Kiss of the Vampire

Question 1

What film does the poster for Kiss of the Vampire represent?

Answer 1

Kiss of the Vampire (1963)

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

Question 2

What was the intended relationship of Kiss of the Vampire to 1958’s Dracula?

Answer 2

Intended to be the second sequel

The film’s script makes no reference to Stoker’s character to avoid comparisons.

Question 3

Which other monster movie franchises had Hammer Film Productions seen success with by 1963?

Answer 3

• The Mummy
• Frankenstein

Hammer had established a reputation within the horror genre.

Question 4

What significant cultural events were occurring in 1963?

Answer 4

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

These events provide context for the audience’s environment.

Question 5

What was the audience assumed to be familiar with regarding the Kiss of the Vampire poster?

Answer 5

Codes and conventions of ‘monster movie’ film posters

This includes composition, fonts, and representations of ‘the monster’ and its victims.

Question 6

What are some interesting intertexts for comparative study mentioned?

Answer 6

• The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)
• Blood From The Mummy’s Tomb (1971)

These films provide additional context for analysis.

Question 7

What connotation does the capitalised, serif font of the title create?

Answer 7

Connotations linked to the vampire film genre

The ‘wooden’ styling references the vampire’s coffin or the stake needed to kill him.

Question 8

What does the use of a ‘painted’ main image signify about the film?

Answer 8

Links to the poster for Christopher Lee’s Dracula

The color indicates a modern telling of an older story.

Question 9

What does the gloomy grey, black, and brown color palette reinforce?

Answer 9

The film’s dark, scary conventions

The red highlight color draws attention to the bats, the vampire, and the blood.

Question 10

How are stars conventionally listed on film posters?

Answer 10

More highly paid male actors first and in order of fame

Clifford Evans starred in Hammer’s 1961 hit Curse of the Werewolf.

Question 11

What theoretical perspective does Roland Barthes’ Semiotics apply to this film?

Answer 11

Suspense created through enigmas surrounding the vampires

Emphasized by the ‘kiss’ of the title and the fate of their victims.

Question 12

What does Barthes’ Semantic Code relate to in Kiss of the Vampire?

Answer 12

Images of the bats

Bats are conventionally associated with vampirism and horror.

Question 13

What are the symbolic codes in horror according to Barthes?

Answer 13

Darkness and fear are widely reinforced.

Question 14

What is the structuralism theory by Claude Lévi-Strauss?

Answer 14

Texts are constructed through binary oppositions, such as vampires vs. victims and romantic connotations vs. stereotypical monsters.

Question 15

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

Answer 15

The introduction of the contraceptive pill and the rise of women’s participation in the workforce led to campaigns for equal pay and an end to sexual harassment.

Question 16

How are women represented in the film poster?

Answer 16

Women wear pale dresses that highlight their femininity and curves, reinforcing traditional gender roles.

Question 17

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

Answer 17

Her gesture codes represent the stereotypical passive victim, with a defensive posture.

Question 18

How is the second woman’s representation different?

Answer 18

Her gesture codes are more aggressive, portraying her in a dominant role over her male victim.

Question 19

What is notable about the vampire’s gesture codes?

Answer 19

The vampire appears fearful, using defensive gestures, possibly indicating a shift in traditional roles.

Question 20

What does Stuart Hall’s theory of representation suggest?

Answer 20

Images like castles and bats form a ‘shared conceptual road map’ that helps the audience decode the poster’s meaning.

Question 21

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

Answer 21

The female vampire may serve as a role model for women seeking equality and resisting male oppression.

Question 22

What does Liesbet Van Zoonen’s feminist theory state?

Answer 22

The female vampire’s ‘co-antagonist’ role may contribute to social change, though the passive victim reinforces traditional stereotypes.