It has become common practice now for a movie studio to withhold screening a film for critics that they know the critics will not like. Last weekend when “Captivity” (a new horror thriller starring Elisha Cuthbert as a model who is kidnapped and tortured) opened, I was not surprised to find there there was no screening set up here in Kansas City. Most of the horror movies that come out these days don’t get screened for us.
Being a member of the Kansas City Film Critic’s Circle, I get weekly emails regarding where and when early screenings are scheduled, and plan my week accordingly. This will actually affect what movies I cover on the site. (You may remember “Transformers” was a little late– I was running with bears and foxes in the wilds of Canada!) This summer, however, there has been a more disturbing trend.
Fox did set up screenings for “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” and “Live Free or Die Hard” for the KCFCC, but they were both on the night before the film’s opening. This makes it very hard to meet deadlines on opening day. Now, the same thing has happened with “The Simpsons Movie.”
Does this show that the studio has little faith in the quality of “The Simpsons Movie”? Is it possible that this film could actually suck?
Well, “Live Free or Die Hard” didn’t suck, so I wonder exactly what their strategy is. Whatever it may be, it doesn’t show much repect for those of us who run articles and promote their movies.
These days, opening weekend box office reports are everything. They can make or break a film’s entire theatrical run. If every review that appears on this crucial day is a horrible one, you can bet your ass that will affect the performance of the movie that weekend, and, in effect its long term run.
Some genres, like horror, are supposedly critic-proof. But diminishing returns for sequels like “Hostel Part II” prove that audiences are either catching on to the fact that no review means a bad movie or they are just as sick of bad horror movies as critics are. (This statement is in no way a reflection of the quality of “Hostel Part II,” which I haven’t seen, but rather it illustrates the audience’s perception of its quality– something that kept them away from theaters.)
No matter what genre, no screening means no coverage, and its really disappointing to not be able to cover something I’m looking forward to seeing. Whether Fox thinks they have stinker on their hands with “The Simpsons Movie” or not doesn’t matter because they don’t write the reviews.
If critics think it’s one of the best movies of the year, no one will know on Friday July 26, because print journalists weren’t able to meet their deadlines. Hypothetically, no reviews could translate into poorer box office. If that’s the case, then it’s possible that a lower-than-expected opening weekend will turn it into a flop.
And all because they were scared I wouldn’t like it.
