Sell the sizzle, not the steak
The quote is often attributed to Kroger Babb, who made a fortune off of a whitecoat exploitation movie called Mom and Dad. It showed the actual birth of a baby and (mostly) men lined up and laid down their cash to see it.
David F. Friedman also used the saying. Movie huckster extraordinaire Friedman brought us many nudie/sexploitaion/gore movies, most notably in partnership with Herschell Gordon Lewis.
In fact, Sell the sizzle, not the steak was originally coined by Elmer Wheeler, who was a hugely successful, you have to say, con man in the nineteen-forties.
It’s an effective marketing strategy still in use today.
Case in point: Undertone, a low budget horror movie distributed by A24.
Undertone’s tagline is: “The scariest movie you’ll ever hear”. Which, to a legion of illiterate fans translates to “The scariest movie you’ll ever see”.
Oh, you should see the comments in A24’s promotional posts. Fans are livid. Pavlovian responses abound, with enraged viewers shouting venom about how it isn’t scary at all.
Which is a stupids statement. Who can say what is scary and what isn’t? I may find something terrifying or not effective at all. You may have the exact opposite reaction. A spider wreaks fear into one person, while another thinks it’s beautiful.
“Nothing happens”, they howl. “It’s just bad!” “A slow burn!”, as they run screaming in abject outrage.
They’re better off watching a vampire western or another regurgitated slasher sequel.
Hey, I watched the vampire western and I see most of the shitty slasher sequels. They’re fine.
I also understand not liking a movie. How couldn’t I?
It’s just that so many people are echoing each other. Social media programs people into groupthink sameness.
The really funny thing is, they all paid to see it.
The promotion department doesn’t particularly care if you like a movie. A24 isn’t shooting for the Oscar race with Undertone. They only want to make money. They want people in the seats. And, as has happened throughout history, it worked.
Look at the old fifties science fiction horror movies. Most are pretty miserable, but we love them anyway. The posters made the films look incredible. In most cases, the movies are a huge letdown. If, that is, you let the ballyhoo control your thoughts.
The movies should not be blamed for the promotional campaign anyway. Look at Undertone. It was made very cheaply, with ingenuity and passion.They didn’t have megamillions of dollars to create elaborate effects. So they utilized their setting at hand. In this case it was inside a real house. There simply wasn’t money to build sets.
I love little movies like Undertone, Good Boy, Dream Eater, Shelby Oaks, and Jimmy and Stiggs. I particularly like it when they make it to theaters.
Yes, I liked Undertone quite a lot. I don’t go into movies with my guard up, hoping to dislike them. I try to wipe my mental slate clean and take them for what they are. I try to like them. Why wouldn’t you? It’s a lot more fun than hating everything.
We owe it not only to the filmmakers, but to ourselves to shake all the hype and preconceived notions from our heads when we watch any movie. I know it can be hard. Very little is more annoying than excessive promotion.
I’m not perfect. I try and I mostly succeed. Sometimes the crap gets the best of me.
Fandom can be a good, positive, thing. Look at the outpouring of love and support for Joe Bob Briggs when The Lost Drive-In cancellation was announded. I’ve also seen, all too often, toxic fandom. I’ve seen it in book communities, especially science fiction, I’ve seen it in the comics world, and I’ve seen it in horror communities.
I think it also will help if people learn a little patience. To sit back and allow a movie to creep into their minds and slowly build dread.
With movies like Undertone, Paranormal Activity, The Blair Witch Project, or the notorious Skinamarinck (which I love), there needs to be a collaboration between filmmakers and audiences. You will get back the energy you give to these productions.
I’ll say it again: Cynicism, outrage, and vitriol are not as enjoyable as enthusiasm and joy.
In the meantime, I am very happy to report that at present, Undertone has earned roughly twenty times its production budget. This is good for independent horror and it’s good for fans. If Undertone really doesn't work for you, it might help pave the way for other worthy projects.
Let’s celebrate a victory for independent horror rather than try to tear it down. Isn’t that what fans should be doing?
As for me, I will continue to enjoy the sizzle and the steak.
