How do you market a porno film?

255762 — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:16:00 GMT

Not a real porno film, but Kevin Smith's new raunchy romcom the title of which, 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno', which is causing a marketing nightmare for the Weinstein Company with newspapers, cable and TV channels refusing to run ads.

'Zack and Miri Make a Porno', which tells the sweet story of how some broke friends get together and try to make a buck or two out of making a porn movie, has been having a tough time of it. It has been rated R (under 17 requires an accompanying parent or adult guardian) having first been given a NC-17 rating (no one under 17), which is pretty much movie death but was over turned on appeal by Kevin Smith.

The Motion Picture Association of America then banned the US poster featuring stars Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen. It had the pair standing side-by-side with their opposing heads pasted over their crotches.

Hardly offensive and the Canadians let it run. So go Canada. This all led Smith to despair on his My Boring-Ass Life blog:

"Our frustration in getting an MPAA approval on the American poster led to last-resort ideas about showcasing dopey, simple images instead of risque pics of our leads - which, in turn, led to what’s now the official American poster for the flick…"

The film's posters have faced protests in Boston where their placement on bus shelters and city buses was called "totally inappropriate". The posters were banned in Philadelphia before they could even appear. With the city's deputy mayor saying: "Zack and Miri can make a porno, but not on my bus shelter."

The Wall Street Journal says that after receiving viewer complaints about an ad that aired during a LA Dodgers' baseball game in September, News Corp.'s FSN Prime Ticket cable channel refused to run more ads. Fox television network has also refused to run the 30-second spots as have more than 15 newspapers and a number of other TV and cable channels and those that have taken the cash have opted to abbreviate the title to 'Zack and Miri.

It is not the first time Smith's films have caused a stink. 'Dogma' his all star (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Chris Rock, Salma Hayek, Alan Rickman, Linda Fiorentino) cast film took a pop at the Catholic church that caused a mini storm in America and hit the movie with Christians demonstrating against it. It annoyed the Catholic League (due to a reference about the Virgin Mary having post-Jesus sex with Joseph) and Smith received over ten thousand pieces of protest/hate mail and three death threats.

After the controversy surrounding Dogma, Smith said he wanted to make a movie that couldn't be attacked for its content, well he did that three times (none of which have been a touch on his best film 'Chasing Amy') with mixed results (remember the post-Gigli Bennifer movie 'Jersey Girl' – ouch).

Smith, who loves a smutty *** joke or ten, had to know when he started his new film that the title would cause a stink bomb size smell. After not great performances at the box office with 'Jersey Girl' or 'Clerks II' he is hoping the hullabaloo helps.

"If anything, the controversy might help us pick up a wider audience, simply by virtue of the fact that people have been talking about it so much"

What is so interesting is that despite the economic downturn so many people are refusing to take the advertising.

The film looks very funny and I don't expect that when its UK release rolls around that there will be any furore in the UK, but I could be wrong.

What do you think?

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How do you market a porno film?