The Movie: The found footage genre takes the horror format and has a stab at reinventing The Exorcist for the new generation. A far cry from the Blatty/Friedkin classic, it's not without its decent moments, although that said few horror films have lived up to those standards. The Campaign: The poster campaign, depicting a young girl covered in blood with her back arched beneath a crucifix, was controversial enough to gather plenty of complaints in the UK, and the Advertising Standards Authority promptly decreed it unsuitable for display in public places. But it was the online viral campaign using Chatroulette which really caught the attention of the public. Viewers were treated to a young attractive lady seductively undressing before transforming into a monster - a shock tactic which has been emulated countless times since. Effectiveness: despite an average-at-best critical reception, The Last Exorcism made a whopping $68 million on a budget of just $1.8 million, and while the horror genre is well known for recouping significant profits on low investments, the popularity of the viral campaign no doubt helped to boost its ticket sales.
