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documentaries

Reviewers Ignore ‘Am I Racist?”

September 25, 2024 by Robert Marich 1 Comment

racist documentary

Anti-woke “Am I Racist?” is a mini-blockbuster in the documentary category, but is mostly ignored by professional film reviewers apparently rubbed the wrong way by its message. “For whatever reason, there are films that we in the entertainment media fail to notice,” writes Joel Stein in the Hollywood Reporter. “In the case of the documentary ‘Am I Racist?,’ that ‘whatever … [Read more...] about Reviewers Ignore ‘Am I Racist?”

Websites, Fest Outreach Best Low-Cost Marketing

November 20, 2023 by Robert Marich Leave a Comment

"Greatest Movie Sold"

The best use of a shoestring $20,000 marketing campaign for a documentary is a website to promote creative elements and serve as a permanent beacon, says documentary maven Chris Albert. Followed by film festival outreach in order to target opinion leaders, “I’d spend about $1,500 on a very rudimentary website where the film could live so when I meet people I can send them on … [Read more...] about Websites, Fest Outreach Best Low-Cost Marketing

Swift, Beyoncé Bounced From Oscars

October 10, 2023 by Robert Marich Leave a Comment

taylor swift concert

The upcoming Taylor Swift and Beyoncé concert theatrical films shape up as cinema blockbusters, but neither is expected to be eligible for Oscar consideration under current Academy Awards rules, according to a Variety story. The problem is these are self-made films crossing a line into self-promotion, and not from independent documentarians. Both concert films fall into the … [Read more...] about Swift, Beyoncé Bounced From Oscars

Oscar Rules Tweaked for Docus, Awards Campaigning

April 7, 2017 by Robert Marich Leave a Comment

OJ made in america poster

The reigning best-documentary Oscar winner would no longer be eligible going forward under a raft of changes in annual rules revisions issued today by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. In other revisions, AMPAS tweaked numerous rules governing campaigning for awards and also some awards procedures, such as allowing the entire membership of AMPAS to nominate … [Read more...] about Oscar Rules Tweaked for Docus, Awards Campaigning

Anti-Obama Docu Soars

September 18, 2012 by Robert Marich Leave a Comment

Obama documentary

The anti-Obama movie “2016: Obama’s America” is emerging as an out-of-nowhere hit in the documentary category. The Rocky Mountain Pictures release premiered at one theater in Houston July 13 and hefty box office from a small start supported an ever-wider release in later weeks--now at 1,800 locations. While that trajectory is impressive, 2,000+ locations on opening weekend … [Read more...] about Anti-Obama Docu Soars

Product-placement Movie Piles On Satire

April 22, 2011 by Robert Marich Leave a Comment

"Greatest Movie Sold"

Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock’s “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” is getting a lot of publicity heat and was well received at the Sundance Film Festival in January, but the premise kind of leaves me cold. I also will be interested to see if box office is strong or weak for a film that playfully delves into the behind-the-scenes world of placement of brand name products in films. … [Read more...] about Product-placement Movie Piles On Satire

‘African Cats’ Builds Wildlife Promotions

April 4, 2011 by Robert Marich Leave a Comment

"African Cats" promotions

Walt Disney Studios serves up lots of web links in a press release for “African Cats,” its documentary set for April 22 theatrical release. A portion of box office will be donated to the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), which makes AWF a promotional partner. There’s the obligatory Facebook page and a website to “pledge” to see the movie. Another ticket commerce … [Read more...] about ‘African Cats’ Builds Wildlife Promotions

‘Gift Shop’ Builds Mystery

April 15, 2010 by Robert Marich Leave a Comment

"Exit THrough the Gift Shop"

Here’s an emerging triumph in digital media marketing for a small indie film. The “New York Times” published a review about narrow-release theatrical documentary “Exit Through the Gift Shop” that calls the film an “enigma.” Here’s a documentary theatrical where film critics are crucial to its marketing. The documentary about street and graffiti artist Banksy is … [Read more...] about ‘Gift Shop’ Builds Mystery

Film Critics Star in Documentary

March 16, 2009 by Robert Marich Leave a Comment

"For the Love of Movies"

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

Documentaries in Collapse

July 5, 2008 by Robert Marich Leave a Comment

"Taxi to the Dark Side" poster.

It’s always amazing to see industry insiders forgeting that it’s moviegoer behavior that runs the business. The documentary sector is suffering a meltdown because insiders like highly-partisan content like anti-Iraq war critique “Fahrenheit 9/11,” ignoring industry wisdom that it’s an outlier from this rule of thumb. Political films with an angry bent have a long history of … [Read more...] about Documentaries in Collapse

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