list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Beverly Hills Chihuahua on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Beverly_Hills_Chihuahua/334282/default.aspx Title: Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Year: 2008
Director: Raja Gosnell
Plot: In the tradition of Babe (2005) and Charlotte's Web (2007) comes the live-action talking animal picture Beverly Hills Chihuahua, directed by Scooby Doo vet Raja Gosnell. Chloe (voice of Drew Barrymore) is a pampered Chihuahua from Beverly Hills who spends most of her time riding around in her owner's (Piper Perabo) purse. When she gets accidentally separated from her "mobile home" on a trip to Mexico, she must rely on the help and kindness of strangers to find her way back; these include a hyper-romantic male Chihuahua named Papi (voice of George Lopez), and a mystical "spirit guide" (voice of Salma Hayek) who brings Chloe in touch with her doggy heritage. Cheech Marin, Paul Rodriguez, Edward James Olmos, Plácido Domingo, and other Hispanic stars provide voices for the various characters whom Chloe meets; Analisa LaBianco and Jeff Bushell co-authored the script. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 1
Number of Lists: 6
Number of blog posts: 2
Number of discussion threads: 2
]]>Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:29:03 GMTBeverly Hills Chihuahua2008Raja GosnellIn the tradition of <a href="http://www.spout.com/films/92243/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Babe</a> (2005) and <a href="http://www.spout.com/films/256182/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Charlotte's Web</a> (2007) comes the live-action talking animal picture Beverly Hills Chihuahua, directed by <a href="http://www.spout.com/films/385089/detail.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Scooby Doo</a> vet Raja Gosnell. Chloe (voice of <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P_____4289/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Drew Barrymore</a>) is a pampered Chihuahua from Beverly Hills who spends most of her time riding around in her owner's (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___271240/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Piper Perabo</a>) purse. When she gets accidentally separated from her "mobile home" on a trip to Mexico, she must rely on the help and kindness of strangers to find her way back; these include a hyper-romantic male Chihuahua named Papi (voice of <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____43209/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>George Lopez</a>), and a mystical "spirit guide" (voice of <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___199082/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Salma Hayek</a>) who brings Chloe in touch with her doggy heritage. <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___101237/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Cheech Marin</a>, <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____61029/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Paul Rodriguez</a>, <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___105065/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Edward James Olmos</a>, <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____87994/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Plácido Domingo</a>, and other Hispanic stars provide voices for the various characters whom Chloe meets; Analisa LaBianco and Jeff Bushell co-authored the script. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide1Slightly Tagged (1-5)622http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s334282.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Beverly_Hills_Chihuahua/334282/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/new_movies_WATCHMEN_and_a_Russian_take_on_12_ANGR/216/40772/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: spout
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 3/2/2009 1:12:54 PM
Body: HITTING THEATERS 3/6 Only one movie goes wide this Friday, but it's a doozy: Watchmen -- Watch trailer. Read the review on SpoutBlog. What do you think, will you watch the Watchmen? Will Mr. Snyder (300) blow it? I hope not; I love that frickin' book. Kevin Buist's review will show up on blog.spout.com Wednesday afternoon-ish. Who's your favorite character? I'd have to say Rorshach, although in real life I'm more like Nite Owl. :) And of course the Comedian's a creep, but he's almost as fun to read about as the Joker. Waiting eagerly for the Watchmen? Might as well have fun in the meantime; check out my new favorite short film, starring Will Ferrell and Craig Robinson: Bat Fight -- Watch it LIMITED RELEASE: 12 -- Watch trailer. Russian thriller about twelve jurors who must decide the fate of a Chechan teenager who murdered his father. From the Oscar-winning director Nikita Mikhalkov (Burnt by the Sun). This sounds like a badass, Russian version of 12 Angry Men, and that sounds fine to me. I'm interested. Tokyo! -- Watch trailer. Three directors: Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind), Joon-ho Bong (The Host), and Leos Carax (The Lovers on the Bridge), offer tribute to the Japanese megacity. I'm not hearing very positive things about it, but these directors make undoubtedly interesting work. Phoebe in Wonderland -- Watch clip. This Sundance alum stars Elle Fanning (yes, of the Fanning dynasty) along with Patricia Clarkson and Felicity Huffman. Photo: Dennis Quaid at the bait shop. The Horsemen -- Watch trailer. Dennis Quaid, widowed detective, finds chilling connections between himself and the victims of a serial killer who's obsessed with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I wouldn't blame you if you think it sounds like Se7en, Part Two. I don't know if the director Jonas Akerland is any good; anyone seen his movie Spun? ____________________________________________________________ NEW DVD's 3/3 The Warlords (Tau Ming Chong) -- Watch trailer. A Chinese/Hong Kong war epic. Set in 1870, a revolutionary army of religious fanatics rises to overthrow the corrupt Qing dynasty. Starring Jet Li, who is a good man fighting for the Qing, torn between his conscience and his honor. Sounds good to me! Australia -- Watch trailer. This film had its moments, but in my opinion, it was far too long to only have good moments. Ghost Town -- Watch trailer. Ricky Gervais can see dead people like Greg Kinnear. I heard it's alright. Beverly Hills Chihuahua -- Watch trailer. I am speechless. In the Electric Mist -- Watch trailer. A dark-looking detective film starring Tommy Lee Jones, John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ned Beatty, and Tom Sizemore; and it's adapted from a book by James Lee Burke, a masterful mystery writer. So what could go wrong? I don't know, but I don't remember this hitting theaters at all. And Stargate fans: The movies Ark of Truth and Continuum come out on a 2-disc set. Me, I'd only watch them if they star Kurt Russell.
