MovieZen Blog

Bring back the art.

Movie advertising, while inescapable, is also looked at by many as a work of art. Some of the greatest movies have that unforgettable image. Think back to Jaws, and how compelling that simple picture was. Enough to strike terror, the end result being assumed. Then there were the Star Wars trilogy posters, each perfectly encapsulating the spirit of the given film. A great film poster gives a piece of the film, and connects to the memory of what the viewer has seen on screen. Sadly, it is a form of art that is slowly passing by. While there are still great posters on occasion, it seems more and more that the stock profile shots or cast collections are enough to satisfy the studios these days. That is why it is so striking when a movie poster comes along to shake up the status quo. A film like Sin City, unique in its feel and story telling, took the idea of the character posters and gave it a twist. And think back to 1994, when Pulp Fiction recreated the dime store novel cover in a unique twist.  It was enough to intrigue the movie goer without ruining the shock of what was to come. Sure they could have done a collage of Travolta and Thurman dancing, or a hypodermic needle about to penetrate flesh, but they kept it simple yet creative, and it stands as a great piece of cinematic marketing.

I would like to see the marketing departments of studios put a little more effort into creating truly memorable posters. Most posters have been relegated to the side of the lobby, no longer compelling the theater attendee to look at them. Now, they need to draw the eyes over to see. An iconic image, such as Tom Hanks sitting on a park bench in Forrest Gump, could slip by unnoticed. But a poster like The Truman Show, an amalgamation of smaller images that create the final picture, looks just distracting enough from a distance to bring the viewer closer, where they can then marvel at the work within the work. It is too easy for me to pass by on my way out of the theater, never glancing twice at the latest teen spoof comedy or disposable action flick. I want something that reminds me of when studios used to care. Or at least more so than they seem to now.

Benji
**Read more articles by Benji**

Last Action Hero?

Vin Diesel returns to his action roots with Babylon A.D., the first time in four years he has done something in the action genre. After trying his hand at family in The Pacifier and giving drama a go in Find Me Guilty, Diesel wisely returns to his bread and butter, and with the latest Fast and the Furious and Hannibal the Conqueror on the horizon, it looks like he has no intention of venturing away soon.

Sadly, Diesel may be our last claim to a true action star. While we have action movies, such as the Bourne series and the never ending Bond sequels, the stars of these films seem content to dip their toes in the action water before returning to more serious fare. The Jason Stathams of the world look to make a small career out of monosyllabic heroes, but much like Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme, he will most likely find a final home on video.

What does it say if Vin Diesel is the last semi-bankable action star? A generation removed from an abundance of big names such as Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Willis, what does that say that one of the last of a dying breed is Diesel? While action isn’t dead yet, you can hear it gasping for breath.

Benji
**Read more articles by Benji**

There is still life left in the dog days

Ah, what would August be without an onslaught of mediocre films ready to soak up any remaining dollars that The Dark Knight, Indiana Jones, and Iron Man didn’t already grab. With Death Race already hitting screens, and Babylon A.D. being the last big release of a strong summer, the season is about to end. While some films will continue to gross into the fall, it looks like this August won’t have any genuine blockbusters as seen in Augusts past.

Last year, Superbad snuck up on the viewing public, pulling in money from all ages. The Bourne Ultimatum proved that there was an audience for intelligent action in the waning months before school. The Fugitive, Signs, The Sixth Sense, all have proven that there is money to be made.

This August, stabs were made. Tropic Thunder has shown surprising legs in its short run, and Pineapple Express proved that, contrary to Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, the stoner comedy genre still has life. But there was no real breakout to catch the attention of a weary viewing public. Perhaps a little breathing room is needed, anyway. After all, the holiday season is just around the corner.

Benji
**Read more articles by Benji**

A Great Voice Silenced.

I learned of the passing today of Don LaFontaine.  While the name may be unfamiliar to many, the voice is instantly recognizable to most.  His was the voice, deep and gravelly, that set the tone for so many movie trailers.  Check out the bonus trailers on Comedian, the Jerry Seinfeld documentary, to see how his style became the norm for previews.  His was such a voice that parody would eventually follow.  The Simpsons Movie showcased and spoofed the traditional that he had become such a part of, yet in its own way was an homage to him.  He became an icon, although most wouldn't have recognized him on the street.  His recent turn on a Geico commercial might have brought a bit of recognition, but most wouldn't look twice at the unassuming older gentleman as they passed him on the street.  It was when he opened his mouth, and that voice emerged, that people would stop and stare.  He was a singular individual, and one who has left some mighty big shoes to fill.  That there is no other person so associated with trailers is a testament to his impact on the film industry, even if it was only in 3 minute snippets.  From this point forward, the previews won't seem quite right.  We may not be able to put our finger on what's wrong, but we will know that something is missing.  That something will be a voice now silenced.

