A review by lazy0718
John Carter and the Gods of Hollywood: How the sci-fi classic flopped at the box office but continues to inspire fans and filmmakers by Michael D. Sellers
3.0
I knew almost nothing of the history of John Carter or the entire Barsoom series. I remember being interesting in the movie when the first trailer hit (especially when I found out Andrew Stanton was directing), but when it hit theaters and was hailed as a box office bomb, I skipped it. On impulse I bought the film on Blu-Ray when it was released and found a somewhat enjoyable movie, hampered by some odd pacing decisions and a lead actor who didn't seem to fit with the role. The film isn't terrible, but it isn't destined to be a classic either.
With all that said, I bought this book was very interested in what exactly happened with this film. What led to the disaster that played out? The writer, Michael D. Sellers, argues that it mostly came down to a disastrous marketing campaign that doomed the film before it ever had a chance to truly connect with the audience. Sellers presents his arguments well, identifying several instances where Disney failed to market the film correctly and suggesting a few ways in which the campaign might have been fixed in time to make a difference. I really appreciated the extensive footnotes that Sellers provides throughout the book, which are hyper linked in the Kindle edition, so it is easy to jump from the main book, to the footnotes, and back again.
I had a few problems with this book. One of Sellers main arguments is that Disney decided against giving the film a real marketing budget, spending “only” $100 Million. He doesn't explain what all that money was spent on. Was it mostly on the failed Superbowl spot? His argument could have been made stronger if he broke down where that budget went, especially as he continually refers to the outstanding Hunger Games marketing, which operated on a $50 Million budget. Another issue I had with the book is that I think Sellers vastly overemphasizes the importance of message boards. People posting uneducated and/or unflattering opinions online is common. I think it is too much to expect Disney to respond to negative comments on a trailer posted on YouTube. Sellers thinks this shows the marketing team was asleep at the wheel, but I don’t think it would have served their time well.
I would have liked to read more about the making of the film itself, but this book isn't a “making of” book. It is essentially an opinion piece, written by a fan of the book series and the film, hoping to galvanize fellow fans into taking action to revive the franchise. I respect that. While I didn't agree with all of his arguments or conclusions, I enjoyed reading this book very much. There were several times when I thought I’d read it for a few minutes, but found an hour would go by before I looked at the clock. My biggest praise for it is that it has convinced me to check out the Barsoom series itself, to “see what all the fuss is about.” Who knows? Maybe I’ll become a Barsoom fanatic and join the cause that Sellers is pushing throughout his book.
With all that said, I bought this book was very interested in what exactly happened with this film. What led to the disaster that played out? The writer, Michael D. Sellers, argues that it mostly came down to a disastrous marketing campaign that doomed the film before it ever had a chance to truly connect with the audience. Sellers presents his arguments well, identifying several instances where Disney failed to market the film correctly and suggesting a few ways in which the campaign might have been fixed in time to make a difference. I really appreciated the extensive footnotes that Sellers provides throughout the book, which are hyper linked in the Kindle edition, so it is easy to jump from the main book, to the footnotes, and back again.
I had a few problems with this book. One of Sellers main arguments is that Disney decided against giving the film a real marketing budget, spending “only” $100 Million. He doesn't explain what all that money was spent on. Was it mostly on the failed Superbowl spot? His argument could have been made stronger if he broke down where that budget went, especially as he continually refers to the outstanding Hunger Games marketing, which operated on a $50 Million budget. Another issue I had with the book is that I think Sellers vastly overemphasizes the importance of message boards. People posting uneducated and/or unflattering opinions online is common. I think it is too much to expect Disney to respond to negative comments on a trailer posted on YouTube. Sellers thinks this shows the marketing team was asleep at the wheel, but I don’t think it would have served their time well.
I would have liked to read more about the making of the film itself, but this book isn't a “making of” book. It is essentially an opinion piece, written by a fan of the book series and the film, hoping to galvanize fellow fans into taking action to revive the franchise. I respect that. While I didn't agree with all of his arguments or conclusions, I enjoyed reading this book very much. There were several times when I thought I’d read it for a few minutes, but found an hour would go by before I looked at the clock. My biggest praise for it is that it has convinced me to check out the Barsoom series itself, to “see what all the fuss is about.” Who knows? Maybe I’ll become a Barsoom fanatic and join the cause that Sellers is pushing throughout his book.