As a veteran moviegoer with decades of film critique under my belt, I must say that the recent fiasco surrounding Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis leaves me quite flabbergasted. The audacity to fabricate and misquote legendary critics like Pauline Kael, Andrew Sarris, and Roger Ebert in the movie’s trailer is nothing short of preposterous!
Francis Ford Coppola’s movie Megalopolis has been under scrutiny for allegedly creating bogus reviews from renowned film critics, prompting the removal of its new trailer from various online platforms. Megalopolis, which is a personal venture financed by Coppola himself, may have led to some critics not aligning with the director’s vision. Upon its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the showing received mixed reviews that eventually triggered an unusual reaction through the latest trailer release.
Priced over $100 million and scheduled for a premiere on September 27, 2024, the latest movie trailer showcases a sequence of quotes attributed to renowned critics like Pauline Kael, Andrew Sarris, and Roger Ebert. These quotes supposedly about Coppola’s masterpieces such as “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now” are presented to subtly suggest that the critics did not favor his classics at their initial release. Consequently, viewers should disregard any unfavorable chatter surrounding “Megalopolis”.
Contrarily to what was shown in the trailer, a recent report by Vulture indicates that many of the quotes attributed to critics were fabricated or refer to different movies. For instance, the quote attributed to Pauline Kael about “The Godfather” being “diminished by its own artistry” is not found in her New Yorker review of “The Godfather,” and she actually praised both the original film and its sequel. Similarly, Vincent Canby from The New York Times did not call “Apocalypse Now” “hollow at the core” when it was first released. Instead, he gave a mixed review.
The most erroneous statement is a reference to a quote about Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 film “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” suggesting that Roger Ebert labeled it as “a victory of style over content.” It is essential to clarify that this quote did not originate from Ebert’s favorable review of the movie, but rather from his critique of Tim Burton’s 1989 film “Batman.”
After the release of this article, I promptly responded by withdrawing the trailer, issuing a statement via Variety that reads:
As a movie critic, I’d like to share an update: Regrettably, it appears that the trailer for ‘Megalopolis’, which was previously released by Lionsgate, has been withdrawn. To Francis Ford Coppola, American Zoetrope, and all the critics who were involved, we extend our deepest apologies. It seems there was an oversight in our quality control process, and for that, we are truly sorry.
Megalopolis’ Trailer Attempted to Make Critics Out to be the Villains
It’s troubling to many that the marketing team for Megalopolis has been caught using fake quotes or misquoting other publications about the film. The quotes attributed are from critics who have passed away and can’t refute the inaccuracies presented in the movie’s trailer. Fans and the internet have uncovered this deception. Currently, Lionsgate and Coppola are shifting their marketing strategy to criticize reviewers for not understanding the film following Megalopolis’ underwhelming debut at Cannes. One might question if they would have reacted this way had the reviews been more favorable. Instead of using negative quotes from other movies in Coppola’s catalog, such as Jack, Twixt, or Finian’s Rainbow, it seems they chose not to because those films aren’t considered on the same level as The Godfather.
Creating fraudulent negative reviews using the names of respected, deceased critics is another hurdle for Megalopolis, as the film’s path to release has been marked with challenges. Production disruptions and reports suggesting Coppola was underprepared for the extent of CGI effects needed in post-production have surfaced – a situation reminiscent of the Marvel movies he once criticized. With almost $100 million of his own funds invested, Coppola’s movie success seems uncertain given this recent controversy.
Megalopolis
opens in theaters on September 27, 2024.
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2024-08-22 03:01