This Movie Still Smells Like A Stinker

from the big-in-Japan dept

We’ve written a lot about what movie theaters need to do to compete these days is improve the theater-going experience, rather than complain about piracy or shrinking release windows. In Japan, two theaters are offering an exclusive new service: smells synchronized to certain scenes of a movie. This idea really isn’t new, going back to the 1960s for Smell-o-vision, or the scratch-n-sniff cards that accompanied the “Odorama” version of John Water’s 1982 film Polyester, and it’s hard to see how the idea’s got any more appeal these days. The film in question is the Colin Farrell vehicle The New World, which was released in the US at the end of 2005 and despite an Oscar win, generated an anemic $12.7 million in US box receipts, and moviegoers will be hit with a “floral scent” during a love scene, a mix of peppermint and rosemary during a sad scene and other aromatics. Theaters will also be able to download additional smell-tracks, and NTT Communications, the company behind the service, also sells a home version. Wonder if they complain about rogue smelltrack-sharing sites where pirates download hijacked copies?


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Comments on “This Movie Still Smells Like A Stinker”

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15 Comments
GoogleGuy says:

Every time I attend the movies, I’m amazed how we’ve advanced with digi cartoon movies, action movies with blazing effects, yet we still watch movies from a film projector? I can see dust/hair spots on the screen!! What year are we in!!?!?! WHERES MY DIGITAL MOVIE THEATER AT? Is there one I don’t know about?

Anonymous Coward says:

Even the theaters that use digital still have the dust spots, the reason is that the Movie Industry puts them into the digital finished product so that it provides a “nostalgic” movie going experience. They don’t think we can handle having a clean image on the movie screen.

Just like they think they know what’s good for us. The movie industry needs to stop thinking for us and start listening.

Mik3_D says:

This is stupid

I couldn’t care less about what a movie scene “smells like.” What I do care about is seeing a GOOD MOVIE without commercials, being overcharged for bad food, and interupted by morons. Thats all they need to provide.

Its a team effort between theaters and movie makers. They both have to get their act together if they want to succeed.

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