PR disasters thread 27

[BigWillyLittleTodger]

A shiny new thread to continue the chat on the Sussexes summer shenanigans!

I also wonder if she paid any attention at all to briefings about it. I strongly suspect she is a woman who doesn’t listen to anyone beyond the first sentence.

Had a look on Reddit to see if anyone had watched it, and someone had done an analysis of the opening weekend numbers. It’s even more abysmal when you see the numbers extrapolitated.

Reporting opening weekend was $327,797 from 446 theatres. If the movie was run once at each of those 446 theatres (which it wasn't) there would be a takings of $735 per theatre and an average of 49 tickets sold per theatre. That's bad enough.
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But there are multiple instances of multiple sessions per theatre.
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AMC Metheun in Massachusetts ran 4 screenings per day at various times.
Hi-Pointe Theatre in St Louis listed multiple screenings on the first weekend
Milwaukee's Downer Theatre had 1 screening on Friday and Saturday and 2 on Sunday of that weekend
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So if everyone of those 446 theatres it opened in had at least 3 screenings, say, (give or take as some had 4, some had more, some had less - so let's go with an average of 3 per theatre) then it would run at about an average of $61.25c per screening at each session in takings.
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About 4 people per screening would be present (this is only an estimate on the figures above) Obviously some theatres would have been fuller, some then would have to be empty theatres.

She needs to get the girl scouts out there flogging the As Ever range.

I don't know what the opposite of the Midas touch is @RecoIIectionsMayVary , but they do seem to operate a sort of reverse alchemy. Give them a nugget of gold and they can turn it into base metal.

I also think (in this instance) the Exective Producer title is a vanity title. From what I have read this was a strange time for the opening , and apart from some specialist theatres , in general people would rather watch documentaries at home on a streaming channel. Which makes it interesting with her connections NF didn't pick it up. Or that none of the Executive producers cottoned on to that. I think either M didn't realise what the film was actually about or as @Thedom says she chose to promote it based on her idea of it , which meant she could talk about female entrepreneurship , her time selling cookies and her mother as Scout leader.

As ever

I didn't know that Netflix had turned it down though, and so much for a "first look" if they go on not being able to produce the goods

Wonder if Harry will scrap calling himself a producer, or is that another fantasy that'll continue?

Yep, looks like she’s deliberately misrepresenting the film with the daft title in order to appropriate it for herself and force it into serving her personal needs.

And in doing so, has killed it stone dead.

That is a terrible, stupid business decision. And people keep letting her do crap like this. Are they all idiots?

It also makes me wonder what those young girls and their parents thought they were consenting to be part of when they agreed to be filmed and do the publicity appearances? It all seems muddled and duplicitous.

Meanwhile, M also gets herself in a silly unwinnable barney with Martha Stewart.

Did NF turn it down? I had actually assumed it was going to be on NF. I can’t imagine forking out for a cinema ticket to see something like that. My understanding is that the documentary is quite critical of the cookie selling but M doesn’t seem to have grasped that.

I mean, who goes to a cinema to see a documentary? This is pure streaming territory, you get virtually no benefit from seeing a doc big screen.

And Harry being slapped on as a producer is just pathetic. He's not a girl, an American, or a film expert - he doesn't seem like the sort of man who has any film taste outside of The Godfather and Cool Runnings.

The film run will mean the film can be nominated for lots of ‘cinema release’ ceremonies for film.
So lots of exclusive award ceremonies for Meghan in a small niche area but I doubt there will be money to bring the girls unless they spend their own cookie money.

I didn’t realise the kids got 1 dollar per box and have to pre buy non returnable cookie box’s so it’s just exploitative child labour. My kids are in the scouts and they get a book of no pressure raffle tickets 🤣

There are some amazing documentaries.

there was an amazing one a few years ago called the truffle hunters about some elderly Italian men and their dogs hunting for rare truffles but it was beautifully shot and hardly any dialogue.

its a small category so its about Meghan getting her name called out as a producer and she must figure a better chance of winning as most documentaries go straight to TV

There are two documentary categories for full length and short documentary but they must have had a film release

My octopus teacher is another gorgeous film. And the producers of the truffle hunters are involved with cookie queen so know how to run a campaign. They just have to figure out if Meghan is a help or hindrance 🤣

She was a disaster promoting it. Talked about her own experience as a Girl Scout (complete with photos of her as a kid) and Doria was a scout leader apparently. I tried to listen to some of her promo but it's all word salad drivel

And I really don't know why anyone lets them near their project tbh. Cookie Q is quite a good concept but I genuinely believe putting HAM's name to it is a terrible idea.

Was this in the period when Doria was around, I presume? At least if there are photos of M in the uniform that can't be entirely made up, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was embellished in some way.

Must have been before Doria dumped Meg with Thomas full time before she went to "find herself "

Variety review here https://archive.is/oVMwt

It doesn't sound like it's very deep.

H and Meg as producers. Any images of them on set?

Have to admit I wrongly assumed that the girls bake cookies to sell!
It is no better than chimney sweep children in victorian times. Child exploitation abetted by loony parents.

From a quick google

Cookies sell for 6 dollars, parents are responsible for the costs of the boxes they accept on behalf of their girls. In some guidebooks they have to take a minimum 600 dollars worth of cookies and have to buy them in advance

Of the 6 dollars about 1/3 goes to manufacturing, 1/3 to the scouting group and then about 1/3 to the local chapter.

the girls get nothing but may get camps or trips. taking cookies is not voluntary, that’s why parents risk mortgage payments for these cookies

Is it exploitation or entrepreneurship.

My God, that is bad! $600 minimum? I don't think I'd be allowing any DD of mine to get involved in that.

I watched Bowling for Columbine at a cinema in mainland Europe many years ago. So powerful.

That sounds horrible @Justdancevance.

It really does tbh. The team behind the Afghan movie really need to take note

Outrageous, especially for less well off families.
I remember when st. Johns ambulance was investigated. You pay to take courses and everything has to be purchased from StJA brochure, uniform, first aid kit etc. Plasters from boots 25p but had to pay £2.50 from StJA stock, everything was at a massive mark up and a registered charity so pays no tax.

Its about Meghan getting her name called out as a producer

And there you have it, @Justdancevance - though quite why Harry also claims to be a producer when all he produces is chaos is beyond me

Shame that this too has gone to sh1t, but hardly a surprise ...