Demand to See ‘Boondock Saints II’ in Your Town
Oct 26, 2009 by Paul YoungApparently, there is a new and developing trend in Hollywood and it all started with the breakout hit Paranormal Activity. You see, a few weeks …
Apparently, there is a new and developing trend in Hollywood and it all started with the breakout hit Paranormal Activity. You see, a few weeks ago Paramount wasn’t planning on giving Paranormal Activity a wide release, but then word started spreading about the film and its popularity grew. What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. The director and producers put a link at the end of the trailer where moviegoers across the nation could “demand” the film be shown in their town. The viral marketing worked and this weekend Paranormal Activity dethroned Saw VI to become the reigning Halloween champ.
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, Troy Duffy’s long awaited sequel, opens in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey this Friday, October 30th, which is great news for fans living in those New England states – however the rest of us are out of luck.
Or are we?
Stage 6 Productions is hoping to receive the same distribution boost as Paranormal Activity by starting a “demand” page at Eventful, where you can “demand” to have the Boondock Saints II shown in your hometown.
The trailer for The Boondock Saints II really has me looking forward to seeing it but I can’t help but think Stage 6 is trying to duplicate a viral marketing technique that was only successful because movie news sites helped drive it. I don’t think using this technique will work for a movie like The Boondock Saints II (even though it has a generous cult following), because part of the draw and appeal with Paranormal Activity was its budget or lack thereof. BDS II had an actual budget of seven figures and, other than fanboys, the Saints sequel has no other real appeal to a wide general audience.
Too prove my point, as I type this article, the Eventful page shows only 13,961 people demanding Boondock Saints II. When I demanded it be shown in Jacksonville, Florida, I was only one of forty-five people asking for it; my hopes aren’t high for a release here. By comparison, Paranormal Activity has 1.2 million people demanding to see it. Saints has a loooong way to go if it is to snag a wider release. Anything can happen, though,if the movie receives a warm reception by audiences and critics come opening weekend.
On the flip side, this “demand it” trend could be a new way for audiences to bring films they normally wouldn’t be able to see to their towns. Would films like this summer’s Moon and The Hurt Locker have enjoyed a healthy distribution boost if this marketing research method had been employed? No way to be sure now but it would have been interesting to find out.
If you want to want watch Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day in a theater in your town, then go the Eventful page HERE and “demand” it; if not then just wait for the DVD to drop in a few months and then wish you had “demanded” it.
The movie stars Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, and Billy Connolly reprising their 1999 roles and are joined by Clifton Collins Jr., Julie Benz, Peter Fonda and Judd Nelson.
What do you think about independent studios using this “demand it” marketing research to get their films a wider audience? I personally wish there was a “un-demand” voting option; perhaps I could have been spared the release of Land of the Lost (Zing!).
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day opens in limited release this Friday October 30th, 2009.
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At least we get Boondock Saints 2 up here. Whereas we don’t get Black Dynamite up here. I’d rather see Black Dynamite but I’m not driving to NY.
Is there a demand thing for Black Dynamite?
This limited release crap is a real bummer. I’m in LA and have been looking forward to this movie for a very very long time.
@ori – Yes there is but only 207 people have demand it so far.
http://eventful.com/performers/black-dynamite-/P0-001-000215068-1
@ogb – well get on the eventful page and tell your friends to vote as well. So far the number has jumped 1000 votes in an hour. Who knows? it could catch on.
Is there any way to demand for it to NOT come to my town?? LOL, just kidding, I know someone who would really love to see this. He’ll probably try to drag me into it, but I already have some excuses ready…
this limitation stuff sucks.. i live in chicago and i have been telling everyone i see to vote.. i think movies that are limited to some states and not able to play in other states should be against the law…ppl demanded the movie paramnomal activity because it was advertised on tv .. i haven’t seen n e thing on the boondocks.. luckly i was told by word about it.. i still think its unfair
Against the law?? Geez, that’s all we need is for the government to have more control over what businesses do… lol
I have no doubt this would have helped Moon if it were an option when it was released. But I’m with Ken J, I couldn’t care less if Boondock Saints II gets a release anywhere near me.
