Sometimes a Good Notion

Catch of the Day: Manohla Dargis’ Appeal for Sanity

Last week, New York Time’s film critic Manohla Dargis provided her assessment of the independent film business.  This is a must read for anyone who loves movies.

But I have a little favor to ask of the people cutting the checks: Stop buying so many movies. Or at least take a moment and consider whether flooding theaters with titles is good for movies and moviegoers alike. Because no matter how exciting Sundance will be this year, no matter how aesthetically electrifying, innovative and entertaining the selections, it’s hard to see how American independent cinema can sustain itself if it continues to focus on consumption rather than curation. There are, bluntly, too many lackluster, forgettable and just plain bad movies pouring into theaters, distracting the entertainment media and, more important, overwhelming the audience. Dumping “product” into theaters week after week damages an already fragile cinematic ecosystem.

It reminded a little of Short of the Week’s “Good” v “Great” essay.

Here is the article link

As Indies Explode, an Appeal for Sanity. Flooding Theaters Isn’t Good for Filmmakers or Filmgoers