Check out our latest episode of Chat Cinema Podcast. What is new at the movie theatres this weekend? We give you a rundown.
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Tag: hollywood
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Famous, Why?
I recently had a conversation with a record company press relations head. We talked about his artists rosters. Many I did not know, but I am over the hill. As the conversation continued I said, “Today, everyone is famous. Either a celebrity, reality show, Instagrammer, YouTuber, 5000 channels, 10.000 programs, and whatever else. All you need is a iPhone. KaBOOM! Instafame!” We both laughed.
In 2018 if you swing a cat, you will hit a so called “famous” person. Famous for being Famous. Not a clue how or why.
Being famous in the past was an exclusive commodity. Reserved for those with talent or a gift from the heavens. Not anymore. Thanks to camera phones and Instagram, fame is the same as mosquitos during a hot summer. Pocket size digital devices replaced sound stages, recording studios, and cameras. As mass media continues to loose its grip on audiences, so too have the boundaries it once set collapses. Fame has become a true democracy, no talent required. There are “Kardashian Wannabes” lurking in every household.
A 20thcentury invention by mass media, fame evolved over the decades: First, the mass hysteria of Valentino, The swooning for Sinatra, blonde Goddess Monroe, the cultural force of The Beatles, and the seismic shift of Michael Jackson,. These artist shook the world with appeal and talent.
The 21stdefinition of fame means: Multi-talentless has appeal. Something of no value has a warped value. The generational gap continues, modern fame skill-sets are lost on many parents. Can anyone over 35 understand why the under 25 crowd follows daily selfies? However, my Grandparents, considered Madonna a Flozzy. HA!
While not begrudging those seeking fame. I bemoan the old rules of being famous. Until recently, it meant something.
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Chat Cinema talks #MeToo
This Chat Cinema Podcast came with a lot of thought. We debated on how to cover the topic.
The #MeToo Movement has affected every part of the entertainment industry. In light of the revelations, Hollywood is going through a period self reflection.
I worked in the film business. The “casting couch” was very much a part of the process for women and men. The stories of “midnight meetings” were part of the landscape. The history of Hollywood: Studio moguls, executives, directors, and producers dangled parts for “favors”. Actress Heddy Lamar said, “the most famous women in the world were the biggest sluts”.
Use Your Head
Harrvey Weinstein never covered his trail. There was no need because he made money and won awards. Many willingly overlooked his behavior. Guardian Film Reporter Peter Bradshaw referred to him as the “Caligula of Cannes”.
The performers union SAG/AFTRA represents 160.000 performers. Many always looking for work or the big break. When a once in a life time opportunity knocks on the door, many turn off the thinking button. A chance of a chance of landing a role in a film or televsion show.
Victim shaming is a term used in elite centers like Los Angeles and New York City. All hotel rooms have one main piece of furniture, the bed. If a late night meeting takes place in a suite, perhaps questions should be asked. The most obvious is, why this time? In urban culture this is described as a “Booty Call”.
As a gay man who has been involved in a few late night rendezvous, a “meeting” at the Ritz after 9 pm usually does not involve detailed contract negotiations.
Female Control
Rewriting history for the sake of an argument clouds over past female achievements. Women controlled their cinema destinies. Mary Pickford co-founded United Artists studio with Chaplin, Douglas, and Griffith. Gloria Swanson briefly produced her own features after leaving Paramount. Claudette Colbert reached the top of the mountain becoming the highest paid performer in the business in 1938 and 1941 with complete control of script, director and leading man casting decisions. Colbert demanded certain close up camera angles from cinematographers.
While the need for diverse voices is crucial. The heavy doses of sermonizing mixed with A-list victimhood dilutes the message. Madonna going on television complaining about career obstacles as a woman came across as humbled shopping spree at Nieman Marcus. Protesting about fair treatment while walking the Red Carpet wearing $10.000 gowns had an air of day time soap opera self importance. Am I the only person who missed the point?
Yes! The film community needs to do better. There is hope. Less Victimology, more substance would be appreciated.
The writer worked in Hollywood at the bottom of the ladder staring upward.
Apple has entered the content business in the form of a new streaming service. Apple’s TV+ is the Cupertino’s answer to household name “Netflix”. No one can accuse the tech giant of being cheap. With an open check book, Tim Cook went to Hollywood to get the biggest names in show business. Spielberg, Oprah, Jennifer Anniston, J.J. Abrams to name a few were onstage introducing new shows.
