Tag Archives: adventures in marketing

Batman’s Codpiece and Catwoman’s Butt: Equal Opportunity Ogling from The Dark Knight Rises

Oh…my… GOD , Becky — look at Catwoman ‘s butt. Ahem . In a new promo image from The Dark Knight Rises , Anne Hathaway poses as Catwoman and shows, as many salivating fanboys have already suggested, just why the Batman sequel might’ve earned that PG-13 for “sensuality.” But wait! Why is everyone talking about Catwoman’s butt and not Batman ‘s meticulously sculpted-but-jaunty rubberized codpiece? Equal opportunity for costumed cosplay ogling after the jump, thanks to two new promo images for the July tentpole. First, we’ll start with this suggestively perky, full-length look at Hathaway as Catwoman, unearthed today on the internetz (hat tip ComingSoon ): A mask and cat-ear goggles? Leather gloves over a bodysuit also made of leather, with thigh-high boots to boot? This is one layered lady. I bet she makes that squeaking leather sound when she walks. Now, maybe Catwoman’s using her butt as yet another deadly weapon. Or maybe when you wear giant stiletto shit-kicking heels like that, one’s rear lifts naturally (welcome to the world of woman secrets, fellas). Ok, fine. Take a good gander. Now, can we move on to…Batman’s bat-junk? Behold, from the current issue of EW : I don’t know about you, but this kind of overly structured superhero outfit feels excessive and a little exhausting to look at. I can’t picture anyone toiling away somewhere in the Bat-sweatshop making every little molded rubber part of Batman’s faux six-pack, though it is funny to imagine the rationale for such a design: He needs protection… for each pack ! Do you think Bruce Wayne toiled very long over the agonizing decision to go with the muted bronze of his utility belt? How does one fit oneself for the perfectly proportioned superhero codpiece? The above image comes from EW’s Summer Movie Preview issue, which was accompanied by various Chris Nolan non-spoiler quotes and this very interesting tidbit concerning baddie Bane , played by Tom Hardy , and his unusual voice: “It’s a risk, because we could be laughed at — or it could be very fresh and exciting,” says Hardy, adding that the voice he developed was influenced by many factors, including a desire to honor the comic book character’s brains and Caribbean heritage. “The audience mustn’t be too concerned about the mumbly voice,” says Hardy. “As the film progresses, I think you’ll be able to tune to its setting.” Aha! And so we kind of get an answer in the great Bane ethnicity debate: Hardy is seemingly playing the villain true to his Caribbean/Latin heritage as written in the comics, which hardly closes the book on the issue. The fact that Bane’s being played by a white guy could conceivably still be explained away in the film; the character’s comic book origins cite a British mercenary father and a local rebel mother, which seems to make Bane half-Latino, half-Caucasian. But time will tell. For now, we have butts and junk to stare at. [ ComingSoon , EW ]

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Batman’s Codpiece and Catwoman’s Butt: Equal Opportunity Ogling from The Dark Knight Rises

