I wonder if classic film sites all seem to attract the same few hundred aficionados--or is there a serious audience today for classic era films, say from about 1925-1950?
Does anyone know how many copies classic films sell on dvd, as compared to modern releases? It can't be much.
I used to go to the TLA cinema on South Street in Philadelphia in the 1970's, with many packed houses. Never left without gum or my shoes-- or my pants. Shabby, but it served as a 7 day a week repertoiry house, everything from "Nosferatu" to "Singin' In The rain." That was long ago. Only a few such events in Philadelphia today. I'm sure NYC and LA do well with repertoiry, but I wonder about other cities and towns.
Nothing like seeing a classic on a big screen with real people (who actually pay attention). In the 1970's, the audience seemed to "savor" every key line of dialogue in "Casablanca," or "Double Indemnity."
Do today's films actually have dialogue? Just asking....
How Popular Are Classic Films Today?
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Phillyrich
- Posts: 348
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2011 8:42 pm
- Location: Philadelphia
I agree that nothing compares with watching a big picture on a big screen in a real movie theater. Plus, many movies, expecially comedies, were cut with an eye to providing pauses for audience reaction. Without an audience, these films can sometimes seem to be too slow (the Laurel & Hardy shorts are a good example of this).
However, I'm afraid that repertory houses like TLA are just not sustainable in these times. There is, as you mentioned, a smaller audience for such movies to begin with. Also, the widespread distribution of classic films on videotape, DVD and even on TCM has probably helped to kill live showings, in my opinion. Add to that the costs of maintaining and operating a large old theater and the difficulty of obtaining decent prints, and it's just very difficult to stay afloat financially with such a program.
I ran a repertory classic film series forty years ago when I was in college. But that was before VHS and DVD, and I also had the use of a 200-seat lecture hall and two B&H 385 16mm projectors for free. I could rent a 16mm print of A NIGHT AT THE OPERA from Films, Inc. for about $75, charge $1 a head to get in, and make a few bucks for books and beer money in the bargain. But those days are gone forever.
On the other hand, the costs of reissuing a classic film on DVD are much less than the costs of making a new one, even when restoration expenses are factored in. So I imagine that the studios will continue to mine the vaults, although perhaps at a slower pace.
My only gripe is that I wish the powers-that-be would spend a little more time and effort issuing some lesser-known but equally fine classic films [like DANTE'S INFERNO (1935) with Spencer Tracy, Claire Trevor and Henry B. Walthall], instead of reissuing CASABLANCA and THE WIZARD OF OZ for the umpteenth time in another "updated" or "anniversary" edition that's pretty much just a rehash of the same old thing. SETH
However, I'm afraid that repertory houses like TLA are just not sustainable in these times. There is, as you mentioned, a smaller audience for such movies to begin with. Also, the widespread distribution of classic films on videotape, DVD and even on TCM has probably helped to kill live showings, in my opinion. Add to that the costs of maintaining and operating a large old theater and the difficulty of obtaining decent prints, and it's just very difficult to stay afloat financially with such a program.
I ran a repertory classic film series forty years ago when I was in college. But that was before VHS and DVD, and I also had the use of a 200-seat lecture hall and two B&H 385 16mm projectors for free. I could rent a 16mm print of A NIGHT AT THE OPERA from Films, Inc. for about $75, charge $1 a head to get in, and make a few bucks for books and beer money in the bargain. But those days are gone forever.
On the other hand, the costs of reissuing a classic film on DVD are much less than the costs of making a new one, even when restoration expenses are factored in. So I imagine that the studios will continue to mine the vaults, although perhaps at a slower pace.
My only gripe is that I wish the powers-that-be would spend a little more time and effort issuing some lesser-known but equally fine classic films [like DANTE'S INFERNO (1935) with Spencer Tracy, Claire Trevor and Henry B. Walthall], instead of reissuing CASABLANCA and THE WIZARD OF OZ for the umpteenth time in another "updated" or "anniversary" edition that's pretty much just a rehash of the same old thing. SETH
Please don't call the occasional theatrical release of an old movie a "reissue." We do not say "The next time you go to the Louvre, you will see a re-issue of the Mona Lisa.” -- Cecil B. DeMille
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Christopher Jacobs
- Moderator
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When I took film classes in the 1970s, students expected to see "classic" films for class and in the extra-curricular campus film societies. The student-run film series would mix several recent hits (this being well before VCRs) with a variety of classics, foreign, and occasional independent titles.
Today's students overwhelmingly prefer Hollywood's latest releases and often complain that I don't show enough "modern" films in class (meaning films made within their active lifetimes of roughly the past five to ten years). However, once they've actually forced themselves to sit through films they'd never watch on their own, like CHARADE, NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, STAGECOACH, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, etc., a majority of them reluctantly admit how surprised they were that they not only didn't fall asleep as they'd expected, but actually enjoyed them. A few of those students are likely to seek out more films from before they were born once they've experienced them. Just having them easily available isn't enough to build a new audience, but the incredible current availability makes it extremely easy for people to follow up on stars, genres, and directors from the past once they accidentally discover how effective older films can be by taking a class or being dragged by a boyfriend/girlfriend to see something.