Better late than never but there are many entrenched players. HBO/AT&T has a head-start while super content owner Disney has brand titles to insure a competitive advantage for its soon to be launched service. What type of content chances will the service take? Getting the attention of Millennial Apple users may prove difficult. These viewers tune into edgier programs by YouTubers. Let’s face facts, Apple is not the same tech juggernaut it was 3 years ago. Sales of iPhones have slowed. Currently, there are no buzz worthy products in the pipeline.
Money Does Not Always Buy The Best
The film business has been luring deep pockets investors with stars in their eyes for decades. Many came in with enthusiasm, many left humbled. Kennedy patriarch and father of a President, Joseph, at RKO Radio Pictures sold his interest in the always unstable studio in the early 1930’s. Insurance giant Transamerica became the parent company of United Artists only to sell after the “Heaven’s Gate” crash. Coca Cola’s tumultuous seven year ownership of Columbia Pictures resulted in “Ishtar”. Matsushita’s foray with Universal made a case study of corporate culture clashes leading up to the “Waterworld” nightmare. Apple’s advantage is its relationships to talent but it could take time to generate a program on the cultural level of “Game of Thrones”.
My concern, could Apple loose its creative edge to focus on a business segment that can be fickle. Merging, talent, software, and hardware is not an easy feat. Sony has been trying for 30 years with little to show.
Success in a crowded field will be built around the company’s $250 billion in the bank. This could be good or bad. Time will tell.
A Trapped Artist Inside
Dealing with bureaucrats with artistic pretensions is a balancing act. On the one hand they crave the hell with life mentality of Fassbinder, the go your own path of a Bowie, the respectability of Nolan mingled with the steady monthly salary of a state tax officer. Nowhere do I see this more than at the Berlinale Film Festival.
After the release of the 2017 petition calling for an overhaul of the film festival I saw many of the artistic and bureaucratic emotions collide. Artist and bureaucrats have thin skin. I experienced as well as witnessed the staffs defensive sensitive side during the press screenings, the shorten opening press conference, then at the festival.
Having attended the festival for many years, I support the annual event and films. The Berlinale mixes mainstream cinema to the quirky to the “I Don’t Get it!”
No need for an opinion if you are small
My criticism of the organization has not been any harder or meaner than the any other site or press outlet. As an attendee, I stated the reality. Real change has to come on all levels if it is to stay relevant on the circuit. As the film world knows, the Berlinale has been beset by criticisms from all sides. Festival Head Kosslick resigns this year. After last year’s fest and more recently during a “Chat Cinema” podcast we restated our opinions. A complete redo needed if the Berlinale can gain footing on the level as Cannes, Venice, and Sundance festivals.
I applied for festival access as press, no response. After a quick call, the reply on the other end, “We will check on it.” Then a declined notice via email. Never a problem in the past, all of a sudden a problem. Should I call a CSI team to solve the case? A small website critical of the fest, suddenly there is no space for attendance, press credentials denied for Black and Paper. I was told the press team is being diligent this year. What was their working method in the past?
After speaking to the press team concerning the declined noticed, they mentioned my YouTube features, it felt like they used it as a homework assignment. The numbers were low and the long videos. The reasoning made no sense: the number of seats limited. A drop in attendance the previous year meant there should be more places in 2019, simple math.
Relevant
I asked, if the staff is so Internet Savvy why did not they not see the 24 pictorial, written, and video features produced and published about the 2018 Berlinale festival posted on Black and Paper.com. Additionally, there could have been more features had we written about the films not liked. Instead I decided to focus on the films liked.
After sending 10 weblinks from the 2018 coverage, I called the press officer back asking if they wanted more proof. I am so important the response was,” we are discussing it, it will take a few hours to discuss the application.” To be the topic of discussion at a film festival by staff should inflate the ego. Instead it feels sad on this side of petty. Did the Chat Cinema Podcast cause this relationship breakdown? I was smugly told we did not have time to listen to the long cast. I had time to endure screening 40 or so films at the film festival, only a few worth processing at a negative lab.
Can you work for another magazine, was a question from the officer. I responded with a “NO!” This site has been ok for me. I’m listed in the Berlinale data base, receiving emails from the festival.
My advice, put together a good festival that engages, not sermonises. Or develop thick skin.
Crystal Ball
Waiting a “few hours” from 1 pm until 7:48. I posted on Twitter a Chat Cinema tweet. Finally, 54 minutes later an email sent from the Berlinale press office stated my accreditation declined, again. REALLY! The press team spent 7 hours discussing Black and Paper, an honor in a way, the center of attention of a festival with over 400 films, thousands of attendees and we were singled out. A rejection letter that took an afternoon to write. There is an saying in the American South, “If people are talking about you, you must be relevant.” “But if they tell you not to come, you must be really relevant!”
