Podcast Bros Can’t Boost ‘Busboys’ at Box Office
R-rated comedy opens soft, suggests podcast power has its limits
The media dubbed the 2024 slugfest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris as the “podcast election.”
And we all know how that turned out.
Podcasters like Joe Rogan, Andrew Schulz, Tim Dillon and Theo Von invited either President Trump or Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance on their shows. That gave them access to a young, mostly male audience that could hear their points of view without the liberal media filter.
And, many argued, that helped Trump seal the deal. Meanwhile, Harris famously turned down a Rogan invite and opted for a chat with “Call Her Daddy,” essentially speaking to the candidate’s already locked-in voter base.
Now, two comedy podcasters are testing the limits of their reach.
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David Spade of “Fly on the Wall” fame and “This Past Weekend’s” Theo Von teamed for the new indie comedy “Busboys.” The two play dumber than dumb types who aspire to be servers in a dog-eat-dog world.
To reach that higher level, they’ll have to prove their worth as, you guessed it, busboys.
The duo wrote, produced and starred in the film, going around the Hollywood gatekeepers in the process. It’s a truly independent feature despite Spade’s sizable ties to Hollywood, Inc.
That’s not all.
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“Busboys” has other podcasters stars in the cast, including Tim Dillon, Bobby Lee and Trevor Wallace. Plus, the story and approach appeal to anyone who longs for the old-school, R-rated comedies of yore. By all accounts, it’s unapologetically dumb and crass, a thumb-in-the-eye to the social justice scolds.
It’s the kind of comedy the woke mind virus all abut silenced in recent years.
So how did that work out?
“Busboys” got virtually ignored by film critics. Only three reviews have been filed at Rotten Tomatoes, including two extremely negative critiques. The general audience score is far better, hovering around 71 percent “fresh,” but hardly stellar.
The box office results are more troubling.
The film earned $1.6 million in 800 theaters, good for a ninth-place finish. For context, most mainstream movies debut on anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000+ screens.
It’s not for a lack of new media marketing. Sure, the film didn’t have a big studio behind it, but the stars have been working the podcast circuit to spread the word. That includes Von’s YouTube channel (4.5M followers), Spades’ “Fly on the Wall” (nearly 300K) and guest appearances elsewhere.
The film’s microscopic budget (Spade said under $3.5 million) and lack of a sizable ad campaign mean “Busboys” could turn a profit.
That’s good news for Spade and Von, but the film’s tepid launch suggests a small appetite for what they created. More troubling? Their access to some of podcasting’s most potent microphones didn’t make the film a “must-see” event.
The rest is up to old-school “word-of-mouth” marketing. If that 71 percent group tells their friends to check out “Busboys,” the film might have some legs.
If not, we’re learning that the power of the podcast may have been overstated.
Are you eager to see “Busboys” … and why?
This is classic haterism from “professionals” who are mad that things can be made without the typical commercial machinery. If podcasts weren’t relevant, movie stars wouldn’t be on them promoting their latest work. Since when do we compare the “success” of indie films with blockbusters? This article is so ridiculously biased that it should be embarrassing to the writer.
Except I’ve been rooting on Busboys for some times. So there’s that.
Does Spade get to Silvertown this time in the movie?
Podcasting is gaaay
I already watched the movie. Honestly It’s a solid B-rated comedy movie; stitched together plot with one-liners and heavy focus on the funny bits. If you go in expecting a classic early 00s stupid comedy you’ll be satisfied (think like Pineapple Express, Your Highness plot development but with a Joe Dirt skin).
As far as the box office release, you stated a few things that are contradictory:
1. Opening in only 800 theaters severely handicaps what it could pull because—as you pointed out—most movies open to 3,000 – 4,000 theaters with extreme advertising campaigns. Just take that 1.6 million and multiply it by five (8 million is roughly what it would’ve pulled if it wasn’t handicapped by the low theater release). I know this because I had to travel an hour just to watch it. It wasn’t available in my city.
2. The appetite for these sorts of films are very present. The advertising for this film was almost exclusively just saying “hey I’m making a movie” on a few podcasts. And that pulled 1.6 million across 800 theaters.
3. Film critics are always to be ignored, especially in matters of comedy. Their opinions are usually on par with moldy bread on anything outside of Drama. That’s why the overwhelming majority of people don’t ‘go to critics’ for a serious opinion, they go to their friends.
R-rated comedies aren’t my thing, so I have no interest in seeing it.