The Hollywood organization that confers the Oscars was founded in 1927 with strikingly different ambitions than the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) that the world knows today. “The Academy and the Awards” book by Bruce Davis details Oscar’s little-known history going back nearly a century. The Academy Awards — Oscar honors — were not a high priority and … [Read more...] about Oscars Endured Rough Road to Fame
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Will Crowd-Pleasers Rule the Oscars?
“Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” can win Oscar Best Picture, say awards pundits, instead of the low-grossing, high-brow movies that usually scoop up Hollywood’s most prestigious award. The National Board of Review (NBR), which is composed of up-market film buffs, actually voted Paramount Pictures’ “Maverick” its Best Picture earlier this month. That’s not … [Read more...] about Will Crowd-Pleasers Rule the Oscars?
Agent 007 Anchors Pinball Machine
The James Bond spy-thriller property and its most famous Agent 007, Sean Connery, anchor a mechanical pinball machine in limited quantities. Chicago-based Stern Pinball launches its James Bond 007 series of hardware priced at three tiers for $6,999 to $12,999. “Stern’s James Bond 007 cornerstone pinball machine,” says a press release, “highlights film footage and iconic … [Read more...] about Agent 007 Anchors Pinball Machine
‘Barbie’ Film Toys With Long-Lead Publicity
The Barbie doll from the Mattel toy company needs little introduction, though surprisingly basked in a tsunami of publicity for a theatrical film that just wrapped production for Warner Bros. Pictures. That the "Barbie "movie generated a spate of publicity in recent weeks is perplexing because it’s not scheduled for theatrical premiere until July 21, 2023. An article in the … [Read more...] about ‘Barbie’ Film Toys With Long-Lead Publicity
A Hollywood Life ‘Flirting With Fame’
After decades as a Hollywood press agent, Dan Harary finds publicity an unpredictable art and he also observes a changing nature of “celebrity.” In his memoir book “Flirting With Fame,” Harary recounts doing publicity for a behind-the-scenes special effects craft worker Bob Short connected to a strange horror/comedy film with uncertain prospects. Surprisingly, Short generate … [Read more...] about A Hollywood Life ‘Flirting With Fame’
Awards Season Compressed, Thinned
The covid pandemic is upsetting the awards-season calendar, as televised awards shows postpone, cancel or become bland virtual events — creating ripple effects. A fallout is that awards-marketing spending looks to be subdued by the uncertainty, and prestige films are deprived of routine publicity bursts in the lead-up to the Oscars. Amid the chaos, the door is also … [Read more...] about Awards Season Compressed, Thinned
Analyzing DC FanDome Marketing Event
A immersive online event that Warner Bros. tailors for consumers revealed the newest trailer for “The Batman” and brought news that a third “Wonder Women” live-action movies is in the works. Those are are among tidbits surfacing at the DC FanDome online event Saturday. The “DC” refers to Warner corporate sibling DC Comics. Here’s a marketer’s review of DC FanDome that … [Read more...] about Analyzing DC FanDome Marketing Event
AMC Unspools Surprise $25m Ad Campaign
AMC Theatres launches a $25 million-plus marketing campaign with Nicole Kidman as star presenter this week to encourage a return to moviegoing amid the pandemic. The key copyline is “AMC Theatres. We Make Movies Better" in what is an advocacy and brand-building exercise. The campaign is a surprise because cinemas don’t normally bankroll pricey advertising, instead relying on … [Read more...] about AMC Unspools Surprise $25m Ad Campaign
Cinema Stirs Amid Oscars Debacle
Pundits may praise watching movies on streaming, but the Hollywood establishment gave a full-throated endorsement to pandemic-battered cinema in Sunday’s poorly received Oscars telecast. ABC Television’s audience plunged 56%, which is a crisis for the Academy Awards organizer that depends on Oscar TV-rights income. But the event will remain a moneymaker because TV … [Read more...] about Cinema Stirs Amid Oscars Debacle
Wrestling Toxic Fans Who Torch Cyberspace
As the nation’s political and social discourse gets coarse, it’s no surprise that movie marketers — who aim to engage fans — increasingly battle unwanted spurts of toxic fan syndrome. “So-called toxic fans take up an oversized place in the media's and the public's imaginations,” writes Aaron Couch in an analysis article in the Hollywood Reporter. In 2019, fanboys … [Read more...] about Wrestling Toxic Fans Who Torch Cyberspace