]]>Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:12:54 GMTspoutComing Soon3/2/2009 1:12:54 PMHITTING THEATERS 3/6 Only one movie goes wide this Friday, but it's a doozy: Watchmen -- Watch trailer. Read the review on SpoutBlog. What do you think, will you watch the Watchmen? Will Mr. Snyder (300) blow it? I hope not; I love that frickin' book. Kevin Buist's review will show up on blog.spout.com Wednesday afternoon-ish. Who's your favorite character? I'd have to say Rorshach, although in real life I'm more like Nite Owl. :) And of course the Comedian's a creep, but he's almost as fun to read about as the Joker. Waiting eagerly for the Watchmen? Might as well have fun in the meantime; check out my new favorite short film, starring Will Ferrell and Craig Robinson: Bat Fight -- Watch it LIMITED RELEASE: 12 -- Watch trailer. Russian thriller about twelve jurors who must decide the fate of a Chechan teenager who murdered his father. From the Oscar-winning director Nikita Mikhalkov (Burnt by the Sun). This sounds like a badass, Russian version of 12 Angry Men, and that sounds fine to me. I'm interested. Tokyo! -- Watch trailer. Three directors: Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind), Joon-ho Bong (The Host), and Leos Carax (The Lovers on the Bridge), offer tribute to the Japanese megacity. I'm not hearing very positive things about it, but these directors make undoubtedly interesting work. Phoebe in Wonderland -- Watch clip. This Sundance alum stars Elle Fanning (yes, of the Fanning dynasty) along with Patricia Clarkson and Felicity Huffman. Photo: Dennis Quaid at the bait shop. The Horsemen -- Watch trailer. Dennis Quaid, widowed detective, finds chilling connections between himself and the victims of a serial killer who's obsessed with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I wouldn't blame you if you think it sounds like Se7en, Part Two. I don't know if the director Jonas Akerland is any good; anyone seen his movie Spun? ____________________________________________________________ NEW DVD's 3/3 The Warlords (Tau Ming Chong) -- Watch trailer. A Chinese/Hong Kong war epic. Set in 1870, a revolutionary army of religious fanatics rises to overthrow the corrupt Qing dynasty. Starring Jet Li, who is a good man fighting for the Qing, torn between his conscience and his honor. Sounds good to me! Australia -- Watch trailer. This film had its moments, but in my opinion, it was far too long to only have good moments. Ghost Town -- Watch trailer. Ricky Gervais can see dead people like Greg Kinnear. I heard it's alright. Beverly Hills Chihuahua -- Watch trailer. I am speechless. In the Electric Mist -- Watch trailer. A dark-looking detective film starring Tommy Lee Jones, John Goodman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ned Beatty, and Tom Sizemore; and it's adapted from a book by James Lee Burke, a masterful mystery writer. So what could go wrong? I don't know, but I don't remember this hitting theaters at all. And Stargate fans: The movies Ark of Truth and Continuum come out on a 2-disc set. Me, I'd only watch them if they star Kurt Russell. http://www.spout.com/blogs/usesoap/archive/2008/10/20/36516.aspx Post By: usesoap
Post To: usesoap Blog
Post Date: 10/20/2008 12:47:36 PM
Body: (Note: This is actaully written as part of my newspaper review column, whose readers may not be as obsessive about their horror films as members of the Spout community, but I felt I would include it nonetheless) Let's face it, the current economic news is far more terrifying than any feature that can grace the big screen right now. For horror devotees, there's the never-ending “Saw” franchise making its fifth trip to the multiplex this weekend. And there is really only one other legitimate fright flick for it to contend with (and no, “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” and “W.” don't count). The film is “Quarantine,” which I will get to later. But first, may I suggest a few more economically friendly ways to get your scare on this season of the witch by suggesting some DVD titles that you may have overlooked. For the discernible horror fan, it's always a tough trip to the video store, where, through the magic of Photoshop, DVD covers hold promises that the crappy films inside could ever keep. Fear not, for I have sifted through mounds of gore guano and will provide you with a few under-seen flesh-crawling flicks that are created with style, substance and sufficient scares. “Them (Ils)” (2006): Forget “The Strangers,” the Liv-Tyler-headlining film released this week on DVD (actually, that's unfair, for that film does create a palpable atmosphere). The similar plot of “Them” is the standard couple-stranded -in-an-isolated-locale horror theme. But after about 15 minutes of setup, the film rarely stops to catch its breath, as a young couple relies on their wiles to elude a faceless tormentor (or tormentors?). Clocking in at less than 90 minutes, the film zips by at a frenetic pace, and while the French-made film does have subtitles, the numerous bumps, creaks, crashes and screams that pump through your surround sound need no translation. “Slither” (2006): For those who enjoy a few more chuckles to lighten the mood between scenes of terror, “Slither” is an homage to those fantastic alien invasion films of the '50s, updated with a millennial sensibility. Director James Gunn lovingly recreates a world of icky aliens, intentional humor and genuine scares. Also, look for a wonderful cameo from Gunn's real-life wife Jenna (“The Office”) Fischer. “Rogue” (2007): It's hard to convince scare skeptics to give a chance to a giant killer crocodile movie, but why are they so willing to embrace a 30-foot