I can't remember the last time a truly independent film being released in the cinema in recent times, films like Hard Candy for example which are made without any studio help, taken around film festivals and then bought by a major studio.
It just feels like that the major studios have far too much of a grip on the film market at this moment and the only way in is with their distribution companies all being in house and no one from the outside given a chance.
I mean the "small" films coming out are all backed by the major studios and come in house from the major studios and it doesn't help that festivals cater more for the big studios, but I can see why with big names being attached and it's guaranteed exposure for the festival which translates to more sponsorship money which is also making it harder for smaller films to get in.
It also doesn't help that getting funding for a small film is even harder with banks now requiring high deposits that are almost impossible to get if you are a first time filmmaker.
So at the moment in terms of creativity in films it's stuck in a limbo or a terrible black hole that's sinking everyone into which is far worse than when there was a writers strike a couple of years ago in America.
Hollywood are more interested in making franchises that in the long run make lots of money with very little space for new films to break through unless it's a comic book, get nominated for Oscars or a rom/com.
Just a very depressing time for a film fan at the moment with no real variation of films like before and little way to choose against the current crop of films coming out when there is little competition. Oh wow another Spiderman is coming out next year that looks the same as the first one which only came out 10 years ago...yay...
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Cineworld get your act together!!!
I had a bad experience recently with Cineworld which isn't the first time but went to a new level of low for me.
The new breed of projectionist's in Cineworld in Cardiff can't even click the mouse as the whole audience and me were waiting for a Cowboy's & Aliens (17:50 showing). I was waiting just for anything to come onto the screen for 15 minutes (not even the ads came on btw).
So I left the theatre and told someone and got the “Don't worry it will start soon" by the ticket bloke and another 10 mins went and still nothing. The ad's should have started 25 mins ago at this point now but then a couple of others complain and then finally after 35 mins I think we have light.
But they have the cheek to put the ads on which means the film will be finishing later and I'm going to have more of my time wasted. Never mind the next audience being messed around when the next film starts which did happen because as I left the theatre, there was a massive line of people waiting for our film to finish.
Thank God I enjoyed the film but this isn't the first time that Cineworld have seriously dropped the ball and it's getting worse if anything.
And they wonder why people download screeners instead...
It's been getting silly now for a while mind but it's mainly with sound they have problems in Cardiff, it has happend before but it never happend when cinema's were really cinemas.
The screen I was in was a digital one as well and not only that but they are making the staff do 3-4 jobs at the same time in some parts and times clearly from what I have seen and have very little training. When I went to get my tickets there was no one serving on the downstairs tills just signs everywhere "Go to floors 1-3 to get your tickets" and they have this poor fella serving food & drinks and doing tickets for all the films starting on the first floor. I went to the third floor as I know people in general are like sheep and it was dead on the third floor with one person cleaning up and two talking where they check the tickets. There is clearly zero comunications even though all of them have walkie talkies and act like the SAS over a toilet that needs cleaning when there are other serious things they should be doing.
Just madness and it's getting more frequeant now.
and just before I end this rant "Cineworld get your act together!!!"
The new breed of projectionist's in Cineworld in Cardiff can't even click the mouse as the whole audience and me were waiting for a Cowboy's & Aliens (17:50 showing). I was waiting just for anything to come onto the screen for 15 minutes (not even the ads came on btw).
So I left the theatre and told someone and got the “Don't worry it will start soon" by the ticket bloke and another 10 mins went and still nothing. The ad's should have started 25 mins ago at this point now but then a couple of others complain and then finally after 35 mins I think we have light.
But they have the cheek to put the ads on which means the film will be finishing later and I'm going to have more of my time wasted. Never mind the next audience being messed around when the next film starts which did happen because as I left the theatre, there was a massive line of people waiting for our film to finish.
Thank God I enjoyed the film but this isn't the first time that Cineworld have seriously dropped the ball and it's getting worse if anything.
