Episode #8 – State of Cinema

Episode #8

Best Picture 1976, ROCKY. Timeless simplicity.<figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Best Picture 1976, ROCKY. Timeless simplicity.</figcaption></figure>

Do you recall the days when spectacle-driven “event” cinema was the exception, not the rule?  Mid and low-concept minded films have been an endangered species over the years… This is not to say that we don’t have films to counter this increasingly stupid strategy (Erik and I just went and saw, and podcasted about, Before Midnight), but this approach from studios has prompted very vocal (and negative) responses from George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Steven Soderbergh (among others).  And, this is the focus of That’s a Wrap #8: The Current State and Future of Cinema.  It pairs nicely with a robust but elegant little podcast – Chateau “That’s a Wrap #2, vintage 2013” (On Demand Culture).

Links mentioned:

Noam Chomsky talk at University of Michigan

Chomsky slams Zizek and Lacan

Steven Soderbergh’s talk.

Spielberg and Lucas talk about the future of cinema

List of top films by decade.

Zach Braff’s kickstarter

Braff talks about Kickstarter campaign on KCRW

Youtube video of Soderbergh talk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhR_7D20CMk

Written on July 25, 2013