CinemaScore, for the uninitiated, is a Las Vegas-based market research firm that bills itself as “the industry leader in measuring movie appeal.” On a film’s opening day, their representatives stand outside of theaters and ask hundreds of moviegoers to grade the films they just saw on an A-to-F scale, the average of which becomes the “CinemaScore.” But while the metric has become a useful marketing tool for studios, it has also underlined the divide between the general public’s reaction to a film, and that of the critic community. In today’s episode on Film Club, A.A. Dowd and Katie Rife examine that divide, deep dive into their own grading philosophies, and discuss whether or not an “F” from CinemaScore is actually a good thing.
Because The A.V. Club office is closed for the time being, and everyone on staff is social distancing, we’ve recorded episode remotely. Listen to the podcast above, subscribe on iTunes, and give us a five-star rating to help other listeners find us.