Last year we were one of the first sites to break the story on Hollywood’s new policy of hiding bad movies from critics in order to trick audiences into seeing them before they can find out how much the movies suck. In 2005 something like 8 major movie releases were not screened in advance, in 2006 we reached that number by March. This year, we’ve probably reached it already.
So Hollywood hiding movies from critics is nothing new, but usually it’s garbage movies that probably nobody cares about anyway. If it’s a high-profile, major release it usually gets screened. Even if it’s god awful horrible. Apparently that’s about to change, because the New York Post is reporting that Ghost Rider will not be shown to film critics. I guess that explains why it’s not on my screening schedule. Now can someone tell me why Norbit is? I was looking forward to missing that one.
They say some critics are being invited to a late-night screening the night before, but the screening will be too late for any of their reviews to make it into the papers until Saturday, after everyone has already wasted their money on a piece of shit movie on Friday. That’s the other trick Hollywood has been pulling lately. Audiences have caught on the to fact that when a movie isn’t screened for the press it’s probably going to stink, so studios have started schedulding last minute, late-night press screenings which are intentionally scheduled in such a way that there’s no way the critics attending it can get their reviews ready and out before the film’s opening night. That way they avoid the “not screened” stigma and bad reviews all at once. It’s dirty pool, and it sounds like that’s what Sony is doing with Ghost Rider.
This is a big deal, because it’s the first major tent pole film they’ve done this with. Granted, they’re releasing it in early February which isn’t exactly a hot time for big movies. By dumping it there I suppose they’ve already given it a vote of no confidence. This is just them punching an extra hole in the no confidence card. Still, we’re talking about a $120 million superhero movie. This isn’t The Messengers or Hannibal Rising. This is Ghost Rider, and hiding that kind of major blockbuster away from the press is definitely a first.
So, what does that mean to you? Don’t waste your money, that’s what. This is Sony Pictures basically admitting they have a lousy movie. If even the company releasing it thinks Ghost Rider is bad, then it really must be. Poor Nic Cage, he’s in another stinker.
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This story is 100% false. Mark Steven Johnson, Gary Foster, and Avi Arad joined in on the Superherohype message boards and all stated this was not true. Ghost Rider has Already been screened abroad and is being screened today by critics in the US. The story you posted is 100% false.
Maybe they're screening it for Superhero Hype and others predisposed to be friendly towards the project only?
Last I checked I was a US critic and right now there is no general press screening for it in Dallas.
It would be odd for the New York Post to make a story up. Or perhaps they saw the Post story and decided to start screening it to combat the negative press?
The story is false. Avi Arad, Gary Foster and Mark Steven Johnson have all stated that it was on the SuperHeroHype message boards: http://www.superherohype.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264927
It's sad that so many people want this movie to fail... enough to create a negative buzz just for the sake of doing so.
Plus isn't this assuming that people actually listen to critics before going to a film? Bottom line, regardless of whether it sucks or not, people will see it if they really want to.
To boot, how can anyone watch the trailer and tell me that thing is supposed to be serious???
Serious does not equal good. And not being serious doesn't excuse it from being good.
By the way, Ghost Rider just got added to the screening schedule in Dallas. As predicted by the Post... only screening is Thursday night... when it is too late for newspapers to have a review up on Friday.
The story is a little strange. You say they're having late night screenings to avoid the stigma of having a movie not screened for the press, yet at the same time make it too late to publish a bad review. The thing is, if there's no review, how's the average movie goer going to know if it was screened or not? The only reason I know about these kinds of policies is because I read this site. I don't think it's common knowledge.
This movie reaches an new level of sucking. It sucks so bad that a new level of crap had to be created just to rate this movie. If you liked this movie their is something wrong with you. Please do yourself and society a favor and off yourself.
Thanks
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Last year we were one of the first sites to break the story on Hollywood’s new policy of hiding bad movies from critics in order to trick audiences into seeing them before they can find out how much the movies suck. In 2005 something like 8 major movie releases were not screened in advance, in 2006 we reached that number by March. This year, we’ve probably reached it already.
February 8th, 2007 at 11:15
This story is 100% false. Mark Steven Johnson, Gary Foster, and Avi Arad joined in on the Superherohype message boards and all stated this was not true. Ghost Rider has Already been screened abroad and is being screened today by critics in the US. The story you posted is 100% false.
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