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2003-12-16
With only one major release making waves on the Per Theatre Charts, it was a chance for the limited releases to dominate. And by far the most successful was Big Fish. The latest from Tim Burton topped the charts with $34,563 average in six theatres.
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2003-12-11
During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here's a list of highlights, (including this week's winner Big Fish - Official Site ) plus one last look at websites for films opening this week. If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.
Big Fish
Current Content: The movie opened yesterday in limited release and the website added most of its content during the past week. The site has the usual features, including very extensive behind the scenes information, and several extras. Most notably is the Script to Screen, which shows how one scene looked at different stages and has commentary from the producers and the actress. There are also four Tall Tales illustrations, but all but one are marked coming soon. Along with the illustrated tall tales are audience submitted tall tales that you can vote on, (when they are all on site.) The only problem with the site is the really bad looping on the background music. But that is not enough to stop it from winning the embellished Weekly Website Award.
The Butterfly Effect
Current Content: Cast and crew bios were added to the site.
Chasing Liberty
Current Content: The flash site went live this week, and while the format is not bad there's a lack of content. Important sections like, 'About the Film' are marked coming soon, so it's hard to tell if this will be a good site or not. It does have a bit of sound and animation and enough marked coming soon to make you want to come back.
The Chronicles of Riddick
Current Content: Just an in-depth introduction.
Club Dread
Current Content: Typical Fox Searchlight placeholder site with the synopsis, cast and crew and a note saying, 'Website coming soon.'
Cold Mountain
Current Content: The flash site launched this week, but before I get into that … How can Renée Zellweger, who was born and raised in Texas, have such a bas southern accent? Nicole Kidman was raised in Australia and Jude Law is British, so their bad accents are understandable. But Renée Zellweger? Anyway, back to the site. The first thing I noticed was the music; different sections have different background music, which is an excellent addition. The usual features are there, with a couple of extras marked coming soon (Clips, Book and Soundtrack.) Not a lot of content, but miles ahead of most Miramax sites.
Girl With a Pearl Earring
Current Content: This site is, in a word, subdued. Which is probably for the best. The main difference from when the site first launched is the number of reviews posted on the site.
Honey
Current Content: Every week for nine months I looked at this site, and now that it was released I won't be checking it out anymore. And I miss it already. Anyhow, while I'm on the subject there was a huge addition to the media section. Four TV spots, four clips, and twenty-four interviews clips! Ok, they're short clips, but that's still a lot.
I, Robot
Current Content: None, just a redirected to the Fox movie pages.
Japanese Story
Current Content: Definitely a modest site that hits all the major areas, but has little in the way of extras. There's some animation, but no sound outside the trailer.
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Current Content: A section on Weapons and Warfare was added. It is mostly text with an image gallery. As I was checking to make sure the link was right, two new features were added: A photo gallery of the premiere and Digital Horses, which is about bringing the huge battle sequences to the big screen.
Love Don't Cost a Thing
Current Content: The film opens tomorrow and the Story section of the site is still marked coming soon.
Man on Fire
Current Content: None, just a redirected to the Fox movie pages.
Miracle
Current Content: So far just the synopsis and trailer are on this placeholder site.
The Passions of the Christ
Current Content: The flash site launched this week and while it has most of the usual features, it has little in the way of flash. (There are some minor animations but no sound.) The synopsis is also marked coming soon, but lets face it, if you don't know the plot you are not in the movie's target audience.
Peter Pan
Current Content: The bios were added to the site, but the clips are still marked coming soon. In many cases clips from the movie are not added to the site till after the movie opens in theatres.
Something's Gotta Give
Current Content: The film opens this week, but there were no changes in the site since it was reviewed last.
The Statement
Current Content: I've got a bone to pick with this site, under the History section the site states that Adolf Hitler said, "one can either be a German or a Christian, but not both." That was actually a quote from Martin Bormann, Hitler's private secretary. This site as all the usual features, synopsis, cast and crew bios, trailer, image gallery, etc. And a few extras like the aforementioned History section, and a section where the five main actors briefly speak about their characters. Before you go to the site, be warned than the long synopsis gives away many key details of the plot and should probably be avoided unless you've already seen the movie or read the novel it is based on.
Stuck on You
Current Content: Two for the Road was added to the site. Each part deals with one aspect of the twins life and has an accompanying video segment.
Torque
Current Content: The flash site was added. But despite the change in format the content is mostly the same. E-cards and some downloadables were added, but the game is still marked coming soon.
Way Off Broadway
Current Content: Another film opening tomorrow, it has a simple site without sound or animation (outside the trailer that is.) It does hit all the main points a film site should.
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton
Current Content: The trailer was added to the placeholder site, and there's a new poll on the Tad Hamilton fan site, which isn't as fun to mess with. Not that I messed with the first poll. That would be unethical for a journalist to do.
Submitted by:
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2003-11-06
k promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here’s a list of highlights, plus one last look at websites for films opening this week. If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.
50 First Dates
Current Content: The trailer was added.
Against the Ropes
Current Content: This first thing I noticed about this site was how idealistic it was. 'A boxer's manager has his best interests at heart.' Obviously they've never heard of boxing manager who shall remain nameless. This site has a more information on boxing than on the movie itself. Different punches, training methods, the role of coaches and managers, etc. The usual movie related features are all there, synopsis, trailer, cast and crew bios. But read carefully, there is a quiz. One problem with the site, while there is background music, the looping is a little jarring and is not as smooth as it should be.