There really should be some sort of elementary and high school "film literacy" curriculum included along with traditional courses in literature that exposes young people to at least a small selection of the popular canon of movies, rather than haphazard electives for those who already interested on their own. And people on this discussion group (although most are probably doing it already) should be actively introducing friends, acquaintences, and even complete strangers to films they'd never heard of before. This is the way to insure a reasonably substantial audience for classics in the future, even if it may never again reach the peak it had in the 70s and support a widespread revival of commercial revival theatres.
Younger people are far more apt to try unfamiliar things if they perceive them as "cool" and/or they are endorsed by trendy movie heroes like Quentin Tarantino or Kevin Smith or Martin Scorsese or Johnny Depp, et al., so once they discover how big an influcence certain earlier films had on their own favorite films, they suddenly become willing to check them out for themselves.
--Christopher Jacobs
http://hpr1.com/film
http://www.und.edu/instruct/cjacobs
http://www.und.edu/instruct/cjacobs/Old ... BluRay.htm
Today's students overwhelmingly prefer Hollywood's latest releases and often complain that I don't show enough "modern" films in class (meaning films made within their active lifetimes of roughly the past five to ten years). However, once they've actually forced themselves to sit through films they'd never watch on their own, like CHARADE, NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, STAGECOACH, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, etc., a majority of them reluctantly admit how surprised they were that they not only didn't fall asleep as they'd expected, but actually enjoyed them. A few of those students are likely to seek out more films from before they were born once they've experienced them. Just having them easily available isn't enough to build a new audience, but the incredible current availability makes it extremely easy for people to follow up on stars, genres, and directors from the past once they accidentally discover how effective older films can be by taking a class or being dragged by a boyfriend/girlfriend to see something.
There really should be some sort of elementary and high school "film literacy" curriculum included along with traditional courses in literature that exposes young people to at least a small selection of the popular canon of movies, rather than haphazard electives for those who already interested on their own. And people on this discussion group (although most are probably doing it already) should be actively introducing friends, acquaintences, and even complete strangers to films they'd never heard of before. This is the way to insure a reasonably substantial audience for classics in the future, even if it may never again reach the peak it had in the 70s and support a widespread revival of commercial revival theatres.
Younger people are far more apt to try unfamiliar things if they perceive them as "cool" and/or they are endorsed by trendy movie heroes like Quentin Tarantino or Kevin Smith or Martin Scorsese or Johnny Depp, et al., so once they discover how big an influcence certain earlier films had on their own favorite films, they suddenly become willing to check them out for themselves.
--Christopher Jacobs
http://hpr1.com/film
http://www.und.edu/instruct/cjacobs
http://www.und.edu/instruct/cjacobs/Old ... BluRay.htm
Well, I've just returned from Bologna; the nightly climax being the screenings in the Piazza Maggiore, the large mediaeval city square. Prime seating for delegates with passes, the same number again of free seating, and plenty of standing room outside of those areas. All the films were well attended and well supported....Nosferatu and Phantom from the silent era, both with live orchestras; the '39 Thief of Bagdad, Les Enfants De Paradise and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes from the Nitrate era, Elia Kazan's America America, Bertolucci's The Conformist, and Taxi Driver. All had their audience with the Italian civilians as well as us attendees. Particularly Taxi Driver; despite being 35 years old, available cheaply at any dvd outlet, there was not an area the size of a postage stamp in the square not occupied, all available space being sat on or stood in. I would say about 6,000 people for a film starting at 10.15pm.
I could use some digital restoration myself...
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Marr&Colton
- Posts: 1050
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:17 pm
I have been running classic movies for decades in local theatres as well as in a home theatre--we have strong demand for great older movies from the 30s to the 60s.
As a baby-boomer, IMHO, the product coming out of Hollywood in the last 10 years has greatly diminished in content quality--despite glitzy CGI, 3D and other gimmicks.
There's no comparison to the well-made and atmospheric films of the old days--and thankfully MANY more are now available in excellent quality.
As a baby-boomer, IMHO, the product coming out of Hollywood in the last 10 years has greatly diminished in content quality--despite glitzy CGI, 3D and other gimmicks.
There's no comparison to the well-made and atmospheric films of the old days--and thankfully MANY more are now available in excellent quality.
SHE(1935) is a perfect example of DVD makers trying to appeal to younger generation/modern movie audiences. Kino did a phenomenal job with their deluxe 3-disc set. All the background goodies we've come to expect on a top-notch DVD presentation. Using myself as example I enjoyed the disc on all fronts ie, it showed behind the scenes, clips from past versions that were extant, interviews and dvd commentary with historians, serious interview with Ray Harryhausen who surprisingly championed his hero Merian Cooper as well as the colorized version of the film included in the set. Colorization is supposed to work on younger viewers not used to b/w. But an overall valiant effort to rain in newcomers as well as placating old movie film buffs. 