The Butler will now be called Lee Daniels’ The Butler, kind of like Precious Based on the Novel Push by Saffire. We’ll still call it The Butler, however. It was a good controversy to bring awareness to the film so now we can get back to business.
The Butler will now be called Lee Daniels’ The Butler, kind of like Precious Based on the Novel Push by Saffire. We’ll still call it The Butler, however. It was a good controversy to bring awareness to the film so now we can get back to business.
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It’s “Sapphire.”
Is the sight-unseen consensus still to predict that Oprah Winfrey’s performance in LEE DANIEL’S THE BUTLER will finally earn her the Academy Award? In other words, is she still the presumed frontrunner in the Best Supporting Actress category? I have to say that ‘sight unseen’ she has my support over any of the ladies in AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.
p.s. The only reason I felt compelled to share these early sensations was so I could use the title of the picture LEE DANIEL’S THE BUTLER in a sentence.
My take is that apart from the obvious, that is, the brand new title, both screenplay and directing credits at the footing shown in caps are also part of the deal, post settlement. (Both lines just didn’t sit well in terms of visual composition to me.)
Times New Roman, as I, a foreigner, suppose otherwise to have been somewhat majestic-looking, just didn’t work well in terms of visuals to me on these two posters. And perhaps I was just reading too much into it but to begin with, the posters, especially the right one, look very ’90s (if it was meant to be that way, then kudostorm to those involved).
You’re right. The visual composition is off due to the requirements of the deal. Lee Daniels’ name had to be at least 75% the size of ‘The Butler’.
Thanks for sharing.
These guys otherwise wouldn’t have tripped. It was too obvious.
I like how they put in big letters:
“WRITTEN BY DANNY STRONG
DIRECTED BY LEE DANIELS”
It’s like having them say “yes, we acknowledge the name’s in the title, and we’re owning it” (and not succeeding).
This will limit box office, which is exactly what Warners Brothers wanted.
LMAO These terrible posters make this like Blaxploitation from the old days. In addition now we have that spicy Lee Daniel’s. I will gladly only call it by its official name! 🙂
I think it’s awesome after all the legal problems with the title, all they did was add the directors name, and problem solved.
Glad Lee Daniels name is in the title now.
I hadn’t seen The Paperboy until last night and had somehow forgotten that he directed it. Have to say it was one of the worst films I’ve ever suffered through. I was practically shouting at the screen throughout, then at the end, when Lee Daniels’ name came up, all made sense. Whatever ridiculous, exaggerated, poverty-porn fetishistic bent he started dabbling in with Precious was turned loose in The Paperboy.
So thanks for putting the name above the title so I can treat it the same as the skull and crossbones on toxic substance container.
I had to rewatch Weekend just to remind myself that there are still great serious, realistic and heartfelt films out there.
As long as it was WEEKEND, and not WEEK-END, I can forgive you for not enjoying at least Kidman’s performance 😛
Kidman was fine and both she and MMC were workin’ it and managed moments here and there, but overall didn’t stand a chance with Daniel’s hysterical direction.
This is what is going to happen with The Butler. The mega-watt actors are going to overdo it, the whole thing cloaked in sanctimony. And then you got Miss Oprah puttin’ on her sloppy, goin’ for that gold statue next spring.
I hope I’m wrong. I hope I’ve pre-judged unfairly and feel guilty the rest of my life. But, unfortunately, I’d rather be peed on than sit thru another Lee Daniels film.
That’s the spirit! I know EXACTLY what you mean…
Okay this doesnt have to do with the poster, but am I the only one thats tired of black people calling themselves African-Americans? They dont want to be called black, but want to be called African American. Thats like white people calling themselves European Americans. Black people have had the same rights that white people have had for soo many years now. And the black people living here right now, were all born in America. Why dont they just call themselves Americans?
It’s no burden for me to call people what they prefer to be called.
If you feel that infringes on your right to call them whatever you choose, you might want to examine how that makes you look.
Anyway, I know a heckuva lot of black people and none of them has ever told me to stop referring to them as black.
[usage note: If you mean using “an African-American” as a noun instead of saying “a black” then consider if it would grate on your ears if somebody were to call you “a white.” Saying “he’s a black” with black as a noun is best avoided, especially since any number of substitute phrasings will sound less crude.]
I wish the like button was still around.
To the best of one’s ability, one should be respectful towards another’s desires of how to be referred to. It’s not like the debate around the gender-neutral use of a singular “they” where it presents linguistic ambiguity. If someone wants to identify as black and another African-American, who cares?
What if the person is from London or Stockholm? Let’s ask Idris Elba.
Go back to the 1800s and read the newspapers. Blacks were titled, “Negro” and “colored” even Blackie. We call ourselves both — African American and Black. It’s interchangeable. For the longest we were “Negro”, which actually IMO gave some status because negro is a European/Spanish word. I rather wish we could go back to that term.