Myspace Tagged Articles at Cinematical

A while back I wrote a little post about a movie that I would never see, and plenty of folks lined up to tell me that it was impossible to make a decision about a movie through word of mouth or what I had read on the Internet. Of course, I disagreed, because frankly how else can I make a decision about where to spend my hard earned time and money? But if I had to blame anyone for keeping me away from the movie theater that day, I'm going to have to blame the Internet. Yup, it was thanks to those sneak peeks and early screenings described in detail online that helped me make my decision before those battling robots ever took the stage. People are talking about movies more now than ever before thanks to social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook, and a new study from New Line's Web guru Gordon Paddison has proven that when it comes to movie marketing, all the action really is on the web.

What the report seems to be saying is that you need to know your audience if you want to sell your movie. Now, there are some daunting statistics that prove the power of the Internet when it comes to going to the movies, and if you aren't buying the effect the net can have on a film's success, keep in mind that 94% of all moviegoers are online, and 73% of moviegoers surveyed have profiles on a social networking site -- and if people are talking, you want to make sure it's positive because as the old commercial goes, they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and before you know it, you have a flop on your hands.

After the jump: so what does this all mean for movie marketers?

O great Cinematical readership, we call upon you to exercise your remarkable intellect, imagination, and wit, so you can help name a new social networking thriller. (Especially those of you who know that there's a difference between Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.) According to The Hollywood Reporter, none other than Dimension Films plans to make a teen thriller ripping off resembling Ten Little Indians, only "with a Web 2.0 twist."

Social networking may become a hot topic for movies. You might remember that plans were announced last year for Aaron Sorkin to write a movie about Facebook for producer Scott Rudin. The official Facebook group page for the project has logged more than 3,800 messages, and Sorkin has been responding with surprising frequency. In a post yesterday, for example, he appeared to indicate that the script has not been written yet.

So maybe Dimension Films can beat them to the punch. Dimension's Bob Weinstein is quoted by THR as saying: "Online social networking is a widespread phenomenon that interests me greatly. Combining it with a suspense thriller is a new and fresh way to explore this new trend." (By the way, his name was just claimed on Twitter with the message: "I just joined the 21st century," though it could be someone else.) Will they create a new, entirely fictional social network, or team up with one that already exists?

The flick is currently untitled, which is where you come in. What should the thriller be called? To get you started, James Rocchi suggested, via Twitter, the tagline: "You're Unfollowed!" followed by a pickaxe smash. Tell us your suggested titles in the comments section.

Call me skeptical, but I'm willing to sustain myself entirely on a diet of my own words if writer Aaron Sorkin and producer Scott Rudin can actually manage to make something entertaining out of a film about the formation of social networking site Facebook and the success of its founders, as Variety reports they are working on over at Sony.

Honestly, what can an Oscar-winning producer and an oft-acclaimed scribe do with a rags-to-riches arc and the sight of two guys tapping away at computers and taking meetings? Sure, at least Sorkin and Rudin are two talented guys in their own right, but I'm really missing whatever inherent, original, exceedingly relevant drama they might see in this project. Killing time at work on Facebook is one thing; this is something else.

On the one hand, I'd like to see this fall through, and on the other, I'd only be rewarded with a good flick if proven wrong. Regardless, here's what appears to be the official Facebook group of the whole shebang, and if any of you guys get wind of a Fox-backed MySpace project with a title like Major Tom or something, be a pal and pass it on.

The Judd Apatow gang always markets the crap out of their movies, and the promotional blitz is in full force for their latest, Walk Hard. Posters are everywhere, they released the "R" Rated international trailer to the internets, they took out a very cool "For Your Consideration" ad in The Hollywood Reporter, and John C. Reilly is rocking the country on the "Cox Across America" tour, which I was lucky enough to check out this week. And now you can watch the first ten minutes of the film online! Head over to http://rocklikecox.com/myspace/ to enjoy. If you figure it costs ten bucks to see a movie, and the movie is 100 minutes -- this is one dollar's worth of entertainment for free!

You have to verify your age to see the clip -- the film is Rated "R" after all, but this ten minutes is strictly "PG." Sorry, folks. (By the way, has anyone under the age of 18 ever been dissuaded by an age verification? You can enter any birthdate you want! It's not like they're asking for a thumb print or something! Fools! Let's move on.) The clip mainly focuses on Dewey as a boy, played by Conner Rayburn, and it builds to a 14 year-old Dewey's declaration "Just wait 'till you see what happens now." I must say, I only laughed out loud once during the clip -- the line "How are we gonna follow that?" got to me -- but I have a feeling this is going to be a very funny movie. I'm checking it out Wednesday night, and I'm muy excitedo. How about you guys, thoughts on the opening scenes?

