Legend has it that a woman had a heart attack during Lon Chaney’s unmasking scene in Universal’s silent classic THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Ever since, movies getting that kind of a physical reaction from audiences has been a much-sought-after prize, a wonderful, scintillating gemstone of free publicity. This is especially true of Horror movies. If words get out that viewers are passing out in the aisles of the theater, that’s guaranteed to make people want to see the offending picture. A new film called RAW is getting that kind of buzz. Paramedics had to be called to the site of the Toronto International Film Festival after several attendees suffered reactions while viewing the movie. Details are sketchy as to how many people succumbed, and whether they simply fainted, got violently ill, or both, or ran screaming from the theater in hysterics. According to the report from THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER (available at the source link below), there were “multiple” incidents.
RAW is a French film chronicling a vegetarian college student’s transformation into a cannibal. Hey, go big or go home, right? If you’re gonna make that kind of leap, might as well go all the way with it. I look forward to RAW becoming available on video. I’ll probably order a pizza to scarf as I watch it.
