oldmantv

Despite blockbusters like harry potter and Bridget jones, the British film industry seems to be heading toward its extension.

The industry is not only facing problems such as competition from Hollywood, bollywood and other foreign competitors but is also facing numerous others like
- the lack of innovation,
- creativity,
- the excess of copycat storyline
- the excess of snobisme
- and many more;
i am sure you can name a lots more........

I believe that if nothing is being done, British movies will not only disappear but also be forgotten .... "
__________________
my corner of paradise ....

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DB7

If you think it's in danger now what about the late 70s to early 80s? We can't compete with Hollywood so instead need to concentrate on better-scripted films that will appeal to a broad market here and overseas. There tends to be a bit of bandwagon jumping in the UK, after Four Weddings we get a plethora of rom-coms, then after Lock Stock we endure a mountain of pale imitations. Bit of variety would be nice.

Torquemada

We still make little gems such as On a Clear Day - but as always we do very little to publicise them, so they soon drop into obscurity without a lot of people (who would have been interested had they heard of it) knowing.

Fellwanderer

Yes - if its not a Hollywood blockbuster or bonkbuster, the distributors don't seem to be interested.

Why don't they understand that quality beats quantity any day?

Rhetorical question as I do realise they're only interested in bums on seats.

All the best
FELL

A signature is no substitute for a life

oldmantv

I agree with Torquemada
I have not even heard of this movie, and i am a huge british movie fan!!!!!
that just proves the minimum of effort done by the media to spread the word, the media seems to be more interested in telling us about who lost weight, why and how...

I wonder if there is a way to change this situation???

my corner of paradise ....

myspace.com/oldskooltele

DB7

It's a 'nice' film, a bit Ealingesque and a refreshing change of direction for Peter Mullan, but, it's one I'd have waited for on dvd.

The problem is that if a film isn't picked up by the major's it will struggle for distribution - and their priority will be to screen mainstream blockbusters.

ChristineCB

When I heard about contracts and financing which lumped DVD-sales with theatre-ticket sales, I thought perhaps some financiers were taking the "long term approach" and would realize superior quality films would generate more revenue over the long-term than a film that's only palatable for one or two viewings.

I still think that's the case, but I don't see a higher percentage of "quality films" being produced but, rather, just the opposite.

Torquemada

Reminded me a little bit of Brassed Off.

Torquemada

Give it a try you might like it, DB7's assessment is about right.

tellingbone

Do you mean extinction? Sadly, I feel that the British film industry as we knew it, died a long time ago. The last decent brit movie IMHO was 'The Long Good Friday'. Hurts me to say that but I feel it's true.

oldmantv

Thanks for the reminder, i did not saw the mistake... but it was too late to edit the post..

and yes i mean extinction .......

my corner of paradise ....

myspace.com/oldskooltele

eric7885

as the old saying goes,all good things come to an end. The once British empire has gone,so,i quess our film industry is near extinct. About the only money making film that emerge from the UK appear to be the James Bond series. But then again,are they not backed by american money.

Steve Crook

Was there ever a British Film Industry?
I don't think there ever was more than a cottage industry run on a shoestring budget and reliant on money from abroad, particularly from American sales.

Every so often there was a big international success, like The Private Life of Henry VIII and people started believing that it really was a Film Industry that could complete with Hollywood or even the European film-makers, in their own countries, on their own terms. But really I don't think that was ever the case.

Steve

Mr Dean

Many British filmmakers do indeed feel that there is now a cottage industry only in the UK, because there is no producing studio as such. Our industry is really a 'facilities supplier', but it can be a very lucrative. Currently we are doing very well on digital post-production, for instance and UK film and television usually has a positive balance of trade (exports exceed imports).

I would argue that there was a UK film industry from the mid 1930s until the end of the 1960s with producing studios, but it was often lurching from one crisis to another. Perhaps the only time that there was some stability was in the early 1950s with three producing studios -- i.e. Rank, ABPC and British Lion (Shepperton) who made films and distributed films (and in Rank and ABPC's cases, put them into their own cinemas). This was a period in which Hollywood was not so successful, suffering decline before the arrival of Scope. Critics don't like the films much but the cheap comedies made by Rank and ABPC did work with UK audiences. Since Rank and ABC/EMI went we haven't had a producing studio, a company capable of making at least four or five films a year. The nearest modern equivalent is Working Title, effectively owned by Universal.

ChristineCB

Steve's assessment is more bleak than I'd have pondered, and Dean's seems more in my line of limited understanding.

I'm not sure where P&P's financing came from - Steve would be the source for that, but considering their disregard for American popular stars over such a long period of time, I'd have thought they accepted their limited financial glories in exchange for films of their own making. Hooray for them, too, because they've delivered treasures that will always be treasures.

Hammer Studios, on the other hand, starts off with those interesting '50s noir types, then a few monster films later, they've been drawn and quartered into feeding the American 13-year-old boy market. Gee - is it any wonder that Hammer died? Du-uh... oh well, short term profits looked great for that year. Too bad the sun rose the year after that...

I'd be interested to hear from the Lord Of Rings/Harry Potter filmmakers about the "concessions" they made in order to appease the American market. I suppose the constant and needless inclusion of Joe Don Baker and CIA Agent Felix, the occasional foray into New Orleans, etc. could be listed as concessions, although I'd be more tempted to argue that Bond Adventure Films are wonderful where they do not make hometown stops for Americans.