shark as one of the best films of all time? I'm not placing this on the same level as “Jaws,” of course, but I am saying that there are a number of effective flourishes in this film that merit it a spot on your rental list. A group of tourists in Australia get cornered by a rather rabid reptile with a taste for human flesh. “Rogue” earns its scales for treating its characters as more than just croc chum and leaving us to wonder just who will bite it next. “The Mist” in black and white (2007): Director Frank Darabont has been one of the most beloved screen collaborators of author Stephen King's work. “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Green Mile” consistently rate at the top of King's page-to-screen transfers. And while you may have witnessed this film in its brief theatrical run, or even caught it on DVD, you have not really “experienced” it until you watch it in its monochromatic glory, which is available on the two-disc collector's edition. Creating the overall mood of a classic B-movie monster movie from the '50s, the film's CGI-created creatures appear seamless, the shadows are more ominous and the overall tone just a little moodier. And finally, if you still enjoy your jolts surrounded by a roomful of strangers, there is a rather effective alternative to “Saw” still playing in local theaters. Based on a much-more-effective Spanish film called “[Rec]” (as in the “Record” button) that is not yet available on DVD, “Quarantine” is still the next best thing for a fun-filled fright night. The plot focuses on a young reporter spending the night in a firehouse for a story, and she certainly gets one when the station is called to a disturbance in a nearby apartment complex. While there, she and her cameraman capture its residents succumbing to a strange virus that causes them to be cordoned off from the general public. Even though the film is structured similarly to the single-camera style of “The Blair Witch Project” and “Cloverfield,” it does not fall victim to the “shaky-cam” shots that induced nausea for so many viewers. While the film feels more polished than its Spanish predecessor, it is still provides a number of worthwhile creeps and jolts. Purists may want to steer clear, though and wait for the DVD release, as this version is almost a shot-for-shot remake. But if you are wary of having to face Jigsaw for yet another go-round at the theater this Halloween, than “Quarantine” has more than enough bite.
]]>Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:47:36 GMTusesoapusesoap Blog10/20/2008 12:47:36 PM(Note: This is actaully written as part of my newspaper review column, whose readers may not be as obsessive about their horror films as members of the Spout community, but I felt I would include it nonetheless) Let's face it, the current economic news is far more terrifying than any feature that can grace the big screen right now. For horror devotees, there's the never-ending &ldquo;Saw&rdquo; franchise making its fifth trip to the multiplex this weekend. And there is really only one other legitimate fright flick for it to contend with (and no, &ldquo;Beverly Hills Chihuahua&rdquo; and &ldquo;W.&rdquo; don't count). The film is &ldquo;Quarantine,&rdquo; which I will get to later. But first, may I suggest a few more economically friendly ways to get your scare on this season of the witch by suggesting some DVD titles that you may have overlooked. For the discernible horror fan, it's always a tough trip to the video store, where, through the magic of Photoshop, DVD covers hold promises that the crappy films inside could ever keep. Fear not, for I have sifted through mounds of gore guano and will provide you with a few under-seen flesh-crawling flicks that are created with style, substance and sufficient scares. &ldquo;Them (Ils)&rdquo; (2006): Forget &ldquo;The Strangers,&rdquo; the Liv-Tyler-headlining film released this week on DVD (actually, that's unfair, for that film does create a palpable atmosphere). The similar plot of &ldquo;Them&rdquo; is the standard couple-stranded -in-an-isolated-locale horror theme. But after about 15 minutes of setup, the film rarely stops to catch its breath, as a young couple relies on their wiles to elude a faceless tormentor (or tormentors?). Clocking in at less than 90 minutes, the film zips by at a frenetic pace, and while the French-made film does have subtitles, the numerous bumps, creaks, crashes and screams that pump through your surround sound need no translation. &ldquo;Slither&rdquo; (2006): For those who enjoy a few more chuckles to lighten the mood between scenes of terror, &ldquo;Slither&rdquo; is an homage to those fantastic alien invasion films of the '50s, updated with a millennial sensibility. Director James Gunn lovingly recreates a world of icky aliens, intentional humor and genuine scares. Also, look for a wonderful cameo from Gunn's real-life wife Jenna (&ldquo;The Office&rdquo;) Fischer. &ldquo;Rogue&rdquo; (2007): It's hard to convince scare skeptics to give a chance to a giant killer crocodile movie, but why are they so willing to embrace a 30-foot shark as one of the best films of all time? I'm not placing this on the same level as &ldquo;Jaws,&rdquo; of course, but I am saying that there are a number of effective flourishes in this film that merit it a spot on your rental list. A group of tourists in Australia get cornered by a rather rabid reptile with a taste for human flesh. &ldquo;Rogue&rdquo; earns its scales for treating its characters as more than just croc chum and leaving us to wonder just who will bite it next. &ldquo;The Mist&rdquo; in black and white (2007): Director Frank Darabont has been one of the most beloved screen collaborators