Plastic bags have been ousted, is it time to change our movie preferences?
Environmentalism is very trendy and many businesses practice sustainable operations, if only to humor consumers. Hollywood however, is the exception. With explosive stunts, tight production schedules, and so much glamour, who cares about sustainability? Jessica Alba in spandex is appealing whether her outfit is made of organic material or not.
Film production is a nasty contributor to emissions. It is an industry where sustainable business practices are prioritized below the car explosion at set 2 and the finding parking for Jay Z’s Hummer. Since fewer chase scenes and opting out of unnecessary explosions are not options in my books, emissions will have to be cut elsewhere. Producers can be conscious in other aspects on set be held accountable for causing harm to the environment.
A report by “The California Waste Management Board” reported the film industry as Los Angeles’ second biggest contributor to conventional pollutants, greenhouse gas emissions, and tire consumption. Behind a feature length film there are months of set construction/destruction, endless filming, and running of generators and machinery - even romantic comedies have a daunting effect on the environment.
The Day After Tomorrow set the precedent for environmentally friendly film production when it became the first “carbon-neutral” film. Out of his own pocket, director Ronald Emmerich hired The Carbon Neutral Company to monitor the film production emissions, and later offset them by planting trees and investing in renewable energy. The cost was $200,000, a modest expenditure on a Blockbuster hit.
Hollywood remains unscathed from the sustainability revolution, for now. Eventually environmentalist efforts will weigh the harmful effects of film production into their movie selections. Then you can expect to see “carbon-neutral” film certifications pleading they have been responsible, and social pressures will influence theaters into only playing carbon-neutral certified films.
Once there is a system certifying films as having been environmentally responsible it will be an easy cause. Producers will have their films certified to avoid losing theater attendance, just like fathers are hopeless to say no when their children ask for ice cream. Big budget films are desperate for approval and the inexpensive price tag for environmentally friendly status will become routine production expenditure.
Sustainability films no longer refer to documentaries that belittle the audience into wanting to make a difference. Just like your laundry detergent, Blockbuster hits are about to become environmentally friendly.
Published: The Cavalier Sustainability Issue November 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Whistler: Few Anticipated Injuries
Whistler Film Festival December 3-6 2009
The Whistler Film Festival will have sport enthusiasts less inclined to pummel themselves down icy mountains during 9th annual film festival. Many Canadian filmmakers will hit the theaters and bars at this high profile event. The rest of us are invited too, just bring your evening wear and leave expectations of dreary 3-hour films at home.
It is only a 4 day event with an opening gala, a closing gala, and many soirees in between. Whether the emphasis is on partying or film screenings, it is a proud Canadian event mirroring the Cannes film festival. The festival showcases primarily Canadian cinema and hosts a ski race fundraiser against filmmakers in wintery Whistler.
If you attend one of the outdoor film screenings, bring a jacket. I put a request in for Titanic.
Published: The Cavalier November 2009
The Whistler Film Festival will have sport enthusiasts less inclined to pummel themselves down icy mountains during 9th annual film festival. Many Canadian filmmakers will hit the theaters and bars at this high profile event. The rest of us are invited too, just bring your evening wear and leave expectations of dreary 3-hour films at home.
It is only a 4 day event with an opening gala, a closing gala, and many soirees in between. Whether the emphasis is on partying or film screenings, it is a proud Canadian event mirroring the Cannes film festival. The festival showcases primarily Canadian cinema and hosts a ski race fundraiser against filmmakers in wintery Whistler.
If you attend one of the outdoor film screenings, bring a jacket. I put a request in for Titanic.
Published: The Cavalier November 2009
Film Pick: At the Edge of the World
Winner: Vancouver International Film Festival Environmental Film Audience Award
Tears were shed for sharks in Sharkwater, dolphins in The Cove, and the film At the Edge of the World provides an opportunity to feel wretched for whales. Volunteers crusade north with a film crew following Japanese whaling ships responsible for over 1000 whale deaths per year. Ambiguities in the law and jurisdictions allow whaling to continue, leaving activists as the last hope. It is a dangerous cause to defend. Protesting with signs is a luxury in city streets, but the desperate situation on the open ocean turns into a dangerous battle.
SHOWTIMES AT VANCITY THEATER, $8 Student Pricing (with $2 membership)
1181 Seymour Street
Nov. 17 - 8:15, Nov. 20 – 6:30, Nov. 21 - 6:30, Nov. 22 – 5:30 & 8:45, Nov. 23 – 8:15, Nov. 26 – 12:30
Published: The Cavalier November 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The Ubyssey’s VIFF preview
Various film review contributions
Published in the Ubyssey October 2009
http://ubyssey.ca/culture/?p=10427
Published in the Ubyssey October 2009
http://ubyssey.ca/culture/?p=10427
Thursday, November 5, 2009
VIFF: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Vancouver International Film Festival is over, and it is time to reap the benefits. The festival sifts through 377 film screenings to deliver the favorites for the rest of the year, no more nippy October rush lines required. Screen the best of VIFF at the Vancity Theater in luxurious seating at student prices. Film judgment is hardly necessary, only the most redeeming films continue playing in Vancouver.
