Considering that going out to the movies has become a semi-major financial expediture lately, I find myself being more & more skeptical about the new releases. Nine times out of ten I find myself saying “I’ll just wait until that comes out on video”. This is especially true of Tom Hanks’ latest bit of silliness, Castaway. I keep seeing posters for this movie up all over the city, featuring an extreem close up of Hanks with a look of consternation on his face and not much else. Mel Gibson’s Patriot posters were almost identical: extreem close up & superimposed movie title.
What I want to know is how do these posters motivate people into seeing the movie? Do people flock to see movies just because Tom Hanks or Mel Gibson is starring? Be serious now- is that nostril shot of Hanks with 2 weeks of beard growth really the prime motivator for this movie??
These ads frustrate me because I would like to see more info on what the movie is about, instead of just a 3’×6’ picture of whoever is starring in it. For Castaway, how about an aerial view of the beach with boat wreckage & a solitary figure laying on the sand.
Oh boy, another cast away epic. I can’t wait until that comes out on video :rolleyes:
I finally saw a preview of Castaway last night & it turns out that there isn’t much else they could have put on the poster ad anyway- apparently the movie’s title gives away the plot ([sup]psst- it’s about a castaway & his trials and tribulations dealing with his castaway-ness[/sup]). I didn’t see anything else in the preview that the word “castaway” didn’t already tell me about the movie). And although I did pay $26.00 to see The Grinch last night, I won’t shell out that kind of money to see Hanks’ pendulous belly quiver while he rubs some sticks together in an attempt to discover fire.
Now that’s entertainment!
Anybody know what channel Gilligan’s Island reruns are on?
Gilligan’s Island is on Nick at Nite and TBS. Check local listings.
I generally don’t make decisions about whether or not to see movies based on the poster, with one exception (more on that later). Usually it’s either word-of-mouth, internet hype, trailers at the theater, or commercials on TV.
For example, I haven’t seen as much as five seconds of a trailer for Lord of the Rings. But you wanna know something? I just might be camping out in front of the Parkway Pointe 8 next December. Two words: internet buzz.
Another example: Episode II. Here I am frothing at the mouth over a movie that doesn’t even have a name yet.
Usually, if I’m motivated to see a movie it’s because the trailers at the theater or the trailers in the commercials have done it for me. Such is the case with Hanks’ Castaway. The trailers make it look like it’s going to be a fantastic movie. Of course, I also believe that Tom Hanks is one of the Great Actors of Our Time, so I’d probably shell out $9 to see a movie with him, regardless.
Movie posters aren’t supposed to be the sole factor in making somebody see a movie. IMHO, they are just there as reminders of the movie’s existence. I don’t think there’s a kid in the world who pressed his parents into taking him/her to Grinch because he saw a poster somewhere.
The one movie I can think of where the poster did it for me was The Mummy. I saw it whilst camping out for tickets to The Phantom Menace. I thought “Damn! That looks like a great movie! Raiders of the Lost Ark meets The Exorcist! I can’t wait to see it.” Once I saw the commercials, I was that much more sure I wanted to see the movie.
Goldang, you put your finger on a real problem, Attryant. I used to be a movie animal, before it required required serious bucks and cineplex hassles. Hey, I caught some real bay-at-the-moon howlers and was perfectly happy, munching popcorn and losing myself to the big screen.
Trouble is–at least with me–now I have to 1. remember I wanted to see something on video and 2. hassle with go renting it. I’ve caught a lot of great flicks on satellite, but even now I’m remembering less and less often to even look.
Sigh. To be honest, I miss that delighted anticipation of snuggling into the theater seat, the lights dimming, waiting for the magic.
Uh, I didn’t add anything to this other than angst.
Well that’s where we differ. I’ve never seen him in any movie that really impressed the hell out of me, and I think I’ve seen most of his movies. Every time I look at him, I get flashbacks to some movie he did where he was dancing around on a giant keyboard at FAO Schwartz. Same thing with Mel Gibson = Mad Max. A big reason why I never saw the 6th sense is because I can’t get Bruce Willis = Die hard out of my head long enough to take the trailer seriously.
I don’t know why more movies aren’t discovering new talent.