This is How a Film Studio Market’s A Film to White and Black Audiences With Separate Promotional Materials
By Danny Marianino on February 5, 2016
ONE OF THE MOST DISTURBING UNDERGROUND REVENGE FILMS OUT THERE IS A GRITTY AND SOMETIMES UNCOMFORTABLE FILM CALLED FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE. ALSO KNOWN AS STAYIN’ ALIVE, IT WAS RELEASED IN 1977 AND IT TAKES EXTREME TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
IN FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE, WILLIAM SANDERSON STARS AS A REDNECK RACIST NAMED JESSIE LEE KANE WHO, ALONG WITH TWO OTHER ESCAPED CONVICTS, TAKES A BLACK FAMILY HOSTAGE WHILE HIDING OUT. THEIR PLAN IS TO GET ACROSS THE BORDER AT NIGHTFALL, BUT BEFORE THEY DO THEY TORMENT THE SHIT OUT OF THIS POOR FAMILY IN QUITE POSSIBLY ONE OF THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE FILMS IN MY BOOK THE MEGA BOOK OF REVENGE FILMS VOL. 1.
THE MOVIE’S DIALOGUE CONSISTS OF SOME OF THE MOST STEREOTYPICAL RACIST COMMENTS EVER AND WHAT I FOUND INTRIGUING IS THAT THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT TRAILERS FOR THIS FILM. ONE DEPICTS THE MOVIE AS A RISE UP AND FIGHT BACK AGAINST WHITEY BLAXPLOITATION FILM AND THE OTHER DEPICTS IT AS YOUR TYPICAL SEVENTIES DRIVE-IN EXPLOITATION FLICK. THEY ARE TRYING TO GAIN BOTH AUDIENCES WITH SLICK TRAILER EDITING AND I THINK THAT IS INGENIOUS.
HERE IS THE BLAXPLOITATION MARKETED TRAILER:
NOW FOR THE DRIVE-IN GRINDHOUSE EXPLOITATION STYLE TRAILER:
JUST BY CUTTING A TRAILER DIFFERENTLY YOU CAN MAKE A FILM MORE APPEALING TO A DIFFERENT AUDIENCE. THAT ISN’T AN UNCOMMON PRACTICE BUT IT STILL BLOWS MY MIND!
THINGS I SHOULD POINT OUT: THAT THERE IS A HANGING, A KID GETS KILLED (WHICH WAS A BIT BOTHERSOME FOR ME), AND IT HAS A RAPE SCENE THAT IS UNCOMFORTABLE. OTHER THAN THOSE THINGS THAT MAY MAKE YOU CRINGE, FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE HAS ONE OF THE GREATEST ENDINGS IN REVENGE HISTORY AND MAKES UP FOR ALL OF THE SOUR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS YOU WILL MAKE THROUGHOUT. SERIOUSLY, THE LAST FIVE MINUTES WILL REALLY LEAVE YOU SATISFIED.
