View Full Version : Paramount Classics hates the internet
In yet another slap in the face to online film sites, Paramount Classics is now banning ALL online writers from attending any screenings of their films.
If you write for a grocery store paper read by 15 people, you'll be invited to review their movie. If you write for an internet site with 1,000,000 readers, not only will you be LITERALLY thrown out of any screening they catch you in, you'll be asked never to review the film even if it has been released to general audiences. (legally they cannot stop you, but they will do their best to nonetheless)
What does that mean for me? It means that I will be invited to press screenings only if I agree to ONLY publish my reviews in the newspaper we syndicate to, and never have the review appear on this site. EVER. This is not only unfair, it is not even legal, since once a movie is release in theaters, it is FAIR GAME for anyone to review and they cannot stop you... but they seek to make journalists their puppets by dangling press screenings like carrots. Do it THEIR way or don't get press screenings.
Why do press screenings matter? The sooner your review is out, the more readers you get, the more readers you get, the longer you stay in business.
What will I do?
I will no longer review or support any Paramount Classics film for any publication.
I suggest that anyone who has any smidgen of love for, not necessarily this site, but any online film site refuse to support, pay for, or otherwise help Paramount Classics by seeing any of their movies.
This week it is The Singing Detective.
My boycott begins today... and I'm considering a rather long and involved rant on this to appear this weekend even though Obviously, nothing I or anyone else does will probably matter, but I see no reason to bother with their films any longer.
crappertay
10-24-2003, 10:26 AM
I was going to make a post about that movie.
No more.
Paramount..pah. First they let Rick Berman suck every ounce of goodness out of every incarnation of Star Trek, now they pull this shit.
These studio marketing idiots just don't seem to get it. They are all freakin SCARED TO DEATH of the internet and treat internet journalists like shit.
What Nick Nunzatia over at CHUD says does a lot more to influence people and what they'll see at the movies that does the old withered critic who writes for your local newspaper... yet Nick Nunzatia is treated like total crap at press screenings.
Being a smaller site than CHUD, you can imagine how much they love me.
But treating internet writers like shit is one thing, but now totally banning them in favor of print journalists is just WRONG. They are ACTIVELY promoting one media over the other, giving print journalists advantages that now internet journalists can't have.
I have NO idea how this could possibly benefit Paramoun Classics... it really can't. It can only hurt them (if the film is good) because now there are fewer people to get the word out on their movie.
Total crap... and frankly makes no sense at all. I can't fathom what could possibly be in this for Paramount Classics. Anyone else have a guess??? I'm out.
crappertay
10-24-2003, 10:38 AM
It's basically hypocritical paranoia.
They claim screening to internet journalists is of no benefit to them despite, as you point out, internet reviews getting far more readership than your average rag.
The fact is I think they're all so ****ing paranoid of the influence the internet media DOES have that they obviously have no confindence in their release line up. They're all still so scared about what happened to Batman & Robin and Superman that they obviously think any less than perfect movie will get torn a new one - which just ISN'T true. Batman & Robin and Superman were two highly isolated cases and rather exceptional circumstances.
Rag media must easier to sweeten with nice screenings and big trips than internet media (Harry Knowles excepted) or something.
They probably still blame the internet for making Nemesis tank, rather than blame the fact that it sucked.
If they actually had the balls to believe in the movies they are churning out they wouldn't have to pull crap like this.
The thing is... this is PARAMOUNT CLASSICS. They basically do mid-level indie movies. For them, they NEED all the press they can get.
Granted, a Batman movie doesn't need critical reviews to get people in seats. They have a massive marketing campaign for that.
But a movie like The Singing Detective can ONLY get interest through good reviews and good word of mouth. Granted, it is a risk that you may get crappy reviews, but that is the risk you take with online or print media. You also could benefit.
They are shooting themselves in the foot with this insane industry paranoia. It is the same paranoia that prompted the screener ban, it is the same insane paranoia that gets me strip searched every time I go to a screening, it is the same insane paranoia that has Hollywood claiming it is being killed by Piracy, when in fact Piracy has almost no impact on them at all.
Cogito
10-24-2003, 02:38 PM
This is extremely interesting -- interesting, because it seems to make no sense at all... I mean, it's just not logical, is it? This can't help them in any way at all, unless they have somehow decided on a strategy to intentionally make bad movies and somehow have managed to bribe or otherwise force or fool print critics to praising their films... This is just nonsensical.
