Universal Rethinks Boxing Film Plan
Why did “Cinderella Man” fail? Because it’s called “CINDERELLA MAN”! That is just the worst title I’ve ever heard. If you are going to go to a movie about a tough guy doing everything he can to make it during the Depression, don’t conjure up mental images of a pretty girl in a ball gown and glass slippers getting towed to the ball by enchanted mice!
Cinderella is just a poor oppressed girl who cries until her fairy godmother appears, waves a wand and gives her everything. Is that really comparable to the man’s story?
I have hated that title every time I heard it. I hated it even when the movie itself started looking quite attractive. My wife and I may still see it. But it’s still going to be called “Cinderella Man”. I’d be embarrassed to tell my co-workers that I saw and enjoyed “Cinderella Man”.
The reason why it is called “Cinderella Man” is explained in the movie. No, it’s not a macho-sounding title, but those who have seen the movie (or a familiar with Jim Braddock) get it.
ED. Response: Yes, but that’s the problem. It’s an “inside baseball” title that is unmarketable. Cinderella Man may have been the guy’s nickname, but they didn’t have to make it the title of the movie. For example: Maybe Winston Churchill was called “Lumpkins” by his wife, but you don’t need to title his biographical film “Lumpkins” just because people familiar with Churchill would get it. You don’t make movies for the small fraction of the public familiar with this story, you make them for the public at large, including folks who’ve never heard the story before.
I remember when Stallone was filming “Assassins” with Banderas in Puerto Rico, he bullied people there, insulting them, that why I decided not to go to any of the Sly films in five years. So I missed Judge Dread, Stop or my Mom will Shot, Oscar and candies like that, (in the end I was favored, saving my time and money from these flops).
So Russell will lost my support for another five years (I hate bullies!!!!), who knows given his previous records maybe I will end banning him forever from my list, no matter how I want to see Reneé again!
By the way, and regarding the title, in spanish for Latin America will be “El Luchador” (The Fighter).
Gevalher out (Yeah i watch American Idol too, and I think that Bo was the number one for me)
After reading the news story on the movie (I haven’t seen Cinderella Man, yet, but it is on my list of things to do)I’m not sure what concerns me more – that this movie isn’t doing well, or executives who have no idea how to do their job.
If I were to ever tell my co-workers “I don’t know”, or “I’m not sure” they would conclude that I’m a bigger dork than they already think I am now.
These people coined phrases like, “we’re looking at ways to show people that this is an important film,” or “We’re currently re-tooling our plan.”
Which mailroom guy did they talk to that said “We don’t know”?
And then, what’s even worse, that they wasted time effort and money releasing the movie at the WRONG time.
But then, I guess these are the same type of people that thought “Batman and Robin” was a good idea a few years ago.
Go figure.