KOTV Flashcards
Who produced KOTV?
Hammer Film Productions (same producers of The Mummy and Frankenstein) and distributed by J. Arthur Rank and Universal.
What genre is KOTV?
Part of the ‘monster movie’ and ‘gothic’ genre, was intended to be a sequel to Dracula
What is the significance behind “now in Eastman colour”?
This would have been seen as modern and unique at the time due to colour television being a new technology
Poster talking points:
Capitalized, serif font with “wooden” styling and blood-dripping V, typical of the vampire film genre.
Painted main image, a conventional style for the period, presented in color, indicating modernity.
The color palette in gloomy shades with red highlights, emphasizing bats, vampires, and blood as genre signifiers.
Stars listed with more prominent male actors first, following conventional practices.
Semiotics - Roland Barthes:
Symbolic Codes reinforce horror through signifiers like the moon and the male victim’s submissive gesture.
Structuralism - Claude Lévi-Strauss:
Binary oppositions in vampire-victim representations.
Examination of romantic connotations of “kiss” as opposed to the stereotypical “vampire” monster.
Why was the 1960s important for women?
Sexual liberation via the introduction of the contraceptive pill
More women entering the paid workforce
Society was beginning to recognize gender inequality
Gender equality bills were being passed in the UK and USA
What codes are significant in the KOTV poster?
Dress codes are employed to reinforce femininity, highlighting curves and revealing flesh.
Gesture codes depict a passive female victim and an aggressive female vampire.
Male victims’ submissiveness poses challenges to stereotypical representations.
Stuart Hall’s theory of representation:
The use of familiar iconography encourages the audience to decode the poster effectively.
David Gauntlett’s theory of identity:
The female vampire could act as a potential role model for women challenging oppression.
Liesbet Van Zoonen’s feminist theory:
The female vampire co-antagonist contributes to social change, but the passive female victim reinforces traditional roles.
What social context is significant in the 60s?
JFK assassination
The Soviet Union launched the first woman into space
What reading may the audience have to the poster?
Negotiated Reading: Male audience may appreciate stereotypical depictions and sexualization. Female audiences may have mixed feelings - pleased with some equality but annoyed by continued sexualization during the sexual liberation era.
What significance do the stars and production companies have?
The stars will already have a presold audience attracting more people to the movie, in combination with the fact that it is produced by Universal, which is a quality assurance trademark and is known for its great movies
Female representation:
Clothing Signifiers: Both females in thin white dresses accentuate femininity; and appear sexualized, fitting 1960s horror film female victim stereotypes.
