Licorice Pizza - Speculation & General Reactions

Heisenberg · September 14, 2021, 09:33:09 AM

Hopefully this trailer rollout will happen in other markets. I'm in AZ and am seeing Taxi Driver on 35mm at a former Alamo Drafthouse on Sunday. It seems like there's a good chance it might be attached.

jviness02 · September 14, 2021, 10:09:02 AM

Quote from: Alma on September 14, 2021, 09:26:23 AM
Maybe PTA is driving a van across the country dropping prints of the trailer off at random arthouse cinemas as he goes.

Yep. I just hitched a ride with him. I told him people on an Internet forum were questioning his marketing strategy and he threw me out of a moving car. Wouldn't be the first time he's done that.

WorldForgot · September 14, 2021, 10:10:15 AM

Played in London before Raging Bull film print.

Alethia · September 14, 2021, 10:15:33 AM

"That's entertainment!"

Montclair · September 14, 2021, 10:32:54 AM

Quote from: d on September 14, 2021, 08:48:25 AM
Ok, I'm afraid it may get a little bit annoying in the days to come for someone like myself with no access to those few screenings. While I kind of admire this unusual approach and the whole 35 mm thing (regardless of the real marketing effects, which I am unable to assess and honestly do not really care about at this point) it is really frustrating to beg strangers (I am grateful to you all who responded here or elsewhere) to tall me about a trailer (which is technically a kind of ad, right?) that only a handful of people can see for so long and who knows how much longer. Am I the only one who thinks this is a bit "disrespectful" to fans who happen not to live in LA, NYC or London but contribute to box office, spread the word about not just this one etc.? Or am I being bitter now?

He's essentially asking his fans to give money to independent cinemas all over the world(who support 35mm screenings) money in the hopes of catching a 2 minute trailer. It's a kind gesture from a cinephile, but a terrible marketing idea.

wilberfan · September 14, 2021, 12:10:13 PM

No points for building demand to a fever pitch (at least among the faithful)?

Montclair · September 14, 2021, 12:34:10 PM

Quote from: wilberfan on September 14, 2021, 12:10:13 PM
No points for building demand to a fever pitch (at least among the faithful)?

No. He's stuck in the past. There's a reason it's been 20 years(and 5 features) since he's made a film about the present. This type of marketing won't help the box office for this movie and it will be yet another project that doesn't make a return on investment. That's his reputation, which will mean that his next movie will get a smaller budget, meaning he will have to think smaller and lower his ambitions when it comes to storytelling.

Remember when he decided that the best way to tell the story of The Master was in 70mm, so he just did it with the full backing of the producers and financiers? Yeah, that type of creative control will never be given to him again and he has no one else to blame but himself.

Lots of Bees · September 14, 2021, 01:16:29 PM

Quote from: Montclair on September 14, 2021, 12:34:10 PM
Quote from: wilberfan on September 14, 2021, 12:10:13 PM
No points for building demand to a fever pitch (at least among the faithful)?

No. He's stuck in the past. There's a reason it's been 20 years(and 5 features) since he's made a film about the present. This type of marketing won't help the box office for this movie and it will be yet another project that doesn't make a return on investment. That's his reputation, which will mean that his next movie will get a smaller budget, meaning he will have to think smaller and lower his ambitions when it comes to storytelling.

Remember when he decided that the best way to tell the story of The Master was in 70mm, so he just did it with the full backing of the producers and financiers? Yeah, that type of creative control will never be given to him again and he has no one else to blame but himself.

You're acting like this is the main marketing campaign for the movie though. When in reality he's very likely just doing this for fun and for his faithful fans, and then there could likely be a very well-run marketing campaign to follow. We don't know anything about the actual marketing of the movie yet, other than that it hasn't started. I don't think you would be this down on the release strategy if he had just shown nothing at all to the public yet (as plenty of other movies are still in the same boat - Nightmare Alley, Cyrano, Macbeth), so why worry that he's having a little fun with it before getting down to business?

Also, you could've made that exact same argument for each of the last 3 movies, yet he continues to get big enough budgets and full control. Times are changing, but why fault him for doing it the old fashioned way when he has the means? The small internet community of us film nerds seems more excited for this movie than any other I've seen this year. And the trailer hasn't even been released yet. If you call that a failure of marketing then idk what to say.

