War, What Is It Good For?

Let's talk about Stop-Loss for a second.

I've been looking forward to this movie ever since I first heard of it months ago because I have a gigantic acting crush on Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I think he's a fantastic, exciting young actor and his website is really cool. (And dear Lord help me for calling a twentysomething guy "young." Now get off my lawn!) Also, it's written and directed by Kimberly Pierce, who helmed the very affecting Boys Don't Cry. Exciting, right?

But then the other day the premiere invites came with the movie poster on the front. (Yes, full disclosure, the company I work for produced this movie.) As soon as I saw that, my entire view of what the movie was going to be was pretty much shattered. Well...just look at the poster:

Remind you of anything? Let me refresh your memories:

Then I sought out the trailer out of curiosity. Well...just watch the trailer:

Not only did they steal the poster from Varsity Blues, but Ryan Phillippe and Channing Tatum also seem to have stolen James Van Der Beek's atrocious accent.

I am very concerned. I'm hoping this is just a case of marketing gone crazy and the movie is actually a little bit subtle and thoughtful because this is not the movie I thought it was going to be, and you know I am still going to see it because of my aforementioned affection for JGL's acting and shirtless Channing Tatum. I don't want to be forced to sit through crap to see actors I like! I mean, I'm already going to be shelling out cash for this travesty in a few weeks to see an actor I love. There's only so much a girl can take.

Comments

[tiff]

wait, what! Josh Jackson has a new movie coming out?? I need an RSS feed for his career.

Re: Stop Loss. I kinda thought it would be "one of those films" because it was an MTV films production, but so was Freedom Writers, and that wasn't horrible. Just typical. But this... I will see. Accents be damned.

Why do people try to do Southern accents? Even authentic southerners have a hard time making it sound genuine.

[Carrie]

So...I am apparently ahead of the curve. From today's Hollywood Reporter (http://tinyurl.com/2klqgq):
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"'Stop-Loss' faces uphill battle
Ads downplay Iraq theme as audiences seem skittish
By Steven Zeitchik

March 14, 2008

With its morally complex story of soldiers who have served in Iraq, Paramount's upcoming "Stop-Loss" offers a more direct and gritty account of a current soldier's experience than any commercial feature to date.

Yet you wouldn't know it from the trailer, which emphasizes a young cast in moments of camaraderie in Texas. Or from the poster, which has the vibe of a "Friday Night Lights" or "Varsity Blues" as much as "Platoon" or "Full Metal Jacket."

Such is the paradox of Kimberly Peirce's "Stop-Loss," which, after being moved from the fall to avoid the boxoffice hacksaw faced by other war pictures, holds its premiere Monday in Los Angeles before opening wide March 28. The movie addresses the complexities and pressures of those currently serving in the modern military in ways arguably no studio has.

And yet the recent boxoffice fate of Iraq movies has prompted Paramount to take a notably careful approach that downplays the war. The movie is being sold as an MTV Films picture with an attractive young cast (Ryan Phillippe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt) that will lure people to theaters for other reasons.

In essence, they're inverting the model: Where fall movies such as "Rendition" and "The Kingdom" that are only indirectly about Iraq tried to tap into the Iraq zeitgeist, a film far more relevant to the war is in a sense trying to distance itself from it.

"Any movie that deals with the war has to find another way in (to consumers)," said one veteran marketer. "So we're in this weird situation (where) the more a movie like this is about contemporary issues, the less you can talk about them in your marketing."

"Stop-Loss" comes from a director known for her unflinching filmmaking -- her most recent film was 1999's "Boys Don't Cry" -- and centers on Brandon (Phillippe), a soldier who finishes his tour in Iraq and returns home to Texas. Soon after he comes home, however, he find himself ordered back to the Middle East under the Army's stop-loss provision, which can order soldiers back at an time. He then must weigh whether to go back to Iraq or flee the country.

In an interview, Peirce said that she believed her film differed from other recent war movies. "I think this is the first movie told entirely from soldiers' point of view," she said. "What we wanted to do was make a movie emblematic of how soldiers really feel." The movie grew out of video interviews Peirce did with soldiers around the country; at one point, she even considered turning it into a documentary."
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Now, I'm not so worried! It's just wacky marketing, as I thought.

Oh, and scoop on Josh's career is best from http://www.josh-jackson.net. :)

[Nea]

I am glad I read this. When I first saw anything about this movie, months ago, I thought it sounded like a great film. Then, the last couple of promos I saw made it seem watered down from my first impression. Maybe it will still be good. The first promo I saw for it gave me goosebumps, but not the last couple!

[tiff]

a girl at my work saw Shutter! What did you think?

[Bianca Reagan]

What is an "acting crush", madam? And why isn't Mr. Gordon-Levitt more prominently featured in the trailers? Curse you, Ryan Phillippe for remaining relevant after your divorce and stealing the spotlight from JGL!

[Carrie]

Tiff: I haven't seen it yet, I've been busy moving! I think I'll see it this week sometime.

Bianca: An acting crush is when you like an actor not because he is super hot, but because his acting is so awesome it makes you love him. Not that JGL isn't attractive, but when I look at him I don't think "Man, I want to jump his bones" but "Man, I can't wait to see what he does with this character." Nerdy, but true. Ha.

[Stephanie]

Oh so I was reading that Joe and Channing were upset about the marketing. So Joseph cut his own trailer. Here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wz0JowDocI

[Carrie]

Thanks for the link, Stephanie! Although that trailer would obviously need some polishing, it does a lot better job getting to the heart of the story the movie tells. Once again, Paramount marketing blows it by marketing that movie to teenage girls, as it only made $4.5 million this weekend. (I'm beginning to think the successful Cloverfield marketing campaign was the exception rather than the rule for Paramount.) The theater I saw it in had less than 10 people in it on a Sunday afternoon. It's a shame, because the movie was pretty powerful and had some decent acting, especially from Ryan Phillippe which was a pleasant surprise.

Did anyone else see it? What did you think?

[Supermario 86(1)]

Do they have phones or internet in Nashville??? Where you been?

[Carrie]

No. We burn wood to keep warm and use two cans with a string between them to talk to each other instead of phones. It's the country! :)

[tiff]

oh, Nashville!!!!

I haven't seen Stop Loss, yet but it's on my list. Hope your move went well!

[Mike]

Your blog audience demands a "Carrie moving 'cross country" blog - at least I do. Lets get this Friday moving with tales of how much OK sucked to drive through and how amazing the selection of beef jerky was at the Flying J. I know you are busy and all but this is like waiting for fresh episodes of LOST. Are you holding out for Blog sweeps or something?

[tiff]

I'm with Mike.. the draught is too much!