Stephen Susco is the very talented writer of the US version of the Grudge series, and over on his blog he's posted the answer to an email he received regarding Test Screenings and what use they are. This relates to the recent news that Grudge 2 was reshot after such a screening.

In a post entitled Test screenings he answers the question, and tactfully avoids relating it to The Grudge 2.

My limited experience with test screenings have lead me to only one conclusion: they represent the "tipping point" in the struggle between film-as-art and film-as-commerce...

...In other words: test screenings are all about figuring out how to put more butts in seats.

It's very interesting that he goes on to say that although they are to get bums on seats it doesn't mean they don't serve a creative purpose. For instance the filmmakers had a specific idea for the ending of The Grudge, and the entire audience missed it, or rather misread it. Now with test screenings they could have fixed that.

So is he suggesting that this is what's happening with the second movie? Well who's to know, he's answering the question about test screenings in general, but perhaps this is what he means. What do you think, are test screenings good or bad?