Clickbait (film)

Last updated
Clickbait
Clickbait 2019 poster.jpg
Directed by Sophia Cacciola
Michael J. Epstein
Written byJeremy Long
Michael J. Epstein
Produced bySophia Cacciola
Michael J. Epstein
StarringAmanda Colby Stewart
Brandi Aguilar
Seth Chatfield
Ryan James Hilt
Cedric Jonathan
Makeda Kumasi
Jannica Olin
Johannes Grenzfurthner
Sarah Paterson
Sophia Cacciola
Brittnee Hollenbach
Lianne O'Shea
Michael J. Epstein
Matt Stuertz
Jill Galbraith
CinematographyMatt Stuertz
Paul Zurcher
Edited bySophia Cacciola
Michael J. Epstein
Music byNight Kisses
Catherine Capozzi
Michael J. Epstein
Sophia Cacciola
Production
company
Launch Over
Release date
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Clickbait is a 2018 social satire horror film directed by Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein. The film is an exploration of the pressures on people to have performative identities and to seek popularity. [1] The film satirizes not only social media, but the way in which social media is used to sell advertising for mundane products, specifically the invented radioactive toaster pastry, Toot Strudels. [2] [3]

Contents

The film won the award for "Best Feature" at the Starburst 2019 Fantasy Film Awards. [4]

Plot

A popular vlogger, Bailey, is upset when she loses her status on vlogging site, str33ker.com, [5] to a competing creator who is diagnosed with cancer. When Bailey starts getting stalked, her popularity rises again, and she is not so eager to have the crime solved. With incompetent police detective Dobson assigned to the case, the culprit will probably not be caught.

Description

Daniel XIII of Horror Fuel says that Clickbait is, "a horror comedy that takes the horror part seriously, along with a heaping helpin' of surreal visuals, pointed commentary, and toaster pastries." Andrew Marshall of Starburst noted the film's audience-focused themes calling the film, "a scathing observation of the habits of the internet age, Clickbait asks us to take a hard look at our online viewing habits and the true reasons for our enjoyment of the darker things that appeal to us, and demands we truly consider the kinds of things we might be inadvertently complicit in." [6]

Cast

Production

The film went into production in December 2017. [7]

Reception

Clickbait has received generally positive reviews. Daniel XIII of Horror Fuel gave it 5 out of 5 skulls and said, “…a strong undercurrent of biting social commentary presented in a satirical manner. Everything from social media to corporate sponsorship to instant celebrity to the corruption of law enforcement and government is well and duly skewered. But fret not, because while these themes are being explored, there is a true reverence to our beloved horror biz on display as well (especially for the slasher and giallo genres).” [8] Matt Storc of Horror Society noted the film's satirical qualities, giving it a 3.5/5 and saying, "Fans of John Waters and Paul Bartel movies are in for a treat with Clickbait." [9]

Release

Clickbait was released on VOD in North America on June 18, 2019. [10] [11]

Festivals and awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johannes Grenzfurthner</span> Austrian artist, writer, curator, and theatre and film director

Johannes Grenzfurthner is an Austrian artist, filmmaker, writer, actor, curator, theatre director, performer and lecturer. Grenzfurthner is the founder, conceiver and artistic director of monochrom, an international art and theory group and film production company. Most of his artworks are labeled monochrom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sitges Film Festival</span> Annual Spanish film festival

The Sitges Film Festival and also translated as Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia and originally the International Week of Fantasy and Horror Movies, is an annual film festival held in Sitges, Catalonia, Spain. It specialises in fantasy and horror films, of which it is considered one of the world's foremost international festivals. Established in 1968, the festival takes place every year, usually in early October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Underground Film Festival</span>

The Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF) is an annual event held in the Boston area that specializes in alternative film and video. BUFF is the largest underground film festival in New England, spotlighting short films and feature-length films that would not otherwise find an audience. It was the only film festival in the world to give an award for "Most Effectively Offensive" films, an accolade it awarded from its inception until 2017; on the festival's twentieth anniversary, the award was retired and replaced with "Best First Feature Film," marking a shifting focus towards celebrating new voices in filmmaking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toaster Strudel</span> Brand of toaster pastries

Toaster Strudel is the brand name of a toaster pastry, prepared by heating the frozen pastries in a toaster and then spreading the included icing packet on top. The brand is historically notable for being stored frozen, due to innovations in 1980s food manufacturing processes.

The Imagine Film Festival, formerly Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival (AFFF), also known as Imagine Fantastic Film Festival or simply Imagine, is an annual film festival in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The festival was created in 1991 as the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival, with a focus mainly on fantasy and horror films, before changing its name in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Issa López</span> Mexican filmmaker

Issa López is a Mexican director, writer and producer. Twelve Spanish language features have been produced from her scripts, four of them directed by herself. She has won several literary awards, including the National Novel Award granted by Mexico's Institute of Fine Arts and Literature in 2007.

<i>Truth or Dare</i> (2013 film) 2013 American film

Truth or Dare is a 2013 American horror film and the directorial debut of Jessica Cameron, who also starred in, wrote, and produced the film. The movie had its world premiere on 13 September 2013 at the Arizona Underground Film Festival, where it also won Best Horror Feature. Truth or Dare centers upon a group of college students that publish YouTube videos that gain them not only worldwide infamy but also an obsessed fan turned deadly stalker.

<i>Ten</i> (2014 film) 2014 American film

Ten is a 2014 thriller/horror film directed by Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein in which ten women find themselves in a vacant mansion on an island. The film had its world premiere on March 30, 2014 at the Boston Underground Film Festival and features an all-female ensemble cast.

<i>Innsmouth</i> (film) 2015 short horror film by Izzy Lee, inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft

Innsmouth is a 2015 short horror film that was directed by Izzy Lee, who co-wrote and co-produced the film with Francesco Massaccesi. The film premiered on August 19, 2015 and is inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft, particularly The Shadow over Innsmouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Izzy Lee</span> American filmmaker and writer

Izzy Lee is an American filmmaker and writer, known for her short films Re-Home (2019), The Obliteration of the Chickens (2019), My Monster (2018), and Innsmouth, which she produced through her company Nihil Noctem. She has written for multiple outlets such as Birth.Movies.Death, Rue Morgue, TwitchFilm, and Fangoria and has also helped program and curate film festivals like the Boston Underground and the Boston Sci-Fi Fest.

<i>The Id</i> (film) 2016 American film

The Id is a 2016 American thriller/horror film, written by Sean H. Stewart and directed by Thommy Hutson. The film stars Amanda Wyss, Patrick Peduto and Jamye Grant. As of February 2019, the film has grossed nearly $8k from DVD and Blu-ray sales.

Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival is an international film festival in Buffalo, New York.

<i>Blood of the Tribades</i> 2016 American horror film

Blood of the Tribades is a 2016 horror film directed by Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein. The script, style, and look are heavily influenced by 1970s European lesbian vampire films. The film is distributed in North America on VOD and DVD/Blu-ray by Launch Over and VHS by SRS Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael J. Epstein</span> American filmmaker

Michael J. Epstein, is an American filmmaker, musician, writer, and auditory scientist. Epstein has also spoken and written about the impact of local media on the arts, music service gatekeeping, effective social networking, and crowdfunding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophia Cacciola</span> American film director

Sophia Cacciola is an American filmmaker, artist, and musician.

The GenreBlast Film Festival is an annual event held in the Winchester, Virginia area that specializes in genre film. GenreBlast is the largest genre film festival in the Washington, D.C. region, spotlighting short and feature films that are typically independently produced and would not otherwise receive theatrical release.

The Sanford International Film Festival is an annual event held in Sanford, Maine that specializes in independent film.

Chimera Strain is a 2018 science fiction drama/thriller film written and directed by Maurice Haeems, and produced by Jay Sitaram and Maurice Haeems.

<i>Saint Maud</i> 2019 film by Rose Glass

Saint Maud is a 2019 British psychological horror film written and directed by Rose Glass in her feature directorial debut. The film stars Morfydd Clark as a religious private carer who becomes dangerously fixated with saving the soul of her patient. Jennifer Ehle, Lily Frazer, Lily Knight, Marcus Hutton, Turlough Convery and Rosie Sansom appear in supporting roles.

<i>The Once and Future Smash</i> 2022 mockumentary horror film by Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein

The Once and Future Smash is a 2022 mockumentary film directed by Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein. The film tells the story of Mikey Smash and William Mouth, who both played the same football cannibal slasher character, Smash-Mouth, in the 1970 film, End Zone 2.

References

  1. "Syfy Wire: Sophia Cacciola Discusses Showcasing Women in Film Via Sociopolitical Horror and Sci-Fi". 24 August 2018. Archived from the original on 30 January 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  2. Toot Strudels http://www.tootstrudels.com/.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. Critic, Headless. "Watching Movies - Clickbait".
  4. "Complete List of 2019 STARBURST Fantasy Awards Winners". Starburst Magazine.
  5. str33ker http://www.str33ker.com.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. "Starburst Magazine".
  7. "Giallo-Inspired Modern Thriller "Clickbait" Gets a Teaser Poster". 5 December 2017.
  8. "Movie Review: Clickbait (2018)". 24 July 2018.
  9. "Clickbait (Genreblast Film Festival Review)". 27 August 2018.
  10. Davis, Darsh (30 June 2019). "Clickbait Movie Review: A Fun Social-satire & Horror-Comedy About A Stalker Trending on the Livestream Site!". Everything Horror Podcast. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  11. "Clickbait (2019) on Just Watch". Just Watch.
  12. "Genreblast 2018: Clickbait W/ Shorts".
  13. "GenreBlast awards".
  14. "SIFF". Sanford International Film Festival.
  15. "Sanford Awards Roster".
  16. "Arizona Underground Film Festival 2018 Award Winners". Archived from the original on 2018-09-25. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  17. "FANtastic Horror Film Festival nominations on Facebook". Facebook .
  18. "Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival Facebook". Facebook .
  19. "Complete List of 2019 STARBURST Fantasy Awards Winners". Starburst Magazine.
  20. "Clickbait at the Boston Underground Film Festival". Boston Underground Film Festival.