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STORES CLOSE AS SECOND ENGLAND LOCKDOWN STARTS…
…CINEMAS CALL FOR MORE HELP
TENET ON HOME ENT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
NOLAN “THRILLED” WITH FILM’S SUCCESS
GIFTING PUSH FOR Q4
BBC’S GOT THE GEAR FOR XMAS
SPIRIT’S SPORTS AND MORE
KOP THIS
THREE KINGS TO ARRIVE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
BOB’S BACK FOR A SEASONAL TALE
BREATHLESS WITH EXCITEMENT
A STORIED RELEASE
ONLINE MOGUL
BFI HITS THE TARGETS
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
AT THE MOVIES
TWEET OF THE WEEK
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
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And so, at the end of opening hours on November 4, non-essential high street retailers, entertainment giant hmv chief among them, shuttered their doors for the last time as the second lockdown struck England. Scottish stores are open, while the Welsh outlets, currently also closed, are due to reopen on Monday November 9 as the two week short sharp lockdown comes to an end. For hmv it’s the second time this year it has been forced to close its stores due to the Covid-19 pandemic, although it is now well placed to keep some outlets open but also well versed in pivoting to online orders. As its Twitter account noted on Thursday morning: “We're very sad to have to let you know we'll be temporarily closing our [English stores] from the end of the day today, Wednesday November 4 to Wednesday December 4. You can still get all your entertainment delivered straight to your door through our website.” All cinemas in England are now closed too (see below for Showcase statement), joining those in other parts of the UK, with Northern Ireland Welsh cinemas all closed and many in Scotland following suit. Again, our thoughts must go out to all those in our business who have spent time and money making their estates safe for customers and whose efforts have now been foiled again by the pandemic.
The extension of the furlough scheme accompanying the lockdown may make it easier for retailers and cinemas and beyond to cope with the circumstances, protecting business and individuals, but organisations such as the UK Cinema Association have called for more government support. Chief executive Phil Clapp said: “While we welcome the extension of the furlough scheme, all cinemas will require additional funding support if they are to recover from this, the latest of a series of set-backs,” Clapp said. “While the announcement of £30 million of support for independent cinemas in England (and consequent announcements in the rest of the U.K.) was welcome, those venues need confirmation of their awards now, given the need for them to plan for continuing challenges over the coming months. At the same time, we renew our call for government to support those larger cinema companies who are not eligible for the above funding, but are major employers in the sector, as well as making a hugely valuable contribution to their local communities.”
Of course, the film that welcomed the return of the blockbuster to cinemas – albeit somewhat temporarily given what has happened since its theatrical release – was Tenet, the epic Christopher Nolan outing, which scored big in the UK and other territories, although its US release was blighted by Covid-19, not least in LA and New York, two key cities whose cinemas have still not reopened to air it. Well, the film, which stars Robert Pattinson, John David Washington, Elizabeth Debicki and Kenneth Branagh, is being given its home entertainment release by Warner ahead of Christmas, with the opportunity to amass 10 days’ worth of gifting sales – it arrives in multiple formats, from 4K Ultra HD through to digital, on December 14. The 4K and Blu-ray editions will feature a bonus disc’s worth of additional material, including an hour-long documentary Looking at the World in a New Way: The Making of Tenet. As many pundits noted, the December 14 release gives the home entertainment release added impetus, while two clear markets – those who didn’t want to see it in busier multiplexes due to the ongoing impact of Coronavirus as well as people who’ve seen it, but want to watch again to catch bits they missed or further unravel the labyrinthine plot and minutiae of Nolan’s film. As Total Film noted: “Missed out on seeing it at the cinema? Or just want to experience that ending again? Either way, you’re in luck – you’ll be able to watch Tenet at home just in time for Christmas.”
Incidentally, Nolan has been speaking about the film’s box office success and berated other distributors for not following his and Warner’s bold move to return to the big screen as lockdown was lifted for the first time. He told the Los Angeles Times: "Warner Bros released Tenet, and I’m thrilled that it has made almost $350 million. But I am worried that the studios are drawing the wrong conclusions from our release – that rather than looking at where the film has worked well and how that can provide them with much-needed revenue, they’re looking at where it hasn’t lived up to pre-COVID expectations and will start using that as an excuse to make exhibition take all the losses from the pandemic instead of getting in the game and adapting – or rebuilding our business, in other words."
