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This Story Has a 97.6% Chance of Success
Maybe the only cultural phenomenon that can compete with the summer Olympics in Rio is, you guessed it, intergalactic space battles.
That’s why NBC and Lucasfilm Ltd. timed the release of the official trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to premiere during prime time Olympics coverage last night. In a wise tactical move, the trailer was teased all week for this Thursday, but never given an exact time. Promos throughout the week cleverly combined Olympians and their special moments and gold medal triumphs throughout this first week’s competition with the trailer music and quick dramatic cuts from the initial Rogue One teaser trailer for a uniquely inspirational and entertaining cross-promotion. Ladies and gentlemen, this is how you develop and execute a successful television marketing strategy that seamlessly transitions into the digital sphere of instant viral video status.
12 Hours Later: Nearly 3.5 million views on the Star Wars YouTube channel and 60,600 Retweets and 63,600 Likes on the Star Wars Twitter account.
During a week that’s resulted in many, many complaints from American viewers of NBC’s Olympics coverage, fans of the beloved franchise (and even non-Star Wars fans) were treated to a movie preview with exciting settings, thrilling action sequences, a strong heroine and a catch-your-breath moment of nostalgia.
Rogue One won’t arrive in theaters until December, but this Star Wars story could very well be given the Olympics treatment:
Individual high points for various elements of the film, as well as applause heard all-around your cinema as the credits roll.
King Tut’s Famous Stand (Up)
What do you get when a 33-year-old man steps on a stage in front of a large crowd of people in a three-piece white suit?
And no, this person isn’t Colonel Sanders.
Stand-up comedy is not traditionally a profession known for its formality, except for hosts of late-night television. Slightly surprising, there’s no singular formula for succeeding in stand-up comedy. Despite the limited space to perform, react (a critically important quality) and be creative, the best comedians figure out ways to distinguish themselves and rise above what we’ve heard and seen before. These gifted individuals show audiences unique bits, share insightful perspectives and connect on levels far deeper than laughter.
Steve Martin is one of these comedic geniuses.
That’s the rarely seen Double Throwback Thursday, starring Steve Martin in 1978 and Egyptian pharaoh King Tut.
They’re just two wild and crazy guys.
A Short Time Ago in a Front Yard in Close, Close Proximity…
Some people question the power of movies. Some people even question Huey Lewis and the News over the power of love.
But what about the power of love towards movies?
Legendary composer John Williams has produced some of the most (if not the most) iconic soundtracks to many of the most beloved movies of all-time. This includes Star Wars, as brilliantly played on the trumpet by the young boy in the video outside the house of Mr. Williams. The first Star Wars movie (Episode IV) changed the world back in 1977. The kid in the video is 13 year-old Bryce Hayashi. He wasn’t even born in the same century as Episode IV, and yet, there he was playing the famous anthem of the opening crawl 39 years later in 2016.
To get praise from John Williams himself, that’s movie magic right there.
Happy Monday!
It doesn’t hurt to shine a golden light on a Monday.
Rules Don’t Apply is a new movie that focuses on the late, great and eccentric aviation innovator Howard Hughes and the Hollywood film industry in 1958. This Golden Era of movie-making is as popular and captivating as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby. Fittingly, Lily Collins (Marla Mabrey) starred in the Amazon pilot based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s final and unfinished book, The Last Tycoon.
The decision to move The Last Tycoon to series (I voted yes in the post-viewing survey) is still being determined. The first chapter in this TV show shows promise and sparks curiosity. Rules Don’t Apply, on the other hand, will be premiered to the public in its full form on November 23rd of this year.
The star-studded cast will either work beautifully or, you know…Equally important, the story needs to elevate far above the seemingly predictable third act set on an all too familiar linear path. The cast suggests there should be entertaining twists-and-turns. Howard Hughes and the Golden Age of Hollywood deserve that, at a minimum.
The hope is that the old rules of unsurprising movie-making won’t apply to Rules Don’t Apply.
Have a Great Week!
Jimmy's Daily Planet 