Denby on the Movie Future

Every so often a film critic flies to Hollywood, interviews a few studio heads about what's happening and writes up a good solid term paper. The New Yorker's David Denby has done several of these state of the film business reports. They're strange to read because for those of us on the front lines it all seems terribly familar. Yes, that's true, and? Very obvious. And as always, Denby's sorry to let the old ways go.

I too am horrified at the idea of watching movies on iPods. My daughter isn't doing it, though—she watches her downloads, mostly network TV shows, on her laptop, as well as her Netflix rentals, which makes a lot more sense. She's quite independent. No fool she. She sees through most of the hype.

I maintain that one reason the studios did slightly better last year was that they hustled a little more, diversified their films, tried a few more experiments (Borat, say), and didn't rely on the same old ways to get their product across to the consumer. It worked. They stayed competitive.

Digital moviemaking and exhibition are inevitable—and an improvement, really, in the end, on what we have now. But 35 mm filmmaking, prints and exhibition will continue to be available—for a while.

I love the Arclight and I love Denby's dream of luring adults to civilized theatrical movies. It could happen. They're the ones in the moviegoing habit, after all.

The thing about the folks in Hollywood is that while they're hanging on to their lucrative jobs while they last—they will do what they have to do to survive. They may not move fast—but when push comes to shove, they will change. More easily than some folks, like Denby, who have both feet firmly planted in the past.

UPDATE: The New York Observer attacks Hollywood's 2007 intentions with wit and brio: and they really like Rocky Balboa!

Comments

[Bill]

Actually, Anne, what we have now isn't really better than what was in the past. Norma Desmond said, "it's the pictures that got small." And it's true. The so-called event pictures that Hollywood shows us now on mostly puny multi-plex screens can't compare with 50s and 60s blockbusters. Nothing in today's moviegoing experience can compare with the clarity and scope of seeing LAWRENCE or SPARTACUS or WEST SIDE STORY in 70mm on huge, curved screens at major movie palaces. Hollywood learned that they could make BIG bucks by being SMALL. I don't think that's progress. So, count me in as one of those whose feet are planted in yesteryear.

[Karina Longworth]

"a good solid term paper"? Meow!

[Chuck]

I may have overstated my initial enthusiasm for Denby's article, but for those of us who write and publish term papers for a living, it was interesting, even if I don't think he was saying anything terribly new, in retrospect.