comment #1

DeafBrownTrashPunk says ...

I heard that there's a virus floating around attached to that, but I'm not sure this is true.

comment #2

Rich S. says ...

Ironic that McWeeny was part of the vanguard of websites seeking the earliest access possible to every film coming through the pipeline. I guess spy reports that torpedo a film's release and scrap its opening week box office are somehow better than pirated DVD copies.

comment #3

Deathtongue_Groupie says ...

I've always thought if the studios were smart, they would pay freelancers to "spike" dozens of their upcoming releases each year with really nasty viruses, malware, what-have-you and send it out.

When you are spending $50M to promote something like Wolverine, what's $50K to ensure guys start learning it's just not worth it to pirate it?

comment #4

JT says ...

What? no link, Jeff?

comment #5

storymark says ...

"I guess spy reports that torpedo a film's release and scrap its opening week box office are somehow better than pirated DVD copies. "

How is giving an early impression, that may torpedo a film - if it's terrible, NOT better than outright theft and distribution of stolen property?

comment #6

eoguy says ...

Look on the bright side. DVD copies of Taken were online for months ahead of its release, and I doubt that hurt its $140 million box-office take much.

comment #7

Rich S. says ...

"How is giving an early impression, that may torpedo a film - if it's terrible, NOT better than outright theft and distribution of stolen property?"

Both of them are actions taken contrary to the wishes of the filmmaker that has the direct effect of taking money out of the filmmaker's pockets. In fact, it could be argued that an aggressive takedown campaign is even worse than a few pirated DVDs, because it hurts the long-term profitability of the film far more.

Keep in mind, I'm talking about the malicious stuff AICN used to do before the studios wised up, rather than a few isolated negative reactions.

comment #8

Scott Mendelson says ...

The difference between Wolverine and something like Taken or Gran Torino is (aside from budget) the fact that Taken and Gran Torino were theoretically aimed at an older or at least less tech savvy demographic. While Wolverine surely wants to be a four-quadrant performer, the core audience is the very audience that knows exactly how to find, download, and burn bootleg movies.

If anything, this will be a big test for the theory that piracy is harmful. Oddly enough, we now likely have every studio in Hollywood hoping and praying that Wolverine pulls in $60 million or more next month. If it only pulls in $40 million or less, than every studio will start to panic.

comment #9

storymark says ...

I don't recall seeing any AICNers trying as hard to take down any movies as the proprieter of this site.

comment #10

Wrecktem says ...

Pirates offer big cash to get top flight films like this early. Huge security blunder by Fox. Heads should roll.

comment #11

Nick says ...

This is a very interesting movie for this to happen to because the fanboy reaction has been so negative and the trailer looks so bad.

comment #12

D.Z. says ...

"Has anyone in an all-media press screening ever been caught trying to tape a movie? Ever? I'm not saying it hasn't happened. I'm just asking."

My feeling is that it could be someone disgruntled from being kicked off X3. And no, not the obvious players, either.

comment #13

BurmaShave says ...

Nick, do you think it was leaked on purpose?

comment #14

Nick says ...

-Burma
I don't really think that they would leak this on purpose, but after watching a bit, I'm not sure how any effects or reshoots could make this better...and I'm sure Fox knows that. Stranger things have happened, I guess.

Fox now has an instant scapegoat if/when this movie underperforms.

It's too bad because I love Tsotsi and hope Gavin Hood doesn't get sent to director's jail if this collapses.

comment #15

Gordon27 says ...

"Keep in mind, I'm talking about the malicious stuff AICN used to do before the studios wised up, rather than a few isolated negative reactions."

I think it's silly to suggest the critics -- especially those at AICN -- were ever able to have a serious impact on the box office grosses of any movie...

But, I admit, I don't know what you're talking about and am curious. What sort of organized stuff did they used to do?

comment #16

JckNapier2 says ...

I mentioned in a post that, if the movie was terrible, that immediate suspicion would fall on Fox for leaking it to create an excuse for box office under performance. At the time, I was just tossing it out there. But, as a friend correctly noted, this could be a form of insurance fraud. If Fox has insured the film from all matter of maladies, could they cash in said insurance policy if they can somehow convince the carriers that the film flop because of third-party criminal action?

As it is, if the film is a hit anyway, then this becomes a goofy embarrassment. If the film flops, especially on opening weekend, the leak becomes one of the biggest entertainment stories of the year, period. As far as consequences, the only people responsible for this are the ones who leaked it, period. If Fox cracks down on critics and press screenings and/or public paid screenings, then there will be a huge press backlash. Either way, this is going to be a very interesting month in the fall out.

comment #17

Strictly From Hunger says ...

Hold on, Jeff. If we're talking about the same leak, the one purporting to be a DVD rip turned out actually to be a different version of the workprint. So, as far as I can tell, all the copies floating around are incomplete. Not saying this excuses anything, but it means that the piraters are more likely still to go see the movie in theaters to see the finished product.

comment #18

BurmaShave says ...

Nick, hopefully he just goes back to South Africa.

comment #19

Ray says ...

It's actually pretty good.

http://www.obsessedwithfilm.com/unfiltered-lens/thoughts-on-the-wolverine-workprint.php

comment #20

Rich S. says ...

Gordon27,

I apologize that I don't remember the specific film(s), because it has been several years. But I know that there was at least one film in the early days of AICN, the underperformance of which was attributed at least partially to an AICN takedown campaign. If I remember correctly, Harry Knowles completely hated the studio's choice of director and did everything he could to spread poisonous word of mouth on the picture prior to its release, much of which was based on spy reports from early test screenings. I wouldn't be surprised if he brags about it in his book.

That was the point that the studios realized that the internet community could be a threat and started really cracking down on early test screenings and planting positive word of mouth on AICN.

Now, of course, they have the opposite problem. The studios got really smart and started giving access to the AICNers, who realized they'd lose that access if they ever did another whispering campaign. So now we get Harry's rapturous reviews of crap like Attack of the Clones and nary a peep of negative reaction.

The beginning of the end of AICN really came when McWeeny broke from the pack and posted his evisceration of Superman Returns, apparently without Knowles' authorization. Knowles quickly pulled it down, but the damage was done. McWeeny moved on not long after that. Now the site's basically just useful as a depository of links gathered from other sources that have scooped it.

In the old days, given Knowles' antipathy towards Fox over the whole Watchmen debacle, they would have run a billion negative reviews based on the pirated DVD. Now they take the "moral high road." Whatever.