of author Stephen King's work. &ldquo;The Shawshank Redemption&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Green Mile&rdquo; consistently rate at the top of King's page-to-screen transfers. And while you may have witnessed this film in its brief theatrical run, or even caught it on DVD, you have not really &ldquo;experienced&rdquo; it until you watch it in its monochromatic glory, which is available on the two-disc collector's edition. Creating the overall mood of a classic B-movie monster movie from the '50s, the film's CGI-created creatures appear seamless, the shadows are more ominous and the overall tone just a little moodier. And finally, if you still enjoy your jolts surrounded by a roomful of strangers, there is a rather effective alternative to &ldquo;Saw&rdquo; still playing in local theaters. Based on a much-more-effective Spanish film called &ldquo;[Rec]&rdquo; (as in the &ldquo;Record&rdquo; button) that is not yet available on DVD, &ldquo;Quarantine&rdquo; is still the next best thing for a fun-filled fright night. The plot focuses on a young reporter spending the night in a firehouse for a story, and she certainly gets one when the station is called to a disturbance in a nearby apartment complex. While there, she and her cameraman capture its residents succumbing to a strange virus that causes them to be cordoned off from the general public. Even though the film is structured similarly to the single-camera style of &ldquo;The Blair Witch Project&rdquo; and &ldquo;Cloverfield,&rdquo; it does not fall victim to the &ldquo;shaky-cam&rdquo; shots that induced nausea for so many viewers. While the film feels more polished than its Spanish predecessor, it is still provides a number of worthwhile creeps and jolts. Purists may want to steer clear, though and wait for the DVD release, as this version is almost a shot-for-shot remake. But if you are wary of having to face Jigsaw for yet another go-round at the theater this Halloween, than &ldquo;Quarantine&rdquo; has more than enough bite. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/10/7/35995.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/7/2008 11:01:06 AM
Body: Product placement in movies is now so overdone that we may not even notice it unless a particular film or TV show really hits us over the head with a blatant in-your-face product shot. Otherwise, seeing commercial goods everywhere merely seems like everyday life in capitalist America. Just look at any of the websites that tally up products spotlighted in mainstream movies and you’ll probably be surprised (though not shocked) at how many brands appear in each new release. Did you notice that Blades of Glory contains 38 separate products? Probably not. Many of those products couldn’t have gotten their money’s worth, because the movie doesn’t allow the audience to walk away recalling any one particular item. At a time when TV’s Top Chef and 30 Rock show us how lame blatantly whorish and ironic product placement can get, and while moviegoers are being subjected to more subliminal, suggestive and unintentional advertisements (Speed Racer, Wall-E and Beverly Hills Chihuahua respectively have us thinking about McDonalds, Apple products and Taco Bell, though some of these associations are not necessarily the movie’s fault), it’s good to remember that not all product placement is superfluous or despicable. Some of it is actually funny, smart and beneficial to mankind. Movie: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Product: Reese’s Pieces In case you don’t believe the part about product placement being beneficial to mankind, just imagine what could have happened if E.T. had featured either of Steven Spielberg’s first choices in candy placement, M&Ms or Hershey’s Kisses, rather than Reese’s Pieces. Would the delicious peanut butter candies still exist today? Okay, they might, but they certainly wouldn’t have become so popular so fast. Don’t forget that advertising is not simply about a greedy corporation marketing a product for profitable gain; it’s also about alerting us to wonderful new products that we otherwise might not have noticed. And isn’t your choice of sundae mix-ins better thanks to millions of moviegoers noticing the existence of Reese’s Pieces? Movie: Back to the Future Product: DeLorean DMC-12 On the opposite side of the spectrum from Reese’s Pieces, the DeLorean DMC-12 (popularly referred to as simply the DeLorean), is possibly the least necessary product ever to be placed prominently in a film. Maybe if it were actually a time machine it would be a must-have and the DeLorean Motor Company could have been back in business despite having gone bust a few years prior to the release of Back to the Future. Instead, the DeLorean is just a cool car, yet one that highly appeals to huge BTTF fans. And of the 6,500 DMC-12s still in existence, it’s likely that a large percentage are possessed by people who’ve installed a mock Flux Capacitor and own a vanity license plate that says something like “MCFLY” or “88 MPH” or “OUTATIME”. Get ready to see more tributes to the movie, too, since a car manufacturer in Houston has begun making new DMC-12s in limited production. Movie: The Wizard Product: Nintendo A year after Mac and Me seemed to indicate that really, really prominent and shameless product placement was possibly a bad idea, The Wizard came out and provided the opposing argument. Then and now people have looked at the film’s promotion of Nintendo’s latest and much-anticipated blockbuster video game (and the the system’s “so bad” Power Glove controller) as one of the low moments in product placement, but for anyone who cared about video games in 1989, the chance to even get a