As a movie fan I am relatively well located. Living just a short drive from the centre of a major UK city, England’s so called second city, Birmingham, I have access to many cinemas including a great independent and a multiplex with an IMAX screen. However I am beginning to feel a little short changed.
For the second time this year a much hyped movie doesn’t appear to be coming anywhere near my city. The first was Upstream Colour (2013) Shane Carruth’s long anticipated follow up to Primer (2004). More recently Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013), the controversial Palme d’Or winner from this years Cannes Film Festival. Earlier in the year Amour (2012) received a single screening after it had won the Best Foreign Language Oscar. Had it not won, it is unlikely that it would have made it to a multiplex.
Back to my local multiplex I mentioned above. They have over 80 UK cinemas. Five of them are showing Blue Is the Warmest Colour. All but one of the five are in London. While I accept that we don’t get as many of the smaller movies as they do in the capital, but if they are unable to show a Palme d’Or winner in England’s second city what is the point of modern technology? The modern technology that is supposed to make it easier and cheaper for cinemas to show more films making smaller films more accessible and available.
Upstream Colour and Blue is the Warmest Colour are set for release on DVD on 30th December and 17th March respectively, I fear these will be my first opportunities to see them. I am also confident they will find their way onto FIlm4 before too long. This however isn’t the point, I don’t just want to watch movies, I want to watch them where they are made to be seen, on a giant screen in a cinema.
Before you feel too sorry for me, I do get to see more films than many people and will most likely be going to see Alexander Payne’s Nebraska tomorrow.
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I’m not sure of US Netflix is different from UK’s, but if you have it, Upstream Color is streaming on Instant.
I know the feeling. I live just outside Manchester and the problem with distribution of digital media is commonplace. I don’t think it’s a practical challenge, but more of a business one for cinemas with so many titles to show and so many seats to fill. Why show Upstream Color to half a dozen cinephiles ( I didn’t really get it btw, though really enjoyed Primer) when you can use another screen to squash in another 500 Iron Man junkies?
Have you been in touch with the distributors? Metrodome handled Upstream Colour and Artificial Eye did Blue Is The Warmest Colour. Or perhaps you need to start a campaign to get a Curzon cinema in Brum? I hope you enjoy Nebraska, by the way. I loved it!