This Holiday Season North Korea Assassinated the American Movie Theater Chain

This Holiday Season North Korea Assassinated the American Movie Theater Chain

By Josh Frank

This holiday season will not be remembered for a major winter storm, for its shopping season, for the heart-warming stories of people doing good deeds to guarantee their place on Santa’s “Nice List,” or even for big blockbuster movies that usually are the main stars of the holiday season (in fact, there really weren’t any this year.) It will be remembered for how North Korea unintentionally assassinated the major movie chain and the firm grip they have long held on the major movie studios and new movie releases. It might take a while for it to sink in. It might take a year or two for it to all come into clear view, but the major movie chains made the biggest mistake of their long and over-confident reign as the gatekeepers of whether a movie succeeds or doesn't. 

The five major movie chains all simultaneously refused to show a movie (Sony's "The Interview") because a a foreign country told them not to air it.  And threatened them with terrorist tactics. The major chains pulled the film from it’s release date, canceling it completely. Within hours a petition was signed by over 300 independent movie theaters across this land of the free. Within 24 hours, SONY was in talks with these independent theaters, as well as plotting out a possible online distribution plan.

But while the major chains all caved, who stood up to the terrorist threats?   The independent movie theaters, the sleeper cells of celluloid. The underground and independent operators who show the movies no one else will show, not just in times of trouble, but ALL THE TIME!  

Suddenly a silly (and arguably “in bad taste”) comedy about two bumbling fools being trained to assassinate a non-fictional dictator had become a very very important film.  And a major turning point in new release distribution.  

If Seth Rogen and James Franco hadn’t had the Hollywood clout to get this movie made, if North Korea hadn’t threatened American lives, if the movie chains hadn’t refused to show the film, if Sony hadn’t pulled the film, this movie release probably would have played out like all the others of its ilk.  It would have run for 5 to 8 weeks, garnered mediocre reviews on Rotten Tomato and Metacritic and the world would still be the same without a second thought. But that's not what happened.

The major movie chains underestimated the power of independent art house theaters. That, combined with the power of the internet and online distribution finally maturing to a place where it could hold its own, has birthed something truly game-changing. A major motion picture can be released in 300 independent movie theaters and simultaneously released online and both the online and brick and mortar theaters can make serious money, while the studio still makes a competitive profit - - all without a single major movie chain involved.   That is a huge change from the old model of distribution.

The numbers are starting to come in.  “The Interview” made $1 million dollars over Christmas. That might not seem like a lot at first given it’s typical hollywood budget. but that's $1 million from just a handful of art houses across the US over a few days and a limited online distribution. In the coming months, as more theaters join in, and more online sites distribute the film, I expect that “The Interview” will easily make back it’s costs, and more.  Besides, you can’t put a price tag on freedom, and that is truly “The Interviews” greatest success and legacy. It has started a little revolution, and that is truly priceless. 

I’m proud to be a part of this new movement. I am the owner and creator of the independent movie theater the Blue Starlite Mini-Urban Drive-in in Austin, Texas and Miami, Florida.  I spend my days thinking about how to make the movie experience new and exciting for viewers who think they have seen it all. This holiday is a great reminder that we really haven't seen it all. It’s a reminder that independent movie theaters are just as important and powerful as the multiplex, and now it should be becoming clear that - - unlike North Korea - - you don’t want to mess with independent movie theaters. 

This Christmas, movie history was made.  A silly stoner comedy that no theater chain would touch became an art house hit, and independent movie theater operators made a lot of people realize that not only are they important, but they are a serious force to be reckoned with. 

God Bless America, and long live the independent movie theater: this years biggest christmas miracle. 

* * *

Josh Frank is the owner of the Blue Starlite Mini-Urban Drive-In Movie Theatre and Austin, Texas, and Miami, Florida.  He is the author the "Fool the World, An Oral History of a Band Called Pixies," and other works, including, most recently, "The Good Inn," a graphic novel co-authored with Black Francis.  He resides in Miami, Florida.

THE BLUE AWAKENS... Our thoughts on the NEW STAR WARS TRAILER and The Blue's Season Finale Month Kicks Off!

