Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: L.A. Theater Provides Barf Bags for Cannibal Movie 'Raw'

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 03-21-2017, 09:35 PM:

I guess it's a good marketing gimmick... [Big Grin]

From the Hollywood Reporter:

quote:

L.A. Theater Provides Barf Bags for Cannibal Movie 'Raw'

By Pamela McClintock - March 21, 2017

The intense French thriller follows a young girl who gets an all-consuming appetite for human flesh.

Moviegoers nauseated by French director's Julia Ducournau's cannibal-infused Raw don't need to worry about throwing up in their popcorn bags — at least at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles.

The cinema is offering custom-made barf bags to customers before the movie begins playing. An usher hands out the bags after explaining that, due to the graphic gore in the movie, several viewers have fainted, while at least one person vomited.

"One of the staff at the Nuart took up the initiative to make the barf bags out of paper lunch bags. What a fun idea! I remember that used to be done with some horror releases in the 1970s," said Mark Valen, a film buyer with Landmark Theatres and who also programs the Nuart.

It isn't the first time people have responded in such fashion. There were also fainting and vomiting when the French thriller made the rounds on the festival circuit.

Raw, about a young girl who develops an all-consuming appetite for human flesh, made its world premiere at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival before playing at other fests, including Toronto. Focus World picked up rights to the movie following Cannes.

"Marking the feature debut of French director Julia Ducournau, who leads a terrific young cast into a maelstrom of blood, guts and unfettered sexual awakening, this Cannes Critics' Week selection should become a hot potato (or is that a meatball?) at the market while propelling its talented creator into the spotlight," The Hollywood Reporter's review said of the movie. Adding to the gore factor is the fact that the film is set at a Gallic veterinary college.

Raw, which opened in select theaters earlier this month, has grossed $78,000 to date from nine cinemas.

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 03-21-2017, 09:40 PM:

I had a couple of people vomit during the Jackass movies. And one during... Bridesmaids, maybe? I remember that one made a tremendous mess out of the aisle rug.

Good thing I have my own carpet cleaning machine. I can clean that sort of thing up right after the show and it's as good as new by the next night.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-21-2017, 10:13 PM:

Either this is a marketing stunt, or they are a bunch of wusses.

We played this pic at Beyondfest (French and subtitled, so it's art, right?) last fall: most of the audience were swigging beer and guzzling candy throughout the show. No barf was in evidence anywhere afterwards.

Posted by Matt Russell (Member # 8989) on 03-21-2017, 11:18 PM:

I remember there were a lot of reports on people getting motion sickness during Blair Witch Project and the Paranormal Activity movies because of the found footage style.

Posted by Jonathan M. Crist (Member # 413) on 03-21-2017, 11:48 PM:

They did the barf bag thing for the movie "Mark of the Devil" back in 1970.

Aint no such thing as something new in Hollywoodland.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-22-2017, 06:51 AM:

Just watch the John Goodman movie Matinee. In the movie, they have their audience sign release forms before entering the theatre from the "nurse" that is on standby. I love this movie!

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 03-22-2017, 11:54 AM:

Matinee is one of my favorite films as well, I grew up with all these movies and I remember their gimmicks. As I am sure you know, the John Goodman character is modeled after William Castle, who was a true pioneer of this kind of stuff, including the nurse in the lobby. His gag for The Tingler was the placement of vibrating motors under theater seats which would zap film goers on cue, this was done just a few years ago at the Film Forum as part of a Castle retrospective. Of course, the best was "Emergo", which involved flying a skeleton out of a box at the top of the screen, this for House on Haunted Hill. I believe the Loews Jersey did this some time ago.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-22-2017, 01:17 PM:

When Exorcist first came out Mad Magazine had made up barf bags for it

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-22-2017, 10:02 PM:

They'll really need them for the sequel, then. In that movie, they have to hire the devil to get the priest out of the child!