Alien vs. Predator
Current Content: The redirect was replaced by a placeholder site, which has not only the teaser trailer but some behind the scenes with writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson. It was great to see Paul W.S. Anderson was a fan of the films before he started work on the project. While a fresh face with new ideas can sometimes help more often than not being a fan of the source material is an invaluable aid. There are also three posters you can download, one teaser, one alien and one predator.
Calendar Girls
Current Content: After having the same site up for months, the site was completely redesigned this week. And while the design is new, most of the content is the same. However, the background music now loops which is an improvement.
Cat in the Hat
Current Content: The flash site went live this week and while it certainly has energy, it doesn't feel enough like Dr. Seuss to me. The site does have all the usual features, plus some fun extras like the time-lapse photography of the set being built. There's also lots of games for the kids to play, including a couple marked coming soon. Not a bad site per say, but it doesn't have the right feel.
The Day After Tomorrow
Current Content: So far only the trailer is on the flash site, but the film doesn't open till memorial day so that's not surprising.
Elf
Current Content: Two more features were added just in time for its release tomorrow, two video clips and an Etch-a-Sketch.
Girl With a Pearl Earring
Current Content: The flash site launched this week, and the site has the usual features (synopsis, trailer, cause and crew bios, production notes, image gallery) and its well done. There is a lot of information about the artist Johannes Vermeer, however, most of that information is off site. There are nice animated transitions and good background music, but nothing that makes the site stand out.
Gothika
Current Content: Most of what was previously marked coming soon, (production note and bios) were added this week. That just leaves the two film clips, but there's a good chance they won't be added till after the movie premieres in two weeks. This sit is still one of the creepiest I've reviewed and deservedly won the weekly website award when it launched not too long ago.
The Haunted Mansion
Current Content: More was to the site, mostly in the Visit the Mansion Tour section. I was a bit disappointed with this section; it was less interactive than I had hoped. There's still a lot marked coming soon, (production notes, behind the scenes, screen savers, winamp skins, and clips.)
Hellboy
Current Content: Hellboy is a comic book that most people have probably never heard of. So it makes sense that the site has character bios, background stories, etc. Like A.v.P., it was nice too see the videos that show how much the main people involved wanted to do the movie. There quite a few animation heavy sections like the B.P.R.D. Here you can check out Hellboy's home with a couple more areas marked coming soon, well 'Access Denied', but I think that means the same thing.
The Last Samurai
Current Content: A new flash site replaced the old, and while this one has more content even more is marked coming soon. It has the usual features plus what appears to be a lot of behind the scenes information marked coming soon. This includes interviews, script to screen, etc.
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Current Content: The latest poster was added, which can also be sent as an e-card. Also, a great deal of information on Minas Tirith was added, some of it text, but also in video form.
Love Actually
Current Content: Just in time for its premiere tomorrow, the last TV Spots was added. This site has already won the Weekly Website Award and still richly deserves it.
The Matrix Revolutions
Current Content: Huge update this week to celebrate the film's opening yesterday. Warning, a lot of this stuff was held back till after the release cause it contains many, many spoilers. There's just too much added to go into great detail, but the site itself has a breakdown of what's new. So check it out right away.
Mona Lisa Smile
Current Content: The flash site launched but the bast majority of the content is still marked coming soon. The site does have synopsis, trailer, image gallery and character bios. But production notes, cast and crew bios and four additional sections (challenge, living, legacy, your story) are all marked coming soon. Launching a site this way can be a good way to keep people coming back for more, week after week.
The Perfect Score
Current Content: The redirect was replaced with a placeholder site. So far just the trailer is there, but that should change soon.
Peter Pan
Current Content: New trailer was added.
The Punisher
Current Content: This is a site you have to keep coming back to. Things change and sometimes in subtle ways. For instance, all the items on the desk have been changed. Right now there's just a few images of briefing documents and a video camera. When you click the video camera it just says, 'Access Denied.' But by next week, when Apple.com has had a few more days of exclusive internet distribution of the new trailer it will be added to the site. This is an excellent site because when I first started hearing details about the movie I wasn't that impressed. But the more I see of the site, the more interested in the movie I become.
Shrek 2
Current Content: The placeholder site was replaced by another placeholder site. This one with realistic belching. Oh yeah, and the trailer.
Teacher's Pet
Current Content: Placeholder site with just the trailer.
Timeline
Current Content: Major update and most of the 1357 features were added. The 1357 features are broken down into three section, each of which has two or three subsections, each of which has one or more choices. That's a lot of content to get through. So fortunately much of it is still marked coming soon. The first feature is The Battlefield; it talks about battle tactics, (a Q&A session with the film's sword master) weapon details (marked coming soon) and concept art and interviews (also marked coming soon.) Second is The Castle with a Donnor Interview (marked coming soon) and more concept art (also marked coming soon.) The last section is La Dordogne and it deals with behind the scenes with production notes and feturettes, (two of which are marked coming soon, as is the IPix.) La Dordogne also has a Challenge the enemy game, which you have to explore the site before you can play. Each of these sub-subsections also has some images in the form of photos, wallpapers, ipix, AIM icons, etc. Obviously one of the biggest sites reviewed this week. If you are into medieval times, this site is a must. Even if you are not, it is still worthy of the venerated Weekly Website Award.
Tupac: Resurrection
Current Content: Another flash site that launched this week and it's quite bare. Synopsis, trailer, crew bios are there. But there's not enough on the music, which should be a main focus of the site.
Troy
Current Content: Another redirect that was replaced by a placeholder site. This one has the synopsis, poster and an image gallery and promises to have the trailer tomorrow.
Submitted by: C.
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Thursday, November 26, 2009
