No screening at the motha*@@%! junket?

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August 9, 2006

Quel génie a inventé la junket de cinéma? Le principe est simple comme une tarte aux cornichons: des dizaines de journalistes rassemblés à Los Angeles ou New York voient le film, puis interviewent les stars en petit groupe ou individuellement dans une chambre d’hotel. C’est, hélas, presque toujours le seul couloir d’accès aux stars ou aux réalisateurs, en particulier pour les médias étrangers. Et ca ne s'arrange pas, d’année en année: de plus en plus d’interviews de groupe se muent en «mini-conférences de presse» avec stars, réalisateurs et producteurs se félicitant les uns les autres. Pire: les studios trouvent normal de ne plus projeter le film systematiquement avant les interviews, comme ce fut le cas avant la junket de Serpents dans l’avion (Snakes On A Plane.)

Which genius invented the movie junket? The principle is as simple as moose-turd pie: dozens of journalists gather in L.A. or New York to see a movie, then interview the stars in a hotel room, either in small groups or individually. This is, alas, almost always the only way to access the actors and directors, especially for the foreign media. Working conditions don't get any better, year after year -- more and more small-group interviews turn into "mini-press conferences," with the entire team of the movie congratulating each other. Worse: studios find it normal to not systematically screen the movie before interviews, as it was the case before the Snakes on the Plane junket.

Ce n’est pas que le film soit encore en montage, comme cela arrive parfois. Le réalisateur et New Line Cinema ont décidé de ne pas le montrer à la presse, partant du principe que SOTP «appartient aux fans.» Une décision que j'aurais respecté tout à fait si le studio avait annulé la junket et les interviews. Au lieu de cela, ils nous ont sollicité pour davantage de presse. Et plutôt que de boycoter, j’ai saisi l’occasion de demander des explications en personne.

Not that the film is still on the cutting floor, which happens sometimes. The director and New Line Cinema decided not to show it to the press, on the principle that SOTP "belongs to the fans." A decision that I would have fully respected if the studio had cancelled the junket and the interviews. Instead, they solicited us for more media coverage. And rather than boycotting the junket, I decided to seize the opportunity to ask for explanations.

A la junket, avant les interviews, les journalistes défilent autour du buffet de «purée de serpent» (du homus rebaptisé pour l’occasion.) Mes tentatives de ralliement de collègues («Quelle farce! On est vraiment pris pour des idiots!») ne déclenchent pas vraiment de réactions, seulement des soupirs blasés: «Et oui...» Plusieurs stakhanovistes des junkets partent déjà du principe que le film est nul, forcément, puisqu’on nous le cache.
Or, au dernier moment, New Line nous montre sur une télé 10 minutes du film... très bonnes. Le premier serpent me fait recracher mon Red Bull de peur et je m'étrangle de rire pendant une course-poursuite à la hâche. A juger par cet extrait, le ton de SOTP est parfait, les acteurs sont impec' pour ce genre de film-déconnade, à regarder en groupe dans une salle de ciné un samedi soir. Donc bien la peine de faire des mannières.

At the junket, before the interviews, journalists check out the buffet of "snakes puree" (hummus renamed for the occasion.) My attempts at fomenting a revolt ("What a farce! The studios really think we're morons!") fall flat, and are met with blasé sighs: "Yeah, I guess..." Several junkets stakhanovists are convinced that the movie must suck really bad if it's being kept from us.
However, at the last minute, we are shown 10 minutes of the film on a TV screen ... and it's really good. I'm so scared by the first snake that I spit up my Red Bull, and I choke laughing during a pursuit scene on the plane involving an ax. Judging from this excerpt, the tone of the movie is just right, and the actors impeccable for this kind of deliriously fun movie, aimed at being watched with your friends in a theater on a Saturday night. Why the fuss, really.

NOW, THE INTERVIEWS...

