Miles Ahead

The marketing feels a little disjointed at times – the trailer has an interesting flow that takes a couple viewings to really get – and there’s no real consistency between the various elements. But regardless of some issues with the execution it all works in the direction of selling a movie that has a unique and interesting point of view and story. Cheadle is, of course, the centerpiece here in a push that sells the movie as a buddy caper that just so happens to involve a musical legend.

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Everybody Wants Some

I do feel, though, as if the campaign may be working at cross-purposes to the movie itself. If it’s not being missold, which I don’t think it necessarily is, it does seem as if it pulls out some aspects of the movie like the party atmosphere at the expense of others. After all, if we’re really saying this is “spiritual sequel” to Dazed and Confused, it’s necessary to look back at how much heart that movie had, something that’s lacking in the marketing for Everybody Wants Some. My guess is, based on my experience with Linklater, there’s plenty of that heart to go around, but it’s not part of what Paramount is selling here.

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