Universal Pictures has started an ad campaign
on behalf of Eminem’s#### movie, "8 Mile," in various trade magazines
and in New York and Los Angeles trade newspapers, aimed at the voting body of
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that votes on Oscars.
The body is now casting their ballots for best
picture and honcho’s at Universal are worried about Eminem’s Oscar buzz, which
is almost none, despite the movie being released to critical acclaim and grossing
almost $116 million in North American box office receipts.
The ad asks "If a film sheds light on vibrant
but largely misunderstood aspect of our culture and…provokes a stunning number
of editorials and commentaries," should it not be considered?
The advertisement implies that there may be a
huge generation gap between the voting board and those who love hip-hop music,
which fueled the film’s phenomenal success.
"8 Mile" could also be suffering from
the film’s star and his lack of participation in Hollywood circles. According
to the Los Angeles Times, Eminem is unwilling to attend the clamorous industry
events or conduct valuable question and answer sessions at movie screenings.
"It’s not like he gives a damn whether he
gets this stuff or not," Paul Rosenberg told the Los Angeles Times. "He
certainly doesn’t want to be seen as a movie star. He wants to be seen, first
and foremost, as dedicated to music. He doesn’t want to walk around on the red
carpet. That is not his style. That’s not what he wants to be."
Eminem’s casual attitude aside, Universal executives
believe that Eminem’s picture should have more Oscar related buzz.
"This movie was really on everybody’s radar
[when it came out]," said Adam Folgeson, Universal’s President of Marketing.
"Now, for whatever reasons, "8 Mile" seems to be "out of
the discussion pool. "How can a film that generated those kind of reviews,
that generated those kind of editorials and commentaries, have fallen off everybody’s
radar?""
The ballots for Oscar candidates are due Wednesday,
January 29, while the nominations will be announced February 11.
