Kiss Of The Vampire Flashcards
Which production company produced KOTV?
Hammer films
Who was KOTV distributed by?
Universal and J. Arthur Rank / Rank Organisation
What is KOTV a sequel to?
Dracula in 1958
When was KOTV released?
1963
What are some historical contexts of the 1960s that could link to KOTV?
Doctor who, Marvel comics, Women’s Liberation movement and contraceptive pill on NHS (1961)
Name 3 comparative study texts that link to KOTV, and say when they were released:
The curse of Frankenstein (1957)
Dracula (1958)
The Mummy (1959)
How can Claudi Levi-Strauss’ structuralism theory (binary oppositions) be linked to KOTV?
Binary oppositions= romantic connotations of “kiss” opposed to stereotypical “vampire”
In terms of codes and conventions, what don’t is used on the KOTV advertisement and what impact does this have?
Serif - capitalised, wooden = vampire genre connotations of coffin and stake
What does the colour palette of the KOTV advert imply?
Greys, blacks and brown reinforce the films dark and scary conventions
Red draws attention to attacking bats and vampires link to blood
How can Roland Barthes hermeneutic code theory link to the KOTV advertisement?
Suspense is created through enigmas to with relationships between female and male vampires
- “kiss”in the title and the fate of the victims
What is an example of semantic codes in the KOTV advertisement?
Conventional association of bats with vampirism and horror
How are symbolic codes of horror, darkness and fear reinforced in this advert?
The moon as a common signifier for the genre and gesture codes of the victims
What are the stereotypes of the advert?
Older ideas that women are passive victims of men
What are the dress codes in the advert?
Women’s pale dresses of light materials highlight curves of bodies and reveal flesh (chest) = vulnerability and sexualisation
What is interesting about the gesture codes in this advert?
Both men and women are shown as dominant individuals
How can Stuart Halls theory of representation be linked to this advert?
Generic iconography of horror is expected to be decoded by the audience, such as the images of the castle, bats etc
What does iconography mean?
The visual images and symbols used in a work of art
How could David Gauntlett’s theory of identity be linked to the KOTV advert?
Idea that the female vampire acts as a role model for women struggling against oppression
What can the male victims gesture code be described as?
A ‘submissive sacrifice’ gesture code
Name 3 key aims of the Women’s Liberation in the 1960s?
Equal pay
End to sexual harassment
Equality within society in general
How’s does the gesture code of the female victim emphasis Male power?
Her passive victim gesture code highlights the male vampires power by the fact that he’s holding her with one arm
How are the female vampires gesture codes unconventional?
She’s appears aggressive because she is bearing her teeth and has her arm raised with a fist (bc she’s being bitten by a bat)
How is the female vampire represented in 3 words?
Non-stereotypically dominant way
How do the males gesture codes represent him as uncharacteristically fearful?
His arm is thrown across his body in a defensive gesture, perhaps protecting himself from the female vampire