Memo to Hollywood: Don’t Mess With Louis Vuitton

I hesitate to even pass along word of the luxury fashion purveyor’s ongoing litigiousness lest this site land in its hungry crosshairs, but: Have you heard about the lengths to which Louis Vuitton is going to keep its brand safe from the grubby likes of The Hangover Part II ? Or how another, recently resolved court victory has possibly shored up its case against the film’s studio Warner Bros.? Memo to Hollywood: Either get your clearances up front or do not even think of messing with these guys. This has been going on for a while , but THR Esq. now offers up the bone-chilling latest: On March 22, a judge granted a summary judgment victory to Louis Vuitton over a Super Bowl TV commercial produced by Hyundai that featured for approximately one second a basketball that bore resemblance to a flower-like symbol on chestnut-brown background design that was trademarked by Louis Vuitton. The French brand says that the judge’s decision two weeks ago shows why it should be able to go forward with its claims against Warner Bros. for infringing and diluting its trademark by showing for one brief moment in [ The Hangover Part II ] Zach Galifianakis telling someone who pushes his bag, “Be careful, that is … that is a Lewis Vuitton.” In mid-March, Warner Bros. responded to the lawsuit by telling a New York judge that it had a First Amendment right to feature trademarks and incorporate real-life references to brands without getting the consent of owners. The studio added there wasn’t any confusion, and if there was, it was de minimis and/or the responsibility of the company that had actually produced the knock-off handbag. Meanwhile, the designer isn’t backing down, arguing in a court filing (with its victory versus Hyundai in mind) that “Louis Vuitton’s ‘aggressive’ enforcement of its trademark rights and prompt action against those who misuse its trademarks are necessary concomitants of its exclusive rights in the brand.” Fine, but to what end? Is “the brand” — and apparently its business — so fragile that millions of dollars in legal expenses are themselves necessary concomitants of relevancy in 2012? Or is this just the more socially permissible way of shoring up the market share that all those knock-off merchants in Lower Manhattan have eroded in recent years? Either way, to all you screenwriters and studio legal departments alike: Maybe stick to Samsonite? [ THR Esq .] Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .

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Memo to Hollywood: Don’t Mess With Louis Vuitton

Moonrise Kingdom Cast Gathers For Frowny ‘Vintage Team Photo’

You’ve seen the trailer . You’ve parsed the poster . Now study in the stern countenances awaiting you in Moonrise Kingdom , Wes Anderson’s Cannes-opening reverie for which a new “vintage team photo” is making the rounds. To my knowledge, this is the first and probably only time we’ll get Anderson’s ensemble — including Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton and the young campers of New Penzance Island — in one place before the film hits theaters next month. Except for Tilda Swinton, I guess; “Social Services” just gets a picture frame. And Snoopy R.I.P.? Nooo! Whatever. It’s better Photoshop than this . [Click for bigger; via Focus Features] Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .

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Moonrise Kingdom Cast Gathers For Frowny ‘Vintage Team Photo’

And Now, Darren Aronofsky Directs J. Lo In A Commercial For Kohl’s

When Darren Aronofsky directed a sumptuous Revlon commercial for mascara last year I called it his “least-daring work to date,” but now comes a new project to trump that dubious accomplishment. Behold, the Oscar-nominated Black Swan director’s gripping ad for Kohl’s department store featuring J. Lo singing and dancing to a Kiki Dee cover song, a video that makes Jessica Biel plumping her lashes look like Requiem for a Dream . Kohl’s “Classic. Remixed” from H.K. McCANN on Vimeo . Oh, Darren. Can we go back to those meth PSAs and pretend this never happened? [ MediaBistro via Vulture ]

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And Now, Darren Aronofsky Directs J. Lo In A Commercial For Kohl’s

