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SPIRIT INKS BEEB DEAL…
REACTION AS NEW S&D DEAL KICKS IN
DAN AUTY RIP
TRIBUTES PAID TO FORMER VHE/HEW STAFFER
GET CARTER. IN 4K
COMMENT AS BIG MAN GETS IN HIGH DEF SHAPE
THE MATRIX IS BORN AGAIN
CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS
HATS OFF TO PANAMA
ENTERING THE FOREST
BROADCASTING AGAIN…
…AS SIGNAL GETS ANOTHER PUSH
SHUDDER’S HALLOWEEN PROMOTION
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
AT THE MOVIES
TWEET OF THE WEEK
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
Breaking: just as we were ready to send out this week’s newsletter, an announcement from BBC Studios and Spirit Entertainment heralded the next big change in the shape of the industry. The pair have inked a deal which will see the sales and distribution of the former’s home entertainment product being looked after by the latter. The deal, which kicks off in April, will see Spirit managing BBC Studios’ home entertainment catalogue at retail and also look after manufacturing and distribution supply chain. The announcement further added: “BBC Studios retains all licensing rights and a small selection of drama titles such as Doctor Who and landmark Natural History content, including the recent Green Planet, will continue to be mastered by the BBC Studios in-house production team.” It’s the latest development in BBC’s storied history in home entertainment which stretches back more than 40 years, and takes in BBC Video, BBC Worldwide and, after a deal involving VCI and its EUK and Woolworths parent back in the 2000s, the 2entertain joint venture. Spirit founder Rob Callow worked his way through the ranks at VCI before striking out with the sales company. BBC’s home entertainment catalogue includes Doctor Who and the likes of Peter Kay’s Car Share and Gavin & Stacey, while recent years have seen dramas such as Peaky Blinders specially created Strictly Come Dancing titles and the jewel in the crown that is David Attenborough and much of his programming output. In recent years it was also won BASE Awards for Campaign of the Year for Blue Planet, and Outstanding Innovation for its sustainable packaging for Seven Worlds One Planet.
Comment on the major deal between BBC Studios and Spirit came from Lesley Johnson, Director of Home Entertainment, UK at BBC Studios, who said: “These are exciting next steps for BBC Studios Home Entertainment. We look forward to working closely with the Spirit team to continue creating the best of British TV on DVD”. Spirit Entertainment md Rob Callow added: “Everyone at Spirit Entertainment is absolutely delighted to be working with BBC Studios to maximise sales of their outstanding new release slate and vast catalogue on all physical formats. The synergies between BBC Studios’ and Spirit’s existing partners are truly wide ranging and will provide the catalyst for exciting collaborations and substantial sales growth over the coming years.” More on this on the next newsletter, but The Raygun understands some staff will be crossing over to Spirit, with industry stalwart Greg Wilson chief among them, although others, such as another familiar face in Matthew McNamee, will be leaving BBC Studios.
Some sad news and we’re devastated to announce the untimely passing of Dan Auty, who died last weekend after a short illness. The hugely popular character joined the industry in the late 1990s as a designer and writer at Video Home Entertainment magazine, which later morphed into Home Entertainment Week and was a familiar face around London screenings and events such as FrightFest, where he was a regular, for many, many years. Dan also did the odd bit of work for us at The Raygun and was well-known and liked by everyone and anyone who met him. An accomplished film writer and designer, he also wrote for assorted websites and, moreover, was a podcast pioneer – his Mondo Movies podcast alongside his close friend Ben Howard was one of the first film ones out there and paved the way for many cult movie podcasts that followed in its wake. We sought a few comments from his many close friends and associates as a fitting tribute to a truly wonderful man and a very close friend of ours at The Raygun. Close friend Giles Edwards, now at Queensbury Pictures said: “Dan was the very best of us: father, partner, friend, confidant, nerd, scholar, podcaster, filmmaker, fucking weird music devotee, mensch, human. I’m sad beyond words for his family. As seems to be a rather delightful and humanist way that folk are putting it these days when someone dear passes away: ‘may his memory be a blessing’. We are certainly all blessed to have him in our memories.”
