The Most Disastrous Test Screenings In TV And Movie History
The Most Disastrous Test Screenings In TV And Movie History
What do a horror film, a beloved sitcom, and a superhero movie all have in common? They all suffered from disastrous test screenings. From the bewildering to the outright unforgettable, these screenings ultimately killed the backbone of these films and TV shows.
#Movies #Reactions #TV
The Thing (2011) | 0:00
Friends | 1:44
Batgirl | 2:55
Brazil | 4:07
Mulholland Drive | 5:25
I Am Legend | 6:34
Army of Darkness | 7:48
28 Days Later | 9:12
Seinfeld | 10:01
Little Shop of Horrors | 11:14
Voiceover By: Anderson Stinson
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Content
0.48 -> what do a horror film a beloved sitcom
3.419 -> and a superhero movie all have in common
6 -> they all suffered from disastrous test
8.519 -> screenings from the bewildering to the
11.219 -> outright Unforgettable these screenings
13.62 -> ultimately killed the backbone of these
15.96 -> films and TV shows
18.56 -> 2011's the thing prequel which followed
21.42 -> up John Carpenter's 80 sci-fi horror
23.76 -> classic is a notorious case of a film
26.039 -> being completely destroyed by the test
28.32 -> screening process if the number is high
31.019 -> there's a celebration if the number is
33 -> low when the preview cards stink well
35.64 -> let's just say many people will suffer
37.92 -> the film was written by Eric heiserer
40.2 -> who later earned an Oscar and bafta
42.719 -> nominations for his script for arrival
45 -> at this point in his career Heiser had
48 -> only written Final Destination 5 and the
50.28 -> 2010 A Nightmare on Elm Street remake so
53.34 -> he was under pressure to incorporate all
55.44 -> of the major changes the studio imposed
57.42 -> in the aftermath of negative test
59.64 -> screenings for the thing after test
62.039 -> screenings and reshoots but before the
64.32 -> movie went into wide release Heiser ER
66.54 -> confessed that the poor response from
68.159 -> test audiences led the studio to bring
70.619 -> in the more experienced Scott Frank
72.24 -> writer of Minority Report and Get Shorty
74.939 -> for uncredited script doctoring in an
77.46 -> interview with Bloody Disgusting Heiser
79.74 -> ER said right now we get to the monster
82.02 -> as fast as possible since the test
84.119 -> screenings prove that's what those
85.68 -> audiences wanted I can't say yay or nay
88.32 -> to it but it does feel like there are
90.36 -> pieces of it missing the test screenings
92.46 -> also affected the film's special effects
94.5 -> the thing was originally shot with
96.54 -> practical effects just like Carpenter's
98.579 -> original film after test screenings the
101.1 -> studio opted to cover up the effects
102.96 -> with CGI
104.52 -> given that the NBC show Friends is one
107.4 -> of the most popular and successful
109.259 -> sitcoms ever made it likely comes as a
111.84 -> shock to learn it was extremely poorly
113.88 -> received in its early test screenings
115.64 -> NBC engages in extensive research and
118.799 -> testing for all of its new shows and the
121.079 -> test screenings of the Friends pilot
122.7 -> were so disastrous the show was nearly
125.159 -> axed instead of getting a full season
126.78 -> order traditionally after test audiences
129.36 -> view a pilot the aggregated result of
131.459 -> their reactions is boiled down to a
133.44 -> score between zero and a hundred a
135.599 -> series with successful prospects is
137.4 -> expected to score upwards of 70. friends
139.68 -> earned a measly 41 out of a hundred hey
143.28 -> you could do a lot worse than Joey
145.68 -> Tribbiani one of the biggest issues
148.14 -> mentioned by test audiences was that the
150.12 -> cast of Friends didn't seem like friends
152.16 -> they were put off by the lack of caring
154.379 -> warmth in Chemistry Between the main
156.36 -> characters who they considered to be
157.92 -> largely unlikable they didn't find the
160.26 -> show funny or compelling and indicated
162.54 -> that they wouldn't feel inclined to
164.34 -> watch subsequent episodes fortunately
166.56 -> NBC didn't listen and the series which