WTF I WANT TO SEE THIS MOVIE PLEASE PALY IT IN THEATERS IN LOS ANGELES PLEASE PLEASE
Is there any way I can get a high-res or bigger version of that picture used at the beginning of the article? It’s bloody brilliant.
Oh and, how is it not coming to Chicago? Seriously, CHICAGO?!
@Ash Ali
At least you can see Black Dynamite and all I get is boondock saints :\
damet now im all deprest. i want this movie to come out. gos y would anybody want to go see paranormal activitythe movie got 2 stars out of 5.and hollywood reporter only gave it a d. lets do our best to try to get this movie out.
I live in Daly city and have been waiting for this movie for years and i find out that it isnt playing any where near mei am pissed. please play it in theaters in san francisco. i have alot of friends that would go with me to this movie.
It’s funny I saw an ad in the UCLA Bruin (newspaper) for it and it’s not even playing in LA!
I signed the petition though
This was good, but there is another good article on filmzoola.com/blog talking about this whole stupid demanding of films. Why are we not seeing adds for All Saints Day?
This really Makes me mad! I was super excited about seeing this movie! They show previews on TV But Not showing the Movie around here Ugh!
Kristin-NC
PLEASE MAKE IT PLAY IN AUSTIN, I DON’T KNOW ONE PERSON WHO DISLIKES THE FIRST ONE AND ARE INCREDIBLY EXCITED TO SEE THE SECOND ONE….COMMMMMMONNNNNNNN.
This whole limited thing is bull especially with Boondock Saints 2. I don’t think they realize how many people have been waiting a decade for this movie.
I hate this stupid “demand it” idea. whoever came up with it needs to die! i hate them! i’ve been looking forward to this movie for sooo long and now its not even playing in my state, WTF IS THAT??!!??? it pisses me off and they need to play it everywhere!
I agree with Alex. Thanks a lot, whoever invented the ridiculous “demand it” idea…you fail at life.
Nearly a decade of waiting for a sequel and this ridiculous crap happens.
Way to screw the fans in the midwest.
Not even a single theater in Chicago or any other major city here is shocking.
I am ridiculously upset by the fact I won’t get to see the movie at a midnight release this weekend.
I hope someone comes to their senses and makes this movie available everywhere soon!
http://www.traileraddict.com/content/sony-pictures/boondoc_saints2-2.jpg
here’s a larger version of the poster in the beginning of the article
This blows! I followed Troy Duffy’s official YouTube.com channel for the last 16 months, which he updated almost every day with videos about the making of BDS II. I was really looking forward to the, ‘Yes we’re getting a theatrical release.’ that he kept boasting about. He didn’t mention it would only be a limited release in New England states. Troy, not all of us live in New York or Boston! AGH!!
This sucks.
~CORE
IMDB has the theaters that play it
And it’s playing a mile from my house!
For those in LA it’s playing on 3rd Street Promenade and Century City.
I’m hopefully going Saturday
Very excited.
I’ve been waiting for the sequel for a long time. Just show the boondocks in north carolina bro.
Never pirated a movie. Never watched a pirated movie. I hope people pirate the hell out of this movie so sony (and other companies) will stop this limited release crap. Really angry about this.
I live in Wilmington NC. i use to live in NY. if i was still up their i could see Boondock Saints 2 all saints day. but i don’t anymore. please let it show all over.
How do I demand a movie to come to my town
Thank you for the information. The original Boondock Saints is one of my all-time favorite movies and I was unhappy to hear that for now it will only be playing in New England. I think everyone needs to demand it be played elsewhere and hopefully it will eventually become as widespread as Paranormal Activity.
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I think that this limited release stuff is crap. I first saw a trailer for it in the theatre here in Oklahoma. Was really excited about it. Then it isn’t even playing here. I have a group of about 30 people that would have been willing to drive to Dallas if it would have opened there, but I guess only people in New England like the Saints. There are some hardcore fans here, people with all kinds of Saints stuff, from shot glasses, t-shirts, to necklaces. I wear my hoodie everywhere and everwhere I go I get commented on it, and how much crap it is that All Saints Day wasn’t released here. I guess the Heartland didn’t get the release becuase we already cling to our guns and our religion LOL AEQUITAS/VERITAS