Maybe Canadian movie companies should actually make good movies that CANADIANS want to watch, rather than homosexual art movies that are supposed to try to give Canadians some kind of common culture(?) that we don't have nor want. Look I'm Canadian and I admit: CANADA HAS NO REAL CULTURE. We don't even really have our own national food. So if they're going to make movies and waste money on them they might as well make movies Canadians will like and hey, who knows, maybe one day they will become well known and classics.
max_the_...@my-deja.com wrote in message <8ju45b$a5...@nnrp1.deja.com>... >I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was a big hit, and >people from British Columbia to Newfoundland rushed to see it. I think >it would give us a big sense of pride. But Canadian moviemakers can't >seem to make such a movie. Why?
I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was a big hit, and people from British Columbia to Newfoundland rushed to see it. I think it would give us a big sense of pride. But Canadian moviemakers can't seem to make such a movie. Why?
max_the_...@my-deja.com wrote: > I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was a big hit, and > people from British Columbia to Newfoundland rushed to see it. I think > it would give us a big sense of pride. But Canadian moviemakers can't > seem to make such a movie. Why?
because canadians dont seem to have that mainstream hollywood mentality. and thank god for small mercies.
I really hate this snotty attitude that a lot of Canadians have when it comes to something the Americans do better. I think we'd be better off if we DID SOMETHING instead of just spouting off the same old crappy, "Nothing's wrong, we're cool, they are just idiots!" reply. In article <8ju52a$as...@nnrp1.deja.com>, ania <ani...@my-deja.com> wrote:
> > I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was a big hit, and > > people from British Columbia to Newfoundland rushed to see it. I think > > it would give us a big sense of pride. But Canadian moviemakers can't > > seem to make such a movie. Why?
> because canadians dont seem to have that mainstream hollywood > mentality. and thank god for small mercies.
but you guys DO do good quality stuff. just because its not recognised in the US doesnt make it less valuable or worth while. to the contrary in fact. unfortuantely hollywood has become just one big fat sausage factory - same old same old... formulas and stereotypes left right and centre. boring, predictable and fucking annoying.
canadian films do well in europe and in australia. thats SOME recognition isnt it?
max_the_...@my-deja.com wrote: > I really hate this snotty attitude that a lot of Canadians have when it > comes to something the Americans do better. I think we'd be better off > if we DID SOMETHING instead of just spouting off the same old > crappy, "Nothing's wrong, we're cool, they are just idiots!" reply. > In article <8ju52a$as...@nnrp1.deja.com>, > ania <ani...@my-deja.com> wrote: > > max_the_...@my-deja.com wrote:
> > > I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was a big hit, and > > > people from British Columbia to Newfoundland rushed to see it. I > think > > > it would give us a big sense of pride. But Canadian moviemakers > can't > > > seem to make such a movie. Why?
> > because canadians dont seem to have that mainstream hollywood > > mentality. and thank god for small mercies.
max_the_...@my-deja.com wrote: > I really hate this snotty attitude that a lot of Canadians have when it > comes to something the Americans do better. I think we'd be better off > if we DID SOMETHING instead of just spouting off the same old > crappy, "Nothing's wrong, we're cool, they are just idiots!" reply.
majority of the american films that actually make it 'big' (and make it to australia) are bloody glitz and gimmicks.
how often do films like 'magnolia' come out of america and make it huge?
rarely. and what a fucking shame that is.
a bigger budget does NOT make a better movie. just makes them lose their minds and spend the money on special effects forgetting all about the fact that usually films are supposed to cary story lines with substance.
>I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was a big hit, and >people from British Columbia to Newfoundland rushed to see it. I think >it would give us a big sense of pride. But Canadian moviemakers can't >seem to make such a movie. Why?
There are basically two explanations for this:
(1) The Canadian government film funding agency (Telefilm) that decides what films to subsidize is usually loath to fund a movie that has any commerical value to it, especially if it's not in the French language. They seem to have the viewpoint that Canadian culture has to be both "high art" and pushing Canadian values. They don't realize that culture also includes *popular* culture, and many times products of popular culture have become classics - just take Shakespeare's plays, which were aimed at the common man at the time they were written.
It's ironic that, in general, the movies Telefilm decides to subsidize in an aim to push Canadian culture actually get Canadians to shun them and think less of their country - giving the opposite effect. Yes, many of these movies may get critical acclaim, but the average Canadian moviegoer probably thinks something like, "What's so entertaining about lesbian angst (or some other subject they can't relate to)? And what's Canadian about that?" Not only do they not see the movies as entertaining, most Canadians can't relate to them.