The lockdown in England and further problems around the UK are hitting home just as the gifting season kicks in, and while no-one can yet have a handle on the likely impact, releases are still coming thick and fast and BASE is pushing the boat out with a PR campaign launching to play up the benefits of gifting physical entertainment at Christmas. The trade organisation is working with members for the promotion running from through to December, working with the likes of BBC Studios, Lionsgate, Manga, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Spirit, Studiocanal, Universal and Disney. It dovetails with the recent Must See Movies 80s activity and sees the associated distributors putting forward their Q4 choices to be included in gift guides and more in the press in the coming months. Titles being flagged to journalists across print and beyond include everything from the mammoth Marvel Studios Infinity Saga set from Disney through to BBC’s latest Strictly Come Dancing spin-off Shirley & Craig’s Perfect 10 and Manga’s newly restored Akira, and everything from Inspector Morse to El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. BASE chief executive Liz Bales said: “All signs point to the fact that consumer spend this Christmas looks likely to remain bullish and, with all of us spending more time inside, the breadth and depth of content available on disc this Q4 makes it the perfect gift for the environment we find ourselves in. Physical media, whether premium content like 4K UHD SKUs of recent hits and catalogue favourites, or DVD box sets of TV classics, continue to be a great, and sustainable, option for gifters everywhere and this collective PR initiative is the perfect way of driving that point home.”
The aforementioned Strictly release is one of a trio of big BBC Studios titles coming to market aimed at wooing potential gift purchasers, joining the annual Top Gear themed release, as well as Ball and Boe featuring the singers collaborating once more. Commenting on its slate, BBC Studios’ Matthew McNamee said: “We are very excited about this year’s Q4 slate especially the 3 big gifting titles we have, from the million album selling artists Ball and Boe and the ever popular TV franchises Strictly Come Dancing and Top Gear. The collaborative support from retailers who have recognised the gifting opportunity these titles offer has been fantastic and very much appreciated in what we all know is a challenging market.”
Also talking up the gifting sector was Spirit, which has worked wonders for its labels in recent years in terms of putting some oomph into gifting with sports, light entertainment and music releases at this time of year, with another raft this year. It includes offerings from independent operators as well as labels such as Altitude. Commenting on the slate, the company’s Sarah Stanley said: “Football fans will be exceptionally well catered for with the stunning and poignant Finding Jack Charlton, Jonny Owens’ latest fascinating documentary, The Three Kings and Liverpool fans will be especially spoilt with Champions - 2019/2020 Season Review featuring every goal from their historic season and the incredible film of the same amazing season through the eyes of Jurgen Klopp, The End of the Storm (Altitude). For a total change of pace and to get us all in festive mood Katherine Jenkins has filmed a beautiful Christmas Spectacular in the Albert Hall, ably assisted by celebrity friends it is packed with carols and festive fun (also Altitude). From a catalogue perspective the Spirit family of partners offer a fabulous line up of nostalgic TV Box Sets the mainstay of the catalogue gifting market, classic comedy, a plethora of stand up comedians, award winning feature docs, the spectacle of WWE and many more perfect gifts for all the family.”
Spirit’s Rob Callow said the company was optimistic about the gifting market in 2020 despite the myriad obstacles in the way, not least all the Covid-related ones. He said: “In these incredibly unusual and unsettling times we remain very optimistic about the Home Entertainment gifting opportunity. DVD has always been a perfect gift and this year more than ever represents a very easy purchase which is simple to send when much exchanging of gifts is likely to sadly be done from a distance. We really look forward to collaborating with our retail and digital partners to maximise every sale throughout the gifting season and as ever thank them for all of their support.”
We’ll have more on the Altitude titles mentioned above in next week’s newsletter along with more gifting titles from studios and independents alike, but here’s more on a couple of those titles due from Spirit too. Its Liverpool end of season review, covering the 2019-20 Covid-interrupted heroics, is out on Monday November 9. The company’s Matt Kemp, himself a fan of the new champions, said: “As a lifelong LFC fan, it’s safe to say I’m fairly well invested in this particular Spirit Q4 release. As such, I’m happy to report that the set-up we have in place, for both DVD and EST, is very strong indeed. Thanks (as always) to our retail partners for their support in this most unusual of Q4s. Pre-orders are also off to a fantastic start – both physically and digitally – and I’m sure that every LFC fan worth his / her salt will want to own this memento of the Reds’ record-breaking, title-winning season.”
Following on from the Liverpool title is another football-related title arriving on November 16 on the back of a November 1 theatrical bow. Three Kings charts the closeness between Jock Stein, Bill Shankly and Matt Busby, who grew up within miles of each other in Scotland and ended up being three managerial football titans. It is released through Spirit by Lorton and boasts an impeccable gifting pedigree – director Jonny Owen made Nottingham Forest film I Believe In Miracles, producer James Gay-Rees has worked on the likes of Senna and Diego. The campaign kicked off in earnest this weekend following the November 1 screening with video ads on ou Tube,Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and key national sports and football sites including Telegraph, The Athletic, Daily Mail and Four Four Two. PR has seen Owen being interviewed across the likes of Soccer AM, BBC Radio 5 Live, Talksport, Telegraph, The Times with more to come including a lead spot on Breakfast TV. The release will also target the trio’s three key clubs and supporters in Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, as will further PR. Commenting on he release, Tim Westbey, co-ordinating the marketing, said: “We're thrilled to be releasing this special film from Jonny Owen which shines a new light on the lives of Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Jock Stein, and the incredible impact they had on their clubs and the people of Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. Our campaign ensures The Three Kings will appeal to all three sets of fans and those with a love of the beautiful game and sporting documentaries. With great support from retailers and our partners at Spirit Entertainment, we're well placed to deliver a strong result on release and throughout the gifting period.”