We watched the new Star Wars Trailer. And what the Blue came away with is that they were making a serious effort to show that this isn't your Millennial's Star Wars. It focuses on REAL PEOPLE, and images that had CGI but that were far far more Photo Real then the prequels. It had the original series grit and film grain and that made us feel pretty confident in the folks behind the awakening!

See it here. star wars trailer



What did you notice in the trailer that has YOU worried or excited!

Also we couldn't NOT attache this! A guy already recreated the new trailer with Legos...

http://www.theverge.com/tldr/2014/11/29/7305833/someone-recreated-the-star-wars-the-force-awakens-trailer-in-lego-and

As Star Wars Awakens us from the Black Friday Zombie shopping crawl, today is BLUE SATURDAY, and we ARE BACK, with our Season Finale HOLIDAY MONTH and NEW YEARS COUNTDOWN running TONIGHT thru Dec. 30th!!!

Can't wait to celebrate ALL The things we have to be thankful about in cinema this month.

Check out our schedule and we look forward to seeing you drive on it!

www.bluestarlitedrivein.com

Its Halloween! Even better, IT'S SHOWTIME!!!

Jump in the line... of cars, this Friday for a special Halloween viewing of Beetlejuice(1988) at Blue Starlite. 

  There are plenty of outstanding attributes to "Beetlejuice" (Michael Keaton's performance, the special effects, the sinister humor,etc), but it’s the brilliant use of Harry Bellefonte’s calypso tunes that have always stood out for me.

The songs Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) and Jump in the Line(Shake Senora) easily  became quintessential Halloween songs because of the movie.   
 Their inclusion is a perfect fit to the odd charm of the film, and its bizarre to think it Day-O wasn't the  first choice for the dinner party poltergeist scene. 

So, in the spirit of "Beetlejuice" and the spooky holiday, here are some of my other favorite music moments in horror films.

 Jeepers Creepers (2001) – The persistent     presence of the song of the same    name provides a momentum of intrigue in the  film, having you guess its purpose until the  very last frame.

.

Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – Nothing says creepy like a nursery rhyme used in a horror film, and to personalize it to the movie's main baddy is even creepier.  

 

Halloween (1978) – There have been a  lot of memorable villain-theme scores in horror films since the Michael Myers theme, but nothing beats its synthesizer ominousness.

 

 Life After Beth (2014)  – Smooth jazz may  annoy you when you are living, but it will calm you when you are dead!

 Hocus Pocus (1993) –  Bette, partying 
 moms and dads in the film are not the only  ones your musical number puts a spell on...  

Psycho (1960) – Not much explaining is needed here. So,  just  feel free to make that  “reet reet” noise now.  

Danny Isn't Here, Mrs. Torrance.

There's something you should know about me before I begin talking about the movie, The Shining.

I read The Shining for the first time when I was in high school, and it terrified me in a way that I thought no book ever could. I've read it again, many times, and the scares are always still there for me. It is a horrifying tale, not so much of a haunted hotel or a murderous man, but of the disintegration of a family.

I think it is Stephen King's finest novel, and that's saying something, because he has sure written some good ones.

And so, like pretty much anyone else out there who loves the book, I'm kind of conflicted about the movie. As Kubrick admitted - and King lamented - the film is, at best, a loose interpretation of the novel, and it leaves out much of what I found so frightening about the story itself.

But, even with that conflict, I have to say: The Shining is one helluva scary movie.

The plot is deceptively simple: a frustrated writer, with a history of alcoholism, takes a job as caretaker of a secluded hotel, and he moves his family there for the winter. Like I said, simple, right? Add to that a bevy of supernatural activity within the hotel, and a young boy with psychic abilities, and things suddenly get much more interesting.

Kubrick is a technical master of film making, and so I think much of the film's success comes from his precise vision and execution - the razor sharp edge of his direction, coupled with the cold setting and tone of the film, make it an uncomfortable film to watch. I always find myself shivering, even under blankets.

And not just because it looks like this:

No. It's much more about this guy:

Jack Nicholson's performance as Jack Torrance is so good, it's brutal. Nobody does crazy like Jack. Nobody. 

But he isn't the only source of my shivers. There are also hauntingly creepy shots like this one:

But, wait until it zooms in...

Spooky, right? The juxtaposition of tiny Danny Torrance in that seemingly endless hallway makes me feel so small and scared. And then those twins! Is there anything creepier than little girls dressed like dolls?

