My latest post at The Hollywood Reporter is a recap of the marketing campaign for the Brad Pitt-starring drama Ad Astra. To sell the movie — not based on any existing property or material — the studio has run a campaign focused on the emotional drama of Pitt’s McBride and how he deals with his … Continue reading Selling Ad Astra
Movie Marketing Madness: War Machine
Political satire comes to Netflix with this week’s new release War Machine. Brad Pitt stars as Gen. Glen McMahon, a thinly-veiled version of the real-life Gen. Stanley McChrystal. McMahon is the latest in a series of generals tasked with managing the seemingly never-ending war in Afghanistan, sent there to win the conflict and protect those … Continue reading Movie Marketing Madness: War Machine
Movie Marketing Madness: Allied
Set in war-torn 1942, the new movie Allied is all about who you can trust and for how long. The movie stars Brad Pitt as Max Vatan, a Canadian intelligence officer stationed in North Africa. There he meets Marianne Beauséjour (Marion Cotillard), a French Resistance fighter on a mission that takes him behind enemy lines. … Continue reading Movie Marketing Madness: Allied
Movie Marketing Madness: The Big Short
There are always smarter people than you in the room. Always someone better informed, someone who can see the angles in a situation more clearly than you and figure a way to take advantage of those angeles. That’s not false humility or low self-esteem talking. It’s a survival mechanism. If you assume people are smarter … Continue reading Movie Marketing Madness: The Big Short
Movie Marketing Madness: By The Sea
There are few films more profoundly disturbing than Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe. At least to those who are married or in long-term relationships. The portrait of a marriage whose facade is beginning to crumble with disastrous, if sometimes hilarious, consequences is just rough to watch. Even putting aside Wolfe, the idea of marriages and … Continue reading Movie Marketing Madness: By The Sea
Telluride 2008 line-up reactions
There seems to be some consensus around and abouts on the Interwebz that this year's Telluride Film Festival line-up is a non-starter. Its collection of foreign films, documentaries and classic films - along with a smattering of the more usual fare - seems to fly in the face of the perception of the festival as … Continue reading Telluride 2008 line-up reactions
Mr. and Mrs. Smith – Marketing Recap
Brief Take Make no mistake, the core of this movie's advertising was not done via traditional means. Instead it was done on the covers of People and US Weekly. The poster is very cool and the trailer makes it look very slick but I can't get over the feeling that there's no soul in the … Continue reading Mr. and Mrs. Smith – Marketing Recap
Selling Ocean’s Twelve
You can read my full recap of the marketing campaign for Ocean's Twelve at Film Threat. I just recently watched the first installment, having never seen it before but figuring I should before diving into the campaign for its sequel. “Eleven” is a fast-paced quick witted movie with a loose, jazzy feel that, quite frankly, … Continue reading Selling Ocean’s Twelve
Chris Thilk 