'High Fidelity' movie and The Chicago Reader question

Factual Questions
1

I just saw the movie, ‘High Fidelity’ with John Cusack and loved it. It is set in Chicago and at one point a young woman asks for an interview saying it’s for ‘The Reader’, is she referring to the Chicago Reader by any chance???

If it is (and that is just * so cool! *) does a movie company need permission to use the name of a real newspaper?

Thanks,

Judy

2

Duh and duh.

The Reader is happy for all the publicity it can get.

3

Yes, but the chances are that the Reader paid the production company to get the plug. God knows Cecil’s column isn’t keeping them afloat. (chuckle)

“It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.”

4

** Thanks, tc, **

5

A fair plug for The Reader, but the best plug in the movie was, by far, for the Beta Band. After seeing the movie (very good flick), and then downloading some more songs off of Napster, I bought a Beta Band album (and I know 2 others that did the same). It’s not bad, but the movie definitely played the best part of their best song.

Also note: the plug was quite possibly paid for, as it was not mentioned in Nick Hornsby’s book. In fact, it couldn’t be since the book takes place in London. (Aside from the change of setting, however, the movie is remarkably faithful to the book).

6

VarlosZ:

What are you saying? It’s illegal to mention the Beta Band in a book set in London?

Bands known to Chicagoans are unknown to Londoners? Help me out here.

Back on-topic, I very much doubt the Chicago Reader paid for its mention in the movie. Would such a mention improve its circulation enough to justify any expense? Unlikely.

More probably, the reporter worked for The Reader because it made sense for her to. It’s an alternative weekly, right? Alternative weeklies would run stories like the one she was doing on Rob. If they’d made up a fictional publication for the movie, it would lessen the verisimilitude.

7

I meant the plug for the reader was possibly paid for, but so may have been the Beta Band one. More likely, since I’ve never heard of bands paying for product placement, John Cusack or one of the other screenwriters is a fan.

I never meant to imply that there was anything wrong with mentioning either one, or either one paying to be mentioned . . . just pointing out that neither mention was included in the original source material.

8

Five, the “paid for plug” would be the one for “The Reader”. Why would London people know or care about The Chicago Reader? (Well, obviously The Straight Dope, of course.)

I agree, I don’t think it was bought. It probably was a simple element that could be picked up for verisimilitude. That, and someone was a fan.