Licorice Pizza - Speculation & General Reactions

[jviness02]

Trailer might not drop this week with TIFF happening? MGM probably doesn't want to lose the buzz

There's no buzz to lose. A small fraction of movie geeks are the only ones talking about "Licorice Pizza" right now. The biggest name in this is Bradley Cooper and he only has a small supporting role. There are no official photos or posters at the moment. The studio and Paul fumbled this whole project -- big time. Unless it gets over 5 nominations, including one for Best Picture, this will go down as his lowest grossing movie(adjusted for inflation) yet. "Inherent Vice" had an impressive cast of movie stars and Pynchon's first adaptation going for it and it only made $14.7 million worldwide.

I say this as a big fan of his, but his name alone isn't enough to get people excited about a movie starring two unknowns(HAIM is an indie band with a niche following) in the way that a Tarantino, Nolan or Wes Anderson film with the same exact cast and plot would. Plus, the title is already off-putting. This whole situation is an example in how NOT to build a buzz for an indie/art-house film without any big stars in lead roles.

I get what you're saying, but the truth is no one outside of movie geeks give a fuck about PTA, anyways. Only two of his last five films have made a profit and that's because they starred the most acclaimed actor of this generation. I'm not exactly saying it's a lost cause, but I really don't think this movie would be a big success even with perfect marketing.

[Find Your Magali]

What's up the imdb.com now spelling the title differently?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11271038/reference

[Yes]

Trailer might not drop this week with TIFF happening? MGM probably doesn't want to lose the buzz

There's no buzz to lose. A small fraction of movie geeks are the only ones talking about "Licorice Pizza" right now. The biggest name in this is Bradley Cooper and he only has a small supporting role. There are no official photos or posters at the moment. The studio and Paul fumbled this whole project -- big time. Unless it gets over 5 nominations, including one for Best Picture, this will go down as his lowest grossing movie(adjusted for inflation) yet. "Inherent Vice" had an impressive cast of movie stars and Pynchon's first adaptation going for it and it only made $14.7 million worldwide.

I say this as a big fan of his, but his name alone isn't enough to get people excited about a movie starring two unknowns(HAIM is an indie band with a niche following) in the way that a Tarantino, Nolan or Wes Anderson film with the same exact cast and plot would. Plus, the title is already off-putting. This whole situation is an example in how NOT to build a buzz for an indie/art-house film without any big stars in lead roles.

I mean, I don't necessarily disagree. I was mocked here for suggesting this needed to do some festivals. But PTA has never had a box offfice hit, MGM is aware of this. They're also aware he's one of the biggest filmmakers alive and PTA sells himself off name alone to the industry and Academy voters. This is a movie for them, not box office. They'll 100% absolutely see it as soon as they can and probably will love it. The box office play for MGM will be Gucci

[csage97]

He sensed...none of that, in Once Upon a Time?  Okay.

Yeah, the fact that it builds up to an infamous night in history where one of the characters was brutally murdered in real life doesn't create ANY dread. 

That's really not what the commenter was writing about. Yes, of course there is the dread of everything leading to the Manson murders in OUATIH. But the person was referring to the general dread in the fabric of LA, of the failed dreams of migrants, the strangeness of weirdos in looks and in personalities, the often seedy world of the entertainment business, the interest in the occult and the belief of some that the city land and some of the buildings and areas feel "cursed," the history of cults and communes (which has a history involving the Manson stuff, but it isn't the sole focus here), and so on.

Not that LP will invoke this "feeling," but I do agree that OUATIH didn't have much of that feeling in general about the city (it was directed more toward the Manson thing), unlike the way Pynchon can invoke the full dread of things, all the hustlers, sleezy execs, people lining up outside a doctor's office for "B12 shots" that are actually amphetamines, hippy-dippy freaks, new-age "healers," strung-out musicians, gay Nazi bikers, etc.

[wilberfan]

What's up the imdb.com now spelling the title differently?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11271038/reference

I've heard fans in the UK are struggling with the American spelling because they spell it differently.  Probably just some Wikipunk screwing around.  The American spelling is "correct" because the title comes from the LA area record store in the 60s to 80s--and that's the way it will be spelled on the frickin' title card, as well as all the marketing. 

