Cool News
Quint's open letter to Fox re: IDIOCRACY!!!
Ahoy, squirts, ladies and gentlemen at 20th Century Fox. Quint here.
I was lucky enough to have been in one of the 7 cities you decided to drop IDIOCRACY in and went to one of the 130 theaters showing the film today. In my mind, the thing was a trainwreck. Not just because you wise people at Fox have shelved this project for so long, putting out virtually nothing in terms of ads or marketing, essentially telling us that you have a stinker on your hands and don't know what to do with it, but also because of the Austin film scene. I know a lot of people working in film in this city, on all levels, and I heard Mike Judge underwent massive, massive reshoots. The early word was mixed, but we got some surprisingly good word from their UK test screening.
All that was playing in my mind, to the point that I bought my ticket for an afternoon showing today at the Alamo S. Lamar without really feeling excited to be one of the few cities to have it. I bought my ticket based on the huge success Judge's comedy has had with me in the past. I saw OFFICE SPACE in the theaters. Great experience, one that's only grown better and better each time I see it. I was at a regional premiere for BEAVIS & BUTTHEAD DO AMERICA pre-AICN. I remember the huge controversy surrounding Frog Baseball with the original Beavis & Butthead series on MTV. At each step I've liked what he's done. While I don't follow it regularly, I do enjoy KING OF THE HILL as well. Essentially, he earned my $7.00 Alamo ticket...
Considering there has not been one trailer, my past enjoyment of the filmmaker's material was literally all I had to go on.
It might be because I walked in expecting a trainwreck, an unreleasable mess, that I ended up liking it so much. My expectations were lowered pretty far. It also might be that I had just seen the WICKER MAN remake before I walked into this theater. I have no idea how the film would have played to me if I had been overexposed to it, but I found myself gut-laughing at least a dozen times during IDIOCRACY.
That begs the question. Why? Why did Fox dump it? Why did they dump it with no fanfare at all? No advertising? If it wasn't for the Austin Chronicle, I wouldn't have even known about it and I was watching this project pretty closely!
It's not that they choose to only release really, really good movies. My friend Rav made the point that they just put out JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE, who even my little brother and his friends, high school boys and girls in the target age range, thought was godawful crap.
Okay, so let's look at it. They obviously want this film to go away, get to DVD as quickly as possible. So why the sham theatrical release? Do they have a contract with Judge the guarantees some sort of theatrical release? That's the only thing I can think of. I'd usually say that such a small theatrical release was just a way to advertise the upcoming DVD, but that would require people knowing about it... so that one doesn't wash.
I don't know why Fox would want to give the film such a small chance at success, especially after what they saw happen to OFFICE SPACE, another one of his films they fumbled and is now one of the most often quoted films of the last 10 years. You'd think that'd give them a reason to really get the release of this one right.
I'm really at a loss to explain the thought process here. I would completely understand if they had decided on a platform release, opening in a few cities and then opening wider, much like LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE did over the last few months, but what they're doing is not a limited release. That would require them to... I don't know... let people know the film is out?
I'd love to hear what kind of bizarre, ugly political jumble must exist between Mike Judge or the producers and the studio. There's gotta be something going on and we all know that Tom Rothman is the kind of guy that'd go out of his way to cockblock his own projects in order to stick it to someone he doesn't like. There's gotta be something there, underneath all this.
But let's talk about the movie a little bit.
Sure, the basic premise of a modern day average joe being frozen and thawed out in a radically different future world isn't a new one. FUTURAMA is most often pointed at in regards to this film. There is an undeniable similarity, but this doesn't feel like FUTURAMA at all, nor does it feel like SLEEPER.
The humor in this is also more base than Judge's work on OFFICE SPACE, but certainly not any more lewd than BEAVIS & BUTTHEAD. Certainly not. It's a knock against the ignorant. Not one specific ethnicity or stereotype is focused on here. There is definitely a slant towards the trailer trash stereotype, but every form of ignorance is represented, regardless of what the color of the stereotype is.
Count me shocked that I actually liked Maya Rudolph in this film. I trusted that I'd follow Luke Wilson (although that trust was shaken by just how horrible he was in the anal leak of a film called MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND), but Rudolph was really goddamn funny in this movie. She actually has one of the best lines (surrounding a question involving Einstein). All the supporting players are good, especially Terry Crews as the President of America, a giant dreadlocked pro-wrestler.
The gags in the movie flow constantly and hit more often than they miss. It's not a flawless movie, not by a long shot. You feel it when the jokes miss, but then we'll see the city-sized Costco and its awesome greeter and all is forgiven. Judge's humor is alive and well in this movie. Any fan of BEAVIS & BUTTHEAD should eat this up, but he also hides some intelligence underneath the crude ass and balls jokes.
It's not Judge's strongest movie, but then again that's exactly what I thought of OFFICE SPACE the first time I saw it. Same thing I thought about BIG LEBOWSKI the first time I saw it. After watching them over and over, they've grown to the top of the list. I'm not saying IDIOCRACY is in the same league with those two films, but I am saying that I liked this movie a lot, definitely enough to watch it a few more times and give it a chance to grow past the "Hey, that's pretty funny" level.
With the success of TALLADEGA NIGHTS, one would think Fox would jump at the chance to release this film wide. They both exist to poke fun at the ignorant and TALLADEGA is doing damn well for itself. You'd think Fox would want to grab ahold of them coat-tails, cut some trailers in a similar vain, but sell it as an R-rated comedy that isn't afraid to go past the line where Will Ferrell stopped, and let loose the movie. Instead, they're hiding it in this invisible, minor release and dumping it to video.
If you got a chance to see the movie today or are seeing it this weekend, feel free give us your opinion in the talkback below, whether you agree with me or not. All those words above are just the opinions of one man. Let me know what you guys thought, if you were near one of the 130 theaters that got the movie (in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Toronto) that is.
