We’ve all been there; lining up for that movie we’ve been dying to see, a sense of hope and anticipation brewing in the pit of our stomach, only to have our dreams of escape dashed before our eyes when it turns out to be a lump of crudely moulded shite.

We may think to ourselves as we make the journey home ‘why did I think that film would be any good? I should have known from the poster it was popcorn fodder’. Well don’t despair, you weren’t the only one that left the theatre feeling duped.

Hollywood, as a collective term, is a tricky little bastard. If it were to be personified, I’d imagine something similar to Fagin from Oliver; a greedy, twisted little ruffian with a knife in his pocket and an evil glint in his eye. He wants your money, and he’s got a big ol’ bag of tricks to help him get it from you.

When you make the decision to pay your ticket fee, there’s usually been a trick or two involved in coercing your decision. Of course, who’s to say what makes a bad movie, that’s a matter of taste. But surely, only a vile trick would have made a person willingly pay for a movie as universally terrible as 2004’s Catwoman, right?

There are many tricks that Hollywood uses to get your ass in a seat, here are just 8 of ‘em. Warning: exposure to this article may cause incurable cynicism. Think of it as the Red pill.

You Might Also Like...

Want to write about the stuff you're passionate about and have your work read by an audience of over 10 million a month? Click here to become a contributor.

In this post: • •