Geek Trailer Stampede Threatens World's Interest in Seeing 'The Dark Knight'

The latest oppressive trends in viral marketing received a skeptical close-up this week in The Hollywood Reporter, but for sheer word-of-mouth fanboy horror, look no further than Tuesday's video chronicle of the Dark Knight "scavenger hunt"/wild geek goose chase through Hollywood. MTV sent an intern to do its dirty work, which included — we shit you not — "a FedEx from the Joker himself," counting the number of fountains in the courtyard at the Hollywood & Highland Mall, and a half-dozen more eggheaded stunts that dead ended with Warner Bros. giving the hundreds of spectators three minutes to stampede to the multiplex — just to get a three-day jump on watching a trailer.

While we wouldn't pretend we're too cool to anticipate The Dark Knight, our old-fashioned theatergoing sensibilities defy our will to get this exercised about a commercial. Of course, if and/or when David Mamet finally gets off the couch and takes his cremated dog for a walk in sly support of his forthcoming Redbelt, we'll be the first ones there with our own cameras. We know, we know — we're such snobs.

Ramsey the Intern Videoblogs 'Dark Knight' Viral Event [MTV]

9:00 AM on Wed Apr 30 2008
By STV
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5 comments

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Benovite at 09:11 AM on 04/30/08
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I haven't been a big fan of these movies, but the Jokerized version of the new 'dork knight' trailer is brilliant and funny as hell.

+ Watch video

They've been doing a great job marketing this thing.
grahamorama at 09:46 AM on 04/30/08
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All that for a trailer? I would have choked someone.
MayhemintheHood at 09:58 AM on 04/30/08
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I think the same thing every time these kids are out doing cool stuff related to a seemingly awesome movie. I have to do stuff, like work, to you know...pay bills, and these guys are out having fun. I'm jealous(i've felt this dating back to the scavenger hunt held at San Diego ComicCon last year...while I was once again behind a desk all day.)

You're telling me you don't like scavenger hunts?!

"Old-fashioned". You hit the nail on the head right there.
Da7e at 10:36 AM on 04/30/08
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New York hunt was similarly dangerous.

I saw a guy puking from running so much.
mitchel_stevens at 12:43 PM on 04/30/08
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@Da7e:
Poor, poor Chickenhawk.