i want to say Chungking got that tag because tarantino loved it and Miramax didn't know how to sell it otherwise.


I remember too Precious had 'tyler perry and Oprah Winfrey presents' mainly because they loved it at sundance and Lions Gate nearly sent it direct to video (or a 5 theater run and dump it)

I was confused when they announced their "30-second animated feature." If it's 30 seconds, it's not a feature!

Tarantino's name I can kinda-sorta see as useful because he's personally such a movie fanatic anyway. Most of his own movies are themselves homages to entire genres, and mining those can lead you in different directions. Aside from direct pop-culture references, watching Kill Bill may make you seek out martial arts flicks or Sergio Leone movies, Death Proof may interest you in the grindhouse genre, etc. So when his name is attached to something random it might just mean that he recommends the movie and used his funds to bring said movie to the US just because he's a "hobbyist" like that.

But yeah the way they're marketed can make it appear to be a directorial credit for those unfamiliar.

Listing the accolades that the cast and crew have received for other movies. "Jack and Jill...starring Golden Globe nominee Adam Sandler and Academy Award winner Al Pacino!"

It's even more egregious when the award given is unrelated to the work the individual is actually doing on the film. Countless movies have been advertised as starring "Academy Award Winner" Matt Damon and Ben Affleck...but their Oscar was for writing.

Spielberg directed the house implosion scene.

Yeah, but Tom Hooper directed the musical numbers...and the Poltergeist's speech.

The question of what Spielberg did on Poltergeist has been controversial. Here's several articles on it:
http://www.thedarkmirror.net/2010/09...erg-or-hooper/
http://www.top10films.co.uk/archives/3283


However, whatever work Spielberg did on Poltergeist, he's not officially credited as director on the film. My point was simply that the "Steven Spielberg Presents" credit on the film and on ads and posters lead a lot of people, those unfamiliar with the behind-the-scenes rumors, to think it was directed by Steven Spielberg, like with Gremlins and Batteries not Included.

I wish I would have bothered to check if the poll was multiple selection or not, but the results actually reflect how I would rank the selling points in order of worst (most votes) to most appealing (least votes).

I don't think any person is popular or known enough to sell a movie anymore. It's all franchise driven. The name of a franchise is the only selling point that appeals to the masses. That's why a trailer with black screen, the sound of some whip cracks and the Indy theme can sell the movie as well as a full trailer. I go by the "new" test. If you can refer to a film by "the new(insert star, director, franchise) film" instead of actual title, and everybody knows what film you mean, then it's a selling point.
Hitchcock is only director I can think of with that status. From 1955 on his name on a film was more important that the title, the plot, or the stars(except for Grant).
Same thing for stars in the days when there were movie stars. Nobody referred to a Clint Eastwood movie by the title. It's common name was "the new Clint Eastwood movie", until the next one came out. Nobody bought a ticket to see Sudden Impact. Everybody just said "Clint Eastwood" when buying a ticket.
Look at posters from the 30s and 40s. Most are just star portraits. The star was more important than the plot, or even the title.

RE: Eastwood...I beg to differ. By the time he started making trash like THE GAUNTLET and redneck lovefests like EVERY WHICH WAY YOU CAN and BRONCO BILLY, his urban fans (like me) got way more discriminating.

When names are too obscure to sell a movie, that's when they bring out "from the director/producer/etc of X movie" instead.

You're right that most moviegoers won't know many names, but if the marketers can reference another popular movie that the target audience may have also liked, the try to link it that way.

But stuff like Tarantino's have a low enough budget & distribution where they can throw his name. And he's big enough where that can give it some momentum.

Another thought:

Even if you don't know the movie or the name being dropped, the fact that they're referencing anybody says that they have experience. So even if you hear "from soandso, the visionary director of movie x.." the message is "We know how to make movies." It suggests credibility.

Which kindof proves my point. People still flocked to them for one reason, Eastwood. EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE was his highest grossing picture to date and remained that way for years after. There have always been more discriminate movie goers but they are the minority and movies are marketed to the masses.
Look at all the crap movies Burt Reynolds made, at the same time the biggest movie star in the world. Because for 90% of movie goers, "Burt Reynolds is in, good enough for me. All I need to know"

"From a writer of..." makes me everytime.

"From the fake creator of The Matrix"

Good point about EVERY WHICH WAY and that period of Eastwood's stardom. At some point, even his core group of fans started bailing on him and coming out only for the sure things, like UNFORGIVEN and IN THE LINE OF FIRE, just like Reynolds' fans started bailing after STROKER ACE. A PERFECT WORLD was the last Eastwood film I saw in a theater until MILLION DOLLAR BABY, which is the last one I've seen at all. I'm not sure I can remember the last Burt Reynolds movie I saw in a theater. (Okay, I just looked it up: SHARKY'S MACHINE--1981!!!)

"From the (anything) of (a movie I hated, but everyone else liked)."

i did laugh that The Hobbit had "from visionary director Peter Jackson" and then a seperate credit "the Director of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy"

Had it been so long (or Jackson that not known a name) where they thought they had to sell that the same director of the trilogy did the Hobbit?

I voted studio. Whenever that is brought up in a trailer, it always makes me roll my eyes. With most of the other ones listed, it really depends on the name that appears after that title. Certain producers, executive producers and writers' names will tell you all you need to know about the movie. It really just depends on who it is.

"starring Academy Award winner/nominee"


and... ? so frickin' what.

Well, to be fair, if it's Daniel Day-Lewis I'm probably going to go see it.

Do any of Cuba Gooding Jr.'s DTV movies identify him as "Academy Award winner" on the DVD case? That would be pretty funny.

Studio. In most cases that means very little. They're grasping for straws if they're using that one...

"From the Visual Effects Company that Brought You...."

Most people don't know director names, so it makes sense to me