Major film studios are justifiably gun-shy when it comes to the Internet and the word-of-mouth that can spread 'round the world following test screenings of their latest offering to anyone hooked up to an ISP. The first weekend is so important to studios now that they live in dread of any bad pre-opening vox populi that finds its home on such websites as Harry Knowles' ain't-it-cool-news.com.

Knowles has become so well known as a "cyberbuzzer" that Premiere magazine now even includes him in its annual "The Power 100" edition (Knowles ranks
number 98).

About him, the magazine says: "His website and its film-geek spy network have become the source of early test-screening reviews untainted by spin control. Read by everyone in town, negative reports spread throughout the industry in hours."
Of course, the Internet pre-press can also work in the studios favor, as is the case with Iron Giant that was seen in advance - and reviewed - by none other than Mr. Cyberbuzzer himself, Harry Knowles.

About the movie, Knowles said: "This is the first film I have seen that has honestly learned everything you should take from E.T. ... but then improved on every single point. You see, in E.T., that little alien was wise.

"He knew what harm was, he knew what an 'Ouch' meant. Here, in this film, Elliot (a.k.a. Hogarth) becomes the teacher... Not just of words, but of ideals, dreams, right and wrongs. And it works. It really works."

Hogarth is the kid who befriends the "Iron Giant" in the film. (Elliot was E.T.'s little human buddy in the Spielberg film.) His Iron-ness is voiced by Eli Marienthal. The Iron Giant in question is a weapon that doesn't want to be a weapon anymore. One day it drops out of the sky into a little town in Maine, throwing everyone into a tizzy over what the intentions are of this 60 foot tall, 200 ton "alien".

Iron Giant explores the nature of prejudice as everyone in town - except Hogarth - has to confront their own paranoia and fear when face-to-face with the unknown. It's a moral tale about how fear is often bred from something as simple as unfamiliarity.

Perhaps there's a moral lesson here for film studios, as well. Sure, the bad pre-press that can end up on the web following a test screening is not something to look forward to. But if you're willing to take the good with the bad, sometimes you'll come out a winner and you might even find out there's nothing to fear except fear itself.

As a case in point, we'll leave the last word to Mr. Knowles: "This is a film to discover. One that you don't go to because it's a 'Must See' movie, but one you go to 'cause someone said, 'You need to see Iron Giant.' "

by steve maryk