Bwana devil color12/30/2023 ![]() New York Times reviewer Bosley Crowther considered the movie “a clumsy try at an African adventure film” upon its release, giving it a largely negative review, aside from “some mild sensations. The 3-D effects are presented as much for the fascination and fear of the Other (human, cultural, and geographical), as they are for the lions. However, within a few minutes of watching the film, today’s audiences will quickly realize that the prominent danger lies in the colonizing actions of the British protagonists, intent on capitalizing the African land (as well as the indigenous people and Indian workers contracted for the back-breaking railroad labor). The creatures “featured” in the film are Kenyan lions with a thirst for human flesh. Studios banked on the new 3-D technology and the lions’ ferocious appeal to increase viewership, releasing promotional movie posters which enticed viewers to embrace their fear by emphasizing the film’s ability to project “A LION in your lap!” The film was loosely based on the true story of the Tsavo Man-Eaters, a pair of lions that killed men working on the Kenya-Uganda Railway in 1898 (Bader and Maddox 7). In 1952, United Artists released Bwana Devil, the first feature-length 3-D film in color. Studios embraced 3-D technology with various classic horror releases, in hopes of increasing movie theater attendance. In 3-D Revolution: The History of Modern Stereoscopic Cinema, Ray Zone explains how the “dual-camera and projector technology visual effect that was the hallmark of the era of convergence, both as a promotional device and aesthetic leitmotif.” Horror films, in particular, were an ideal genre for this new technology, as the 3-D effects could enhance audiences’ fear responses, allowing them to feel physically closer to the settings and frightening creatures presented on the screen. Re-envisioning ways to bring people back to the downtown movie theaters, studios promoted the 3-D viewing experience as one only achievable in the cinema. The 1950’s brought a flight to the suburbs, along with the post-war purchase of televisions (Blakemore). Seventy years ago, movie theaters were also battling forces which were keeping viewers at home. While entertainment producers race to create promotions which will bring viewers back into the theaters, it is, ironically, the interactive fear experience which may rescue the movie theater from extinction. ![]() The fear of contagious transmission of COVID-19 in large crowds and within indoor areas only exacerbated the challenges of the industry, which continues to struggle to climb out of the economic devastation caused by the pandemic (Exhibition). The crushing competition of streaming services, rising ticket and refreshment costs, and the plethora of available home theater options had already caused a major decline in viewership, even before the pandemic hit (Barnes). The last few years have not been kind to the movie theater industry. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |