An Infestation of Festivals

Leonard Pierce — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:45:00 GMT

Today, there are more film festivals all over the world than ever before. (Hell, Marfa just had one, and they don't even have a movie theater.) This is indisputably a good thing for moviegoers, as it gives them a chance to hobnob with filmmakers, get a little touch of cinema magic wherever they happen to live, and catch a glimpse of movies that probably aren't otherwise going to be playing at a theater near them anytime soon. But more and more, business insiders, from producers to filmmakers to the press, are starting to ask the question: is it a good thing for the movie business?

Hot on the heels of everybody and his executive-producer brother questioning the role of Sundance in getting new films greenlighted, the Guardian's "L.A. Diary" blogger, Lisa Marks, documents her travails -- familiar to anyone who is a filmmaker or knows a filmmaker -- in trying to get her work accepted on the ever-growing festival circuit. Not having seen it, we can't speak to the quality of Ms. Marks' work (and thus we can't answer her question, 'why is it so hard to get my movie accepted by a festival jury?', with the answer 'because it's lousy'). But we do know that she asks a lot of good questions: Why, with so many festivals being founded every year, is it still so hard to even get a response from the organizers, much less an acceptance? Why in the world does Tenerife need, let alone have, a film festival? How are people who are already, by definition, struggling filmmakers supposed to afford the entry fees and travel costs to go to so many festivals? And who, exactly, benefits from there being a film festival every week and a half and every twenty miles, like they were roadside Arby's?

Like a lot of people, Marks comes to the ultimate conclusion that the internet may be the way to go for up-and-coming filmmakers. And who hosts the biggest and most influential online film festival? One guess, and it better rhyme with "fun pants"...

Juno Prequel From Hell: Teenage Mother

John Constantine — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 22:49:00 GMT

Every now and again, I want to slap the internet. A good, stern, open-faced backhand right across the cheek of every last bit of code and piece of worthless, confounding information. It is a ghastly place filled with things that actually cause madness and stupidity and you can see the horrible effects it has on the minds of those who casually wander its halls on any message board or blog, including our little corner of the swamp. The internet causes you to see things like this…

But it also yields treasures so rich that you are forced into an awed, grateful silence. Case in point: Teenage Mother.

A mere ten years ago it would have been impossible for anyone to accidentally stumble upon this nugget of pop detritus. And yet here we are. There are three things made evident by this forty year-old trailer:

1) The sixties were insane.

2) Chicken wings are hot.

3) Quentin Tarantino must never find out it exists.

The Screengrab thanks Ectoplasmosis for these moments of unadulterated glory.

The Screengrab : internet

An Infestation of Festivals

Juno Prequel From Hell: Teenage Mother