Written by Mark Sieber
The quote is often attributed to Kroger Babb, who made a fortune off of a whitecoat exploitation movie called Mom and Dad. It showed the actual birth of a baby and (mostly) men lined up and laid down their cash to see it.
David F. Friedman also used the saying. Movie huckster extraordinaire Friedman brought us many nudie/sexploitaion/gore movies, most notably in partnership with Herschell Gordon Lewis.
In fact, Sell the sizzle, not the steak was originally coined by Elmer Wheeler, who was a hugely successful, you have to say, con man in the nineteen-forties.
It’s an effective marketing strategy still in use today.
Case in point: Undertone, a low budget horror movie distributed by A24.
Undertone’s tagline is: “The scariest movie you’ll ever hear”. Which, to a legion of illiterate fans translates to “The scariest movie you’ll ever see”.
Oh, you should see the comments in A24’s promotional posts. Fans are livid. Pavlovian responses abound, with enraged viewers shouting venom about how it isn’t scary at all.
Which is a stupids statement. Who can say what is scary and what isn’t? I may find something terrifying or not effective at all. You may have the exact opposite reaction. A spider wreaks fear into one person, while another thinks it’s beautiful.
“Nothing happens”, they howl. “It’s just bad!” “A slow burn!”, as they run screaming in abject outrage.
They’re better off watching a vampire western or another regurgitated slasher sequel.
Hey, I watched the vampire western and I see most of the shitty slasher sequels. They’re fine.
I also understand not liking a movie. How couldn’t I?It’s just that so many people are echoing each other. Social media programs people into groupthink sameness.
The really funny thing is, they all paid to see it.
The promotion department doesn’t particularly care if you like a movie. A24 isn’t shooting for the Oscar race with Undertone. They only want to make money. They want people in the seats. And, as has happened throughout history, it worked.
Look at the old fifties science fiction horror movies. Most are pretty miserable, but we love them anyway. The posters made the films look incredible. In most cases, the movies are a huge letdown. If, that is, you let the ballyhoo control your thoughts.
The movies should not be blamed for the promotional campaign anyway. Look at Undertone. It was made very cheaply, with ingenuity and passion.They didn’t have megamillions of dollars to create elaborate effects. So they utilized their setting at hand. In this case it was inside a real house. There simply wasn’t money to build sets.
I love little movies like Undertone, Good Boy, Dream Eater, Shelby Oaks, and Jimmy and Stiggs. I particularly like it when they make it to theaters.
Yes, I liked Undertone quite a lot. I don’t go into movies with my guard up, hoping to dislike them. I try to wipe my mental slate clean and take them for what they are. I try to like them. Why wouldn’t you? It’s a lot more fun than hating everything.
We owe it not only to the filmmakers, but to ourselves to shake all the hype and preconceived notions from our heads when we watch any movie. I know it can be hard. Very little is more annoying than excessive promotion.
I’m not perfect. I try and I mostly succeed. Sometimes the crap gets the best of me.
Fandom can be a good, positive, thing. Look at the outpouring of love and support for Joe Bob Briggs when The Lost Drive-In cancellation was announded. I’ve also seen, all too often, toxic fandom. I’ve seen it in book communities, especially science fiction, I’ve seen it in the comics world, and I’ve seen it in horror communities.
I think it also will help if people learn a little patience. To sit back and allow a movie to creep into their minds and slowly build dread.
With movies like Undertone, Paranormal Activity, The Blair Witch Project, or the notorious Skinamarinck (which I love), there needs to be a collaboration between filmmakers and audiences. You will get back the energy you give to these productions.
I’ll say it again: Cynicism, outrage, and vitriol are not as enjoyable as enthusiasm and joy.
In the meantime, I am very happy to report that at present, Undertone has earned roughly twenty times its production budget. This is good for independent horror and it’s good for fans. If Undertone really doesn't work for you, it might help pave the way for other worthy projects.
Let’s celebrate a victory for independent horror rather than try to tear it down. Isn’t that what fans should be doing?
As for me, I will continue to enjoy the sizzle and the steak.
Written by Mark Sieber
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