Critics' opinions don't matter much when studio marketing is the topliner

August 10, 2009 The studios' divergent paths through the critics minefield appeared to have been vindicated, but I'd argue that if the studios had swapped strategies -- if Paramount had prescreened "Joe" for critics and Sony had restricted "Julia" to a few food bloggers -- the results probably wouldn't have been all that much different. Plus, "Julia" received so much free publicity -- from a New Yorker profile on director Nora Ephron to a Julia Child-inspired episode of Food Network's "The Next Food Network Star" -- that the reviews simply were icing on the cake. They've already figured out what it's about and who stars in it thanks to relentless trailers, TV spots and online clips; "Joe" first teased its money effects shot, the destruction of the Eiffel Tower, during the Super Bowl broadcast in February.

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