US President James Marshall boarded the plane and first asked an aide if the latest Michigan Wolverines game was on tape. He told the crew members not to report the score of the match, gave a number of instructions and was already preparing to cheer, when suddenly a steward entered the cabin, glanced at the screen and congratulated the boss: “14:13 in favor of Michigan. Excellent, Mr. President!
The situation shown in the film “The Presidential Plane” is familiar to everyone. Many people are in awe of spoilers. Spoiling is approximately the same as committing an act of vandalism. This is because of spoilers, hidden text functions are added to websites (KinoPoisk is no exception), unwary reviewers become objects of fan harassment, and film companies introduce strict embargoes and check every frame in trailers. And although the phrase “spoiler alert” is as old as the Internet, viewers weren’t always afraid of spoilers. There was a time when they were even welcomed.
Before cinema was declared the "seventh art", it managed to gain fame as entertainment for common people. A movie ticket cost much less than a theater ticket; there was no need to dress up like you did for the Philharmonic for a show at Nickelodeon. The public, in turn, was also directly attracted. The main attraction of the film was already stated in the title. Having bought a ticket for Méliès's A Trip to the Moon (1902), Porter's The Great Train Robbery (1903) or Calmette and Le Bargy's The Murder of the Duke of Guise (1908), the viewer expected to see precisely space flight, a daring crime and reprisal of the Duke- oppositionist accordingly. Word of mouth worked for the film: those who watched could savor the details in conversation with the uninitiated and thus advertised the film.
"A Trip to the Moon"
This principle of early cinema, “the product is the face,” has recently led to an important discovery. Last year, Dziga Vertov’s “Anniversary of the Revolution” was released on Russian cinema screens - the first full-length film in Vertov’s career and, perhaps, one of the first full-length documentaries in the history of cinema, which was considered lost. Materials from the film were preserved and used in other newsreels, but its original composition was unknown until film scholar Svetlana Ishevskaya found a poster for “The Anniversary of the Revolution” with all the intertitles of the film in the Mayakovsky Foundation. After this, film historian Nikolai Izvolov pieced together the original film.
First - "Psycho"
With the advent of sound and the subsequent development and standardization of narrative techniques, cinema began to guard its subjects. Needless to say, the phrase “rosebud” from Citizen Kane is one of the main spoilers in the history of cinema. Throughout the film, we, along with the hero-journalist, strive to find out what the real Charles Foster Kane was like and what his dying words meant, but the truth (the rosebud was the name of the sleigh from Kane’s childhood, decorated with the appropriate ornament) is cleverly hidden at the very beginning of the picture. The role of intrigue in the plot of films has increased over the years, and Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang can primarily be thanked for this. Since the 1920s, they have simultaneously discovered the laws of the thriller and fine-tuned the architecture of suspense - the feeling of tension that the viewer experiences while watching.
"Citizen Kane"
Plot dramaturgy as a set of techniques for concealing and revealing information is of central importance in thrillers and detective stories. In a conversation with Truffaut, Hitchcock offered a classic example of suspense. Two people are talking at a table, not knowing that there is a bomb under it, but the viewer knows about it. Thus, the Englishman was one of the first to discover that awareness is sometimes more intriguing than ignorance. This idea will be useful to us later.
Hitchcock is a consummate master of concealment. In 1960, Psycho was released with the idea of replacing the main character in the middle of the film, which was phenomenal for those years. Hitch was willing to go to great lengths to keep the audience from spilling this shocking twist. Thus, the director ordered that spectators who were late should not be allowed into the screenings, even if it was “the President of the United States or the Queen of England (God bless her!).” This was no less a revolutionary move: the US had a system of continuous admissions. A person bought a ticket at any time, entered the hall, the concept of a film show was blurred. The normal situation was when the viewer got to the second half of the film, then watched the next picture, and then watched the first film from the very beginning.
Hitchcock also refused press screenings to journalists and asked the film's stars not to speak to the media. At first, theater owners considered ignoring the regulations, but “Psycho” became a box office hit, and closed doors at the right time encouraged audiences to line up.
Poster "Psycho". Caption: “No one... ABSOLUTELY NO ONE... will be allowed into the hall after the start of each session.”
Although they started asking viewers not to spoil the plot even before Hitchcock. For example, in 1952, the detective play “The Mousetrap” by Agatha Christie was performed for the first time on the London stage. When taking their bow, the troupe asked the audience not to reveal the identity of the killer to their acquaintances. This soon turned into a tradition - over 60 years of continuous performances, the request was heard from the stage 25 thousand times. And in 1955, Henri-Georges Clouzot, in the final credits of “The Devil,” asked “not to be like the devil, not to destroy the interest of your friends in the film.” Hitchcock turned the situation around: he started talking about spoilers even before the release began.
