Regardless of its rather disturbing premise of perverted teddy bears, the advert is a
perfect example of what shall henceforth be known as the Wildly Overused Bodiless
Leg Motif (WOBLM). You know the
design: a nice single or pair of
feminine legs emerging from the margin – the perfect ploy to lure in male
consumers. Here are a few examples of
this tried and true technique.
Note: The WOBLM is not to be confused with The A Frame
Perhaps the best known example of WOBLM in action is The
Graduate. Mrs. Robinson’s leg became the
symbol for the movie, and a subsequently a pop culture icon. It’s a compelling image, and responsible for
many imitators in years to come.
De Palma was never shy to borrow from Hitchcock; in Dressed
to Kill, he also borrowed the WOBLM.
Granted, it was a better choice than a close up of a particularly
unnerving Michael Caine.
Spillane was obviously a leg-man, always spouting off about
a dame’s “stems”. How he was prone to
describing them: “Gams that started some way above her head and finished three
stories below."
Originality has never been a strength of the adult film
industry. Not only are popular Hollywood
titles copied (usually warped with a sexual spin – i.e. “Saving Private Ryan”
becomes “Shaving Ryan’s Privates” ), but here they also employ the WOBLM, adding
yet another layer of unoriginality.
Killer Party (1986) earns a special place in the WOBLM Hall of Fame for the use of two sets. Bravo, Killer Party.
Sorry about the Moire pattern - not my scan (swiped from an ebay listing)
From the film - The Night of the Scorpion
THE END
http://www.impawards.com/1992/adjuster_ver2.html
ReplyDelete- Eric C. H.
:)