Movie City Geek: Anatomy of a Leak

April 10 , 2003

From the Publisher...
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Anatomy of a Leak
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Sometimes, the best leak is no leak at all…

Movie City Geek was faced with a multi-fingered leak this week regarding the upcoming X-Men 2. We believe that the leak will end up hitting the web late Saturday night after the very first press screening of the film. Studio execs have seen the film in various stages, but Saturday is really the first time anyone outside of production will see the complete movie, with at least 95% of the effects intact. Things are so up against it that the print will not even be delivered to the theater more than a couple of hours before it will play for the anxiously waiting junket press.

The production team has managed to do the near impossible in the current climate… they’ve kept at least one big secret off the web. And we hear that the filmmakers will be doing everything they can to keep the secret a secret until opening day on May 2nd. This includes, we are told, banning anyone they think might have leaked the information before Saturday’s screening from the screening, banning anyone who leaks it afterwards from the junket and banning anyone who ruins it for audiences before the film is released from having any other future relationship with the film.

The thing is, I’m not so worried about being banned for running a spoiler link on MCG, even though I personally have always been anti-spoiler, anti-screenplay reviewing, anti-press & test screening review. That’s why Den Shewman is editing Geek. It is a different mindset. But in this case we agree… we really don’t want to ruin a part of this movie for anyone.

Thus the war wages on… where is that invisible line between right and wrong? How do we decide between running a story that will help put our two-week-old site on the Geek map in a bigger way and doing the “right” thing… while not feeling like we were kissing anyone's ass.

Well, the line is a little more visible now. We’re not running the spoiler. Someone somewhere will. And we’re sure that it will be soon. And you will probably be sorry that you read it. To be honest, I myself am sorry that I know.

If the movie was $50 million over budget, you’d be reading it on The Hot Button. If Bryan Singer couldn’t make his release date, you’d be reading it on MovieCityNews. If Anna Paquin was doing a nude scene, you’d read it on MovieCityGeek.

But here and now, the leak stays plugged.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the show when it premieres in three weeks.

David Poland
Publisher
Movie City Geek


April 10 , 2003 From the Publisher... ______________________ Anatomy of a Leak ______________________ Sometimes, the best leak is no leak at all… Movie City Geek was faced with a multi-fingered leak this week regarding the upcoming X-Men 2. We believe that the leak will end up hitting the web late Saturday night after the very first press screening of the film. Studio execs have seen the film in various stages, but Saturday is really the first time anyone outside of production will see the complete movie, with at least 95% of the effects intact. Things are so up against it that the print will not even be delivered to the theater more than a couple of hours before it will play for the anxiously waiting junket press. The production team has managed to do the near impossible in the current climate… they’ve kept at least one big secret off the web. And we hear that the filmmakers will be doing everything they can to keep the secret a secret until opening day on May 2nd. This includes, we are told, banning anyone they think might have leaked the information before Saturday’s screening from the screening, banning anyone who leaks it afterwards from the junket and banning anyone who ruins it for audiences before the film is released from having any other future relationship with the film. The thing is, I’m not so worried about being banned for running a spoiler link on MCG, even though I personally have always been anti-spoiler, anti-screenplay reviewing, anti-press & test screening review. That’s why Den Shewman is editing Geek. It is a different mindset. But in this case we agree… we really don’t want to ruin a part of this movie for anyone. Thus the war wages on… where is that invisible line between right and wrong? How do we decide between running a story that will help put our two-week-old site on the Geek map in a bigger way and doing the “right” thing… while not feeling like we were kissing anyone's ass. Well, the line is a little more visible now. We’re not running the spoiler. Someone somewhere will. And we’re sure that it will be soon. And you will probably be sorry that you read it. To be honest, I myself am sorry that I know. If the movie was $50 million over budget, you’d be reading it on The Hot Button. If Bryan Singer couldn’t make his release date, you’d be reading it on MovieCityNews. If Anna Paquin was doing a nude scene, you’d read it on MovieCityGeek. But here and now, the leak stays plugged. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show when it premieres in three weeks. David Poland Publisher Movie City Geek