Two Movie Advertisements of (Dubious) Note
Monday, December 23, 2013 at 9:00AM Cheers to Carefee Black Girl who is Italy and had the smarts to snap this incredibly unfortunate 12 Years a Slave poster. Yes, Brad sells tickets but at what price to a film's soul?
Fox Searchlight isn't in charge of Italian distribution (IMDb doesn't say who is exactly though distributors are listed for France and Spain and a few other countries) but this just puts an unfortunate visual to the snarksters who originally attacked the movie with the "Brad Pitt solves slavery" tag when the movie first became our frontrunner.
This second advertisement, a TV spot dubbed "Outrageous" though not, unfortunately "Outrageous!!!" for August: Osage County speaks for itself.
In a language we are not familiar with. Give us subtitles to understand the huhwazzit and the why of what we are seeing here? Why this ad now? Especially when the jingly music suggests a Christmas day opening that is no more. It's now opening on the 27th.
Reader Comments (18)
Wow and Wow!
That poster is just too much. I know you love Brad and the movie, but I just wasn't convinced with his short appearance. It should have a been different actor.
They're really going for the comedy thing with August. I can't think of a bitterest play.
Wow... Anything to get them in the seats...
I sort of can't stop staring at this LOL It's just ridiculous.
...in which Chiwetel Ejiofor attempts to run away with the movie in such a way that we ignore the glaring miscasting of his producer, a struggle we have depicted here.
Or it could be a movie in which Solomon is running away from Pitt's distracting star presence.
Yeah, 12 YEARS was great, but Pitt's appearance really was quite distracting for me and my friends. Other than Solomon's devastating final line and that harrowing hanging scene, Pitt's miscasting was the topic of choice with my group of friends.
Once again, the white man entitles himself to an exalted status, to the detriment of a man of color.
Hold up, we have no info Brad Pitt personally designed this poster--someone somewhere (in Italy?) made a bad call. Rob, I understand your frustration, but I think your remark is somewhat unfair.
I think the poster shows Chiwetel running towards his love, which is Brad.
By the way, I didn't much like Pitt in the movie, but his character was quite banal so I don't think I would have liked anyone in the part.
I really should be invited to speak on the podcast. I'm so much better when I can be verbally combative instead of having my words picked at and challenged. Perpetually misunderstood over things besides the fucking point.
L*O*L
Please, Nathaniel, don't invite 3rtful!
Oof, that poster. I didn't like the scene and thought Pitt was awful, but if it helped the movie get financed, whatever. It's really the only major flaw in an otherwise great film.
Nat ... I totally back cal roth's banning 3rtful from a podcast
Oof, I agree with the sentiment above. I thought that 12 Years A Slave was fantastic, but the appearance and nature of Brad Pitt's character completely took me out of the film for those few short, but vital minutes.
I kind of get the Pitt poster. Italian audiences will have nothing (or almost nothing) to relate 12 years too so if promoting Pitt gets them in to see the film, more power to them. I mean, can you see American audiences flocking to a subtitled/dubbed film about 19th century Italian societal problems without the promise of Monica Belucci nude scenes........and even then.
But the AOC trailer looks like serious false advertising. I hope. Do they even use that music in the film? Or has the Italian distrib recut the film a la Grandmaster.
Henry -- that music is not in the film AOC no. AND THANK GOD.
That wasn't the only one:
http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/2013/12/white-mans-burden/