Lionsgate is getting all seasonal with a yuletide-themed release which should garner interest in the sequel to A Street Cat Named Bob, A Christmas Gift From Bob, which sees the moggy and human owner James (played by Luke Treadaway) facing ups and downs during the last Christmas they will spend scraping a living on the streets. It was due to arrive in cinemas that were still open and premium cod on November 6, and, as the company’s Olivia Dean said: "To support the release we’re delivering a theatrical-scale, national campaign complete with above the line media, a talent-led PR campaign and some fantastic third-party promotions and partnerships. Expect to see advertising across VOD channels, social, online and print. This is coupled by activity with The Big Issue, Battersea Cats & Dogs Home, The Salvation Army, pet food company Lilly’s Kitchen and others. We’re also collaborating closely with the publisher of the ‘Bob’ series, who have re-covered the book in time for Q4 gifting.”
Studiocanal is weighing in with a couple of key gifting titles arriving in stores on Monday November 9, with all new restorations of two titles from its vast catalogue. The company’s Alison Arber talked us through its two releases, The Ladykillers and Breathless. She said: “This Monday, we are thrilled to be releasing brand new restorations of two of some of the most important films in our catalogue. The Ladykillers restoration is one of the most outstanding we have released and is the first ever three-strip, 4K restoration. Considered one of the best British comedies ever made, with an inimitable cast, it’s the jewel in our Vintage Classics brand – we are releasing on 4K UHD 5 disc collector’s edition, Blu-ray, DVD and digital. From Ealing comedy to The French New Wave and the 60th anniversary of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless. Considered one of the most influential and coolest films ever made, Breathless has been stunningly restored in 4K, we are releasing a 12” vinyl soundtrack collector’s set with UHD, Blu-ray, booklet, poster and artcards, plus standard Blu-ray, DVD and digital. Also in stores on Monday November 15 is the latest from Second Run, How To Live Your Story: Selected Works by Kevin Jerome Everson, assessing the career and output of the American artist. Commenting on the release, the company’s Chris Barwick said: “Second Run are extremely proud to be presenting the first Blu-ray collection of the film works of renowned African American artist Kevin Jerome Everson. This collection of 4 features and 17 shorts is a comprehensive selection personally chosen by the filmmaker himself. It’s a terrific set, and anyone with an interest in documentary or artists’ films will find much to enjoy and appreciate. And coming up later in November is Tsai Ming-Liang’s exquisite Goodbye, Dragon Inn. We’ve been astounded by the response to and anticipation for this release – it’s a film which seems to be truly beloved and holds a special place in people’s hearts. Now more poignant than ever, this tender tribute to the experience of cinema-going is a certifiable classic – and presented from in a new 4K restoration, it’s never looked better.”
Out at cinemas as the second lockdown took hold was the excellent BFI release Mogul Mowgli, with its theatrical run being cut short by the closure of English cinemas. So the organisation moved sharply to ensure that the Riz Ahmed starrer – featuring the actor in a tour de force performance as a rapper about to hit the big time when events overtake him – was still able to be seen. It’s now available through the BFI Player and Curzon Home Cinema and, as Stuart Brown, BFI Head of Programme and Acquisitions said “Having successfully premiered Mogul Mowgli both in cinemas and online to sell out audiences up and down the UK at this year’s BFI London Film Festival, and then generating so much buzz and excitement with our release campaign, we are determined to continue to get this brilliant, urgent film to audiences despite the closure of cinemas due to new national restrictions. Working alongside the film making team, we are delighted to be able to pivot into the online space through BFI Player and Curzon Home Cinema so rapidly and make this film accessible throughout the UK.”
