Fake Gunmen Hired for Iron Man 3 Premiere

[draco664]

Perhaps you should take the time to read the article, check out the pictures, or maybe even just read the title of the thread.

I had read an article from a different source, with a picture of the group all standing around together posing. The details in that article were quite sparse compared to the one linked, so I'm sorry, I should have read more. One guy turning up alone dressed as a commando with a fake gun is very likely to set off alarms after recent events. I understand the emotion now.

But it occurs to me that the only thing that really went wrong was that the group turned up separately. There's nothing inherently wrong with hiring actors to dress as movie characters to drum up business. If they'd come as a group (I'm not a cosplayer, so I don't know how much effort goes into their costumes - perhaps dressing at the cinema would be logistically challenging) the batshit-insane guy (yes, he's still there) may not have reached his tipping point.

As for the title of the thread... "Fake gunmen"? seriously? Do you think people who dress up as santa should be described as "Potential pedophile"?

[Gravekeeper]

But it occurs to me that the only thing that really went wrong was that the group turned up separately. There's nothing inherently wrong with hiring actors to dress as movie characters to drum up business. If they'd come as a group (I'm not a cosplayer, so I don't know how much effort goes into their costumes - perhaps dressing at the cinema would be logistically challenging) the batshit-insane guy (yes, he's still there) may not have reached his tipping point.

They weren't hired, they volunteered and the manager agreed as a publicity stunt. I also fail to see how being freaked out about seeing a guy with a gun wander into a theatre after Sandy Hook and being concerned qualifies as "Batshit-Insane". Especially considering that the police received multiple 911 calls. Which you would know if you had read the article we're talking about.

Once again, the police chief himself chastised the theatre over how stupid this stunt was.

As for the title of the thread... "Fake gunmen"? seriously? Do you think people who dress up as santa should be described as "Potential pedophile"?

What are you even on about? The only difference between these guys an actual gunmen would be the orange tips. Fake gunmen is an apt description. It's also the title of the bloody article that was linked in the OP. You know, the one you keep talking about without reading.

[Hyena Dandy]

As for the title of the thread... "Fake gunmen"? seriously? Do you think people who dress up as santa should be described as "Potential pedophile"?

What on earth are you on about?

Fake Gunmen is a perfect description. He was

1) A man

2) Holding a gun

3) The gun was fake

He was a "Fake gunman" because he was a MAN WITH A FAKE GUN.

[Panacea]

How are any of those people anything other than the exact opposite of "nameless support characters?"

I think that'd be a legit question if we were talking about the first Iron Man movie, but this is Iron Man 3, and Robert Downey Jr has done very well in getting his name recognition back through this character.

Anyone who's seen the first two movies should know who Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, or Rhoadie/War Machine are.

Other than the dancers in the opening of the second movie, does Iron Man have any group of people around him that are recognizable enough to be cosplayed that aren't SHIELD agents?

Iron Man does not have a team in his own book. He's a solo character who also appears in the Avengers (he's an original Avenger character). His personality doesn't lend well to working in teams in the comic, as well as in the movies.

I'll concede most of them (except maybe War Machine, and only if it's the powered armor) would need to be partnered with Tony Stark/Iron Man for people to get the costumes. But since that was the case at this theatre (the Iron Man costume is pretty well done), they should have been able to do these characters in a recognizable way. Hell, they included Nick Fury, who doesn't even appear in this movie.

Happy Hogan? was he in the first two movies, cos he sounds more like a Hulk Hogan parody

Yes, Happy was in both movies and addressed by name. He's Tony's driver/bodyguard. He has more of a role in Iron Man 2: he's the guy boxing with Natasha Romanov/Black Widow and getting his ass kicked in the scene where Tony makes Pepper CEO of Stark Industries. He's played by Jon Favreau, who also produces and directs the series of movies (didn't direct 3 though).

Phil (was his name Coulson? cant remember if I read that a few posts back), isn't he the dead one who was in 2 and killed by Loki in Avengers, so unless I missed the he's not really dead part he wouldn't be in 3.

Yes, Phil Coulson. He appears for the first time in Iron Man, and had small parts in Iron Man 2 and Thor. His character was killed by Loki in the Avengers. Coulson did not appear in comics prior to Iron Man; the character was such a hit, he's been written into Marvel continuity and apparently he's somehow going to appear in the new SHIELD TV series on ABC this fall. I have no idea how they're going to explain that, but I'll watch the series just for his character, whom I thought was awesome.

And if the movie is new (sounds daft I know, but apparently the States has not got Star trek yet and we've had it a week.) and not say a fortnight / month old then are any of the characters new to the movie, thus no one who has yet to see the movie would know who is who and cosplayers end up playing random comic book continuity character cos they have no idea who is in it to cosplay as etc.

For some reason Europe has been getting American movies before we get them, which is just plain unfair seeing how we have to wait half the season before we get the new Dr Who episodes

There are several characters new to Iron Man 3 who appear in the comic at some point in time: the Mandarin, Aldrick Killian, and Maya Hansen, Ellen Brandt and Eric Savin. They are all villains, and they've been modified somewhat from their original appearances. The Mandarin is probably the most recognizable character, since he is Iron Man's primary nemesis; he's the Doctor Doom to the Fantastic Four (Doctor Doom in the comics is far more badass than in the movies).

