Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Selling The Sexy...Or Sexy Selling?

So there's a movie hitting the video/dvd stores today that I'd never heard of. It stars Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz and it's called 'Bandidas'.

Here's the poster used to advertise the movie...



Pretty soft artwork for something starring Cruz and Hayek, two of the most beautiful woman working in film, but what do I know. So I checked out the trailer. There were a few different ones kicking around on Youtube, and this was the best of the lot...



Okay. Not bad. Certainly seemed sexier than the poster. And when I say sexier I don't mean 'sex'...I just mean more entertaining or eye-catching.

So it could be fun, no? 'Bandidas'...hmmmm...

Or should I say it's being released today on dvd in North America as 'Bandidas'. Because when checking it out, I found it has already been released on dvd overseas with the title 'Sexy Pistols'...



Very different title...that implies a different kind of movie, but still pretty conservative pictures. I did mention that it stars Penelope Cruz...














...and Salma Hayek, right?

From what I can gather, it was originally set for a wide US theatrical release in late 2005 and then early 2006; but the film was finally given a 22 September 2006 date and was an exclusive Cinema Latino Theatres chain release in US. It also garnished a limited theatrical release in Asia and Europe (under the title 'Bandidas'), was generally savaged by the critics, and made next to nothing at the box office.

They obviously struggled with the marketing and selling of this movie (though if it was in every way a turd, that certainly doesn't help)...but at least they've sexed it up a bit for the US dvd release...



'Bandidas'? Or 'Sexy Pistols'? How would've you sold it?


SONG&ARTIST? - "Don't ask us to attend 'cos we're not all there
Oh don't pretend 'cos I don't care
I don't believe illusions 'cos too much is real
So stop your cheap comments 'cos we know what we feel."

10 comments:

Cunningham said...

Now you're in my territory, Will. I do this every day.

I would have done the same thing that the US DVD release did for the following reasons:

- we have a burgeoning Latino population here who recognize the term "Bandidas." Even us slow whites can figure that title out and vibe on the sexiness of that title.

- The movie stars two of the sexiest women in the world.

- "Sexy Pistols" sounds like a translated title, meaning it's a euro title based on how they perceive North America would sell it, instead of how we actually sell movies.

In creating key art you have to try and sum up the entire movie in one image and a few words. That's it.

It's disappointing when you're working on trying to sell a movie that's a turd. It emboldens you into saying, "How can we try and save this picture?" Believe me it's far easier to market a movie that's good - you're jazzed about it, and you know if you do the marketing right, then the title will stay on the shelves a lot longer so more people will rent it.

And yes, there are a lot of flukes in the process - great key art, crappy movie and vice versa. The goal is always synergy: Great movie, great campaign that sells the picture.

Diane Kristine Wild said...

Yeah, I was going to say Sexy Pistols sounds like a bad translation which would turn me off the movie. It's a hard sell, a DVD of a movie I've never heard of that had huge stars. The assumption is always going to be it obviously sucked. I was offered this for review and declined because of that - I've got too many other things I want to review.

wcdixon said...

Hey! Blogger is finally working again.

Yeah, I thought 'this post is for Bill' when I threw it together.

jimhenshaw said...

How come no pictures of Dwight?

wcdixon said...

I'm trying to sell sexy here, Jim...unless the ladies in the house would be turned on by seeing Mr. Yoakam (or Steve Zahn for that matter) - ya never know...

jimhenshaw said...

Dwight can be sexy! Actually, he does a semi-nude scene in this. (*Spoiler alert*: He takes off his hat)

That's a country music joke ;)

Seriously, I saw this movie a couple of weeks ago. It's pretty much a forgettable timewaster. Some good action sequences and a few laughs. The girls are obviously having fun but it feels like it was mostly made to introduce them to 14 year old boys.

Cunningham said...

The girls are obviously having fun but it feels like it was mostly made to introduce them to 14 year old boys...

Kinda like that Farrah Fawcett poster when we were kids...

Oh yeah, wait for it...

(sniffs)

Nostalgia!

wcdixon said...

Farrahphernalia

Riddley Walker said...

Pretty Vacant.

Which I used to do in a former band, as an encore... ;-)

wcdixon said...

...by The Sex Pistols of course. Thanks Riddley