Benji
**Read more articles by Benji**

It may be impossible to sink the ship...

Watching The Dark Knight’s steady trek toward the half billion dollar mark, it makes me realize how remarkable Titanic’s record setting feat was over ten years ago. I was on the front lines for the phenomenon, watching week after week as auditoriums sold out repeatedly. Titanic managed to find just the right mixture of love story and action, sweetness and spectacle. Was it one of the all time greats? The Academy seemed to think so; others might disagree. But it did represent something we may never see again: continued and sustained box office success.

The new Batman has a lot of factors contributing to its momentum. It is a sequel to a very well received and successful film, it has a respected director and cast, the fascination with the macabre following Heath Ledger’s death, and the Oscar buzz surrounding Ledger’s performance. Yet with all of those factors combined, it will fall well short of the all time record. When you adjust grosses for inflation and ticket prices, it wouldn’t have a chance of catching up.

There will come a time when some will look back at the Summer of The Dark Knight and be amazed that it was able to achieve what it has already. With upfront saturation making sure theaters can accommodate every possible ticket buyer, long term prospects for films are not what they used to be. And with another movie ready to take up screens following the next weekend, shelf life is shrinking. Though The Dark Knight may not reach the heights of Titanic, it will someday be seen for the phenomenon that it is, and an anomaly in the modern cinematic business plan.

Benji
**Read more articles by Benji**

A New Scare

Summer hasn't traditionally been a place for horror movies. They've been kept close to Halloween or to dates that might inspire fright (Friday the 13th, 06/06/06, etc.)  Traditionally, summer has been more  for kids movies, action movies and the occasional art house alternative. 

The Strangers, however, may just change that.  After being pushed from release date to release date, expectations were low for the $9 million film.  Dropped opposite Sex and the City, it looked as though it was being used as a tax write off for the studios. Then came the surprise. 

Not content to follow the standard hack and slash popularized by modern horror, the film instead focused more on a psychological aspect of terror, and audiences responded.  After opening at almost $21 million, I'm sure more than a few studio eyes were opened to the untapped potential of a horror alternative.  After all, a remake of The Omen had a successful June debut a couple of years back.

Of course, the grosses drop off quickly for such genre pics, but that happens regardless of the time of year.  We'll see this again with Saw V in October.  What matters is that these films can be proven to be a profitable alternative to summer movie options.

Benji
All Fear the Chihuahua

**Read more articles by Benji**

 

Isn't Jack Black already animated?

Kung Fu Panda opened with phenomenal results, as expected, and has shone a light upon the blight of children's entertainment this summer. 

This is the first big kid's movie thus far, if you exclude The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, a shockingly violent PG film.  Opportunities are being missed.  With no real competition until the opening of Wall E, Panda has a clear path to gross $200 million and them the inevitable sequel.  Studios need to re-think their processes and be prepared for these lulls.  As Alvin and the Chipmunks (a critically shunned film that did massive box office) has shown, it doesn't necessarily even have to be something on the level of a Pixar quality film.  It just needs to open at the right time.

Looking forward to the rest of the summer, aside from the aforementioned Wall E, there is little that looks appealing for kids.  That being said, a film like Space Chimps stands to make a killing as the only option.  As a parent, I don't relish the idea of sitting through such a film, but I know that if my girls want to see a movie and there are no other options, Space Chimps will get my movie going dollars.  It just seems a shame that no studio recognized the need for better children's entertainment and stepped up to fill that void.

Benji
All Fear the Chihuahua

**Read more articles by Benji**

Element of Surprise?

I know that it seems just a bit hypocritical to be complaining about the new media when I am posting blogs for the web, but it seems that the advent and prevalence of the internet has taken some of the surprise away from the movie going experience.  It used to be that movie reviews would run in the Friday paper or on the Friday evening telecast.  If one wanted to avoid having any part of the movie ruined, all they would have to do is turn the page or the channel.  The internet has changed things now.  A person has to make a concerted effort now to avoid learning things about a movie that they may have an interest in seeing. 

