Kiss Of The Vampire

Question 1

Who produced and distributed the film Kiss of the Vampire?

Answer 1

Produced by Hammer Film Productions and distributed by J. Arthur Rank and Universal

Question 2

What was the intended relation of Kiss of the Vampire to Dracula?

Answer 2

It was intended to be the second sequel to 1958’s Dracula

Question 3

Why does the script of Kiss of the Vampire not reference Stoker’s character?

Answer 3

To distance itself from unfavourable comparisons to the superior Christopher Lee

Question 4

What other monster movie franchises had Hammer achieved success with by 1963?

Answer 4

• The Mummy
• Frankenstein

Question 5

What significant cultural events occurred in 1963?

Answer 5

• Early stages of ‘Beatlemania’
• Assassination of JFK
• Soviet Union launching the first woman into space

Question 6

What does the capitalised, serif font of the title imply?

Answer 6

Connotations linked to the vampire film genre

Question 7

What does the blood dripping from the letter ‘V’ signify?

Answer 7

It references the vampire’s fangs

Question 8

How does the use of a ‘painted’ main image relate to the film’s context?

Answer 8

It links to the poster for Christopher Lee’s Dracula

Question 9

What is the significance of the color palette used in the film poster?

Answer 9

It reinforces the film’s dark, scary conventions

Question 10

In what order are the stars listed on the film poster?

Answer 10

More highly paid male actors first and in order of fame

Question 11

What aspect of Barthes’ Hermeneutic Code is present in Kiss of the Vampire?

Answer 11

Suspense created through the enigmas surrounding the male and female vampires

Question 12

What do the bats symbolize in the context of Barthes’ Semantic Code?

Answer 12

Their conventional association with vampirism and horror

Question 13

What do Barthes’ Symbolic Codes reinforce in Kiss of the Vampire?

Answer 13

Horror, darkness, and fear

Question 14

Fill in the blank: The title Kiss of the Vampire features a _______ that creates connotations linked to the vampire genre.

Answer 14

capitalised, serif font

Question 15

True or False: Kiss of the Vampire was a completely original story unrelated to previous vampire films.

Answer 15

False

Question 16

What is the cultural context of the advert?

Answer 16

The advert could be familiar with the codes and representations of monster movie film posters, including fonts and depictions of ‘the monster’ and its (usually female) victims.

Question 17

What theoretical perspective does Roland Barthes’ Semiotics provide?

Answer 17

Suspense is created through the enigmas surrounding the connoted relationship between the male and female vampires, emphasised by the ‘kiss’ of the title and the fate of their two victims.

Question 18

How does Barthes’ Semantic Code apply to the advert?

Answer 18

It could be applied to images of bats and their conventional association with vampirism and horror in general.

Question 19

What are the Symbolic Codes in Barthes’ theory related to horror?

Answer 19

The Symbolic Codes of horror, darkness, and fear are reinforced through signifiers such as the moon and the male victim’s ‘submissive sacrifice’ gesture code.

Question 20

What does Claude Lévi-Strauss’ Structuralism suggest about the text?

Answer 20

The text is constructed through binary oppositions, applied to the opposing representations of vampires and their victims, and the romantic connotations of ‘kiss’ opposed to the stereotypical ‘vampire’ monster.

Question 21

What political and social context influenced women’s representation in the 1960s?

Answer 21

The 1960s marked the start of women’s sexual liberation, with events like the introduction of the contraceptive pill and increased female participation in the workforce.

Question 22

What stereotypes of women are encoded in the film poster?

Answer 22

‘Older’ stereotypes of women as passive victims and ‘male fears’ of women challenging male dominance are both present in the film poster.

Question 23

How do dress codes in the advert reinforce femininity?

Answer 23

Both women wear pale dresses made of light materials that highlight their curves and reveal flesh, reinforcing their femininity.

Question 24

What does the gesture code of the woman on the left signify?

Answer 24

Her gesture code represents the stereotypical passive victim of the ‘monster’, with his power highlighted by holding her by just one arm.

Question 25

How is the female vampire represented in the advert?

Answer 25

The female vampire’s pose, including baring her teeth and raising her arm, represents her in a non-stereotypically dominant way.

Question 26

What is Stuart Hall’s theory of representation?

Answer 26

The images in the poster form part of a ‘shared conceptual road map’ that gives meaning to the world of the poster, encouraging the audience to decode familiar generic iconography.

Question 27

What does David Gauntlett’s theory of identity suggest about the female vampire?

Answer 27

The female vampire may act as a role model for women struggling against male oppression or seeking equality with men.

Question 28

What does Liesbet Van Zoonen’s feminist theory state about the female vampire?

Answer 28

By assuming a ‘co-antagonist’ role, the female vampire contributes to social change by representing women in non-traditional roles, although the passive female victim reinforces traditional roles.