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
-
+ Expand All
-
a massive turnover in management personel the better off many of our favorite movies and franchises will be. Fox is a fucking black hole to entertainment.
-
I may have a film to go see this weekend!
-
Perhaps the movie you are looking for is "Mom and Dad Save the Universe"? The premise of this movie always reminds me of that + the movies listed in this message title. I agree Fox seems to just be trying to get this to DVD asap. Perhaps they released it in such a limited manner because "direct to dvd" carries such a negative stigma?
-
...out of what, all two of them? Doesn't that automatically make this his WORST movie? By default? With all due respect... maybe the movie just plain stunk? BIG Judge here...but at least I say that as an over-decade long fan of his OTHER work, and not just Office Space... say what you will, but Fox Studios has supported this guy over the years tremendously, and only time (and audiences) will tell if this flick was worth all the hullabazoo...unlike "Craps on a Stain" (bad, bad word play).
-
it was hilarious.
i actually heard about this earlier today from one of the actors in it, when he posted a bulletin on myspace saying the movie was out. I was shocked, because i hadn't heard anything about it and figured it was still a year or two off or something. I ordered my ticket online because i knew it was a very very small release and figured that it'd sell out. it ended up being the opposite. it was one of the extremely few times when i was the ONLY guy in the entire theater. and it was a friday night at a 7:50 showing. unbelievable.
anyway, i sat right in the middle and laughed my head off at the movie all by myself. there was definitely some stuff in there that was some brand new comedy that hasn't really been touched on before. the "ow! my balls!" and "ass" jokes really hit home with me, cause forget the future - it seems like that's pretty much the state of tv and movies already.
i'm going to do my best to tell all my friends about this movie and spread word. i'm also gonna hang on to that ticket stub, cause i have a feeling in a year or two when all the frat dipshits are quoting this movie and thinking they're on the cutting edge, i'm gonna whip that ticket stub out and look like a real geek. but it's gonna feel cool. and when this movie is replayed day in and day out on comedy central, i'll remember how for some strange reason i was able to see this movie in the theater on opening night all by myself.
it was extremely funny. a lot of the jokes are crude, but they aren't just stupid - they're satire OF stupid jokes. it's all great. -
when i say i hadn't heard anything about it, i meant that i hadn't heard anything about it being released already. i had heard of the premise of the movie and that it was a mike judge movie.. that was like several months ago, on this site. i didn't know who was in it or anything other than that, and the fact that it silently hit theaters today.
-
at the Arclight (LA), making that screening the "premiere" i guess (i think a producer was there too as the name got an applause). Not as great as office space, but still damn funny and a big FU to the idiots of america (including the ones that made dax a star in the first place, but that's neither here or there). Between this and Wicker Man, this could be the funniest weekend at the movies ever...
as long as you live in one of the 7 cities FOX has dumped the film in. -
So the studio wins this time. I thought this movie was still being MADE! Mike Judge gets screwed twice in a row by Fox. Nice. At least he's still a multi-millionare from Beavis and Butthead/King Of The Hill.
-
...and I thought it was brilliant. It extrapolates everything that is dumb in our society to its logical end, and paints a frighteningly familiar picture of what the future might hold. "Do you really want to live in a society where everyone wants to explode the one person who is trying to help you?" I don't think the answer to that question will change in 500 years.
-
Seriously now, i love the concept of this movie, but why not write an open letter to Paramount lamenting what is happening to the trasformers franchise? Michael Bay is currently polishing the brass rails on the Titanic and the admins at this site are standing quietly by and watching the ship sink. Not good folks, not good at all. Its not too late to start complaining about how badly things are going on the transformers film...
-
Get this film to NYC please!
-
...they dumped the film. Studios have never had exceptionally bright people in charge--especially Fox (see Star Wars merchandising rights and Arrested Development for further clarification). They are out to make money and always yield to the safe bet. Not to mention that they underestimate the American public. Sure, the majority of citizens are just plain stupid (see popularity of reality shows and voting for further clarification), but what these "executives" fail to realize is that there IS a market for irreverent, offbeat entertainment. These things will find an outlet if promoted. I saw a preview for "Brick" ONCE and knew that I had to see the film. I was by no means disappointed as it was a fantastic film noir. Mention noir to other people and they think it's a hair remover from the 70's. It's really sad to think that this will bypass the minor (and probably major) markets and become a success on dvd.
-
Sep 02, 2006 1:03:27 AM CDT
Just wanted to point out JOHN TUCKER gross pushing 60M
by carmillavondoom
-
...in three weeks. Another limited release, no press screening, no ad buys. And that's a fun film as well. A shame.
-
And it was like you were in a scene from "Schinldler's List." Everyone was affraid to talk to the other person even just to say "good morning." You were thinking someone was going to pick you off with a rifle if you did. The company is filled with arrogance and stupidity. They won't hire anyone who has any sense of what a good film is and the fear, and I mean FEAR, anyone who has any kind of film knowledge. Human resources(Joke!) won't hire anyone that loves movies. They only want Epsilon drones working for them. Just do as you're told by someone that doesn't know jack or else we'll replace you! I got a better job and I left in a flash. It was a very cold environment to work in. With the backround and skills that I have, I could turn that company around but, like in Ayn Rand's "Atals Shrugged," when they find the fusion engine being used as a planter, they don't deserve the knowledge.
-
And it was like you were in a scene from "Schinldler's List." Everyone was affraid to talk to the other person even just to say "good morning." You were thinking someone was going to pick you off with a rifle if you did. The company is filled with arrogance and stupidity. They won't hire anyone who has any sense of what a good film is and the fear, and I mean FEAR, anyone who has any kind of film knowledge. Human resources(Joke!) won't hire anyone that loves movies. They only want Epsilon drones working for them. Just do as you're told by someone that doesn't know jack or else we'll replace you! I got a better job and I left in a flash. It was a very cold environment to work in. With the backround and skills that I have, I could turn that company around but, like in Ayn Rand's "Atals Shrugged," when they find the fusion engine being used as a planter, they don't deserve the knowledge.