Steven Spielberg kept the new Indiana Jones film from the critics and the public for as long as possible, trying to avoid having things leaked that might hurt the film-going experience.  Even before the official unveiling at Cannes, however, leaks had begun from studio and exhibitor screenings.  The buzz leaned toward the negative, unfairly or not, and a perception had already been formed before the average viewer even had the opportunity to see the movie.

Now, this is a double-edged sword.  The internet and the prevalence of readily available reviews can help as much as it can hurt when you get ready to pony up eight bucks or more for a movie ticket.  If a viewer can save nearly two and a half hours of Speed Racer torment then it should be looked at as a gift.  But when you want to enter into an auditorium spoiler-free, you shouldn't have to fight to remain uninformed.

Hopefully, we'll be able to find a happy medium where the viewer can benefit from the reviews of others without having key points ruined or anticipation dampened.  Only time will tell.

Benji
All Fear the Chihuahua

**Read more articles by Benji**

 

A Chance To Grow

With the advent of the summer movie season, I am amazed with the number of screens and the number of prints being pumped out for any given blockbuster film. After the massive release of Iron Man in 4,154 theaters, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian follows closely behind with 3,929 theaters. This isn’t taking into account the number of prints that are showing in each theater. This over saturation of event films does benefit the studios, helping them to pull in the most box office dollars by absorbing all of the upfront demand when the studio percentage is the highest. But it takes some of the fun away from watching a film grow and hold an audience, building as it plays.

With the latest Indiana Jones film set to release soon, I am reminded of Raiders of the Lost Ark and its ascension into box office history. At the widest point of its release, this Harrison Ford epic played on a whopping 1,078 theaters. It was able to expand as word of mouth spread and demand grew. Such a feat is near impossible now. Movies are expected to perform immediately or clear out to make room for the next big thing. While I understand the economic side of this, it still makes me think that we are missing out on the opportunity to discover the next big thing. After all, would E.T., with its 1,778 theaters at the widest point, have been allowed to play in theaters for as long as it did in today’s competitive environment. Think of it this way: Its opening weekend gross of $11,835,000 accounted for a mere 3 percent of its final domestic tally. The modern blockbuster can absorb 50% or more of the final take in the first week and not be an anomaly. Which do you think the theater owners, whose share of the pie grows larger the longer the film plays, would prefer. Yet they contribute to this culture so that potential ticket buyers won’t take their concession money to the competitors.

I hope that we’ll see another film come along that can have the opportunity to build an audience and show legs. Perhaps then theater owners might take note of the long term benefits.

Benji
All Fear the Chihuahua

**Read more articles by Benji**

Holding On to a Piece of Yesterday

Through sheer coincidence, I’ve recently found myself brought back into the world of movie exhibition, and it has allowed me to watch a once great tradition in America at work.

I’ve been helping a friend with his drive-in theater, an experience that I have really enjoyed. Drive-ins used to dot the landscape of this country, first allowing a venue for B-movies to be exhibited, then as movies progressed allowing for a new way to experience first run shows that had been traditionally an indoor thing. In putting myself in this environment, I’ve found that I can hold onto a piece of nostalgia that pre-dates me.

Sadly, drive-ins have gone from an abundance to just over 400 in operation today. Run the right way, they can provide for a family friendly environment and an experience that can’t be replicated in a traditional movie house. No longer does one need to be distracted by talkers, by cell phones, by candy wrappers or overly amorous teenagers.   During an opening weekend surge like Iron Man or Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull it would be nice to know that you can enjoy your movie without interruption.

All things are now in the moviegoer’s control. Temperature too hot? Crack a window or turn on the AC. Sound too loud? The twist of a knob and your ears feel relief. The only talking that can bother you now is your own, and you can rest assured that no one else will be telling the usher to shut you up. Throw in the idea of watching great (and not so great) films under the stars and you can see why the idea is so appealing to many.  A private evening with a date, a tub of popcorn and Angelina Jolie doesn't seem so bad to me.

The drive-in is seeing a slight resurgence, but trying to compete with the modern amenities of DTS and SDDS sound, stadium seating and the ability to book multiple prints to absorb all of the traffic is making it harder and harder for them to survive. Couple that with the fact that digital cinema, an idea that has yet to be efficiently adapted to the larger drive-in screen, is beginning its charge, and you can see why so many drive-in owners are worried about what the future holds.

There will always be a niche for such places. It’s when Hollywood can no longer help to accommodate these screens that we will lose an irreplaceable piece of Americana.

Let’s hope somebody recognizes that before it’s too late.

Benji
All Fear the Chihuahua

**Read more articles by Benji**