Sydney Pollack wants you off the phone

First came “Inconsiderate Cell Phone Man,” Cingular’s interstitial “silence your cell phone” standard bearer. That funny series came out of an idea originated by Ketchum and executed by BBDO Atlanta. Cingular's current concept, from BBDO New York and Atlanta, is one that all of egocentric Hollywood can get behind. Filmmaker Sydney Pollack shows up in a guy’s living room as he’s sobbing an apology to his girlfriend over the phone. Pollack criticizes the guy’s “performance” before delivering the coup de grace. “Oh, I’m sorry. Is my directing interfering with your phone call? How rude of me!” The irony is that Pollack (seen here acting in Eyes Wide Shut) directed the spot and might be distressed to discover how often his bit is itself interrupted by the kind of audience gabfest that accompanies, for actual example, the FirstLook commercial programs, at least at Edwards screenings in the L.A. outland. There’s a rude crowd that’s learned too many Hollywood manners. This also means that the logical next step is to have directors like Joe Pytka ask audiences not to disturb their cinema spots.

—Posted by Gregory Solman

October 27, 2006 | Permalink