Q&A - Part 2

A continuation of our little Q&A session, with our first audience question. We have also reviewed a film today, O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Who is your favourite actor/actress?

Jess - I have narrowed it down to three. First, and perhaps most notably is Alan Rickman. I was obsessed with the man and spent a good year religiously working through this filmography. He has such an impressive presence on screen, and malleability for such diverse roles that go beyond his big-names credits. Of course he’s a phenomenal villain - Hans Gruber (Die Hard, 1988), The Sheriff of Nottingham (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, 1991) and Severus Snape (Harry Potter series, 2001 -2011) to name the obvious. But I would urge you to delve into lesser-known flicks to see further example of his range as an actor. Truly Madly Deeply (1990), Bottle Shock (2008), Snow Cake (2006) and Closet Land (1991) just to name a few.

                                        I also LOVE Steve Buscemi. Not only do I think he‘s a brilliant actor, in comedic roles as much as his turn in dramas, but he just seems like a nice person. He‘s a welcome addition to so many of my favourite films from Tarantino collabs to fun comedy cameos, and takes the centre stage in one of the greatest television series out there, Boardwalk Empire (2010 - 2014.) His characters are always memorable and he seems like such a goddamn good sport.

And finally, Mads Mikkelsen. I fell in love with NBC’s Hannibal series (2013 - 2015) and alongside it, Mikkelsen’s depiction of the iconic Dr Hannibal Lecter. It was a hell of a challenge to follow the legendary performance of Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs (1991), but he absolutely owned it. He’s brilliant. And delving further into this filmography, I was floored by his range. Danish comedy Green Butchers (2003) is a brilliant pseudo-Sweeney Todd homage, with Mikkelsen nearly unrecognisable from his Hollywood action-villain typecasting. Whereas his turn as a teacher accused of pedophilia in The Hunt (2012) is perhaps his most powerful and raw performance on screen. He’s brilliant.

Sam - I pondered this question for a while and none stood out. There were frontrunners; Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, etc. I eventually settled on Denzel Washington. Other actors are equally dynamic, and Blanchett has more range. Yet Denzel has such a magnetic presence, from the powerful Dt. Alonzo in Training Day to troubled pilot Whip in Flight. He embodies this gravitas that very few are able to achieve. Though he can play similar roles at times, I still find his performances tremendous. And though others almost took his place, most notably Blanchett, his filmography is incredible, and even the less critically-acclaimed ones I enjoy easily, mainly because of the humorous charm he brings to any role.

Do you have any guilty pleasure films?

Jess - I have far too many guilty pleasure films to account for here. But the one that comes to mind first is Con Air (1997). The film follows an ex-con (Cage) on a plane full of dangerous convicts being transferred to a maximum security facility, where chaos ensues. Now, anything with Nicolas Cage is gold - and you cannot persuade me otherwise! - and this film has arguably one of best Cage lines in existence. It’s hilarious despite its attempts to evoke drama and tension, and absolutely littered with plot holes. But it’s just so much fun! I could watch it a hundred times over. It’s got a brilliant cast supporting Cage including John Malkovich and Steve Buscemi, as just two of a whole ensemble of outlandish, over-the-top criminals including the likes of Danny Trejo, Dave Chappelle and Ving Rhames. Heavily flawed, but without a doubt a firm favourite of mine.

Sam - My guilty pleasure is probably The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. I don’t watch it often, but when I do, I enjoy it far more than I should. Unfortunately it is clearly a cash grab. One book, that they sloppily stretched out to form a trilogy. The first 30 minutes is essentially a comedy-musical about dinner. It’s laborious. Yet, revisiting Middle Earth and it’s rich history excites me, and if the story goes nowhere, I still delight at seeing the vibrant visuals.

Can I ask your views on the future of film? (Audience question.)