Old Racists, Ex-Colleagues Among Harvey Weinstein’s Latest Enemies

What week for Harvey Weinstein: Win a truckload of Oscars on Sunday, re-up on a PR war with the MPAA on Tuesday, and then today — as his company’s other notable French import Intouchables prepares for its U.S. premiere in New York City — start a trans-Atlantic flame war with France’s most infamously racist old coot. It’s like Linsanity, but for Hollywood megalomaniacs! Weinsanity! And there’s more . First though, here’s the notorious, ultra-conservative French nationalist and political firebrand asshole Jean-Marie Le Pen weighing in on Intouchables , the blockbuster buddy flick about (per a Weinstein Co. statement) “a wealthy, physically disabled risk taker, the picture of established French nobility, who lost his wife in an accident and whose world is turned upside down when he hires a young, good-humored, black Muslim ex-con as his caretaker.” I don’t know how one exclaims, ” Say whaaaa? ” in French, but it probably sounds something like this: That aforementioned Weinstein Company statement translates: “France is like this handicapped person stuck in this wheelchair, and we are going to have to wait for the help of these suburb youngsters and the immigration in general. I don’t subscribe to this point of view. It’s a movie, a novel. And we have to take it that way and not like an example for the future. It would be a disaster if France would find itself in the same situation as this poor handicapped person.” On the one hand, this is just Le Pen being Le Pen. Big deal. On the other, check out Harvey being Harvey — i.e. waiting a full month after the interview aired (he acquired Intouchables ‘ distribution and English-language remake rights last summer) to lay into the easiest, fattest target imaginable on his film’s behalf: “It’s not a surprise to hear such an intolerant statement from the man who founded and was president of the extreme-right, xenophobic, racist National Front party. Le Pen made a repulsive statement, representing a bigoted world view. And right now, Jean-Marie’s daughter, Marine Le Pen, is running for president of France as the leader of the National Front party — and she is fourth in the polls with almost 16% of the population intending to vote for her. That’s frightening to me, and I think it’s important to speak up and speak out against Le Pen and his ideas. That’s why I’m proud to bring THE INTOUCHABLES to American audiences. This movie is based on a true story, and it’s a funny, extremely entertaining illustration of how simple human connection trounces socioeconomic, religious and racial divides.” Perfect . Did I mention Intouchables premieres this evening as the Opening Night film of Lincoln Center’s prestigious Rendez-Vous with French Cinema series and opens May 25 in limited release? Ahem. Meanwhile, all of Harvey’s recent protesting-too-much has received one of its most devastating rebuttals to date from Mark Lipsky, the former indie exec turned filmmaker who got his start in the Weinsteins’ Miramax regime. That experience yielded today’s extraordinary takedown at indieWIRE , where Lipsky further exposed Harvey’s hypocritical, gratuitously self-serving and exploitative handling of his documentary Bully : I hate bullying and always have. I also have an abiding contempt for hypocrisy. If Harvey has, in fact, reformed, he needs to come out and say so publicly. He needs to own his past behavior, admit to his addiction – bullying is an addiction, after all, both to power and dominance – and pledge to never bully anyone again. If he’s looking for ink and controversy (and he certainly is) there’s no more honest or powerful way for him and the film to get it. Harvey, you have a rare opportunity with Bully to actually move the needle and leave the world a better place. I believe that you’d like to see bullying stop. I believe that you “want every child, parent, and educator in America to see “Bully,” and not just for the boxoffice. So get up on that incredibly high horse of yours and use that bully pulpit to assure children, parents and educators everywhere that if you can reform, anyone can. Light a fire, Harvey, for every kid that’s ever bullied someone and for every parent who taught them how. Ouch. Your move, Harvey. Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .

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Old Racists, Ex-Colleagues Among Harvey Weinstein’s Latest Enemies

Avengers Assemble in Photoshop — Er, New Poster

On the eve of a new trailer debut, Marvel has released a new poster for May’s superhero superteam pic The Avengers . Here you’ll find all your favorite heroes gathered in various states of action and repose: There’s Black Widow ( Scarlett Johansson ) stalking her prey while Hawkeye ( Jeremy Renner ) contemplates a sandwich, with Captain America ( Chris Evans ) having a senior moment in the background as Iron Man ( Robert Downey Jr. ) hogs the spotlight. Typical . Get a full look at the cut & paste wonderment after the jump. Also wedged into the same blue-tinged, explosion-filled background by Marvel’s resident Photoshop intern: Mark Ruffalo ‘s Hulk flailing for a way out (of this poster), Chris Hemsworth ‘s Thor pouting through a bad hair day, and Sam Jackson as Nick Fury looking like he belongs in an altogether different movie. Say, a serial killer cop crime thriller about a one-eyed detective who does things his own way? Starring Ashley Judd, perhaps? Meanwhile, over in the U.K. the film’s title has undergone a revamping; it will henceforth be known across the pond as Avengers Assemble , ostensibly to avoid confusion with the 1960s British spy series, and probably the subsequent Uma Thurman-starring feature-length bomb that followed in 1998. Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures “Marvel’s The Avengers”–the super hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel super heroes Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon from a screenplay by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012. The Avengers is in theaters on May 4.