-
Ok, what the fuck is wrong with Fox? They seem to have an amazing eye for material on the page, but then they seem to panic at the last minute and fuck everything up. It's almost as if they handpick their best material to try and see if they can perfectly sabotage the efforts involved. Here are a few examples, excluding the obvious one with Idiocracy:
- Family Guy - obviously, they dropped the ball here, and while I'm not really a huge fan these days, they certainly fucked this show in its original run by constantly changing its day and time slot
- Arrested Development - After just watching all of season 3 on dvd, I'm still very sore on this subject, but again, same deal as Family Guy with the day/time changes, not to mention episode order cutbacks
- Kingdom of Heaven - is it just me, or was the Director's Cut one of the best nonexistent films of 2005? They really fucking raped this movie
Shit, maybe Idiocracy in motion just hit too close the home. Who knows -
I like Mike Judge's films, though I haven't seen Office Space yet. Beavis & Butthead will always be a riot. Is Rothman the head at Fox or what? Because someone needs to fire this shithead for the sake of the future movie industry.
-
because James Marsden followed Bryan Singer to a different movie. They had a major character killed because an actor pissed them off. No wonder X3 was deplorable. I remember when I first heard about this film years ago, the plot outline alone made me laugh. The joke from the earlier review "If you don't smoke Tarkinson cigarettes...fuck you!!!!" almost made me piss my pants laughing so hard and that's just on paper. The massacre of a marketing campaign is totally baffling. How the hell did Fox get the idea that they couldn't make money of this movie. It has to be out of some sort of spite for Mike Judge. What a fucking ridiculous way to run a company, their investors should oust the heads asap.
-
It wasn't as brilliant as Office Space, but it was certainly better than the absolutely insipid films that account for 95% of comedies today. Mike Judge has a real eye for the little details: touches like having the entire legal/judicial/correctional system use that ignorant "professional" language that the cops use on COPS (e.g. calling everyone a 'particular individual') make this satire a bit more sophisticated than it seems at first glance, which is true of just about everything Mike Judge does. And I really liked how watered down it was NOT -- the premise wouldn't have worked if they hadn't been allowed to use the real swearing and un-PC language of rednecks (like how everyone called the Luke Wilson character "faggy" for not talking like them; I loved the bit where, after Luke Wilson makes his impassioned 'let's all work together' speech, his opponent just does the limp-wristed 'queer' motion, and everyone forgets everything he's just said.) This movie really deserved better than FOX is giving it, and hopefully more people will be given the chance to see it. Other than for personal reasons, why would Fox do this? All they'd've had to do would be make a few ads with "From the makers of 'Office Space'" on them, and this would have turned at least a little profit, but, given that the budget was probably at least 10-20 million, and that the theater I saw it in at 7:30 PM had about five people other than my wife and me, this is just going to end up being a huge loss. Why?
-
There's some weird marketing angle at work here. Let the word of mouth carry it, let Judge look like the anti-establishment hero - Fox willing to play the role of villain... The fan base gets to feel truly invested in the film's success. It's too perfect. Or not. WHatev.
Not saying I think that's a bad thing. :) -
Gets screwed. Bummer! Has Mike Judge talked about what happened? Also, I don't know if anyone has a line on this, but, which medium yields the most prophet for the writere/director? I mean, adjusted relatively, does Mike make more dough per DVD sold, or per ticket sold? Conversely, which medium yields less for the studio? If Mike makes more money per DVD sold, I'll just buy a copy for myself and then buy copies to give away for XMas. Screw fox!
-
What a dumbass. I must be from the future.
-
I saw it today in Austin, and I too was gut laughing though it. Best comedy I've seen so far this year, and I'm a hard sell on comedies. There are jokes that sideswipe you so hard in this movie you can't help but laugh, and even as you're watching the movie, you think about a joke from 3 minutes ago, and start laughing again! I can't believe Fox did what they did to this movie. What a shame, it would have made them a huge profit... I think someone at Fox who likes to make profits should look into why this huge box office potential slipped though their fingers. Pink slip time.
-
It will grow with the fans, and it will be big on DVD. But the treatment it got from FOX with this release even had Mike Judge fans like myself thinking that it must have been a bad movie, when it wasn't at ALL. Walking out of the theater, I couldn't figure it out. WHy would a studio bad buzz their own film like that? It makes no sense. Honestly, it feels like it must have been some kind of outside corporate pressure becuase Judge does take a lot of the piss out of the big American X-treme corporations in this movie... and those people have real power. That's just one zany theroy though. No matter what happened though, it's a damn shame. The theater we saw it in Today was about half full... but without marketing or even a web-site for God's sake... it seems like a vote of no confidence from the studio, so people are scared to spend their money on it. But they should, I just hope word of mouth starts to spread fast enough before the very limited screenings go away. I know for a fact I'll be taking friends back to see this movie again before it leaves Austin.
-
see Kingdom of Heaven's Directors Cut, or even Firefly. They're a bunch of suits with their thumbs up their asses.
-
I'm getting the feeling Idiocracy is an ok to decent movie and this crap release is some sort of beef with Judge. SO....I have a plan. If you want to see the movie, buy a ticket for a non-FOX movie, then sneak in to see Idiocracy. THEN, send your ticket stub to Tom Rothman at FOX, thanking him for financing the financing movie you paid another studio to see.
Office Space/Judge fans are going to see this movie, FOX should not receive the benefit of their support.
ANY TAKERS!?!?!! -
I enjoyed this movie a lot. It's very funny, and although some of the jokes miss, the ones that work more than make up for it. Oddly enough, this movie was also a bit chilling. The opening segment about human evolution and two "family lines" is downright haunting, as are a lot of the things you'll see. The settings are so grimy sleazy you will want to take a shower aferwards. This movie masqerades as an absurdist sci-fi comedy, but it will dawn on you just how on-the-mark this thing is the moment you step out into the mall leaving the Cinemaplex. I think this movie is going to stick with me a long, long time.