[edit]Also
- In Lineage II, the spoiler is the profession of gnomes, the essence of which is looting.
- A spoiler is a shelf that is simply necessary for racers as a wing and street racers to put beer on it.
- They are here too.
- Theaters specially issue programs that contain the entire content of the play, so that the viewer focuses on the actors’ performances, and not on the plot.
- In Doctor Who, the cry of “Spoilers!” used when Doc himself or (spoiler:
his wife River Song
)
have seen the future, but do not want to share the essence of this future with their partners. - In Hitman: Blood Money, the funeral scene in the game menu is a complete spoiler.
- The assholes who dubbed the Shawshank Redemption film as “The Shawshank Redemption” de facto spoiled the unexpected ending.
Birth of a word
The problematization of spoilers in the 1960s remained unsystematic. After all, in those years there wasn’t even such a word. Mass culture researcher Richard Greene in his book “Spoiler Alert!” 1966 remembers the philosophy of spoilers:
“At the time, my friends and I were eager to be the first to tell the spoiler to everyone else, although we didn’t think of it as spoilers. It was like a competition: “Have you seen Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea?” The submarine was attacked by a werewolf!“ Oddly enough, no one even thought of protesting. We simply didn't have the concept of a spoiler. Perhaps children had different rules back then. After all, my parents weren’t familiar with the concept of a spoiler in 1966 either, but I firmly believe that if someone had blurted out the ending of a good detective story to them as they entered the local cinema, they would have been outraged!”
"Journey to the Bottom of the Sea"
The word was soon found: already in 1971, the humor magazine National Lampoon published an article “Spoilers” by Douglas Kenny (co-founder of the publication, future screenwriter of the cult comedies “Menagerie” and “Golf Club”). In a humorous text, Kenny reveals the endings of Citizen Kane, Psycho, The Birds, many other films and even Agatha Christie's novels "in order to save people time and money." Another time, “Psycho” came from television. In his book, Richard Greene notes how, in an episode of Happy Days, one of the characters tells the ending of the film to an acquaintance who was going to the cinema. Then he decides to go to "Mr. Roberts", but his friend spoils this ending too. According to Greene, this example shows how the concept of the spoiler has become catching on and how, in the 1970s, spoilers were not yet considered a bad thing, otherwise "the producers of Happy Days would not have seen fit to spoil Psycho for millions of viewers." But we don’t entirely agree with him: after all, by that time everyone had already seen Hitchcock’s film, its decisive turn had become part of general cultural memory. If only the producers of that series would decide to tell us how Jaws or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (both 1975 films) would end!
Spoilers on modern cars
The creators of modern sports cars do not use “duck tails” due to the fact that due to such a large element, aerodynamic drag will increase significantly. The exception is the nostalgic version of the 911, assembled in limited edition.
By the way, the spoiler also made it possible to make cooling of the engine compartment more efficient. The spoiler surface slowed down the air flow and at the same time created a vacuum zone behind. The shortest path to this area ran through the ventilation grille in front of the spoiler and the engine compartment - it was there that the air rushed, which, in the absence of an aerodynamic element, would have rushed along the surface of the hood without even noticing the presence of an air duct in it.
Author: Denis Kirsanov - Auto Redemption Specialist with 10 years of experience!
Programmed spoiler
In the 1970s, Hollywood went through a process of rejuvenation of personnel and content. By this time, the industry was already operating at a loss: from 1969 to 1972, film companies lost half a billion dollars, losing popularity to television. In the new decade, everything changes. The government is carrying out investment reforms, thanks to which Hollywood can count on tax breaks (after all, what is film production if not an investment?). Thanks to the forces of the younger generation of filmmakers, a large-scale restructuring is beginning: films are becoming faster, angrier, and action-dominated. At the same time, a literal restructuring of the cinema system was taking place. Multiplexes are growing, ready to show several screenings of a blockbuster at the same time; they would introduce surround sound in the 1980s. This creates a phenomenon that film critic David Bordwell calls a mega-picture - an event picture that cannot be missed. It comes out in one gulp in a thousand halls, it is trumpeted in all media, it is discussed during lunch breaks and school breaks. At the same time, Hollywood is discovering the potential of sequels: Jaws, Star Wars and even The Godfather are getting sequels and becoming franchises.
