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Wednesday, November 25, 2009
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2004-05-03
Every week films get a second chance at success from the home market; or, in some cases, a first chance at success. There was again an excellent mix of wide releases, limited releases, older films and TV on DVD. And because of the wide section, there should be something for everyone, and for me it's Gilmore Girls - Season 1 - (Buy from Amazon), which is my DVD pick of the week.
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2004-01-12
None of the wide releases were able to mount much of an attack on last weekend's top five. And with the exception of a limited release going wide there was little change. The lack of a dominate opener helped push the total box office lower by more than 25% from last week and 6% from last year. So much for last weekend's strong start to 2004.
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2004-01-09
January is usually the time when studios dump movies that looked like a good idea on paper, but didn't pan out. This year looks like no exception as the two new movies are getting destroyed by the critics. In fact, the only film that looks capable of challenging Lord of the Rings: Return of the King for the lead is the wide expansion of Big Fish.
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2004-01-08
During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. This week we have a larger list to make up for the holidays, but a winter storm took out my internet access on Tuesday / Wednesday so the column is a little late today. Here the list of new releases, updated sites, and some upcoming releases that slipped through the cracks, including the winner for the week Along Came Polly - Official Site . If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.
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2003-12-18
During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here is a list of highlights, (including this week's winner Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - 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.
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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.
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2003-11-27
During the past week 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.
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2003-11-13
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.
Anything But Love
Current Content: For a movie that has music as such a central theme, for there to be no background music on the site is a very large oversight. There are four clips along with the trailer, synopsis, small image gallery and a few e-cards. But the lack of music is what stood out the most.
The Big Bounce
Current Content: Placeholder site with just the synopsis, photo gallery and some downloads. The trailer is marked coming soon, as is the flash site.
The Big Empty
Current Content: This movie opens this week in L.A. and opens wider next week. The site has just an image of the poster with 'more information' coming soon. The production company as more details on their site including the trailer. This is one of those movies that is so intriguing that you want to know more, but is probably so uncommercial that few will ever get to see it.
Chasing Liberty
Current Content: Typical Warner Bros. placeholder site with just the synopsis.
Fog of War
Current Content: This site's format is one of the most compelling I've seen. The timeline of events with audio clips, video clips, images, text and sometimes even a talking Mac. (You really have to see it to believe it. It seems so out of place on a website for a serious documentary, but it works.) There are more traditional features like the trailer and such, but it's the timeline that's the focus of this site.
Garfield
Current Content: The placeholder site now says the trailer will be online in December, not November as it previously said.
Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Azkaban
Current Content: The teaser trailer for the third film was added to the site this week.
Honey
Current Content: After months and months of the same placeholder, there was a redesign not too long ago, and now the flash site has finally been launched. And it was worth the wait. Content wise, it has all the regular features, with more than a few extras. In fact, it's the extras that make this site stand out. There are a couple of quizzes, short bios on how some stars started out, a video remix, a game called Six Degrees of Missy E and others. Each of these sections starts with an audio clip from the movie, and while that is playing the volume for the background music is lowered so the clip is easier to hear, which was a very nice touch. Speaking of the music, not only is there six clips that can be listen to in the background, the full music for 'I'm Good' by Blaque was added to the site. It was a close call for the award this week with this site just missing out to The Missing. But when the two TV Spots and two Interviews are that are marked coming soon are added to the site it has an excellent shot at winning.
Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Current Content: No real changes since it won the weekly website award.
Love Don't Cost a Thing
Current Content: The flash site has launched, but there's very little content. It does have the trailer and a image gallery and some downloads; but there's no synopsis or other information about the movie. Also, while there's animation, there's no sound and that's never a good sign.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Current Content: Like the other movie opening wide this week, this site has previously won the weekly website award. Unlike the other movie opening wide this week, there were extensive updates on this site. All the material previously marked coming soon , (synopsis, Cast and Crew Bios, Production Notes and Featurettes) were all added to the site. Two more international sites, the German and one of the Spanish ones also launched this week.
The Missing
Current Content: Every site should have a hook, something that sets it apart from the pack. This site's hook is the commentary by Ron Howard, which is broken up into a dozen segments and sprinkled throughout the site. (You can also listen to them all in the Media section, but just exploring the site with the commentary on works better.) Another unusual feature is the Characters section. Each of the five main characters has a flash animation introduction that helps set the mood. These two features combined with the more standard fare, (synopsis, trailer, cast and crew bios, extensive behind the scenes information) and excellent use of animation and background music help set this website apart from the others this week. And because of that, this site wins the enduring Weekly Website Award.
Something's Gotta Give
Current Content: Just a small change to the placeholder site.
Tupac: Resurrection
Current Content: The movie opens this week, but there were no changes in the site this week.
Troy
Current Content: The trailer was indeed added to the placeholder site.
Watchful Eyes
Current Content: So far the only content on the site is a flash intro that ends with, 'Website coming soon.'
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