There's one thing I'm wondering about. There are several actual corporations featured heavily, which are not cast in a very glamourous light, to put it mildly. I doubt they would pay for those kinds of placements, but these days who knows. If they were not consulted, and being honestly parodied, I wonder if that has something to do with the bury-job? Maybe they PO'ed one of those companies. Just a theory.
And as further evidence that they really are trying to bury this film, the Moviefone site this morning had it listed as "Untitled Mike Judge Comedy". My wife and I were the only people at the 2:40 matinee. -
Just when one gets their head out of their ass... there goes the other one. WTF. can't they lay off the crack and whores just a little bit.
-
He has a nasty rep with artists. Not just the famous ones, but the up and coming artists as well. In fact, rumor I have heard round here in the past is that Chicken George VII (yes, OUR famous Chicken George VII) was a working writer/director in the industry with an up and coming rep until he had an "exchange" with Rothman at a Sundance conference. (Back when Rothman was in charge of startup Seachlight) The result of the little incident was CG7 getting dumped by his agency and pending offers with indies suddenly going mysteriously dry. And since, Chicken George has been floating about in the industry under a series of pen names. Don't know if any of it is true. But I would very curious to see if Chicken George posts in this talkback.
-
Just kiddin', Quint. ;)
-
There's something almost apt about a film about stupid people, being stupidly handled by a stupid studio. The world of Idiocracy is alive and well, it's called 20th Century Fox.
-
Because I really want to see this flick.
-
Fox is a horrible company run by horrible people with a horrible CEO. They got Lucky with 24 but look at the track record. In TV Firefly, Arrested Development and other great shows with a fan base dumped for brain numbing reality shows, A News Network thats anything but news, A Movie company that dumps a good film with no PR just to shelve it for DVD. Why they are worth billions is a mystery that I doubt Sherlock Holmes could figure out. I guess they are the Wal Wart of the entertainment biz.
-
I loved it, it was far more fun than the other two combined. Anyone who says different are talking shite.
-
Is it playing in NY or NJ? As for Bandidas, i think it already played on cable, i saw a screener awile back, it was ok, like Shanghai Noon lite, although for some reason near the end there's a really cool Matrix inspired gun/knife fight in a train car.
-
Come on, Fox has proven time and again that they are complete fuck-ups in the movie department. Occasionally a good movie slips through (Fight Club - but the exec in charge was sacked for it, kudos to Bill Mechanic). They manage to fuck up a decent franchise (Alien), let one slip through their hands (Star Wars, only distributing and a small fee for that) & for the rest... it's mostly crap they produce. The TV department still had some merit (Buffy, X-Files, 24, etc.) but lost all credibility when they cancelled Firefly. Don't get me started on the Fox Channel... Bunch of mediocre assholes who cannot do anything right, but to kiss Murdoch's ass. Milton Waddams should set the Fox buildings on fire!
-
suck so much dick at what they do. It's not hard guys. Mike Judge is one of the few people that have been distibuting belly laughs consistantly! And you treat his movie like a giant steaming turd on your breakfast?
-
I imagine that this is one of those films the marketing people are clueless about. They'll probably cut a trailer which will try to sell it as a generic screwball comedy and dump it to dvd as fast as they can and then take all the credit when word of mouth makes it a mammoth seller.
-
Nice sentament, Quint. But if this is a genuine open letter it would be given no weight because of the juvenile language. As a opinion piece its fine because all the reviewers on AICN talk like this, but as a piece to be read by important execs at Fox it doesnt have a chance. Just my opinion.
-
An oped letter should be more serius and objective. If I was Rothman I would totaly dismiss this thinking that a kid is trying to tell me how to do my job. I totaly agree with Quint, thou.
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azo8heDmNoQ
-
Don't take money away from this film, throw as much as you can AT it! Buy a second or third ticket to IDIOCRACY and then sneak into something else. Pump those per screen grosses as high as you can! Let the people at FOX do the math of how much they could have made at 2500 theatres instead of the 130 screens they dumped this onto.
-
I was all set to drive the two hours to either New York City or Philadelphia from my home outside of Scranton, PA to see this movie. Guess my (and my friends') cash is going to another studio this weekend. And next weekend. And the weekend after at...
-
Even though I found this movie pretty funny, on the whole I think satire is a tough sell these days and it probably wouldn't have made a ton of money even if properly released. People don't want to be told how dumb they are, and the targets in this film are too close to reality. Look what happened with American Dreamz. Yeah, by all accounts it was a crappy movie, but people didn't even give it a chance and I think it's because it makes fun of something a lot of people love. Talladega Nights isn't really a satire. It's a bunch of oddball caharcters set in the NASCAR milieu, but it doesn't realy spoof the industry, at least not as aggressively as Judge spoofs ignorance and corporate advertising here.
-
Also, an open letter should be fairly well-written and should have some sort of purpose, not just the ramblings of a pissed-off fan. Couldn't you run this by Moriarty for a quick proofread, at least? I'm sure your heart is in the right place, but there's no way any studio exec would take this seriously.
-
MOVIE! DONT FUCK IT UP! DONT FUCK IT UP! DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND ME?!
-
to tell ya the truth I wasn't really impressed. I walked into the theater with low expactations also, and that did salvage the movie for me...but i did expect a comedy in the vein of office space...what i got was more like BASEket ball. it was funny, but funny in a different way, in a sense, as if mike judge dumbed himself down a bit. the effects were good, but somehow, they seemed incongruous with everything else that was going on. You see, the overall look of this movie was like something a college kid shot in his backyard, and somehow the fx just didn't fit in. I can understand why fox was ashamed of it, it just wasn't the movie they expected. ITs definitely watchable, don't get me wrong, but its the sorta movie that i would watch on a dvd, stop half way through, and just read a book...
-
it is playing at the Block in Orange
-
If Aliens versus Predator is still going to take place at the Walmart Back To School Sale.
