Is Attack the Block Getting an Awards Season Campaign?
Awards screeners have yet to really start coming in (a few have already been sent out, including Sony Pictures Classics' Take Shelter, The Guard, and Higher Ground, and Summit's A Better Life), but this week's arrival of Attack the Block DVD screeners is a surprise entry to the season. The Sony/Screen Gems-released sci-fi pic was sent out to members of the L.A. Film Critics Association this week, although it's unclear how much of a campaign the studio plans, if any. Does the British kid-oriented genre film have a shot at awards season, anyway?
Last month at Awards Daily, Oscar pundit Sasha Stone entertained the idea of Attack the Block having Oscar potential, even if it's a long, loooong, longshot given its modest box office returns and Academy-alienating genre trappings. Where it could conceivably pick up steam, however, is with critic groups like LAFCA, who in previous years embraced studio-released genre pics like Black Swan, Inception, District 9, and Pan's Labyrinth, though each of those honorees enjoyed a great deal more mainstream attention and acclaim.
The critically-embraced Attack the Block seems an appropriate contender for LAFCA's New Generation Award, as it's Joe Cornish's feature debut. Even its techno-flavored score, contributed by Basement Jaxx, could contend in the Best Music category. And there are always critics groups' Top 10 lists, which couldn't hurt this relatively small film's chances of picking up steam, even in home video release. (The DVD and Blu-ray hit shelves October 25.)
Technically, the Attack the Block screeners arrived without the usual "For your consideration..." verbiage, making the intent even more vague. Earlier this year, Attack the Block took home the Midnight Feature Award at SXSW and the Audience Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival. It's currently vying for the Audience Award at the Gotham Independent Film Awards, which is voted on publicly at the festival's website.
Screen Gems did not respond immediately to Movieline's request for comment, but keep an eye on this space for more as the story develops.
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Comments
YES! If at least for score, which is the only score this year cooler than Drive.
And for special effects, if only to see if a Transforming robot can frown.
Wow, was this movie released in U.S. theaters? Who could tell, with zero publicity?
How dare you! Nothing is cooler than Drive!
I am.
At least that's what my mom tells me.
Right? They spent their time hosting free screenings for the fanboy crowd, then not bothering to try advertising it all to the rest of the country. Really botched job.
But if I were Milla Jovavich, I'd say it was the second worst marketing job, after the no awareness of the candy bar movie she's in this week.
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