We are screening outside of Los Angeles as much as possible, and we are being vigilant. But with a bad movie, it's hard because the stench gets out when the film is a stinker. Executives and filmmakers also have made efforts to co-opt many of the sites. They are doing it in different ways. Directors of major films can call and complain about reviews.
Studios can try to affect content by providing early photos or footage.
And people close to a film can plant fake glowing reviews. The last practice, which has been going on for some time, is fairly easy to spot, Sauriol says. The average studio mole comes across very one-sided.