Comments on: The Wackness in July 2008?! http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/ Blogging the Reel World Thu, 4 Dec 2008 22:01:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Method Man brings The Wackness « STREET KNOWLEDGE MEDIA http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-232106 Method Man brings The Wackness « STREET KNOWLEDGE MEDIA Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:24:49 +0000 http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-232106 [...] The Sundance Film Festival favorite The Wackness now has an official release date. Sony Pictures Classics will be releasing the film that features Method Man as a Rastafarian drug dealer on July 2nd, 2008. The indie movie is set in 1994, features a great 90’s hip-hop soundtrack and is about a troubled teenage drug dealer who trades pot for therapy sessions with a drug-addled psychiatrist. The two form an unlikely friendship, but things get complicated when the kid falls for the doctor’s daughter. Movie also stars Ben Kingsley, Famke Janssen and my favorite “Full House” troll-girl Mary Kate Olsen.Meth should promote his new album with Redman while he’s at it. Via: Slashfilm [...] [...] The Sundance Film Festival favorite The Wackness now has an official release date. Sony Pictures Classics will be releasing the film that features Method Man as a Rastafarian drug dealer on July 2nd, 2008. The indie movie is set in 1994, features a great 90’s hip-hop soundtrack and is about a troubled teenage drug dealer who trades pot for therapy sessions with a drug-addled psychiatrist. The two form an unlikely friendship, but things get complicated when the kid falls for the doctor’s daughter. Movie also stars Ben Kingsley, Famke Janssen and my favorite “Full House” troll-girl Mary Kate Olsen.Meth should promote his new album with Redman while he’s at it. Via: Slashfilm [...]

]]> By: patrick bateman http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-220103 patrick bateman Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:25:37 +0000 http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-220103 well at least it will stay obscure and won't pull a Juno and become extremly trendy. well at least it will stay obscure and won’t pull a Juno and become extremly trendy.

]]> By: Gerry http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-219986 Gerry Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:52:26 +0000 http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-219986 The biggest problem I have with Sony Picture Classics is they never actually seem to distribute their films! Almost anything they release that I want to see never shows up in my city. I'm always forced to wait for the DVD! Thanks Sony. The biggest problem I have with Sony Picture Classics is they never actually seem to distribute their films! Almost anything they release that I want to see never shows up in my city. I’m always forced to wait for the DVD! Thanks Sony.

]]> By: Method Man’s - “The Wackness” movie « UniverSOUL Productions’ Weblog http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-219918 Method Man’s - “The Wackness” movie « UniverSOUL Productions’ Weblog Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:00:21 +0000 http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-219918 [...] The Sundance Film Festival favorite The Wackness now has an official release date. Sony Pictures Classics will be releasing the film that features Method Man as a Rastafarian drug dealer on July 2nd, 2008. The indie movie is set in 1994, features a great 90’s hip-hop soundtrack and is about a troubled teenage drug dealer who trades pot for therapy sessions with a drug-addled psychiatrist. The two form an unlikely friendship, but things get complicated when the kid falls for the doctor’s daughter. Movie also stars Ben Kingsley, Famke Janssen and my favorite “Full House” troll-girl Mary Kate Olsen.Meth should promote his new album with Redman while he’s at it. Via: Slashfilm  [...] [...] The Sundance Film Festival favorite The Wackness now has an official release date. Sony Pictures Classics will be releasing the film that features Method Man as a Rastafarian drug dealer on July 2nd, 2008. The indie movie is set in 1994, features a great 90’s hip-hop soundtrack and is about a troubled teenage drug dealer who trades pot for therapy sessions with a drug-addled psychiatrist. The two form an unlikely friendship, but things get complicated when the kid falls for the doctor’s daughter. Movie also stars Ben Kingsley, Famke Janssen and my favorite “Full House” troll-girl Mary Kate Olsen.Meth should promote his new album with Redman while he’s at it. Via: Slashfilm  [...]

]]> By: Brian Rodden http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-219729 Brian Rodden Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:17:25 +0000 http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-219729 Why do you think Sony Pictures Classics does such a bad job marketing their films? I'm worried about the Wackness not getting the business and the recognition it deserves. Why do you think Sony Pictures Classics does such a bad job marketing their films? I’m worried about the Wackness not getting the business and the recognition it deserves.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-219719 Anonymous Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:03:15 +0000 http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-219719 I didn't realize that about Juno, I figured But also I think you have to look at the individual movies that Fox Searchlight released. Virtually all of them had well known actors and most had budgets twice the size of Juno in the 10 - 20 million dollar range (things like Waitress, The Darjeeling Limited, The Savages, The Namesake, I Think I Love My Wife, The Hills Have Eyes II). But Sony Pictures Classics put out movies like Angel-A, Paprika, Offside, etc. that each had a budget of under a million dollars, some of them even under $250k. Obviously, with a campaign like Juno, Fox Searchlight was successful with their returns, but unfortunately I think you have to look at this as being a case of being like (kidding again) Michael Bay where you have to spend money to make money. Waitress had more than Transformers like budget and star power when compared to Offside Literally like 200 times the budget). It's just a totally different realm of independent filmmaking. When you are talking about that type of difference with budget and cast, I'm not sure it can really be attributed to the production company and their campaign. And how many documentaries can really have theatrical success a year and make a few million dollars? 2007 already had Sicko and No End In Sight. I didn’t realize that about Juno, I figured

But also I think you have to look at the individual movies that Fox Searchlight released. Virtually all of them had well known actors and most had budgets twice the size of Juno in the 10 - 20 million dollar range (things like Waitress, The Darjeeling Limited, The Savages, The Namesake, I Think I Love My Wife, The Hills Have Eyes II).

