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August 14, 2006
THE HOST MOVES?
Over on the official Cineclick Asia website there's a write-up about their monster movie, THE HOST, which continues to suck up all the money in Korea. In their write-up they say that THE HOST will be released in the US in Spring, 2007. This is very different from the original news that it would hit American screens later this year, but since it's making its North American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival (in September) and some people have said that this is Magnolia's chance to see how an audience reacts to give them ideas about marketing, then a Spring release makes far more sense than a Winter release.
August 14, 2006 at 11:42 AM in News | Permalink
Comments
Yes. Lord knows they would rather re-build heat in the spring, months after the initial enthusiasm has dissipated, rather than build on what's already out there.
Posted by: Peter Martin | Aug 14, 2006 2:46:24 PM
Screw them....I'm buying the DVD.
Posted by: Scrooge | Aug 14, 2006 8:13:05 PM
I can understand sentiments like the above, and I'm disappointed about the delay, too. But I'll probably wait to see it on a big screen, with an audience. Home viewing will always be a poor second to theatrical, I don't care how many schmancy stereo speakers you've got strategically placed around the rec room.
Plus I want to support releases of these kinds of films by American companies - Lord knows there's few enough of them. One could argue that the Internet & DVD age has made parts of the old marketing & release strategies for foreign films obsolete, including the substantial delay to build buzz in U.S. audiences. But I think maybe we geeks sometimes overestimate the amount of "heat" there actually is among Yank viewers for big Asian genre films. I'm just speculating, though.
Posted by: Michael Wells | Aug 15, 2006 6:24:45 AM
Magnolia is downright idiotic if they delay this. If they delay it, most of the people who want to see it will get the DVD (legit or otherwise), or download it from the internet - and will then be much less likely to go see it in the theatre. Sure, seeing it in a theater is optimal, but anyone who expects the inherently net-savvy audiences who would have heard of this film in the first place to wait that long to see it, after a reasonable date had already been announced and subsequently abandoned, is just naive. True, the amount of "heat" may be overestimated, which makes it all the more important to capitalize on what little heat there is.
I want to support these releases too, but the companies need to stop making Americans wait to see these films - because clearly we, the core audience, are NOT waiting to see them anymore. They can either promote and release foreign pickups more quickly and reap the rewards, or continue the hopelessly dated "delayed releasing" tactics and watch the audience continue to evaporate. Fair or not, the Internet changes the rules completely. Get it out there, before someone else beats you to it - because they're 100% for sure going to beat you to it if you let them.
Posted by: Rhythm-X | Aug 15, 2006 11:14:43 AM
Magnolia is downright idiotic if they delay this. If they delay it, most of the people who want to see it will get the DVD (legit or otherwise), or download it from the internet - and will then be much less likely to go see it in the theatre. Sure, seeing it in a theater is optimal, but anyone who expects the inherently net-savvy audiences who would have heard of this film in the first place to wait that long to see it, after a reasonable date had already been announced and subsequently abandoned, is just naive. True, the amount of "heat" may be overestimated, which makes it all the more important to capitalize on what little heat there is.
I want to support these releases too, but the companies need to stop making Americans wait to see these films - because clearly we, the core audience, are NOT waiting to see them anymore. They can either promote and release foreign pickups more quickly and reap the rewards, or continue the hopelessly dated "delayed releasing" tactics and watch the audience continue to evaporate. Fair or not, the Internet changes the rules completely. Get it out there, before someone else beats you to it - because they're 100% for sure going to beat you to it if you let them.
Posted by: Rhythm-X | Aug 15, 2006 11:19:56 AM
According to my sources at Magnolia, The Host was always planned for a 2007 release, and I was told this before the movie was even released in Korea, so they're not "delaying" it.
Posted by: EDouglas | Aug 16, 2006 5:04:56 AM
Still...it's a lousy marketing decision. This movie will have its North American buzz at its peek right after it previews at the TIFF. Why wait until next year to release it?! By then, those whom were mildly interested will forget it, and those whom are highly anticipating it will pick up the DVD as soon as it's available.
Posted by: Marten | Aug 16, 2006 1:18:43 PM
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