"Godfather"
When the hype machine is running at full speed, no one wants to feel left behind. People no longer prolong the pleasure, but storm cinemas on the day of the premiere. Being late means putting yourself at risk of hearing a spoiler. Or not fit into a friendly conversation. How do you not know who Luke Skywalker's father is? What should I talk to you about?! By the way, pay attention to how the main spoiler of “The Empire Strikes Back” pushed Lucas and his comrades to repeat themselves in “Return of the Jedi”, where we learn that Leia and Luke are sister and brother, although in the previous two films the authors clearly kept it up their sleeves romantic trump card. Film critic Matt Zoller Seitz remembers hearing about Return of the Jedi from a school friend in May 1983 as a teenager.
"He said, 'I can't believe Luke and Leia are brother and sister,'" Seitz says. “I hit him in the stomach.”
"Star Wars: Episode 6 - Return of the Jedi"
A franchise requires constant reproduction. Those who watched "The Rise of Skywalker" Rising,” you might have noticed that in the ninth episode one of the main plot twists is scribbled on the Skywalker family tree.
What is car aerodynamics?
When a car moves at a speed of more than 140 kilometers per hour, a so-called turbulent zone forms behind it.
It represents those same chaotic air turbulences that interfere with the control of the car. When driving, the flow around the outer surface of the car is carried out on 3 sides: from above, as well as from the sides. In the lower part (where the bottom is located), air flows collide with protruding parts, and therefore pass through with turbulence. In such a situation, excess pressure forms under the bottom of the car and in the engine compartment. Due to this, the car rises as downforce decreases. Accordingly, the adhesion of the wheels to the road surface decreases, which negatively affects the handling of the car. The aerodynamic body kit elements (spoiler and wing) are designed to avoid this problem. Let's consider each of them separately.
Video about the car's aerodynamic body kit:
Etiquette
So far we have looked at spoilers in the context of film history and viewing habits. But the act of spoiler itself, rather, belongs to the sphere of etiquette and culture of communication and is certainly not limited to cinema. Spoilers ruin our viewing of TV series, playing games, reading novels, comics and book series, and for some time now, listening to podcasts. It's all the internet's fault.
According to Richard Greene, the first spoiler warning in the digital space, not yet marked with the words "warning: spoilers", appeared in 1979. An e-mail from a group of science fiction enthusiasts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology warned of possible spoilers in a thread dedicated to the film “Star Trek” (the first full-length film based on the famous series). In 1981, the phrase “spoiler alert” was first used on Usenet in connection with the book “Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars.” A year later, "spoiler alert" was used again in discussions of Star Trek, this time for the sequel Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
"Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan"
The Internet of the late 1980s and early 1990s was primarily text-based and primarily allowed for the creation of discussion platforms. At first these were emails, news groups on Usenet, then forums and chats already familiar to everyone, which assumed a certain anonymity. It is important that this was a group communication in which dozens of people could take part at the same time, and their composition could change every month. This type of discussion was new for people and required the formation of a new etiquette. The phrase “spoiler alert” became part of it, but before that, every user had time to feel for themselves what it was like to catch a hefty spoiler. Thanks to the Internet, spoilers now have means of delivery; they have become weapons of mass destruction with minimal risk for the authors (unless someone was afraid of being identified by IP). The Internet also raised the stakes in the race that Richard Greene described: on the evening of the premiere, you could go to a screening and half an hour later you could be writing out the plot in the finest detail on the forum. Well, that is if you were on the side of the forces of evil.
Spoilers have not remained exclusively an Internet phenomenon. According to Google, the phrase “spoiler alert” first appeared in books in the late 1980s. Traditional media lasted a little longer: for example, the Times first warned about spoilers (and then with a fair amount of irony) in 2002. But the popular website Vulture has a written policy regarding spoilers, adopted back in 2008. For example, to give a spoiler about a film without warning, you need to wait until the Monday following the premiere date. And a month later, you are allowed to spoil the film right in the title. This is what courage sounds like.
Legendary critic Roger Ebert reflected in a 2005 column about how the phrase “spoiler alert” became a universal message for readers.
"Million Dollar Baby"
“In my review of Million Dollar Baby, which I consider the best film of 2004, I wrote: “This is a film about a boxer. What else is it about, what in general, how deep is it and what emotional power does it contain - I cannot touch on this in this review, since I will not spoil (from “spoil” - Author’s note) your experience of immersing yourself in a story with her innermost secrets of life and death."
However, Ebert himself did not accept the phrase “caution: spoilers” and used more verbose warnings. Today, “spoiler alert” or “spoilers ahead” is already a standard, saves time and works as a red flag.
Wing
The most important element of a car's aerodynamic body kit is the wing.
