September 03, 2006
20th Century Fox - What the HELL is wrong with you people?
Why am I so upset? Because I just saw the new Mike Judge movie, "Idiocracy". And boy, do I consider myself lucky. Most of you won't get to see it, because 20th Century Fox has decided you don't want to see it, or they don't want you to see it, I'm honestly not sure. In fact, no one seems to be sure what's going on.
What the HELL is wrong with you people?Magnificent Bastard here . . . and I've got something to get off my chest. It's time to FLING SOME POOH!!
This little diatribe is brought to you in honor of 20th Century Fox, currently number one on my list of movie studios who JUST DON'T GET IT!
Why am I so upset? Because I just saw the new Mike Judge movie, "Idiocracy". And boy, do I consider myself lucky. Most of you won't get to see it, because 20th Century Fox has decided you don't want to see it, or they don't want you to see it, I'm honestly not sure. In fact, no one seems to be sure what's going on.
Mike Judge, the man who brought us "Beavis and Butthead", "King of the Hill", and "Office Space", has made
another live action film - "Idiocracy". He finished principal photography two years ago, and has since then spent two years fighting the studio tooth and nail over finishing it. No one seems to be releasing any details about what happened, but Fox has made the "intelligent" decision to release the movie in 7 to 10 markets with absolutely no marketing. No ads, no trailers, no nothing. Luckily, I live in one of the few towns to get a release, and being a fan of Mike's, I had to check it out.
Is it genius? No, it's not. But how many things are? Is it funny? No, it's not. It's hilarious. I laughed throughout the entire movie, and most of the people at the screening I went to were laughing right along with me. The screening was not full, but I went in the afternoon, so that's no suprise. Besides, I don't think anyone knows it exists, because Fox has chosen NOT TO TELL ANYONE.
Oh, and by the way, the few reviews it's getting (since most critics didn't get a chance to see it either) have been mostly positive.
You think they MIGHT have learned a lesson from their little "Office Space" experience. They released that movie with almost no marketing, and suprise, it didn't do well at the Box Office. Seems someone at Fox didn't like it, and decided no one would like it. Well, a few years ago, "Entertainment Weekly" magazine was doing a follow up story on "Office Space", and they called Fox to see how the DVD sales were. According to that story, the people at Fox were SUPRISED to find out it was the second highest selling DVD they have EVER RELEASED. Did you get that? They, the studio that owns it and released it, isn't even aware it's one of their biggest sellers until a MAGAZINE asks them about it. Clueless, don't ya think?
So, obviously, their executives didn't have a clue when it was released that millions of people would love it. They didn't pay attention when it became a major money-maker for them IN SPITE of their total lack of attempts to market it. But surely they learned from that? HELL NO! They don't "get" his new movie, they decide to bury it with a token release, which I would be willing to guess is just to satisfy some contractual obligations they have, and now they can sit back and say how they were right, it didn't do well.
Does someone at Fox have a personal grudge against Mike Judge? Why would you give someone that much money to make a movie if you don't believe in them a little bit? Why would you ignore your own past cluelessness
about his work? They didn't understand "Beavis & Butthead", but people loved it and it made money. They
didn't understand "Office Space", but people loved it and it made lots of money (eventually), they never showed "King of the Hill" the love it deserved, giving it a crap time slot . . . but it kept drawing fans and selling DVDs. COME ON!!! Even from a pure Corporate Greed standpoint, it seems like they have their heads up their ass about what will and won't sell, and refuse to learn. What the HELL is wrong with you people?
Mike Judge deserves better than this. We, the people, deserve better than this. The stockholders of 20th Century Fox deserve better than this. Either don't make the movie, or make it and give it a FAIR SHOT. Who the fuck made the Suits at 20th Century Fox the arbitrators of taste? Don't they know that's CyberMonkeyDeathSquad's job?
Oh, and by the way, these are the same geniuses who spent millions marketing "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" and "John Tucker Must Die". Way to have your fingers on the pulse of what people do and don't want to see, guys! I don't think that box office should be the index on which we judge a movie's worth, but THEY do, and THEY are so wrong, over and over again. They make these DUMB-ASS decisions, and then they wonder why more people aren't seeing movies. They blame everyone but themselves . . . What the HELL is wrong with you people?
If you live anywhere near a screening of this movie, go see it. Tell your friends to go see it.
So, here's a big wet handful of monkey-pooh for 20th Century Fox.
What the HELL is wrong with you people?
Favorite Feedback
Chim Chim from Austin writes:
A tear wells up in my eye as I write this. Mike Judge (while he is succesful) seems to get the shaft from every deal he makes (except King of the Hill). He got shafted on Beavis and Butthead, He got shafted on Office Space, and now he has been shafted on Idiocracy. What the f*ck man. get a f*cking analyst to see what kind of a cult icon he is.
I am dying to see idiocracy. But will I? Maybe when it is out on DVD. I live in Austin, and there should be a grass roots effort to make this film known!
F*ck you Rupert Murdoch!
Hey my brother - I'm doing my part. And btw - the film is currently playing in Austin, do your part and see it now!