The following is a message I sent to a bunch of my friends, relatives and acquaintances. I've seen little or no promotion for MIRRORMASK and I want this film to do well, so I figure maybe we fans can give it a boost.


My most anticipated film of the year opens on September 30, but you wouldn't know it if the only way you find out about new movies is from studio promotions. So, I thought I'd start a little grass roots effort to raise awareness of the film. Let me start by telling you why I'm looking forward to MIRRORMASK. First, it is written by Neil Gaiman, my favorite writer, he may not be a household word yet, but his influences are rippling throughout several media including comic books, novels, short stories and now film. Second, it is directed by Neil's long time collaborator, artist, Dave McKean, who's fantastic visual style has graced many covers to Neil's works, as well as the interiors of those of Neil's books aimed at younger readers. Last, but not least, this film is produced by the Jim Henson company. (Now, them, I'm sure you've heard of.) For me this team-up of creative minds is a match made in Heaven, but that's not the only reason I can think of to convince you to see this film. I'm sure all you need is a brief glimpse of it. If you were ever completely drawn in by the visual style of a film, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS for example, or if you're a fan of films like LABYRINTH or THE DARK CRYSTAL I am certain you will want to see this film. It opens in select markets on September 30 and will hopefully spread to more over the month of October. What I'm asking of you is take a look at the film's trailer at http://www.mirrormask.com, if you like what you see (and you will) think of the friends and family you have who might also get into this movie and write them (or just forward this message) encouraging them to do the same. And if you do live in one of the select markets that will get a chance to see this film early, please let SERENITY, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE and THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED wait a few days to earn your dollar. MIRRORMASK deserves a big audience just as much, if not more.

Well, you're kinda preaching to the choir here. We're all eagerly awaiting the movie. Neil has said on the blog it's the first week's take that'll help make decisions as to expand it to more markets or not, so people can still see Serenity the first day if they want to, just see MM in the first week.
Vertigo has started running ads in some of their comics. I don't get TV stations, so I don't know if there's a TV campaign or not

quote:

Originally posted by GMZoe:
Well, you're kinda preaching to the choir here.

My point was to encourage others to do what I did and send messages similar to mind to people we know who aren't members of the choir.

trust me, I've been telling everyone I know about MirrorMask for the past year. I will be dead surprised if I know anyone who hasn't heard of it by now. I'm also finding that when I buy Neil stuff at bookstores, every cashier knows about it as well, or asks if I know what it is (true - it's happened two or three times now)

Hi Wolfsong! I see you're from Florida too. It's a shame we're not getting the movie here. Which far-flung state are you going to to see it?

quote:

Which far-flung state are you going to to see it?

I'm going to have to hold out hope that it will make it here. I've written the local arthouse and they are interested in running it, but I hope it manages to get into the multiplexes as well.

Did you get to see it when it was in Sarasota? My car at the time was too cranky to transport me.

One of the online comics I read had a banner on it for Mirrormask, so the geek culture is at least aware of it...now to mainstream!

I have just joined this board so I'm just browsing through all the topics, and this one caught my eye. I have impatiently waited for Mirrormask to come out, the only thing is is that it is not comming any theatres near here. (Wonderful disadvantages I have for living where I do) . I too want this movie to do well. It's the films that you really don't hear about that are the greatest, or that's what I believe.I'm astounded at the fact that many people don't really know about this movie considering how "popular" Neil Gaiman and the Jim Henson Company are. I do agree with you Wolfsong that this is a film that deserves a great audience.
I just may be travelling to go see Mirrormask in another city (the nearest is in the hundreds of miles away).
Although I probably won't be seeing it on its opening date, I have been doing all I can to share with others this spectacular piece of art... I've never seen a movie of this..genre.It is comparable to other fantasy/sci-fi/drama movies... but this is the first of it's kind I do believe. I do REALLY hope it does well, and I will continue spreading the word about it.

