Movie Website Updates for April 29 - May 5

May 5, 2005

During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here the list of this week's releases, a couple of new sites and few updates. Slow week with most of the sites being merely average or too early in their development to tell if the film is an award winning site or not. So in the end I decided not to hand out the award to any site. Hopefully next week things will pick up.

Aeon Flux
The timeline was added to the site and while it is well done it is not as interactive as I would have hoped. Not only is the website stylish, but its getting me excited to see a movie I was previously ambivalent about.

Arthur and the Minimoys
This looks like a really, really good site; too bad it's all in French. I am looking forward to seeing the English version of the site when it is launched.

Batman Begins
The new trailer was added to the site, but I'm still not stoked about this film. I guess that's cause I was burned by the franchise in the past and it will take a lot more before I get my hopes up too much.

Beautiful Country
Just the image gallery and the press kit so far.

Brothers
Typical IFC movie website.

Citizen Verdict
No changes since last week.

Crash
No changes in two weeks. The site is interesting, fits the theme of the movie, and sells the film well.

Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Two updates this week as the main section added the Featured Gigolo while Pimp of the Sea was added to the games section.

Fighting Tommy Riley
The site has all the usual features but doesn't have a very professional feel.

Flight Plan
Just a redirect to Touchstone movie site and the trailer. I've got an uneasy feeling about this movie as there are a couple of films coming out soon that are set aboard a passenger jet that is in midair. On the plus side, Jodie Foster is a very reliable actress that doesn't make many bad decisions when it comes to the roles she chooses.

Four Brothers
Just a placeholder site with no real content.

Herbie: Fully Loaded
The flash site launched this week, which includes the usual information plus a racing game so poorly done that it detracts from the rest of the site. It is a simple 3-D racing game, but Herbie is an obviously 2-D image and the rest of the graphics are straight out of 1999. The rest of the features are either the usual suspects or were from the placeholder site.

A Hole in One
No real changes since the site underwent the redesign. It is much more professional looking now.

House of Wax
The movie opens tomorrow and the production notes are still marked coming soon, but it is still early in the day. So early in fact that it's still Wednesday. I'll check back again before I upload the column. On the other hand, Paris Hilton's Podcasts are online, but that's not really a selling feature.

Hustle and Flow
Just the trailer so far.

Kicking and Screaming
The cast & crew bios were added to the site, as were the production notes. That leaves just the TV spots and the interviews marked coming soon.

Kingdom of Heaven
This site just doesn't have the epic feel it should. The site has all the usual features, a few behind-the-scenes video clips, storyboard to screen comparisons, (which are far too short to be effective), character bios and a Broadband Experience that is for IE users only. The site had a lot of potential but failed to capitalize on it, and if the reviews are any indication, the same can be said for the film itself.

The Legend of Zorro
Just the trailer so far. I wasn't impressed by the trailer, it was obviously going for that swashbuckler feel the first film had, but they didn't succeed.

Lords of Dogtown
A couple of the features in the Roots section were added, as were some of the Events and Promotions section. Another feature, Street of Dogtown, is new but still marked coming soon. If that game is good and the rest of the features are strong it could be an award winning site.

The Man
Just the trailer so far, which makes the movie look like a pretty standard Buddy Cop comedy. The film will rely heavily on the chemistry between Samuel L. Jackson and Eugene Levy to become a success.

Modigliani
There appear to be no real changes in the site since it first launched.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Flash site launched this week but most of the content is still marked coming soon. Bios, Meet the Smiths, clips and behind the scenes are all marked coming soon leaving just the synopsis, image gallery and trailer. It does get bonus points for style with plenty of sound and animation, but until more of the features are added it's hard to judge the site.

The Perfect Man
The trailer was revamped to give it more emotional impact, or to make it more melodramatic depending on your personal point of view.

Rize
Several sections were added with a few of the actual features marked coming soon. Synopsis, crew bios and soundtrack are there with cast bios and reactions marked coming soon.

Saint Ralph
All the usual features are on the site, including extensive production notes. However, there is almost no sound and animation to set the site apart.

Serenity
No new updates this week, but for those who missed the Can't Stop the Signal tickets, there is word that there might be more tickets available shortly. No promises, but its something to keep an eye open for.

Tideland
Two more video clips were added to the site, the first on the Locations P.A., which looks like a very lonely job and the second on the make-up.

Twin Sisters
Typical Miramax website. Doesn't even have the trailer.

Unleashed
A section for the soundtrack was added and it contains clips from all the songs on the album.

War of the Worlds
A few more levels of the Survival game were added to the site. If the movie has the same feel as the game it's going to be a huge disappointment.


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Filed under: Movie Website Updates, War of the Worlds, Batman Begins, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Flightplan, Four Brothers, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Crash, Kicking and Screaming, Kingdom of Heaven, The Legend of Zorro, House of Wax, Serenity, Danny the Dog, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, Hustle & Flow, The Perfect Man, Lords of Dogtown, The Man, Rize, The Beautiful Country, Modigliani, Tideland, Twin Sisters, Aeon Flux