glimpse of Super Mario Bros. 3 was worth the price of admission for an otherwise lame kiddie version of Rain Man. Movie: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle Product: White Castle Like The Wizard’s promotion of Nintendo products, the employment of the White Castle fast food brand in Harold and Kumar is about reminding an audience about something it already likes and desires. But unlike The Wizard, Harold and Kumar doesn’t make the sponsorship seem like such a cheap grab for cash. Sure, the stoner comedy could have used any fast food place, real or made up, but for anyone who has devoured a whole Crave Case with one other friend at four in the morning, the specifically branded joke is all the more appreciated. Movie: Wayne’s World Products: Pizza Hut; Doritos; Reebok; Nuprin; Pepsi Tina Fey may seem like the smartest SNL vet ever, but each time 30 Rock does the ironic product placement shtick, a number of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey loyalists likely shout at their screen, “Sheah, right! As if that’s not a 15-year-old gag.” And Fey isn’t the only one guilty of recycling the joke, although occasionally movies like Talladega Nights and Josie and the Pussycats can get away with it, because it’s kind of a necessary gag when satirizing things like NASCAR and pop music. Even the reflexive use of product placement in Fight Club somewhat descends from the Wayne’s World scene. Movie: Best in Show Products: Starbucks; Apple; J. Crew; L.L. Bean Product placement doesn’t always have to be about favorably advertising a brand. It can also be about making fun of a brand, or making fun of a certain kind of person that brand is geared toward. In the mockumentary Best in Show, Starbucks is made fun of for having so many locations, while Apple is merely employed in the joke. Catalog clothing companies J. Crew and L.L. Bean are also simultaneously the butt of a joke and the means with which Christopher Guest makes fun of two of his film’s characters. Movie: Good Bye Lenin! Product: Coca-Cola Product placement can also be about employing a product that serves as an idea. Coca-Cola is a brand that has been featured in tons of films as more a symbol of capitalism and the West than of soda pop (see my old post on Coca-Cola in cinema here), and in this German comedy, a giant Coca-Cola billboard serves to represent the westernization going on outside the window of the room of an oblivious woman being duped to believe the Berlin Wall never fell. Movie: One, Two, Three Product: Pepsi The Coca-Cola placement in Good Bye Lenin! recalls Billy Wilder’s film One, Two, Three, which also deals with the division of East and West Berlin and also employs the iconic brand for the same kind of symbolic representation of capitalism. In Wilder’s film, though, the product is much more prominent, as the plot revolves around a Coca-Cola executive (played by James Cagney). Yet after so much mention of Coke, especially with the association of overbearing consumerism and cultural imperialism, you’re more likely to come away from the film wanting a bottle of Pepsi, instead. Of course, it also helps that the final shot in the film is of Cagney holding a bottle of Coca-Cola’s main competitor. Movie: Breathless (À bout de souffle) If you’re surprised that there was product placement as long ago as 1961, when One, Two, Three was released, let’s go back even further to 1960, and to another country, France. Jean-Luc Godard’s breakthrough and groundbreaking film probably wasn’t meant to increase sales of the New York Herald Tribune, but what male viewer could resist purchasing a subscription after watching and hearing Jean Seberg peddle the newspaper at the beginning of the film? Perhaps now the film even still inspires young men to subscribe to New York magazine, as a substitute for its now unavailable ancestor. Oh, and just so you know, product placement can be found many, many decades earlier than the 1960s. Movie: Minority Report Products: Lexus; Guiness; American Express; and others The product placement in Minority Report is considered an example of overkill, but that’s also the point. The film is set in a not-so-far-off future in which ads are everywhere, and most of them are personalized to address the consumer directly by name. It’s one of many futurist ideas in the film meant to exaggerate the present while predicting the direction technology is going. Already people receive personalized spam and internet ads, and advances in personalized marketing are growing closer and closer to what exists as a joke/prophesy in Spielberg’s film. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:01:06 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/7/2008 11:01:06 AM Product placement in movies is now so overdone that we may not even notice it unless a particular film or TV show really hits us over the head with a blatant in-your-face product shot. Otherwise, seeing commercial goods everywhere merely seems like everyday life in capitalist America. Just look at any of the websites that tally up products spotlighted in mainstream movies and you’ll probably be surprised (though not shocked) at how many brands appear in each new release. Did you notice that Blades of Glory contains 38 separate products? Probably not. Many of those products couldn’t have gotten their money’s worth, because the movie doesn’t allow the audience to walk away recalling any one particular item. At a time when TV’s Top Chef and 30 Rock show us how lame blatantly whorish and ironic product placement can get, and while moviegoers are being subjected to more subliminal, suggestive and unintentional advertisements (Speed Racer, Wall-E and Beverly Hills Chihuahua