Thank you George Lucas.

No, really, who else re-edits and recuts his movies for re-release every so often? This penchant for changing films and selling five bazillion different versions is starting to drive me nuts. To be fair, there was the whole “director’s cut” craze, and LOTR made some annoying steps in that direction (that we tolerated because really, we wanted to see the four-hour version in theaters, but the theater owners would have had a conniption fit, and they put some really good Extra Features on the DVDs), but things are getting out of hand. Film producers need to remember that the final cut is the one they release; otherwise, the theater-goers are seeing an unfinished edit, and really, who wants to pay $40 to see a rough draft?

I really don’t care about Prairie Home Companion, though I have some qualms about the idea of a movie based upon it, but the most interesting part of this article is at the bottom, where the writer elaborates on the Word of Mouth Marketing Association.

Having never heard of them before, I was curious, so I searched for them and found their homepage. It’s important to recognize that word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising. Filmmakers often forget that, because they’re too caught up in the “everybody’s doing it” mentality of TV trailers, Flash websites, and magazine ads. Bear in mind, though - consumers are not stupid. They know the producers pay to run ads, and they’ve seen enough great trailers made from lousy movies that they’re skeptical. Word of mouth, though, is inviolate; people trust their friends’ judgment, and yes, internet friendships still count. Win over a handful and watch them tell everyone else; word will spread, I promise.

Whether your film deserves good word of mouth is up to you to guarantee.