British Film Industry

[Kev Owens]

OK- unless you don't know I'm English. So I feel compelled to tell everyone at my sadness at the absolute limpness of what I believe the British film industry to be.

In Britain we have no studio capable of producing something of the scale of Harry Potter (a book which is very much British- but no chance it would be produced by a British film production company). Mind you- the films are rubbish anyway- but you catch my drift. Plus- why is it that all of the popular British films deemed good enough to be successful are comedies?!? This really annoys me- the whole subject really gets to me- basically because I believe that the British Film Industry is there for the taking- it will just take someone to make a competent film that is not a 'comedy' to make people believe that quality non-comedy films can come out of the UK.

Does anyone else have opinions on this subject?

[ehingston]

What about The Hole? Isn't that British?

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 03, 2003 07:43 PM: Message edited by: gecko11 ]</font>

[Kev Owens]

'The Hole'? Shot in the UK by a British director but with American leads you mean? [img]graemlins/wonder.gif[/img] OK, listen- MOST popular British films deemed good enough to be successful are comedies. I also thought the hole was rubbish, but you're missing my point...

I'm asking what OVERALL do you think of the British Film Industry?

Is it good enough?

[MattEBoy]

Well, I reckon it could do a lot more. A lot of the time I think it needs to be braver. If you look back as to the most successful British films of late: Trainspotting, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Full Monty.

Upon reading the scripts, the BFI must have realised they were taking a risk. But it paid off.

There are other British made films like 'Dirty Pretty Things', which is an amazing film, but didn't do well in the Box Office mainly because the British public didn't recognise any of the leads.

Other high grossing films of late including 'Bend it Like Beckham' and 'Anita and Me' did well mainly because anything Indian related was seen as gold by the BBC at the time.

Only problem is when you get a film like say, Lock Stock, which does well in the Box Office, for the next year almost every single script bbeing passed to the BFI is somewhat gangster related, and basically no one wants to touch it.

That probably adds to the reason a film like 'I Capture the Castle' will get made. Simply because its different.

Well, thats my 2 pennies.

[belovedmonster]

i dunno if its as bad as everyone makes out...

theres alot of British directors doing mutimillion pound budget movies in Hollywood, theres a British actors such as that Colin Farrel going into the A list. Alot of american blockbusters are filmed in British studios.... its not like we **** at making movies, its just our people are intergrated in with all the other nationalities that work from Hollywood money.

[untamed_aggression]

Dog Soldiers is the most British flick I've ever had the pleasure of watching. And it was shot in Germany. Go figure.

Ironically, Americans are funding the sequel, and apart from Kevin McKidd it will be an entirely Yankee cast. They find the original "too British."

B?stards.

[deanl]

Hey there.

"Dog Soldiers is the most British flick I've ever had the pleasure of watching. And it was shot in Germany. Go figure.

Ironically, Americans are funding the sequel,"

It was Americans that funded the original. They also own the rights. So they can do whatever they want with it.

Despin out.

[untamed_aggression]

Really? I really should listen to the producer commentary on the DVD.

[SoulJacker]

The British Film industry needs more British writers WRITING BRITISH FILMS. By "BRITISH FILMS" I mean stories set in Britain with British characters. 90% of British writers I know (and I know many) write specifically for the American spec market. EVERYTHING they write is Yank-orientated... Why can't British screenwriters write British Movies?

It both baffles and amazes me.

Also, why don't British screenwriters take chances? Why is every sodding Brit script I read of late, A) some dumb kitchen sink drama which is little more than an extended episode of Coronation street, or B) a mockney gangster flick? If they were orginal and cool. Fine. I could except that. But the two mockey gangster scripts I've read of late would make Guy Ritchie cry tears of pain.

Frankly, our spec script market is NONE-EXISTENT. It is from specs we find new voices with new dynamic stories.

Another major reason we lack decent Brit-orientated MOVIE scripts in this country is because our best writers often work in TV. Yep, lazy bastards take the easy route out. Skum.

Also, we lack un-reped screenwriting competition. Seriously. Screenwriting competitions are worth their weight in GOLD. Why? Well, because these competitions often expose up and coming talent. How many people d?you know who?ve written a cool script and now haven?t got a ******* clue what to do with it next? You see, this is where competitions come in. They provide doors and opportunities for writers. Most importantly, they allow screenwriters to get their works read.

ALSO, the British Film industry shouldn?t be so ******* snobby when it comes to STOCK MOVIES. Stock movies are the staple of the American film industry. Stock movies are simply genre flicks. No quirky British tales of weird eccentric Britain?s. No. I mean simple genre movies.

*GASPS*

Yes, the sooner we start churning out genre movies that make a small buck here and there, the sooner we can start paying ******* bills and allow other movies to get made.

You can't have cool stories like Pi and Cube without paying the bills with money-making shite like Shallow Hal and The Fast And The Furious.

?From shitness springs goodness,? my uncle always said?

Also, the British Film industry shouldn?t put all its eggs into a few baskets. We should make smaller movies with original angles. We should make stock movies which will break even and/or make a small profit. HOW MANY ******* NOTTINGHILL?S DOES THIS **** WORLD NEED? Answer? None. Bring on slasher flicks. Bring on the type of movie that some simpleton SO SOLID CREW fan would take his ***** to see.

I AM SERIOUS.

Distribution is also a complete travesty in this country. Hundreds of Brit flicks get made each year and waste their life on some dusty shelf in some ****** SOHO storage house.

WE NEED TO HAVE MORE FAITH IN OUR MOVIE MAKERS.

But, basically, it all comes down to SCRIPTS. I watch anything that has a decent story. I don't even care if it ripps-off Mr. Ritchie. It all comes down to decenet stories.

They day we promote fledgling talent (through un-reped screenwriting competitions - I?m serious) and generate a buzz with our spec script market? Well, erm, the next day we?ll start reaping the benefits of a dynamic industry?

[twister!]

The main problem is investment. There is very little in the UK. Which means as soon as there is a half decent project or director or actor - they imediately flee to the American studios. That is where they and the people around them have the money, power and drive to get things done.

Distribution is another factor. Even if there is good British product - the multi-plexes are reluctant to show it. Audiences seem happy enough with much of the Hollywood drivel that drives the (very few as they are) interesting British products to the wayside. There also seems to be problematic stigma attached to British films (which is probably very valid in most cases) of - 'oh it's British, it must be inferior'.

It's a vicious circle at the moment. We need some brave billionaires to get together and set up a British film studio (or two) capable of making multi-million pound films that can compete in the multi-plexes with their American rivals.