-
Seattle's always getting screwed out of premieres and sneak previews. We're lucky when we're able to get something with some buzz to premiere at SIFF, but even that is limited. With Hollywood North right above us and a somewhat healthy (though the area needs to get on its horse) film industry here, we should be considered a lot more often.
-
might've been the tip of the iceberg for those crackhead executives. very funny movie, and i'm sure it'll get better with age. great social commentary. i'm still dumbfounded as to why they dumped this movie so hard, makes no sense. fox released john tucker must die???
-
This movie's playing in a couple theaters a couple miles from where I live. Might go see it tomorrow see to what the hubbub is all about here.
-
Is going to be just like 24 the show, the same thing over and over again.
-
I think I know why Fox decided not to advertise this movie and when you think about it, it's kind of clever. A film from a well known name that has a potental cult fan base profit, made for very little I'd imagine and with absolutely no advertising whatsoever has one thing going for it: It's Unique. Watch the backlash of websites and magazines DEMANDING you watch this film because of the huge injustice that has befallen it. Marketing you can't buy.
-
"Sorry, no theaters are available within 40 miles of zip code 55413 that are playing the movie Idiocracy"
-
It's defeatist to just watch a film and say "it isn't as good as his other stuff," as if the purpose of filmmaking is just to make stuff over and over again and people expecting this incarnation to be better than the last. This isn't the Madden video games, you know. "Office Space" and "Idiocracy," despite having somewhat similar themes and the same director, are TOTALLY DIFFERENT and should be judged by their own merit. So don't go in expecting it to be "Office Space 2," or anything.
But I saw "Idiocracy" and thought it was great. If you give two shits, you can read my review here...
http://www.zombiefood.com/?p=222
And I think A G is onto something there. -
And quite frankly, I thought it was mediocre at best. There's clever moments to be sure, and the production design was actually really well done in a lot of places... but it never made me laugh out loud. It certainly never shocked me. The movie has a satirical edge in the first five minutes which it quickly drops as soon as Joe goes to the future and the movie becomes Joe In The Land Of The Dumbasses. I was expecting some really sharp skewering of the current situation, and I didn't really see much of that. The jokes were mostly predictable. Walking out of the theatre, pretty much everybody thought it was lame. I'm probably sounding a little harsh, but there were moments I liked in the movie, and it's certainly better than some of the shit that's been given a far wider release this summer. But on first viewing, it's not especially good, and I can see why Fox is dumping it.
-
When Office Space failed to connect in theaters and then went on to be a major cult film, it showed that the marketing department failed on that film. No doubt they had to fire some people over that mess. So rather than have to fire more marketing people, FOX just figured they won't market the film at all. Problem solved.
-
My god, this was so funny. Great social satire. Once again, Fox proves that it's run by a bunch of poo throwing monkeys. A piece of shit like X-Men 3 gets rushed out and they actually shelved this??? Did this get poor marks with test audiences - I wonder if the test audience were as dumb as the morons in the movie? if you live in a city that is running this movie, see it. Saw it at the Arclight 10pm with a 3/4 full theater - yeah, I was shocked too.
-
When one is writing an open letter plea to a studio, it's important to keep their attention so that they can actually endure reading the open letter. It's important not to ramble, and ramble, and ramble and ramble and ramble, about every aspect of your day, your thoughts past present and future, what was going through your mind when you ate a hot dog at 3pm that day, what color socks your are wearing and how far up your shin they stretch, or how they constantly slip down and you have to pull them back up again. Or that your jacket has a hole in it. It's important to stick to the fucking point, and keep your points close together, so that your open letter actually directs it's reader's thoughts a certain way, rather than being a 17 paragraph journal entry of a kid with ADD. By the time I got to the 5th paragraph and realized you were still fucking talking about yourself, I stopped reading. And I'm neither an important, or a busy person. The Fox execs are, so I can only assume that they stopped around parag
-
raph 3.
-
raph 3.
-
but not a quote on the quality of the movie. Inserted in the middle of professional film critics, I would like one random AICN quote about how one of the reviewers ate pizza before the movie, or went to Target to buy some gum, or how they liked a different movie they saw, or how the traffic was heavy that day and they were worried they would miss the previews. You know, a typical AICN quote to go along with a typical quote from a professional.
-
but not a quote on the quality of the movie. Inserted in the middle of professional film critics, I would like one random AICN quote about how one of the reviewers ate pizza before the movie, or went to Target to buy some gum, or how they liked a different movie they saw, or how the traffic was heavy that day and they were worried they would miss the previews. You know, a typical AICN quote to go along with a typical quote from a professional. If this movie had advertising, it seems like it would be the perfect candidate for using such a quote.
-
It seems like Fox originally intended to put a little more effort into this film. About the beginning of July we received posters for this at the theater I work at. You can view it here: http://tinyurl.com/s4s2t
But shortly thereafter Fox, made the posters no longer available. Glad I snagged one. Just seems a shame that this film is being treated like garbage. -
If worse comes to worse, I'll go to the Arclight....
-
If worse comes to worse, I'll go to the Arclight....
-
If worse comes to worse, I'll go to the Arclight....
-
If worse comes to worse, I'll go to the Arclight....
-
The film may be a work of genius and will be considered a classic for years to come but it tanked at the B.O., there was too much controversy and a Fox exec or two got canned for greenlighting it. I think that's about the time they changed their attitude/business model/ overall douchbaggery.
-
Sep 03, 2006 1:37:44 PM CDT
I didn't even know this was called Idiocracy...........
by cotton mcknight
It's weird, I called Fandango yesterday to look up movie times at the Tinseltown in Austin, and the voice said "untitled Mike Judge Project". I looked for it when I got to the theater, and I DID see a poster for Idiocracy. But it was very vague and I didn't really connect the two until I got close. Weird. And no, I didn't see it but I plan on seeing it this week. If its still there.
