new yorker films Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Indie Roundup: 'Bronson,' New Yorker Films, Mickey Rourke's Speech
Filed under: Drama », Foreign Language », Independent », Awards », Deals », Distribution », Exhibition », Newsstand », Cinematical Indie », Trailers and Clips »
In this week's edition of Indie Roundup, we begin with prison and end with a liberating acceptance speech.
Deals. Tough prison drama Bronson has been acquired by Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (the Pusher trilogy) and starring Tom Hardy as the real-life inmate who adopted the name and persona of the titular tough guy movie star, Bronson moved Scott Weinberg to describe it as "raw, blistering, harsh and compelling in the way that only a really good 'prison film' can be." [via indieWIRE]
News. In unhappy distribution news, "after 43 years in business, New Yorker Films has ceased operations." That's the simple statement posted on their official site. Eugene Hernandez at indieWIRE notes that the company has "a legendary legacy, boasting a long-standing track record in international film distribution, bringing a staggering number of international auteurs to this country's movie theaters over more than four decades. The company's crucial role in establishing a lasting film culture in this country cannot be underestimated."
Indeed, New Yorker Films played a crucial role in my own personal education, giving me the opportunity to see challenging work like Werner Herzog's Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Wim Wenders' The American Friend, and Wayne Wang's Chan is Missing, among many others.David Hudson at IFC's The Daily rounds up reactions ranging from dismay to shock. Reportedly, the company's film library will be sold off at auction to satisfy a loan taken out by its former owner.
After the jump: Indie Weekend Box Office, San Jose's Cinequest opens, and Mickey Rourke's Spirit Awards speech.
Showing DVD in public can be costly
Filed under: Independent », New Yorker », Distribution », Newsstand », Politics », Cinematical Indie »
Because the theaters in Bloomington-Normal, IL don't
offer much to the art house crowd, members of the Illinois State University Cinema Society rented movies that were more
their style, and got together to watch them. Unfortunately, they listed their screenings on the internet, and New Yorker
Films happened upon the list. Noticing that they happened to hold distribution rights to 20 of the films screened by the
group, they sent along a bill for $8000 in back fees. Needless to say, the members of the ISUCS were shocked - shocked, I tell you! - by the bill and, since their budget is about $1300, can't really pay it. According to Curt White, the group's faculty advisor, New Yorker's bill is not only "a shakedown," but will also have the unintentional consequence of rendering the region completely free of independent and foreign films.
Here's the thing, though: wasn't it was sort of White's job to be aware of rights issues, and to advise the group about them? I mean, I worked at a little Midwestern high school, and not only did the faculty have to sit through a yearly copyright meeting, but my film class was also subject to exacting scrutiny by those in the know, and we spent a lot of time sorting out our distribution concerns. If this guy wasn't aware of them, he was careless. And yeah, it's sort of low for New Yorker to be demanding payment from a minor film society, but come on - aren't faculty advisors there for a reason? Quit whining and take some damn responsibility.
[via Movie City Indie]
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