169.14 -> ran for 234 episodes went on to become
172.26 -> one of the highest rated series ever a
175.379 -> Batgirl movie starring Leslie Grace
177.18 -> Michael Keaton JK Simmons and Brendan
179.94 -> Fraser was supposed to be released in
181.92 -> 2022 but it wound up getting permanently
184.14 -> shelved instead despite big names a 90
187.26 -> million dollar budget and plenty of hype
189.48 -> around its release Warner Brothers
190.92 -> discovery made the decision to pull the
193.08 -> plug and cancel its release altogether
195 -> the official line was that the
197.34 -> cancellation was part of a general
198.78 -> realignment of the company's plans for
200.94 -> the DC Universe and HBO Max this vague
204.06 -> explanation didn't ring true for most oh
206.879 -> you can trust me Badger I'd sooner trust
210.12 -> a snake with fangs at both ends it was
212.58 -> suggested that the real reason was a
214.319 -> combination of poor test screening
215.7 -> feedback and the financial benefit of
217.62 -> using the movie as a tax write-off the
219.9 -> town podcast hosts Matthew bellany
221.94 -> offered some insight in a Batgirl Focus
224.04 -> episode saying the studio was trying to
226.62 -> figure out whether it felt like it
228.06 -> deserved at theatrical release and the
229.98 -> consensus was absolutely not it played
232.56 -> like a TV pilot the stakes were very
234.659 -> small the poor test screenings coupled
236.7 -> with the underhanded tax benefit made
238.56 -> scrapping the film an appealing
240.299 -> alternative to a theatricor release
241.86 -> squandering all the time and energy
244.08 -> spent by everyone who worked on the
245.819 -> movie
246.599 -> a surreal sci-fi fantasy about the
249 -> Perils of dystopian bureaucracy 1985's
251.7 -> Brazil was directed by former Monty
253.799 -> Python member Terry Gilliam who had to
256.139 -> fight the studio tooth and nail to
258 -> preserve his directorial vision my
260.519 -> complication had a little complication
263.18 -> Universal president Sydney scheinberg
265.62 -> already had issues with gilliam's ideal
268.08 -> version of the film in poor test
269.639 -> screenings exacerbated the problem
271.38 -> gilliam's original cut of the film was
273.66 -> 142 minutes long scheinberg and test
276.36 -> audiences agreed that was excessive
278.639 -> Universal wanted to cut the film to 94
280.979 -> minutes removing more than a third of
282.84 -> its total content test audiences didn't
285.12 -> like the dark ending either but
286.8 -> scheinberg didn't want Gilliam to shoot
289.02 -> a new ending preferring instead to Lop
291.12 -> off the ending sequence before The Bleak
292.979 -> reveal when Gilliam refused Universal's
295.56 -> response was to not release the film in
297.479 -> the U.S though it was available in the
299.52 -> UK via a different distributor with the
302.34 -> fate of his film in Jeopardy Gilliam
304.38 -> publicly called out universal he also
306.6 -> personally brought his cut in front of
308.46 -> La critics through private screening
310.38 -> they loved it and gave Brazil multiple
312.54 -> Awards putting pressure on universal to
314.52 -> release the film in the end Gilliam had
316.86 -> to make some edits but the Final Cut of
318.96 -> the film was 132 minutes significantly
322.199 -> longer than the 94 minute studio version
325.259 -> before Mulholland Drive became an
327.36 -> oscar-nominated and bafta winning film
329.52 -> it was intended to be a television show
331.62 -> filmmaker David Lynch had found major
333.9 -> success with Twin Peaks his first foray
336.3 -> into television the show became an
338.22 -> international phenomenon but it was
340.02 -> decidedly outside of the realm of
341.699 -> traditional TV and struggled in the
343.5 -> ratings in its second season before
345.06 -> being canceled several years later
347.1 -> Mulholland Drive was Lynch's attempt to
349.5 -> re-enter the world of Television he
351.24 -> wrote and directed the pilot episode
353.1 -> which was 90 minutes long just like his
355.56 -> earlier Twin Peaks pilot he brought the
357.66 -> pilot to ABC who had air Twin Peaks but
