Low-budget horror flick “Terrifier 3” (website screen grab above) cracks open the door wider for unrated films to play mainstream theaters, after grossing a solid $37 million in its first 11 days in cinemas. “It is well on its way to becoming the top-grossing unrated film of all time domestically against a minuscule budget of $2 million and barely any marketing spend,” notes … [Read more...] about ‘Terrifier 3’ Success Boosts Unrated Films
regulations
Even ‘Avatar 2’ Can’t Fix China Doldrums
There’s little chance for a return to past highs for Hollywood in the China cinema market, which is the world’s second largest overall. And it’s not just because of pandemic. While “Avatar: The Way of Water” is a blockbuster, Chinese regulators reduced theatrical distribution slots for foreign imports — meaning Hollywood films — that in years past bulked up overall cinema … [Read more...] about Even ‘Avatar 2’ Can’t Fix China Doldrums
Watchdog Revamps Kids Guidelines
A watchdog organization monitoring marketing aimed at children is overhauling its guidelines, which will impact movie marketers considering that some landed on its hot seat in years past. The guidelines from a week ago come from the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), which is an industry self-regulation nonprofit organization. The guideline revamp, which goes into … [Read more...] about Watchdog Revamps Kids Guidelines
‘Tonya’ Source Demands Journos Avoid Controversy
Arm-twisting reporters so they don’t ask talent about touchy subjects is a shadowy part of celebrity press interviews but has popped into the open for the movie “I, Tonya.” The drama with bursts of deadpan comedy stars Margot Robbie portraying ice skater Tonya Harding during the real-life crime perpetrated by Harding's entourage that maimed her main rival in 1994. “The … [Read more...] about ‘Tonya’ Source Demands Journos Avoid Controversy
Pitt-produced ‘Lost City’ Loses R-rating Appeal
Brad Pitt-produced "Lost City of Z" was rejected in its appeal of a R-rating for "brief violence" in the period drama that is scheduled to premiere in theaters April 21. The movie comes from Amazon Studios and its distributor is Bleecker Street. With the Restricted rating, persons under age 17 must be accompanied by an adult parent or guardian. Presumably, the movie was … [Read more...] about Pitt-produced ‘Lost City’ Loses R-rating Appeal
Language Worries Parents More Than Cinema Violence
Parents are most concerned with rough language, more than violence, in movie audience classification ratings, according to Classification And Rating Administration. CARA, which is the voluntary film rating service in the United States, issued a 30-page report "Parents Ratings Advisory Study-2015" with that conclusion and other findings. "While 80 percent of parents in the … [Read more...] about Language Worries Parents More Than Cinema Violence
Product Placement Beef for ‘Transformers’ in China
A hotel chain in China is suing two product placement brokers claiming foul over a deal with Paramount Pictures release “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” The sci-fi movie will premiere China and in the U.S./Canada June 27. The big-budget fourth installment of the “Transformers” series is rated PG-13 in the U.S. Beijing Pangu Investment Co., which owns a dragon-shaped … [Read more...] about Product Placement Beef for ‘Transformers’ in China
Penalties Tag ‘Olympus Fallen’ Ads
The Federal Communications Commission proposed $2 million in penalty fines connected with TV commercials for the movie “Olympus Has Fallen” because of use of the distinctive emergency alert system audio tones. FilmDistrict released the R-rated thriller a year ago and the $70 million production grossed $99 million domestically. Says an Adweek story by Katy Bachman: “Blatantly … [Read more...] about Penalties Tag ‘Olympus Fallen’ Ads
Slot Machines License ‘Avatar’
I’m going to have to add a new category to the list of movie licensed merchandise—the slot machine! Gambling equipment manufacturer IGT has two slot machines that are movie themed: James Cameron’s Avatar and James Cameron’s Avatar Treasure of Pandora. The slots are “packed with iconic imagery from the film and industry-first innovation. IGT collaborated with Twentieth … [Read more...] about Slot Machines License ‘Avatar’
Advocacy Group Rips On-screen Smoking
An anti-smoking advocacy group asserts that audience impressions of characters using tobacco products doubled from 2010 to 2012 in youth-oriented films, “returning to levels of a decade ago.” That’s the upshot from Legacy, a Washington D.C.-based organization funded by tobacco companies in settlements over litigation with government agencies. The Legacy analysis multiplies … [Read more...] about Advocacy Group Rips On-screen Smoking