In case you weren't aware, Owen Wilson's first interview since being holed up in a hospital following an apparent suicide attempt took place the other day via MySpace's Artist on Artist series. The interview itself was finally posted online somewhere around 10pm EST last night, and after watching it, I must say it's definitely one of the most awkward interviews I've ever seen. Basically, director Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson talk to one another about The Darjeeling Limited -- only problem is, they're not together in the same room. They're miles upon miles apart, and through some special effects magic, it appears as if both are sitting next to each other having a conversation. I tried embedding the actual interview into this post, but for some reason it wasn't working ... and our tech folks are normal people who have off on the weekend. Unlike myself. So you can check out the interview for yourself over here.

Of course, everyone and their publicist was wondering whether Owen would open up at all and talk about what went down a few months ago. I'll save you all the time now: he did not. And the reason why the interview seemed awkward probably had to do with the fact that both men were not together in the same room (although at one point it was funny to see them play off that). Owen seemed tired, and a tad out of touch, as if it took hours to convince him to do this. Anderson tried his best to remain lively, tossing questions out to Owen, following up on them, but the whole thing just seemed forced. That's nothing against The Darjeeling Limited -- I happen to be one of the few who actually loved the flick -- but I wish the boys got into it a little more. Perhaps I'm reading into it too much (and feel free to tell me that), but something definitely seemed off here. Let us know what you think.

The user-generated movie Faintheart begins shooting in the UK this week, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The first of its kind, Faintheart was put together via MySpace as the previously announced "MySpace Movie Mashup"; the writer, director, cast and other members of the production were apparently found via calls on the film's MySpace page. Some, such as writer David Lemon and director Vito Rocco, won competitions voted on by members of the networking site and a celeb jury, which included Sienna Miller and Anthony Minghella. Other positions, such as storyboard artist, could be acquired through job postings on the film's MySpace blog. The movie does feature some professional stars, though, including Jessica Hynes (you know her as Shaun of the Dead and Spaced's Jessica Stevenson -- she recently changed her stage name), Trainspotting's Ewan Bremner and Eddie Marsan, who will be making up for this by appearing in Mike Leigh's next film. Now the movie, a romantic comedy centered on the world of Viking battle re-enactments, which is being produced by Vertigo Films and FilmFour, with backing from the UK Film Council and Screen VM, is ready to go.

If we've learned anything from ideas like Project Greenlight and Spielberg's On the Lot, we can assume that the mainstream reception of Faintheart will not be too favorable. After all, the public likes its movies made by executives, businessmen, lucky "talents" and really talented people who have put in their time without success before breaking out. The same thing has been learned with the music business. Just because a person wins American Idol, that doesn't mean he or she is going to have a #1 album (nor does it mean he/she would make a good movie). Sure, the internet has possibly been helpful in suggesting things to filmmakers here and there, but overall, we can't trust people who live on the internet to make important decisions. Can we? There have been other internet-based film competitions, including two involving Spike Lee -- Babelgum's Online Film Festival and LiveMansion: The Movie (which seems to be competing with MySpace for the "first online-community-made" tag -- but obviously MySpace has them all beat with brand recognition. But then I wonder, will Faintheart even use a "MySpace Presents" banner? Regardless of the brand recognition, some people are sure to think such a connection is silly.

I don't mean to sound cynical, but I'm not surprised that the new environmental documentary The 11th Hour timed the release of a new trailer with the recent Live Earth festivities to capitalize on a little free press. The official MySpace page has the theatrical trailer, with an introduction by DiCaprio himself. The 11th Hour was produced by DiCaprio, and he also narrates. Directed by Leila Conners Petersen, the film's 'manifesto' is to "explore how we've arrived at this moment -- how we live, how we impact the earth's ecosystems, and what we can do to change our course". There is also an official site up and running with plenty of educational resources as well as some extra info on the various talking heads that appear in the film. There is a pretty wide spectrum; from Professor Stephen Hawking, to Ray Anderson, an interior furnishings mogul who has become one of the best examples of how industry and environmentalism can peaceably co-exist.

This is probably a pet project for DiCaprio, who has been pretty involved in a variety of environmental causes over the years, and has been a vocal supporter of Power Point presenter extraordinaire, Al Gore. To be honest, the trailer alone has already scared the bejesus out of me -- and strangely enough, it almost looks like a big-budget action picture -- with the added bonus of emotionally scarring images of penguins overrun by trash heaps and shameful footage of Hurricane Katrina victims. While this doesn't exactly seem like a fun night at the movies, it's the kind of film you almost feel guilty about not watching. The 11th Hour is slated to hit theaters on August 17.

With production wrapped on one of next summer's biggest films, director Jon Favreau stopped by his MySpace page to answer a few Iron Man questions and talk up the film's presence later this month at San Diego ComicCon. First off, he apologizes for there not being an Iron Man trailer in front of Transformers. However, he does promise to "reveal something very cool very soon." On his Iron Man ComicCon plans, Favreau notes: "We've secured a prime slot Saturday afternoon [July 28] in the big room at SDCC. We will split an hour with Marvel and Hulk and plan to cut something together to reward the fans for their interest, support and patience. In addition to our Saturday afternoon presentation, we will be doing a signing and poster giveaway at the Marvel booth on Saturday. Paramount is also doing a rundown of its slate on Thursday which I will do my best to attend as well."

