What's that smell?

January 12, 2005 6:45 PM

Some films are great, others bomb, but only one truly stank. Twenty-five years ago today, "Scent of Mystery" opened in New York and became the only movie released in Smell-O-Vision.
posted by ..ooOOoo....ooOOoo.. (10 comments total)

Polyester was released in smell-o-vision too, I think.
posted by lilboo at 6:48 PM on January 12, 2005

I thought about adding that. Water's released Polyester in "Odorama" as an homage utilizing scratch and sniff cards rather than the canned scents sprayed into the theater.
posted by ..ooOOoo....ooOOoo.. at 6:53 PM on January 12, 2005

and Waters was being a goofball. The original Smellovison folk were 100% serious. They also released a version of Scent Of Mystery without smellovision, prompting one critic to write "Denuded of it's aromas, it still stinks."

I'm also amazed that the porn industry has never tried this.
posted by jonmc at 6:56 PM on January 12, 2005

i'm truly glad this never caught on. i have enough trouble breathing in the stale popcorn and cola rotting on the floor.
posted by NationalKato at 6:56 PM on January 12, 2005

scent of mystery director jack cardiff is better known as a cinematographer -- he closely worked with powell & pressburger on some of their better known films (like black narcissus). i had no idea that he also directed a few films...nor that at least one of those films was such a stinker (ha ha).
posted by pxe2000 at 7:05 PM on January 12, 2005

I'm also amazed that the porn industry has never tried this.

With the "Hedgehog" around, let's pray this idea never comes to fruition.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:15 PM on January 12, 2005

This puts me in mind of a great SCTV sketch, "Monster Chiller Horror Theatre," involving Joe Flaherty (as Count Floyd, campy late-night film host), John Candy (as evil scientist Dr. Tongue), and Eugene Levy (as Bruno the hunchback). Count Floyd at one point offered a Dr. Tongue flick in Smell-o-Rama...

Does anyone else remember this? Of course, with new DVDs out, this particular bit of transcendent early 80s camp is getting more exposure these days...
posted by killdevil at 9:36 PM on January 12, 2005

Twenty-five years ago today, "Scent of Mystery" opened in New York and became the only movie released in Smell-O-Vision.

Er...I think you mean forty-five years ago today.
posted by sixdifferentways at 10:56 PM on January 12, 2005

Um, yeah. I meant 45 years ago today...

Thanks sixdifferentways.
posted by ..ooOOoo....ooOOoo.. at 10:59 PM on January 12, 2005

And now this. (quicktime movie)

CEO swears they are shipping next week. Can we all get this and make it part of Metafilter?
posted by cccorlew at 10:28 AM on January 13, 2005