Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Worst Posters: Ramona and Beezus

So this is a new off-shoot of my worst trailers posts (which there will be more of to come when I get up the energy to actually write them). This is much easier however because it just has to analyze and mercilessly criticize one thing (a poster) as to many things (nearly every second in the atrocious trailers so-called professionals put out.)  So on to the first specimen:


First of all, I hate stupid movies. I really do. This is obviously one of them. Now, I have never seen a trailer for this film and have no idea what it is about. But I'm going to tell you what it's about right now based purely on this poster. Selena Gomez is a snooty Miley Cyrus/Bella Swan-esque angsty teen. She either has or acquires an originally annoying (possibly mentally handicapped) little sister whom through some contrived random events she has to take care of for an indeterminate period of time. Initially, in all her selfish teen ways, she hates every second of it especially the little sister herself. Then things get semi-serious for one or more of the characters and little sister turns out to be loving and wise beyond her years and helps heal Selena's bitter heart. In the end Selena is a, forever changed, happy teen who loves her sister, respects her parents, and does good in school.

Now, I'm willing to admit that i could be totally wrong here. What if am? Shut up. I don't care. If that's not the plot of this movie it will be the plot of the sequel/rip off/remake likely coming next year.

So, you stubborns out there may be mentally pointing out and criticizing that I haven't said anything bad about the poster in question, just what I think the movie may be about. Be patient. I'm getting to that.

First of all what the hell kind of a title is Romona and Beezus. It sounds like a rom/dram/com about a pretty Italian teen and her touching summer romance with her slightly retarded cousin all Les Cousins Dangereux style. Yes, I know it's the lead characters names, but honestly what the hell kind of name is Beezus anyway. I know you're all going to yell at me saying that this is based on a book and that I can't mock the name because that was the name of the book. I'm going to counter that attack by saying that a country that publishes an author that, of her own free will, decides to name the piece of literature that she is creating Ramona and Beezus is a country that is approaching dangerous levels of idiocy and desperation.

One quick thing. What's with Joey King who is a complete nobody to me gets billed before Disney princess/future pop goddess/bad actress Selena Gomez. This confuses me. Someone wanna clear it up?

Now onto the absolute worst part of this poster; those obviously pathetically fake paint hand prints on the girl's clothes. What, someone couldn't shell out 5 bucks for a can of paint? Selena wouldn't wear anything spoiled by someone else's un-famous hand prints? I really don't understand why they felt the need to digitally insert pink hand prints and then not even do a decent job of it. My 11 year old sister could do better than this. But then again, she is quite clever and intelligent. The adults who produced this are obviously neither of those things. It's a real shame, a real shame that I have to walk by this in the theater all the time and look at it.  It's really quite a waste of the wonderful gift that vision is.

At least a little sister goes a long way.

Soupy twist.

15 comments:

  1. Haha, very informative and well observed! I reckon you're right about the plot, I can't imagine how it could be any different. Posters like that tell a lot about a little movie.

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  2. Um, so I hate to tell you this, but Beezus and Ramona is the first of Beverly Cleary's books that focus on Ramona Quimby and her sister Beatrice (Beezus). Beezus and Ramona is told by Beezus' point of view. It's actually a very famous series of books for pre-teen girls, which is why I know you've never heard of it, because you were never a pre-teen girl.

    Della

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  3. No I was not, however the second I saw this poster, I just knew it was some pre-teen girl book. Was I close at all on the plot? Were they around when you were a pre-teen girl?

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  4. It is very true! People always say you can't judge a book by its cover. It might work for people, but in the world of books and movies it is more of the exception than the rule. (Probably the same with people as well now thatI think about it! hehe!) You can judge a movie by its poster and its trailer too. It is mostly because Hollywood is all about formula and that shows heavily in movie posters.

    I love movie posters. A lot. There are many that are amazing. (A Dark Knight had some of the best poster artwork I have ever seen!) I love, unlike most people, the aspect of airbrushing and beautifying characters to immortalize them on a piece of paper to make them look superhuman and gorgeous. People might think it is shallow and cheap, but I think it is beautiful and shows major Photoshop/photography skills. However, this idea of "perfection" is taken too far by Hollywood, and I am getting a little tired of seeing immaculate people. They over do the airbrushing so they do not even look human anymore. They also do dumb things like in this poster where they photoshop the paint hands on there. I agree, why couldn't they get some REAL paint and put it on her? They might not be so perfectly shaped, but it would be realistic and give this poster some humanity!

    I think that these graphic designers should step away from their computers for awhile and go out into the sun for a day or two. Get some fresh air. Look at nature. Haha!

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  5. Danielle, I strongly disagree with one thing that you said: Calling the people who created this graphic designers. I know that's probably their job title, but it's disrespectful to all those real graphic designers like yourself who have real talent.

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  6. Haha I totally read this book in elementary school. Of my own free will, thank YOU very much. But what I can say is man... you always get me. When i first saw this hanging in Harkins my first immediate thought was "WTF is with those digital hand prints?". You and me on the same page again.

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  7. Yeah, those people on Avatar were so air-brushed they didn't look human at all!

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  8. Haha! Thanks Rad. My bad. ;-)

    Man With Beard, are you being facetious? Haha!

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  9. I shall refrain from comment, on the terms that I may incriminate myself.

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  10. Maybe the actors names are listed in order of acting talent...put the scene-stealers further up the credits, so to speak...

    Or then I thought maybe they are using the "secret-weapon" approach, where they hit you with the unseen to make you go "Wha...?" and make you question all you thought you knew, and then fire the familiar into the midst to stabilise the rocking ground, so to speak...but then I remembered this was Hollywood, and that they probably didn't put that much thought into it...and that if Selena Gomez is their idea of a secret weapon, it would confirm that the state of things is worse than I feared.

    So to answer your afore-posed question Rad, after presenting two theories, I have no idea, to tell you the truth...

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  11. the arrested development mention made my day!

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  12. Oh my gosh Sami! Thank you SO much for catching that. That was the highlight of the post for me and none of these ad-ignorant nincompoops even know what it is. Extra points!

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  13. I agree, what a horrible poster! What's even stranger is that the books are about two sisters who look very much alike. Ramona is the typical little pest sister & it is very obvious they are sisters. These girls don't look anything like sisters!! This movie poster screams LAME!!

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  14. The movie studios pump out fluff movies for the Summer so mom and dad have somewhere to take thir brats, to
    1. get reliefe from the oppresive heat, and 2. get their kids to stop whining" there is nothing to do".. This movie is just the sort that the movie execs hope will be a blockbuster hit. Sorry ,they stopped making great kids movies a long time ago.. Now they all have to have a overrated Disney sex kitten and no plot to speak, knowing that the profits off of the endorsements will outweigh the flop! I like Selena Gomez she keeps her public life somewhat private, and hopefully she will not be lapdancing any directors anytime soon.. The poster is TERRIBLE, SG looks fat,and the kid is not cute. I like kids, (sometimes) but this just looks like an insult to them, and their limited reasoning skills

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  15. Shut up. if you actully WATCHED this movie, you`d like it. its rated 4 out of 5 stars, so just shut your traps, and the kid IS cute, only they air brushed the picture to much. Selena Does`nt look fat, and if that stuff is what your seeing, please consult your doctor

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