The festival is an opportunity to showcase unique films the majority of society does not reserve patience for. The appeal of an artistic direction may be at the expense of the audience understanding.
Festival Follies unlikely to be seen again:
Sea Point Days
If you speak Swahili this is not a terrible film, however, the rest of us endured 1/2 of a non-subtitled film. This had half the audience feeling cultured while the rest grumbled through the beautiful scenic representation of Sea Point, Cape Town. Sea Point Days would have made a better postcard.
Where Are You?
This Japanese film begins with 5 minutes of a subtitled song and a blank screen; it did not pick up pace from there. Boredom had me resenting the destitute starving boy with a dying mother. I am sure that was not the director’s intention, maybe I am just insensitive.
The Agony and Ecstasy of Phil Spector
A heinous man commits murder and proceeds with a documentary film crew. The production strokes Spector’s ego as a music producer while mocking his eccentricities. Phil Spector took the life of Lana Clarkson and continues to rob people of their time in this loathsome autobiography.
Festival hits to look for at Vancity:
Unmade Beds
A love tangle between three immigrants living escapist party lives in London. Dealing with life’s turmoil to the beat of a memorable UK soundtrack, they find salvage in intimacy and friendship with one another. The characters are easily relatable, providing unique insight into their atypical endeavors.
Cooper’s Camera
The Cooper’s 1983 Christmas is a complication of uncomfortable holiday moments from a home video perspective. The belligerent grandmother hits a nostalgic note during the non-stop laughter of an empathetic audience. Staring The Colbert Report’s Samantha Bee, Cooper’s Camera is a Christmas must have.
Boy Interrupted
It was not a surprise when 15 year old Evan took his life through his bedroom window. His blatant obsession with dying began in preschool and by age 10 he wrote and starred in a school play about suicide. Boy Interrupted is insights the complex tragedy that was more than a momentary lapse in judgment.
The Jazz Baroness
A privileged Rockefeller abandons her family for the 1960’s jazz scene in New York. This BBC film documents the love story of the British Baroness giving up everything to be with Jazz legend Thelonious Monk. Every glamorous note of cigarettes and whisky is portrayed to a soulful soundtrack.
Festival fanatics are exhausted from the 16 day event, and despite the blustery economy VIFF 2009 was as successful as always. The end of the festival means those below average height can cease worrying about theaters reaching maximum capacity, making subtitled films like dodging trees. Also, the temporary social acceptance of bringing picnics into the theater has been lifted. Irritating noisy wrappers no longer state “I am a festival die hard with no other time to eat.”
The Cavalier, October 2009
The festival is an opportunity to showcase unique films the majority of society does not reserve patience for. The appeal of an artistic direction may be at the expense of the audience understanding.
Festival Follies unlikely to be seen again:
Sea Point Days
If you speak Swahili this is not a terrible film, however, the rest of us endured 1/2 of a non-subtitled film. This had half the audience feeling cultured while the rest grumbled through the beautiful scenic representation of Sea Point, Cape Town. Sea Point Days would have made a better postcard.
Where Are You?
This Japanese film begins with 5 minutes of a subtitled song and a blank screen; it did not pick up pace from there. Boredom had me resenting the destitute starving boy with a dying mother. I am sure that was not the director’s intention, maybe I am just insensitive.
The Agony and Ecstasy of Phil Spector
A heinous man commits murder and proceeds with a documentary film crew. The production strokes Spector’s ego as a music producer while mocking his eccentricities. Phil Spector took the life of Lana Clarkson and continues to rob people of their time in this loathsome autobiography.
Festival hits to look for at Vancity:
Unmade Beds
A love tangle between three immigrants living escapist party lives in London. Dealing with life’s turmoil to the beat of a memorable UK soundtrack, they find salvage in intimacy and friendship with one another. The characters are easily relatable, providing unique insight into their atypical endeavors.
Cooper’s Camera
The Cooper’s 1983 Christmas is a complication of uncomfortable holiday moments from a home video perspective. The belligerent grandmother hits a nostalgic note during the non-stop laughter of an empathetic audience. Staring The Colbert Report’s Samantha Bee, Cooper’s Camera is a Christmas must have.
Boy Interrupted
It was not a surprise when 15 year old Evan took his life through his bedroom window. His blatant obsession with dying began in preschool and by age 10 he wrote and starred in a school play about suicide. Boy Interrupted is insights the complex tragedy that was more than a momentary lapse in judgment.
The Jazz Baroness
A privileged Rockefeller abandons her family for the 1960’s jazz scene in New York. This BBC film documents the love story of the British Baroness giving up everything to be with Jazz legend Thelonious Monk. Every glamorous note of cigarettes and whisky is portrayed to a soulful soundtrack.
Festival fanatics are exhausted from the 16 day event, and despite the blustery economy VIFF 2009 was as successful as always. The end of the festival means those below average height can cease worrying about theaters reaching maximum capacity, making subtitled films like dodging trees. Also, the temporary social acceptance of bringing picnics into the theater has been lifted. Irritating noisy wrappers no longer state “I am a festival die hard with no other time to eat.”
The Cavalier, October 2009
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