I completely agree with you. I think this is a major problem today with movie marketing in general. I rented this movie, expecting a kind of Demons-esque film with those disturbingly creepy monsters terrorizing people on a halted subway train. Now, the movie we got wasn't bad at all(at least until the vague, was it real or wasn't it ending...another trend that needs to stop. Just because you weave a narrative with a clear-cut, concise beginning, middle & End doesn't make a bad movie, but I digress)in fact it was rather terrifying in it's own right, but it wasn't what the cover of the box leads you to believe. Now, if they had used the art that was used for the DVD menu (the cultists holding their cross-knives in front of the train with glowing eyes), that would have been more accurate I think.
But like I said before, this is a problem with advertising in general where they try and convince you that a movie is one thing and it's something else entirely. Those of us who follow these films may be a little more in-the-know, but John Q. Moviegoer gets blindsided.
Some examples (Spoilers, obviously):
The Village was marketed as a creepy thriller about an 18th Century community terrorized by these mysterious creatures. Instead we got a bunch of whack-jobs hiding from the real world on an animal reservation (In the studio's defense, I don't know how the hell you market that one, so I can't necessarily blame them)
Observe and Report seems like the loveable stoner from Knocked Up is channeling Kevin James, but instead it's almost Taxi-Driver-Lite.
I just think that distributors need to have some faith in the movies they put out there and let them stand on there own merit, rather than try and trick people into seeing something that, by the time they realize it isn't what was advertised, the money is already in their pockets and the audience feels cheated.
Sorry to go on a little diatribe, but that's something that's always bothered me, but, alas, as long as it remains a business, these things will continu to happen I guess
Thoughts?
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TheManInOil
15 years ago
I agree it's misleading, although I was pleased to discover it was about something more intelligent than a bunch of monsters in the tunnels.
The Village, by the way, was a fairy tale. It failed because it was marketed as a thriller, but it's a classic fairy story using all the standard archetypes. In essence, it's a children's movie.
"I'll book you. I'll book you on something. I'll find something in the book to book you on."
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