We can still watch movies together, sort of. Here are a couple of ways
By Liam Lacey
The brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière didn’t actually invent moving pictures; their real revolution was that they invented a way for people to watch movies together, an experience we’ve been missing lately.
Although it’s a bit like carrying on a long-distance romance, there are still a couple of ways to enjoy the collective movie experience and support the entertainment industry, including local theatres.
Starting tonight and on Mondays throughout the month, Universal’s boutique subsidariy, Focus Pictures will use Facebook’s Watch Party function to introduce Focus Movie Mondays, live-streaming movies from its award-stacked catalogue and allowing fans to interact with the filmmakers.
Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom is among the freebies on Focus Movie Mondays on Facebook
Tonight’s kick-off (5 p.m. PST, 8 p.m., EST) is Robert Altman’s 2001 film, Gosford Park, with guest, Julian Fellowes, who won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film, and a chance for audiences to participate in a chat session. Upcoming films include Moonrise Kingdom with Wes Anderson (April 13), Mallrats with Kevin Smith (April 20) and Pawel Pawlikowski’s 2004 English film, My Summer of Love (April 27), with a guest yet to be announced (possibly star, Emily Blunt?).
For more information, go to www.focusfeatures.com or check out the Focus Features Facebook page. The event is free but Mallrats viewers are encouraged to donate to the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund, which provides PSAs on public health and assists members of the entertainment industry who have been affected by the economic crisis.
If you want to support your local indie cinema, Kino Lober, the New York art and foreign film company has a plan for that. Under the umbrella Kino Marquee, Kino’s providing first-run and repertory films that were scheduled to show at local theatres. The first release is the Brazilianj neo-Western Bacurau, which won a Jury Prize at Cannes and is currently available for live streaming. (see my review).
To find a local cinema, go to https://www.kinolorber.com and click on the tab that says “Find Your Local Theatre.” Then go to the local theatre’s website, set up an Kino Lober account and buy a ticket ($US12) to watch the film at home, via the web site or through the Kino Now app on your Smart TV, as often as you like for the next five days.
Films are booked from Fridays to Thursdays with an option to extend if they’re particularly popular. They’ll be presented on web pages headed by each theater’s branded marquee, and revenue will be split between distributor and exhibitor (which means, with any luck, your favourite grindhouse will still be operating by the time this is over, and not razed for another condo development).