-
Lead, follow, or get out of the way!
I find it very it sad that the movie was unloved by the studio. Definately shows in the visual quality but it had many moments of comedy genius!
I want to read the original "3001" script (ca 2004?) but i dont know where to download it. Any help?
-
I saw the poster and had NO idea what it was until I stopped and read the details. Why release a movie if you're not going to do ANY advertising for it? Not even a little?
-
just like its president - murdoch - another neo con mummy - something in this new judge movie obviously rubbed "fox" the wrong way -it had to - look at the steady stream of mindless low brow crap they pump out with all kinds of tv and internet coverage - what was it about this movie that kept it from even making a blip on the radar - shit i havent even heard of it until a few days ago when reading an article in a magazine in the waiting room at the dentist - and now this article here - fox sucks ass - if star wars never happened and it was pitched at fox today they would pass on it
-
Beginning and end of story.
-
This will get some press coverage that'll snowball, and Fox will be shamed into a wider release. And maybe, just maybe, the snowball will keep rolling and Fox - both in movies and TV - will be massively reshuffled , and they will actually start giving support to good entertainment...but i'm not gonna hold my breath on that.
-
...if Mike Judge returned to the Beavis & Butthead series instead of this lame-ass fucktard shite.
-
I hate what Fox did to destroy the potential of Idiocracy and not just for dumping the release. the movie obviously lacked production support.
Unfortunately, I think Fox made the right biz decision. The caustic satirization of powerful corporations would have dried up sponsorship for Hollywood movies.
Fox has done this before with its local LA news division and Mosanto. Watch "The Corporation".
I also think Judges observations on consumerism and a government for sale are hilarious and right on the money. -
If I was a linguistic anthropologist, I would do an in-depth study of the AICN geek-o-sphere's endlessly inventive and simultaneously idiotic turns of slang. "So, this is what happens when an entire generation of people grow up raised by a television screen! This and 1,000+ posts devoted to a multi-million dollar toy commercial. Fascinating!"
-
does anyone know where you can bittorrent this movie? I live 1000 miles away from the closest theater. Normally, I don't advicate stealing, but this shit that Fox is pulling is ridiculous. I'll even send Mike Judge ten bucks every time I see it, I swear.
-
but no, this isn't available on torrent yet
-
I just thought I'd pick this thread to say its a damn slow news day over here at AICN.
-
It is available on torrent. There is a screener up on usenet. To avoid banning I will say that I have not downloaded it.
-
I meant to say tor.de, which is a torrent/usenet site.
-
doesn't even have a poster, just a blank gray square. When you won't even let someone else advertise your product for free, you don't deserve to make any money off of it. I would hope AICN wouldn't ban people for attempting to see a movie they otherwise can't. Why doesn't FOX just put this up on a download site for $5 a pop and accept money from people that actually want to see this?
-
but fuck you, Fox. You missed an opportunity to take my money. I remember watching OFFICE SPACE in a theater in Austin back in 1999 the same week as QT Fest and laughing my ass off. Cannot imagine why Fox is so stupid. Up yours, Fox!
-
but fuck you, Fox. You missed an opportunity to take my money. I remember watching OFFICE SPACE in a theater in Austin back in 1999 the same week as QT Fest and laughing my ass off. Cannot imagine why Fox is so stupid. Up yours, Fox!
-
like that barry levinson movie a few months ago? have a simultanous release, make it look "experimental". I mean why the hell not? If Fox wants its money back and thinks the movie stinks, that would have been a good way to get attention. The release concept is the seller, not the actual movie. Morons. (oh yeah I THINK it was Barry Levinson.. you get my point either way).
-
you know, that movie "Bubble"? Fox should have released it like that. As I said, the release concept is the story, not the plot of the movie. If Fox really thinks this thing is so bad.
-
appears to be a soccer/retarded lotto site. Then again I don't speak moon language so I can't be sure...
-
Idiocracy
Imagining a future void of intellectuals or leaders is not that hard. In Idiocracy, the priorities of the populous are grounded in spectacle and pleasure. Set almost 500 years from present day, Uh-merica has become disadvantaged by its own breeders. The film astutely points out how ignorant people, by nature, will continue to reproduce at alarming rates. Survival of the fittest is turned upside down when considering the sheer number of people uncomprehending of consequence. Stupidity infesting the world like cockroaches is all too relevant.
Our President is most certainly an idiot. We are forced to put up with his gross misconduct and abuse of our countries name because he has disguised his ignorance as faith. Unfortunately, the people steering Bush into destroying the free world are all too aware of their actions. While the world of Idiocracy is unjust and uneffective, at least it lacks the evil genius. The president in the film is Mr. T and Ludicris rolled into one. I can -
tor.de is indeed a futbal site. Shucks. Although I can't go 5 minutes with out saying "moon language" and then laughing like a little girl, so I got that going for me. Which is nice.
-
I have been looking forward to this movie for perhaps two years, ever since I heard it was going into production. I can only hope it arrives on DVD here in Australia. Love Luke Wilson and love Mike Judge ... can't wait for this ... nice work, Fox.
-
Mike Judge is clearly the smartest man in America. I laughed my ass off. Social commentary or whatever, this is definitely one to live on in cult status on DVD. I can't wait to freeze-frame some of the huge vista matte-painting shots and read all the type and billboards. There is sharp humor and hilarity all over the frame, man. Hopefully we'll get a decent commentary track as well and not have to wait twelve years for that. Dang. If there's a marketing conspiracy to be had (rather than FOX a-holes not knowing funny from a hole in the ground), it's probably one of advertising, since corporate ads certainly get the biggest hit in this film. (Looooved CostCo!) I just don't see Starbucks overly eager to promote the film, though I do know there's going to be an awful lot of people laughing their asses off the next time a friend wants to go to Starbucks. ("Dude, I don't think we have time for a handjob right now.") In fact, the number of short catch-phrases like that that my stupid friends are liable to pick up from this movie may outnumber those we used to quote from Office Space. ;D ...Dang, I gotta go see this one again. It was awesome...
