Friday, March 29, 2024

Spielberg’s Oscar-Buzzed “The Post”: Publicists Invent a New Term for Twitter and Facebook Comments–“Social Sentiment”

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The whole Oscar season is like something from a horror film or “Dr. Strangelove.”

Now, half of the movies don’t have press meet and greets because the studios are afraid of someone asking a celebrity if they sexually harassed anyone. Me, I can’t imagine exactly how that conversation would go: “Did you like making this film? Did you force yourself on anyone during the shoot? Was there potted plant involved?”

The second worst thing: embargoes. These are usually for bad movies so the reviews won’t get out and into the public consciousness early enough to kill the box office. Like the public has no idea a movie is DOA in advance. But okay. Some films this season blocked reviews being published until after the movie opened. It didn’t help,one way or another.

For Steven Spielberg’s “The Post,” which we saw this past Sunday, first there was just an infinity embargo. “Never mention this to anyone,” someone said. Now we’ve all received an email with instructions.

REVIEW & SOCIAL SENTIMENT EMBARGO:

Social sentiment is permitted beginning Monday, November 27th at 9:00PM PT / 12:00AM ET.

ALL formal reviews must be held until Wednesday, December 6th at 6:00AM PT / 9:00AM ET.

Okay, The Post publicists have invented a new term: Social Sentiment. I’ll be able to tell you only on Monday via Social Media whether “The Post” is any good. Social Sentiment is already probably registered as a scent for Glade Air Fresheners, also a Vanity Fair napkin, and a box of chocolates for the holdays. (See Stop & Shop.)

Then we have to wait 10 days to review it. By then the New York Film Critics, Hollywood Foreign Press, and other groups will have announced their nominations. So the reviews will be moot because all those groups will have nominated the movie, the director and its stars.  So why review it at all? I don’t know.

“The Post” is directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. What do you think? Good? Bad? What could it be? Also, who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb?

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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