[Montclair]

Trailer might not drop this week with TIFF happening? MGM probably doesn't want to lose the buzz

There's no buzz to lose. A small fraction of movie geeks are the only ones talking about "Licorice Pizza" right now. The biggest name in this is Bradley Cooper and he only has a small supporting role. There are no official photos or posters at the moment. The studio and Paul fumbled this whole project -- big time. Unless it gets over 5 nominations, including one for Best Picture, this will go down as his lowest grossing movie(adjusted for inflation) yet. "Inherent Vice" had an impressive cast of movie stars and Pynchon's first adaptation going for it and it only made $14.7 million worldwide.

I say this as a big fan of his, but his name alone isn't enough to get people excited about a movie starring two unknowns(HAIM is an indie band with a niche following) in the way that a Tarantino, Nolan or Wes Anderson film with the same exact cast and plot would. Plus, the title is already off-putting. This whole situation is an example in how NOT to build a buzz for an indie/art-house film without any big stars in lead roles.

I mean, I don't necessarily disagree. I was mocked here for suggesting this needed to do some festivals. But PTA has never had a box offfice hit, MGM is aware of this. They're also aware he's one of the biggest filmmakers alive and PTA sells himself off name alone to the industry and Academy voters. This is a movie for them, not box office. They'll 100% absolutely see it as soon as they can and probably will love it. The box office play for MGM will be Gucci

When this fails to make a profit, his next movie will be with a streaming giant that will only allow a 14 day theater exclusive before streaming everywhere.

[Yes]

Trailer might not drop this week with TIFF happening? MGM probably doesn't want to lose the buzz

There's no buzz to lose. A small fraction of movie geeks are the only ones talking about "Licorice Pizza" right now. The biggest name in this is Bradley Cooper and he only has a small supporting role. There are no official photos or posters at the moment. The studio and Paul fumbled this whole project -- big time. Unless it gets over 5 nominations, including one for Best Picture, this will go down as his lowest grossing movie(adjusted for inflation) yet. "Inherent Vice" had an impressive cast of movie stars and Pynchon's first adaptation going for it and it only made $14.7 million worldwide.

I say this as a big fan of his, but his name alone isn't enough to get people excited about a movie starring two unknowns(HAIM is an indie band with a niche following) in the way that a Tarantino, Nolan or Wes Anderson film with the same exact cast and plot would. Plus, the title is already off-putting. This whole situation is an example in how NOT to build a buzz for an indie/art-house film without any big stars in lead roles.

I mean, I don't necessarily disagree. I was mocked here for suggesting this needed to do some festivals. But PTA has never had a box offfice hit, MGM is aware of this. They're also aware he's one of the biggest filmmakers alive and PTA sells himself off name alone to the industry and Academy voters. This is a movie for them, not box office. They'll 100% absolutely see it as soon as they can and probably will love it. The box office play for MGM will be Gucci

When this fails to make a profit, his next movie will be with a streaming giant that will only allow a 14 day theater exclusive before streaming everywhere.

Well, that's just the inevitable future at this point

[Yes]

https://twitter.com/am_cinematheque/status/1437575290490785795?s=20

[wilberfan]

Well.  Three days ago they practically called in a napalm strike when I asked if the trailer would run.  Guess last week was a dress-rehearsal.   Or something.   

[pynchonikon]

https://www.twitter.com/SeanFennessey/status/1437606786182234115

[wilberfan]

This is inevitable, sadly.

[Yes]

I check every day. If there's a leak, it's not online

https://twitter.com/connecticuthag/status/1437610312220483584?s=21

[wilberfan]

Nice to know that Mike Bauman is following the @licoricepizza twitter account.. 

[PinkTeeth]

I played 'Life on Mars' maybe 4 times today, just to jot down some memories... Best of Bowie was one of my first car cds.
it'll be weird once this song is commandeered by this trailer... i wouldn't mind an alternate online trailer and having this exist as a white whale for a bit... it would eventually come out

[wilberfan]

Brookline, MA   (Boston)

https://twitter.com/BratLimpson/status/1437604163207172102