-
havent seen it but here's a lil tidbit from variety's review:
Judge bravely bites the hand that feeds him -- the Fox News Channel is this future world's only news source --and his movie, with all its problems, is a rare piece of rebellious political spoofery from a major studio... fuckin nuff said. we're still being ruled by fascists. and that's only here at aicn!! -
...to see if the movie already had a DVD release date. It didn't (though i wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if it did), but it did have two EXTREMELY negative reviews. Ladies and gentlemen, start your "Fox planted those reviews" conspiracy theories... now. By the way, watched Brick tonight. It was okay, but seemed like one of those movies hipster movie snobs say is brilliant just so they can be seen saying it's brilliant. Okay, I'm done, back on topic now.
-
Wow, if this movie got dumped for that, they probably never will make a movie out of Jennifer Government. Can't imagine Nike would take too kindly to be portrayed as hiring mercenaries to kill people who buy their $1000 shoes. Starbucks got off pretty light.
-
...or a 12 year-old. Which, incidentally, is about the level of the satire in it. Office Space is genius, I have a nostalgic love for Beavis & Butthead, and King of the Hill makes me laugh pretty consistently. But Idiocracy is just plain bad. I'm sorry, but it is. The people in cities where it's not released are missing nothing. If you must, wait for DVD, but keep the fast-forward button on standby.
-
"That begs the question. Why? Why did Fox dump it?"
No. NO NO NO. It does not "beg the question". It INVITES the question, perhaps, but it does NOT beg it. "Begging the question" means using a circular argument, drawing conclusions based upon premises that turn out to be assumed or present only in the conclusions themselves. For example, one might argue that the reason Battlefield Earth was such a terrible film was that it placed at the top of a poll of worst movies of all time. That would be an example of begging the question. -
I'm definitely no hater, i love mike judge's stuff, and was very excited to be in chicago, one of the few places that had the movie. i just got back and it was seriously one of the few movies ive every considered walking out on. to those who havent seen it, the premise is great, and in the first five minutes of him getting to the future is funny (with dax sheppard's character watching bad 'kick me in the balls' tv and sitting on a toilet couch) but then the joke just keeps going on and on, with their annoying dialect, and its really hard to watch. i think its like why none of the early reviews of aqua teen were good..it just didnt work for me in a two hour movie.
-
it was bad...the idea was good, but the movie was just plain bad. watchable but bad...
-
Fox is dumping Idiocracy because of all the corporate name brands, including Fox News, that Judge skewers in the movie. Plain and simple. Remember that News Corp, corporate parent of Fox, owns MySpace, for example, which they aim to use as a means to sell advertising to an Internet audience.
-
man not the best movie ever, but a funny ass satire. it hits close to home. after wards I went home, flipped the channels and see this reality show about flavor flav (who used to be part of Public enemy, a very political conscious rap group) on ashow wher ehe picks a date. man we are not far from that "KIck my balls" show on the movie. htis movie needs to be watched, at least once.
-
Download this on bittorrent (when it becomes available) and mail Mike Judge your $15.
-
May I be so bold as to go out on a limb and say the low to zero buzz the studio has put out about this movie could be part of their marketing plan all along? Is it so far fetched?
You know that a huge number of geeks will buy the DVD no matter what, just based on the fact that its mike judge. So if you wanted to grow that number the absolute worse way to do it would be savy advertising and press kits which killed great movies of this calibre before the masses even knew why they'd want to see it.
If the first time people watch a movie like Office Space, they don't fully appriciate its greatness, then what do you think they're going to tell their social circle who haven't seen the flick?
The studio may be banking on this logic in hopes that enough of the "geek base" will see it, enjoy it, and spread the word (which is far more effective than using film critics in major magazines and newspapers)so that they can re release it all over and make a killing.
Can you even imagine if Napoleon Dynamite got the same amount of attention that Taladega nights got right off the bat? Critics all over, save for the internet, would have masacred it and the whole film would have been compromised.
I say all this no having seen Idiocrasy, and full and well knowing that I shouldn't give the bastards at fox the benefit of the doubt for coming up with a marketing scheme like this. So, over all, F*ck em, but at least think about it.
-
A fish stinks from the head and the head of the Fox fish is arch-conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Once Fox realized that IDIOCRACY was a slam against how stupid America has been and beocme under 2 terms of the stupidest President in US History (George W. Bush), they decided to dump the movie so it would not impact the upcoming fall elections - which the Republicans will lose anyway. What was intended as a satire has instead become a peak into the future of this country if the Republicans hold power any longer...
-
were the same idiots it was mocking.
I saw this in Austin and I had high hopes despite trying to convince myself beforehand to have low-expectations. The movie was not that great. I laughed at several scenes but I did the same at Dude Wheres my car? The whole time I was watching I could see exactly why Fox would not want to market this. It mocks Fox, it mocks the majority of Fox's fanbase (people who enjoy Monster Truck rallys and COPS, NASCAR and such), it mocks all the corporations and advertisers Fox is tied to, and not only that, it does a mediocre job. The movie uses the commentator (the same one I believe did Anchorman) throughout the movie, but unlike Anchorman who only used the commentator for a few key transitions, EVERY SINGLE SCENE seemed to require this narrarator to tell us what happens. Poor story telling for a movie. The jokes were indeed immature throughout but lacked the wit of Beavis and Butthead Do America. The acting wasn't that great, the jokes were all overused, and the "biting social commentary" was elementary. I did like the special effects for the most part and you can tell the scenes where Rodriguez helped Judge out but the movie just seemed loud, idiotic and visually obnoxious throughout making it really uncomfortable to watch/
Don't get me wrong, I really wanted to like this movie (mostly because I wanted Mike Judge to be right and Fox wrong) but it just seemed really bad for the work Mike Judge has made before. Its claims of intellectual superiority and its pretentious mockery of the uneducated lower class might make some arrogant elitists feel the really stuck it to the dummies out there but I thought there was so much more this film could have been. -
I enjoyed it but it's nowhere near as funny as Office Space. Certainly not worthy of being dumped like it was but it's kind of dissapointing.