(2) Canadian distributors don't push the Canadian movies they handle. Before I get into that, I think I have to point out that the American-owned cinema chains *do* open their doors wide the rare a Canadian movie with some commerical qualities gets pushed. STRIKE (a.k.a. ALL I WANNA DO) and EXISTENZ got almost no theatrical release in the States by their American distributor, but their Canadian distributor gave them a wide release with plenty of advertising in Canada. GREY OWL had no theatrical release in the States, but it got a fairly wide release up here. Some Quebec movies get huge releases in Quebec - LES BOYS 2 opened in a whopping 80+ theaters in Quebec.
But that's only some of the time. Most times, even if the movie has some commerical value, the distributor won't do a thing? Why? See, when a Canadian distributor picks up a Canadian movie, they are only at risk for 25% of their investment. This is meant to encourage distributors to pick up Canadian films. However, with them being protected so much, they have no incentive to push Canadian films. So a quick release to a couple of theaters, then dumping the movie on video and pay TV will give them a small profit at taxpayers' expense. This is why even big distributors like Alliance-Atlantis - which could easily afford on their own many of the movies they make - won't push the movies they make, and are content to continue to beg for subsidies.
What could be done? Well, a tax shelter system could work. It's true the previous one didn't work, but that's because it was filled with flaws. For example, people using the tax shelter system were forbidden to sell the rights to a movie before it was made. Anyone in the film business can tell you that it's usually easier to sell a movie *before* it was made. That's why so many tax shelter movies never got released.
Germany managed to revitalize its film industry, after years of making unpopular and heavy art movies, with their own tax shelter system. Recently, after several years of Brazilian movies only taking 2% of the annual box office (despite quotas), Brazil introduced a tax shelter system that's made several domestic hits. Canada could get some ideas from these particular tax shelter systems.
If it makes you feel better, later this summer there will be a Canadian action movie in theaters, THE ART OF WAR. Though it stars American actor Wesley Snipes, it's directed by Canadian director Christian Duguay and a production by Filmline (a Canadian company). The few reports I've heard so far indicate it's actually pretty good, which I'm inclined to believe because Duguay has previously made some fairly good genre movies.
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> I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was > a big hit, and people from British Columbia to Newfoundland > rushed to see it. I think it would give us a big sense of pride. > But Canadian moviemakers can't seem to make such a > movie. Why?
>> I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was a big hit, and >> people from British Columbia to Newfoundland rushed to see it. I think >> it would give us a big sense of pride. But Canadian moviemakers can't >> seem to make such a movie. Why?
>because canadians dont seem to have that mainstream hollywood >mentality. and thank god for small mercies.
Neither do the Brits or the Australians, yet their movies do fairly well both in their countries and abroad.
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>> I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was >> a big hit, and people from British Columbia to Newfoundland >> rushed to see it. I think it would give us a big sense of pride. >> But Canadian moviemakers can't seem to make such a >> movie. Why?
>Because one "Porky's" was enough.
>(Greywizard, is that you?)
No, but if you want, Norm, I can write a similar post if you want to get into another scintillating debate :-)
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In article <8ju45b$a5...@nnrp1.deja.com>, max_the_...@my-deja.com wrote: > I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was a big hit, and > people from British Columbia to Newfoundland rushed to see it. I think > it would give us a big sense of pride. But Canadian moviemakers can't > seem to make such a movie. Why?
Have you seen NEW WATERFORD GIRL or TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN? Both are entertaining, accessible films that the huge brigade of "why do Canadians only make art movies about weird sex?" complainers might actually enjoy.
(Do other countries have such an - often unwarranted, I think - inferiority complex about their own cinema? Will the Canadian one go away if Miramax picks up Atom Egoyan's next film for $10 million? How about if Fox buys the American TV rights to TWITCH CITY?)
>Have you seen NEW WATERFORD GIRL or TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN? Both are >entertaining, accessible films that the huge brigade of "why do Canadians >only make art movies about weird sex?" complainers might actually
enjoy.
Might enjoy, yes - if more Canadians actually saw them. Both movies have got great reviews, and NWG is at least doing some business, though its distributor doesn't seem to want to expand its release that much. And TOTFC - how long did it last? Did it even come to Vancouver? (It only came to Victoria for one day.)
>(Do other countries have such an - often unwarranted, I think - inferiority >complex about their own cinema?
(Snip)
I did hear that in the Netherlands and in Denmark, audiences in general shun domestic films. I remember reading an interview a few years ago with the Dutch director who had won the best foreign language film Oscar lamenting that despite the great reviews the movies of his country films kept getting, the citizens just didn't want to see them. That was a few years ago - things might have changed.
