Shock Sony pictures invest in Prom Night publicity stunt ..

At long last, a Hollywood Studio buying into a publicity stunt. According to reports, a fear-inducing publicity stunt in US movie theatres helped usher in success for the new film “Prom Night,” as the movie won the box office battle for the weekend ending April 13, according to USA Today and other film sources. The slasher flick had a B-list cast and a set of really crap reviews, but nonetheless vaulted to an estimated $22.7 million in its opening weekend. I love to see stunts embraced in an ever cautious, penny pinching environment but clearly the US audience loved the effort. The distributor set-up cardboard stand-up ads in 120 theaters advertising the film. The standees, which looked like creepy mansions, invited moviegoers to step inside “for a night to die for.” When they opened the doors they were greeted by a screaming, flailing usher from the theatre’s staff. Teens took videos of the reactions, which quickly became a hit on YouTube. It worked great, but I fear the movie’s success is perhaps more to do with the American audience’s addiction to violence than the PR stunt.