I totally agree. I have been telling everyone about this movie too, and yes it is my most anticipated film of the year too, but where the hell are we gona get to see it? I have looked at all the cinemas in my area (Southwest England) and I can't find it. They will play crap like the herbie movie but where is this one? I think that we need a list of all the places in England what will be playing it and all places in America for fellow eager viewers...please...pretty please! xx

I can't tell you how much I want to see this movie. I've been following it for a long long time and am a really huge Gaiman and McKean fan, but I just don't know if I want to fight Chicago to make it to the only art house it's showing at in Illinois.

If I drove it would not only be a headache drive but $12 just to park my car. If I take the train it's going to be at least a $10 cab ride one way.

I hope it does really well because I'm just not sure it's worth all the stress that it would take for me to get to this theater in the city and I really want to see it. If it was downtown Chicago it would be a different story because I could walk from the train station. I am planning on going but I don't know what the last minute will bring. I can only go on certain days.

I'm just not sure what I'm going to do.

It makes me mad with these limited release movies because I miss a lot of good movies because they only play in the city. I wish they'd open an art house theater in the western suburbs. Naperville would be close enough.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Junglebum,

Check the website, new theatres added... I get to see it in Indianapolis now (but have to wait until November)... I think thehy may add more as it picks up speed

For everyone who's hesitating : it's so worth the effort to massively go out of your way (hello california!) to see it. Theatre sound, big screen (or, at least art-house-half-screen) and the crowd vibe. You can't get these things off the dvd when it comes out.

The audiance I was in all spontaneously started clapping at the end. It was amazing. That made the whole night even more special.

This is a film you need to let yourself be immersed in, not something that you view with a pause button.

Huzzah! The woken Orpheus is right! More theatres!

OPENING 10/21/2005



ARIZONA

ARK Centerpoint 11
Tempe, AZ

LCP Catalina
Tucson, AZ

FLORIDA

Enzian Theater
Maitland, FL

NORTH CAROLINA

Chelsea Cinema
Chapel Hill, NC

Carolina Theater
Durham, NC

Colony Twin
Raleigh, NC




NEW JERSEY
Ritz 16
Voorhes, NJ

PENNSYLVANIA

Ritz 5 Movies
Philadelphia, PA

TEXAS

Fort Worth Modern Museum of Art
Fort Worth, TX



OPENING 10/26/2005


CONNECTiCUT

CineStudio
Hartford, CT



OPENING 10/28/2005



CALIFORNIA

PFR Crest Theatre
Sacramento, CA
FLORIDA

Regal Shadowood Square
Boca Raton, FL

Regal Southbeach 18
Miami, FL

Regal Hollywood 20
Sarasota, FL


OHIO

DBT Mariemont
Cincinnati, OH

PFR Cedar Lee
Cleveland, OH

OPENING 11/04/2005


INDIANA

AMC Castleton Square
Indianapolis, IN



OPENING 11/18/2005


IDAHO

Flicks Movie Theatre
Boise, ID


OPENING 11/19/2005

OKLAHOMA

Noble Theater
Oklahoma City, OK



OPENING 12/20/2005

HAWAII

Honolulu Academy of Arts
Honolulu, Hi



OPENING 12/23/2005


CALIFORNIA

Red Vic Movie House
San Francisco, CA





FLORIDA!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!

So far, the critics have been unkind to it, so we'll have to rely on box office and word of mouth. Has anyone seen how well it did per screen over the weekend?

Score! Tucson showing!
Nope, haven't seen the weekend tallies yet, but I think it's the first week tallies which Neil has been talking about as mattering anyway

A quote from an article at scifi.com about Serenity's opening weekend:
"Also opening this weekend in limited release was the independent fantasy film MirrorMask , from director Dave McKean and writer Neil Gaiman, which appeared on just 18 screens. The film earned $127,000 for a respectable average of $7,055 per screen."

Sounds like good news to me.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Wolfsong,

MirrorMask

Final Actual Gross $126,449
Theatres 18
Per Screen $7,024

making Mirrormask 38 out of 138 movies tracked

As per Boxofficemojo.com

>> Sounds like good news to me.<<

Yes, most of the reports described this in very complimentary terms:

"[a] solid performance"

"opened nicely"

"good initial results"

Apparently it's doing awfully well for something that cost so little to make!

- Cho