Teen horror makes global rounds.

Author/s: Braden Phillips
Issue: Variety, Oct 23, 2000

Hollywood with Halloween nearing and films such as Artisan's "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" opening this week, scary movies may be on the mainstream brain, but they also continue to feature prominently.
Ongoing sequels and spoofs prove the genre hasn't worn out its welcome just yet. Miramax Intl. is selling "Scary Movie 2" -- the pic's tagline reads, "We promised no sequel: We lied." And Lions Gate Films' teen-horror spoof "Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th" will be sold at the Milan market. "It's surprising, but horror is still holding up," says Scott Jones, president, Artist View Entertainment. "Action-adventure thrillers are the mainstay of our lineup, but we bet on the market with the others. One of them is a teen horror-scream pie."

Scary sells, especially if it's horror with tongue firmly planted in cheek. "We had a horror film, `The Convent,' that almost made fun of itself. It sold everywhere," says Rene Torres, president, Alpine Pictures Intl. "If there's one genre buyers feel safe buying now, it's horror. They're not spending a lot, so the upside is there."

The strength of the U.S. dollar may be helping sales of the low-budget teen horror genre, but market watchers are leery about counting on its longevity. "There's interest in teen films," says Kathy Morgan, of Kathy Morgan Intl. and chairman of the American Film Marketing Assn. "Problem is: If you're greenlighting it today, will it be oversold by the time it's ready?"
Put the question to foreign buyer reps and the answer is an unequivocal yes. "Of the 150 scripts I've gotten this past week, 90 to 100 were teen-oriented, mostly horror," says Darius Kapfer, senior VP at the S. Hirsch Co., which represents markets ranging from Japan to Scandinavia. "There's going to be a glut, killing demand, a la the `Pulp Fiction' phenomenon. But that's the cyclical nature of the business." "It's much easier for us to focus on high-quality thrillers," notes Marc Forby, VP, Le Monde Entertainment. "`Blair Witch,' `Scream,' those are exceptions. Usually these films work phenomenally well in the States, but there are many territories outside that don't tolerate teen slasher movies."

Still, there's no greater recommendation to foreign buyers than the success of a film in the U.S. market, no matter what the genre. But many distributers are noting a broader trend with respect to theatrical pre-sales that impacts all films. "In the old days, we could make a film and we knew we'd get a deal afterwards," says Morgan. "Now you've gotta have a good story, a star, a great director and U.S. theatrical distribution. Packaging a film is becoming much more of a challenge."

Money markets
The sophistication of foreign buyers is a reflection of local markets, which are more developed and have access to more financial clout, especially in Germany. "There's been a big increase in co-productions, not only Euro-American but within the European union," says Gene George, president, Regent Intl. "And there's been an influx of currency in the German marketplace, and more partnering with Americans to ensure themselves a flow of films, especially higher-profile films."

One constant for foreign buyers, even in co-productions, is the indispensability of an American star. "What you'll find is a main American name and then a German co-star, which suits European economic community criteria and makes it more valuable, especially for TV," says Artist View's Jones, "but at the end of the day, it seems even their public is drawn to the highbrow American name." Even in countries like Spain and Italy, which are seeing a resurgence in their film and television industries, the demand is for event movies. "Those countries are paying a little more money now," says Sergei Yershov, Trimark's senior VP, international sales, "but they're looking for marquee names."

Meanwhile, at Spectrum Films, the bulk of whose inventory is horror, business is brisk. "Sometimes we do a little better, like right now," says Toni Zobel, the company's VP of international sales. "Horror will always sell because it translates well. You can turn down the sound on a horror movie and still get the good stuff."