Meanwhile, the BFI’s home entertainment arm has also been busy this week, moving beyond 2020 and looking forward to next year by unveiling its releases for the first quarter of 2021. What’s more, it includes a physical release for the aforementioned Mogul Mowgli, as well as, in the shape of Targets, an eagerly awaited release for a classic title. Running through the line-up, the company’s John Ramchandani said: “After the second lockdown of 2020 we want to ring in the new year with a fresh start and blue skies, literally. Our first release of 2021 is Tony Richardson’s epic drama, Blue Sky, starring Tommy Lee Jones alongside Jessica Lange in her second Oscar-winning role. Following the BFI Southbank’s forthcoming season celebrating the career of iconic Hollywood legend Marlene Dietrich, January also sees the release of a brilliant new four-disc Blu-ray boxset, Marlene Dietrich at Universal 1940-1942. The set includes Seven Sinners, Flame of New Orleans, The Spoilers and Pittsburg and features supporting performances from the likes of John Wayne and Broderick Crawford. Award-winning British actor, rapper and activist, Riz Ahmed, stars in a bold, vital and electrifying exploration of heritage and identity in Mogul Mowgli. Released last week to rave reviews and screens across the UK, the Blu-ray is set for release on February 22, replete with commentary, interviews, introductions and essays. March sees Leontine Sagan’s 1931 landmark of lesbian cinema, Mädchen in Uniform, released on Dual Format Edition DVD and Blu-ray. Coinciding with the BFI Flare Film Festival, this pioneering milestone was decades ahead of its time and remains a potent and powerful depiction of repressed love. Gary Oldman and Lena Olin star in Peter Medak’s gripping mid-1990s cult classic, Romeo is Bleeding. Featuring twists, turns and thrills aplenty, the absorbing neo-noir is set for a Blu-ray release on March 8 and finally, to round off a sensational quarter we are thrilled to bring Peter Bogdanovich’s indie classics, Targets, to Blu-ray for the first time in the UK. Hailed as one of the most powerful films of the late 1960s, the film was executive produced by the legendary Roger Corman, starred one of the true icons of horror cinema, Boris Karloff and launched the career of Bogdanovich. I’m sure most people will be glad to see the back of 2020 – but with our slate of classics they now have another reason to look forward to 2021.”
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Following the government announcement over the weekend, we will be temporarily closing all of our sites in England from close of business on Wednesday November 4, alongside our already shut Scottish cinemas. Guests who have a booking with us from Thursday onwards can call the cinema directly to arrange a refund or, if the screening has been rescheduled, a swap to the new date. However, our cinema in Nangarw, Cardiff will be reopening its doors on Monday November 9. We worked tirelessly to be the first major circuit in the UK to reopen our cinemas back in July, and would like to thank families, friends and film fans for visiting and supporting us since then. We introduced our ‘Be Showcase Safe’ policy for the safety and comfort of our guests and employees, and we are extremely proud of the positive response it has received from customers right across the UK. From introducing enhanced cleaning regimes and socially distanced screenings, to staggered film times and sanitising stations for guests to use, we’ve been committed to keeping guests and employees as safe as possible. Showcase has entertained local communities in the UK for over 30 years and we are delighted to have made the nation laugh, smile and even scream, over the past few months - providing people with the opportunity to shut out the outside world for a couple of hours with the magic of film. Our industry has weathered many difficult moments through the decades, and none more so than this year. Through these unprecedented times, we come back to the same conclusion – people want and need to go to the cinema. We remain passionate about that cinema experience and we will be following the government guidance in each region very carefully over the coming weeks. We can’t wait to bring the big screen experience back, and following this short intermission, as soon as we are able to do so, Showcase Cinemas will be here to welcome you.”
AT THE MOVIES
Where, many people have been wondering, is the UK release for Palm Springs, the latest from Andy Samberg? The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star’s follow up to the excellent Pop Star has come out in the US, but until this week there was no news of a UK bow for the title. Until now, for Amazon has picked up rights to a number of territories and will be airing the film through Prime Video from 2021 alongside other countries. “Palm Springs is the perfect addition to Prime Video’s extensive collection of entertaining films, brought directly and exclusively to Prime members around the world”, said Brad Beale, Vice President, Worldwide Content Acquisition, Prime Video. “With captivating and hilarious performances, from Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons, and Peter Gallagher, Prime members will fall in love with this instant classic.” Andy Samberg commented: “We’re thrilled that Palm Springs is finally going to reach audiences outside of the U.S. and we hope that all the Prime members in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK, France and the Netherlands enjoy the genre-bending ride!”
Jordan Peele is still one of Hollywood’s most in-demand directors and talents, as evinced by further news of yet another project for the star unveiled this week. Peele’s exact involvement in the remake of 1991 Wes Craven horror The People Under The Stairs is unclear, but it’s certainly something he’s involved in. You can expect it be even more politically astute and satirical than Craven’s version (the famed horror director was working on a TV take before his untimely death, while it should also arrive on time for the film’s 30th anniversary.
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Follow us on www.twitter.com/theraygun…
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
Due in 2021…
https://youtu.be/pdiI9WbuC2k New Lego x Star Wars due on Disney+…
And this is on the way too…
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