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Avengers Assemble in Photoshop — Er, New Poster

Will Action-Packed Final Trailer Fix Things for John Carter?

It’s no secret that Disney’s been scrambling to counteract bad tracking and mixed word of mouth on their mega-budgeted March actioner John Carter , so it’s worth a look to see what they’ve done with the latest (and “final”) trailer for the Edgar Rice Burroughs adaptation. And behold! A trailer filled with nearly everything that makes John Carter worth going to see: Alien creatures, political intrigue, Taylor Kitsch in a loincloth, Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris, and lots of inventive, fantastical action. The trailer doesn’t bother trying to explain what Kitsch’s American Civil War veteran John Carter is doing on the strange world of Mars, caught between various factions in a planetary war who each want his heightened battle skills to use as their secret weapon. Nor does it try to woo the ladies, or at least what studio execs think of as the traditionally-minded romantic-leaning female demographic, by spending too much time on Carter’s series-defining love affair with the Martian princess. Nope, this trailer gives us action, and from the start: John Carter leaps over his enemies in battle, slashing his way through to victory so well that even Mark Strong’s all-knowing Thern leader has to ask, “Who is that??” We glimpse the film’s breathtaking aerial battles, but those podracer-esque aircrafts are barely seen. Star Wars similarities , begone! The trailer ends as it begins — with a John Carter fight, this time in an arena against a giant white ape. It’s one of the better action scenes of the film, and yet doesn’t reveal too much. Disney’s already (most likely) got the Burroughs diehards in the bag, not to mention whatever Pixar fans may come out to support/check out Finding Nemo and WALL-E director Andrew Stanton in his live-action debut. Does a trailer like this engage the uninitiated male demo enough to turn the tide of bad, or underwhelming, word of mouth? And if Disney doesn’t get a certain female audience with this clip, Kitsch’s niche Friday Night Lights following aside, is that okay? As a lifelong fan of sci-fi and fantasy myself, I was immersed in the world of John Carter as soon as he hit the sandy dunes of Mars. If you aren’t interested by now in at least checking out John Carter , no amount of calculated marketing is likely to change that. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .

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Will Action-Packed Final Trailer Fix Things for John Carter?

Adventures in Hunger Games Marketing: Effie Trinket, Style Icon

As The Hunger Games ‘ March 23 release fast approaches, Lionsgate is churning out a steady stream of stills and goodies and tie-ins to stoke the fires of fandom and they’ve put a surprising bit of marketing muscle behind not only star Jennifer Lawrence , but co-star Elizabeth Banks and her supporting character, Effie Trinket. On second thought, maybe that’s not so surprising; Effie’s strikingly gaudy visual look, representative of image-obsessed Capitol culture in the fictional nation of Panem, offers more in the way of marketing opportunities than Katniss Everdeen’s tomboy-turned-teen warrior ensembles. To wit: Effie, as played by Banks, is the face of the official Hunger Games nail polish line , comprised of different shades representing the districts of Panem. (“The odds are never in favor of homely nails,” she preaches on the Hunger Games offshoot site CapitolCouture.pn .) Ironically, Capitol fashions are thought of as ridiculously garish within the Hunger Games world, which explains Banks’s clownish getups as Effie, District 12’s government-assigned escort. The message gets a bit muddled when Lionsgate and its corporate partners sell ” Capitol Couture ” to fans with a positive spin to be coveted and replicated, but fans have a soft spot for Effie and the sentiment suggests more of a cosplay vibe than any legitimate espousal of Capitol culture. (Right?) Anyway, don’t be surprised if you see Effie’s garish styles mimicked IRL sooner or later; Halloween 2012 should be rife with Effie-inspired fan fashions, if the franchise’s enormous popularity is any indication. Here are a few of Effie’s looks to get you started — she never wears the same makeup with more than one outfit, airbrushes on pink foundation, and wears butterfly-adorned falsies, so we obviously already have that in common. [ Facebook , CapitolCouture.pn , Glamour ]