FrightFest director Paul McEvoy said: “As we were travelling back from our FrightFest Glasgow Film Festival event last weekend the team were heartbroken to hear of the loss of one of our dear friends and filmmaker alumni Dan Auty. Words cannot describe the loss of such a kind, passionate, talented and genuine soul. He will be greatly missed by all of us. Our thoughts are with his family at this awful time.” Another close friend, former timecode and RRP editor and now BAFTA print editor Toby Weidmann also paid tribute, saying: “Although I’ve been a writer and editor for many years, I don’t think I can really do Dan justice in so few words. If you knew him, you don’t need me to tell you how radiant a person he was. And if you never met him, all I can say is you would have really liked him. That’s the manner of man he was, just a genuinely lovely soul, with a keen mind, a kind heart, an infectious laugh and an array of impressive film and music tees (and a few painfully loud shirts). During our decades-long friendship, we heard the chimes at midnight more often than I care to admit and in those precious times he never failed to bring joy and laughter into my life. I know that’s an experience I share with a great many others when it comes to Dan. It’s very hard for me to accept that he’s gone – I miss him acutely already – but I feel honoured that he chose to be friends with me. My deepest love and sympathy to his family.” More from another former colleague and Nick Gibbs-McNeil, formerly at HEW, as well as now running, among other things, kidzcoolit.com and also working for FrightFest, said: “Dan was a good man, as in a really good man. That person you were always happy to see turn up when you’re stood in a pub or at an event. We worked together back in my days on HEW magazine and he was a key member of not just the team, but also my social life around that time. In more recent years we always had regular banter on Facebook and we’d see each other during the summer weekends every year at FrightFest. I spoke to him the week before we lost him. Sat in his hospital bed he seemed in good spirits and even gave me advice on problems I was having. That sums up Dan in a nutshell. Even through everything he was going through at the time he wanted to give me some friendly advice and support. He’s done that numerous times for me over the years. It breaks my heart that he’s been stolen away from his poor family. He was a good man and it’s a huge loss to the world and especially his family, him not being here today. He once said something very wise to me about the madness of movie fandom, that I quote regularly. He said: ‘You know how people get really embarrassed when someone says you haven’t seen The Godfather or you haven’t seen Star Wars? Or any of the great movies. And then someone in the group becomes all awkward in the conversation, because they’ve not seen the films being discussed. Well wouldn't it be a shame if you had seen ALL of the great movies by now?’ I love that. Best thing he’s ever said to me and I always hear his voice in my head whenever I sit down to a classic movie I’ve not seen before."
The big announcement of the week came from the BFI, which continues to bring the best of British cinema – and beyond – to the market and its latest is another project to give a new lease of life to a classic slice of British cinema. For Get Carter – not quite out of shape – is to be given the 4K treatment for a theatrical re-release at cinemas across the UK and Ireland on May 27, and subsequent 4K UHD Blu-ray release on Monday July 25. The release will be on the BFI’s home entertainment imprint after the organisation forged a deal with Warner Bros Pictures and its Warner Bros Entertainment UK sister arm. The project, utilising the original 35mm camera negative is being approved with director Mike Hodges. `And Hodges himself is approving the restoration of the film. It will be released in May at the BFI Southbank for an extended two week run, as part of a retrospective on the director. Return Of The Outsider: The Films Of Mike Hodges, which will include screenings and in-person events such as Mike Hodges In Conversation, due to take place on May 3.
Commenting on the Get Carter release, director Mike Hodges said: “I’m grateful to the BFI for yet again stepping up to champion Get Carter. The first time the Institute restored both the film and its reputation was 1999. That release led to it being favourably reappraised by audiences and critics. How could I not be grateful?” On the home entertainment side, the BFI’s Ben Stoddart said: “To release Get Carter is of course a really exciting prospect, and will no doubt prove to be one of our most successful releases ever. We’re looking forward to working closely with Warner Bros and are exploring a variety of extras to present alongside this much loved British classic. Often imitated but never bettered, Get Carter’s popularity continues to endure and I have no doubt that our release will please its existing fans and gain it new ones.”
