V/H/S Got The Publicity They Wanted
Have you heard of the movie V/H/S? Probably not. It was a midnight screener during Sundance. Chances are you would never have heard of it except that at the midnight screening the first night it was shown someone got up and left because they said the movie was too traumatic to take. A little blip on the publicity radar but not much. So, the next night in what producers say was not staged, but I believe them about as much as I believe that Paris Hilton is a virgin. Anyway, at the second screening a guy got up and said he was dizzy and staggered out. Lo and behold the next person to leave was his girlfriend who said she barely made it to the bathroom before vomiting. Uh huh. Suddenly everyone wants to watch the movie and the $1M investment that Magnolia made in buying it seems like it was well worth it and they will get their money back.
Okay, I seriously that that was She Who Shall Not Be Named with a plastic mask on her face.
ReplyDeleteso.....what's it about?
ReplyDeleteMeh. I think I'd be more traumatized by A Serbian Film.
ReplyDeleteThat mask reminds me of Alice, Sweet Alice. Creepy movie, BTW, if anyone is into horror films.
ReplyDeleteI take it it's a horror movie?
ReplyDeleteSounds like hype. I remember my mom going to a horror film in the 70's that came with a barf bag.
ReplyDeleteThat was totally staged, and it's not the first time it's happened. I can't remember the other film, but they had actors pretend to pass out and get sick, etc... then the film still bombed.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first saw the picture, it made me think of Salt.
ReplyDeleteThis is obv the new thing. They did this for Human Centipede too. Put out that trailer of ppl that "couldn't watch it"
ReplyDeleteAnd the general public should not even know what A Serbian Film is.
Ha ha. NOBODY should know what A Serbian Film is.
ReplyDeleteOH and this particular film is one of those "found footage" movies. Hence the "sick" feelings. Just like ppl did with Cloverfield. Its stupid. But people will assume they mean its horribly graphic and the content is gruesome. A movie like V/H/S should not be compared to A Serbian Film. Two totally different things.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Castle did this sort of thing for his movies. Nurse on hand in case someone fainted. Insurance policies in case you were scared to death. If it gets the movie some attention, mission accomplished.
ReplyDeleteI worked at a theater that showed "Faces of Death 4" - midnight showings only. People showed up drunk & on who knows what. Basically it turned our hallway into an ER. I remember having the staff prepare ice packs, and we had people running out of the theater and vomiting everywhere, passing out, freaking out, screaming, running into walls...it was a nightmare. I loath these types of films. Loath.
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ReplyDelete^lol, yeah listen to BigMama.
ReplyDeleteand I also put Faces of Death films in a totally different category too. they are supposed to be "real" segments. there's no plot to those. they were made for the soul purpose of being shocking and disgusting. you know exactly what you are getting into watching a Faces of Death film.
V/H/S DOES have a plot and from what I've heard a pretty decent one. Its just gory. Horror films are gory. But its not like disturbing in nature like A Serbian Film or Cannibal Holocaust.
For me, stunts like this make me want to boycott the film. If the movie is good, you don't need this foolishness. Then again, there aren't that many really good horror films.
ReplyDeleteI do love me some Cloverfield, though.
for the record, I deleted my comments because I didn't want anyone to be curious. It was that bad....
ReplyDeletedarn it Bnl1016 - you know I am going to have to go look that up now! I am going to have nightmares for months! (I won't really, I learned my lesson)
My eldest brother made me swear to never watch the faces of death movies. Whenever he does or says some off the wall thing and we look at him and say "What the hell? Why did you do that?" he sometimes just mumbles "faces of death" of course it's for dramtic effect, but it does make you wonder
This reminds me of the hype from the Blair Witch Project. Everyone thought the movie was so scary and people were freaking out watching it. It was one of the worst movies I had ever seen in my life. Not scary at all...i also saw it when I found out it wasn't real.
ReplyDelete^Same thing with Paranormal Activity. They had people walking out of theatres in their ads.
ReplyDeleteI saw it and yawned the whole time. Not one bit scary.
Ugh -- Thanks for reminding me of Cannibal Holocaust, Bnl1016. That's one movie I wish I'd never watched, but I had to satisfy my curiosity. Stupid move on my part!
ReplyDeleteawww, i'm sorry.
ReplyDeleteand just a disclaimer - i've never watched ANY of these movies myself. i'm just aware of them from being in the business.
Ok, from a previous comment, I know I should not google it but if someone doesn't tell me (gently) what a Serbian Film is, I will have to google it. Please don't make me do that!
ReplyDelete@SaintsFan - it is horrible and not in a cool gotta watch it kinda way, in a "OMG How the HELL were they allowed to even make that and who the frack THINKS like that" kinda way. Think Porn Star, snuff film and every low down, no one would ever be ok with it theme out there.
ReplyDeleteI may never be the same and I didn't even watch it. I promise you, it isn't worth looking up.
now I need a cup of chamomile and some chocolate and I MIGHT be ok - *stupid stupid stupid curiosity*
ReplyDeleteThis is a silly question, I should aldready know this, but as long as we're on the subject.. I've always wondered what exactly a "snuff film" is but like alot of the other posters, I'm afriad to google it lol
ReplyDeleteA snuff film is a movie where a person actually dies on film as part of the plot to the movie.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the same as news footage featuring a plane crash or some accidental death.
I've only read about "A Serbian Film" and it made me feel sick. I am not a fan of horror movies in general, and that kind of "disturbing" makes me uncomfortable just hearing about it. So I will not watch any of it, TYVM!
ReplyDeleteI just read the 'plot' for A Serbian Film. Should be banned. Sick. Evil.
ReplyDelete^^^^^ what feraltart said! x's 10
ReplyDelete@BigMama, thanks for sparing me from looking it up. I will not do that now!
ReplyDeleteJust read the plot on wiki for Serbian Film (oy vey). Just for those who are too curious (like me) it involves rape, and child molestation - and that is just the tip of the iceberg. I don't recomend letting that getting burned in your brain.
ReplyDeleteOh Enty - normally I love you because you're one of the few who actually does their homework before posting, but you dropped the ball on this. In every article about this, the producers clearly state the people who got sick did so due to an unfortunate combination of altitude sickness and booze. The two together are a terrible combo.
ReplyDeleteAltitude and booze sickness doesn't sell as well though. It's hard to know what a publicity is and isn't these days. When "Hannibal" came out 11 years ago I saw people bolting out of the theater to throw up during the brain frying scene. I dunno, I just loved the pureness of it. No tricks, no gimmicks, just genuine unplanned reactions. Everything's so hyped now all the surprise is gone.
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