Classic Horror Films: Doing More With Less [Windows 7 Phone Giveaway]

Do more with less. I know you’ve undoubtedly heard that phrase about a million times in the last couple of years. Thanks to the economy being a shitstorm of epic proportions and unemployment skyrocketing, more than ever, people are trying to do more with less. It seems everywhere you turn, you hear about someone being laid off or some giant and once invincible company filing for bankruptcy. Throughout all of this, some of us actually had more in the beginning and when push came to shove, we had to scale back a little bit to make things work. But what if you didn’t have anything in the first place? What if your resources were restricted from the very start? What would you do then?

Now, I know what you are thinking. “How in the hell does this have to do with pop culture? This is MamaPop, where are my hilariously genius television recaps? Where are all the gratuitous boob shots? Where did all that award winning snark run off to?!” Simple. Pop culture is riddled with folklorish tales of making a spectacular something out of nothing. In fact, some of the best movies, television shows, albums, and theater productions of all time simply had to buck up and do more with less. I mean, not everyone has a James Cameron budget, right?

I’m sure by now you have heard about the success of true David vs Goliath type films like The Blair Witch Project. With a budget estimated somewhere below $40k, the film took off and grossed upwards of $250 million worldwide. Not too shabby! Or what about films that actually had a decent production budget, but did more with less in the plot and writing departments? Yeah, I’m looking at you Snakes on a Plane!

But as successful as those two films were, they can’t compare to the wild and hardcore cult following, phenomenal popularity, and true to the word “do more with less”mentality as one of the best horror movies of all time. What on Earth am I talking about? The Evil Dead.

Released in October of 1981, The Evil Dead did really damned well given it’s rather dire circumstances. Given a budget of only $375k, The Evil Dead thanked producers to the sum of nearly $2.5 million of glorious box office receipts. A 566% return on their investment? Hell yeah! As if a super limited budget wasn’t enough, producer/director Sam Raimi had all kinds of problems to deal with during filming of this excellent film. At one point, Mr. Raimi had to use extras to fill in for the actors who had quit mid filming. The horror and violence were so great, no distribution company in the United States would touch the film with a ten foot pole. After a strong showing at the Cannes Film Festival, a European company finally snatched up the rights to distribute the soon to be cult classic. And thank big baby jeebus they did.

Now, I know what you are thinking. $2.5 million isn’t a whole lot of money for a film to gross. Specially when The Blair Witch Project grossed more than 100 times that amount. Hell even Snakes on a Plane kicked The Evil Dead‘s panties off at the box office, right? Well, not so fast. Appearances aren’t always what they seem. The Evil Dead came out in 1981 remember? $2.5 million was a lot more back then. And here’s the real kicker. They achieved that amount of success, that much popularity, and that much of a sick cult following without the aid of two major things that movies today take for granted. Care to guess what I am talking about? Okay, stop guessing. You’re just sounding stupid now. The Evil Dead did all of that without the benefit of a mass marketing media blitz and the single most important marketing tool in the history of marketing shit. Yep, the internet. Do you remember how huge the internet marketing strategy was for The Blair Witch Project alone? Do you realize how many fucking commercials I had to sit through blasting my eyes and ears with Samuel L. Jackson yelling at those motherfucking snakes on a plane? Just imagine the kind of success possible if The Evil Dead was given even a tiny shred of that marketing power. Kind of mind blowing, huh? Yeah, I thought so too.

As a parent, I truly know all about doing more with less. I spend each and every day trying to figure out ways to simplify my life, cut out the bullshit, and truly do more with less. When push came to shove, The Evil Dead team truly did just that. Given the same set of circumstances, what would you do? What could you do with less? Would you rise up and do more? Or cave in and do less?

Now, what if you had something to help you do more with less? Maybe something like, oh, a new Windows 7 Phone? Yeah, buddy! Nothing like free shit, huh?? No, this isn’t a joke. Want to know how to get your awesome little hands on a kick ass free Windows 7 Phone? Simple. Just leave a comment on this very post between the dates of November 15, 2010 through November 29, 2010. After the closing date rolls around, I will pick one (And only one. There’s only one phone, remember?) winner at random (via random.org), then POOF! VIOLA! You get a free Windows 7 Phone! It’s really as simple as that (well, except that for these Official Rules you should read. But that’s a small catch, really).

So what are you waiting for? Go! Comment! Tell us what your favorite bit of Pop Culture that does more with less is (movies, TV, music, whatever)! Speak your mind, and you could actually win something pretty damned cool.

BONUS ROUND: This very same giveaway is going on over at the MamaPop Overlord’s personal joints – Sweetney and Amalah — so head on over there too and comment to TRIPLE your chances to win!!!

Disclosure: This giveaway is brought to you by the new Windows Phone 7. Learn more about Windows Phone online [www.windowsphone.com] and see it in person at local T-Mobile stores today.