The Movie Toyota Doesn't Want You to See
January 29, 2016 7:50 AM Subscribe
Check Your Surroundings for Safety is the first feature film shot entirely on a Prius backup camera.
Rose Pilates stars as the woman pursued in Mateo St. Portugal's directorial debut, a gripping and technically astonishing film that does not actually exist.
Rose Pilates stars as the woman pursued in Mateo St. Portugal's directorial debut, a gripping and technically astonishing film that does not actually exist.
I like how Toyota's lawyers send their cease-and-desist letter on ruled 3-ring-binder paper.
[Just a cynical guess, but I'd bet this is very very clever stealth marketing.]
posted by chavenet at 8:35 AM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
[Just a cynical guess, but I'd bet this is very very clever stealth marketing.]
posted by chavenet at 8:35 AM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
It struck me a marketing ploy immediately.
posted by French Fry at 8:48 AM on January 29, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by French Fry at 8:48 AM on January 29, 2016 [5 favorites]
As a former agency/marketing guy, I'd be very surprised if the Toyota marketing department would authorize even a viral campaign that makes multiple jokes about backing over human beings with a Prius. It's not impossible, but deeply unlikely.
posted by Shepherd at 9:03 AM on January 29, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Shepherd at 9:03 AM on January 29, 2016 [3 favorites]
Yeah, having worked in corporate communications before, I can't see this idea ever getting the stamp of approval from legal. I bet the brand people at Toyota are secretly thrilled though.
As for the video itself, I liked the premise and then saw the length and was like: "They're going to beat this joke to death for six and a half minutes? Really?"
But it worked, no small thanks to brilliant delivery from the guy playing Mateo.
"The Prius backup camera is the only camera that can run an actor over. Other cameras cannot do that. Because they are not cars."
posted by 256 at 9:43 AM on January 29, 2016 [2 favorites]
As for the video itself, I liked the premise and then saw the length and was like: "They're going to beat this joke to death for six and a half minutes? Really?"
But it worked, no small thanks to brilliant delivery from the guy playing Mateo.
"The Prius backup camera is the only camera that can run an actor over. Other cameras cannot do that. Because they are not cars."
posted by 256 at 9:43 AM on January 29, 2016 [2 favorites]
In the old days, Andrew Heder (as Mateo St. Portugal) would have pretended to be a French auteur, or Italian. Godard or Fellini. Here he pretends to be Spanish. This makes me weirdly uncomfortable -- who, or what, exactly is Heder satirizing here? The great Spanish-speaking film directors right now in Hollywood are all from Mexico -- Iñárritu, Cuarón, del Toro, and Lubezki (ok the last not a director but cinematographer for Gravity, Birdman and The Revenant). So adopting the Spanish accent just made me think about Chris Rock which kind of killed the comedy.
posted by PandaMomentum at 9:44 AM on January 29, 2016
posted by PandaMomentum at 9:44 AM on January 29, 2016
I took his performance instantly to be a parody of Gael García Bernal (Interview).
posted by 256 at 9:48 AM on January 29, 2016
posted by 256 at 9:48 AM on January 29, 2016
I went to a pool party with Andrew once. He's a great guy. I'm happy this film is blowing up.
posted by boghead at 10:00 AM on January 29, 2016
posted by boghead at 10:00 AM on January 29, 2016
But it worked, no small thanks to brilliant delivery from the guy playing Mateo.
Man, I feel like such a party pooper, but I was with you more on the "they're gonna beat it to death" sentiment and ended up staying with that after watching the whole thing.
Or, I guess, I'll give them credit for not spending six minutes just literally beating the backup-camera thing to death...but I found the entire rest of the thing less interesting as a comedy bit. If you've got a minute worth of good shooting-a-film-on-car-rearview-camera material, make a really great minute-long video; don't dodge off into a handful of other tenuously related bits that ditch the actually interesting absurd premise in favor of far lazier pretentious/deluded filmmaker schtick.
I can't believe I'm grumpy that they didn't sufficiently faithfully and deeply explore the idea of shooting a film on backup camera but apparently that's where I am today. As both a comedy fan and a weird-film fan I'm let down, like someone hoping for more political nuance in an Onion article about Romney pooping.
posted by cortex at 10:08 AM on January 29, 2016 [5 favorites]
Man, I feel like such a party pooper, but I was with you more on the "they're gonna beat it to death" sentiment and ended up staying with that after watching the whole thing.
Or, I guess, I'll give them credit for not spending six minutes just literally beating the backup-camera thing to death...but I found the entire rest of the thing less interesting as a comedy bit. If you've got a minute worth of good shooting-a-film-on-car-rearview-camera material, make a really great minute-long video; don't dodge off into a handful of other tenuously related bits that ditch the actually interesting absurd premise in favor of far lazier pretentious/deluded filmmaker schtick.
I can't believe I'm grumpy that they didn't sufficiently faithfully and deeply explore the idea of shooting a film on backup camera but apparently that's where I am today. As both a comedy fan and a weird-film fan I'm let down, like someone hoping for more political nuance in an Onion article about Romney pooping.
posted by cortex at 10:08 AM on January 29, 2016 [5 favorites]
Here he pretends to be Spanish. This makes me weirdly uncomfortable -- who, or what, exactly is Heder satirizing here? The great Spanish-speaking film directors right now in Hollywood are all from Mexico -- Iñárritu, Cuarón, del Toro, and Lubezki
Your comment makes Pedro Almodóvar feel very sad indeed.
posted by Strange Interlude at 10:18 AM on January 29, 2016 [3 favorites]
Your comment makes Pedro Almodóvar feel very sad indeed.
posted by Strange Interlude at 10:18 AM on January 29, 2016 [3 favorites]
Death Grips: "Double Helix"
I was going to say.
Death Grips have done some remarkably interesting videos and I'm surprised more hasn't been said about them generally.
posted by solarion at 10:38 AM on January 29, 2016
I was going to say.
Death Grips have done some remarkably interesting videos and I'm surprised more hasn't been said about them generally.
posted by solarion at 10:38 AM on January 29, 2016
As both a comedy fan and a weird-film fan I'm let down, like someone hoping for more political nuance in an Onion article about Romney pooping.
It was an allegory for supply-side economics, JEEZ
posted by clockzero at 11:26 AM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
It was an allegory for supply-side economics, JEEZ
posted by clockzero at 11:26 AM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
"The Prius backup camera is the only camera that can run an actor over."
He's obviously never seen a professional Crane Camera or other camera dollies. (insert reference to "SCTV Johnny LaRue crane shot")
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:13 PM on January 29, 2016 [2 favorites]
He's obviously never seen a professional Crane Camera or other camera dollies. (insert reference to "SCTV Johnny LaRue crane shot")
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:13 PM on January 29, 2016 [2 favorites]
Your comment makes Pedro Almodóvar feel very sad indeed.
He isn't really "in Hollywood".
posted by kenko at 12:14 PM on January 29, 2016
He isn't really "in Hollywood".
posted by kenko at 12:14 PM on January 29, 2016
(I took his performance instantly to be a parody of Gael García Bernal
Is this where I get to post one of my favorite memes that sadly never fully took off and at least not have it be a complete and total derail?)
posted by eviemath at 4:12 PM on January 29, 2016
Is this where I get to post one of my favorite memes that sadly never fully took off and at least not have it be a complete and total derail?)
posted by eviemath at 4:12 PM on January 29, 2016
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Also I need to go to the scarf store...
posted by mayonnaises at 8:23 AM on January 29, 2016