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 Fashion Films Issue 44 Wardrobe Malfunction Why does the fashion in films so often disappoint? Films Issue 41 Mike Leigh The remarkable director discusses starting from nothing, over and over again. Films Issue 38 Miranda July In Los Angeles, Miranda July talks to Robert Ito about pouring the fear, pleasure and unspoken weirdness of life into her genre-bending art. Films Issue 31 Lukas Dhont The Girl director discusses the language of dance. Films Issue 30 Teyonah Parris What does it take to get on Barry Jenkins’ call sheet? Candice Frederick speaks to the woman who knows. Films Issue 29 André Aciman Charles Shafaieh meets the Proust scholar who wrote Call Me By Your Name.
Films Issue 41 Mike Leigh The remarkable director discusses starting from nothing, over and over again.
Films Issue 38 Miranda July In Los Angeles, Miranda July talks to Robert Ito about pouring the fear, pleasure and unspoken weirdness of life into her genre-bending art.
Films Issue 30 Teyonah Parris What does it take to get on Barry Jenkins’ call sheet? Candice Frederick speaks to the woman who knows.
Films Issue 29 André Aciman Charles Shafaieh meets the Proust scholar who wrote Call Me By Your Name.
