How to build a cult following
The power of the reference.
Quentin Tarantino has a cult following. Kevin Smith has a cult following. How do they do it? How do they create such a large loyal core of fans from an even larger group of casual fans? You know these fans. The ones who will buy every edition of every DVD of every movie the Director has made(See: Kevin Smith's "Drawing Flies"). They do it through the "Reference".
They tie in objects, dialogue, actions, and products through every movie. Example: In Kill Bill Vol. 2, I just saw The Bride, bound and buried alive in a coffin, cut her bonds by extracting a straight razor from one of her cowboy boots. The same straight razor that Mr. Blonde extracted from one of HIS cowboy boots to exact some torture on a bound cop in Reservoir Dogs. Kevin Smith has done this with Nails Cigarettes, like Tarantino's Red Apple Cigarettes, and using character references throughout his films.
Why is this done? To make the loyal fan feel like they "get it", where others do not. This makes the fan feel like they are "in on the joke", or really in tune to what the director wants to tell his audience, while the casual viewer is not.
Am I being critical of this clever ploy to solidify a loyal and cultish fan base? Absolutely not. I am a long time loyal fan of both. I "Get it". And love it.
Quentin Tarantino has a cult following. Kevin Smith has a cult following. How do they do it? How do they create such a large loyal core of fans from an even larger group of casual fans? You know these fans. The ones who will buy every edition of every DVD of every movie the Director has made(See: Kevin Smith's "Drawing Flies"). They do it through the "Reference".
They tie in objects, dialogue, actions, and products through every movie. Example: In Kill Bill Vol. 2, I just saw The Bride, bound and buried alive in a coffin, cut her bonds by extracting a straight razor from one of her cowboy boots. The same straight razor that Mr. Blonde extracted from one of HIS cowboy boots to exact some torture on a bound cop in Reservoir Dogs. Kevin Smith has done this with Nails Cigarettes, like Tarantino's Red Apple Cigarettes, and using character references throughout his films.
Why is this done? To make the loyal fan feel like they "get it", where others do not. This makes the fan feel like they are "in on the joke", or really in tune to what the director wants to tell his audience, while the casual viewer is not.
Am I being critical of this clever ploy to solidify a loyal and cultish fan base? Absolutely not. I am a long time loyal fan of both. I "Get it". And love it.
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