There are a few things I would like to talk about this week as I found this week’s readings and our screening of Blacula really interesting.

Before I get into the film though I really want to talk about the reading, The Cult Cinema Marketplace and particularly it’s subsection about marketing. I found this section to be quite fascinating. I often feel as if I am surrounded by constant advertising, and as a result of that I found that this chapter pulled back the curtain and revealed the thought that goes into these ads we see everyday and allowed me to reflect on some of them. One technique that got mentioned in the very beginning of the section was the ploy of associating a film with a topical fear/issue that is happening in the media at the time of the film in an attempt to tie the film to an already highly discussed topic. At first I couldn’t recall a good example this technique in action. That was until about ten minutes before I sat down to write this blog post and in an attempt to delay my responsibilities and surf the web I came across this BuzzFeed headline….

Posted the same day as the movie’s release and four days after the conviction of sex offender Harvey Weinstein, the article is a clear example of this idea of connecting a movie to a highly discussed hot-button issue.

Another technique I wanted to talk about that was mentioned in this section was the use of stunts, rumors, scandals and daring an audience to ‘sit through’ and experience. I think Sam did a great job in his presentation this week explaining how Paranormal Activity used this strategy effectively in its promotion and the “demand it” feature associated with its screenings, the reading even mentions this. It also mentions The Blair Witch Project and how it used the internet to blur the lines between fabricated and genuine scandals/rumors associated with the film. While reading this I was reminded of a similar publicity tactic I had read about that had happened 19 years before. In similar style to The Blair Witch Project, the 1980 Italian horror film, Cannibal Holocaust directed by Ruggero Deodato, was shot using a found-footage documentary style focusing on the killing of a documentary crew by a tribe of cannibals. In a grand publicity stunt to make it seem as if the footage was real and the killings truly happened Deodato had his actors sign an agreement stating that they would not appear in any media for a year following the release of the movie. It wasn’t until Deodato was arrested and charged with murder that he had his actors resurface and appear in an interview all together. I think that this is truly a great example of using a fabricated rumor to your advantage when publicizing a film.

Before I wrap-up I would like to briefly talk a little bit about the movie Blacula. I really enjoyed this screening. I particularly thought the soundtrack was truly spectacular and I couldn’t help but dance in my seat every time it came around. It is very evident in the film and expertly articulated in the reading, Deadlier than Dracula, that Mamuwalde is no ordinary vampire of his time. He is a true noble gentleman only killing because of his cursed lust for blood. As a woman, I truly appreciated Mamuwalde’s treatment of Tina. In the scene where he tells her that he sees her as the reincarnation of his late wife I was fully prepared to watch as he raped and killed her if her reaction to the news was negative. I was greatly relieved when he said he would do her no harm either way she took the news and proceed to leave peacefully. I was quite pleased when he did not try to infect her with his curse and only bit her in an attempt to save her life. In my opinion Mamuwalde is a true romantic anti-hero.

Now as a woman in her twenties who attended a middle school that was split pretty evenly between ‘team Edward’ and ‘team Jacob’ I can’t help but think that Blacula paved the way for such movies as Twilight. As it is mention in the Deadlier than Dracula reading, before Blacula the character of Dracula was often depicted in the Victorian era and used his powers to control the woman he desired. It was Blacula and Mamuwalde who placed vampires in a more modern context of 1970s Los Angeles and as a character capable of love toward another and not just a desire for carnage. Therefore in theory — the girl with the Edward Cullen folder who sat next to me in 7th grade french class has Mamuwalde to thank for her deep desire to date a vampire.