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Topic: Stupid Movie Title?

Alex Grueneberg
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 125
From: Chicago, IL
Registered: Aug 2004

posted 01-26-2006 12:55 AM

"Excuse me sir? What's 'Lets see it in THX' about?"

[Frown]

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Allison Parsons
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 630
From: East Peoria, IL
Registered: Oct 2004

posted 01-26-2006 02:05 AM

Maybe they should have changed the title at Sundance from Thank You For Smoking to Thank You To The Booth Op Who Cut Out Katie Holme's Sex Scene...

But seriously, we have not put up the poster because (in my opinion) is one of the worst teaser poster's I've seen in a long time and doesn't even give you the slightest clue what it's about. Plus we just don't have room for it in the poster cases right now.

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Martin Brooks
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 900
From: Forest Hills, NY, USA
Registered: May 2002

posted 01-26-2006 05:47 PM

quote: Claude S. Ayakawa
Martin,

Go back and read my post again regarding the ticket taker telling me about the confusion the movie poster has caused with some of the people who have seen it. Just by the fact that the thread "Rant On Stupid Customers" at the Ground Level forum has 477 post as of tonight indicates that you are very optimistic about the mentality of some of the people who frequent movie theatres.

-Claude

While I might agree that there are plenty of stupid customers (although if you review that Forum, you'll see that there also some really stupid people posting), are you proposing that we operate a move theater (or other aspects of society) based on the most stupid people who attend? People that stupid or ignorant don't need a poster to light up, they'll do it anyway. Besides, I'd bet that most people read the poster as "Thank you for not smoking." It's like the old trick where you put the word "and" at the end of the first line and at the beginning of the 2nd line and ask someone to read it. No one ever catches both incidences of "and".

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 01-26-2006 07:41 PM

quote: Anslem Rayburn
Don't have the poster up, but I would fail to see the confusion. If it's put up in a poster case, like other movie posters, then what the heck is confusing?

quote: Ryan Navaroli
I think it would be easy to confuse it between a poster and a message. Poster cases are used for things like anti-piracy messages and advertisement for DTS etc.

The Thank You For Smoking teaser poster does have some potential for causing confusion. I say the poster does for many of the ways it differs from other movie posters. First, it does look like a huge ADA-compliant information sign. Most teaser posters have a huge actor head plopped on there with all wrinkles and liver spots perfectly Photoshopped clean. This one has no egomaniac on display. The poster also has little in the way of any credits, digital sound logos, MPAA ratings spam, etc.

And then of couse those poster cases can be filled with items other than movie poster one sheets as others have noted.

quote: Martin Brooks
While I might agree that there are plenty of stupid customers (although if you review that Forum, you'll see that there also some really stupid people posting), are you proposing that we operate a move theater (or other aspects of society) based on the most stupid people who attend?

In the case of this problem, I say yes, definitely take into account the potential actions of stupid people. People will get disgusted if you fart in the lobby. But farts, as far as I know, aren't possible triggers to make some people have an asthma attack. Cigarette smoke is a potential trigger.

quote: Martin Brooks
People that stupid or ignorant don't need a poster to light up, they'll do it anyway.

Agreed. But I think idiots like that need a large bucket of ice water thrown in their face when they light up. It's too bad theater employees can't do that.

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Anslem Rayburn
Master Film Handler

Posts: 476
From: Yuma, AZ, USA
Registered: May 2002

posted 01-28-2006 06:12 AM

quote: Bobby Henderson
The Thank You For Smoking teaser poster does have some potential for causing confusion. I say the poster does for many of the ways it differs from other movie posters. First, it does look like a huge ADA-compliant information sign. Most teaser posters have a huge actor head plopped on there with all wrinkles and liver spots perfectly Photoshopped clean. This one has no egomaniac on display. The poster also has little in the way of any credits, digital sound logos, MPAA ratings spam, etc.

And then of couse those poster cases can be filled with items other than movie poster one sheets as others have noted.

I guess I don't get it because we don't use the poster cases for anything other than movie posters. It would be in between "Pirates of the Carribean 2" and "Superman", so everyone coming into my lobby (and we have our fair share of 'special' guests) would just look at it as another movie poster. Couple our use of poster cases for actual movie posters with our prominent 'No Smoking' signs on our front doors, and confusion is side-stepped.

**Disclaimer: We have the trailer (which is friggin' fantastic) playing on a few screens right now, but we still don't display the poster. Plenty of other things that are more likely to make us money to put up at the moment.**

So I have no first-hand knowledge about the poster's effect on the smoking habits of our guests. But I am lighting a cigarette as I type this to keep my head from busting out through my eyes, nose, and ears, so take it for what it's worth ($5 a pack, and a healthy dislike for SIN taxes).

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Jon Morgan
Film Handler

Posts: 60
From: Raleigh, NC
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 01-30-2006 04:06 PM

I've seen the poster in three or four theaters and have, surprisingly, managed to not light up right in the middle of the lobby. Amazing, I know.

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Jeremy Jorgenson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1002
From: Chicago, IL, USA
Registered: Feb 2005

posted 02-05-2006 12:24 AM

Fox has released a second poster. I put it up at work, no more confusion about whether it's a suggestion or a movie title [Big Grin]

(though - as I mentioned before - we never actually had any problems with customers thinking that).

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Ryan Navaroli
Film Handler

Posts: 63
From: Athens, OH, USA
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 02-05-2006 07:19 PM

The trailer is hilarious, I can't wait for this film to come out we have it booked for April 7th already. I believe it will be big in our town and with the college kids. The second poster is great too.

As much as Fox is a marketing pimp, they know how to work the game. Anyone who saw the teaser is really going to remember it when they see this new one. Kudos to mega-FOX as I am their marketing whore.

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Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 02-25-2006 11:25 PM

I went to the Kapolei to see "FIREWALL" this afternoon and in the case where the "THANK YOU FOR SMOKING" poster was, there is a new one for the movie and it was all newly redesigned and now looks like a advertisement for a movie. I like it very much and it made me consider seeing the movie when it is released. Fox must have caught a lot of flack from theatres owners and the public to have them redesign the poster.

-Claude

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Jeremy Jorgenson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1002
From: Chicago, IL, USA
Registered: Feb 2005

posted 02-26-2006 12:56 PM

I doubt it. I think it was just a matter of going from a teaser to a final version ... not all that odd really, plenty of teasers are completely different designs from the final version.

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Ryan Navaroli
Film Handler

Posts: 63
From: Athens, OH, USA
Registered: Nov 2005

posted 02-26-2006 11:00 PM

I agree, I think the two combined is a powerful marketing strategy. More powerful of a teaser than like the X3 with just Wolverines claws, that makes you think about it but the effect gain as far as interest for the movie when the final poster comes out will be less then that of Thank You for Smokings.

Has anyone seen the post cards for this movie "Great Momments in Spin" they are pretty hilarious. Again, not directly related to the promoing of the movie but it gets you thinking. One of them has Bush saying something like "Now lets get this straight, when we talk about war we are really talking about peace." and Johnny Cochran "If the gloves don't fit, you must acquit."

Also the standee is again back to the misleading teaser poster graphic but they added the actors names at the top and all the hooplah on the bottom to make it seeem more like a movie ad. So maybe some of the flack caught on or maybe they were just ready to reveal a little more.

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