|
Back when I was making the 10 films of the drama genre run, I thought about what kind of financial success (or failure) could be had in releasing low-budget horror films directly to video. My first stab at it - Video Horror - persuaded me to never again release more than one video in a single genre during a single month. Especially not horror. Especially not in October. My poor little films were their own worst enemies in October of 1991 and 1992, slaughtering each other's commercial viability. My next round, Oktoberfest, was started with the intent of releasing a low-budget horror film on video each year for 10 years. I got as far as the first release (slightly profitable) before I came to terms with my viewing audience. They don't really want to see low-budget-but-good-quality PG-13 horror films on video. They want "Faces of Death", with a bit of porno thrown in. Since that's a yawner, I decided to release the rest of the films on the big screen, with huge budgets and top talent. Result being Oktoberfest, a highly profitable genre run. But still not very satisfying. No, indeed, the thrill is not in producing calculated commercial successes, but in gambling on a risky venture, and waiting with bated breath while the credits roll, hoping that Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public will look favorably upon a film that veers from the beaten path. Since it's the Lenten season, next up will be historical epics with a Christian theme. Let's see how the Mogul audience like "The Passion of the Christ"... Files: |
