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Topic: Disney's Overkill

Tom Ferreira
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 203
From: Conway, NH, USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-23-1999 09:23 PM

I received my print of Toy Story 2 last evening, and blew a gasket when I read the memo in the can-five trailers and a short subject-all mandatory placement. I timed them at 16 minutes before the feature even starts! What the hell are they thinking?
It's bad enough to put so many trailers on a childrens' film, but two of them(Mission To Mars and Bicentennial Man), are in my opinion totally inappropriate for a G-Rated film. If you've seen the Bicentennial Man trailer, you know what I'm talking about. There are parents who take their children to G-Rated films only. I don't think they'll appreciate the phrase "I think it sucks."
Also, is it really such a big deal to put frame lines on trailers? I wouldn't think so.
While I'm ranting about the Mouse House, I called exhibitor relations yesterday to find out if they could provide some one sheets for us to give out in trade for our Christmas canned food drive. I was given a curt reply that Disney does not provide promotional materials for charities. Yeah, but I'll bet if I was doing a media promotion that helped put more bucks in Disney's pocket, they'd send a flood of stuff.
I've heard horror stories about BV pulling prints and the like. With their attitude and greediness, I don't doubt it. I don't dare not play all those trailers-I sure they've got blind checkers everywhere to make sure they squeeze out every dime they can.

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Tyler Skinner
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 115
From: Pa
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 11-23-1999 09:31 PM

What can they do if we don't attach a trailer?

I also Agree with you, the trailer pack I built for it clocked in at 18 minutes with policy. As much as I like Pixar, I think a 5 minute trailer for Dinosaurs is a bit rediculous. And of course we have to put Tigger and Stuart Little on every G-rated film. I was pissed when I saw Pokemon, Stuart Little and Tigger on Straight Story for gods sake its not a kids movie!!!

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Mark Fontana
Film Handler

Posts: 13
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 12-02-1999 05:58 PM

Dinosaur is not a Pixar film; rather, it is a mix of live action and computer animation made by Disney Feature Animation's own CG department (which recently renamed itself "The Secret Lab").

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-04-1999 12:53 PM

What can Disney Do??

They can pull your prints and ban you for six months! NO DISNEY FILMS = NO MONEY!

At the 6-plex where I trained, they had a show of Little Mermaid that Disney said had to play at 6:00. Well, the 'checker' came in and saw that it started at 6:05 and the very next morning the phone was ringing. It was Disney threatening to do just that!

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Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 12-04-1999 02:05 PM

Disney might threaten this, but I doubt they would back it up... Espically with a major company...

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 12-04-1999 02:29 PM

You're probably right. But the hassle still isn't worth it.

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 07-17-2001 07:35 PM

Of course, of course, Disney loves to do the Overkill!

102 Dalmatians -- hyped to death, trailer began running in June. Met its match by Mr. Grinch.

Pearl Harbor -- hyped to death, $75M over Memorial Day, big dropoff every week after that. Gone by the Fourth of July.

Atlantis -- New York exclusive advertised to death, does worse than Moulin Rouge. Goes national opposite Tomb Raider and gets sunk.

Tyler S: Which chain mandated "only kid movie trailers" for The Straight Story? Loews New Brunswick (New Jersey) ran it with a more appropriate trailer pack -- Fantasia 2000 (Y2K/IMAX premiere), Toy Story 2, Anna and the King, Cradle Will Rock. AFAIK Cradle Will Rock was the attached trailer.

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Jesse Skeen
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1517
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 07-18-2001 05:19 AM

The place I used to work at tended to get complaints about trailer content on anything remotely considered a 'family film', so we'd sometimes make a note if something was rated G to be REAL careful about what trailers were put on it- sounds like they were just playing it safe, at least Tigger doesn't say "This sucks!"
Kinda funny how G-rated films get the same sort of stigma X-rated films did- if it's rated G it's a kids movie, and if it's X then it's porn. That's why light profanity is put in some movies to get a PG rating instead of G- "ET" did this.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 07-18-2001 12:53 PM

I think it's kinda funny that they are promoting "The Princess Diaries" (rated G) as being FROM THE DIRECTOR OF PRETTY WOMAN ... an R-rated movie about a $3,000 hooker! There's some kind of twisted message here, but I'm not sure what it is.

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 07-18-2001 03:25 PM

Jesse, Mike B: To keep this topic from drifting I've started a thread in Film-Yak called "G-rated movies that aren't 'family fare'."

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