Yeah, It Wowed Them
Last week when the announcement moving up the release date of the Tom Cruise film Valkyrie was made, I had just been on the UA website. I had been on there because I wanted to see if they had ever issued a press release about Paula Wagner that I could ridicule or mock. They didn't write one. I'm not sure they even have anyone left working there except Tom. Oh, sure Isabella and Connor will answer the phone every now and again, but it is just usually their friends.
Also not on the website was the new date of release even though apparently it had been in the works for sometime. In fact, it took them several days to get an IT guy to change the date on the site. I'm okay with them moving the date up. I know it was because they wanted some of that Showtime money they would have lost if they didn't get it released by December 31st. That is a business decision made on a film that is going to probably tank. Might as well get something for it.
However, now I am seeing a whole rash of stories that say the film was moved up because after editing and "wowing" test audiences all over the US, someone thinks it has a chance at some big awards during award season. Uh huh.
Unless they edited out Tom Cruise, replaced him with Will Ferrell, and have renamed it Anchorman Two - Stay Classy Berlin, this film is going to bomb. The only test screenings that have wowed anyone are the ones they held at SeaOrg where everyone filled out comment cards in triplicate. "Never seen higher scores for a film before." Uh huh.
You do realize that when this film is done, the entire cost including production, prints and ads is going to be about $200M. When you spend that kind of money, you will do or say anything to try and get an extra buck here, or an extra buck there. Who the hell is wowed anyway? Did they all write down on the comment cards, "I was wowed." "Wow" "Uh, uh, ummm, wow"
WOW = "Why Oh Why" did they make me watch this movie?
ReplyDeleteActually the end-of-year release, even into twelve empty theaters, could pay off. Have you looked at the rest of the cast? Kenneth Branagh, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard, Terence Stamp, plus five or six other highly esteemed British actors. Maybe the investors are hoping one of them gets an Oscar, Golden Globe or BAFTA nomination before they put this on DVD.
ReplyDeleteBTW, a lot of this cast appeared as Nazis in HBO's "Conspiracy" a few years ago. It looks like the casting agent (or Cruise) just said, "Hey lets just hire all those guys. Maybe they still have the uniforms."
Anyway, if you want to see a whole slew of amazing performances and a truly chilling drama, rent that one.
Sounds like they "wowed" marketed tested it at the Scientology Convention.
ReplyDeleteLOL at : Isabella and Connor will answer the phone every now and again, but it is just usually their friends.
ReplyDeleteEnt, any inside scoop on why Paula is leaving? Did she come to the realization that being associated with TC wasn't a good thing as it may have been in the past? Did they have a falling out?
ReplyDeleteTom Cruise was genius in "Tropic Thunder." Perhaps they sliced this film with some of those scenes?
ReplyDeleteUgh, Amanda, I just couldn't enjoy the character because it was Tommy Boy. If it had been anyone else, I would've loved it.
ReplyDeletebookjacket, I didn't realize they were in this one as well. Might almost be worth renting. Conspiracy was a very well-done movie. Perhaps if TC asked Kenneth Branagh to write/direct/play lead role in this movie, it would be a hit.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know too if Paula Wagner was branded an SP.
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