I also remember reading in Variety a few years ago about films in Venezuela. The article mentioned the typically bad performance domestic movies do there. In that particular year, ten Venezualian movies were made - nine immediately died, and the tenth one (the only commerical one) which did mild business was a Salsa musical aimed at teenagers. Again, that was several years ago.
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max_the_...@my-deja.com wrote: >I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was a big hit, and >people from British Columbia to Newfoundland rushed to see it. I think >it would give us a big sense of pride. But Canadian moviemakers can't >seem to make such a movie. Why?
Because Canadians tend to make intelligent films, and intelligent films are not "big hits." Case in point: "Titanic" earns ninety gazillion dollars and wins the Best Picture Oscar the same year "The Sweet Hereafter" is released. ----- Lorne
Last two movies seen, rated out of four: The Adventures Of Rocky and Bullwinkle (*1/2) My, Myself & Irene (**)
* To reply, remove the second "o" (between the "d" and "g").
> Maybe Canadian movie companies should actually make > good movies that CANADIANS want to watch, rather than > homosexual art movies that are supposed to try to give > Canadians some kind of common culture(?) that we don't > have nor want. Look I'm Canadian and I admit: CANADA > HAS NO REAL CULTURE. We don't even really have our > own national food. So if they're going to make movies and > waste money on them they might as well make movies > Canadians will like and hey, who knows, maybe one day > they will become well known and classics.
> > Maybe Canadian movie companies should actually make > > good movies that CANADIANS want to watch, rather than > > homosexual art movies that are supposed to try to give > > Canadians some kind of common culture(?) that we don't > > have nor want. Look I'm Canadian and I admit: CANADA > > HAS NO REAL CULTURE. We don't even really have our > > own national food. So if they're going to make movies and > > waste money on them they might as well make movies > > Canadians will like and hey, who knows, maybe one day > > they will become well known and classics.
Right now hundreds of Americans are going "huh?". -- Bjorn Olson bemyh...@freeze.com "I know who gaza is -- he is an unusually bright troll though and actually makes the occasional intelligent comment when he's not flicking thought boogers into the cyberwind." -John Harkness
Recant , heretic! While I refuse to get into a discussion on the definition of Canadian Culture (I had enough of that while earning a degree in CanLit) I'll insist that there IS a definable Canadian Culture that can be recognized by Canadians. I'll quote Ebert on this: in his review of Last Night he mentioned that a Canadian critic told him how you could tell it was a Canadian movie. During the collapse of civilization, a woman walks into a looted grocery store looking for wine. She finds two unsmashed bottles, picks them both up and eventually decides on one. The other she puts back on the shelf where she found it - that's how you know it's a Canadian movie.
Hour wrote in message <3Xx85.47018$mP2.295...@newscontent-01.sprint.ca>... >Maybe Canadian movie companies should actually make good movies that >CANADIANS want to watch, rather than homosexual art movies that are supposed >to try to give Canadians some kind of common culture(?) that we don't have >nor want. Look I'm Canadian and I admit: CANADA HAS NO REAL CULTURE. We >don't even really have our own national food. So if they're going to make >movies and waste money on them they might as well make movies Canadians will >like and hey, who knows, maybe one day they will become well known and >classics.
>max_the_...@my-deja.com wrote in message <8ju45b$a5...@nnrp1.deja.com>... >>I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was a big hit, and >>people from British Columbia to Newfoundland rushed to see it. I think >>it would give us a big sense of pride. But Canadian moviemakers can't >>seem to make such a movie. Why?
Bull. Canadians like to think they would do better in a crisis, but if the end of the world did come, Canadians would act just as greedy and destructive as Americans (or anyone else) would in the same situation. In article <_0K85.3642$cc3.98...@news.magma.ca>, "Mark Towler" <mtow...@NOmagma.SPAMca> wrote:
> Recant , heretic! While I refuse to get into a discussion on the definition > of Canadian Culture (I had enough of that while earning a degree in CanLit) > I'll insist that there IS a definable Canadian Culture that can be > recognized by Canadians. I'll quote Ebert on this: in his review of Last > Night he mentioned that a Canadian critic told him how you could tell it was > a Canadian movie. During the collapse of civilization, a woman walks into a > looted grocery store looking for wine. She finds two unsmashed bottles, > picks them both up and eventually decides on one. The other she puts back on > the shelf where she found it - that's how you know it's a Canadian movie.
> Hour wrote in message <3Xx85.47018$mP2.295796@newscontent- 01.sprint.ca>... > >Maybe Canadian movie companies should actually make good movies that > >CANADIANS want to watch, rather than homosexual art movies that are > supposed > >to try to give Canadians some kind of common culture(?) that we don't have > >nor want. Look I'm Canadian and I admit: CANADA HAS NO REAL CULTURE. We > >don't even really have our own national food. So if they're going to make > >movies and waste money on them they might as well make movies Canadians > will > >like and hey, who knows, maybe one day they will become well known and > >classics.