Monday releases and anyone who’s been in the industry since the last century will remember the launch of DVD and the pivotal role that The Matrix, released on the disc-based format the year after its 1998 bow, played in DVD’s early success. The Wachowskis’ first film in the franchise really helped drive uptake of hardware and discs for the format, its bold extras and bells and whistles all made it perfectly suited for DVD and the best way to show off the format. Well, March 21 sees the latest and fourth film in the format, Matrix Resurrections, making its way to discs of both the DVD and Blu-ray variety, alongside digital formats. The latest film is, according to those in the know, the best way to see high def as well as digital formats and also a return to form for the franchise. Don’t just take our word for it, kidzcoolit.com chief Nick Gibbs-McNeil said: “I totally fell out of love with the Matrix series after seeing the third movie. In my head I had a better ending I was hoping would happen and it didn’t. It was all very stale for a finale. The Matrix Resurrections made me fall in love with the movies again. And ‘the thing’ I was hoping to happen (No spoilers) in the third film ‘sort of‘ happens in the fourth. This is the finale we always needed!”
With Benedict Cumberbatch lighting up the BAFTAs last week and set for the same kind of appearance at the Oscars, sending sparks through the audience as he presented and collected several statuettes mostly centred on The Power Of The Dog, what better time to get audiences purring by releasing one of the star’s latest outings. And so, here comes Studiocanal with the cat’s whiskers in the shape of The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain. Here’s the company’s Carys Gaskin on the release. She said: “We have just released the pawsitively charming The Electrical Life of Louis Wain on Digital, DVD and Blu-ray, featuring the extraordinary true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose playful pictures helped to transform the public's perception of cats in a time before they were ever considered to be pets. Directed by Will Sharpe and featuring a massive all-star ensemble cast including Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough, Toby Jones, Hayley Squires, Adeel Akhtar, Richard Ayoade and many more, plus the fantastic Olivia Colman as the narrator. With a Q&A on our YouTube channel featuring director Will Sharpe interviewed by cast member Taika Waititi and Edith Bowman, press drops going out to targets and a targeted PR and social media campaign underway in the run up to Mother’s Day and the Oscars on Sunday; we hope this inspiring film about the power of love, art and cats finds the purrfect audience.”
Altitude is keeping itself busy, not least with current homegrown romcom hot Ali & Ava starring at cinemas and we’ve been chatting to the company, which has a release on Monday March 21 and a hefty slate going forward. Head of home entertainment at Altitude Adam Eldrett said: “Panama is out this week, a nice action thriller starring Cole Hauser and Mel Gibson, it follows a busy Q1 for us in which we have released some titles across digital. The Real Charlie Chaplin has recently topped the documentary charts as has our release of JFK Revisited. The wonderful Titane which was available as a PVOD title has also been performing well, steadily picking up award nominations and acclaim. That brings us nicely to Ali & Ava, although not coming to home entertainment until late spring it’s been another real awards contender picking up some brilliant word of mouth. As usual an eclectic mix of product from us, with much more to come into Q2.”
Also in stores on Monday March 21 is the latest from the prolific Third Window imprint, with the release of two films in one package, Funky Forest and its sort-of-sequel Warped Forest. Commenting on the release, the company’s Adam Torel said: “Funky Forest from 2005 is one of the most surreal and absurd pieces of Japanese cinema ever made. Despite its massive cult following it has never actually been released in the UK before and this is also its first release worldwide on Blu-ray. Its quasi sequel Warped Forest, made in 2011, has never been released in any format (outside of some festivals) anywhere in the world, so it’s quite a rare title. Both of them are released here in an amazing set with hours of great bonus features, including many new extras such as audio commentaries on both films by the directors and much more. They’re totally wild and weird films in a lovely package that I hope helps people discover these oddities.”