Alethia · September 14, 2021, 01:20:52 PM

Yeah considering what a colossal failure IV was financially, the fact that he still managed to pull 30 mill for Phantom and then 40 mill for LP (Phantom having not exactly set the world on fire either) leads me to believe he's probably gonna be okay for a little while longer after this.

Drenk · September 14, 2021, 01:29:01 PM

I'm not sure about that. Seems like he's finally exhausted all his lives. And we've got no idea what the « post »-pandemic industry will look like. Anyway...

Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Who's gonna steal this trailer?

Lewton · September 14, 2021, 01:38:15 PM

Quote from: Montclair on September 14, 2021, 12:34:10 PM
He's stuck in the past.

I personally don't mind him being stuck in the past, in terms of the stories he's telling. He does well there.

My guess is he has very few illusions about his place in the industry. Or about the kinds of budgets he can command or will be able to command going forward. He has almost certainly had these kind of discussions with his producing team. He has also mentioned that he prefers small budgets. I think he said something about how when there's less money at stake, he's left to his own devices (to an extent). I'm also guessing his movies do really well over the long term via DVDs, digital rentals, etc. I imagine that's one of the factors MGM considered before they gave Licorice Pizza the green light.

In terms of getting future projects made, the actors will help. If he signs Meryl Streep or Adam Driver or Robert Downey Jr. onto his next movie (and none of those names are that farfetched), then any potential budgetary concerns would probably become less...concerning. Most big name actors, I'm guessing, are open to working with PTA. That'll keep him in good stead. Well, that, and the fact his films tend to do well in terms of awards and reviews.

I also think of this Licorice Pizza teaser as a quirky overture, not a part of the main marketing strategy. Perhaps these weeks never factored into MGM's proper marketing plan in the first place, so PTA decided to do something low-key and kinda mysterious in the meantime. Just to gauge the response and get the cinephiles talking.

Alethia · September 14, 2021, 01:42:50 PM

NYC FRIENDS - a 35mm Boogie Nights screening just popped up at Alamo in downtown BK. My guess is Licorice Pizza will be trailering beforehand. I'm going - are you?

Yes · September 14, 2021, 02:31:13 PM

If this trailer doesn't leak any time soon, I'd seriously consider the trip to NYC... as foolish as that sounds

Alethia · September 14, 2021, 02:35:55 PM

Where are you located currently?

wilberfan · September 14, 2021, 02:57:22 PM

Quote from: Montclair on September 14, 2021, 12:34:10 PM
Quote from: wilberfan on September 14, 2021, 12:10:13 PM
No points for building demand to a fever pitch (at least among the faithful)?

...it will be yet another project that doesn't make a return on investment. That's his reputation,

I wish I could find the source of this quote we all remember: "Whose turn is it to make a PTA movie?"

Quote from: Lewton on September 14, 2021, 01:38:15 PM
Quote from: Montclair on September 14, 2021, 12:34:10 PM
He's stuck in the past.

I personally don't mind him being stuck in the past, in terms of the stories he's telling. He does well there.

My guess is he has very few illusions about his place in the industry. Or about the kinds of budgets he can command or will be able to command going forward. He has almost certainly had these kind of discussions with his producing team. He has also mentioned that he prefers small budgets. I think he said something about how when there's less money at stake, he's left to his own devices (to an extent). I'm also guessing his movies do really well over the long term via DVDs, digital rentals, etc. I imagine that's one of the factors MGM considered before they gave Licorice Pizza the green light.

In terms of getting future projects made, the actors will help. If he signs Meryl Streep or Adam Driver or Robert Downey Jr. onto his next movie (and none of those names are that farfetched), then any potential budgetary concerns would probably become less...concerning. Most big name actors, I'm guessing, are open to working with PTA. That'll keep him in good stead. Well, that, and the fact his films tend to do well in terms of awards and reviews.

I also think of this Licorice Pizza teaser as a quirky overture, not a part of the main marketing strategy. Perhaps these weeks never factored into MGM's proper marketing plan in the first place, so PTA decided to do something low-key and kinda mysterious in the meantime. Just to gauge the response and get the cinephiles talking.

I'm not sure who you are, stranger, but damn, that was nicely put.