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‘Buddy’ Lifted By Small But Potent Fandom
Director/filmmaker Casper Kelly has a small sliver of the vast popular culture, which proved enough to propel his horror film “Buddy” (central character above) to a modest hit in cinemas. Digital-centric marketing leveraged Kelly’s fans from his anti-comedy short film “Too Many Cooks” on basic cable’s Adult Swim programming block. “Buddy” is also another example of online content creators propelling cinema-released horror films, such as recent hits “Obsession” and “Backrooms.” “Buddy” reportedly cost just $3 million to make, which is…
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BMW Rides ‘Spider-Man’ Tsunami
German carmaker BMW rides the coattails of the “Spider-Man” blockbuster with a product placement and also peripheral tie-in marketing for its new iX3 midsized vehicle and 5 Series midsized sedan.…
Par-WB: Merger Meddling Gone Awry
Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery shouldn’t be held up by regulators because it won’t entrench a monopoly. Here’s why: The $81 billion merger is stalled at a…
Mood Swing: Cinema Is Cool Again
Though underappreciated, movies in cinemas are again top of the Hollywood food chain (cinema’s appeal illustrated in AI-generated image above). “The big screen’s obituary has been written so many times…
Samsung Ignites ‘Spider-Man’ Glow
Samsung rolls out a multilevel promotional tie-in with “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which audience tracking says is poised for a blockbuster run. Sony Pictures premieres “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” on…
Minions Drop ‘Easter Eggs’ on Hollywood
Hollywood’s silent film era is remembered lovingly and humorously in “Minions & Monsters” with “Easter eggs” stuffed in the animated film (above a trailer screen grab). An “Easter egg” is…
Films Starving for Restaurant Tie-ins
Family- and kids-oriented summer movie tie-in promotions with restaurants used to saturate media, but it appears there’s a diminishing appetite for them. In a sign of the times, there’s a…
Culture Wars Engulf ‘Odyssey’
Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan takes a thoroughly-modern approach to casting his next movie that is based on a classic ancient Greek tale, igniting a media firestorm from influencers, movie fans…
Defining Cinema Audiences by Passions
Teen, young adult and middle-aged consumers increasingly embrace elements of popular cultural to define themselves, which prompts movie research to sometimes miss their preferences. A 37-page research analysis titled “Fandom…
Change up: Netflix Warms to Cinema
Video streamers are pumping up their theatrical slates, which is good for film supply to cinema. Amazon MGM Studios mapped out a dozen theatricals this year premiering in cinemas, in…