...And Stardust has been falling off steadily, now at $26.4 million.
I'm not claiming Stardust is a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination. But I think most people here would agree it's the kind of movie we'd like to see more of (based on decent books rather than warmed-over sequels and based-on-television retreads; fantasies that assume the viewer has half a brain and more attention span than a caffeinated chihuahua, and so on.)
Conversely:
MR. BEAN'S VACATION?!!!! Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
It seriously boggles the mind.
Rush Hour 3 was amusing. But I'd take Stardust over it any day of the week.
I'd have to blame the lack of strong showing from Stardust on advertising. You get a lot of blockbusters between May and July. You get a lot of blockbusters in December. That's why The Golden Compass is getting huge publicity way ahead of time. TV and movie previews. Even Mr. Bean's Holiday is getting a lot of TV time. Stardust got nil, and you didn't even hear about it until a couple weeks before it came out.
Even good movies need a little muscle behind them, or the masses will never hear about them. That's why horrible movies with tons of marketing dollars behind them do so well.
[ August 30, 2007, 03:32 AM: Message edited by: Lyrhawn ]
Posted by Shmuel (Member # 7586) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: I'd have to blame the lack of strong showing from Stardust on advertising. You get a lot of blockbusters between May and July. You get a lot of blockbusters in December. That's why The Golden Compass is getting huge publicity way ahead of time. TV and movie previews. Even Mr. Bean's Holiday is getting a lot of TV time. Stardust got nil, and you didn't even hear about it until a couple weeks before it came out.
I definitely saw TV commercials for Stardust, and print advertising, and articles, and other publicity, not to mention the flyer that came with the final Harry Potter book in Amazon orders. Mr. Bean's Holiday hasn't gotten a fraction of the publicity, as far as I've noticed; on the other hand, that film is more of a known quantity.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Shmuel: I definitely saw TV commercials for Stardust, and print advertising, and articles, and other publicity
No kidding. LOTS of it.
Now, in my case the publicity was counter-productive, but I'm not the target audience anyway.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I must've been living under a rock, I just never saw it. And I AM the target audience.
I didn't even hear about Stardust until it was almost about to be released. I first heard about the Golden Compass at least six months ago, and it's still another four months until it'll be released.
Could also be the different places we live, but it's possible I just haven't been watching much TV lately and that's why I missed it. But I know I've seen those stupid Mr. Bean commercials all over the place. Like Jimmy Johns commercials, they probably just stick in my head because I hate them so much.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
If it wasn't for hatrack, I'd have no idea that a movie named "Stardust" had ever been released. I think I may have caught the tail end of a trailer on the TV, because it showed De Niro dressed kinda pirate like.
I may very well be the target audience, I don't know enough about the movie to say one way or another.
Posted by Luet13 (Member # 9274) on :
I never saw any advertising for Stardust either. The only thing I saw was a poster in the movie theater, probably 2 or 3 weeks before I saw Stardust.
I agree with Lyrhawn. I definitely think Stardust could have had more advertising power behind it.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
Only ads I've seen for Stardust have been a single bus-shelter billboard by my office, a bunch of copies of the movie-tie-in version of the book, and one trailer attached to (I think) Harry Potter. No posters at either of the two theaters I saw Harry Potter at (although posters in the process of being hung for Golden Compass while we waited at the IMAX). My boss must have seen something, he asked me if I'd ever read the book because he knew that's my normal genre.
Posted by Luet13 (Member # 9274) on :
Goody, that makes me wonder if it's just some weird mid-western thing. Or Chicago thing.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
I saw a few commercials. I intend to see it.
I see maybe two movies a year in the theatre. And I like movies. I'm just not in the habit of going.
I think this is a problem with the movie industry in general. The people who are in the habit of going to the movies for entertainment are, for the most part, teenagers who are happy with crap.
Posted by Wendybird (Member # 84) on :
quote:I think this is a problem with the movie industry in general. The people who are in the habit of going to the movies for entertainment are, for the most part, teenagers who are happy with crap. [/QB]
That is partly because teens have way more disposable income! I love going to the movies but it is so expensive for dh and I to go that we just don't go very often anymore.
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
Rowan Atkinson has bought years of lame movies out of me merely for the Black Adder series. He can do anything he wants for the rest of his life, no matter how lame, and I'll still think of him as a genius.
Posted by Mr.Funny (Member # 4467) on :
I never saw any Stardust ads.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
I saw Stardust ads, and they looked lame. I am interested because of Hatrack.
I've seen more Bean ads than Stardust ads. I had never heard of Bean or Rowan Atkinson before Rat Race.
Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :
Arghh, now I wish I saw it when I was at the theatre. I just saw the poster and heard nothing about it, and based on the posters I thought that it was either a chick flick disguised as a fantasy film or a movie trying to make money based on the Pirates of the Caribbean fad.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
um, isn't it still in theaters?!
Posted by Liz B (Member # 8238) on :
I thought the Stardust ads (which I saw tons of) made it look really sucky. I only went to see it because I'd read the book--and the first time I saw the ad, I wasn't 100% sure the movie was based on the book!
Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
I saw some of the people on Leno, and that is about it. All I got from those appearances was that it was an "adult fairy tale"
I didn't even know it was based on a book until I heard people talking about it here.
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
quote:But I think most people here would agree it's the kind of movie we'd like to see more of (based on decent books rather than warmed-over sequels and based-on-television retreads; fantasies that assume the viewer has half a brain and more attention span than a caffeinated chihuahua, and so on.)
Actually, I don't want to see either. I almost never enjoy movies based on books I like. I'd much rather they leave my favorite books alone. I haven't read Stardust yet, so that I can enjoy the movie (I'll be getting the DVD).
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I'd say it was one of the better adaptations of a book that I've ever seen, even with the changes and additions. Many of them were good, or at least in the spirit of the book.
Posted by enjeeo (Member # 2336) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: I must've been living under a rock, I just never saw it. And I AM the target audience.
I didn't even hear about Stardust until it was almost about to be released.
I heard about Stardust ahead of all the advertising, but that's because I read Neil Gaiman's blog.
The movie starts here on Thursday and I'm going to see it with friends for my birthday on Friday. I loved the book. I love all of his books.
Posted by enjeeo (Member # 2336) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mrs.M: Actually, I don't want to see either. I almost never enjoy movies based on books I like. I'd much rather they leave my favorite books alone. I haven't read Stardust yet, so that I can enjoy the movie (I'll be getting the DVD).
I figured if Gaiman was happy with the movie, I probably would be, too. He's one author who understands that a book and a movie are not always at their best when they are made exactly the same just for the sake of it. Maybe this is because he also writes screenplays. As long as they capture the feeling and themes of the book, I'll like it.
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
There have been lots of ads for Stardust...the problem is the ads all SUCK. They make the film look TERRIBLE.
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
quote:Originally posted by Puffy Treat: There have been lots of ads for Stardust...the problem is the ads all SUCK. They make the film look TERRIBLE.
QFT. They did nothing to make the movie stand out from any other recent or upcoming fantasy film. Only reading about it here and the other satellite forums has kindled any interest on my part.
Posted by Ivygirl1937 (Member # 10918) on :
I didn't see anything for Stardust. Actually, I didn't even hear of it until Farmgirl called me on my birthday and told me to go watch it. Mr. Bean's Holiday, however, I saw quite a lot and the advertisments reinforced how much I didn't want to see it. Probably depends on where you live.
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