-
Just saw it today - would not have gone if not for Quint's post because like the rest of America I had no idea it was even out. The movie is really funny - maybe not quite as polished as Office Space was still probably the best comedy of the year. Fox really must have lost their minds - why launch a movie on Labor Day weekend with ZERO marketing? I guess their plan was to copy Office Space's business plan, and by that I mean do nothing for the theatrical release - then let the Mike Judge fans inform America of the movie greatness so that everyone buys the DVD and then claims the movie as their "favorite cult film that no one knows about".
-
We love to pick on the studio, but maybe Mike Judge is okay with the movie not getting a proper release. Maybe he's not thrilled with it and wanted to bury it himself. Have we heard ANYTHING from him about it? If we have I apologize, but I haven't heard a peep out of the guy defending his own work. Shrug.
-
For you Merkin Muffley - Esquire Online interviewed Judge back in June about the status of Idiocracy. The interview covers the long struggle of the movie, you should be able to gather that Judge did not want to dump the movie in 130 theaters with no marketing. The studio just didn't know what to do with the movie. For the life of me I don't know why Directors don't just start demanding approval on how the movies are marketed. http://www.esquire.com/features/articles/2006/060610_mfe_June_06_Judge_1.html
-
...it never really goes beyond the basic level of its premise. Granted, it's a good premise, and they get a decent amount of mileage out of it. But with a few exceptions, everything is more or less simply a permutation of the same joke. I just don't feel like this is one that I'll need to be revisiting over and over. I'm glad I saw it, but I can't recommend this beyond a matinee or silly-rental-night with your friends. Oh, and, Quint, while I do think you got your point across, I echo the thought that this isn't really much of an official "open letter."
-
Because it sounds pretty political to me. Fuck you right-wing nazies trying to fuck with the freedom of people to see this movie.
-
This is censorship plain and simple. Not a very effectual open letter, I would hope for more coverage from the good folks at AICN.
-
Yes! George Bush had it pulled. Fox News! C-C-C-Corporations. Global Warming. Rupert Murdoch! MySpace! Arggghh... my head just assploded. If all this conspiracy crap is true, why isn't judge out in the public bitching about this? The movie SUCKED, SUCKED, SUCKED. It's not going to fail because it "mocks it target audience of monster truck family's". It's target audience is pseudo-intellectuals who like to mock those very people. It's going to fail because it's a god awful movie that tries to stretch a funny bit in to a feature length movie. It has nothing to do with Rupert Murdoch, MySpace or the f-ing Illuminati you dolts.
-
If the evil empire didn't stomp out this movie. Then how do you explain that truly pathetic Joshua Rich EW non-review. This conspiracy theorist knows that there are sad little men in expensive suits over at Fox Studios that don't want to mess up their DVD deal with Wal-Mart!And even though they put out several heavily marketed craptastic movies a year, this craptastic movie was deemed too bad for mass release... Whatever.
-
This has to be one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time, and that is saying a lot! Sure it was a mindless stupid movie, but one that actually made me laugh out loud several times! I don't see myself as one of the crued and idiotic people that this film is poking fun at, though I find myself laughing at the 3rd grade level of intelligence that this movie portrayed! Come on, Ass! the movie! This may very well be America's future, and I'm scared shitless!
-
I'll buy the DVD.
-
So I'm here in LA. Read the news on this, sought out the flick and went to see IDIOCRACY at the Archlight. It's got a dozen hearty laughs. Give it that. But it ain't nothing to crow about and I can see plain as light why the hell they dumped this piece of crap. It's premise is cool to poke fun at the lame retardedness of today's idiots, while setting it in a future. But it's totally lame, repeats the same shit and isn't clever, nor smart in the way OFFICE SPACE was smart about dumb shit. And only Luke Wilson was worth watching. IDIOCRACY was as lame as the idiots it tried to make fun of. Way to go Fox. Dumb this sack of shit and then people will seek it out on DVD and you'll make your money back there. Mike Judge is a genius, but I think he wrote and directed this one on too many bong-hits. PASS in theaters, watch it stoned and with Ben and Jerry's on DVD. It may take you several viewings of pausing it to actually make it through. But it won't matter. Same crap on and on and on and on....
-
I just want to point out that this film hasn't been released in the NE. I live in PA, the closest theater to me was in CAnada. Of course I never even heard of it until it was now, already out of theaters. As for randfilms, I want to point out that you miss-spelled dump as dumb. Irony, Freudian, or....just dumb?
-
Just thought I'd post randomly here 4 years after this great movie was dumped in theaters to state that everyone I know quotes this movie constantly and I haven't met a person who didn't get something out of it (most likely belly laughs). Good job, Fox. You fucking suck. Better job, Mike Judge. You fucking RULE. South Carolina, what's up!
-
It Had Many Nice Touches & Has A Lot Of Seeds That Have Been Sewn For Future Generations Esp As I Read Some Prototype Idiocracy On My Facebook From Time To Time.
It's Even Scary On Some Levels As Although Some [;>] Of It Is Exaggerated You Can See What Contemporary References The Makers Were Using To Prove Thier Future Points.
Well Done AICN For At Least Giving This Film Some Publicity.Sorry It Took Me To 2011 To See It.Oh Well,These Are The Things True Cult Films Are Made Of & What The Scene Is Built On Isn't It.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 171 total posts 169 posts
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 157 total posts 111 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 138 total posts 75 posts
- Here's The Red Band Trailer For Drafthouse Films' THE FP! -- 67 total posts 67 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 479 total posts 62 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 59 total posts 59 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 62 total posts 59 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 48 total posts 45 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 116 total posts 32 posts
- SPACE 2099!! -- 181 total posts 30 posts