Horrorfying Aussie Distribution

I'm a horror movie fan. Does this mean I'm going to axe murderise a bunch of folk? Nope. As the collective “they” say, “Correlation does not imply causation”. Simply put just because I like something scary doesn't mean I am scary. It's like a roller coaster, a safe and exciting way to experience thrills and excitement without actual danger. I also like the narrative form and it's ability, like the sci-fi genre, to reflect the fears of society in the time it was made through metaphor and symbolism. It can be a no-brainer, popcorn munchin' good time, with very basic good vs evil structure much like a classic fairytale. Or it can be a tense, atmospheric, and reflective piece about a range of issues, political and social. It's also one of the only genres I know of where the bad guy can win, or the bad guy isn't even an outside influence but something from within.

So why am I talking about Horror you may ask? As much as I, and others love the genre of horror, and appreciate the depth of storytelling that it has the potential for, the distribution of horror films in this country is kinda abysmal. I know, I know, currently the country is going through worse things. Jobs are going offshore, the economy is being run by corporations, the UN has charged us with roughly 150 counts of international law breakage, and the NBN... don't get me started. It almost makes you want to make a movie about it. A movie that allowed for the enormity of the situation to be made on a modest budget, that transforms the in your face issues into a more distanced, if no less terrifying, metaphor. Modern day Sci-Fi films are doing that in spades, with The Hunger Games and Elysium being two examples from recent memory. Hunger Games, an amalgamation of histories worst human injustices, and Elysium, basically a one to one parallel with Australia's current political attitude towards asylum seekers. Both films, though prominently Sci-Fi, have elements grounded in the horror genre.

Good luck getting funding for a horror movie in this country though. Most artists need to go overseas with their ideas to get them made. Leigh Whannell and James Wan, are two such Melbournites, now famous for bringing back the horror genre with Insidious and The Conjuring in recent years. They had to go overseas with their script for Saw after being unable to fund it locally. Saw would gross over $100 million worldwide and spawn a further 6 movies. Saw's budget was a mere $1.2 million.

Recently it's not just trying to get the films made locally that's hard, it's also the domestic distribution. Outside of theatres like The Astor and Cinema Nova or various film festivals you're unlikely to find many horror movies. Over the last few years I've been on campaigns to get better distribution, mainly for the movies The Cabin In The Woods and the Evil Dead reboot. Both films received rave reviews, made over twice their budget at the box office, and got next to no theatrical distribution in this country. The argument from the distributors was there just wasn't an audience for either movie in Australia and that foreign success wont ensure local numbers. Sure, these movies aren't for everyone, but without a proper theatrical release how will they ever be able to compare numbers? The fact that the majority of films nowadays are M rated has given many a craving for something meaty and rated R for adults.

A few of these low or no distribution horror films even have Australian actors. The Cabin In The Woods had Australia's own Chris Hemsworth, and the film's delay causing it to be released post The Avengers. Being also co-written by Joss 'Avengers' Whedon gave it an enormous opportunity to mooch off of one of the most successful movies at the time. All that needed to be done was slap on “from the people that brought you The Avengers” and “starring THOR” on the advertisements and the distributor would be rolling in cash given a proper distribution Australia wide. In this case the culprit was Roadshow Entertainment, who eventually bowed to immense fan pressure and released to a measly 7 cinemas Australia wide, reducing it's advertising considerably. Even with this handicap, through word of mouth and rabid fans it received over $85,000 in its opening weekend ALONE! If it had shown Australia wide it would have made upwards of 24 million, and considerably more if it had a decent advertising campaign behind it.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/joss-whedons-cabin-in-the-woods-the-best-movie-you-werent-supposed-to-see-in-australian-cinemas/story-e6frexli-1226405711755

It baffles me. It really is like they are hobbling themselves “Misery” style. It's an untapped well, covered up to keep the creepy long haired Japanese girl from killing us through the screen. And maybe that's it, maybe they just simply don't get it, or are too scared to try. So why write something now? Oculus, a movie not coming to a cinema near you. It too stars an Australian actor, Brenton Thwaites, alongside Scottish actress Karen Gillan of Doctor Who fame. It looks amazing and I want to see it theatrically. There is no greater feeling than being in a darkened theatre, filled with people on the edge of their seat, screaming in unison, popcorn flying, and then laughing at their own embarrassment. Oh yeah, did i mentioned most horror movies are funnier than a lot of today's so-called comedies? But that's a rant for another day.

 

This rant was written due to me being generally fed up with my favourite genre being overlooked. The reason I wrote it NOW however is due to an article I read in The Age about how much Australia loves Horror films... yet no mention of it's appalling distribution. It touches on how some critics just dismiss the horror genre straight off. The article was prompted I believe by Wolf Creek 2's release, which had a lot of advertising money thrown at it, but pretty much flopped at the box office (though no mention of that). Good article though and well worth a look.

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/oh-the-horror-primal-fears-lurk-behind-desire-to-wake-in-fright-20140418-36wbp.html