Wonder Woman : Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screenings.

Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screenings.

Not the press screenings that come late in the process, which get a receptive audience into the theater along with members of the press. Those screenings are designed to influence reviews by putting a critic right in the middle of laughing, cheering audience.

This guy does the comment cards from the early screenings, the audience test screenings that studios use to make decisions about whether the film needs changes.

They are the company that ran the screenings for Suicide Squad in which the two different cuts were shown to audiences in adjacent theaters, the screenings that led WB to decide that reshoots needed to be done.

Right now--and I'm guessing you knew this was coming--they're screening Wonder Woman.

Do not uncover the spoiler unless you genuinely want to know what he told me about audience reactions to the film in its current shape.

He told me audiences are very disappointed with the film. Didn't go into a lot of details about it...just that it's not the film that's going to rescue the DCEU. He added that he thinks that WW, along with BvS, might be enough to crush interest in Justice League or at least burn up the last of the DCEU's goodwill and eliminate enthusiasm for the project.

I'm sure people will call me a troll because I genuinely don't have this guy's name or the company he works for, plus I'm a well-known MCU fan who is delivering bad news, but I've been to see all three DCEU films so far and am planning to see WW too.

So this is bad news for me, honestly. I don't enjoy spending upwards of $10 on a movie I end up disliking.

I'm sorry I don't have anything more concrete on this, but he seemed sure enough that I felt it was appropriate to warn people, maybe temper some expectations a bit.



If your theater is a space safe from ideas and opinions, you're doing theater wrong.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

As an MCU afficionado, i hope your source did exaggerated the reception of the movie, DesiredFX.

WW is the only DCEU movie i am really interrested in, partly because it's a female led CBM and as a female i am all for more representation of us in a lead role, secondly because 70's WW and Hulk TV show reruns in the 80's were the only cbm shows i was exposed to as a child.

Those two characters + Spiderman are the three main CBM characters i was exposed as a child.

i will always have a soft spot for all three of them and always wish that the current movies will give me the same feel i had as a child watching those TV shows or cartoons in the case of Spiderman.

I am really pulling for WW regardless of my current distaste for the DCEU.

I am still gonna pay to see it as soon as it is out there but feel like i must keep my expectations on the low end after those revelations of yours.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

I agree with all your sentiments.

Unfortunately, I met the guy when I was sharing a Lyft with him, so I only got to talk to him for 15 minutes or so, and he only grazed on Wonder Woman briefly.

The good news is that this report comes during the audience testing phase so there may be a chance to salvage it at least a little. Of course, they tried that with the Suicide Squad reshoots and still didn't win over audiences the way they hoped.

I don't know, really...I have to admit that when I saw the WW trailer in the theater last week, I didn't get much thrill out of anything but the Zimmer/Junkie XL guitar theme at the end.


If your theater is a space safe from ideas and opinions, you're doing theater wrong.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

I get you.

I will be more sad than mad if it isn't at least minimally decent.

To me, it needs to be decent not just for DC but to turn around that curse every single female led CBM so far, be it DC or Marvel have endured.

Just because of that bad legacy, i really would have loved a Peggy Carter or Jessica Jones movie instead of their TV show version.

I think the way they were portrayed on TV, the type of characters, the matters they tackled (especially in Jessica Jones) could have elevated the perception of female led CBM and rehabilitate them in the eyes of a lot of people.

I had hope WW would have been the one movie that would have put us well past the Supergirl, Catwoman or Elektra movies perception.

I guess we will have to wait for Captain Marvel for that and hope it really succeed in that aim. Otherwise, we will have to wait another generation before the next attempt.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

I'm more of a Marvel fan myself but I like DC as well as Marvel. Superman was always my favorite hero from the comics but I think they butchered MOS with too much CGI and having Superman go too dark. But I loved BvS. BTW I don't get the competition with fans and why can't you just enjoy both. But how did it come to you sharing a lyft with a guy and out of the blue he brings up WW?

But if what you say is true then we should hold out hope for WW because I haven't heard of anything on the line of reshoots and it's now February 2017 and the film is being released in June.

I'm excited for the film and at least DC is giving a lead Superhero comic book movie to a female. Well they tried with Catwoman but that was really bad. But hey, at least they are trying. We are still waiting for that Black Widow solo film and I know supposedly Captain Marvel is in the works with Brie Larson.

Never argue with an idiot; people passing by might not be able to tell the difference.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

I won't put much stock into that. While I hated BvS, I go against the grain in that I really enjoyed Green Lantern.

Stupid P'takh!

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

That's probably the way to go.

I actually found this pretty surprising, though. I genuinely had hopes--cautious hopes, true--for WW being the first widely enjoyed DCEU film. It was pretty disappointing to hear this because I wanted to hear the opposite, no matter how little weight the opinion carries at this point.

And factor in that it's the first major superhero film from a female director...


If your theater is a space safe from ideas and opinions, you're doing theater wrong.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

DesiredFX, watch'em here they come, set your watch to this sht. Their keyboards are tapping, their cameras are rolling, they're gonna declare war "how dare you tell us that!" "Marvel Threatened the viewers" "its Marvel's fault

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Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Damn, that does sound like a bummer. Did he go into details? I'm not expecting a complete script synopsis but like reactions or the attitude/vibe during the test screenings?

Whatever you are, be a good one.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Disappointed to hear 😔

But I don't trust these test audiences.

A Cosmic Experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrStxwFA1MI

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Unfortunately, the studios do trust them to the point where they'll make changes based on opinions.

While that's fine when you're having trouble getting your story across, it can be disastrous if you look to them to decide how a film should end.


If your theater is a space safe from ideas and opinions, you're doing theater wrong.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Can't say i entirely buy into this.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

I understand. I didn't get a lot of detail from him that I could share--nothing about the film's content, for example--and a lot of my sense came from the tone of the discussion along with the word "disappointed."


If your theater is a space safe from ideas and opinions, you're doing theater wrong.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Maybe they'll change the end to have Mr Smith kill everyone including having him skewer someone on the US flag!

(Apologies if nobody gets the reference.)



Reading my signature constitutes admission that I am correct. (Too late)

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

And then they'll make the villain a dog.

It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

As long as it has shifty eyes.

Reading my signature constitutes admission that I am correct. (Too late)

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Of course, how else will people know he's the villain?

It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Wouldn't be surprised if it was true. There were early reports of BVS testing poorly in test screenings too.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

I'm still hoping for the best. I guess we'll find out come June.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

There were early reports of Suicide Squad testing well in test screenings too. Look how that turned out.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

We eventually found out what that meant, though: the cut put together by Trailer Park was testing better than the internal cut. It may have been a case of only part of the story leaking at first.


If your theater is a space safe from ideas and opinions, you're doing theater wrong.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Well, now a guy with some insider knowledge: https://mobile.twitter.com/DanielRPK/status/818570771048124416 claims that while JL is supposedly bad, WW "should be great". So right off the bat, we have some conflicting reports.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Both are in agreement though that JL is likely bad.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Meh.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Right, you just never know. Come now and June there is going to be reports coming out that it's going to be great or it's going to be a disappointment.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Yeah, I'm not going to argue the strength of my report vs any others. I recognize that it's weak for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that I didn't get the name of his company.

But driving around Hollywood and Burbank you run into a lot of people who do work for these companies, so there's no reason to think any of them would be lying, which is why I accepted it.

And he wasn't telling me that he personally disliked it or that it "should be bad," but that the comments he's seeing from audience members indicate a general disappointment.

Of course, the average audience is rarely the people who truly love CBMs, anyway, so I'm betting that even if audiences and critics aren't on board, there will still be millions of DC fans who love the film.


If your theater is a space safe from ideas and opinions, you're doing theater wrong.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

I don't think this will influence me seeing the movie in the slightest.

I am not trying to insult you but this does sound kind of suspicious.

First of all I don't know you: Sure you seem genuine and I have read many of your posts and think you're usually honest but that doesn't mean I'll believe every story a stranger on the internet tells.

Secondly you got the info from some guy: He could have been lying about his job or about the results or have been exaggerating.

Third: test audiences.... Often times not that good a source.

So with three layers of possible misdirection or dishonesty, two of which you cannot control, I'll wait for the actual movie to come out and read the actual reviews.

Still, thank you for sharing.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni


I don't think this will influence me seeing the movie in the slightest.

Nor should it. As I said in the original post, my real intention was an effort to temper expectations a bit, not push people away from seeing it.


Third: test audiences.... Often times not that good a source.

To me, this is actually the weightiest part of what I shared: these are not just the "saw it early" test audiences. They're the "how can we improve this film?" test audiences. These people can have a direct effect on what we see in the final cut.


If your theater is a space safe from ideas and opinions, you're doing theater wrong.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni


To me, this is actually the weightiest part of what I shared: these are not just the "saw it early" test audiences. They're the "how can we improve this film?" test audiences. These people can have a direct effect on what we see in the final cut.


Yeah I agree on that..... but (if everything you and that other guy say is true) we have the sample size of one test audience. Now I don't know how many of these test screenings they hold but there might be more with varying reactions.

I'll admit that I kinda hate rumors especially when it's about movies since they have proven to be wrong so often.... so I'm probably being kind of a dick here. You're simply retelling an experience and I'm almost calling you a liar. Didn't mean to come off that way, just voicing my concerns.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

He did say "test audiences," but point taken.

The funny thing about people wondering if the guy is lying: if you're trying to impress someone, do you start with "I'm the guy who processes the comment cards and enters them into the computer?"


If your theater is a space safe from ideas and opinions, you're doing theater wrong.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

But like I asked further up, why would a guy just start talking to you about what his job is? How did that topic of conversation come up. It's not like you sat down next to him in a bar and he started spewing what he does for a living over a few shots of vodka.

Also saying he read the comment cards is playing it safe. Saying he's the director or worked on the film could easily be proven if you knew his name.

Never argue with an idiot; people passing by might not be able to tell the difference.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

I ran into the guy you were describing and he raved about GOTG 2 with ZERO flaws.

So I wouldn't take the guy seriously since he's a proven marvel shill.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Probably not the same guy, then. Mine actually existed whereas yours is a figment of your imagination.


If your theater is a space safe from ideas and opinions, you're doing theater wrong.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

You see what I did there? It's called "also making stuff up without proof".

Now where's your fvcking proof shill?

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

If true, this is considerably an even bigger disappointment than any DCEU film thus far as its the first time Wonder Woman has ever gotten her own solo, origin movie. We've never had one on the big screen till now, and if it barely cracks the 30's on RT and disappoints in theatres it'll probably be the subject of many jokes for years to come and we may not get more female led superhero films on screen. I understand Captain Marvel is in the works at Marvel/Disney but there are others that could certainly use a big screen film of their own, like Miss Fury who actually predates Wonder Woman and was the first superhero created by a female.

Some people will try to say your talking crap DesiredFX, but in case you didn't know somebody wrote something up on 4Chan earlier that expressed similar views on the film that supports your story, and shared a speculated anecdote from behind the scenes that suggests - That Gal Gadot is not happy with the finished film, that Chris Pine basically had to play the part of "Dad" on set with Patty Jenkins who's display of directing competence was less than stellar, but its 4Chan so take it as you will.

From a cautiously optimistic point of view - the film still has months to go, and even some movies that are hailed as greats today didn't test very well in their day before theatrical release, but I figure we'll start hearing about "reshoots" soon.

COOKIES AND MILK!-Ed

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

They already did reshoots.

Also, I saw that quote from 4chan that you're referring to, and it makes zero sense. For starters, if Patty Jenkins is such a "doormat" how did she become a director for several television shows, and a movie in the past? Also, how does being a doormat get one fired from Thor 2? If anything, wouldn't being a "doormat" make her more likely to stay on board for the film, given all the studio meddling that TDW suffered from?

Considering the nature of 4chan, think it's pretty safe to assume that the basis of that quote was probably rooted in a certain degree of misogyny. The whole "playing dad to Patty Jenkins' mom" line certainly supports that. I didn't realize that moms by nature were doormats...

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Interesting post, but I would caution against making any definitive judgments yet (and it seems that the OP isn't suggesting any such thing). It's still all speculation --- the earliest we'll hear anything more definitive is April. The "buzz" on most movies tends to coalesce about two months before release so by then we should know more substantively where things are headed.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

I'm not making any definitive judgements myself. I just think that Darwinskid citing an anonymous post from a 4chan user is kind of silly, especially since that anonymous post in question sounds rather sexist, since it implies that Patty Jenkins being the "mom" on the set of the WW movie apparently made her a doormat who needed Chris Pine to play "dad" in order to steer things right...

I'm not even making judgements about Darwinskid, just the post that was being referred to. I'm pretty cautious about this movie myself.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni


For starters, if Patty Jenkins is such a "doormat" how did she become a director for several television shows


Not saying that's correct about Jenkins, but it's commonly known that "in TV, the director means nothing" (Matthew Weiner).

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Could you elaborate on this? I am really curious about it, what is the difference? Movies are much more expensive one would expect directors would have less freedom with them.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Basically, on a TV show - scripted ones, anyway - the real authority figure is the showrunner (often, but not always, the person who created the show). The showrunner is in charge of all aspects of production (plotting the season, casting, et cetera), although in some cases he/she might delegate (David Chase, who created and ran The Sopranos, left all non-creative aspects, such as budgets and scheduling, to one of the executive producers). This person is always listed in the credits as one of the executive producers. As far as directing is concerned, whoever directs the first episode creates the visual template that everyone else must follow (each episode has a "tone meeting", where the showrunner explains what he/she wants to the assigned director), but the template is agreed upon by the showrunner.

There's a rather telling anecdote about the hierarchy in TV, from the review of Boardwalk Empire (season 1) on DVD: in the audio commentary for the pilot, Terence Winter - who created the series and served as showrunner from beginning to end - mentions how he got Martin Scorsese, who directed the episode, to change one specific shot.

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Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni


I saw that quote from 4chan that you're referring to, and it makes zero sense.


Could you share the link, please?

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Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni


somebody wrote something up on 4Chan earlier that expressed similar views on the film that supports your story, and shared a speculated anecdote from behind the scenes that suggests - That Gal Gadot is not happy with the finished film, that Chris Pine basically had to play the part of "Dad" on set with Patty Jenkins who's display of directing competence was less than stellar


Could you post the link, please?

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

"That Gal Gadot is not happy with the finished film, that Chris Pine basically had to play the part of "Dad" on set with Patty Jenkins who's display of directing competence was less than stellar, but its 4Chan so take it as you will."

That came from a blind item on a site called Crazydaysandnight ran by Entylawyer. Also a so called former employee of DC or WB said the film was bad. Keep in mind it's a former employee who made the claim.

Never argue with an idiot; people passing by might not be able to tell the difference.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni


"This foreign born A-list mostly movie actress with the catchy name is on a rampage with her people and the studio about the crap job a director did with her latest movie and wants something done about it so she is not forever associated with what will be a dead franchise."

Gal Gadot/Wonder Woman



Are you referring to this? I've read it. I never trusted this site. I saw somewhere that this Entylawyer was a fake. I highly doubt GG has seen the finished product yet so how do they know she is not happy with it? As far as throwing a fit with her people and wants something done about it, that's ridiculous. GG isn't A-list so how can she throw her weight around Hollywood? They are making her out to be some kind of Shia Labeouf or something bashing Transformers. Sounds like another made-up story by the opposition to try to undermine the film.

Re: Met a guy last night who processes comment cards from studio screeni

Yep, that's the one. The site even has a disclaimer at the bottom that says for entertainment purposes only.



Never argue with an idiot; people passing by might not be able to tell the difference.
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