More It’s one of our favourite films of the last 12 months and ahead of landing in cinemas on Friday March 25 and on Blu-ray and other formats on Monday March 28, more on the excellent Lightbulb release Broadcast Signal Intrusion. As outlined here previously, the film is the result of the excellent FrightFest New Blood initiative which helps find writers and film talent among the horror film fest’s fiercely loyal community and audience. And a lengthy feature by The Raygun’s Tim Murray looking at the background to the film is now up at FrightFest’s website, you can see it here. In the feature, Queensbury’s Giles Edwards, who helped dream up the initiative and mentored and saw the film through to completion said: “I wanted it to be one of the films everyone’s talking about [at FrightFest]. This is a great, weird story. We’re not going to stack up against Blumhouse, we’re on another level a bit more provocative bolder, artsier, just as rewarding. There’s some ambiguity, unanswered questions, some people may find it frustrating, part of the allure. I want to get people having that debate, to talk about the film. This really is a thing, people can see it there, it’s a real film and it gives people an idea of what the cut of our jib is. We want to keep the ball rolling. We want to nurture and be a genre cheerleader and champion. We want to make films that stand up against the best of independent genre cinema.”
Further comment on Broadcast Signal Intrusion also came from FrightFest co-director Ian Rattray who said: “We’re obviously thrilled and proud that New Blood, our initiative with Queensbury Pictures and Giles, gave birth to such a tremendously original and vibrant script, and consequently a great movie that played big guns at FrightFest. We’ll be continuing with New Blood as there are no doubt plenty of talented writers who we can help being into the genre spotlight.”
Specialist horror and genre streaming service Shudder has found the perfect antidote to boosting interest in April by celebrating the fact it’s six months until Halloween, the biggest date on any self-respecting horror fan’s calendar. The initiative, under the Halfway To Halloween banner, celebrates the midway mark by offering suggestions to members of what they could watch on the service in April. Every Friday between 8pm and 9pm UK time, consumers can call a special number (it’ll be updated every week and highlighted on Shudder’s social media channels) to get personalised recommendations from a senior programmer at the service. They can speak to vp of programming Samuel Zimmerman to get suggestions as what to watch next, from deep selections from the catalogue through to new additions to the range, with plenty being added in the spring month. Said Craig Engler, Shudder’s General Manager: “We’re curating a slate of the best in horror all year round, but April and October give us a unique opportunity to connect with and hear from our members directly about the movies they’re craving and what they love most about the genre. And we’re pairing that with an impressive lineup of new, fan-favourite titles, as we continue to go deep on the genre like only Shudder can.”
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“I found the show so compelling that I wanted to skip the credits and jump right into the story, and I found it frustrating to try to manually jump forward to the just the right place. Sometimes I would jump too far, and sometimes I would jump too short. I wondered whether other people felt the same.
“[Figures suggested 15 per cent of Netflix users manually skipped the intro which] gave us confidence that a lot of people wanted to skip the intro. Our goal was to make this option as simple as possible, while also giving members flexibility if they want to listen to that catchy theme song again (and again).
““Over the past five years, it’s been gratifying to see ‘Skip Intro’ become a beloved feature adopted by many other streaming services, bringing a little moment of delight to audiences around the world.”
Cameron Johnson, director of product innovation at Netflix, on the Skip Intro function, which he decided on after watching Game of Thrones on HBO and just celebrated its sixth anniversary. It’s used 136 million times a day…
AT THE MOVIES
Every now and then, news of another toy film comes along and we all catch our heads and thin “they’re making a movie about that?” Well, latest on the block is the Play-Doh movie. That’s right, the weird malleable material for kids is getting its own feature. The script is been g penned by The Big Sick’s Emily V Gordon, with Crazy Rich Asians’ John M Chu producing. It will sit alongside the current crop of toy-based movies such as Barbie and Polly Pocket. We reckon it would be great to have a scratch and sniff version, given the gorgeous smell of the stuff…
Warner’s world of monster films, headed up by the likes of Godzilla and King Kong, continue to make their merry way to the screen, maybe not as big as its DC franchise, but doing rather nicely thank you. And now it’s been confirmed that there’s another one on the way as Godzilla Vs Kong returns to the screen for a second outing. The sequel to the film, from Warner’s long-time partner Legendary, will shoot this year in Australia…
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Follow us on www.twitter.com/theraygun…
TRAILERS OF THE WEEK
He’s back…
The only Johnson we really like…
This week’s big Disney launch…
THE OBLIGATORY GDPR BIT
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