Movie Website Updates for September 2 - September 8

September 8, 2006

After a very busy month, the number of site on this week's list dropped off dramatically. The decline in quantity was accompanied by a decline in quality with no site jumping out as the obvious choice for the Weekly Website Award. The Guardian - Official Site came the closest, but it will have to wait till more features are added for that honor.

The Black Dahlia - Official Site
The production note, cast & crew bios, and the map of L.A. were added to the site. This leaves just the film clips marked coming soon, but those might not be added till after the movie opens.

Broken Bridges - Official Site
The trailer is still unwatchable on the site. It stutters, it hangs, it just doesn't work. On the other hand, I found the trailer somewhere else and it was also unwatchable, but for another reason.

Casino Royale - Official Site
This week's blog entry is on the casino stage and Felix Leiter. The also talk about actors and poker saying that because they have training in acting, they are naturally better at poker. While there are several actors that are good at the game, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Tilly, Will Wheaton, I've heard experts in the game that suggest most are not. Since they've been trained to show emotions, it is harder for them to conceal emotions, which is key. Lastly, the one sheet on the placeholder site was changed, but I preferred the old one.

Colin Fitz Lives! - Official Site
There's not much on the site, with just the synopsis, image gallery, and trailer representing the usual features. As for the quality of the trailer, it looks like a whole lot of actors got together to make a movie they would have fun making, but I don't know if that will translate into a movie audiences will have fun watching.

The Covenant - Official Site
On the surface this is a good site with all the usual information and extras like character bios, background information, and even a game. However, it feels very hollow. This could be because the movie itself is very hollow, but that's another matter.

Employee of the Month - Official Site
The soundtrack was added to the site, which has clips from all 12 songs.

Feast - Official Site
The trailer was added to the site. While it doesn't have a MPAA warning ahead of it, it is safe to assume it would be a Red Banner trailer. That means it is not safe for work and contains gore and language some might find really, really cool. ... Offensive. I meant offensive.

Flyboys - Official Site
The placeholder site was re-designed and there was a game added, I think. When the site was loading it said, 'click to play,' but by the time I did it was already loaded. I guess my internet access it too fast.

Fur - Official Site
The trailer was added to the site, but when I tried to watch it, it crashed my browser. Second time it worked, but I wasn't engaged by it. Perhaps as I see more of the film it will hook my, but until them I'm left cold.

Ghost Rider - Official Site
This site also crashed my browser, so I think the problem might be on my end. This week the video blog is on The Caretaker. They are quickly running out of characters to deal with, so I'm interested in seeing what else they have.

The Guardian - Official Site
The flash site launched this week and it's a great start. I say start because while there's plenty of sound and animation, most of the content is marked coming soon. This includes regular features like production notes and cast & crew bios as well as extras like video clips, behind the scenes, and indeed the final three selections on the menu. Should these live up to the rest of the site, it could be an award winner.

Hollywoodland - Official Site
The mystery section is still marked coming soon. I'll check back just before I upload the story. ... Nope, still not there.

I Trust You to Kill Me - Official Site
The basics are here, but it doesn't have a very polished feel. Also, I don't like the overuse of pop-ups.

Iraq For Sale: The War Profiteers - Official Site
This site doesn't do a particularly good job at selling the movie. Feels like it is trying to hard to sell the message without realizing people need to want to see the film first.

The Last Kiss - Official Site
Three more video blogs this week, two of them with Jacinda Barrett and her dogs, the other with the director. After watching all 13 clips, I haven't learned a thing about this movie, but I've certainly been entertained.

The Messengers - Official Site
The placeholder is still here, but the main site has been replaced by a re-direct.

Nearing Grace - Official Site
Of the regular features only the synopsis, cast & crew list, (no bios), and the trailer is present. However, there's a nice extra feature called the Journal that has the image gallery and other features marked coming soon. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the site comes together.

Pan's Labyrinth - Official Site
The teaser trailer was added to the site. Like most, this one is too much teaser and not enough trailer, however, it still has me very intrigued.

Le Petit Lieutenant - Official Site
Just the basics minus the bios.

The Protector - Official Site
There's not enough here to sell the movie. There's not even all of the basics.

The Queen - Official Site
There's a new site, and it is either a top-notch placeholder site, or a below average full site, it's too early to tell. The site dose have all the usual features, (minus the production notes, which are marked coming soon).

Red Doors - Official Site
No real changes since the site first appeared on this list.

The Saint of 9/11 - Official Site
Has all the features one would expect, but not a very polished feel.

Sherrybaby - Official Site
Not much has changed since the site first appeared on this list.

Stomp the Yard - Official Site
Just the trailer so far, which makes the film seem like a bad rip-off of You Got Served.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning - Official Site
The flash site launched this week, but it just has the basics.


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Filed under: Movie Website Updates, Casino Royale, Ghost Rider, The Queen, The Guardian, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, The Messengers, Employee of the Month, The Covenant, The Black Dahlia, Hollywoodland, Flyboys, Tom yum goong, The Last Kiss, Broken Bridges, FUR: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus, Le petit lieutenant, Sherrybaby, Red Doors, Feast, I Trust You To Kill Me, Saint of 9/11, Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers, Nearing Grace, Colin Fitz Lives!