The movie industry is currently searching for ways to get butts back in seats. One thing it is unlikely to consider is resurrecting Smell-o-Vision, a much-hyped “immersive experience” that was meant to be the next big thing, then wasn’t. First introduced during the 1939 New York World’s Fair by Hans Laube—a Swiss advertising exec-turned-“world-famous osmologist, ” according to the press materials—the premise was that theaters could be rigged up with a system known as the “smell brain, ” which would release odors via tubing to individual audience seats. This story is from Kinfolk Issue Forty Buy Now Related Stories Films Issue 50 Sally Potter The film maestro on her musical debut. Films Issue 49 Ruben Östlund Crude, contrary—and killing it: Meet the auteur of awkwardness. Films Issue 49 Mamoudou Athie The shape-shifting actor is on a roll. Films Issue 49 Fares Fares After almost 25 years, the master actor steps behind the camera. Films Issue 48 Slaying It On the building blocks of horror. Fashion Films Issue 44 Wardrobe Malfunction Why does the fashion in films so often disappoint?
