Self-Defined Heroism

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Observe and Report "is not a movie about a guy who becomes a hero [but] a guy who's decided in his own mind that he is one, all evidence to the contrary. Referring to this movie and Paul Blart: Mall Cop in the same breath because they're both about mall cops is like comparing Straw Dogs to Babe because they're both set on a farm." -- from Moises Chiullan's just-posted review of Jody Hill's upcoming Warner Bros. release, which is opening 4.10.

Anyone out there who believes that the Warner Bros. copy line on the Observe and Report poster is meant to be understood in this light -- i.e., that Rogen's character is delusional -- doesn't know much about studio marketing. The poster obviously isn't taking the idea of Rogen's mall cop being a hero seriously -- the shades make it clear he's a self-absorbed doofus -- but the poster isn't even flirting with the idea that the character may be seriously deranged in a Travis Bickle sense of the term. There isn't a wisp of a hint of this in the poster art.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on March 23, 2009 at 8:52 AM

comment #1

rr3333 says ...

If the poster gave a hint that he was 'Bickle Like', the movie would make 3 cents.

Posted by rr3333 at March 23, 2009 9:24 AM

comment #2

roquentin says ...

They're piggybacking on the Judd Apatow poster formula (straight ahead portrait against a single color background), although I think there is a hint of delusion here. He looks like a cop on a power trip, or a cop getting his own mugshot.

I really anticipated Jody Hill's Fist Foot Way and Eastbound and Down, and both proved one note and only occasionally funny. So I'm not looking forward to this. Seth Rogen looks ill-suited to the Danny McBride mold, too sweet, too toned down.

Posted by roquentin at March 23, 2009 9:26 AM

comment #3

Sabina E says ...

I don't like that poster, either. I agree, it's horrible marketing. It looks like a goofy, slapstick comedy, so hearing all that praise about him being a delusional "hero" in a Travis Bickle kind of way is very hard for me to swallow.

The poster actually makes me think of the Farrelly Brothers and not in a good way.

Posted by Sabina E at March 23, 2009 9:29 AM

comment #4

corey3rd says ...

Babe is just like Straw Dogs - especially the scene when the locals show up looking to turn Babe's woman into bacon.

Even better is watching Babe and Straw Dogs on two monitors next to each other while high. What's amazing is Dustin's rampage ends when the farmer says "That'll do, pig.'

Posted by corey3rd at March 23, 2009 10:09 AM

comment #5

actionman says ...

I think Eastbound and Down is fucking hilarious (as well as Foot Fist Way) so I am down for anything with Jody Hill's name on it.

Posted by actionman at March 23, 2009 10:25 AM

comment #6

YRG says ...

It's being marketed as a comedy, but it'll be as funny as Cable Guy. I'm looking forward to it, though.

Posted by YRG at March 23, 2009 10:58 AM

comment #7

LexG says ...

This trailer ran before my screening of WATCHMEN a couple weeks back, in between a bunch of fanboy-appropriate summer movie trailers. After the film, I was out in the lobby overhearing conversations, and this large group of pasty-stocking college kids, half of them in USC sweatshirts, stood around talking about the trailers and "I wanna see that!"-ing about Star Wars and Terminator.

The head dude, kind of Rogen-esque ironically enough, then started RIPPING on the Observe and Report trailer, loudly proclaiming it MALL COP 2 and MAN IS THAT A RIP OFF OF MALL COP and CAN YOU BELIEVE THEY'RE RIPPING OFF MALL COP! Everyone chorted in smug unison, and the level of disbelief was something to behold; I hope these kids weren't USC *FILM* students, because some of them seemed under the impression that the filmmakers had somehow rushed a RIPOFF or a REMAKE into the works, as though it's possible to have conceived of, cast, filmed and cut a trailer for a major studio release with big stars in the seven weeks since MALL COP dropped and became a surprise hit.

So, yeah, clearly they were idiots, but if a gaggle of college kids sees this as a Mall Cop knockoff or at least a BROAD, SILLY COMEDY ABOUT A WACKY MALL COP WITH A GOOFY POSTER OF A GUY THEY KNOW ONLY FOR DOING SHTICK, the masses CERTAINLY will not want any Taxi Driver shenanigans from this.

Posted by LexG at March 23, 2009 11:12 AM

comment #8

Chase Kahn says ...

can't a self-absorbed doofus be considered delusional?

Posted by Chase Kahn at March 23, 2009 11:15 AM

comment #9

Josh Massey says ...

On a poster designer's priority list, "getting people into the theater" comes long before "correctly represent the movie's premise."

Oh, and speaking of cops, today is the 25th anniversary of Police Academy. Where are all the celebratory articles?!?

Posted by Josh Massey at March 23, 2009 11:41 AM

comment #10

LexG says ...

Thanks for making me think of Michael Winslow.

Posted by LexG at March 23, 2009 11:47 AM

comment #11

ZayTonday says ...

But Moises forgot to include the word "transgressive" in his review, so he fails.

Posted by ZayTonday at March 23, 2009 4:26 PM

comment #12

ZayTonday says ...

All these comparisons to Taxi Driver have made me really want to see this movie though, and I've passed on most of the recent R-rated Apatow-esque comedies.

Posted by ZayTonday at March 23, 2009 4:28 PM

comment #13

DarthCorleone says ...

Yeah, this is exactly what I said about the print campaign when we were discussing this the other day. And - for the record - that conversation did inspire me to pay closer attention to the trailers, since so many of you were so insistent that Observe And Report has something great going on. I can see the potential in the TV spots for something a little more than the LCD comedy, but I still haven't seen even a glimmer of Taxi Driver in them.

It's meaningless in this context, but I do enjoy both Babe and Straw Dogs.

Posted by DarthCorleone at March 24, 2009 12:39 AM

comment #14