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Author Topic: What do you do with risqué posters? Melanie Loggins Expert Film Handler Posts: 154 From: Wayne, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2011 posted 08-20-2011 07:31 PM                        My theatre is in a very small, fairly conservative town. And maybe this issue will be resolved for me in the next few months. But the poster for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? Yeah, there is no way I can put that out front. Surely I'm not the one with this situation? What do you do?  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 08-20-2011 08:07 PM                     ...don't put it up. Put up stuff that is appealing, not offensive.  |  IP: Logged Ed Forth Film Handler Posts: 11 From: Syracuse, NY, USA Registered: Jul 2010 posted 08-20-2011 08:26 PM                        Agreed, you're under no obligation to advertise studio's movies if it will upset your customers  |  IP: Logged Melanie Loggins Expert Film Handler Posts: 154 From: Wayne, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2011 posted 08-20-2011 08:31 PM                        I totally hear you. But.... but... I'm excited about this movie! And our posters out front are a huge part of our advertising. (We're on Main Street, USA.) Sigh.  |  IP: Logged Justin Hamaker Film God Posts: 2253 From: Lakeport, CA USA Registered: Jan 2004 posted 08-20-2011 08:42 PM                        How do they handle displaying magazines with risqué covers in the grocery store? We've had the bus shelter size of that poster up in the hallway to our auditoriums for about a month now and we haven't had a single complaint. Even though this town in not as conservative as yours, we still have conservative customers who would say something if they objected to the poster. My personal feeling is that if I'll be playing the movie, I'll display the poster. Unless the content is explicitly graphic, I feel that most people will accept that it's just advertising. That being said, I am far more conservative about what I'll program on our lobby trailer reel. I didn't run Friends with Benefits because the content of the trailer was not appropriate for the mixed crowd that passes through the lobby.  |  IP: Logged Martin McCaffery Film God Posts: 2481 From: Montgomery, AL Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-20-2011 09:16 PM                        Hang it up, see what happens. You'd be surprised how little people care. Ok just looked at the poster and will stick with the same advice, but if you feel the need to, just slap a COMING SOON strip over whatever you think is too risque  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-20-2011 11:39 PM                        Is this the poster: If so, I can see where that might cause some problems. I agree with Martin, put a "coming soon" snipe across the naughty bits. (I'm surprised that got past the CARA.) This poster continues the current, stupid trend of not putting the movie title on the poster. I still fail to see why they do this. WHY spend millions of dollars to market a movie and then not put the title on the damn poster? Even Disney, which has an expert marketing department, has fallen into this dopey pattern. At least this one has the website, which sort of gives the title but a lot of them don't even have that.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 08-21-2011 06:05 AM                        Do what they do with magazines in the grocery; use a brown bag (with the ragged edge)to cover the lower part. This will have 2 results: 1. Problem solved and 2. the imagination will sell the film. Hollywood should have made it that way. Louis  |  IP: Logged Edward Havens Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 614 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Mar 2008 posted 08-21-2011 11:29 AM                     Mike, I believe that is the international version of the poster. The American version has more shadow around her breast area, and I believe his arm has been moved lower. But still, pretty risque. I can tell you what we do at my theatre, which is in a very conservative area... we have yet to put the Dragon Tattoo poster up, and we will not put this version up. End of story. Whether it's The Expendables or Machete or Dragon Tattoo, if it's filled with violent or sexual imagery, it doesn't go up. If the studio can't send a clean poster, it doesn't go up. End of story. I've had many discussions with distributors' exhibitor relations people, and they understand we will not help peddle their wares if they can't cooperate. Not that Dragon Tattoo is going to need a lot of promoting.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-21-2011 01:29 PM                     The American version features Daniel Craig's arm in the same position (it's the same photo). The 12-21-11 date is set at a very large size over the middle of the poster. Parts of the numerals cover up Rooney Mara's nipples. Do a Google Image search on "dragon tattoo poster." You'll see numerous examples of the poster.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-21-2011 01:55 PM                        So this is the one in question. I wouldn't have a problem putting this one up. I don't think it'd cause problems here, at least. It's still a stupid poster though, without the title.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-21-2011 02:44 PM                     Sometimes taking a restrained approach and making the ad statement into a riddle of sorts can do more to get attention. In this case, it's still pretty obvious this is an American re-make of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The web site URL pretty much says what it is. Another advantage of teaser posters: sometimes they can be more effective due to a far more simplified image. Standard movie posters can be a cluttered mess with all the credits, tag lines, various floating heads of actors, etc. Clutter turns into visual static that's easier to ignore. Refining an ad to a more simplified visual statement can allow it to "project" far faster and at greater viewing distances. Brands like McDonald's, Target and Starbucks can get away with using only their trademark icons and ditch the lettering. I see a lot of McDonald's high rise signs that have no lettering at all, just the golden arches. Most movies don't have the same level of "brand equity." However, with the way Hollywood loves to re-make and re-package everything and take fewer and fewer chances on completely new movies it's not hard to use the subliminal title-free approach on an already familiar property -like a new re-imaging of Spiderman or something.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Garman Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: Toledo, OH USA Registered: Mar 2003 posted 08-21-2011 05:35 PM                     That is a pretty risqué poster for the States since everyone is such a prude. Personally, I think it's fantastic. AJG  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 08-21-2011 06:28 PM                        I honestly didn't think it the laws of physics would allow it, but they somehow found an even uglier actress than the one in the original. The poster MUST show the boobs, otherwise people would think "That's a man, man!" I am quite serious about that. People might think it was "The Slightly Androgynous Man with the Dragon Tattoo". Also, I didn't even know the old guy in the back was Daniel Craig until someone mentioned it.  |  IP: Logged Jerome Holmes Film Handler Posts: 35 From: San Jose, Ca Registered: Nov 2008 posted 08-21-2011 06:33 PM                     You can even put a "film not yet rated" snipe across it. If its the first one, it will cover the bits you dont want, if its the second one, it can cover underneath the breasts to hide the blatant fact that she's actually naked. (they did it for us from the distrib)  |  IP: Logged

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