Question of the Week: Which Author's Name Will Get You Out to the Theater?
One of the next horror events on the schedule is the release of 1408, the latest in the genre of movies featuring John Cusak checking into a hotel.
It's based on a story by Stephen King about a man who dares to spend the night in a haunted room, ye old "terror-dare" plot.
Here's the question of the week:
Is there an author's name they could put on a poster that would guarantee you would go to the theater to see the movie?
I have a guess on what the answer will be, but the boss tells me it influences folks' answers if you print the hypothesis directly under the question, so...
Take the leap for my darkwinged guess on your answer, a bonus analysis of this poster, and a sub-question. click below.
My hypothesis is there used to be, but not anymore. In the 90's they'd slap Clive Barker and Stephen King's name above the title as part of the advertising, but here, as you can see they've not only banished his majesty to the lower third*, but they've also felt it necessary to remind you he's "terrifying".
It's kind of schizophrenic, I reckon, since the coloring and design of the poster make it look like an adventure movie or even an historical quest movie. The title doesn't help, either, what with it's suggestion of a date. Why, if they hadn't put that word "terrifying" in there and I was seeing the poster in a vacuum, I might think it was about a war between the Crusaders and Moors for the key to young Christopher Columbus' footlocker.
Back to the topic at hand, even Dean Koontz and Peter Straub used to get some run, but those days are long over. So, the sub-question is...Is the fact that an author's name is no longer used to sell a movie a result of:
1) People reading less
2) So many bad adaptations that an author's name becomes devalued
3) Nothing movie-worthy being written
4) Director's names being prized more highly
5) Something else
If it makes you feel any better, I saw a preview for (way out of our genre) the new Woody Allen movie in which they advertised it as being "from the director of Match Point". Every Woody Allen movie for the last thirty years has been "a Woody Allen movie", but now they think his name is just as likely to scare you off. Is the same becoming true for King?
*In fact, and here is the best joke you will hear about this movie in the history and future of the internet, if you're not careful you might....Overlook it.
Max Brooks' name would definitely get me in the seats. I know Brad Pitt's production company Plan B picked up the rights to World War Z with Babylon 5 co-creator Michael Straczynski writing the script, but will it ever see the light of day? World War Z is an amazing read (the audio book is great, too).
And the reason you rarely find an author's name attached to a film anymore? I think it's a mixture of bad adaptations and the sudden rise in celebrity directors. An author's name or a directors name in the title doesn't mean much to me anymore. Simply because in this day-and-age the writer and director have very little say in what ends up in the film (especially in a Weinstein Brothers film), studios make that decision for them. You know, because the film studios know what we like. Or is that "tell" us what we like?
Great choice. I was expecting Anne Rice (but I think her crowd have turned on her).
World War Z would is great source material for a movie (but some argue that it gets all of its material from pre-existing movies). Will zombie-burnout prevent it from being made?
Super point about studio (mis)direction as well. Thanks for answering.
Clive Barker's name will still get me into the theatre, the film version of Midnight Meat Train is so high on my list right now I can barely stand it.
Yes, Anne Rice's fans have turned on her now that she has turned her back on us.
I was just talking about World War Z the other day with a friend and while I think there is potential for a movie in the book, I think there is actually too many good stories and they should go the sequel route with it. Make a film about each story and tie them all together you know what I'm saying? I know that's wishful thinking but I think too much of the book would end up on the cutting room floor for the more poignant stories, the celebrities, the little girl and her parents going north and eating human flesh (becoming living zombies?). Oh well I digress.
Clive Barker, he can still get me into a theatre, but directors are really the ones who sell my ticket.