Il s'avère que je ne suis finalement pas la seule piquée par ces conditions de travail. Pendant une interview en petit comité, l’actrice Juliana Margulies (très sympa) nous signale que, coincée dans un avion à New York la veille, elle a raté une projection organisée pour les stars «afin que nous puissions vous parler du film»:

It turns out that I'm not the only one miffed by these working conditions. During our small group interview with actress Juliana Margulies (very nice gal) she mentions that she was stuck on a tarmac in NYC and missed the screening organized for the stars the day before, so "that we could talk to you about the movie."

Juliana Margulies: "I really truly believe them when they say: we want the fans to see it first... they are those who put us on the map. It's been such an amazing experience with this blogging, and my friends are e-mailing me, forwarding me the sites and I'm like: 'it's great that they're being respected and heard.'"
(grumbles from journalists)

Me: "What about respecting us?"

An Australian journalist jumps in: "This could be all their hype aswell, because the fans haven't seen the film either."

Juliana Margulies (looking sorry): "Well... I don't know. I think we're all on the same boat here. And it's called Snakes on the Plane!"

On s'enquiert ensuite auprès du toujours efficace Samuel L. Jackson:

Then we ask the always reliable Samuel L. Jackson:

"Oh shucks! Are you complaining? It sounds as if somebody is angry because they might have to pay!" (Roars laughing.) "You can have a conversation without seeing the film. It's Snakes on a Plane! What do you think is gonna fucking happen? (roars again) "

Vient le tour du réalisateur, David Ellis. Cet ancien cascadeur souriant (décidément, tout le monde sur cette junket est bien sympathique) défend mordicus l’absence de projection:

Comes the director, David Ellis. The cheerful former stuntman (another likeable guy ... what's up with this junket?) defends the lack of screening to the hilt:

"It's unfair in some ways to the media, because you guys always get to see the film and it helps you with the questions and that you want to ask... But at the same time, we felt that this is so unusual of a phenomenon that it has become the fans' movie. We wanted to give the movie to the fans, and let them decide whether they like it or don't like it. We took the chance pissing off some of the critics, but we felt that it was a gamble that was worth it."

Ellis ajoute que les projos de presse pour les médias et les "bloggers internet" seront organisées le 17 août, pour coincider avec la Première, deux heures avant la sortie du film aux Etats-Unis.

Ellis adds that screenings for the media and "internet bloggers" will be held on August 17, at the same time as the premiere, and a couple of hours before the movie is released in the United States. Furious moblogging from the theaters if the movie sucks would take a while to damper the general enthusiasm.

Tout cela pour dire que les studios se trouvent de plus en plus de bonnes raisons d’éliminer les projections de presse. Aux médias de refuser de jouer à ce petit jeu, à l'instar de plusieurs de mes rédacteurs-en-chef en France. Dans mon cas, c'était la dernière fois.

All of this is to say that the studios find more and more good reasons to eliminate advance screenings. It's up to the media to refuse playing by the new rules, as many of my editors in France do. As far as I'm concerned, it was the last time.

PS: comments still screwed up... sorry!

PPS: DAVID POLAND WRITES:

Movie critic David Poland of Movie City News and the Hot Blog, a favourite of ours, adds:

“As long as international journalists print what they are fed by studios, it will keep happening. The only true response is to boycott... to not write stories unless the studios deliver access on a reasonable level. Even if just 30% of the outlets say “no,” that would force change."
"I believe that the studios have a right to do whatever they want. There is no sin in not showing movies or giving easy access to talent. But unless journalists – and more importantly, their editors – are willing to go without, there is zero motivation for studios to take our concerns seriously. New Line has made a smart strategic play to put all their eggs in SoaP into ads and buzz and Sam Jackson. They got an Entertainment Weekly cover out of it. No one should ever talk to talent from a finished film without seeing the movie, unless that is part of the story.”

PPS: more about junkets, courtesy and integrity on the Hot Blog

Posted by Emmanuelle at August 9, 2006 2:42 PM

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