Genius Marketing #53: Pyramid montage

TCM's 2001 ad campaign for their broadcast of Tarkovsky films. Scored by that one band all nerds seem to like. --RWK [via darren]

Genius Marketing #52: Gangster violence and some language.

As said over here: Wherein the fan side of things gets tickled into action. Thank you, Michael Mann. (And the ad people at Universal.) Why? The teaser trailer for his summer tentpole, Public Enemies, is now available for viewing. After last night's waste, I'm happy to be excited about Ho'wood product because I can trust that, unlike that bloated advertisement masquerading as a "movie," this feature will only get better the longer it lingers on screen. Also, it will be gorgeous without a ton of digital paint. It will weigh something, too, I imagine, despite its speed. --RWK

[This man is in jail]

Genius Marketing #51: Sita sings online

After much copyright deliberation (headaches), Nina Paley has announced that her film, Sita Sings the Blues, will air for public consumption: first, you can stream the entire film at Reel13 (now), and then, second, it will be available in a variety of qualities "free to copy and share" after it airs March 7th at 1045pm as part of Reel 13 on WNET TV. Once I'm done with a few projects, I definitely plan on watching the film and, if moved, writing about its flash fun. --RWK [via sean]

Inglorious Marketing #48: Basterds

Of course I would blog it, too. What do I think? I think it's kinda silly, of course, and easily just a marketing ploy to amp up all the "dumb" stuff, but it still has me worried. I really cannot evaluate at this time. It's that confounding. Except, of course, that I fucking hate Eli Roth (defo the worst part of those sexy bar scenes in Death Proof). Also, am I wrong or is BJ Novak only ever a toolface assclown? Sam Levine? Clearly I have not read the script like a lot of other nerds out there in iNet-land. --RWK

(Odd) Genius (?) Marketing #45: (500) parentheses

The cinetrix has already thrown up about this lil nugget of intrigue. And she's got a dialectic thing going. Me? I've just got a lil confusion and mouth-watered wide eyes that say, rather simply, I'd like to see this thing. No doubt it will be a hit. Unless it's super weird, by some chance, and it alienates rather than invites its target audience of swooners. One can hope, I suppose, given the tone of the trailer's narration (and genuinely ironic construction, minus that dumb song of goo), if not some of the maybe-maudlin moments highlighted. --RWK

(NOT) Genius Marketing #43: A Merry Strange Christmas Tale

I don't know how you would market this movie anyways but I'll just say that I probably would have made a different trailer. More and more I think trailers should just be scenes from the movies, which is why this little thing below is a way better barometer and offering:

See? Go see it. It's on demand, too. --RWK

[Just plain] Marketing #37: Up.

I'm a Pixar fan. Big time. So this is tight. Especially that shot of the balloons rising past that window. So much color. I spent a lot of time in Emeryville this fall and lemme tell you: that Pixar campus must be delightful behind that security camera cuz I felt like this dude a lot. Good thing I am, in fact, going to do something similar at the end of this calendar year. Except my uprooting will involve a lot of shucking instead of holding onto my belongings. (It's already begun.) --RWK

Genius Marketing #34: Hunger

In a way, I'm mad I missed the Telluride opportunity. This looks fantastic, unremitting, scary. But I'm also thankful I missed it because this looks scary, unremitting and dangerous. Also, there's the fact that I got to drink beer in the sun with people I now miss a ton more than I can ever miss missing a movie. --RWK

Encounter #102: W is such a tease.

TWO MINUTES LATER UPDATE: Teaser trailer has been taken down. Such a tease. I was right.

Cuz it's bound to be everywhere, talked about my everyone, and cuz Josh Brolin is tight. Also, Jeffrey Wright and Richard Dreyfuss. I still hope the film itself is parody and not earnest, despite this marketing ploy. At that rate I may laugh. Otherwise...it'll just be a pain, and boring. --RWK

Genius Marketing #25 What Community? #38 A love story filmed on location in the 21st Century.

I wish this movie was better, or simply more fun. Most of what's great about it is due to the people Lucas hired, and not Lucas (although it is surprising that, at least nominally, he edited the picture, and that's one of the film's strengths): Walter Murch (sound editing; uncredited film editing) and Robert Duvall (THX himself) and Donald Pleasance (SEN!) and Lalo Schifrin (more than a match-lit march); not to mention the guys who helped without paychecks like Caleb Deschanel (Zooey's dad, yup, and famous DP) and Haskell Wexler (another famous DP and sometimes director). Plus, you know, all those ideas George stole from all those SF books he read, and movies he watched, growing up skinny and weak and powerless in the dusty furnace of the San Joaquin Valley (definite inspiration for Tatooine) dreaming of utopias beyond the sky. Or, as the case may be, distopias buried underground. --RWK

Cure & Family Game: Japanese Cinema is Amazingly Strange and Wonderful

Been watching a string of violent Japanese films from the end of last century. The fifteen years or so after WWII is said to have produced some of the most overtly angry and violent films in Japanese history (fucking makes sense!) but somehow I dont agree. There is something to be said for violent movies with a positive outlook on life, which i'd argue, Cure is. Although, Family Game (rather Kazoku gêmu) is not positive. It is amazing though. Funny, playful, grim and while, purely theatre, completely real.

(You wouldnt believe the difficulty in finding a good pic or trailer for this movie. Jesus!)

Genius Marketing #10: Le Mépris, bande-annonce originale Songs #7: Théme de Camille

After reading good buddy Steve Boone's takedown of Contempt at The House, I wound up searching for clips on youtube (can I ever not "waste time"?) and came across this amazing trailer. Makes me want to see it again even more. Especially on a big screen. I could live in that score most days. And, you know, Brigitte Bardot's naked ass. (O, snap!) --RWK



Georges Delarue - Théme de Camille (zshare audio files are automatically on repeat...ahh!)

[Pic is no mystery. I'm handing this one to you. Plus another to, um, grow on. Both were stolen. I do not own _Contempt_, although I wouldn't mind that. My friends all know its cover beckons me whenever we're in the DVD section of Amoeba.]



UPDATE, ten minutes later: Duh: Rialto is re-releasing the picture. Here's the ad with subtitles, if you're into that sort of thing. Or you just don't understand French and think that's the way you're meant to enjoy this trailer. (I don't think that's the case.)

Encounter #57: The Pineapple Express (Red Band)

No, not genius marketing. But it's still more promising than that clip they leaked with the release of the Superbad DVD. --RWK [via Chris at Spout]