HOLLYWOOD STRIKES BACK AT THE INTERNET SPOILER
May 23rd 2008 08:42
I love the internet. While many an editor refuses to even acknowledge I exist in the print media world (several months of query letters can attain to that fact), the ‘net has opened its arms to me (and many others like me), and allows me to express my passion for film, whether as a film critic or a writer for a blog such as Orble.
But what I dislike the most about the internet is its ability to ruin the element of surprise found in today’s films thanks to the use of the spoiler.
Think about that word. Spoiler.
Now imagine it is 1980. You have been planning to watch The Empire Strikes Back for a week now. You wait in line to purchase your ticket. You have almost reached the ticket booth, then some jerk off carelessly reveals the explosive ending during a conversation with his friend as they leave the cinema, ala The Simpson’s.
He spoiled the movie. He revealed the clincher to a film you have been eagerly anticipating since you were blown away after the first Star Wars film (screw the prequels). And now the rest of your evening is tainted. The element of surprise is gone.
Now, apply that scenario to The Usual Suspects. Or The Sixth Sense. Or Se7en. Or any other film acclaimed for its twist conclusion.
Take Ben Stiller’s up coming comedy Tropic Thunder for example. The film – which is directed and stars Stiller along with Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. – tells the story of three actors shooting a war picture only to become embroiled in a real life war.
Unbeknownst at the time, Tom Cruise had been cast in a minor role as a fat, balding film studio executive. That was until some slime ball let the cat out of the bag, to the furious reaction of the films cast, Cruise, and its studio.
Thankfully, a few filmmakers have gotten wise to the growing trend and have taken steps to try and rectify the situation.
Hugely successful yet equally despised director Michael Bay has let it be known that he will intentionally release false information in regards to the in pre-production Transformers sequel, in a bid to keep the fanboys on their toes and stick it to those websites who love to reveal secret information prior to a films release.
However, such a strategy – as Garth Franklin at Dark Horizons pointed out – will lead websites to stop promoting the film altogether.
The there is Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, who kept such a tight ship on the just released Indiana Jones and The Crystal Skull, that the films stars – such as Harrison Ford and Shia Lebouf – were steadfastly hesitant in revealing any information to the press after signing a confidentiality agreement.
The same cannot be said about actor Tyler Nelson, who was fired from the film after spilling critical plot details to his hometown newspaper. Call it an extreme reaction, but let there be no doubt that it was a necessary one which I totally approve of.
Final Note: Perhaps one of the finest on screen mysterious of our lifetime has been ruined over at Youtube, where a bloodless individual has revealed the words Bill Murray whispered to Scarlett Johanson in the final scene of Lost in Translation. As a staunch advocate of the power of the imagination and the strength of mystery, I refuse to find out what those words were. And I feel sorry for anyone who has.
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