Much ado about advertising
It’s not just the advertising of horror films that is gaining attention in the US at the moment. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a number of suicide prevention groups are objecting to After Dark Films’ proposed campaign for the comedy Wristcutters: A Love Story, which is set in a part of purgatory reserved for people who have committed suicide.
After Dark Films co-owner Courtney Solomon said late Friday that while the film’s promotion may feature images of people jumping off a bridge, electrocuting and hanging themselves, they would be displayed as traffic-style stop or yield signs with a barring-style circle and line over the illustrations, along with hearts to reference the film’s romantic story line. He said the campaign may change before its mid-July rollout because of the outcry.
According to Solomon, the message of the film is that love is better than suicide and may even help prevent suicide. “Our job is to get people into the theater in a way that’s accessible to them. There are many different ways to skin a cat. God forbid someone was considering committing suicide. This film may change their opinion.”
The film was one of three films nominated for a 2006 Humanitas Sundance feature screenwriting award, for which writer/director Goran Dukic received a plaque noting his “extraordinary contribution [to] entertainment that also enriches, probes the meaning of life and motivates love within the human family.”
Tuesday 27 Mar 2007 | Paul | USA
