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Curious about this whole Universal "Fake Fan/Message Board" controversy? (1 Viewer)

Jan Strnad

Screenwriter
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"Buzz rooms" have been around for quite awhile. For $20,000/week or so a studio can set up a room of computers and hire college students, plied with beer and pizza, to work late night hours taking on various identities on message boards to hype a new film.

I suppose it's unethical, but in the overall scheme of things it doesn't seem too heinous. Especially not when compared with whatever measures would be required to stop it.

Internet. Free speech. Buyer (reader) beware.

Jan
 

David Rogers

Supporting Actor
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May 15, 2000
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722
Screw getting paid, I'd work there just to be part of the process! Such a neat place of wonder, the land of Lucasfilm.

I would pay, however, to be part of the production on a Spielberg film.
 

Vickie_M

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The sad thing for me is that it's heaping tons of negative backlash feelings on Blue Crush, which looks to be a decent little movie. Roger Ebert likes it, and I almost always like what Ebert likes (though I've not yet watched Speed II on his recommendaton...one of these years, if I find a Good Connection).
From first hearing about it to learning more to reading Ebert's review, I went from "oh, no way" to "well, Michelle Rodriguez is in it, and I did like Endless Summer, but..." to "well, I think a matinee might be in order here."
If the movie bombs they won't know if part of it was caused by an Internet backlash, which can affect word of mouth. If the movie is a hit, they can't know for SURE if it would have been a hit anyway without the stupid meddling.
Personally, I hope it does well. Boys have all kinds of surf movies. The girls need one.
"...put your belly to the board, Mimi, and paddle out to sea
then turn the board around, Mimi, until you're facing me
then you wait for the waves to start building
for the valleys to deepen
and the mountains to increase in height
and when the right times comes, Mimi
you grab the edges of the board with your hands
lift yourself up and stand there
and see as far as you can see
stand up, Mimi
STAND UP "
 

Scott Weinberg

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Vickie,
You make some very good points and I agree with you entirely.
David Poland, a columnist/critic whose opinion I hold in high regard, was very enthusiastic about Blue Crush in one of his articles late last week, and his praise intrigued me. "Maybe this one is a GOOD B-flick and not just some corporate husk of a film!" is what I thought.
What bothers me (and my compatriots at HBS.com) is the STUDIOS POSING AS FANS. (Caps added for effect; I ain't yellin at ya!) What movie they're hawking is immaterial. If New Line adopted this practice for The Two Towers (a movie I'd be willing to BET is gonna be damn solid), we'd still be just as annoyed - as would any other movie fan with more than half a brain who enjoys conversing on a message board community.
If you'd like to advertise Blue Crush on the various movie websites across the Internet, drop a hundred bucks and actually SUPPORT the websites you're using. Surely that's fair. "Hey this is Debi and Blue Crush RAWKS!" - (IP address originating from some well-known movie studio) is bullshit, plain and simple.
I have no ill will towards this surfing flick. As with every movie that comes out, I hope A) it's good and B) people enjoy it. (I'll be waiting for the DVD myself.) ;)
But this insulting form of marketing really has to stop.
 

Terrell

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I'm not sure the internet crowd can affect a films success or failure Vickie. I have no problem with Blue Crush, other than it looks like it was made for the MTV teenage crowd. Nothing wrong with that though. But the internet crowd only makes up a very small percentage of the movie-going crowd. Although, the target audience for this is probably teenagers, who probably are on the computer. But it's still doubtful they can sink a film. Sorry for the pun.
 

Matthew Chmiel

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Oooh, since I have seen Blue Crush, I can comment on the film.
If you want to watch a real (and/or decent) surfing film, watch the two Endless Summer films or watch Point Break. Blue Crush is your typical teen romance film with surfing and some great cinematography added into the mix. It's not an enjoyable movie and for me it was a pain to sit through. Now if it was a fun movie, then it could've been a good b-movie, but sadly, it's not.
In my 2002 Film List entry, I gave it *½ out of ****.
I honestly don't know why Universal is doing such advertising. I'm sure they'll have people going to see the movie (basically every teenager in America). What? Do they think the film is going to bomb? It's competition is Pluto Nash!
Personally, I hope it does well. Boys have all kinds of surf movies. The girls need one.
The Endless Summer III? :D
 

Jordan_E

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Two thumbs up from Siskel & Whoever It Is? BLUE CRUSH is quickly overtaking MASTER OF DISGUISE as the most hated ad on my TV recently. "THIS IS IT ... THIS IS IT!" Uh, I think not.
 

Edwin Pereyra

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The sad thing for me is that it's heaping tons of negative backlash feelings on Blue Crush, which looks to be a decent little movie.
The negative comments are unwarranted unless one has actually seen the film. After all, Blue Crush stars Michelle Rodriguez who gave a stunning breakout performance in Girlfight. That alone to me is a reason to have some interest in the film.
~Edwin
 

teapot2001

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Michelle Rodriguez has also been in The Fast and the Furious and Resident Evil. Are you still interested in Blue Crush, Edwin?

~T
 

Matthew Chmiel

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Michelle Rodriguez has also been in The Fast and the Furious and Resident Evil. Are you still interested in Blue Crush, Edwin?
Both were bad films, but The Fast and the Furious was a good b-movie (unlike Blue Crush). Now Resident Evil on the other hand....
 

Edwin Pereyra

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Michelle Rodriguez has also been in The Fast and the Furious and Resident Evil. Are you still interested in Blue Crush, Edwin?
Rodriguez was hardly even billed in those two films you mentioned to even get noticed as a star in those films or as a box office draw. That is also why I haven't seen any of those films at this point. But based on your comments you seem to be steering me to an unfavorable predisposition of those two films - i.e. "What in the hell is she doing in these films?" ;)
Until I see Blue Crush, I won't be able to say that it is bad. And not until then.
~Edwin
 

Matthew Chmiel

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Rodriguez was hardly even billed in those two films you mentioned to even get noticed as a star in those films or as a box office draw.
With Resident Evil she had 2nd billing (right below Milla). She also had her name listed on the posters and VHS/DVD covers.
With Fast and the Furious, she had 3rd billing (Paul Walker and Vin Diesel had top billing).
 

Matthew Chmiel

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You mean she had 4th or so billing after all the cars that were more prominently shown, right?
:laugh:
I'm sure Scott is mad that we turned a thread about Universal into Michelle Rodriguez. Now, Fast and the Furious was a Universal title, did they promote that film with "fake" fans? :)
 

teapot2001

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From what I've seen, I thought Rodriguez plays a supporting role to that blonde girl?
If you want to see an actor in a movie based on billing, just know that it isn't always good indicator of how much screen time the person gets in the movie. Remember Steven Segal in Executive Decision? :)
~T
 

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