I Know a Smear Campaign When I See One, Even at the Opening Shot....

At first glance, you may think this is trivial. After all, the man isn't part of our political system. Or is he? This article is meant to start a lot of whispers about whether or not he is "Box Office Poison". Normally I wouldn't even bother, but they don't start a little whisper campaign like this unless their intent is to ruin a career, and if it was someone who wasn't as politically active, I probably wouldn't pay attention. This is a Smear Campaign. It's just starting, but I know one when I see one.

Here's the opening shot for ya:

The Trouble With Clooney

Is he really a box office draw?

By Kim Masters
Updated Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007, at 12:51 PM ET


Curious George: We admit that we were a little disappointed when Michael Clayton opened to a weak $10 million and fourth place last weekend. The critics were gaga about Michael Clayton, though Variety's Brian Lowry was astute enough to peg it is as a "difficult-to-market" film.

We all know that grown-ups are not usually in haste to go to theaters to help movies chalk up a big opening weekend, but many thought Michael Clayton might do better. We've also heard a lot of you grown-ups complaining about a lack of grown-up films, or a lack of good ones, and this isn't going to help.

Since Michael Clayton is fairly crackling entertainment, we asked around to see why Hollywood thought the movie failed to connect with audiences. A number of theories emerged:

:graybox: It's Clooney. Clooney is very popular in Hollywood, but he cannot be counted on to open a movie. It's happened for Ocean's 11-12-13, but when you're in a movie with Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, you don't get bragging rights. There was The Perfect Storm, but that kind of co-starred the wave. "George has made a series of bad decisions as a movie star," says a top producer. "Not as an actor, not as an artist, but as a movie star." Clooney has given a nod to fans with the Ocean's series, he continues, but he doesn't give them a lot of gratification. "George has made calculated decisions about what he wants, not what the audience wants," this producer concludes. As it turns out, you can make bad decisions as a movie star and still win Oscars and have a villa in Italy.

:graybox: It's not Clooney, it's the marketing. Who can be counted on to open a movie these days? Maybe Will Smith. Maybe Adam Sandler in a comedy. "There ain't a whole lot of 'em," says a former studio chairman. The days are gone when you could book Julia Roberts into Dying Young—"a movie that nobody wants to see"—and watch the audience line up. So, if you can't count on selling the star, he says, you'd better sell an idea. That didn't happen with Michael Clayton. "When you look at the marketing, you don't know what it's about," he says. To him, that's understandable because Michael Clayton is "a really well-executed movie that's not about anything." But a good marketer shouldn't let that stand in the way. Make it look like it's about something. And create a campaign that hints the movie is, in fact, pretty entertaining. "It doesn't look like it's really different from In the Valley of Elah," this observer says. "I don't mean to piss on that movie, but there's 50 of 'em like that right now. I'm tired of death and destruction." Which leads to the next theory:

:graybox: All at once, there are too damn many grown-up movies. "A lot of movies are going after the same audience," says a studio chief. The Kingdom; Elizabeth: The Golden Age; 3:10 to Yuma; Into the Wild; Darjeeling Limited; Lust, Caution; Eastern Promises … and many more to come. "It's a tough market," the studio chief continues. "If you don't have a defined perspective, you're just one of the many." He also argues that Michael Clayton should have been released on fewer screens. The movie is sophisticated and plays pretty urban, he explains, so putting it out on 2,511 screens put it in a lot of places where it wasn't going to rack up much business. "If it had gone out on 1,500 screens and it did $10 million, you'd say, 'Hey, it did pretty well,' " he says.
http://www.slate.com/id/2175710?GT1=10538

I'm surprised because this is Slate, and I don't expect this sort of "campaign" against a fellow Progressive Democrat to start there. But, it has. Is it meant as a "warning", to "chill" the enthusiasm for political movies and participation by actors and/or Hollywood? I dunno. I only know this campaign isn't happening against an apolitical entity. Clooney is known for his political movies, his political savvy and support, and his support for Progressive issues as well as candidates (Darfur, Global Warming, Media Bias... think that last one could be it?)

All I'm saying is, when they go after someone high-profile like this, it's meant to send a message. Think maybe the author of this, as well as Slate needs to maybe hear from you? They'll hear from me. I don't care how "small" or "inconsequential" this little blurb is, it isn't meant to stay that way. and, knowing the media, it won't.

TC

eom

Small venue, fairly inoccuous article with mostly questions for the reader.

That's all. Sorry if no one is interested. I agree there are many other far more important issues bedeviling this Party, this country, and the world, but I thought is was important to note what's happening to Progressives all around us.

We are headed into an election year, when voices like Clooney's will be used to endorse our candidates and get out the vote. They want to discredit him and those like him.

TC

eom

a great American..who cares what "kim masters" thinks.

Just because Michael Clayton didn't have a stupendous opening weekend doesn't mean it won't catch on later down the line..I think the timing matters when anything is introduced.

George Clooney has made some very important movies and some that are just fun. "Good Night And Good Luck" will go down in the annuals of TIME.

is one of the best movies ever made. It's at least in my top ten of all time.

Right, you are about that.

TC

"The Good German," huh?

:kick:

the writer goes so far as to say:
"There was The Perfect Storm, but that kind of co-starred the wave."

I assume that using similar logic you can discount any actor or actress. The very fact that he is writing about Clooney implies that Clooney is a major force. The fact that he has picked movies that say things he thinks need saying, rather than providing what "the fans want" brings up two questions. Isn't it sometimes true that high quality is not always popular? I doubt he wants to be Adam Sandler - and I doubt anyone thinks we need 2 Adam Sandlers. Given that his movies are usually successful, doesn't that mean HIS fans like what he is doing. The movies, you mention were among the best of their years.

for artists who share (and express in their work) our concerns and values. I think George Clooney does that. :)

None of those were real box-office smashes, but rather were good, tight grown-up movies. That fits in line with point #1: Clooney is not a blockbuster draw, but tends to do best in smaller, adult-targeted pictures.

George Clooney is a very popular actor, and he has a reputation of being a very nice, likeable, sensible, down to earth guy.
The only reason someone wouldn't like him is for his association with politically inflammatory movies, and an occasional outspoken political comment.

Their media reporter is asking why a big-name star failed to pull in audiences in a critically-acclaimed film, and offering possible explanations. These are:

1. Clooney is not bankable, because he doesn't make many crowd-pleasing garbage flicks, but instead has artistic integrity.
2. The marketers did a bad job.
3. The studios released it poorly.

None of these are attacks on Clooney. This is not even close to a hit piece. This is just an attempt by a media reporter to explain why a good movie with a big star flopped at the box office.

I did last weekend - and it was great. I've come to rely on (with the exception of the Ocean's series) George Clooney being in a movie meaning the movie will be though provoking. As long as he keeps making them, I'll keep paying money to see them.

It was gripping all the way through, though I have to admit that after it ended, I realized it required a bit more suspension of disbelief than most of his films.

pretty standard procedure with elections coming up.

I was going to call it a great movie, but reporting seems more fitting.
The big corps wouldn't hesitate to put their minions out to to tear down Clooney. I think you are absolutely right. There is more to come against the Clooneys in the film industry. So far he has challenged military/CIA, media/government and now big agra/corps - tough people to tangle with and they won't take it lying down.

And legal-themed movies are normally poison as far as she's concerned. My wife and I will probably go see it next weekend.

And if "Grown-Up Movies" now equal "Box Office Poison" in this country, we're in even worse shape than I imagined.....