How many days (hours?) until New Line's flop S1M0NE is announced? (1 Viewer)

[Mark Cappelletty]

For everyone whining about this, go see the damn thing. It's much better than you'd expect. It's not like it's not going to still be in the theaters all week.

 

[Jean-Michel]

One thing that puzzles me is why this sat on the shelf for so long. IIRC it was finished nearly a year ago and New Line pushed it back two or three times. Don't get me wrong, I agree with the general perception that this isn't a very good film, but generally only the worst of the worst get pushed back like this and it wasn't exactly irredeemably awful.

 

[Elizabeth S]

Hey, it's Al-friggin' Pacino! I would see him in virtually anything! Yes, this film was a lightweight, implausible piece of fluff, but I enjoyed seeing him. I COULD definitely watch it again on DVD, which is something I can't say about many films.

 

[Michael Reuben]

I agree with the general perception that this isn't a very good film,

I disagree that's the general perception. It certainly isn't mine.

M.

 

[Joel Mack]

I disagree that's the general perception. It certainly isn't mine.

Nor mine. It's one of the better things I've seen this year...

 

[Mark Cappelletty]

Two reasons this has been on the shelf:

1.) Last year, all of New Line's resources went to promote guaranteed money-makers like Rush Hour 2 and The Fellowship of the Ring, which was a huge gamble. That's why Simone and Knockaround Guys got pushed back.

2.) It was a pet project of former studio head Michael DeLuca and dumping it on one of the worst moviegoing weekends of the year (both the end of August and the beginnng of April are the kiss of death) is the way our current head of production can justify it not working. Bad marketing and placement is as sure of a way to kill a film as any (see "K19: The Widowmaker" for proof).

 

[Jeff_HR]

dumping it on one of the worst moviegoing weekends of the year (both the end of August and the beginning of April are the kiss of death) is the way our current head of production can justify it not working. Bad marketing and placement is as sure of a way to kill a film as any

If the current Head of production wanted to "kill' this film why "WASTE" New Line's admittedly limited resources by releasing it theatrically? By doing this you have to pay for advertising, the cost of prints of the film & their shipping costs, and paying any talent to go around and promote it, etc. You could save on this wasted expenditure by putting this $$$$$$ in to a direct to DVD release. If I were a stockholder of New Line I would be DEMANDING to know why my money was being wasted this way.

 

[Jean-Michel]

I disagree that's the general perception.

Well, it's got a 47% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. That's kind of on the cusp and I know that RT's methodology isn't perfect but even if it was above 50% I think I could justifiably characterize the critical reaction as "lukewarm." As for the audience reaction nobody I personally know liked the movie and most of my friends are pretty "conventional" moveigoers. So I don't think I was off-base.

 

[Jean-Michel]

If the current Head of production wanted to "kill' this film why "WASTE" New Line's admittedly limited resources by releasing it theatrically?

Because in many cases a studio is contractually obliged to release a film.

 

[Steven_J_H]

Andrew Niccol, the director of Simone, actually wrote The Truman Show. Peter Weir directed it.

Niccol also wrote and directed Gattaca (great movie and dvd).

 

[Larry P]

This may change in the future, but as far as I know, Simone will get the Infinifilm treatment.

This would be great, but the chances of it happening now would seem pretty unlikely since the film proved to be so unpopular at the box office.

Still, I guess if enough executives at New Line believe in the potential of the film, they might give it a great DVD release. But as someone noted, they dumped the film in theaters at the end of August, a traditionally crappy box office slot; so they must not have thought much of it. However, I thought the ad campaign was very good.

 

[Larry P]

This may change in the future, but as far as I know, Simone will get the Infinifilm treatment.

Sorry for the double post. :b

 

[Vic_T]

Did anyone see the NYT article on DVD this week? There was a bit in there referring to many movies making a profit on DVD that flopped big at the theater; it stated that theatrical runs of movies are sometimes nothing more than an elaborate advertising campaign for the DVD release.
I thought that was a rather amusing way of stating it.

 

[Ed Vandeweerd]

I don't think that Pacino did himself any favors by agreeing to do this film. In my viewpoint this fim will distingish itself as the "Battlefield Earth" of 2002. Let's hope that Mr Pacino's choices don't end up extinguishing his career!

 

[Michael Reuben]

it stated that theatrical runs of movies are sometimes nothing more than an elaborate advertising campaign for the DVD release.

This was already happening even before DVD became popular. It results from two trends: (1) a change in films distribution patterns, so that films now open in simultanouesly in thousands of theaters accompanied by a media blitz that may cost almost as much as the film itself; and (2) the move to video sales instead of rentals, which started with VHS. In effect, studios realized that it made more sense to get the video out while the public still remembered the pricey PR for the film.
M.