Movie Reviews Taken out of context

[Fabrizio2]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 11:48am

I was listening to NPR about a week ago, and on Weekend Edition Saturday, they were talking about feature films advertising critic's quotes either taken out of context, or the words switched around to make it look like a good review for the film. Anyone else familiar with this?
Updated On: 8/24/06 at 11:48 AM

[iHeartMyGeek]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 11:52am

It sounds really really interesting and I'm sure they do it. What did NPR say about it?

[Fabrizio2]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 11:56am

They were talking about how studios can make up critics to promote their films...or use a random Broadcast News Station in Omaha or something like that who enjoyed the film to also promote the film.

Sometimes they jumble the words too to make it look like a positive quote taken from a review.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 11:58am

Oh, sure. I mean, a critic could have written, "A brilliant movie this is not," or "I wanted to kill myself after I sat through that incredible waste of my time" and the reviews would read "Brilliant!" "Incredible!"

[Fabrizio2]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 11:58am

Yeah that's exactly what I was talking about...I just couldn't think of a good example...

[StageManager2]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 12:02pm

I recall several years ago some movie studio was exposed because it had invented a movie critic who had given rave reviews to THE ANIMAL.

Updated On: 8/24/06 at 12:02 PM

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 12:06pm

"We won't be seeing this film when it is Oscar time!"

becomes

"It's Oscar time!"

"This movie is a tremendous failure."

becomes

"Tremendous!"

[Calvin]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 12:11pm

The above examples are downright deceitful and could even have legal ramifications. I doubt anyone is going that route.

Not having heard the NPR story in question, I'd imagine it's a lot more like the New York Times story about theatre producers doing the same things with their reviews. For example, say someone wrote a review tearing apart a show but praised one performer. The show would use that praise which, out of context, would look like the critic was praising the show. Or, there might be a throwaway line like "The cast is certainly one of the most energetic and talented groups assembled on Broadway, but even they can't save the abysmal book...etc." and the show would use the main thought without the caveat clause.
Updated On: 8/24/06 at 12:11 PM

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 12:17pm

There was a situation where some movie studio made up a critic to give good reviews to their movies. I can't remember which studio it was though.

[Fabrizio2]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 12:18pm

It may have been Paramount....not completely sure about that though...maybe that's coming to mind because of the recent Tom Cruise happenings.

[Calvin]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 12:20pm

Oh yes, I do remember that.

But if a studio takes something blatantly out of context -- like turning a scathing review positive by editing out nots or such -- the critic could have grounds for a libel suit.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 12:27pm

Uh, I mentioned that several posts ago. Why is it only getting recognition now after JerseyGirl mentioned it?

[She]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 12:29pm

Roger Ebert had fun with this practice by studios in his "Dumb and Dumber" review:

The purpose of a comedy is to make you laugh, and there is a moment in "Dumb and Dumber" that made me laugh so loudly I embarrassed myself. I just couldn't stop. It's the moment involving the kid who gets the parakeet. But because I know that the first sentence of this review is likely to be lifted out and reprinted in an ad, I hasten to add that I did not laugh as loudly again, or very often. It's just as well. If the whole movie had been as funny as that moment, I would have required hospitalization.

I read it ages ago and I remembered it when I readt the first post.