Audiences want something smart and intelligent, but the rules of marketing still apply ... if it's too esoteric, you may lose the mainstream audience,
I don't think you can fault the marketing because everyone knew the movie was coming out. But when time and bad reviews conspire against you, it's hard to make a dent in the marketplace.
Anything that goes out of control with the marketing machine of a movie can cause a problem. The way audiences often get wind of it is when there's a trailer or posters in theaters, and suddenly the movies are gone.
It gave people a way to discover these movies rather than the traditional marketing that is thrown their way. Hey, whatever gets 'em in the theater, I'm sure the studio doesn't mind.
It had a huge impact. It was really a film that everyone became instantly fascinated by and it emboldened filmmakers and studios to believe that if you had the right concept and a great marketing campaign, it did not matter what the budget of the movie was.
The very strong marketing campaign will produce some strong numbers this weekend.