> >>I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was a big hit, and > >>people from British Columbia to Newfoundland rushed to see it. I think > >>it would give us a big sense of pride. But Canadian moviemakers can't > >>seem to make such a movie. Why?
: Because Canadians tend to make intelligent films, and intelligent : films are not "big hits." Case in point: "Titanic" earns ninety : gazillion dollars and wins the Best Picture Oscar the same year "The : Sweet Hereafter" is released. : ----- : Lorne
I agree, though it somewhat undermines your point when your realize that it was directed by a Canadian, and at least some of it was filmed here as well...
> > > Maybe Canadian movie companies should actually make > > > good movies that CANADIANS want to watch, rather than > > > homosexual art movies that are supposed to try to give > > > Canadians some kind of common culture(?) that we don't > > > have nor want. Look I'm Canadian and I admit: CANADA > > > HAS NO REAL CULTURE. We don't even really have our > > > own national food. So if they're going to make movies and > > > waste money on them they might as well make movies > > > Canadians will like and hey, who knows, maybe one day > > > they will become well known and classics.
> Right now hundreds of Americans are going "huh?".
I'm only sort of going "huh." Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is ubiqutious in the U.S., so I'd tend to think of back bacon when I think of Canadianb food. And several New York restaurants serve poutine under the name "disco fries."
(Hansel F Cook) wrote: >Lorne wrote: >: Because Canadians tend to make intelligent films, and intelligent >: films are not "big hits." Case in point: "Titanic" earns ninety >: gazillion dollars and wins the Best Picture Oscar the same year "The >: Sweet Hereafter" is released.
>I agree, though it somewhat undermines your point when your realize that >it was directed by a Canadian, and at least some of it was filmed here as >well...
Yeah, but we've disowned the asshole. :) ----- Lorne
Last two movies seen, rated out of four: The Adventures Of Rocky and Bullwinkle (*1/2) My, Myself & Irene (**)
* To reply, remove the second "o" (between the "d" and "g").
CaNeMa wrote: > While were on the subject of Porky's. There was a character on there > called Pee Wee. Is he also a main character on Ally McBeal? > Unfortunately I do not watch the show enough to know what the name of > the character is on the show. But do you kbow who I mean???
> DavidC > Please remove NOSPAM.PLEASE from address to reply via e-mail > Thank you!
Greywizard wrote: >Steve Erickson wrote: >>Have you seen NEW WATERFORD GIRL or TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN? Both are >>entertaining, accessible films that the huge brigade of "why do >>Canadians only make art movies about weird sex?" complainers might >>actually enjoy. >Might enjoy, yes - if more Canadians actually saw them. Both movies have >got great reviews, and NWG is at least doing some business, though its >distributor doesn't seem to want to expand its release that much. And >TOTFC - how long did it last? Did it even come to Vancouver? (It only >came to Victoria for one day.)
I was kind of puzzled by what happened with FOOD CHAIN's release (even though it got more publicity than any other Red Sky film I can think of). It did run for three weeks or so in Vancouver theatres, plus the usual subsequent appearances at rep houses, but this happened several months after its Vancouver sneak preview and a concomitant ad campaign on the Space cable channel. I have no idea what caused the delay, which couldn't have helped the movie's prospects. Too bad, 'cause it's hilarious. "I think that's her pancreas ... yeah, there's the islet of Langerhans."
TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN and NEW WATERFORD GIRL both got Telefilm Canada filming, incidentally.
-- Matthew Butcher | Darlin', I'm not tongue-tied, but I've got a butc...@math.ubc.ca | vacuum cleaner in my head. -- Pere Ubu
>> I'd be really happy if Canada made a movie that was >> a big hit, and people from British Columbia to Newfoundland >> rushed to see it. I think it would give us a big sense of pride. >> But Canadian moviemakers can't seem to make such a >> movie. Why?
>Because one "Porky's" was enough.
While were on the subject of Porky's. There was a character on there called Pee Wee. Is he also a main character on Ally McBeal? Unfortunately I do not watch the show enough to know what the name of the character is on the show. But do you kbow who I mean???
DavidC Please remove NOSPAM.PLEASE from address to reply via e-mail Thank you!
> While were on the subject of Porky's. There was a > character on there called Pee Wee. Is he also a main > character on Ally McBeal? Unfortunately I do not watch > the show enough to know what the name of the character > is on the show. But do you kbow who I mean???
That's Dan Monahan, but he's not a member of the cast of "Ally McBeal".
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