Cinematic Slant

Cinematic Slant is where I write about movies, including the campaign recaps I’ve been doing since 2004 along with other news and opinions.

Gringo – Marketing Recap: It’s Oyelowo that really jumps out in the campaign and it’s him that provides the strongest reason to see the movie. Everyone else is having fun, but seeing he has comedic chops (as well as Edgerton) is a breath of fresh air as these two are usually associated with much more formal dramas. Amazon isn’t selling it as a stoner comedy – no one actually smokes pot or is seen as being under the influence- it’s just a violent farce.

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Thoroughbreds – Marketing Recap: I like the nasty, violent attitude that comes through throughout the campaign as it shows the two girls taking on a problem in the only way their bored minds can fathom. While it has some festival buzz (that’s a year old) in its favor, it also comes amidst a slew of such films.

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A Wrinkle In Time – Marketing Recap: There are some mild quibbles I could make with the campaign – I wanted more of Meg’s story that didn’t just involve her running away from CGI destruction – but you can’t argue with the overall message, which is that smart girls are going to save the day. That’s what’s being conveyed here and it’s…like…super-different from anything else that’s being peddled out there right now.

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The Leisure Seeker – Marketing Recap: The message being sent to the audience – at least those who actually be exposed to the campaign – is that this is a gentle story about two feisty old folks who are deeply in love but who refuse to give in to the calls to tone their lives down. That’s fine, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that there’s something else waiting for those who do find the movie near them.

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MoviePass Flexes Its Muscles: (MoviePass CEO) Lowe obviously feels he has the upper hand here, that the company has weathered its first couple storms, has some momentum and will leverage that to do what it will. Unfortunately for him, the waters aren’t quite as smooth ahead as he seems to think for a number of reasons.

The Death of Stalin – Marketing Recap: Look, I’m all in for political satire. Fire up Wag the Dog or something and I’m on board. So this hits me right where I live, presenting a sharp-tongued, funny take on the deadly stakes politicians often play for, represented here quite literally. Put that concept in the hands of actors like Isaacs (who doesn’t often get to play comedy), Buscemi and others and I’m sold in a big, big way.

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Adweek

Rating This Year’s Oscars, From Movie Marketing to #MeToo: This year’s awards also arrive at an interesting time for the film industry, which is weathering a bevy of internal and external market forces. So it’s worth looking at how the movies that won or lost, as well as the broadcast of the ceremony, reflected and addressed some of those issues.

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Freelance

How Bluecore uses AI to help retailers deliver marketing that *doesn’t* annoy people: One of the biggest challenges for marketers is that marketing — if it’s irrelevant and everywhere — often annoys customers. So Bluecore is applying advancements in machine learning and AI to help clients deliver a seamless user experience that people actually want.

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Chris Thilk is a freelance writer and content strategist who lives in the Chicago suburbs.