If I a casual comic reader with only a bare minimum on the whole Iron Man saga outside of the first two movies has no idea who some of these guys are, chances are those that only know of superheroes via their movies probably recognise even less.
EG I only recognised Ki Adimundi (or whatever the cone head guy) from the Jedi Council cos he had a mini series a few years before his appearance in the prequels, to everyone not a full on Star Wars fan, he's just some background character who would only be named if/when he got his own toy.

Understandable; that's how I thought of him since I don't read the Star Wars comics or novels.

My point really was, most people have seen Iron Man and Iron Man 2, and ought to at least know who Pepper and Rhoadie are, and Happy as well IMHO. So doing SHIELD agents just was dumb and didn't make sense.

[Ginger Tea]

Anyone who's seen the first two movies should know who Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, or Rhoadie/War Machine are.

Yes, Happy was in both movies and addressed by name. He's Tony's driver/bodyguard. He has more of a role in Iron Man 2: he's the guy boxing with Natasha Romanov/Black Widow and getting his ass kicked in the scene where Tony makes Pepper CEO of Stark Industries. He's played by Jon Favreau, who also produces and directs the series of movies (didn't direct 3 though).

For some reason Europe has been getting American movies before we get them, which is just plain unfair seeing how we have to wait half the season before we get the new Dr Who episodes

Now you put a character to the name I know who he is, although I list him as the guy who kinda looks like Tony Soprano, which TBH I never got too far into before moving.

Re Dr Who, what?, we in the UK had the mid season break and I thought the first one last year was 'Merica want's who at the same time but also want's a gap (like they did with V which IMO killed it for me).
So you mean this Saturday you aren't getting the season finale like we are?
I thought you were getting it at say 8 Central hours after our 7ish time slot, not sure of the exact time as I watch via BBC iPlayer.

edit: at least this year they timed it to the Christmas special (had to due to the whole impossible girl story arc), last year sucked cos it was 6 episodes, effing ages break for no real reason, wasn't Olympics interfering with the schedules as they could easily start it afterwards instead of around it etc,, then the final 6 or 7 episodes and another break till the special, although it was a shorter break this time round.

Edit:
It was Moffat being a twat, he wanted us to be on baited breath making "when a good man goes to war" more epic, instead of perhaps a watered down response due to it being a mid season epic, I watch weekly then I wait for the whole season box set, not the twin packs or half season offerings, so the break would be minutes when I next watch it and it would be no less epic knowing the before during and after of it all.

Re movies, imagine being 6 months to a year behind America for decades till file sharing and decent cam's kinda forced the issue. We got a tonne (well not me personally) of NTSC VHS converts at car boot sales months before the cinema release cos of the domestic rental market over there already had it out.

[Andara Bledin]

I think that'd be a legit question if we were talking about the first Iron Man movie, but this is Iron Man 3, and Robert Downey Jr has done very well in getting his name recognition back through this character.

Um, I'm not even sure what you're talking about, here.

My comment was that if you wanted to play a recognizable extra, as opposed to playing a named character, that you would be forced to drop to the greater Avengers-centric universe to be a SHIELD operative specifically because Iron Man doesn't have a support crew.

I can't figure out what conversation you're having, because it doesn't seem to be the same one I am.

Because I'm talking about cosplaying a generic extra and you keep mentioning named characters. Those two groups are the complete opposite of one another.

Are you trying to say that it's somehow wrong to want to play a tertiary support character as part of a group when there are recognizable characters that you could play instead, despite possibly being the wrong color, gender, or body type for such or just not liking the characters?

[Panacea]

Re Dr Who, what?, we in the UK had the mid season break and I thought the first one last year was 'Merica want's who at the same time but also want's a gap (like they did with V which IMO killed it for me).
So you mean this Saturday you aren't getting the season finale like we are?
I thought you were getting it at say 8 Central hours after our 7ish time slot, not sure of the exact time as I watch via BBC iPlayer.

We're about 4 episodes into the season as of last Saturday.

Um, I'm not even sure what you're talking about, here.

I misunderstood you. Sorry.

[Andara Bledin]

I misunderstood you. Sorry.

Ok. No worries.

[Ginger Tea]

So you just had Hide and are due centre of the tardis?

Last Angry Geek has his you know who section about a week after we in the UK get it, so I just assumed you got it at 8 central when we are around midnight.
bbc America lists the name of the doctor as the next episode to air hours after the UK broadcast, so I can only assume you are not in America as I just automatically assumed.

[lordlundar]

Yes, Phil Coulson. He appears for the first time in Iron Man, and had small parts in Iron Man 2 and Thor. His character was killed by Loki in the Avengers. Coulson did not appear in comics prior to Iron Man; the character was such a hit, he's been written into Marvel continuity and apparently he's somehow going to appear in the new SHIELD TV series on ABC this fall. I have no idea how they're going to explain that, but I'll watch the series just for his character, whom I thought was awesome.

Agents of SHIELD (the title of the TV show) precedes The Avengers in the continuity. It's going to be sort of a "What SHIELD is doing when they're not filling in cameos in the other movies."