Maxim Film Critic Changes Quote for CBS and Miramax
Non-whore Arizona Daily Star film critic and friend of the blog, Phil Villarreal, points us to a Variety article exposing Maxim film critic Pete Hammond for allowing CBS to alter the content of his blurb for the Miramax film Hannibal in the name of "family" entertainment. From Philmguy:
Maxim's Pete Hammond embarrassed himself and all other film critics by playing along with the Weinstein Company's finagling over a TV commercial quote blurb. According to a story in the Daily Variety, the studio planned on using Hammond's quote "the most terrifying thriller of the new year."This blurb is awful and quote-whorish to begin with - just how many terrifying thrillers can be released in the first five weeks of the year anyway? But what happened next is even worse. Big boss Harvey Weinstein made the admen change the commercial, which ran during the Super Bowl, excising the word "terrifying" because it might offend audiences. (Huh?) So the Weinstein Co. asked Hammond to change his quote to "the year's most electrifying thriller," not only taking out the offending "terrifying" adjective but also "the new year" reference.
Weinstein addressed the issue while speaking at a panel discussion:
"Les (Leslie Moonves, CBS) said he was concerned about the word 'terrifying' given how many families were watching the game, and so we called (Hammond) and asked if we could change it to 'the year's most electrifying thriller' and he said, 'OK,' and that's how it ran."Down with quote-whores, we say. They're almost as bad as floggers.—MEGHANN MARCO
CBS tweaks 'Hannibal' ad [Variety via Philmguy]
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Comments:
This all reminds me of when Sony got busted for using fake quotes from fake critics in their movie trailers. Hollywood just ain't what it used to be.
Considering the source, the quote shouldn't matter changed or not. I get Maxim because of a free four year subscription, but I don't even read it anymore because it's nothing more than 100+ pages of product placement with bad jokes and photoshopped women inserted throughout.
Isn't the gist of the quote the same? How is this newsworthy?
That is the "most unbelievable" story I have ever heard! "It blew me away!" Everyone knows movie quotes are usually so "accurate and reliable!"
Wow, talk about burning the idiot candle from both ends. Not only is this quote less informative to the FOUR people who don't know what this film is about, it's even more watered down and PATHETIC.
in the immortal words of lewis black,
FffffffffffffffFUCK!!!!!!!
Columbus day "This thriller charts new waters!"
Valentines Day "This is one sweetheart of a thriller!"
St. Patricks Day "All other thrillers are green with envy!"
Easter "This movie is the pink and blue sparkled egg Mom hid in the backyard. This movie isn't just for somebunny it's for everybunny!"
Groundhog Day "If the groundhog saw this thriller there would be 6 months left in winter!"
Columbus Day "This thriller charts new waters!"
St. Patricks Day "This thriller leaves all others green with envy!"
Easter "This movie isn't just for somebunny, it's for everybunny!"
Easter "This movie is better than being nailed to a cross and then rising from the dead three days later!"
I didn't even know that Maxim had a "film critic." I always thought their "reviews" were just cut and pasted lines from press releases, like just about everything else in that rag.
Oh wow, it's double post day!
Oh wow, it's double post day!
/intentional
give me a break, please? first off, i don't care what you say about the movie in question, because it probably sucks like 99% of the shit hollywood has to offer week in and week out... i'm not going to see it anyway till it's either on dvd or cable at best (ie: part of an entertainment package i'm already paying for).
that said, do any of you actually listen to what the paid-for-critics have to say anyway? i sure as hell don't. there are plenty of sites out there with actual people's critiques out there.
Maxim magazine has words?
Now who's up for 300!?
"This is the most terrifying thread of the new week. ***1/2"
For decades, Peter "You'll laugh till it hurts" Travers has been doing copywriters' work for them with his breathless, blurb-ready film reviews in Rolling Stone. In the last few years, he has acquired a similarly shill-happy rival in the person of Maxim's Pete Hammond.
Since when is Maxim Magazine relevant? Is this 1998? And is this movie so bad that the only critic's quote they could get for the trailer was from Maxim?