Category Archives: Film

Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, September 3: THE REP

Morgan White’s look at the challenges of running a repertory cinema had its debut at last year’s Austin Film Festival. The doc has also screened at Kansas City’s Middle of the Map, Estonia’s Tartu Indiefest, and at rep theatres throughout Canada and the US, as well as special engagements in Germany and the UK. FilmBuff releases the film on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube, XBOX, Sony Playstation, Cinemanow and Vudu.

In a time of virtually unlimited home entertainment options, a struggling economy, and the phasing out of 35mm, the idea of starting a single-screen repertory cinema might not be the brightest move. Friends and business partners Charlie, Nigel, and Alex, however, do just that, taking on the seemingly Sisyphean task of opening the Toronto Underground Cinema, a long-abandoned screen located in the basement of an office building. Beyond the challenges of its location and lack of signage, the three are basically learning as they go along – and making a lot of mistakes. Initially conservative in their expectations, they get swept up in the unexpected success of their launch event, but fail to capitalize on the awareness generated by not having the rest of their initial programming set, resulting in a disastrously low turnout for regular business. White follows them as they try to course correct over their fledgling first year, when the stress of impending failure is exacerbated by interpersonal conflict, the inability to pay salaries and bills on time, and an audience seemingly uninterested in the kind of programming they want to offer – with the exception of a one-off Adam West BATMAN screening that comes off like gangbusters, despite last-minute behind-the-scenes chaos. What these three might lack in business chops they more than make up for in the love of the cinema going experience, something echoed by a string of interviewees representing film theatres around Canada and the US – including Bruce Goldstein from NYC’s Film Forum, Lars Nilson from Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse, and Mike Torgan of LA’s New Beverly Cinema, among others – and filmmakers John Waters, Kevin Smith, George Romero, and Atom Egoyan. The Underground’s partners make for appealing underdog protagonists, but White is wise to open up his film to include these other voices, universalizing the dilemmas they face and taking them out of a strictly Canadian context. While the doc has a rough-hewn look to it, it matches the scrappiness of the subject matter, underscoring just how challenging this endeavor actually is. The heartfelt ending, accompanied by images of the fates of several rep houses around the US and Canada, provides a sobering, but not unexpected, wrap to the story of the Underground.

Coming to theatres and to VOD this Friday, September 6: GOOD OL’ FREDA

Ryan White’s profile of the Beatles’ secretary had its world premiere earlier this year at SXSW. It went on to screen at Hot Docs, San Francisco, Cleveland, Full Frame, DOXA, Nashville, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, DocAviv, Dallas, and Sarasota, among others. After its release at Los Angeles’ Sundance Sunset Cinemas (and on VOD and iTunes) this Friday, it expands to NYC’s Landmark Sunshine Cinema, as well as Palm Desert and San Rafael, next Friday, September 13.

I included the doc in my SXSW coverage here.

Coming to DVD this coming Tuesday, September 3: ÉVOCATEUR: THE MORTON DOWNEY JR MOVIE

Daniel Miller, Seth Kramer, and Jeremy Newberger’s history of the controversial trash-talking talk show host’s unlikely rise and fall had its world premiere at Tribeca last year. It went on to screen at IDFA, Montclair, TromaDance, and Denver, among other fests, and to enjoy a limited theatrical and VOD release.

I included the doc in my Tribeca coverage here.

Coming to PBS this Friday, August 30: SIDE BY SIDE

Chris Kenneally’s exploration of the impact of digital cinema made its debut at last year’s Berlinale. It went on to screen at Tribeca, Hong Kong, Tribeca, Munich, and Sydney, among others, in addition to a limited theatrical and VOD release. The doc now makes its broadcast premiere on PBS stations nationwide.

I included the film in my Tribeca coverage here.

Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, August 27: REWIND THIS!

Josh Johnson’s paean to home video had its world premiere at SXSW earlier this year. Other screenings have included IFF Boston, Puchon Fantastic, Fantasia, Melbourne, and the upcoming L’Etrange and Strasbourg fests. The doc premieres exclusively on iTunes today, expanding on September 10 to Amazon Instant Video, YouTube, XBOX, Sony PlayStation, Cinemanow, and Vudu.

A love letter to a largely obsolete format, Johnson’s film profiles collectors, filmmakers, and retailers past and present who reveal how VHS still holds them gleefully in thrall. At once both a history of the medium and the lucrative home entertainment industry it spawned, and an appreciation for what’s at the heart of holding on to the clunky artifacts, the doc offers much nostalgic appeal in an appropriately lo-fi package. Talking heads focused, with a welcome amount of illustrative clips from a treasure trove of schlocky, bizarre, or otherwise noteworthy VHS curiosities, this is simple fun – and respectful – pop cultural film geekery. But beyond appealing to the 1980s-90s generations who grew up with VCRs, Johnson wisely provides enough history and context to draw in younger viewers. Critics and filmmakers reflect on the way home video introduced the concept of timeshifting, fundamentally changing the way viewers engaged with broadcast television; how it encouraged close and repeat viewings, amusingly pointing out that heavily worn out sections of rental tapes typically presaged imminent sex or violence scenes that were obsessively rewatched by previous renters; note the explosion of film fandom and literacy, enabled by easy access to thousands of library titles previously rarely available except in repertory theatres or television broadcast; and gave the tools to fans and would-be filmmakers to both produce and easily share content, inspiring a vibrant low-budget filmmaking scene and bootlegging culture. In the face of this legacy, as well as the fact noted here that a significant body of work never made it past VHS onto latter day formats like DVD or BluRay, it’s easy to understand why many of the interviewees in Johnson’s film see treasure where others see junk.