Jess - In all honesty, I haven’t got the sunniest outlook on the future of film. With the rise of streaming services such as Netflix, and more recently, Disney + - the cinema has become a commodity. A pricey day trip when you tire of scrolling through the seemingly unending catalogue of films on your smart devices. Its sad. And takes some of the anticipation and excitement away from the viewing experience. It’s great that film has become so accessible, but there doesn’t seem to be an awful lot of glamour left in it. But my main gripe concerns the content of future films. Based on the Hollywood hits of the past few years, all I see are remakes, ever-expanding franchises and a hefty injection of superhero flicks. These things aren’t all strictly bad or wrong in any way, merely lazy. My biggest worry with film is that makers will pander to what is popular, relying on well-traversed roads to secure a money-making hit rather than taking a leap of faith. Perhaps this is why I’m so drawn to horror. I love the experimental. I love films that push the boundaries of expectation - that can toy with narrative pattern, distinctive visuals or cinematography and delve into subject matter that swiftly bypasses the same sh-t we’ve seen a hundred times before. Of course there have been some fantastic films in the past year alone, The Irishman (2019), Hereditary (2018) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) to name a few, and I applaud them. My fear is simply that films will lose their originality. My fear is that filmmakers will play it safe or conform to certain expectations of the industry. And as long as we’re queuing up for the latest live-action Disney movie, and as long as Avengers: Endgame (2019) is breaking profit records, creativity and ingenuity in film will be stifled. By all means, watch whatever you enjoy - that’s what cinema is for! But I sincerely hope that creators will refuse to be swept away by the current of what’s easy and what sells, and instead make their own mark on the industry. You can’t build a legacy off someone else’s formula.

Sam - This is hard to predict, and I’m sure studios have people way more qualified than myself frantically trying to figure this out. If I was to hazard a guess, my answer is threefold.

One. The cinema industry is in steady decline, especially amongst the key demographic of younger audiences. This coincides with the rise of streaming platforms. Which will only grow, since major studios are now investing in their own online networks. The coronavirus pandemic revealed that studios are willing to release new films straight to streaming platforms. My belief is that cinemas will become boutique venues, that show either the biggest of blockbusters or independent films, while also broadcasting sporting events and live theatre. (They’ve already partnered with people such as the National Theatre, and for the most part it’s very successful with older audiences.)

Two. Films transitioning into the home leaves opportunity to innovate. Films such as Black Mirror: Bandersnatch have already shown us a glimpse of this. Though, while it was received well by critics, I know of people who lamented the idea of being active in the film experience process. But, as virtual reality hardware continues to reduce in price and become more accessible, I believe, perhaps in the distant future, that this will be a key part of the future of film. Films will already be viewed in the house, and if VR hardware becomes a staple at home, it makes sense that the two will combine. Film and game studios will team up to create a world, where you walk through the story, viewing it from your own angle, and subtly influencing the narrative. Though I do have two concerns about this, primarily the cost, as it may be too expensive to do. But also, human laziness, as many may want to be passive, annoyed at having to make a choice.

Three. Finally, I believe, again, with the transition of film out of the cinema and into your living room, that TV series will be a major part of film’s future. We’ve seen high budget franchises built with shows such as Game of Thrones. And Netflix poured millions into The Witcher, which, debatable if it was technically good or not, was an epic fantasy show, that they’re hoping to turn into the next big hit. We’ve also seen stars such as Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon, and that’s just in Big Little Lies, turn to TV. It’s a win for the streaming platforms, as TV shows are obviously longer, and consistent viewership will equate to more money. And so, I suspect certain film ideas will be transformed into big budget shows will all-star casts.

This subject is hard to capture concisely, as there are also interesting factors, such as Hollywood’s struggle with originality. But to summarise my points, I believe that the decline on cinema, and the rise of streaming platforms, will put the majority of films straight into the consumers living room. And while film will always exist, I suspect that a film-game hybrid will emerge with VR at some point, if it’s financially feasible. I also believe that TV series will become the prime market for storytelling, with film stars transitioning into TV stars with big budget shows.