respectively have us thinking about McDonalds, Apple products and Taco Bell, though some of these associations are not necessarily the movie’s fault), it’s good to remember that not all product placement is superfluous or despicable. Some of it is actually funny, smart and beneficial to mankind. Movie: E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial Product: Reese’s Pieces In case you don’t believe the part about product placement being beneficial to mankind, just imagine what could have happened if E.T. had featured either of Steven Spielberg’s first choices in candy placement, M&Ms or Hershey’s Kisses, rather than Reese’s Pieces. Would the delicious peanut butter candies still exist today? Okay, they might, but they certainly wouldn’t have become so popular so fast. Don’t forget that advertising is not simply about a greedy corporation marketing a product for profitable gain; it’s also about alerting us to wonderful new products that we otherwise might not have noticed. And isn’t your choice of sundae mix-ins better thanks to millions of moviegoers noticing the existence of Reese’s Pieces? Movie: Back to the Future Product: DeLorean DMC-12 On the opposite side of the spectrum from Reese’s Pieces, the DeLorean DMC-12 (popularly referred to as simply the DeLorean), is possibly the least necessary product ever to be placed prominently in a film. Maybe if it were actually a time machine it would be a must-have and the DeLorean Motor Company could have been back in business despite having gone bust a few years prior to the release of Back to the Future. Instead, the DeLorean is just a cool car, yet one that highly appeals to huge BTTF fans. And of the 6,500 DMC-12s still in existence, it’s likely that a large percentage are possessed by people who’ve installed a mock Flux Capacitor and own a vanity license plate that says something like “MCFLY” or “88 MPH” or “OUTATIME”. Get ready to see more tributes to the movie, too, since a car manufacturer in Houston has begun making new DMC-12s in limited production. Movie: The Wizard Product: Nintendo A year after Mac and Me seemed to indicate that really, really prominent and shameless product placement was possibly a bad idea, The Wizard came out and provided the opposing argument. Then and now people have looked at the film’s promotion of Nintendo’s latest and much-anticipated blockbuster video game (and the the system’s “so bad” Power Glove controller) as one of the low moments in product placement, but for anyone who cared about video games in 1989, the chance to even get a glimpse of Super Mario Bros. 3 was worth the price of admission for an otherwise lame kiddie version of Rain Man. Movie: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle Product: White Castle Like The Wizard’s promotion of Nintendo products, the employment of the White Castle fast food brand in Harold and Kumar is about reminding an audience about something it already likes and desires. But unlike The Wizard, Harold and Kumar doesn’t make the sponsorship seem like such a cheap grab for cash. Sure, the stoner comedy could have used any fast food place, real or made up, but for anyone who has devoured a whole Crave Case with one other friend at four in the morning, the specifically branded joke is all the more appreciated. Movie: Wayne’s World Products: Pizza Hut; Doritos; Reebok; Nuprin; Pepsi Tina Fey may seem like the smartest SNL vet ever, but each time 30 Rock does the ironic product placement shtick, a number of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey loyalists likely shout at their screen, “Sheah, right! As if that’s not a 15-year-old gag.” And Fey isn’t the only one guilty of recycling the joke, although occasionally movies like Talladega Nights and Josie and the Pussycats can get away with it, because it’s kind of a necessary gag when satirizing things like NASCAR and pop music. Even the reflexive use of product placement in Fight Club somewhat descends from the Wayne’s World scene. Movie: Best in Show Products: Starbucks; Apple; J. Crew; L.L. Bean Product placement doesn’t always have to be about favorably advertising a brand. It can also be about making fun of a brand, or making fun of a certain kind of person that brand is geared toward. In the mockumentary Best in Show, Starbucks is made fun of for having so many locations, while Apple is merely employed in the joke. Catalog clothing companies J. Crew and L.L. Bean are also simultaneously the butt of a joke and the means with which Christopher Guest makes fun of two of his film’s characters. Movie: Good Bye Lenin! Product: Coca-Cola Product placement can also be about employing a product that serves as an idea. Coca-Cola is a brand that has been featured in tons of films as more a symbol of capitalism and the West than of soda pop (see my old post on Coca-Cola in cinema here), and in this German comedy, a giant Coca-Cola billboard serves to represent the westernization going on outside the window of the room of an oblivious woman being duped to believe the Berlin Wall never fell. Movie: One, Two, Three Product: Pepsi The Coca-Cola placement in Good Bye Lenin! recalls Billy Wilder’s film One, Two, Three, which also deals with the division of East and West Berlin and also employs the iconic brand for the same kind of symbolic representation of capitalism. In Wilder’s film, though, the product is much more prominent, as the plot revolves around a Coca-Cola executive (played by James Cagney). Yet after so much mention of Coke, especially with the association of overbearing consumerism and cultural imperialism, you’re more likely to come away from the film wanting a bottle of Pepsi, instead. Of course, it also helps that the final