And then there's the elevator scene. 

Yes, yes, there is something creepier than those girls, and it is that elevator.

The Shining is an ultimate Halloween movie, and you still have two chances to catch it at The Blue Starlite - October 29th and November 1st - so grab your tickets now!

And, in the meantime, here are some fun links to make you the life of any The Shining viewing party:

• The trailer for The Shining re-cut as a romantic comedy. Genius. 

• IKEA's excellent Shining-inspired ad.

• And, The Shining in 30 seconds, re-enacted by bunnies. Because this is what has been missing from your life. (Plenty more of these jewels can be found here.)

Enjoy, friends! Happy Halloween!

Are you worthy enough for the monster club?!

You don't need to pass the monster test to see "The Monster Squad" (playing with "Hocus Pocus" tomorrow night), you  just need a ticket to Blue Starlite this Saturday.  

My name is not Frank, but I'm going to be it by saying there are definitely similarities between 
“The Monster Squad” (1987) and "The Goonies,"(1985),   and some aren't subtle either; one of the most obvious is an adorable, deformed Sloth replaced by an adorable, deformed Frankenstein, and both chubby Horace and Chunk love their candy bars.

Now, I'm going to be all Frankenstein and  moan in frustration because "The Monster Squad" can  be misunderstood.  
My youngster self was happily aware of the similarities between the two films while first watching  "The Monster Squad" trailer. 
I didn't  care about the negativity of that fact then, and I don't care about it enough now to not still adore "The Monster Squad."

 [Insert angry Frankenstein moan here] Not rip off!

"The Monster Squad" is an entertaining tale of movie-monster-loving kids who make it their mission to stop the real Count  Dracula and his  band of other classic monsters from taking over their whole town, if not the  world. Mikey and his friends only saved his house from being foreclosed, so take that you goonies!

Like everyone else, I will always love  "The Goonies," but "The Monster Squad" is its underdog ally, and it  deserves as much love.

With that in mind, here is a list of my top 5 reasons you should see "The Monster Squad" again or for the first time.

1. The fact that lying about your virginity will only make things worse.

2. This shirt!

3. This still impressive werewolf transformation.

4. It was directed by underdog horror comedy maestro Fred Dekker  who previously directed "Night of Creeps,"  and conceived the story for the  film "House."

 

 5.Tom Noonan's  nothing but sweet version of Frankenstein.

A fresh stab at something horrific

What's your favorite scary move?! If it's Scream (1996), get excited because it's paying

at  Blue Starlite tonight with  Freaks(1932) and  Friday during Elvira Fest.

I love when  horror movies  not only surprise me with  jolts and jumps of  its scare tactics, but also with the story, character and themes; which is why "Scream" will always remain a stabbing excitement  to  my little movie-loving heart.

By the  time  "Scream" came to  theaters, slasher films became monotonous with an overused formula: bad guy with a mask, with a sharp weapon, hunts down  naïve teenagers, and the most  resilient of the group survives.  

But “Scream” changed that all, protesting that a slasher doesn't have  to be just dumb fun,that it isn't only concerned with a bloody body count. It poked  fun at the genre ( don't "say you'll be right back") while paying homage to it (Ghostface is terrifying  with his super sharp knife), and  breaking the  old formula  with dignity and a clever meta attitude. It's really the  "Network" of slasher films.

I was a teenager when "Scream" first came out, and my love of horror films blossomed shortly after. It had me gleefully revisit  horror films that were as innovative for their time, from the “Night of Living Dead” to “Halloween” to “Evil Dead.”

If you are looking for other innovative horror flicks which came after  "Scream" see my list below. Like  their predecessor, I think  they all  breathed new life into the genre.

Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)

It starts off as a spoof with its hilariously gross accidental deaths , but then surprises  with a narrative that carefully fills in the blanks of the true nature of its hero and villain.

The Descent (2005)

With an all female cast, its creature feature  formula  works as a catalyst  of the many folds of the female psyche. 

28 Days Later (2005)

The zombie  genre was almost  really, really dead until this would-be  indie came running with  its  dead-alive baddies   vs. its  protagonists,  who struggle to keep  life  precocious. 

