First of all, Fox is just not having a good day. In the launch of their new pilot program to offer bare bones DVDs for rental outlets (and full fledged special editions to buying consumers), they apparently accidentally mailed thousands of rental copies of Slumdog Millionaire to customers who had actually purchased the disc through Amazon and what not. Sometimes, it's just not your day.More on the X-Men Origins: Wolverine leak. Apparently, Fox is out in force screaming at the top of their lungs that A) it's an incomplete version with missing music, FX, and allegedly unedited scenes, and B) it may contain a super virus that will kill your first born children if you watch the movie (not true, it would seem). Which is pretty much what I told them to do this morning (because of course, Tom Rothman reads Mendelson's Memos). As I mentioned in the previous post, if the movie was terrible, then immediate suspicion would fall on Fox for leaking it to create an excuse for box office under performance. At the time, I was just tossing it out there. But, as a friend correctly noted, this could be a form of insurance fraud. If Fox has insured the film from all matter of maladies, could they cash in said insurance policy if they can somehow convince the carriers that the film flopped because of third-party criminal action?
As it is, if the film is a hit anyway, then this becomes a goofy embarrassment. If the film flops, especially on opening weekend, the leak becomes one of the biggest entertainment stories of the year, period. Oddly enough, we now likely have every studio in Hollywood hoping and praying that Wolverine pulls in $60 million or more next month. If it only pulls in $40 million or less, then every studio will start to panic. As far as consequences, the only people responsible for this are the ones who leaked it, period. If Fox wants to publicly crucify them, then so be it. But, if Fox cracks down on critics and press screenings and/or public paid screenings, then there will be a huge press backlash. Either way, this is going to be a very interesting month in the fall out.
Scott Mendelson
5 comments:
I agree Mendel, Having found my copy in a box on the side of the road, I can say even without all the completed special fx the movie is better than X2 and X3. The movie never really plods along which is nice for a change in comic book films. The love interest is there but is never dwelled upon. There are some "flow" issues, such as when they are in Vietnam then 6 years later they are being chased by a hummer, but that is a minor complaint and will not distract from the fact that they made a very decent summer film.
This leak is nothing like when "A Man Apart" was leaked way early and then did horribly in the theaters. This movie is actually good and should not suffer one bit from early views. Example: "Taken" was leaked in August 2008 when the original release date was Sept 2008 but is still the highest grossing film of 2009.
Hollywood likes to whine and cry when this happens but Joe America in Montana wouldn't have access to it if people working on the film didn't leak it to him.
Bottom line, when a good movie gets leaked it doesn't hurt ticket sales, when a bad movie gets leaked sales take a huge hit (as they should).
Music and movies are still the only thing in this workd that you can't preview or return for yoru money back if the product is bad. I buy chair at the store and it isn't comfortable as it says it should be or the color is wrong I can return it but if I go see a "fantastic film", so described by critics in the pockets of Hollywood, and I find it to be sub-par I'm just screwed. How many of us wouldn't love to have their money back after watching horrible films such as, "When Mars Attacks", "Battlefield Earth", "Showgirls" and anything directed by Uwe Bolle?
You know, it's sort of weird -- I've been reading this same type of "blanketed praise" that Walwus gave the film on forum boards all over the internet. Is Fox PR working overtime to fix the cataclysmic mess that is this movie?
I wish I could work for FOX and be in their PR department but alas, I am merely a lowly servant in the Logistics Industry. I'm curious, what about it did you find to be a mess?
The third act is a complete disaster and textbook example of how to completely ruin a movie that was good/okay through the first two-thirds. The best part of the film is the opening credits, and it's all downhill from there. With finished effects, additional scenes and so on, this movie's top potential is to be as good as X3 was. And personally, I thought X3 was a total turd. With the praise you're heaping on it I have a hard time believing you don't work for the company.
I agree Mendel, Having found my copy in a box on the side of the road, I can say even without all the completed special fx the movie is better than X2 and X3. The movie never really plods along which is nice for a change in comic book films. The love interest is there but is never dwelled upon. There are some "flow" issues, such as when they are in Vietnam then 6 years later they are being chased by a hummer, but that is a minor complaint and will not distract from the fact that they made a very decent summer film.
This leak is nothing like when "A Man Apart" was leaked way early and then did horribly in the theaters. This movie is actually good and should not suffer one bit from early views. Example: "Taken" was leaked in August 2008 when the original release date was Sept 2008 but is still the highest grossing film of 2009.
Hollywood likes to whine and cry when this happens but Joe America in Montana wouldn't have access to it if people working on the film didn't leak it to him.
Bottom line, when a good movie gets leaked it doesn't hurt ticket sales, when a bad movie gets leaked sales take a huge hit (as they should).
Music and movies are still the only thing in this workd that you can't preview or return for yoru money back if the product is bad. I buy chair at the store and it isn't comfortable as it says it should be or the color is wrong I can return it but if I go see a "fantastic film", so described by critics in the pockets of Hollywood, and I find it to be sub-par I'm just screwed. How many of us wouldn't love to have their money back after watching horrible films such as, "When Mars Attacks", "Battlefield Earth", "Showgirls" and anything directed by Uwe Bolle?
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