shot in the film is of Cagney holding a bottle of Coca-Cola’s main competitor. Movie: Breathless (À bout de souffle) If you’re surprised that there was product placement as long ago as 1961, when One, Two, Three was released, let’s go back even further to 1960, and to another country, France. Jean-Luc Godard’s breakthrough and groundbreaking film probably wasn’t meant to increase sales of the New York Herald Tribune, but what male viewer could resist purchasing a subscription after watching and hearing Jean Seberg peddle the newspaper at the beginning of the film? Perhaps now the film even still inspires young men to subscribe to New York magazine, as a substitute for its now unavailable ancestor. Oh, and just so you know, product placement can be found many, many decades earlier than the 1960s. Movie: Minority Report Products: Lexus; Guiness; American Express; and others The product placement in Minority Report is considered an example of overkill, but that’s also the point. The film is set in a not-so-far-off future in which ads are everywhere, and most of them are personalized to address the consumer directly by name. It’s one of many futurist ideas in the film meant to exaggerate the present while predicting the direction technology is going. Already people receive personalized spam and internet ads, and advances in personalized marketing are growing closer and closer to what exists as a joke/prophesy in Spielberg’s film. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/New_Movies_10_3/216/35686/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 9/29/2008 1:26:48 PM
Body: The playing cards are shorthand for how good I think these films will be. No sure-thing aces this week, but we've got some face cards... How to Lose Friends and Alienate People has a lot going for it. Director Robert B. Weide's work on Curb Your Enthusiasm has shown he's got the chops for comedy. Plus, the main actor is Simon Pegg, that talented star and co-writer of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. It'll be interesting to watch Pegg's chemistry with the likes of Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox, and Jeff Bridges. Let's be honest, though -- this is just another film about fatuous asses at a fashion magazine. Looks like The Devil Wears Prada: Part Two. Which is fine as far as it goes, but I feel like seeing something a little more substantial this weekend. Appaloosa -- Reviewers are saying it's "just" a good old traditional western. I don't know about you, but a western can be "just" good and still get under my skin. Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen are tough-as-leather lawmen who protect a town from gangster Jeremy Irons. Also, Harris and Mortensen are two sides of a romantic triangle with Renee Zellweger. Why do Westerns keep getting made? I don't know, and I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. I know part of why I keep watching them: Westerns create an atmosphere where it takes courage to do what's right. To me, that atmosphere seems like a symbol of what life is always like. I need courage to stand up for someone; I need perseverance to get up and go to class. If you're interested in a meditation on what's worth risking your life, I recommend 3:10 to Yuma. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist -- In this Michael Cera vehicle two lonely teens connect over music. Looks kind of sweet, like the younger sibling of Garden State.Flash of Genius -- Drama based on the life of Robert Kearns, who invented something very boring but very useful: the intermittent windshield wiper. Kearns' invention was embraced by automobile manufacturers, but Kearns himself was discarded. Kearns started a long legal battle that no one expected him to win. It appears Kearns wasn't merely self-serving, but was spurred on by the principle that people should be acknowledged for the work they accomplish. Allah Made Me Funny: Live in Concert is a stand-up comedy show featuring Muslim comedians like Azhar Usman, Preacher Moss, and Mo Amer. Beverly Hills Chihuahua -- Have you seen the clever edit of the scene from Sixth Sense? Religulous -- Bill Maher and director Larry Charles (Borat) team up to humiliate organized religions. SpoutBlog's Karina Longworth takes a look at their dubious interviewing method. This film might be funny in a preaching to the choir kind of way. Who doesn't agree that religious fundamentalism can be dangerous and absurd? Any favorite flicks that satirize religion in way that actually gets people to open their eyes? I thought Talladega Nights was a pretty artful critique of health-and-wealth Christianity. (No, I'm not kidding.)An American Carol -- Airplane! director David Zucker and a Michael Moore lookalike team up in this parody of leftist politics. The trailer for An American Carol makes the film look about as fun as an afternoon at the DMV. LIMITED RELEASE RocknRolla -- Guy Ritchie's third flick is being called a return to form, an equal of Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. We know it'll be all style and no substance, so it'll comes down to whether you're a Ritchie fan or not. Rachel Getting Married -- Anne Hathaway gives a great performance in this story about a prodigal daughter's return. Ballast -- A man's suicide makes three people realize they need community. Karina was impressed when she caught it at Sundance.The Pope's Toilet -- (limited release) It's 1988 on the Uruguay/Brazil border. The town of Melo is eagerly anticipating the visit of Pope John Paul II and 50,000 others in his wake. Melo locals such as Bob, a smuggler, are getting entrepreneurial: Bob builds a port-o-potty on his property and charges for its use. Chaos ensues.
