Mismarketed Movies
#1
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Mismarketed Movies
Have you ever watched a movie that you felt was totally mismarketed?
I watched Adventureland again the other day and it again reminded me just how terribly marketed this film truly was. The trailer makes it look like a laugh-a-minute film with the same humor as Superbad and no opportunity was missed to scream that it was from the same director as Superbad.
I believe that the movie performed horribly at the box office because of this. I love the movie but tons of people hate it because it was nothing like they expected (even though I loved it because it was not what I expected). Just a casual look at Amazon user reviews yields several thoughtless reviews containing "insightful" words such as boring, slow, sucked, not funny, etc. It's obvious from these user reviews that these people were the audience that was being marketed to and they did not enjoy it at all.
I think Adventureland is really underappreciated. Sure, it's nothing overly original, but the script is sharp and poignant. It kind of reminds me of Noah Baumbach's Kicking and Screaming and Whit Stillman's films.
I'm done with my rant.
Do any movies come to your mind when you think of mismarketing?
I watched Adventureland again the other day and it again reminded me just how terribly marketed this film truly was. The trailer makes it look like a laugh-a-minute film with the same humor as Superbad and no opportunity was missed to scream that it was from the same director as Superbad.
I believe that the movie performed horribly at the box office because of this. I love the movie but tons of people hate it because it was nothing like they expected (even though I loved it because it was not what I expected). Just a casual look at Amazon user reviews yields several thoughtless reviews containing "insightful" words such as boring, slow, sucked, not funny, etc. It's obvious from these user reviews that these people were the audience that was being marketed to and they did not enjoy it at all.
I think Adventureland is really underappreciated. Sure, it's nothing overly original, but the script is sharp and poignant. It kind of reminds me of Noah Baumbach's Kicking and Screaming and Whit Stillman's films.
I'm done with my rant.
Do any movies come to your mind when you think of mismarketing?
#3
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Mismarketed Movies
I loved Adventureland.
I think a good, recent example of this was Splice. They sold it as horror flick, when it really wasn't. There were some horrific elements, sure. But when all of the trailers make it look like a killer monster is on the loose and then it doesn't go that way, people will be disappointed.
I think a good, recent example of this was Splice. They sold it as horror flick, when it really wasn't. There were some horrific elements, sure. But when all of the trailers make it look like a killer monster is on the loose and then it doesn't go that way, people will be disappointed.
#4
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Mismarketed Movies
Funny People comes to mind. It was clearly a drama set in the world of stand-up comedy, but the marketing department played up Sandler and Apatow; hell, the title was ambiguously misleading!
Also, I think a lot of people were lured into seeing The Break-Up expecting the whole thing to lead to...a more conventional ending.
Not that it matters, but I enjoyed both of these movies; but I heard from quite a lot of people they felt cheated by both.
Also, I think a lot of people were lured into seeing The Break-Up expecting the whole thing to lead to...a more conventional ending.
Not that it matters, but I enjoyed both of these movies; but I heard from quite a lot of people they felt cheated by both.
#5
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Mismarketed Movies
^
I forgot all about Funny People. That's a perfect example though.
I forgot all about Funny People. That's a perfect example though.
#6
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Mismarketed Movies
Bridge to Terabithia.
Marketed like it's another Chronicles of Narnia with a bunch of CGI woodland creatures inhabiting a magical world the kids enter.
Anyone who's read the book in school knows that couldn't be farther from what it really is. So the trailer not only looked like a generic fantasy fest that probably wouldn't appeal to a lot of people anyway, and also angered fans of the book because they thought it was a complete departure from the source material.
Also, the Exorcism of Emily Rose.
The thing was advertised using exclusively footage from the exorcism and demon possesion scenes. Ends up it's a courtroom drama with some scenes of the exorcism spliced in.
Marketed like it's another Chronicles of Narnia with a bunch of CGI woodland creatures inhabiting a magical world the kids enter.
Anyone who's read the book in school knows that couldn't be farther from what it really is. So the trailer not only looked like a generic fantasy fest that probably wouldn't appeal to a lot of people anyway, and also angered fans of the book because they thought it was a complete departure from the source material.
Also, the Exorcism of Emily Rose.
The thing was advertised using exclusively footage from the exorcism and demon possesion scenes. Ends up it's a courtroom drama with some scenes of the exorcism spliced in.
Last edited by Bob_Bobbson; 08-31-10 at 03:36 PM.
#7
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Re: Mismarketed Movies
I remember Striptease with Demi Moore being marketed as a drama at first. Then all of a sudden, every trailer that came out made it seem like a comedy.
IIRC, Ben Stiller's Reality Bites was marketed as a laugh a minute comedy.
IIRC, Ben Stiller's Reality Bites was marketed as a laugh a minute comedy.
#8
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Re: Mismarketed Movies
The Village and Lady in the Water. Shyamalalaraama, oooh scary!
What was that latest Harrison Ford flick with Brendan Fraser? I saw two trailers with extremely different tones, so weird...
What was that latest Harrison Ford flick with Brendan Fraser? I saw two trailers with extremely different tones, so weird...
#9
Moderator
Re: Mismarketed Movies
Transformers was marketed as giant robots doing battle. That's in there, I guess, but 90% of the movie is John Turturro chaperoning a couple obnoxious teenagers around.
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DVD Talk Hall of Fame
#12
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Mismarketed Movies
Then the second trailer was very light with lots of shots of them laughing and smiling while inspirational music plays.
Really Weird.
#13
Banned by request
Re: Mismarketed Movies
My Girl. I worked at a movie theater when that came out. I had to deal with the wrath of angry parents when:
I told one parent it wasn't my fault they didn't do their homework. Of course, it was never mentioned anywhere about that ending.
Spoiler:
I told one parent it wasn't my fault they didn't do their homework. Of course, it was never mentioned anywhere about that ending.
#15
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Mismarketed Movies
Must've been really stupid parents if they complained to you. What'd they think? You make movies and work in a movie theater on the side?
#16
Moderator
Re: Mismarketed Movies
I saw that movie opening night, and the crowd (fed up with over-saturation of the actor in question) burst into applause -- quite the opposite of the emotional impact the filmmakers were looking for, I'm sure.
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Re: Mismarketed Movies
Not the original intent of this thread, but I remember walking out of Parenthood with a friend of mine and we were just laughing hysterically. People waiting in line to see Lockup were staring at us, so we said, "Man that Lockup was funny. Sylvester Stallone really had me cracking up." They all started looking freaked out and bewildered about what kind of movie they were going to see.
#22
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Re: Mismarketed Movies
#23
DVD Talk Limited Edition
#24
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Mismarketed Movies
Adventureland was exactly what I came in to say. A friend and I were just talking yesterday about how much we both loved that movie.