What are other online film critics saying about this ludicrous decision?
Haven't heard anything from anyone else. The local PR reps just sent out this notice last night.
You probably won't hear much because
A. It is Paramount Classics, and honestly how many movies do they ACTUALLY put out that are really very important and really that big a deal if we review them?
B. Online critics are used to getting spit on
But online critics SHOULD say more because the hostility towards online writers has seriously intensified for some strange reason this past year and this is just the next step and I wouldn't be surprised to see other studios follow suit with similar things.
Frankly, I think most of the big online critical players KNEW this was coming, and over the past year there has been a mad rush from successful online journalists to get their fingers into something else and get the hell out of the internet game... and not just because of revenue.
For instanct, CHUD has started publishing a PRINT magazine, which they practically admit is totally inferior, out of date, and crappy compared to what their site offers (as is ANY entertainment magazine), but it legitimizes them.
AICN's writers are all making development deals with studios to produce films.
Etc.
All the big names are getting the hell out of this game as fast as they can, and probably won't say a word no matter what happens.
Cogito
10-24-2003, 03:08 PM
Hmmm... Could it be because print media are upset that the online version of their publications suffers from the competition from online-only media? It would seem strange that the movie studios would help newspapers out by doing their bidding, though.
Originally posted by Cogito
Hmmm... Could it be because print media are upset that the online version of their publications suffers from the competition from online-only media? It would seem strange that the movie studios would help newspapers out by doing their bidding, though.
In this incestuous world of corporate mergers, could it be because the studio's parent company owns some sort of Magazine or newspaper, like Entertainment Weekly or something???
That seems farfetched.
I think it is just because there is this rediculous, false viewpoint among studio executives that online entertainment sites RUIN movies and keep people away from their movies.
crappertay
10-24-2003, 04:32 PM
Even Coming Attractions, which I used to use to get all my movie info merged with Cinescape who now save all their big news and articles for a fee-paying print version of themselves. The website itself has declined in quality of the news it reports.
But in a world where the studios are blaming text-messaging and poor sales of videogames for their movie's bad results, is this really a surprise?
Blaming text messaging and video games is a long way away from blaming internet movie sites though... but somehow, even though no one is saying it, I get the impression that that blame has spilled over to the ENTIRE internet in general.
It seems to be a popular mantra these days... if something isn't working, blame the internet.
Like the internet is some massive, faceless, brainless, headless beast you can reach out and chain to a tree.
Brynn
10-26-2003, 03:00 PM
Originally posted by crappertay
I was going to make a post about that movie.
No more.
Paramount..pah. First they let Rick Berman suck every ounce of goodness out of every incarnation of Star Trek, now they pull this shit.
I was just going to say the same thing. Remember when Paramount tried to close down all the fan trek sites?
Yep. No doubt. Paramount logic has never made any damn sense. I forgot this was the studio that spits on Star Trek and ground it into the dirt.
Good point.
Valkary
10-27-2003, 01:16 AM
mind posting a list of upcoming movies to be released by these boneheads? I want to know what NOT to watch in the next few months.
I'll see if I can find one.
crappertay
10-28-2003, 08:13 AM
Complete List (http://www.filmhobbit.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5553)
Nothing there that was really worth seeing anyway.
Easiest boycott EVER! :lol
Exactly what are we boycotting? Are we not going to review, discuss or even see these movies? It all works for me.
crappertay
10-28-2003, 10:14 AM
Sido, you are the easiest boycotter ever coz you hardly go to see movies period, lol.
That's not entirely true but yes, I'm already boycotting pretty much every Hollywood movie out of free will. :)
Taln Hess
10-28-2003, 11:43 AM
I still want to see The Singing Detective.
Valkary
10-28-2003, 11:58 AM
how are these morons staying in business with such a crappy line up? Maybe the problem will correct itself.
They probably should ban anyone from reviewing, not just online sources... it isn't like they are going to get many positive reviews anyway...
unless maybe print media are easier to pay off so they can get good review.
Ha.
Originally posted by Taln Hess
I still want to see The Singing Detective.
Support online media outlets and resist.
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