]]>Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:26:48 GMTSkyPilotComing Soon9/29/2008 1:26:48 PMThe playing cards are shorthand for how good I think these films will be. No sure-thing aces this week, but we've got some face cards... How to Lose Friends and Alienate People has a lot going for it. Director Robert B. Weide's work on Curb Your Enthusiasm has shown he's got the chops for comedy. Plus, the main actor is Simon Pegg, that talented star and co-writer of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. It'll be interesting to watch Pegg's chemistry with the likes of Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox, and Jeff Bridges. Let's be honest, though -- this is just another film about fatuous asses at a fashion magazine. Looks like The Devil Wears Prada: Part Two. Which is fine as far as it goes, but I feel like seeing something a little more substantial this weekend. Appaloosa -- Reviewers are saying it's "just" a good old traditional western. I don't know about you, but a western can be "just" good and still get under my skin. Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen are tough-as-leather lawmen who protect a town from gangster Jeremy Irons. Also, Harris and Mortensen are two sides of a romantic triangle with Renee Zellweger. Why do Westerns keep getting made? I don't know, and I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. I know part of why I keep watching them: Westerns create an atmosphere where it takes courage to do what's right. To me, that atmosphere seems like a symbol of what life is always like. I need courage to stand up for someone; I need perseverance to get up and go to class. If you're interested in a meditation on what's worth risking your life, I recommend 3:10 to Yuma. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist -- In this Michael Cera vehicle two lonely teens connect over music. Looks kind of sweet, like the younger sibling of Garden State.Flash of Genius -- Drama based on the life of Robert Kearns, who invented something very boring but very useful: the intermittent windshield wiper. Kearns' invention was embraced by automobile manufacturers, but Kearns himself was discarded. Kearns started a long legal battle that no one expected him to win. It appears Kearns wasn't merely self-serving, but was spurred on by the principle that people should be acknowledged for the work they accomplish. Allah Made Me Funny: Live in Concert is a stand-up comedy show featuring Muslim comedians like Azhar Usman, Preacher Moss, and Mo Amer. Beverly Hills Chihuahua -- Have you seen the clever edit of the scene from Sixth Sense? Religulous -- Bill Maher and director Larry Charles (Borat) team up to humiliate organized religions. SpoutBlog's Karina Longworth takes a look at their dubious interviewing method. This film might be funny in a preaching to the choir kind of way. Who doesn't agree that religious fundamentalism can be dangerous and absurd? Any favorite flicks that satirize religion in way that actually gets people to open their eyes? I thought Talladega Nights was a pretty artful critique of health-and-wealth Christianity. (No, I'm not kidding.)An American Carol -- Airplane! director David Zucker and a Michael Moore lookalike team up in this parody of leftist politics. The trailer for An American Carol makes the film look about as fun as an afternoon at the DMV. LIMITED RELEASE RocknRolla -- Guy Ritchie's third flick is being called a return to form, an equal of Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. We know it'll be all style and no substance, so it'll comes down to whether you're a Ritchie fan or not. Rachel Getting Married -- Anne Hathaway gives a great performance in this story about a prodigal daughter's return. Ballast -- A man's suicide makes three people realize they need community. Karina was impressed when she caught it at Sundance.The Pope's Toilet -- (limited release) It's 1988 on the Uruguay/Brazil border. The town of Melo is eagerly anticipating the visit of Pope John Paul II and 50,000 others in his wake. Melo locals such as Bob, a smuggler, are getting entrepreneurial: Bob builds a port-o-potty on his property and charges for its use. Chaos ensues. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/dog/MemberTagFilms.aspxdog
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