Fewer Advanced Screenings = GREAT SUCCESS

Source

Quote:

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Critics are being shut out of more films as studios forgo advance screenings on flicks they expect reviewers to trash, figuring the movies stand a better chance of box-office success with no reviews rather than bad ones.

So far this year, 11 movies have not screened for critics before opening day, including the Rob Schneider-David Spade sports comedy "The Benchwarmers" and Mo'Nique's fashion comedy "Phat Girlz," both opening Friday.

During the same period last year, just two movies did not screen in advance for reviewers.

The practice does not sit well with critics, who either must do without or scramble to catch the movie on opening day and dash something off if their outlets want to have a review over opening weekend.

But it makes business sense for studios, which may presume the drawbacks outweigh the benefits if critics are likely to hate a movie.

"If we think screenings for the press will help open the movie, we'll do it," said Dennis Rice, publicity chief for Disney, which did not show its fright flick "Stay Alive" to critics before it opened in March. "If we don't think it'll help open the movie or if the target audience is different than the critics' sensibilities, then it may make sense not to screen the movie."

Movies that do not screen ahead of time generally are genre flicks such as horror stories or youth comedies whose audiences pay little heed to critics.

"Like 'Benchwarmers,' if some kid really wants to see that, I don't know that bad reviews are going to stop them from going," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

Television's "Ebert and Roeper and the Movies," added a jab at Hollywood whenever a studio did not screen a flick for critics. Along with their "thumbs-up, thumbs-down," Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper included a "wagging finger of shame" for films they were not shown.

I actually kind of relied on bad reviews, just so I knew which movie would make me laugh harder. My friends and I purposely seek out shitty stuff when it's released in theaters, like Ultraviolet or Torque.

What do you think? Do you even use reviews to judge a movie before you see it?

Most amazing jew boots