The Host (2006)

A careful balance of  sociopolitical themes   and monster movie mayhem,  it's Godzilla meets  the thinkers' appeal.

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)

It's a horror film. No, it's a holiday horror film; but it's not.  It's a satire sometimes. It's creepy and strangely  endearing at the same. It's just wacky, and hard not to like  it even though you think you shouldn't. 

Please excuse this brief interruption...

But can we please, please, talk for a minute about Twin Peaks?!?!?

Laura Palmer told us she'd see us again in 25 years, and it turns out that she was telling the truth.

Showtime announced today that Twin Peaks will return in 2016. It will a be a nine-episode series, co-written by the series creators, David Lynch and Mark Frost, and all episodes will be directed by Lynch himself. You can check out the announcement video below:


As a huge Twin Peaks fan (I own two Twin Peaks shirts; the poster is in my office; and, the theme is my ringtone), I cannot begin to describe how exiting this is! I can remember my mom watching the show when I was a kid (it originally aired from 1990-91), and even though I didn't really understand any of it, I loved it! I was so aware that I was watching something unlike anything else - it was a world I'd never seen, quirky and spooky and funny, and I recognized that it was special. 

For those of you who don't know, here's a rundown of the show (but no spoilers, because you should all go watch it!): The show follows the people of a northwestern town, Twin Peaks, in the immediate aftermath of the shocking murder of the local sweetheart and Homecoming Queen, Laura Palmer. We, the viewers, really see the town through the eyes of an outsider, FBI Agent Dale Cooper, who is sent to investigate the murder. But, as Agent Cooper quickly begins to realize, nothing in Twin Peaks is quite what it seems (especially the owls), and the town's secrets are gradually exposed. The result is a show that is moody and surreal, endearing and funny, and often downright weird.  

And, it features the best opening sequence and song in the history of television:


I recently returned to Twin Peaks with my husband. He had never watched the show, but he gifted me the blu-ray boxed set for my birthday, and together we watched both seasons, Fire Walk With Me, and every extra feature we could find. We both fell in love with it. When we had finished it, we lamented every night how much we missed Twin Peaks - not just the show, but the place and its people and all of its secrets. And like all other fans, we somehow knew that Twin Peaks was still out there, waiting for us. 

If you've never seen the show, this is a great time to watch it (it's on Netflix, and Showtime plans to air the original two seasons prior to the new mini-series), and I also encourage you to watch Fire Walk With Me (despite the critical backlash it received when it came out - really, that discussion needs to be another blog post). And, if you're really interested in the Twin Peaks revival, I highly recommend following David Lynch, Mark Frost, and Kyle MacLachlan, as most of the good stuff seems to be breaking in tweets. (Case in point, the Twitterverse seems to have confirmed that MacLachlan is for sure back as Agent Cooper.) And, I'll do my best to keep you posted here - it's going to be an exciting countdown to 2016. 

Forget Santa Claus, The Great Pumpkin is Coming to Town!

Join us for a month of Halloween favorites, now through October 31st at the Blue Starlite!

It’s that time of year again, Friends.  Time to write our annual letters to the Great Pumpkin!  

This year I’m going to ask for lots of candy and a GoPro Hero because, as we all know, each year, on Halloween night, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch, then flies through the air to bring toys to all the good little children (and adults) everywhere.  

If you’re not the letter-writing sort, in lieu of a letter, we can watch Linus’ attempts to catch the Great Pumpkin in action during our annual viewing of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” based, of course, upon the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schultz.

I’ve always enjoyed the Charlie Brown holiday specials because, spanning many years and many more child voice actors, the characters always remain remarkably consistent and so very like themselves, each one charmingly earnest in their own unique way. Lucy is mean, but there’s always truth in her words; Linus is sweet and naive, but wise beyond his years; Sally is selfish, but we can forgive her for this, because she’s so much younger than our bumbling hero, Charlie Brown, who is so very, well, Charlie Brown.

As Lucy would say, “of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you’re the Charlie Browniest.”

So I hope you’ll join me in the pumpkin patch as I wait for the Great Pumpkin (date night idea?), or at least arrive early enough for a viewing of the classic short as a pre-show accompanying "The Addams Family" and "Ghostbusters" on October 11th.  Tickets are on sale here.