Rumour, hearsay and gossip have long been friends of the film marketing machine. Whether it’s stories about on-set romances, banned scenes or ‘cursed’ sets, it goes without saying that the more a film is discussed prior to release (preferably with a high degree of polarised opinion) the easier it is to market and distribute to an eager and receptive audience. Marketing people would be using words like “viral” at this point to explain the mysterious attraction of a film that is talked about precisely because it is being talked about.
