Much has been written about the impact of Psychosis, one of the most forceful works of the teacher Alfred Hitchcock and it is impossible to deny the actuality of the film in modern cinema. It has influenced filmmakers of all generations and has generated sequels, imitations and, of course, the fear of the shower and motels of those who experienced this mass phenomenon in 1960. But with his work, Hichcock not only impacted with what appeared on the screen. , but how did you decide change audience habits at the time. Or rather, how he ended the mania of being late to the movies when the movie had already started.

To understand the phenomenon, you have to know that at that time people entered the screenings when they wanted, it did not matter if the film was started. The patterns of this ritual were summed up in a once common motto that is now unknown to moviegoers of a certain age: “This is where we come in.” Throughout the classic Hollywood era, viewers flocked to a movie screening whenever they felt like it, paying no attention to the progress of the narrative. What they were doing was basically going to the middle of the movie and watching it through to the end, watching the previous newscast, the animated / comedy short that aired at the beginning, and starting the movie where they came from.

At that moment, the spectator whispered to his partner: “This is where we come in”, and then they left the room. It’s hard to believe, but it did. Until Hitchcock came along.

Some moviegoers were spellbound and immersed in the movie more than once. Although fans were already counting on the ticket price being an open access pass, many exhibitors (who wanted crowd control) and filmmakers (who wanted a captive audience from opening credits to finish) disapproved. . The directors hated that viewers barged in and they will break, or never experience, the spell and magic of the movie. Cecil B. DeMille was especially bothered by the fact that viewers, and not himself, were deciding how to experience his films.

In 1950, Twentieth Century-Fox producer Darryl F. Zanuck and director Joseph L. Mankiewicz realized how difficult it was to turn the clock on American viewers. Knowing that they had something special in their hands, they asked the exhibitors of the big cinemas that they wanted to reserve Naked eva to sign a contract that “no customer should be seated after the movie starts” and “at the end of each performance, the theater must be clear.” Since the beginning of this movie is the end, it would spoil any audience’s enjoyment not to see it from the beginning, it was clear.

But after just four days, Fox dropped the proposal. Why? Many cinemas generally attracted large numbers of pedestrians wowed by the lobby displays. Impulsive moviegoers simply they refused to wait for the next pass and they went to the nearby cinemas, which kindly let them in.

And then Hitchcock came along

It was the terrifying event of the year. 1960. Families, couples, friends, all filled the rooms, screaming and throwing themselves into each other’s arms. But this time it was going to be different. Hitchcock and the production team of Psychosis made a marketing effort (trailer and posters included) so that exhibitors they close their doors to late-arriving spectators. “No one … BUT NO ONE … will be admitted to the theater after the start of each performance of PSYCHOSIS“He read the posters, which showed Hitchcock himself pointing to his watch as if warning students not to be late for class. Of the many “firsts” films attributed to Psychosis, the change in habits was surprising.

The idea was actually from Jerry Pickman, Paramount’s vice president of advertising, who I wanted to “protect the twist and end of the story” and create the best atmosphere for Hitchcock to scare people. “The enjoyment of the movie would be diminished unless the customers saw it from the beginning,” Pickman said. Hitchcock, who was always his best publicity accomplice, followed his colleague’s plan. “I realize this is a revolutionary concept, but we have found that Psychosis it’s different from most movies. It does not improve when it is seen in another way ”, explained the director.

If you know the movie, then you know the whole plot revolves around the twist where Marion Crane is murdered at the end of the first act, and the entire movie leads to her sister and her partner looking for her at the Bates Motel. This twist leads to the even more shocking revelation that Norman Bates dresses as his mother and is the one who is killing. And of course, if you went to the movies in the middle or at the end, you would have spoiled everything.

On June 16, 1960, after an exhaustive campaign, the DeMille and Baronet theaters in New York premiered Psychosis with the edict to see her from the beginning. Exhibitors pushed audiences in and out with military efficiency (staggered schedules, every two hours for the 109-minute film). Once Alfred Hitchcock lined them up, audiences knew that the middle of the movie was no longer the place to go. Sixty years after Psycho, the guards no longer had to block the movie theaters. And today, no one in their right mind would walk into a movie theater in the middle of a screening.

A pioneer against spoilers

But that’s not all, Hitchcock was also a pioneer in spoiler prevention. A few years ago, with the premiere of Avengers Endgame, the directors of the film, the Russo brothers released an official statement: “When you see Endgame In the next few weeks, don’t spoil it for others, in the same way that you wouldn’t want them spoil it for you. Remember, Thanos still demands your silence. Marvel even went ahead and bought an emoji for the hashtag #DontSpoilTheEndgame.

But this has happened long before, at the hands of the same man who demanded to get to the movies soon. Alfred Hitchcock went out of his way to make sure everyone who saw him Psychosis they were aware that spoiling the movie for the rest was foolish. And what did you do about it? It introduced an anti-spoiler message directly into the marketing. “If you can’t keep a secret, stay away from people after seeing Psychosis“It was one of the mottos of the movie. Here you can see one of the advertising posters:

The director revolutionized film marketing with that horror play, and his efforts, of course, paid off, as the film was a huge success for Paramount. The stunts turned the thriller into an event theater, but more importantly, a director could be seen working overtime to protect the sanctity of the cinematic experience. And 61 years later, with movie spoilers rampant on the internet, Hitchcock’s pioneering efforts in 1960 can be seen today. Nobody wants to ruin the movie.

‘Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ opens in a few months and, to this day, we had seen practically nothing. Wonderful He has taken advantage of the birthday of the main actor, Simu Liu, to surprise us all with the release of the long-awaited trailer. A cash advance that promises plenty of action, humor, excitement … and a great claim to a wacky Asian cinema as a server: the entry of Tony Leung in the Marvel Universe.

The real Mandarin?

A regular contributor to filmmaker Wong Kar-wai, Leung is portrayed as the hero’s father and also as a new wonder villain, leaving a first clue about the biggest conflict that Shang Chi will have ahead. Leung brings to life a character named Wenwu, a powerful warrior who has adopted many names over time, being also known as “The Mandarin”.

Recall that the Mandarin already jumped from cartoons to the big screen in ‘Iron Man 3’ (2013), causing a strong controversy among comic fans for the freedoms taken by those responsible for the film. Thanks to Ben kingsley Y Guy pearceMarvel and Shane Black created a huge surprise that divided the public. Now it seems that another version of Mandarin is coming to us, perhaps more faithful to the comics but it is still not so clear …

Or at least, they still don’t want to present it that way. Which is fine because the movie opens in September 3 And there’s no point in gutting it all now Destin Daniel Cretton, director of “Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, Wenwu is an original character created for the film although, effectively, it is linked to the mysterious terrorist organization of the Ten Rings, already presented in the first ‘Iron Man’ (2008).

“Wenwu could easily have been a heartless one-dimensional villain. Tony opened up this character to be an antagonist who has a profound ability to love.Cretton declares. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige adds that they haven’t looked for a “twist like” Luke, I’m your father “. Shang-Chi knows who his father is and is determined to leave that world behind before he is dragged back. “

It is funny how Marvel returns to quote ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ although this time to discard the reference; the Russo brothers acknowledged seeing the classic “Star Wars” to orchestrate the devastating ending of “Avengers: Infinity War.” Whether or not he is the true Mandarin, it is unquestionable that Marvel has succeeded in signing Tony Leung, I am looking forward to seeing what he does with the character.