HBO'S THE WIRE had a fall seasion sneak preview on the big movie screen at the ALAMO
DRAFTHOUSE Cinema in Austin, Texas on Thursday, Sept 7. Blogger Joyce Schwarz was on location for the event which was made possible by TIME WARNER CABLE, HBO and radio station KDHT and the Alamo Drafthouse of course...the 'movie palace' was packed with THE WIRE fans and the screening was preceded by a live trivia competition ...nope we didn't win the bowling bag with THE WIRE logo or the watch or the leather jacket...but we had a ball...it was an amazing experience to see THE WIRE on the big screen....The Alamo Drafthouse website thanks the following for making it possible: to Caroline Tran at the Davis Group, Jerry Knierim at Time Warner Cable, and Sandra Chowdhury at HBO.
TV AT THE MOVIES....
HBO's THE WIRE season premiere got a big screen preview at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas...seeing it at the movies was amazing according to Hollywood2020.blogs.com! 
Here's the link to the promo on Austin360.comFilm: TWC Presents 'The Wire' Season Four Sneak Premiere
Not familiar with The Alamo Drafthouse? Then take a look at their site at www.drafthouse.com and enjoy movies, food and more -- Austin360.com calls it, "Austin's most imaginative, outrageous and cine-savvy motion picture venue" Personally, I've never seen TV on a big screen before in a movie theater-- maybe some promos for new shows...or a retrospective at the Museum of Television & Broadcasting or a tribute at the ATAS (TV Academy) events...
GREAT TV ON THE BIG SCREEN...is a fabulous experience...there is something visceral about watching a drama like THE WIRE bigger than life...the colors, the scenery, teh characters all take on a larger dimension...you have to see it to understand what I mean...the experience prompts me to ask -- why isn't this done more? Why can't we see TV series premiere's and finales on the BIG SCREEN...underwrite them by sponsorship or turn them into a co-op marketing event with radio promos and live contests. THE WIRE preview was the right price -- FREE....it was first come, first served with an opportunity for attendees to purchase food and beverage vouchers online in advance to guarantee seats...$10 vouchers..another terrific idea. Just recently I was talking to a colleague about showing DVD releases at movie theatres -- show them with the director's narrative and show the special DVD features also. Then sell the DVD in the lobby as you head out...
BLOG MAVERICK -- MARK CUBAN'S MOVIE CHALLENGE! As many of you movie fans know --Mark Cuban, owner of the Landmark Theatre chain issued a MOVIE CHALLENGE earlier this year on blogmaverick.com -- The Movie Business Challenge He got what looks like thousands of responses but recently said he still doesn't have a good answer to his question of how to promo movies and get people into see films without outrageous marketing expenditures...Maybe the first step is to get people back into theatres...for FREE to see major TV events like the preview of THE WIRE...or to encourage them fans to see the whole season week by week on the big screen. How do you get permission to break the standard Hollywood movie window? SPONSORS -- if Coke or Ford want to make this happen -- and why wouldn't they? Then it's a great way to underwrite the special nights...don't even call them TV if you don't want to.
TV IS AN OUTDATED term -- it's so 20th Century...great drama and comedy is timeless and placeless-- a big screen can do nothing BUT ENHANCE the great experience of HBO-type-quality content. I often wonder why the ACADEMY AWARDS isn't on big screens at movie theatres....sell the tickets as a benefit for a local charity...invite local celebrities/personalities-- sports stars, radio announcers, politicians -- roll out the red carpet...make it an event...and you can't tell me that people would not want to buy a DVD full season if it's available at the wrap party for the HBO show. Let Walmart co-op with you if necessary...okay so the theatre owners want a cut...get the sponsors to four-wall the premieres, wrap-parties and special big screen series...FOUR WALL -- means to buy out the theatre for a particular night/screening etc. When I was promoting the PBS Civil War Series by Ken Burns we did just that in order to get the TV series a chance to be nominated for best documentary film for Academy Award consideration...let me know your thoughts on this concept and if you've ever seen a show like THE WIRE on a big movie screen in a theatre environment. Joyce Schwarz is an emerging entertainment analyst and consultant. She was in Austin,Texas because she was attending the Austin Game Conference...Schwarz is a big movie fan and an avid TV watcher...
Don't you think this whole world would start revolving so much easier if we all started laughing again? Seriously, I think the majority of us have forgotten how to laugh at ourselves. I think that is really sad. Fortunately, I live and work with a bunch of clowns. It makes the days so much shorter than when you are nursing a bad mood.
Posted by: Andy Michaels' Blog on Internet Marketing and Online Success | March 20, 2008 at 10:15 AM
i am a fan of the wire but the last season sucked and the way it ended sucked i think they should make the movie like they did with homiside
Posted by: hector cabrera | March 13, 2008 at 12:35 PM
i am a fan of the wire but the last season sucked and the way it ended sucked i think they should make the movie like they did with homiside
Posted by: hector cabrera | March 13, 2008 at 12:34 PM