Sick of The Hobbit already? There has been all sorts of nausea associated with Peter Jackson's take on the Tolkien tale, and it's not even out for a fortnight. There's the queasy anticipation of fans, of course, as well as the sinking feeling that it has being eked out into a trilogy, plus concerns about animal welfare – thrown up by Peta, batted back by Jackson. And now there's a new thing bugging people about the movie: early reports suggest that the much-touted 48-frames-per-second tech triggers nausea. One fan compared the experience to being on a roller-coaster. "You have to hold your stomach down and let your eyes pop at first to adjust. This is not for wimps." Others were franker: "I left loving the movie but feeling sick"; "My eyes cannot take everything in, it's dizzying. Now I have a migraine." Critics have chimed in with agreement. Devin Faraci testified to crossed eyes, while Peter Sciretta said the effect was "jarring".
Bad news? Nothing of the sort. For there's a clear correlation between a film's gross-factor and its gross-factor. Take heart, Warner Bros, in these case studies:
• The very first review of Avatar claimed the special effects were "literally vomit inducing". The anonymous post, on Gawker, panned the plot, and described James Cameron's pioneering 3D techniques as "alienating" and "weird". "There are some beautiful moments … but overall it's a horrible piece of shit." Avatar has taken almost $3bn worldwide and is the most successful film of all time.
• "My janitors are going bananas wiping up the vomit," complained one Illinois cinema-owner in the wake of the release of The Exorcist. "We've had two to five people faint here every day," said another. "More men than women pass out, and it usually happens in the evening performance, after the crucifix scene involving masturbation." Box office gross: $441m.
• At least two "convulsing, snorting" seizures were reported in American men during the vampire birth scene in the penultimate instalment of Twilight. One chap from California was whisked off by paramedics, while a Utah man shook and mumbled. His wife reported "kneeling in front of him and slapping his face" – actions not always advisable in the event of a potential epileptic fit. Box office gross: $171m.
• The Toronto premiere of 127 Hours did not hack away at the awards chances of Danny Boyle's hiking drama, despite three fainting cinemagoers and one who had a seizure. Even the real-life subject of the film, Aron Ralston, said of the scene in which he amputates his own arm: "I was like, 'Whoa, I can't believe we're watching this!'" Box office gross: $61m (plus six Oscar nominations).
• Roger Ebert said it was the most violent film he had ever watched; David Edelstein called it a "two-hour-and-six-minute snuff movie … that thinks it's an act of faith." Nausea, tears and prolonged emotional upset were among widespread reactions to The Passion of the Christ, while one Kansas woman suffered a fatal heart attack during the crucifixion scene. Box office gross: $612m.