Black and Paper will not attend the Berlinale 2019 because we stated our opinion. By and large not suffering from FOMO Syndrome.
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Chat Cinema talks Golden Globes and Awards
Black and Paper presents Chat Cinema. A podcast involving everything cinema featuring diverse opinions on awards, stars, filmmakers, film history, festivals, and books.
Sponsored by Beyerdynamic
The inspiration behind this project was the need to get more voices heard in regards to the cinema world. I know so many diverse cinephiles, I decided to tap into their skills, knowledge, and experiences to produce a show. Also, whenever we get together the topic of conversation always leads to cinema, why not record it?
Episode 1-Awards Season, contributors Sofia Stavrianidou and Steve Yates give their views on this years competition. What are their predictions? Who deserves to win? Does the Academy dislike a certain actress? Plus, a digression on a film master from the past.
Sofia Stavriandou studied Classics, at the National Kapodistrian University in Athens, Greece and took classes on Film and Communication in Athens and Cologne, Germany, She’s been a film professional for 20 years, specializingin press, publicity and media. Her experience include: working as the Communications Manager at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (Greece), additionally, as Press Office Manager at Odeon Film Distribution (the largest distribution company in the Balkans and Greece), as well as a Film Sales and Acquisitions Executive at M-Appeal World Sales (Berlin). Today, her main role is the Head of Communications at Hellas Filmbox Berlin, the Greek-German Film festival in Berlin. As well, she cooperates with re:publica as publicity manager. Sofia has been based in Berlin since 2012.
Steven Yates studied Film and English at Kent University before taking an M.A. at Westminster University in London. Working as a freelance film writer since 1998, he has been published in books for Wallflower Press and in magazines and websites including El Hype, Celluloid, afterimage, Film International and theartsdesk.com. Based in Berlin, Steve is a member of FIPRESCI (The International Federation of Film Critics) and has sat on their jury at numerous international film festivals since 2002. He is also one of the main English language supervisors for the FIPRESCI website (www.fipresci.org).
Stay tuned for more podcast on cinema topics.
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Coming Soon: Visual Stunner
When I read “It” director Andy Muschietti was attached to direct a big screen version of Hajime Isayame’s “Attack on Titan”, I was curious. As a fan of anime. I knew about the Japanese comic but was not so familiar with background and story. I decided to watch a dubbed episode of the series that turned into a binge watching all 3 seasons. I watched the dubbed titled Japanese film, only once. I liked some of the visual effects.
As a movie film series I think Titan” could be the most visually striking work since “Lord of the Rings.” Bringing a media franchise like this to the screen with a big Hollywood budget could be groundbreaking. A story of mankind driven to the brink of extinction by giant malformed humanoids preying on human beings. The San Diego Comic-Con trailer session could have attendees swooning.
Eren, at times, a hyper active annoyance, is the main protagonist living in town of Shinganshina behind Wall Maria, one of three 50 meter protective barriers used for preventing titan attacks. After an attack on the wall by Armor Titan, the gate is breached, allowing entering titans to feed on the local population. Defense of the realm is entrusted to a squad of soldiers known as Survey Corps armed with swords and grappling equipment enabling them to move, almost fly, from trees, buildings, and engage titans.
If all this sounds insane, it is, the premise has a number of contemporary messages involving: environment, military, and social inequality. But like many anime, Attack on Titan suffers from the stock cut out characters which I hope the film version will avoid; The hysterical, over the top female who screeches, the know it all, but weaker sidekick, and the hyper active hero who charges into battle without thinking.
I am excited, but cautious. Americans making turning anime to the big screen does not have a great track record. “Akira” has been in development hell for decades. “Ghost in the Shell” was empty. “Speed Racer”, anymore questions! I am in your corner Andy, waiting for the first of your two films.
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Why We Don’t Do It!
Inspired By! I read this quote from a Hollywood Diva.
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Academy Awards 2018
Always a fun moment to make a video with these two. Kristin and David give their impressions and predictions for the Oscars 2018. There is no Weinstein picture in the race, the #metoo movement has shaken the film industry, and diversity is no longer a “cool buzzword” without meaning. How will the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences respond to the changing feelings of the cinema going public?
This year’s award show is a bit of a rollercoaster but we generally agree on all the categories, Del Toro, Oldman, and McDormand will walk home with gold. The Best Picture looks cloudy, Call Me By Your Name could upset The Shape of Water.