Hmmm.. notice anything different in this movie poster?

[underpants]

U.S. version

























U.K. version




http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-couples-retreat-posters.html

Universal's UK 'Couples Retreat' Poster Brings Cries of Racism by Removing Black Actors

[zappaman]

1. uh...international always plays down African-American performers

Racist? Yes, but people who work in the international depts at every studio will tell you that most African-Americans are not a draw for the world. I once had to cut a trailer for a movie called "WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP" for the international crowd. I was told not only to limit Wesley Snipes time on screen-as well as not showing any of the supporting actors if they were black, but also not to show basketball since it was not a big sport internationally. Think about it...a trailer for a movie called WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP with no African-Americans AND no basketball? What we ended up with was a movie about Woody Harrelson and Rosie Perez stealing some money and being on the run. Ridiculous.

[Lilyeye]

9. Thanks for explaing this.

I was reading about this on another site and people were saying this wasn't about racism at all.

[TransitJohn]

2. Reminds me of......

[Taverner]

3. Off topic slightly, but it looks like a dumb movie

I just watched 4 of their clips and it was so f'ing predictable

[Goldom]

4. I was gonna say they added flowers.

soooo... huh.

[Schema Thing]

5. the dude with the funky dunce hat has been cut?

[jmowreader]

6. What is this, "find ten differences" time?

1. Two of the actors in the US poster are not in the UK poster--yes, the black couple is missing.
2. Middle couple: male actor wearing flower lei, couple posed completely differently
3. Couple on left side of US poster is on right side of UK poster, and vice versa.
4, Color balance completely different in two posters.
5. Blonde actress in background in US version looks like she's attempting to hold back a fart, in UK version she looks happy to be there.
6. Brunette actress's head is at different angle in UK version than in US version
7. Brunette actress's "husband" has different arm positions, expressions.
8. Actress in foreground not holding red bag in US version.
9. Background terrain completely different.
10. Brunette actress's hair has no flower in it in US version, whereas it's there in the UK version

There's more, but there's one thing that's the same in both: the impression I get of the quality of this film. If they can't even convince the stars to look happy in the promotional poster, the movie sucks hard enough to register on a vacuum gauge.

[EFerrari]

22. Seriously, the second poster only makes it easer to look at

a paired off group of pissed looking people. Who designed this mess. If I wanted to see that for 90 minutes, I'd go visit my ex in-laws.

[-..__...]

7. Even in the US version...

damn brotha and sista have to stand in the back.

:sarcasm:

[Lilyeye]

8. self-delete

[jmowreader]

26. Go read the reviews. There's a reason they're there

I went to a movie-review site and learned there are 23 extant reviews of this movie. No one liked it. (The whole premise of this POS is you go to this island paradise resort and you're required to take their marriage counseling sessions, and you get half off if four couples go which is why there's a black couple in the movie in the first place. The black husband dumped his black wife and hooked up with a 20-year-old woman, and they're there to attempt to rebuild their relationship. I would have put them there too.

It did $34.3 million over its opening weekend, which was Columbus Day weekend--and it was the only new release that weekend.

[1]

10. The international marketplace is still fairly racist.

[HipChick]

12. I disagree

[1]

13. ummm... i was just posting a direct quote from the article.

[HipChick]

11. Why do people want to project US racism in the UK?

It's different there..inter-racially couples don't even draw stares..or double takes..I doubt if anyone there even knows who those actors are...often there is more racism there with against Indians/Pakistanti and East Europeans..especially Polish immigrants..

[vadawg]

14. depends where you are in the UK i suppose, just as much racism there as here

also probuably a lot more ethnic strife between the different races/religions/groups.

[merh]

20. Then why has the poster been altered?

Why have the African American couple been cut out of the UK poster?

[vadawg]

21. having not seen the movie, or being able to recognise who the couple are

i would guess that the UK version took them out as being non stars and as someone up thread wrote, african americans are not a big draw with the UK audience :shrug: especially outside of the bigger stars...

[merh]

23. But having them in the poster does not take away from the other

stars, their notoriety is inconsequential. It can be argued that the white couple in the back of the photo are not well known and are not "big draws", why were they left in the photo?

[vadawg]

24. cause they are white and reflect the UK audience better than two african american unknowns

first rule of marketing is to sell something you use someone the buyer relates to, so like the poster upthread stated, if the movie is about basketball, take the basketball bit out as its not a popular sport, same goes for the unknown actors...

[merh]

27. I was asking the other poster to explain their comments.

You don't know what the other poster was thinking and I am not concerned about what you may think is a valid defense of racism.

[AspenRose]

15. *sigh*

"In response to outrage over the move, a Universal spokesman said the altered poster aimed "to simplify the poster to actors who are most in international markets."

How, exactly, do they expect these actors to become more recognizable if they won't give them exposure in the first place?

:crazy:

[Brother Buzz]

16. UK airlines allow carry on luggage?

[vadawg]

19. rofl took me a while to get that one... touche

[Brother Buzz]

28. Note, too: Vince Vaughn is the only dude to get layed

;)

[Iggo]

17. I THINK...THEY SHOULD ARREST.,.,

...PEE-PUHL...WHO STAND...IN WATER!!!

[TeeYiYi]

18. Scary volcano?... nt

TYY

[jobycom]

25. Okay, there's a face on the mountain just behind Vince's left ear.

:scared: