Even if its a promotional stunt, I do like to acknowledge when a corporation does something right to promote a better good. This month, the Saw series will return to movie theaters with its 8th installment, Jigsaw. The first six saw movies had a declining box office revenue, in no small part due to the franchise’s habit of going big, being censored by the MPAA to get an R-rating, and then releasing the full unrated (or, NC-17) versions on DVD/Blu-Ray. However, the final chapter of the franchise, Saw 3D, had a worldwide box office of $145m on a $17m budget. That’s nothing to sneeze at.
For nearly every release of Saw, Lionsgate has done a promotional October blood drive. If you donate a pint of blood to the American Red Cross on the Saw tour, you get a free ticket to see the latest movie. Kicking off today in New York City, the Jigsaw Blood Drive is touring around the country to get you to give as much blood as you can spare. Over the course of its journey, Lionsgate’s blood drive has recieved 120,000 pints of blood given over its six previous iterations (Saw 3D did not come with a promotional drive).
Each promotional drive is accompanied by an advertising promo with horror-fetish nurses adorned with bloody syringes or pint bags. This year, Lionsgate is doing something a little different. They’re using fetish photography featuring a variety of models including trans* icon Amanda LePore, Rotten Tomatoes film critic Grae Drake, and queer albino ballroom model Shaun D Ross. The message is simple: All Types Welcome. A pointed message considering the American Red Cross still does not accept blood from sexually active gay men based on FDA regulations. Though these regulations are probably not going to change under this administration, the current regulations stipulate that gay men cannot give blood if they have had sex within the past year. This is a preventative measure still hanging around from the time of HIV/AIDS.
While the FDA regulations are still in place, the message of this campaign is that there are many civic minded and/or impoverished gay people who are not allowed to give blood based on sexual orientation and history. Several of the models in this campaign are forbidden from giving blood if they are sexually active. But, all types are welcome.
If you’re so inclined to give blood, live near one of these major cities, and would like a free trip to see Jigsaw, please donate. The schedule is below. Or you can head over to the official Jigsaw Blood Drive website to see more and find all of the gorgeous posters.
ATLANTA // 10/19 // 8AM – 5PM // GEORGIA TECH STUDENT CENTER BALLROOM
AUSTIN // 10/20 // 8AM – 5PM // WE ARE BLOOD
BOSTON // 10/12, 9AM – 3PM // 10/18, 8AM – 5PM // COPLEY SQUARE (MOBILE); KRAFT FAMILY BLOOD DONOR CENTER
CINCINNATI // 10/13 // 8:30AM – 3PM // HOXWORTH NORTH
CLEVELAND // 10/17 // 12PM – 4PM // CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY
DALLAS // 10/23 // 10AM – 4PM // UNT STUDENT UNION JADE EAGLE BALLROOM
DENVER // 10/10 // 11AM – 3PM // GOTT-A-COSTUME SUPERSTORE
DETROIT // 10/17 // 12PM – 5PM // 200 N MAIN ST, ROYAL OAK, MI 48067
HOUSTON // 10/25 // 12PM – 6PM // 7620 KATY FWY. HOUSTON, TX 77024
INDIANAPOLIS // 10/13 // 1PM – 4PM // 10617 EAST WASHINGTON ST.
LOS ANGELES // 10/17, 10/18 // 11AM – 5PM // ACKERMAN STUDENT UNION DONOR CENTER
LOS ANGELES // 10/19, 10/20 // 11AM – 5PM // WESTWOOD VILLAGE DONOR CENTER
MINNEAPOLIS // 10/10 // 12PM – 5PM // SIGMA NU – UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
NEW ORLEANS // 10/21 // 7PM – 11PM // THE MORTUARY
NEW YORK // 10/5, 10/7 // 10AM – 4PM // 11TH AVE AND WEST 36TH STREET
OKLAHOMA CITY // 10/10 // 11AM – 4PM // UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
PHOENIX // 10/23, 10/24 // 9AM – 4:30PM // ASU SUN DEVIL FITNESS CENTER (SDFC) MAROON
PITTSBURGH // 10/24 // 4PM – 7PM // CENTRAL BLOOD BANK – DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY DONOR CENTER
SACRAMENTO // 10/13 // 6AM – 2PM // RIVERS EDGE CAFÉ
SAN DIEGO // 10/24 // 8AM – 6PM // VIEJAS ARENA
SEATTLE // 10/20 // 10AM – 1PM // UW HEALTH SCIENCES
ST. LOUIS // 10/27 // 4PM – 8PM // WIZARDS WAGON