And they wonder why people download screeners instead...
It's been getting silly now for a while mind but it's mainly with sound they have problems in Cardiff, it has happend before but it never happend when cinema's were really cinemas.
The screen I was in was a digital one as well and not only that but they are making the staff do 3-4 jobs at the same time in some parts and times clearly from what I have seen and have very little training. When I went to get my tickets there was no one serving on the downstairs tills just signs everywhere "Go to floors 1-3 to get your tickets" and they have this poor fella serving food & drinks and doing tickets for all the films starting on the first floor. I went to the third floor as I know people in general are like sheep and it was dead on the third floor with one person cleaning up and two talking where they check the tickets. There is clearly zero comunications even though all of them have walkie talkies and act like the SAS over a toilet that needs cleaning when there are other serious things they should be doing.
Just madness and it's getting more frequeant now.
and just before I end this rant "Cineworld get your act together!!!"
Friday, 2 September 2011
Booktracks
Now since the beginning of films there has been music in the background, yes even the silent films which has always been used as a device to create emotion or a mood in a scene of a film.
Now books are trying to do what films have been doing since they started which is taking something from films (sounds of punches and music for example) and incorporating this into books. Normally it's the other way round in terms of narrative and ideas but now books are trying to find a new audience as people don't read like they use to (from what I have been told anyway) and they are trying to make books more accessible to people new to books.
I have not tried one of these e-books as I don't have the device which allows this but I actually like this idea unlike recently with film companies pushing for 3D to make films better.
I think the idea of reading for example a Brett Easton Ellis book and listing to the songs in the backgrounds is a really good idea but on the other hand creating sounds for environments like a fictional alien world removing the part which makes books special, your very own imagination painting that world in your head.
Authors have done this in the past anyway with James Patterson on top of my head giving CD's away with his books to his readers, so it's something that authors could have possibly wanted as well as publishers.
But I can see it having legs as I can understand some people having problems getting into a book as it's hard to visualise an historical point of view where maybe the reader has little knowledge.
Also unlike 3D at the moment it's optional and I'm not drowned in it like I am in my local multiplex but it is early days. Also if they want it to work I think they will need the authors feedback or just let them take charge but that can be a problem...How do you do that with The Great Gatsby or Pride & Prejudice where the writers are no longer with us.
But I hope this is not used as a gimmick like 3D has been for films and will get people to read more either way, as there some gems out there to read like I Am Legend which is far better than the recent film adaptation and a completely different story, to The Time Travellers Wife.
Now books are trying to do what films have been doing since they started which is taking something from films (sounds of punches and music for example) and incorporating this into books. Normally it's the other way round in terms of narrative and ideas but now books are trying to find a new audience as people don't read like they use to (from what I have been told anyway) and they are trying to make books more accessible to people new to books.
I have not tried one of these e-books as I don't have the device which allows this but I actually like this idea unlike recently with film companies pushing for 3D to make films better.
I think the idea of reading for example a Brett Easton Ellis book and listing to the songs in the backgrounds is a really good idea but on the other hand creating sounds for environments like a fictional alien world removing the part which makes books special, your very own imagination painting that world in your head.
Authors have done this in the past anyway with James Patterson on top of my head giving CD's away with his books to his readers, so it's something that authors could have possibly wanted as well as publishers.
But I can see it having legs as I can understand some people having problems getting into a book as it's hard to visualise an historical point of view where maybe the reader has little knowledge.
Also unlike 3D at the moment it's optional and I'm not drowned in it like I am in my local multiplex but it is early days. Also if they want it to work I think they will need the authors feedback or just let them take charge but that can be a problem...How do you do that with The Great Gatsby or Pride & Prejudice where the writers are no longer with us.
But I hope this is not used as a gimmick like 3D has been for films and will get people to read more either way, as there some gems out there to read like I Am Legend which is far better than the recent film adaptation and a completely different story, to The Time Travellers Wife.
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