Viewpoint Escapism denied Nick Gibbs-McNeil Nick is publisher/editor at www.Kidzcoolit.com and www.youthgottit.com Boasting 20 years’ experience in publishing, journalism, sales, marketing, advertising and sponsorship, with particular interest in the kids’ space and the film industry, he also has a nice collection of hats.
So, you’ve missed KFC. You missed music festivals. You were even so desperate for toilet rolls that you bought every pack in the shop and then proceeded to fight anyone that tried to touch your shopping trolley. But did you ever say, “I really miss going to the cinema” in the early stages of the lockdown?
a galaxy far, far away…” I was either in the garden wielding a lightsaber, battling my older cousin (who was always Darth Vader) for hours at my auntie’s house, or simply collecting and playing with my figures and ships on the bedroom floor, completely oblivious to the disruption and heartache going on around me.
This was a genuine conversation between my wife and I during the first weeks of the total lockdown. I was ranting about this and that, saying that everyone wants to see movies on the big screen, as theatrical releases started to roll out via video on demand. She said, “Have you actually heard anyone say they miss going to the cinema?” My reply, sadly, was “No”.
During dark times, we need escapism. As much as many of us have been very lucky ‘so far’ during this ghastly pandemic, it’s not always easy to keep a smile on your face. And that is why movies and TV shows are so incredibly important to our coping mechanism during challenging periods like this.
We both love a trip to the pictures - we’re huge fans. And I’ve carved a wonderful career, not just in the toy industry but also within film over the past twenty years, so I genuinely found my response heart-breaking. My first memory of the cinema, like many adults my age, was seeing the first Star Wars film when I was only three years old. Yes, you read that correctly – my mum took me to see Star Wars at three. I sat quietly throughout and remember much of my initial cinematic experience. This was a strange time in my life, as I had recently lost my father, while my mother had just given birth to my little brother. Through my adult eyes and many conversations with family members over the years, I know this was a difficult period of my early life, but all I can remember is being “in
Should distributors be allowed to bypass cinemas and offer their films directly to the consumer via VOD? Absolutely, of course they should especially as many people can’t return to the cinema just yet. However, based on the science at the time of writing, it is considered safe to watch a movie on the big screen in the UK and many other countries, in the way these cinematic releases were intended to be presented. Right now, many cinemas are open, but they have nothing new to show – a frustrating situation for all cinema owners and movie-goers alike. I have a major issue with Hollywood dictating when films should be released around the world. At the moment, the US is in chaos and doesn’t appear to have the virus under control. I know I’m no qualified scientist, but it seems illogical for Hollywood to decide when movies can be released around the rest of the
world, when the US could be years behind in opening its own cinemas or even going into movie production again. Surely it would make more sense to hand over full control to the European studio heads of each company and move production to the UK, New Zealand and other ‘safer’ countries, until the US can get its house in order. Until the virus is under control, the rule book should be torn up, and every part of the industry should be working together to come up with a reasonable resolution that works for everyone in every territory worldwide. A blanket rule just won’t work, and many jobs will be lost because of it. Once life is back to normal, we can reset things, go back to Hollywood running everything again and reintroduce the traditional release windows between cinema and VOD, as though Covid-19 was no more than a bad dream. But for the time being, if a film has a scheduled release date in a territory that’s safe – why not release the film in that territory theatrically? If it’s not safe – release the film on VOD. It all seems very simple to me and I wonder if Hollywood is having a bit of an “If I can’t play, I’m taking the ball and you can’t play either” moment, in terms of blockbuster releases. Big blockbuster movies and escapism have never been more important to people’s mental health. When I was younger, I really needed that Star Wars franchise, my lightsaber and my action figures. Once the film had finished and I was back home, the reality of everything going on around me returned. But I had my toys to escape with. During this crisis, there are many children that need to be Wonder Woman, James Bond, Black Widow, Gru and even Peter Rabbit – but they’ve not seen these movies yet and they don’t have the toys to relive the screen magic and escape this unsettling landscape. The way Hollywood is dictating things is harming how children – and adults too - find their escapism, as well as hurting many diverse entertainmentbased livelihoods. Please, mister, can we have our ball back?
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