Movie Websites Launches for January 30 - February 5

February 6, 2004

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 including the winner for the week. Miracle - Official Site. If you know of any new movie websites not on this list feel free to e-mail me with the details.


Barbershop 2
Current Content: The movie opens tomorrow but only the e-cards were added to the site. That leaves a lot of features still marked coming soon.


Catch that Kid
Current Content: With the opening just a day away, there were no changes to the placeholder site this week. Given the subject of the movie, this could have been a really cool site.


Club Dread
Current Content: After months of the placeholder site the full site launched this week. The main attraction for the site is web log and comments, but the site does have all the usual features as well. There is a lot of redundancies with linking, perhaps too much as it looks like there's more content then there actually is.


Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen
Current Content: E-cards were added to the site.


The Dreamers
Current Content: Still just the typical Fox Searchlight placeholder site, even though the movie opens tomorrow. This is not unprecedented, sometimes Fox Searchlight doesn't launch the main site till after the movie has had one or two expansions.


Eurotrip
Current Content: The character bios were added, so were the six tourist guides sections (each e-card is still marked coming soon.) The site makes good use of animations and sounds with animated segues and video clips for each of the tourist guide sections.


Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
Current Content: Music was added to Lead and Dance was added to Follow. The Dance section was the same as in Lead, just two different dances. Music is clips from four songs on the soundtrack that can be played in the background.


Dogville
Current Content: The flash site launched and it is a lot more mainstream than the first incarnation, which is probably for the best. The site does have a few extra touches, like the way the photo gallery is set up.


Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Current Content: The Lacuna website continues to fill out, this time adding information about the clinic, the process and some special offers.


The Ladykillers
Current Content: The Superbowl ad was added to the site.


The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra
Current Content: This site has been up since mid-November with no real changes.


Miracle
Current Content: With the opening just 16 hours, 56 minutes and 35 seconds away the last features were added, four clips and one last game. Overall, this is a good site that does an excellent job overcoming the biggest marketing hurtle, a lack of knowledge about the game. Let's face it, for all the hard work the NHL has done, Hockey still isn't a very popular sport in the U.S. At least not like it is in Canada where Hockey is almost a religion ...No, truth be told Canadians take Hockey more seriously than religion. (Go Canucks! Woo hoo!) This also has a few games to play, and enough content, especially video clips to keep the surfers' attention.


New York Minute
Current Content: The placeholder site launched with just the synopsis and the poster.


Osama
Current Content: There have been no real changes to this site since it first launched, the non-flash part of the site does mention the recent Golden Globe win. While the site has no sound outside the trailer, it does make good use of animated segues. It is a bit light on content without much in the way of extras.


Perfect Opposites
Current Content: Another simple site without sounds or animation. This one does have a small problem with the cast bios and about the movie sections. If you choose one of the choices on the bottom and them move the mouse over any of the other choices it automatically switched back to the first choice.


The Return
Current Content: Simple site without sounds or animations, but it does contain most of the usual features. (There are no bios.) There is a text interview with the director, as well as a few full reviews.


Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Current Content: There was a complete redesign of the placeholder site. The full trailer and the final poster made it from the old site, and the synopsis was added.


Secret Window
Current Content: There was a change in design for the placeholder site.


Shrek 2
Current Content: Some e-cards and other downloadables were added to the site.


Starsky and Hutch
Current Content: Another site that added a Superbowl spot.


Twisted
Current Content: This site spends more of its effort on setting the mood than supplying content, and it works. Especially effective is the profiles for each of the three main characters. I was also impressed by the sheer amount of audio clips on the site.


United States of Leland
Current Content: There was a complete redesign of the placeholder site adding a cast list (no bios) a letter from the director. There are some clips, but they are marked coming soon.


Van Helsing
Current Content: There was a massive update this week as the flash site launched. Most of the usual features are there or at least marked coming soon. The best and most unique feature is a 3-minute long behind the scene video clip. There are a couple of different backgrounds, complete with animations and sounds, which lend to the overall effect. So far it's a good site, but how well the rest of the updates go will determine if it's a great site.


Submitted by:

Filed under: Shrek 2, Van Helsing, Starsky & Hutch, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Miracle, Secret Window, The Ladykillers, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Twisted, Eurotrip, Catch That Kid, Dirty Dancing Havana Nights, New York Minute, Club Dread, The Dreamers, Dogville, Osama, The Return, The United States of Leland, The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra