A movie gimmick is an unusual idea intended to enhance the viewing experience of a film, and thus increase box office sales. Many of these have been used for just a few films, proving unpopular with either audiences or cinema owners. Smell-o-vision, which involved releasing relevant odors during the film, only appeared in the film Scent of Mystery as audiences did not enjoy the experience. Sensurround, a method for enhancing sound pioneered for the 1974 film Earthquake, was abandoned as it sometimes resulted in damage to movie theatres.'Top 10 Movie Gimmicks ', Time. Other 'gimmicks' have gradually become more common in cinema, as technology has improved. Examples include 3-D film and the use of split screen, which was originally achieved through the use of dual projectors in cinemas.
William Castle Horror film director William Castle had a particular reputation for gimmicks, being termed 'King of the Gimmicks' by John Waters.John Waters, "Whatever Happened To Showmanship?", American Film, December 1983. For the 1959 film The Tingler, which concerns a creature growing at the base of the spine that can only be killed by screaming, some cinemas installed vibrating devices in the seats which were activated at random during one of the film's scenes, with a voice encouraging the audience to "Scream - scream for your lives."John Waters, Crackpot (1983), p. 17. For the 1960 film 13 Ghosts, the onscreen ghosts could either be seen or hidden by the viewer through the use of different coloured cellophane.Waters, Crackpot, p. 18.
Table of gimmick films 3-D and widescreen films have been omitted. For 3-D films, see List of 3D films pre-2005 and List of 3D films. For widescreen films, see Early widescreen feature filmography, Fox Grandeur, CinemaScope, VistaVision, Cinerama, Todd-AO, and IMAX.
Film Year GimmickThe Power of Love 1922 In the now-lost 3D version of the film, the audience could choose between two different endings by only viewing the film through the left or right eye of their 3D glasses. Napoleon 1927 Polyvision triptych Macabre 1958 $1,000 life insurance policies given to audience members against "death by fright" My World Dies Screaming (Terror In the Haunted House) 1958 Psychorama subliminal images Behind the Great Wall 1959 AromaRama A Date With Death 1959 Psychorama subliminal images Horrors of the Black Museum 1959 HypnoVista prologue House on Haunted Hill 1959 "Emergo" flying skeleton The Tingler 1959 Percepto! seat vibrators 13 Ghosts 1960 Illusion-o cellophane filters The Hypnotic Eye 1960 HypnoMagic audience participation Psycho 1960 "No late admissions" policy Scent of Mystery 1960 Smell-o-vision Homicidal 1961 "Fright break" prior to climax and "Coward's Corner" money-back guarantee Mr. Sardonicus 1961 At the end of the film, the audience would vote in a 'Punishment Poll' to decide the main antagonist's fate by choosing between two alternate endings. Witchcraft 1964 "Witch deflector": small badge to grip during moments of terror I Saw What You Did 1965 advertised an audience seat belt "shock section" Chelsea Girls 1966 Two-projector split screen Mark of the Devil 1970 "Rated V for Violence", sick bags distributed to audience Wicked, Wicked 1973 Duo-Vision split-screen Earthquake 1974 Sensurround Midway 1976 Sensurround Snuff 1976 marketed as an actual snuff film Rollercoaster 1977 Sensurround Battlestar Galactica (Saga of a Star World) 1978 Sensurround Polyester 1981 Odorama scratch and sniff cards Basket Case 1982 "free surgical masks - to keep the blood off your face" Clue 1985 One of three endings would be shown depending on the theater it was screened in. I'm Your Man 1992 At various points in the film, audiences were given 10 seconds to vote on three different outcomes using joysticks mounted on their seat's armrests. The winning outcome would be the one shown. Audiences were also encouraged to talk freely during the film, and could stay for as many screenings as they wanted. Mr. Payback: An Interactive Movie 1995 Ride For Your Life 1995 Rugrats Go Wild 2003 Odorama scratch and sniff cards Fast & Furious 2009 D-Box Technologies' motorized, vibrating seats Kurt Josef Wagle og legenden om Fjordheksa 2010 scratch and sniff cards Spy Kids: All the Time in the World 2011 Aroma-Scope scratch and sniff cards 100 Years 2115 Postponed release date reflects the 100 years it takes for a bottle of Louis XIII Cognac to be produced.
See also 4D film Cinerama IMAX
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