Medication in Paper Cup

email this story
read comments (21)
post a comment

This 11.30 Claudia Eller/L.A. Times piece about the marketing of Up In The Air reminds us that selling motion pictures to the American public today is about the fine art of communicating with the dumbest, most under-educated and most culturally insulated people in the history of western civilization. Not to mention the most heavily narcotized (i.e., via food, alcohol, prescription drugs, constant TV watching, frequent visits to malls).

Listen to the marketing guys Eller runs quotes from. The way they talk about how audiences have to be approached just so, using just the right attitude and carefully chosen words. The marketers could be orderlies in an Oregon mental hospital in the early '60s talking about how to deal with Billy Bibbit, the Chief, Dale Harding, George Sorensen, Martini and Charles Cheswick.

Excessive<< previous | next >>Streetcar Was...

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on November 29, 2009 at 7:09 PM

comment #1

COCO says ...

My god, what a tough sell....the Eloi are a tough breed.

Posted by COCO at November 29, 2009 7:32 PM

comment #2

Krillian says ...

Thank goodness we're all superior to those unwashed cake-eaters.

Posted by Krillian at November 29, 2009 7:43 PM

comment #3

DeeZee says ...

It's hard out there for a celebrity sex offender.
http://tinyurl.com/yjarwob
Claire Danes on 'Orson Welles.
http://www.darkhorizons.com/interviews/1517/claire-danes-for-me-and-orson-welles-
Aren't you supposed to have a net for these things?
http://cbs2.com/local/aerialist.fall.Beverly.2.1339507.html
If it makes Jeff feel better, 'Orson Welles appears to be doing pretty well in limited release.
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/thanksgiving/?yr=2009
And holy shit, Princess + the Frog made half a mil PTA in two theaters.
Anyway, I guess I was off, and New Moon had more staying power than Twilight, which might bode badly for Avatar and Lovely Bones. Or is it just weaker competition overall this year? Really surprised that 2012 survived past week three, though...
Christoph Waltz profiled.
http://tinyurl.com/yj8p75r
Sugar profiled.
http://tinyurl.com/ygvuykp
Up in the Air profiled.
http://tinyurl.com/yk7v8g9
I liked this, when it was called the alien autopsy.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118011925.html?categoryid=10&cs=1
Anyone wanna submit questions for an upcoming Avatar webcast?
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118011922.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

Posted by DeeZee at November 29, 2009 8:04 PM

comment #4

corey3rd says ...

Marketers at this point are a rather worthless lot.

They don't seem to understand that when it comes to selling a movie, it's not about LCD Wal-mart knuckledragger appeal. They just have the simple job of telling me why this movie deserves not merely my attention, but the costs involved in going to the theater versus merely sticking it on my netflix queue.

Is it too hard for them to tell me why this will be the most amazing experience of the moment and I need to see it outside the safety of my home entertainment center? Today's marketers couldn't hype Crocadile Dundee or I Was A Teenage Werewolf. Tell me in 30 seconds why I need to take 3 hours out of my life to drive down to the theater, buy popcorn and watch your movie. Show me a trailer in the last five years as effective as Porkys had.

Posted by corey3rd at November 29, 2009 8:12 PM

comment #5

DeeZee says ...

DVR killed the prime-time talk-show. http://tinyurl.com/yhfg7em

Posted by DeeZee at November 29, 2009 8:50 PM

comment #6

Terry McCarty says ...

Since Jason Reitman shot the interviews with actual people under the subterfuge of making a "documentary", I'm wondering about BORAT-esque lawsuits to come.

Posted by Terry McCarty at November 29, 2009 9:53 PM

comment #7

Telemachos says ...

The interviews are presented as interviews and while they're never presented specifically as documentary footage, as far as I can tell the answers aren't taken out of context. They're essentially talking head montages that happen when Clooney has to go on firing sprees.

Posted by Telemachos at November 29, 2009 10:18 PM

comment #8

HAL8999 says ...

I wish Eller had called out Paramount for the deceptive use of Zach Galifianakis in their TV campaign. He's in the movie for all of 2 minutes, but I've seen spots that suggest it's a two-hander with him and George.

Posted by HAL8999 at November 29, 2009 10:24 PM

comment #9

DeeZee says ...

Mike tells it like it is. http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikes-letter/open-letter-president-obama-michael-moore

Posted by DeeZee at November 30, 2009 1:11 AM

comment #10

BurmaShave says ...

For the love of God Daniel, please stop.

Posted by BurmaShave at November 30, 2009 7:53 AM

comment #11

lazarus says ...

Anyone ready to start an email campaign yet?

Posted by lazarus at November 30, 2009 8:48 AM

comment #12

Krillian says ...

Corey3rd, I thought Where the Wild Things Are did a good job of marketing, but yes, these days, thinking of examples of good marketing is an exception. And yet most of what is greenlit is done so with marketing in mind.

Sometimes the team has it easy, like anything from Pixar. Sometimes you get handed Old Dogs or The Fourth Kind, and you're expected to work miracles.

My mind leaps to how Bandslam, which is an allegedly decent "School of Rock" vibe of a movie, got marketed to the High School Musical crowd and therefore died an ignominious box-office death.

Posted by Krillian at November 30, 2009 9:50 AM

comment #13

TulseLuper says ...

I have no sympathy for marketing people. They're a bunch of wimps these days. I'm sorry, but if Miramax could turn an independent Scottish film about heroin addicts without any stars called Trainspotting into a sleeper hit, then you have no excuse. The Hurt Locker underperformed because nobody knew about it. Up In The Air isn't doing too well because nobody can find it. Yes, there are a lot of morons out there, but I know several people who aren't film scholars who would love these movies.

Posted by TulseLuper at November 30, 2009 10:53 AM

comment #14

Terry McCarty says ...

Krillian wrote:
My mind leaps to how Bandslam, which is an allegedly decent "School of Rock" vibe of a movie, got marketed to the High School Musical crowd and therefore died an ignominious box-office death.

One guess is because Vanessa Hudgens was in it.

Posted by Terry McCarty at November 30, 2009 10:06 PM

comment #15

leelemon90 says ...

ghd and CHI Flat irons are on sale, ghd hair straighteners just $83.

Posted by leelemon90 at January 17, 2010 5:24 PM

comment #16

leelemon90 says ...

Would you like the discount Mbt shoes? Mbt chapa gtx uk are up to 84% off , Mbt sport low 67% off and Mbt lami civiar up to 81% off .

Posted by leelemon90 at January 17, 2010 5:51 PM

comment #17

bushworlda says ...

ghd straighteners enjoy good reputation, pink ghd is a hot style of ghd hair straighteners.

Posted by bushworlda at March 5, 2010 6:49 PM

comment #18

sarkmbt says ...

the popular serial is MBT, you will enjoy over 50% discount if you buy a piece of ghd darkMBT outlet.The MBT Changa Women lace-up features rich nubuck leather and single-layer mesh uppers for breathable

wear.The MBT Chapa lace-up features rich nubuck leather and single-layer mesh uppers for breathable wear.
The versatility of the MBT M.Walk is another benefit.

Posted by sarkmbt at March 9, 2010 11:00 PM

comment #19