Does AMC Theatres understand the value of good advertising? This is a valid question to ask after the biggest theater chain in the world inexplicably nixed a popular parody that emerged online to promote horror outingSaw X. Technically, as parody is protected by the First Amendment, AMC didn’t “legally” have a leg to stand on when they requested Lionsgate pull down the video in question. However, Lionsgate still complied. AndSaw Xproducers have finally addressed the controversy in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Oren Koules toldEW:
“It’s like Voldemort. It’s the ‘Thing That Shall Not Be Named’ [he laughs].”
Saw Xproducer Mark Burg added:
“It was 100 percent the genius of the marketing team at Lionsgate. It’s a shame that AMC did not share our joy in it.”
The promotional spot in question was a parody of the Nicole Kidman-centric AMC Theatres’ advertising campaign titledWe Make Movies Better. TheSaw Xversion (We Make Traps Better) replaces Kidman’s presence in the real video with that of Billy the Puppet on his trusty tricycle. The scary film spoofmay have been removed by Lionsgate officially, but much like the horror franchise it represents… it won’t go away. In fact, you can check out theSaw Xspoof below:
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What Was AMC Theatres Thinking?
It seems odd that AMC Theatres would react so negatively to the LionsgateWe Make Traps Betterparody, which fans on the internet loved and in no way disparaged the world’s largest theater chain. If nothing else, AMC could have used theSaw Xspoof to lure customers into their own venues to watchSaw X. Just imagine the lights going down in an AMC auditorium. But instead of the same, staleNicole Kidmanad that’s been playing for over two years, fans of theSawfranchise see Billy the Puppet role into the cinema to kick off the evening.
Unfortunately, AMC couldn’t see the opportunity laid out before them. And instead, the theater chain hurried to have Lionsgate pull their parody down. For those who haven’t seen the original video featuring Kidman and want to compare it to theSaw Xversion, check out the AMC promo below:
In the comments of the YouTube video featuring Kidman as the spokesperson for AMC, @kolardgreene3096 wrote:
“Nothing like being told how great the movies are when you’re already at the movies trying to watch the movie.”
@joshpearson2928 added:
“This has the energy of going to McDonald’s drive-through, ordering your food, then having a lady stand in front of your car before you get to the window, so she can tell you about the first time she had a double cheeseburger and how much she liked it.”
As it turns out, AMC even had a cease-and-desist sent to Lionsgate after the film studio already pulled down the spoof! According to the host ofThe John Campea Show, who is also a former employee of AMC, CEO Adam Aron demanded Lionsgate take the video down. And a source tells Campea that AMC followed up their actions with a cease-and-desist letter.
The whole ordeal is mind-boggling because AMC Theatres could have profited by using the parody, which was an ingenious marketing ploy, to attract more viewers to their cinemas to watchSaw Xwho might not have before watching the spoof. Campea himself said he had no interest in watchingSaw Xbefore viewing theSawspoof, but that ad made him want to check out the film. @omarnieves2030 wrote in the video’s comments:
“They [AMC] should have played it in front of Saw X showing — missed opportunity.”
@shanirahrogers8709 added:
“AMC IS CRAZY!!!!!! Same for me, I wasn’t going to see SAW X, they have so many movies that I was like meh. I honestly don’t really care to go to the movies anymore, but this promo actually made me change my mind. AMC is stupid for this Lol!”
@kennethminear6739 wrote:
“I hate the AMC Nicole Kidman trailer, it’s just embarrassing to me and annoying as I’m waiting for the movie to start, the Saw LG [Lionsgate] one was hysterical and amusing…”
Sadly, CEO Adam Aron and AMC Theatres missed out on what could have been a golden opportunity to work closely with Lionsgate to perpetuate a lucrative moneymaking tie-in opportunity. But, for whatever reason, someone at AMC was offended by theSaw Xparody and tried to have the video wiped out of existence. Unfortunately for AMC, it’s called the internet — so, that didn’t happen.
