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A general rule of thumb about the stars of the long-running sitcom Friends is this: If they star in a film, it's probably doomed. Oh, there are exceptions (The Whole Nine Yards and Scream being the most notable of the bunch), but for whatever reason, when the individual actors try to cross over to the big screen, the movies fail.

What does that mean for Marci X, which stars Lisa Kudrow as a young Jewish woman who has to take over a hard-core rap label for her father? In and of itself, nothing. Unfortunately, there are a few other warning signs that would indicate this film might be a box office bomb. First off, there's the premise, which could be anywhere from mildly to massively offensive, depending how it's handled. Marci has to handle some negative publicity that befalls the label when a song called "Shoot Ya' Teacha" by rap artist Dr. Snatchcatcher (Damon Wayans) becomes a huge pop hit. There's even a right-wing senator (Christine Baranski) who is highly offended by Dr. Snatchcater's lyrics. The characters sound like caricatures, but it's entirely possible that trailers and commercials will show a different story. Time will tell.

Marci X is directed by Richard Benjamin, who also stars as Kudrow's father. He's had a pretty spotty record at the box office, including such films as Mermaids, The Money Pit, City Heat, and The Shrink is In. Screenwriter Paul Rudnick has delivered stuff like Addams Family Values, In & Out, and box office failure Isn't She Great. Unfortunately, none of these titles exactly inspire confidence, but then again, these guys might be due, right?

The film was originally slated for "sometime in 2002", but now that the studio has an official target date for Marci X to hit theaters, it does appear that it will at least be receiving a token release. Marketing and studio backing will be key to drawing viewers and determining success, and will go a long way toward indicating whether this is a quality product or just another formulaic comedy. (Kim Hollis/BOP)

Vital statistics for Marci X Main Cast Lisa Kudrow, Damon Wayans, Richard Benjamin Supporting Cast Christine Baranski, Jane Krakowski, Charles Kimbrough Director Richard Benjamin Screenwriter Paul Rudnick Distributor Paramount Trailer Click Here for Trailer Official Site http://www.marcix.com/ Rating R Running Time 84 minutes Screen Count 1,200 Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture

Comparison films for Marci X
Title	Date	Opening	Adjusted Opening	Screens	PSA	Adj PSA	Total BO	Adjusted Total	Mult
Analyze This	3/5/99	18.38	21.90	2518	7299.00	8333.5	106.69	127.14	5.80
In and Out	9/19/97	15.02	19.73	1992	7540.00	9527.7	63.84	83.86	4.25
Addams Family Values	11/19/93	14.12	20.56	2577	5479.00	7675.9	46.29	67.42	3.28
Hanging Up	2/18/00	13.57	15.18	2618	5183.00	5577.3	36.04	40.31	2.29
Analyze That	12/6/02	11.03	11.46	2635	4186.00	4186.0	32.12	33.39	2.91
Romy and Michele's High School Reunion	4/25/97	7.43	9.76	1602	4638.00	5860.7	29.21	38.37	3.93
Mermaids	12/14/90	3.51	5.01	970	3619.00	4974.0	35.14	50.21	10.01
Isn't She Great?	1/28/00	1.37	1.53	750	1827.00	1966.0	2.95	3.30	2.15