The Dark Knight Rises Anticipation Station

No they aren't free to write what they want. They are specifically instructed to omit certain items. Your misunderstanding is equivalent to saying that government censorship isn't a violation of free speech if they just require that the articles omit any mention of certain facts.

Incidentally, getting a free preview is also a violation of independence, however customary it is.

 

Studios=private

Government=public

Those are two different things and need to be looked at in two different ways. To make a comparison between a studio allowing people to see a product early on the condition that they don't talk too much about it is in no way similar to government censorship.

 

Private entities can do whatever they want to you (so long as they don't violate the law) especially if you agree to it.

There's now law against a company making you sign a contract to keep your mouth shut about a movie until a certain date.

 

In a free society, parties are able to trade things of value to each other. Here, the studio is granting early access to reviewers. These reviewers are competing with each other to see who has the best-written reviews at the earliest point in time, because these are the things that draw readers/viewers which in turn draws advertisers which in turn draws them a paycheck. The value that the studio gets from the deal is free publicity, especially if their movie is good enough to garner positive reviews. Both parties get something out of the deal, so it is in both parties best interest to abide by the terms of the contract. It is neither censorship nor oppression to do so.

 

So, anyone going on opening day at midnight? Anyone got their tickets yet?

 

I'll be going Saturday afternoon around 1pm or so unless I can get a group together.

 

I ordered last night once I realized spoilers would be all over the place the next morning. So I'm going at 12:01 AM Friday by myself. I'll be seeing it again, I'm sure, and will drag people along with me.

 

I have three kids, midnight shows are a thing of the past until they're teenagers. Wish I could go then, though. I'll be seeing the morning show on Friday just like I did with TDK.

 

Wait. There's a new Batman movie coming out?!

 

I want to go to the midnight show.

It just depends on how willing I am to drive home after 3.

 

Actually, at this point, the story and contents of The Dark Knight Rises would be considered internal information for WB. Until a movie is released the only people that are supposed to know what exactly happens in it are the studio and the handful of people they allow to see it, or know the story. So if you reveal information about the movie before it's released, you would be releasing privileged internal information from the studio.

Actually they are free to write whatever they want. If they want to they can rip the movie to shreds, they just aren't allowed to publish the review, good or bad, until the studio says so.

 

Yes, but Clooney's not in it. They recast the role again. Can you believe it?

 

But I LIKED Clooney. Dammit.

 

Ack. Between that and their politics I may have to switch away from Sargento...

 

Wait...Clooney's not in it? Damn it.

 

Good choice. The only thing their employees are able to watch in the break rooms is Fox News. I can tell you that is influencing some of their workers beliefs. It likely the main source of political info they get.

 

For those "concerned" about the lack of reviews...Warner Bros has lifted the embargo and we have two critics tv spots to start off the week.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=92569

Reviews are popping up all over the place now. IGN's.

http://ca.ign.com/articles/2012/07/16/the-dark-knight-rises-review

I'd suggest avoiding the Hollywood Reporter one since it contains a lot of spoilers.

 

I assume you've read one of these confidentiality agreements then, or can provide a link to an article documenting these restrictions that film critics must follow? I've never heard anything along these lines from professional film critics, and I would be surprised if they existed.

But it would certainly be intriguing if your claim was true, and I'd be interested in reading more about it if you can find something backing it up.

On the subject of corruption among film reviewers, if it were as bad as you suggest, why would Sony go to the effort to invent an imaginary film critic? Wouldn't influencing actual film critics just be easier?

 

Another review here.

 

One of my friends is going to a 5AM showing and then the one straight after at 8:45AM.

I was going to try and see it on Friday, but I'm going with a few friends so looks like I'll have to wait until Saturday night. I saw Empire gave it 5 stars, but I'm trying to avoid all reviews and spoilers, Friday and Saturday are going to be hard to get though.