Everyone has IRON MAN fever! The film, opening Friday, has gotten fab reviews from everyone but the New Yorker, and Robert Downey Jr’s performance is being hailed as one of his best ever, and a new benchmark for a superhero movie.
However there have been a few glitches along the way. Tireless Jeff Trexler alerts us to a legal spat over a screening. It seems the blog TechCrunch set up an early screening viaa source unknown, which Marvel Studios objected to.
Whoever decided to authorize an early screening without looping in Marvel, the company that made the movie, was not thinking. The 2005 distribution agreement between Marvel and Paramount provides, in article 10, that “Marvel shall be meaningfully consulted on the release pattern and distribution pattern” of the film; Article 7 also requires Marvel to be consulted for all commercial co-promotions and tie-ins. That the screening was apparently arranged through Paramount’s group sales department will probably have behind-the-scenes ramifications; this incident does give the impression that Paramount is something of a loose cannon, with few if any internal controls at the local level.
My roommate is going to this. Assuming it happens. I haven’t seen it mentioned in the articles yet, but the tickets were $1.00. But you could only buy 2 tickets each. And she had the nerve to not email me and invite me to it!
What is worth considering though, is how many people have already seen this. There have already been plenty of premiers and screenings around the world. In fact, San Francisco already had a showing last night and James Sime of the Isotope went to it.
It was outstanding from every angle – script, cast (you’ll always want Bridges to say something Dude-like though), CGI (only 1 kinda green screen moment) and action. This coming from someone who’s never liked Iron Man in 20 years of reading comics.
Great movie. A surefire blockbuster. I saw a screening of IIRON MAN yesterday in a room of approx. 100 people at the Paramount offices @2PM w/a pal of mine. I got to meet/talk to the director who I admire very much. I look fwd to the eventual sequel.
Even my own dad wants to see this. So I’ll have to make a special trip out to Vegas just to take him to see it this weekend.
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Coat
Marvel also wants to control which bathroom stall you use after the movie is over.
Why don’t they lighten up?