05/14/2002 Entry:
"Movie Wars - Johnathan Rosenbaum"

I've just finished reading Movie Wars (yes, I'm right on the ball getting to that). I actually liked the book a lot more than I expected. I come from an independent rock music background, and basically the same war has been fought there for years, so I thought a lot of it would be kind of a rehash of stuff I already knew in a different setting. I was glad that wasn't true, and there was a lot of information there to chew on. In particular, the habit of Miramax buying up films for the sole purpose of burying them left quite a bad taste in my mouth. You know, you hear stories of that kind of thing all the time in say, the automobile or computer industries. Microsoft buys up a company that has some new technology then buries it so they can keep making their stuff. I guess I had not allowed myself to think of the film industry that way, even though I'm sure in the back of my mind I always knew it to be true.

The book's comments about the state of criticism in America, and the role it plays in shaping what people see, were also interesting. I recently had a conversation with some people I know regarding A.I. I thought it was great, but almost everyone I know thought it was terrible. Not just mediocre, but really awful. At some point we were discussing critical reaction to the film, which here in Chicago were largely positive. A friend said that the fact that so many people hated the film while so many critics loved it just shows how out of touch the critics are with their audiences. At the time, this just seemed like such an asinine thing to say, because it assumes that critics are only there to make choices for us or reflect the audience's taste. I never viewed any kind of criticism that way, and at the time I didn't really have the words to express what I was thinking, but reading his chapters on criticism really brought my feelings more into focus.

I had gone into the book thinking it was going to be more downbeat, kind of sounding the death nell for independent film (I like your definition of independent - anyone who has final cut.) I hear that a lot and take some issue with it. Most cities now have more screens focused on small/art/foreign film than ever. Look at Chicago, we have at least 15 between Doc, Film Center, Music Box, Landmark, Three Penny, and Piper's Alley. Also, I think digital filmmaking is really going to cause a burst of freedom from young filmmakers, because it allows them to make films so much more cheaply. I know that as a filmmaker just starting out, it is allowing me to do things I never thought I would have a chance to. On top of that is the increasing possibility of cheap DVD creation and duplication, which allows small filmmakers to not only control the creation of their product but also its distribution. I realize that the DVD experience at home is not that same as seeing a film projected in a theatre. I personally would like to have that option though, in the situation where a film release isn't possible for whatever reason.

This whole situation is quite similar to what happened in the independent rock scene over the last 20 years. Recording got cheaper and cheaper, to the point where people could do very good albums in their basement for an investment of maybe $1000. Then as these recordings pop up, labels began to pop up to distribute them. While much of this still operates on the fringes, many many of these bands are successful enough to make music for a living. I am hopeful that film will eventually get to the same point. Anyways, back to where I started two paragraphs ago, the book was surprisingly upbeat and hopeful in the end, for which I was grateful. As a hopeful filmmaker, it was doubly valuable, giving an inside view of the industry I might not have seen anywhere else. The Q&A chapter served its purpose extremely well.

The book talks about a lot of the reasons people don't see non-Hollywood films, but I have to say that one of the biggest problems as a fan of film in Chicago is simply getting to a screening anywhere. It kind of sucks, because we really have an embarassment of riches here. I could quite easily find something I'm actively excited about seeing three or four days a week. However, the totally broken Chicago public transportation system combined with the lack of parking at most of the applicable venues really makes it difficult sometimes. As if that wasn't enough, weekday screenings at Film Center and Doc typically start at 6:00 or 7:00 at the latest, which makes it quite difficult for anyone working somewhere other than downtown to get to them. Now I know those two venues in particular are largely setup for the students' use. That doesn't make it any less frustrating that I'll only be able to see one of the Josef Ivens programs. It sucks for me and I live in the city, I can't even imagine how depressing it must be to be a film fan and living in the suburbs. A friend of mine subscribed to the last series of Talk Cinema and enjoyed it, but the commute from Glen Ellyn to Piper's Alley was too much. As if it wasn't bad enough, he then had to pony up another $7 for parking at every screening. I don't blame him for not wanting to do it again.

And a lot of this ties back into the book as well, the economics of film and why they don't do screenings in the suburbs or other areas. Regardless, the situation in Chicago continues to frustrate and counfound me, and I am continually looking for ways around it. There is a service called Netflix which allows you to rent DVDs by mail and they have a surprisingly wide selection, much better than Facets which seems to have been very slow in adopting DVD. I realize DVD is a mixed bag, especially with many prints being botched through poor compression or bad transfers. However, to me, the fact that most DVDs are presented in proper aspect ratio makes up for all the faults. I have gotten to the point where I believe that it is better to not see a film than see it in pan and scan. I am probably denying myself some great works, but my annoyance at the format is such that I literally just can't stand watching them anymore.