But Sony Pictures Classics put out movies like Angel-A, Paprika, Offside, etc. that each had a budget of under a million dollars, some of them even under $250k.

Obviously, with a campaign like Juno, Fox Searchlight was successful with their returns, but unfortunately I think you have to look at this as being a case of being like (kidding again) Michael Bay where you have to spend money to make money. Waitress had more than Transformers like budget and star power when compared to Offside Literally like 200 times the budget). It’s just a totally different realm of independent filmmaking. When you are talking about that type of difference with budget and cast, I’m not sure it can really be attributed to the production company and their campaign.

And how many documentaries can really have theatrical success a year and make a few million dollars? 2007 already had Sicko and No End In Sight.

]]> By: Peter Sciretta http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-219695 Peter Sciretta Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:36:57 +0000 http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-219695 Anonymous: the 2007 numbers I provided only include the revenue made during the 2007 calenday year. Even without Juno’s $26 million, Searchlight made $105 million with 14 films in 2007, compared to Sony which made $39 million with 23 films. Do I think Juno would have done as well if released in July? Probably not. 2007 was the summer of threequels and it probably wouldn't have had much of a chance. I'm not saying it wouldn't have done well, maybe 20-30 mill, but it would not be the juggernaut it is today. But then again, Fox Searchlight knows how to market a movie, Sony Pictures Classics does not. Look at the films that Sony Pictures Classics released in 2007 and you’ll see a lot of good films with a lot of wasted potential. My Kid Could Paint That was one of the best documentaries of the year, and could have been marketed as a quasi-mainstream documentary. SPC made only $213,000. I’m possitive if Picturehouse or Searchlight released the same film, they would have at least made a few million dollars. Anonymous: the 2007 numbers I provided only include the revenue made during the 2007 calenday year. Even without Juno’s $26 million, Searchlight made $105 million with 14 films in 2007, compared to Sony which made $39 million with 23 films.

Do I think Juno would have done as well if released in July? Probably not. 2007 was the summer of threequels and it probably wouldn’t have had much of a chance. I’m not saying it wouldn’t have done well, maybe 20-30 mill, but it would not be the juggernaut it is today. But then again, Fox Searchlight knows how to market a movie, Sony Pictures Classics does not.

Look at the films that Sony Pictures Classics released in 2007 and you’ll see a lot of good films with a lot of wasted potential. My Kid Could Paint That was one of the best documentaries of the year, and could have been marketed as a quasi-mainstream documentary. SPC made only $213,000. I’m possitive if Picturehouse or Searchlight released the same film, they would have at least made a few million dollars.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-219679 Anonymous Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:20:17 +0000 http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/02/28/the-wackness-in-july-2008/#comment-219679 Some interesting thoughts Peter, though I'd argue that the numbers were warped a little by the individual movies (your darling Juno taking in the vast bulk of the Searchlight numbers plus a built in audience sequel... combined with the fact that no one was going to see Youth Without Youth.... the premise combined with fairly negative buzz killed that one, and while it was his first film in 10 years, I think he'd need to do something much much more mainstream and appealing to bank off his name... his movies in the 90s weren't very well received either). Little Miss Sunshine still came out right up against a lot of big movies that failed to meet expectations like Miami Vice, Lady In the Water, Monster House, etc. plus Talladega Nights. Do you think Juno would have done nearly as well if it had been released in late July? It's really frustrating and sad that the focus on awards have really forced "quality" movies to be released pretty much solely in the final quarter of the year and that just makes it more irritating that summer blockbusters like the stuff from that hack Michael Bay (kidding) end up really dictating the rules of the movie business across the board. Some interesting thoughts Peter, though I’d argue that the numbers were warped a little by the individual movies (your darling Juno taking in the vast bulk of the Searchlight numbers plus a built in audience sequel… combined with the fact that no one was going to see Youth Without Youth…. the premise combined with fairly negative buzz killed that one, and while it was his first film in 10 years, I think he’d need to do something much much more mainstream and appealing to bank off his name… his movies in the 90s weren’t very well received either).

Little Miss Sunshine still came out right up against a lot of big movies that failed to meet expectations like Miami Vice, Lady In the Water, Monster House, etc. plus Talladega Nights. Do you think Juno would have done nearly as well if it had been released in late July?

It’s really frustrating and sad that the focus on awards have really forced “quality” movies to be released pretty much solely in the final quarter of the year and that just makes it more irritating that summer blockbusters like the stuff from that hack Michael Bay (kidding) end up really dictating the rules of the movie business across the board.

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