cell phones Tagged Articles at Cinematical

The completely deranged practice of watching movies on cell phones just got a boost. The Hollywood Reporter has a story on Sony's recent deal to put some of its classics catalog on AT&T's "Mobile TV" network starting this May. Soon, subscribers will be able to watch movies such as Philadelphia, Stand By Me and Ghostbusters while on the subway or in the dentist's waiting room. Whether or not they will want to is an open question.

To their credit, the honchos behind this seem to recognize that people aren't going to sit there and stare into a tiny cell phone screen for two hours. According to a Sony exec, the objective isn't to get people to watch the whole movie, and they don't expect too many customers to watch Ghostbusters for the first time on a two-inch display. Rather, this is intended for those who've already seen the films and want to rewatch certain scenes on a whim.

Sony, of course, was responsible for the fleeting phenomenon of watching movies on your PSP (portable Playstation), and they don't seem to be giving up on "mobile entertainment." I guess there's been some traction; I have friends who keep up with their favorite TV shows on their commutes. My mind still boggles at the concept of this actually being a viable business model -- Don't your arms get tired? What do you even see in there? -- but I suppose people are starting to embrace anything they can carry with them on their gadgets. I'll leave you with David Lynch's immortal -- and entirely correct -- words on the subject, after the jump.

In an attempt to make it seem as if they're once again revolutionizing indie filmmaking, The Sundance Institute and Robert Redford announced today at a press conference in New York a new program called The Global Short Film Project. What's happening is The Sundance Film Festival has teamed up with GSMA (described as "an association of mobile phone service providers") and commissioned six independent filmmakers (all of whom have presented work at the Sundance fest in the past) to create short films specifically designed to play on cell phones. Heck yeah, Sundance has officially gone mobile, folks!

The filmmakers involved are Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine), Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow), Maria Maggenti (Puccini for Beginners), Cory McAbee (The American Astronaut) and Jody Hill (The Foot Fist Way). The films will premiere at the 3GSM World Congress (which appears to be some sort of gigantic mobile orgy) in Barcelona this February. Following the event, they will most likely be made available to download on your phone. However, more details will be announced as the Sundance fest draws closer. We're not sure what Redford intends to do with this new project (aside from obtaining a ton of free minutes from his cell phone provider), but here's hoping The Reeler's frightening prediction of a "Mobile Phone Auteur Lab" does not come true. Even if its description as a "rigorous series of workshops dedicated to expertly lighting and framing your drunk, passed out friends for future laughs and/or blackmail" would be a hilarious scenario to poke fun at. Ahh, Redford -- what will he come up with next?

I love SXSW. It's by far the most favorite film festival to attend, in no small part because it's seemingly the last major film festival that cares about whether or not its audience is having fun. So when the people behind the acronym called and asked me to sit on the jury of their offshoot, SXSWclick, I jumped at the chance. SXSWclick, to quote the official website, "is a year-round initiative created to showcase short-form storytelling via mobile devices and the web." In other words, it's a festival specifically for shorts designed for digital, if not device-specific, distribution. There are five categories to submit work in, ranging from music videos to documentary, to "What the F*$!?" - or, the "Not sure we 'get it' -- but it's pretty cool" category. All work has to be under ten minutes, and it needs to arrive at the SXSW offices via VHS or DVD by June 12. Winners receive a passel of prizes, as well as a chance to screen their film for the ever-expanding crowds at the 2007 SXSW Film Festival, and all entrants will be seen by a panel of filmmakers and industry professionals, including Jason Reitman, Bob Sabiston, Kirby Dick, and, well, me. Wanna enter? Here's the link.

You know that big box office crisis that we've been hearing so much about lately? Well, the Suits have finally pinpointed the cause for it: Cell Phones! NATO (The National Assosciation of Theater Owners, that is, not the free trade org) are currently hard at work trying to get the FCC to block cell phone signals inside of movie theaters. President John Fithian says that as part of theater owners' attempts to bring viewers back to the movies, theaters need to start eliminating "rude behavior." Fithian says this isn't a particularly big step, as many theaters already have no cell phone policies, requiring guests to check their phones at the door. On the other side of this battle is another fancy acronym: CTIA, the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Assosciation. The Washington-based cellular lobbyist group said that it will fight any move to block cell phones, because it interferes with people's ability to use wireless devices in emergency situations.

Am I annoyed by cell phones in theatres? Sure. Do I think we need to get the FCC involved to make a bunch of rules and regulations to prevent it? By all that is good and holy, no. It already drives me nuts that every law/rule making body in the states seems to feel the need to churn out legislation at the drop of the proverbial hat. Take care of it the private sector, like some theaters are already doing – check it at the door. Throw people out who violate the policy. Sure, you won't be able to catch everyone, and sure it'll result in a few seconds of frustration by a theater full of people every now and then. But isn't a few seconds of frustration better than yet more endless federal regulation?