next closest 13, and so on, down to 1 point for the 15th closest entrant or set of entrants. All entrants with identical guesses on a film will be given the appropriate number of points for the film.
The sleeper film is worth 10 points. All entrants guessing this film's identity correctly will get the 10 points. Again, there is no need to guess the gross of this film, and you will neither gain nor lose points on that basis.
You get bonus points for hitting a film's gross on the nose. For each film whose gross you correctly predict, rounded to the million, you will receive 5 bonus points. No points for coming real close. Don't plan on winning this way, though, since typically only one or two people a year correctly predict the gross of even one film. Since you don't guess the gross of your sleeper choice, no bonus points are possible there.
There are 130 points possible. The highest total is the winner.
9) The judge (that's me) reserves the right to arbitrarily and unfairly interpret anything that's not explicit in these rules, should the necessity arise. Entrants, of course, reserve the right to flame the judge mercilessly if he abuses this rule.
10) Feel free to do your bit to rig the results by attending or not attending these films, thereby influencing their grosses.
Back to the film contest page.