In its design, it is very similar to an airplane wing, only it is inverted. Another difference is that this element does not lift the car into the air, but, on the contrary, presses it to the road surface. The higher the speed and the larger the wing area, the stronger this effect. A properly installed wing affects aerodynamic performance by fifty percent when compared with other elements. To ensure good handling of the car, it must have the appropriate dimensions - not too small, but not too large. In addition, it cannot be located too close to the body. Otherwise, the wing will either serve as an ordinary spoiler or will be completely useless.
Disadvantages of wings
This element has a significant drawback.
If you drive at high speed, the load on the wheels will increase. Accordingly, mechanical losses for their rolling will increase. Moreover, the wing can create additional aerodynamic drag, which will only increase with increasing speed. Let’s say once again that it is very important to choose the right shape of the element and install it correctly. Otherwise, the wing will slow down the car. This, in turn, will lead to excessive fuel consumption.
False plums
The spread of the Internet has led to the rise of geek culture, a phenomenon inseparable from spoilers. In the late 1990s, the web resource about cinema Ain't It Cool News became a place of power, where gossip, news and reviews were posted. Its founder, Harry Knowles, is called the King of Geeks; in 1998, he and other online critics became the subjects of a Vanity Fair story about the rise of powerful nerds who can either make or break a major film project. Knowles' site publishes leaks and first impressions before others, hordes of fans of comics, Star Wars and other franchises gather around him, and soon the major Hollywood studios recognize that these guys are a force to be reckoned with. Knowles and authors like him are beginning to be invited to the same gala premieres where previously only columnists from leading publications were allowed in from the press.
Harry Knowles
But, most importantly, the geeks who have gained power lead studios to a simple idea: they need to work with spoilers, and then they can fuel anticipation for the project. Trailers have teasers, and film companies have marketing departments that make sure that nothing unnecessary leaks into the commercial and at the same time enough of that “extra” that will intrigue the viewer. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has just completed its so-called “phase three” of films, and it was, of course, dreamed up during armchair meetings. There's a lot to be said about the talents of the Russo brothers, who are directing The Avengers, but their ability to keep the film spoiler-free is impressive. Russo managed to split the filming process into elements, from which there is no way to put together a whole picture. All green backdrops and rope performers delivering their lines into the void (Marvel actors often don't know who they're talking to during a scene - spoiler alert!). At press events, the Russos literally muzzle the talkative Tom Holland (playing Spider-Man), and from the outside it is unclear - is this a media stunt or is it all for real?
The studios' job is not only to avoid spoilers, but also to convince audiences that the film actually contains spoilers. In the end, not every picture is born as a sequel; not every project is followed from the cradle.
In 1992, Harvey Weinstein acquired the rights to Neil Jordan's Cruel Intention. The film didn't even break even in its native UK. And for the American market, Miramax Weinstein resorted to a trick: all sorts of promotional materials insistently asked viewers not to reveal the “secret of the film,” not even the ending, but just the gender twist. In the States, Cruel Intention became a hit, grossing tens of times its budget.
Another way to roll out spoiler dough is through online tools. The Blair Witch Project launched a website in 1999 that retold stories about the eponymous witch. To coincide with the release of Donnie Darko in 2001, a website was launched with a flash game (available here) that introduced us to the world of the film. Besides, it was damn hard to get through. Those who played still remember this. In 2004, JJ Abrams and the Lost team launched an alternate-reality game—the so-called game narrative that uses the real world as a platform. This strategy was polished to perfection for “Monstro”: dummy websites of Japanese corporations were launched online, the characters of the film kept blogs before its release, the passage of the game was calculated based on the dates when new information was thrown into the network. So the film, released with minimal traditional advertising, by the release date had already gathered hordes of fans who wanted to reveal all the secrets of the Cloverfield project. But try to remember at least one of them today!
"Monstro"
Today, every major project builds a strategy regarding spoilers. Hear Palpatine laugh in the Rise of Skywalker trailer. Sunrise" - this is possible. But when actor John Boyega left a copy of the script in his old apartment and it surfaced on eBay, this required a quick response from Disney, and the studio bought the document from the seller.
Mira's Best and Supergirl
When Batgirl was captured, Oracle sent Supergirl to rescue her. Batgirl and Supergirl quickly became friends and set out to catch Toyboy. Supergirl grabbed Toyboy while Batgirl stopped Mr. Freeze. They were captured by a giant robot that looked like a cross between Superman and Batman and was powered by Kryptonite Man. Batgirl was able to send a distress signal before communication was lost. The Oracle contacted Superman and the new Batman (Dick Grayson). Superman, Batman and Robin rescued them, and at the end Supergirl was seen scolding Robin for calling Batgirl "Fatgirl".
