Self-study
Film historians often find it difficult to determine typical audience members' responses to particular films, especially those from the early twentieth century. Box office figures help little, for they indicate only a film's financial success or failure; they do not show what audiences found funny, or frightening, or moving. These historians also find that newspaper and magazine reviews fail to provide much insight.
17.
Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the statements above?
a
Newspaper and magazine reviews of films are usually written in advance of a film's general release.
We don’t know when newspaper or magazine reviews of films were written. We only know that film historians believe these sources do not provide much insight into audience members’ reactions.
b
Typical audience members' responses to films from the latter part of the twentieth century are easy to determine.
We don’t know whether responses to films from the later twentieth century are easy to determine. The argument is limited to films from the early twentieth century.
c
The box office success of a film does not depend on its viewers finding it funny, frightening, or moving.
We don’t know what factors would cause a film’s success or failure at the box office. We only know that box office figures do not reflect how audiences typically responded to a given film.
d
Film historians do not believe that film reviews in newspapers and magazines reveal typical film audience members' views.
Film historians must believe that newspaper and magazine reviews do not reveal typical film audience members’ views. In the stimulus, we are told that the historians find that these sources fail to provide much insight.
e
Films from the early part of the twentieth century were not usually reviewed in newspapers or magazines.
We don’t know whether early twentieth century films were usually reviewed in newspapers or magazines. We don’t even know if these films were usually reviewed at all.