360.24 -> the network turned down the show after a
362.28 -> single test screening no other networks
364.38 -> were interested either though Lynch
366.18 -> nearly gave up on the project
369.6 -> broke I know but
372.6 -> Kelly he came into contact with Elaine
375.36 -> sard and Canal plus who gave him the
377.58 -> funding and the motivation to repurpose
379.68 -> the open-ended pilot into a
381.479 -> self-contained feature film the film
383.28 -> version of Mulholland Drive is now
385.139 -> considered a masterpiece but one can't
387.12 -> help but wonder what the series could
389.039 -> have been with all of the other
390.419 -> characters and side plots it might have
392.639 -> explored
393.72 -> the 2007 post-apocalyptic Thriller I Am
397.08 -> Legend was a massive box office success
399.66 -> bringing in well over half a billion
401.88 -> dollars worldwide despite the Undisputed
404.4 -> Financial win the film had some major
406.5 -> issues one of its biggest failings was
409.44 -> the direct result of poor test
411.3 -> screenings the original ending of 2007's
413.94 -> I Am Legend was more faithful to the
416.22 -> novel it was based on Dr Neville played
418.5 -> by Will Smith comes to learn that the
420.18 -> creatures he has been battling known as
421.979 -> dark Seekers are far more intelligent
424.08 -> and sophisticated than he's given them
425.699 -> credit for they have their own society
427.5 -> and aren't the malevolent mindless
429.06 -> monsters he thought in the end Neville
431.58 -> realizes he is the real monster in their
433.8 -> eyes as they see him abducting and
436.319 -> torturing them in his lap the meaning of
438.12 -> the title becomes clear in the closing
440.099 -> moments Neville is the legend the dark
442.5 -> Seekers fear after test audiences
444.66 -> reacted negatively to this ending the
447.06 -> studio panicked
449 -> I can save everybody a new ending was
452.34 -> designed to appease audiences but it
454.5 -> proved to be a miscalculation the film's
456.599 -> conclusion is unsatisfying undercuts the
459.18 -> movie's themes and contradicts the
460.979 -> entire point of the film and its source
462.9 -> material not to mention the title as
465.06 -> Neville no longer realizes he is the bad
467.22 -> guy Army of Darkness is the third film
470.28 -> in director Sam raimi's Evil Dead series
472.68 -> though you'd be forgiven for thinking it
474.72 -> was a standalone film based on the way
476.639 -> Universal marketed it raymie wanted to
479.039 -> call it medieval dead but the studio
481.08 -> didn't want to be associated with the
483.18 -> independently produced and extremely
485.099 -> gory first two movies in the series they
487.5 -> wouldn't allow any permutation of Evil
489.78 -> Dead in the title even though the second
491.58 -> film's final Cliffhanger is vital to
493.74 -> understanding the plot of Army of
495.3 -> Darkness since the first two Evil Dead
497.4 -> movies were made with such low budgets
499.8 -> raymie retained complete creative
501.599 -> control over them when Universal ponied
504 -> up a budget for Army of Darkness that
506.039 -> was dozens of times larger Remy's
508.319 -> creative control was significantly
510.18 -> lessened and test screenings became an
512.339 -> unavoidable part of the process after
514.62 -> the screenings the film changed
516.24 -> drastically the biggest alteration was
518.459 -> the ending raymie wanted to have Ash
520.62 -> played by Bruce Campbell attempt to
522.539 -> return from the past to the present but
524.339 -> make a bone-headed error that lands him
526.32 -> in an apocalyptic future where he goes
528.6 -> mad this was an on-brand ending that
531.779 -> suited the series but test audiences
534 -> considered it too Bleak you can make a
536.339 -> movie called Army of Darkness and the
538.44 -> audience goes that was a sad ending
541.14 -> we're like what this pushed Universal in
543.899 -> a different direction in The New Ending
545.64 -> ash makes it back to his present where
547.56 -> he has a fun and Goofy action scene in s
550.44 -> Mark to close out the film 28 Days Later
553.32 -> is a 2002 horror film set 28 days into a
