The weekend box office battle emerges as pivotal to regaining record-setting momentum and has some bad news for two films getting critics' praise. A “Los Angeles Times” article reads the tea leaves – in the form of tracking surveys – and finds the two big new films underwhelming in terms of audience appeal. Tracking surveys are movie research of audience awareness and … [Read more...] about Good Reviews Can’t Save Films?
Marketing Costs Handicap Biggest Indie
Lions Gate Entertainment says it spends “well more than 25%” of its revenue on marketing expenses, which is sharply higher than what the major studio pay comparably, putting what is the largest independent film distributor at a competitive disadvantage. In a conference call with investors last week, the publicly-traded Lions Gate estimated that the media/entertainment … [Read more...] about Marketing Costs Handicap Biggest Indie
Movies Spend 7% For Online
eMarketer today published fascinating advertising figures for film distribution in a posting titled Hollywood Online Ad Spending, which deserves a look and my commentary. The look... eMarketer estimates total ad spending by "Hollywood" will be $16 billion this year. The media researcher estimates 7.7% of that will go online. The commentary... In my estimation, the $16 … [Read more...] about Movies Spend 7% For Online
Shaming Hollywood Over Smoking
The advocacy wing of the American Medical Assn. is criticizing movies depicting tobacco use in a summer-long campaign that will culminate with naming the studio that is the biggest offender in its view. The campaign includes posting advocacy ads on outdoor billboards to shame the alleged offenders. Says a “New York Times” article: ‘“Which Movie Studios Will Cause the Most … [Read more...] about Shaming Hollywood Over Smoking
Studios Tap Down Outside Expectations
Hollywood’s wrangling with media coverage of weekend box office grosses is a delicate balance of pre-release cajoling, begging and arm twisting in an attempt to manage expectations, writes “Los Angeles Times” columnist Patrick Goldstein. “If your movie doesn't match those opening weekend predictions come Monday morning, you're faced with an onslaught of stories … [Read more...] about Studios Tap Down Outside Expectations
Par Bags 3-pix Burger King Tie-in
Paramount Pictures inked a three-picture promotion deal with Burger King, which will give marketing ooompf to “Star Trek” (premiering May 8), “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (June 24) and “G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra” (Aug. 7). Fast food chains have become more selective about film promotions as, for example, McDonald’s did not renew a 10-year alliance with Disney … [Read more...] about Par Bags 3-pix Burger King Tie-in
Actor Rips His Film on YouTube
Low-budget independent movie “Midgets vs. Mascots” is getting the worst kind of publicity on YouTube, courtesy of one of its stars. Pint-sized TV series actor Gary Coleman (TV series “Webster”) does a rant knocking the film in which is stars. “It was worse than any film school project that I think I could ever bear to be involved in,” Coleman says in the YouTube video. “I … [Read more...] about Actor Rips His Film on YouTube
3-D Screens Double Boxoffice
“Monsters vs. Aliens” pulled a robust $59.3 million for the three-day weekend on 7,300 screens, in a validation for 3-D cinema projection. Lionsgate’s horror film “The Haunting in Connecticut” grossed $23 million from half as many screens, in another strong debut, as cinema going continues to ride high despite the deep recession. Those figures are domestic box office—U.S. and … [Read more...] about 3-D Screens Double Boxoffice
HP Promotes ‘Monsters’ Computer Tie-in
As another DreamWorks Animation film hits cinema screens, Hewlett-Packard gets a chance to again shout from the rooftops that it provided computer equipment, this time for the making of “Monsters vs. Aliens.” HP is part of a small cadre of corporate sponsors tied to DreamWorks Animation in long-term deals. The other sponsors are McDonald’s restaurants (which mounts … [Read more...] about HP Promotes ‘Monsters’ Computer Tie-in
Film Critics Star in Documentary
Film critics star in front of the camera for a change in “For The Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism,” which is a documentary by Gerald Peary, himself a long-time critic for the “Boston Phoenix” and member of the National Society of Film Critics. The hour-and-a-half documentary includes interviews with Roger Ebert, Richard Schickel, Lisa Schwarzbaum, … [Read more...] about Film Critics Star in Documentary