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The Machine (2023 film)

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The Machine is a 2023 American action comedy film directed by Peter Atencio, inspired by the 2016 stand-up routine of the same name created by Bert Kreischer. The film stars Kreischer as a fictionalized version of himself, with Mark Hamill, Jimmy Tatro, Iva Babić, Stephanie Kurtzuba and Jessica Gabor.

The Machine
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPeter Atencio
Screenplay by
Based onThe comedy
of Bert Kreischer
Produced by
  • Bert Kreischer
  • LeeAnn Kreischer
  • Judi Marmel
  • Cale Boyter
  • Peter Atencio
Starring
CinematographyEigil Bryld
Edited byEleanor Infante
Music byJoseph Trapanese
Production
companies
Distributed byScreen Gems (through Sony Pictures Releasing)
Release date
  • May 26, 2023 (2023-05-26)
Running time
112 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million[2]
Box office$10.7 million[3][4]

Following its viral success, Legendary Entertainment acquired the rights to adapt Kreischer's stand-up routine into a feature film in September 2018. Most of the lead cast members were hired from April to June 2021. Filming began in Serbia in April 2021 through Balkanic Media.

The Machine was released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing under its Screen Gems label on May 26, 2023. It received mostly negative reviews from critics and became a box-office bomb.

Premise

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In 1999, college freshman Bert Kreischer goes on a trip to Russia. During a night of hard partying, Bert befriends a tour guide named Igor along with his friends and is nicknamed "The Machine".

Twenty-three years later, Bert is now a stand-up comedian and podcaster, having turned his story into a comedy special that goes viral on YouTube. Bert is in a tense relationship with his wife and elder daughter Sasha. While at a family cookout, Bert is unexpectedly reunited with his estranged father Albert.

Bert is then confronted by Irina, a Russian mobster. It is soon revealed that Bert inadvertently stole an antique pocket watch belonging to Irina's father, an act which led to the start of his own organized crime syndicate. Seeking revenge, Irina kidnaps Bert, along with his father, with the intention of punishing Bert for his wrongdoings, upon arrival in Russia.

Cast

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Production

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In September 2019, Legendary Entertainment acquired the rights to develop comedian Bert Kreischer's stand-up routine into a feature film adaptation following its viral success.[7] In April 2021, Peter Atencio was hired to direct and produce the film with Kreischer and Judi Marmel.[8][9][10] Kevin Biegel and Scotty Landes wrote the film.[11] Joseph Trapanese composed the film's original score.[12]

In April 2021, Kreischer was set to play himself and Mark Hamill was cast as Bert's father, Albert Kreischer Sr.[8] Jess Gabor was cast as Bert's daughter.[11] In May and June 2021, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Mercedes De La Cruz and Jimmy Tatro were cast in the film.[13][14][15] Principal photography took place in Serbia in April 2021.[11][15][16]

Release

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The Machine was released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing under its Screen Gems label on May 26, 2023.[17][18]

The film was released for digital platforms on June 20, 2023, followed by a Blu-ray and DVD release on August 15, 2023 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.[19]

Box office

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The film was a box-office bomb. In the United States and Canada, The Machine was released alongside The Little Mermaid, Kandahar, About My Father, and You Hurt My Feelings. The film was projected to gross around $5 million from 2,409 theaters over its four-day Memorial Day opening weekend.[20] The film made $2.2 million on its first day, $5 million in the traditional weekend, and $5.9 million over the four-day frame.[21] In its second weekend, the film declined 66% to $1.7 million, finishing in eighth place.[22][23]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 32% of 25 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "A sloppily lifeless movie that's strictly for hardcore Bert Kreischer fans, The Machine is broken beyond repair."[24] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 37 out of 100, based on seven critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.[25] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a "B+" grade at the A+ to F scale, while PostTrak gave the film an overall 78% positive score, with 60% saying they would definitely recommend it.[2][26]

References

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  1. ^ "The Machine (15)". BBFC. April 28, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  2. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 26, 2023). "'Little Mermaid' Singing Loudly With $125M Memorial Day Weekend Opening – Friday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  3. ^ "The Machine (2023)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  4. ^ "The Machine (2023)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Pedersen, Erik (February 23, 2023). "The Machine Redband Trailer: Bert Kreischer & Mark Hamill Vs. Revenge-Bent Russians In Wild Action-Comedy". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  6. ^ "The Machine Press Notes". Sony Pictures. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  7. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 16, 2019). "Legendary Lands Rights to Bert Kreischer's Viral Story 'The Machine' (Exclusive)".
  8. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (April 13, 2021). "Mark Hamill Joins Bert Kreischer In Legendary's 'The Machine' Based on Kreischer's Viral Story". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  9. ^ Couch, Aaron (April 13, 2021). "Mark Hamill, Comedian Bert Kreischer to Star in 'The Machine' for Legendary". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  10. ^ Kroll, Justin (April 14, 2021). "Peter Atencio To Direct Legendary's 'The Machine' Starring Bert Kreischer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Kroll, Justin (April 27, 2021). "Jess Gabor Joins Legendary's 'The Machine' Starring Bert Kreischer and Mark Hamill". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  12. ^ "Joseph Trapanese Scoring Peter Atencio's The Machine". filmmusicreporter.com. February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  13. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 5, 2021). "Stephanie Kurtzuba Joins Legendary's 'The Machine' Starring Bert Kreischer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  14. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 9, 2021). "Mercedes De La Cruz Joins Legendary's 'The Machine' Starring Bert Kreischer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  15. ^ a b Kroll, Justin (June 14, 2021). "'Home Economics' Star Jimmy Tatro Joins Legendary's 'The Machine' Starring Bert Kreischer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  16. ^ Makuch, Eddie (April 13, 2021). "Mark Hamill To Star In Movie About Bert Kreischer's Viral "The Machine" Story". GameSpot. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  17. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (January 5, 2023). "Sony Dates Legendary Pictures' Bert Kreischer Pic The Machine For Memorial Day Weekend".
  18. ^ "THE MACHINE | Sony Pictures Entertainment". www.sonypictures.com. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  19. ^ "The Machine (2023)". www.dvdsreleasedates.com. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  20. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (May 24, 2023). "Box Office: 'The Little Mermaid' Swimming to $120 Million-Plus Over Memorial Day Weekend". Variety. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  21. ^ "The Machine". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  22. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (June 4, 2023). "Box Office: 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse' Slingshots to Huge $120.5 Million Debut". Variety. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  23. ^ "Domestic 2023 Weekend 22". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  24. ^ "The Machine". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  25. ^ "The Machine (2023) Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  26. ^ "Search Machine, The". CinemaScore.
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