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Adventures in Hunger Games Marketing: Effie Trinket, Style Icon

Warner Bros. Somehow Planning Another I Am Legend for Will Smith

At one point following the critical and commercial success of his 2007 post-apocalyptic blockbuster I Am Legend , director Francis Lawrence entertained the notion of coming back with star Will Smith for prequel, but eventually that possibility trailed off and Lawrence casted doubt onto his involvement with the potential project. But today Warner Bros. announced a deal with Akiva Goldsman and Overbrook Entertainment , who have tapped screenwriter Arash Amel to write a follow-up to the $584M hit. Whether or not it’ll be a prequel or some sort of direct sequel is unknown, though it’s reportedly being created for Smith. Let’s speculate away: Just how WB can possibly pull off another installment? What makes the project a curious — and, frankly, conspicuous — one is the way in which Lawrence wrapped up I Am Legend , based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 sci-fi novel. [Spoiler alert] Following a global pandemic that wiped out 90% of the world’s population, scientist Robert Neville (Smith) had only just discovered a cure when, at the film’s conclusion, he faced an onslaught of mutated vampire-people solo and seemingly met his own demise. Of course WB wants their star and his famously potent box office draw to headline another I Am Legend movie. A prequel would explain Smith’s presence most easily, but Deadline suggests that won’t be the case. So how might they bring Smith back otherwise? Retcon the last scene in the first film, using the alternate ending in which Neville makes grudging peace with the vampire thingies? Maybe the survivors colony has cloning capabilities? Hell, why not bring in a long-lost twin brother for Neville who became a brilliant virologist as well – I Am Also Legend ? Whatever it turns out to be, at least it has a shot at being ” one of the greatest movies ever made ,” amirite? Warner Bros Plans More ‘I Am Legend’ With Will Smith [Deadline]

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Warner Bros. Somehow Planning Another I Am Legend for Will Smith

Watch the First 12 Minutes of Sound of My Voice: Brit Marling and Cult Jam

Festival darling Brit Marling burst onto the scene last summer with the sci-fi indie Another Earth (and will be seen in the upcoming fiscal thriller Arbitrage opposite Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon), but her turn as a mysterious cult leader in this April’s Sound of My Voice is the more impressive introduction to the charismatic up and comer. Hit the jump to watch the first 10 minutes of Sound of My Voice , courtesy of Fox Searchlight, and see for yourself. As seen in the opening 10 minutes, Sound of My Voice follows a couple (Nicole Vicius and Christopher Denham) as they infiltrate a secretive cult, intending to film a documentary exposing its leader as a fraud. But when they meet said leader — in the form of Marling’s Maggie, a young woman who claims to be from the future — they fall deeper in than they ever imagined they would. Sound of My Voice , directed by Zal Batmanglij, is the second of Marling’s Sundance 2011 pics to hit screens following Mike Cahill’s Another Earth ; both were co-written by Marling and screened to acclaim on the festival circuit. Shot on a tiny budget, SOMV pulls off a tremendous amount with very little in the way of the kind of resources available to most science fiction films, and like Another Earth it’s very much an intimate-scale indie that builds a greater sense for the world around it. But between the two — not to invite comparison, but it inevitably happens — SOMV allows Marling to flex her acting muscles with one of the more complex and layered female characters in to come along in a while. That alone will be worth the price of admission come April 27. Fox Searchlight, meanwhile, needs to figure out a way to push SOMV farther than it did Another Earth , which suffered from a lack of clarity in its marketing materials and opened to disappointing box office, even for an admittedly small-scale film with no stars. This first-10-minutes clip is a good start; not only does it draw you in to the plot of SOMV and give you a sense of Batmanglij’s shrewd directing style and the magnetic allure of Marling as Maggie, it also features a handful of “interactive” bonus features that click away to expand on ideas and concepts in the film, including viral clips like this . Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .

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Watch the First 12 Minutes of Sound of My Voice: Brit Marling and Cult Jam