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Author
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Topic: You forgot the curtain...!
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Per Hauberg
Jedi Master Film Handler
![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubbmembers/529b.jpg)
Posts: 883
From: Malling, Denmark
Registered: Jul 2000
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posted 02-24-2001 06:18 PM
On third month now, i'm running the latest of the danish "dogme"-films, called "Italian for beginners", -and as the dogme-concept has ruled, of course running Academy 1,37:1Not ONE show done yet without patrons coming out to telle me, that the curtains are not proberly drawn out. -Funny the first night, but not any more... Wish, they would stop making films this way. Academy is ok with me, if i'm running "Singin' in the Rain" or "Third Man" - but not on new titles, drawing audiences, not used to the narrow screen - and worse: even though dogme should be filmed on 35mm material only, it often looks as video, because of the rule saying that no artificial lights should be used - and no dubbing either - only original on-site sound. Dogme is (when not looking on box-office) CRAP, and should have been a single-stand joke only ! Per P.S.: Upon this films premiere, the distributor (who did not distribute the first 3 dogme titles) called the 60 first-run cinemas to ask, if everyone could run 1,37:1. Just 6 theatres answered yes. The rest had been showing the first 3 films in 1,66 or even 1,85, cutting 20-25 % off the picture. Only few custumers complains, because they have read in the newspapers, that dogme films are special. -Well, -it must be right then, -eh...? Who are the bandits in this game: The cinemas, not respecting the work of the director/cinematographer, -or the producers, who keeps on doing films in a system, that no longer lives anywhere in their local area, for witch the films are ment in the first place ? -And what about the rest of the world ? -The first 3 films were sold to some few foreign markets, and the new one, thanks to Silver Bear at Berlin Festival last week, sells better than warm bread sunday morning all over the world. -But how many can run this almost historic format ? -How many audiences will be cheated ?
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Randy Stankey
Film God
![](/ubbmembers/64b.jpg)
Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 02-24-2001 06:33 PM
I had to suffer through one of those films once. I believe it was called "Celebration". It was about a family reunion of rich, snobby people. At the end of the movie it was revealed that the father was committing incest with his daughters and was "excommunicated" from the family. Not only was the movie's plot sickening but I agree with you that the whole damn thing was one big long piece of S***! I think that the "Dogme" idea has been taken too far. The idea of getting back to the basics of film making and not depending on special effects is a good one but they have taken it beyond that and have become almost a faction of "minimalists". What I might suggest is what they did at my theatre. They had the local movie reviewer do a piece on the movie and preface the article with a statement that this is a "Dogme" film and what that stands for. We also passed out handouts for every movie, like a Playbill. On this movie there was a statement about the Dogme concept. Most people who watched the movie were actually INTERESTED to find out more about the genere'.
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Randy Stankey
Film God
![](/ubbmembers/64b.jpg)
Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 02-24-2001 06:50 PM
There were a couple of French and Belgian movies that I showed that weren't too awful. I might have actually LIKED them if I spoke the language.These films were pretty minimalistic by today's standards in Hollywood. They often didn't re-dub the soundtrack or use any more than the minimum of artificial lighting. They were actually very watchable and I learned a little bit about the culture of the country in which the films were made while I was at it. This whole thing about, "We pledge never to use artificial lighting and only use handheld cameras..." is for the BIRDS! What they forget is that there is a certain "overhead" in film where you need to use lights or tripods just to get an acceptible picture. Do you ever watch the TV show called "NYPD Blue"? They use artificial lights and steady-cam mounts and they STILL achieve that "natural" look as if the viewer might be standing in the room with the actors. No, Dogme isn't about "Cheaper is Better", nor is it about "Back to Basics". It's about small-minded people who don't know their craft who are trying to disguise their shortcommings as film makers so that it appears to be something "revolutionalry".
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