My 2 cents for what it's worth... "Remakes, reboots and film distribution"...
As a writer/director I find my self in another world within this very one as my attention drifts from this reality to random things that catch my attention. Now for the record I sold lots of BluRays/DVDs at the event and am not bitter in the least bit. But I saw a trend that distribution companies by Sunday were selling brand new BluRays for 5 for $15 and eventually $2 a pop. Now most of you may not be a filmmaker so I'll set up how this works a little bit for you. The filmmaker sells their film to a distributor and then that film is made available on VOD platforms and retail venues or online stores. The filmmaker usually will get 75-80% on the back end of what their movie makes. Now I just bought 1000 BluRays and shopped around and ended up getting them manufactured for around $3 each. Now the costs of the disc manufacturing come out of the "costs" and that costs has to be paid for before a filmmaker gets any of their percentage. So if a distributor is selling $2 BluRays is it fair to say that the filmmaker is (in a way) paying someone to watch their movie?
A lot of people are angry about the announcement of the Hell Boy reboot. I get it, I've seen 80% of all my favorite films done this way. Now maybe I'm wrong but I'd assume this happens because "Hollywood" sees an opportunity to make cash on a proven golden goose from yesterday. It's always said that Hollywood is outta ideas? I think it's more like they want almost guaranteed money. Now here's what I noticed yesterday. This isn't for a lot of horror fans but I did witness at least half do this. They'd walk by, look up at the Circus of the Dead banners and keep on walking. Now these fans were wearing the usual classic horror movie apparel, costumes, blah blah blah... Someone walked by in a TCM '74 shirt and I stopped them and told them cool shirt. They commenced to tell me that TCM is their fave film and they're sick of Hollywood screwing up the remakes. I asked him why he walked on by after seeing my banners and he said he never heard of it. I told him that I was a Texas filmmaker and that TCM was my favorite horror film too and I think I captured that same big balled independent freedom of the original TCM in my film and persuaded the gentleman to purchase it and threw in a free copy of Doll Boy just because I'm cool that way. Now fast forward to today and I get a message saying how much he loved the film and he can't believe he's never heard of this before. Moral to the story is... stop by these tables and talk to filmmakers and see what they're selling, you just might stumble upon your new favorite movie. The "classics" aren't all great, most are just sentimental to us. Great stuff is being made now, just open your eyes and look for it. Then rent it, buy it and promote it! That's the ONLY way to guarantee we're not living in a reboot remake recycled world!!!! Billy "Bloody Bill" Pon
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