556.98 -> zombie-like outbreak in London that has
558.899 -> decimated the population the film was
560.94 -> directed by Danny Boyle and written by
562.92 -> Alex Garland in his screenwriting debut
565.14 -> in Garland's original ending the main
567.54 -> character Jim played by Killian Murphy
569.64 -> died and left Selena played by Naomi
572.16 -> Harris and Hannah played by Megan and
574.38 -> burns to survive on their own test
576.72 -> audiences thought it too Bleak so a
578.88 -> replacement was whipped up in which Jim
580.68 -> survives and the three live a peaceful
582.899 -> life out in the countryside as the
584.82 -> future begins to look more hopeful this
586.68 -> new upending might sound fine in a
589.019 -> vacuum but it runs counter to the dark
591.3 -> realistic tone of the rest of the film
593.1 -> not to mention that it undercut some of
595.26 -> the film's major themes this was a story
597.3 -> that needed a bleak ending but test
599.16 -> audiences said no
601.1 -> Seinfeld towers as one of the most
603.18 -> beloved sitcoms of all time across its
606 -> nine Seasons the show racked up 10 Emmy
608.519 -> wins and an unbelievable 58 additional
611.399 -> nominations today the series ranks in
613.92 -> the top 50 highest rated TV shows of all
616.14 -> time and is fondly remembered but the
618.6 -> series almost failed to get off the
620.399 -> ground according to an article in TV
622.68 -> Guide audience research conducted by NBC
625.26 -> stated no segment of the audience was
628.14 -> eager to watch the show again nothing
629.94 -> for you
634.76 -> the show was called boring unfunny and
638.1 -> confusing even NBC executive Brandon
641.16 -> tartikoff thought the series was too New
643.68 -> York and Jewish Centric because of the
646.14 -> terrible reception the show premiered in
648.36 -> the middle of the summer usually a sign
650.459 -> that the network had no interest in
652.26 -> taking it any further that's why the
654.06 -> first season of Seinfeld consisted of
655.98 -> just five episodes whereas later Seasons
658.38 -> typically contain the standard 22
660.36 -> Episodes despite its chances for Success
662.94 -> being hamstrung by its own network the
665.76 -> quality of the series shine through and
668.04 -> the show managed to find its audience
669.54 -> with the deck stacked against it
671.7 -> Seinfeld proved its detractor is wrong
674.339 -> Little Shop of Horrors is the 1986 film
677.22 -> adaptation of the musical stage play of
679.5 -> the same name which was itself or
681.48 -> reimagining of Roger corman's ultra low
683.82 -> budget horror comedy from 1960 but the
686.7 -> studio Warner Brothers was initially
688.74 -> unwilling to put out a film that
690.839 -> receives such a negative reaction with
692.64 -> test audiences the big issue was the
695.339 -> ending which had worked so well on the
697.2 -> stage director Frank Oz told
699.06 -> Entertainment Weekly that the test
700.92 -> screening was going wonderfully at first
702.899 -> saying there was Applause they loved it
705.779 -> it was just fantastic however the
708.839 -> audience reaction soured instantly at
711.48 -> the end of the film The Original ending
713.82 -> had Seymour played by Rick Moranis get
716.579 -> eaten and killed by the talking plant
718.38 -> Audrey too she then grows to gigantic
720.779 -> Heights Rampages through New York City
722.579 -> and climbs to the top of the Statue of
724.5 -> Liberty before busting through the
726.12 -> screen winning in the end while the
728.22 -> heroes perish test audiences hated the
730.98 -> ending Oz explained you have to have a
733.68 -> 55 percent recommend to really be
735.72 -> released and we got a 13. Warner
738.24 -> Brothers Force oz to shoot a new happier
740.339 -> ending that let the heroes live under
742.5 -> the threat of having the film go
744.3 -> unreleased Oz begrudgingly complied
746.94 -> looking back he said we had to do it and
750.42 -> do it in such a manner that the audience
752.399 -> would enjoy the movie it was very
754.56 -> dissatisfying
758.6 -> [Music]
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voySKo_1Mo8