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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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2003-10-03
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl continues to lead the international box office despite dropping weekend totals. This week's take of $12.7 million was a significant drop from last week, but was still nearly double its nearest competitor. It was also enough to move the movie into 20th place on the all-time worldwide box office, ahead of Armageddon. It will still take a few more weeks to break $300 million internationally and $600 million worldwide.
The Italian Job stayed in second place with $6.5 million, nearly the same as last weekend. Its international take is now $28.2 million with several openings in large markets still to come. These include South Korea this weekend and Germany later in November.
A pair of number one openings in Asia helped S.W.A.T. to a weekend total of $4.6. It's still way too early in the game to tell where its final figure will land.
Four was the charm for Calendar Girls, which topped the U.K. box office in its fourth week of release there. The British comedy has only opened in a few countries but was still able to take fourth place internationally with $3.6 million. It opens stateside on December 19th.
Rounding out the top five was American Pie: The Wedding, also with $3.6 million. It's hard not to compare its run to the first two, and with more than 2 dozen openings still to come beating American Pie's $100 million internationally is almost guaranteed. Topping American Pie 2's $140 less assured, but still quite likely.
On a side note, Nemo Watch: International Edition will kick into high gear this weekend. Finding Nemo is being shown in previews in the U.K. this week before opening wide next weekend. We will then see a better picture on how the movie will compare to other hits this year and other animated movies from the past.
Submitted by: C.S.
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2003-09-19
nd, I will not be talking like a Pirate for the entire story. Instead, I'll just point you to the official homepage of International Talk Like a Pirate Day. But before we got on with the real story, I will give you two pieces of advice. First, it's International Talk Like a Pirate Day and not International Dress Like a Pirate Day, if you show up to work wearing an eye-patch you are on your own. Second, despite how it sounds, 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey' is not a dirty saying, however, that won't stop you from getting into trouble if you use it.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl has plenty to celebrate easily winning last weekend's international box office race with $29.7 million. That figure was earned partial through strong openings in markets like Greece and Australia. And partially through strong holdovers in markets like Germany and Italy. Worldwide total for the movie crossed $500 million and into 25th place on the all time chart.
Well back was The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with $6.6 million. Results can only be described as solid, and while the international run will top its domestic performance, the price tag for the movie is too high for it to be called a success.
American Pie: The Wedding finished in a virtual tie with Bruce Almighty with $5.1 million. The last in the American Pie Trilogy will finish somewhere in between the first two movies domestically, but much closer to the first. Internationally it has been fairing better in many markets and could top the second's $131 million.
Meanwhile, Bruce Almighty's second first place finish in France propelled the movie to $5.1 million internationally for the weekend. Its international total is $212 million, and it has yet to open in Japan. It's already the highest grossing Jim Carrey movie of all time and its worldwide total could hit $500 million.
After a one week exclusive showing in London, Calendar Girls opened wide in the U.K. and pulled in most of its $2.7 million international haul there. It won't open stateside till December 19th.
In other news, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers passed Jurassic Park into fourth place on the all-time worldwide box office. Combined with the massive rental and sales in the home market and the outlook for Lord of the Rings: Return of the King is very impressive with $1 billion worldwide box office not out of the question.
Submitted by: The Dread Pirate C.S.Strowbridge
For to find out your own pirate name take the
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2003-08-07
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. Felt like a slow week, I don't know if that's cause it is a slow week, or that fact that I moved this week meant I didn't have time to really research website updates. If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.
Beyond Borders
Current Content: None, just redirects you to Paramount's movie page.
Calendar Girls
Current Content: The movie is still months away but there is considerable content on the site already. Synopsis, trailer, poster and cast and crew (no bios.) There's are background music and a few audio clips, but they don't repeat so you only hear them once.
Cabin Fever
Current Content: New design, new URL. Right now there are only two clips and without any context they make no sense. There are two other clips coming soon so hopefully they will help explain things.
Cheaper By the Dozen
Current Content: None, just redirects you to Fox's movie page.
Cold Creek Manor
Current Content: None, just redirects you to Touchstone's movie page
Envy
Current Content: The VaPOOrizer site was removed last week and now we know why. Its theatrical release has been pushed back to 2004, or perhaps never. Word is it could go direct to video at this stage.
Freaky Friday
Current Content: Just in time for its release the last few features were added. These include the bios and party planner and lots of clips, (a few scenes, some behind the scenes and two music videos.) Overall, this site has a good format and good content to match. The only thing its missing is background music, but it has plenty of sound to make up for that. It's this week's winner of the inescapable Weekly Website Award.
Le Divorce
Current Content: While lacking any really unusual features, this site does present the usual features in a good fashion. Also, the background music fits well with the theme of the movie and avoids becoming repetitive.
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Current Content: You can now submit questions for the cast interviews that will be part of the site when it launches later on.
Passionade
Current Content: The seafood recipes are finally up. A bit beyond my cooking expertise, but they look good.
The Princess Blade
Current Content: This site has quite a bit of features, but none that are really unique. However, the way they all come together helps. Sound effects, a bit of animation for the segues and good background music are all pluses.
S.W.A.T.
Current Content: I can't give a review of this site since some features do not work with my browser, and some actually cause it to crash.
School of Rock
Current Content: Just a placeholder site with no actual content.
Step into Liquid
Current Content: Because this is a documentary some of the regular features aren't here, like synopsis. But they do have the trailer and cast bios of sorts. (There's bios in the surfers shown in the movie.) Besides the trailer there is a clip of behind the scenes shoots. Definitely a plus is the background music, it's long enough and loops well enough to not become repetitive and is effective without being overwhelming.
Thirteen
Current Content: The old placeholder site is gone and now it redirects you to the trailer on Apple.com.
Timeline
Current Content: Right now there is just the trailer and several audio clips. But their presentation is very cool and hopefully as new content is added this site it will only get better.
Submitted by:
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Thursday, November 26, 2009