By "cut something together," I assume that means he will unveil the first Iron Man trailer. Unfortunately, you'll have to be in San Diego to see it. But don't worry, we've got you covered -- Cinematical will be on the ground, scoping out any and all ComicCon exclusives. While we don't yet know if we'll be able to share actual video with you, we'll do everything in our power to make sure you're just as informed as that guy who's sitting in the first row sporting a "Vegas, baby!" t-shirt for all the world to see. Following his ComicCon announcements, Favreau next moves on to some questions about the villains in the film; essentially, how many are there and what sort of role Iron Monger/Mandarin/Obadiah Stane plays. Favreau stated that they are "essentially using the books to inspire our story" and that "fans should have no problem piecing together what's what." He also says that they've left plenty of room open for sequels (that make sense), but as always it will depend on how well Iron Man does when it's released on May 9 of next year.

Finally -- and this should certainly incite a debate -- Favreau addressed those rumors that have suggested Samuel L. Jackson, Hilary Swank and Favreau himself play roles in the film. As you may or may not know, Jackson was said to be shooting scenes as fellow Marvel superhero Nick Fury, while Swank was supposedly a Shield agent and Favreau, a Vegas security guard. Are they true? Favreau says, "There is no truth to any of these rumors." Then, at the bottom, he writes: (Well, maybe one is true.) Ah, but which one? Hopefully we'll find out sooner rather than later ...

Or is it SuperMax? Or Prison Break: Season 3? Or Green Arrow in: Oops, I Dropped the Soap? Either way, it appears the "cool" thing these days is for filmmakers to show up on their MySpace pages to help give fans more info on their highly-anticipated upcoming projects. Rob Zombie has used MySpace to promote the hell out of his re-imagining of Halloween (due out this summer), and Jon Favreau has provided a few updates from the set of Iron Man over on his space. Now, writer David S. Goyer (Batman Begins) is throwing his name into the mix. In case you missed it, Goyer has been hired to write a Green Arrow film (based on the popular character from DC Comics) ... with a pretty big twist.

Instead of it being a straight-up superhero flick, pic will follow Green Arrow after he's framed for a crime, stripped of his identity and thrown in a Super Max prison. Not just any prison -- this is a prison filled with DC supervillains. Now, in order to win back his freedom, the Green Arrow must team up with some of the same monsters he helped put away in order to plan an escape. It's an idea I personally love (because, for once, we're getting something different!), but apparently the majority of you aren't fans of Goyer's concept. Well, the man himself talked more about the film and its origins on his MySpace page; based on what he said, perhaps you'll change your mind. Or not.

According to Goyer, "The basic concept actually came about through Justin Marks, a terrific young writer my wife Jessika (a producer) had previously worked with. They thought the idea of a prison-break story set in a jail designed exclusively for super-villains was a cool one. And I heartily agreed. After some discussion, we decided it would be fun to frame a super-hero and toss him into the meta-human mix." Really, and here I thought it was because Super Max sounded better than Death Warrant 2. Goyer then goes on to talk about why they chose the Green Arrow, saying it was because of his "hard-hitting, moralistic tendencies." I guess I'll remain in the minority here thinking this is one of the finest superhero-themed ideas to emerge during a time when our movie theaters are being bombarded by masks, capes and super powers. And who's to say a film like this won't help launch a Green Arrow franchise, with a second film giving the fans what they really want -- to see Green Arrow as Green Arrow? And who's to say they won't get that in this film? If there's any advice I can give, it would be to trust David Goyer. The man is one helluva writer, and I'm sure he'll deliver a quality flick.

[via IGN]

Last night, I came real close to bumbling my way into a super secret Transformers screening over at the AMC in Times Square. Though I was there to (unfortunately) see Blades of Glory, the girl guarding the list originally thought I was supposed to see Transformers. Since Cinematical was depending on me to provide you with a review of Blades, I reluctantly had to inform her I was there for that movie ... and not Transformers. Needless to say, I whimpered my way up to theater number one and took my seat next to someone who apparently finds Jon Heder to be the funniest person in the history of ever. But I digress.

Seeing as the internets were out to rub the whole situation in my face this morning, I was not at all surprised to find that Transformers now has a spiffy new MySpace page, featuring two brand new pics of Optimus Prime and Megatron staring down one another. In fact, folks can then choose a side (good or bad) when deciding who they would rather be friends with: the robots trying to destroy the earth or the ones trying to save it. Those same two pics are now part of two new one-sheets for the film as well. Both robots look pretty rad, and I'm now convinced this film will kick some major ass ... even if Shia LaBeouf annoys me to no end. Transformers is set to invade theaters on July 4, so choose your sides now ... and choose wisely.