From: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org (seven-seas-digest) To: seven-seas-digest@smoe.org Subject: seven-seas-digest V2 #585 Reply-To: seven-seas@smoe.org Sender: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-seven-seas@smoe.org Precedence: bulk seven-seas-digest Thursday, July 24 2003 Volume 02 : Number 585 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 12:29:13 -0500 (CDT) From: Amy Moseley Rupp Subject: Re: seven-seas OT: sorta film High Fidelity > See........I knew that...but that was my point! > It's so smug of everyone to think that everything > has to revolve around the fucking USA!!!!!! It can't be everyone cos you and I don't think that way :-P > Maybe it would've been just as appealing if it hade been > set in the London shop rather than some US city. I think > that's just stupid, coz I'm guessing it's still the same > story line, basically. > > But that's the way the world works........ A British director chose to set the film there. The copyrights on the film are in the UK -- for all intents and purposes this is a UK film. It *is* possible for films set in the UK to "make it" here and many have. _Chariots of Fire_, one of my all-time faves (hey, Matt, there's Jock vs whatever- that-word-is-for-Englishmen; Gilbert and Sullivan; UK vs US; the UK *beats* the US) won an Oscar for Best Picture. It's Dodi Fayed's one true claim to fame. Since 11 September there's been a wave of patriotism to drown out anything and everything foreign, so I don't think we'll see it soon, but things will make a comeback. There are many of us here who'd rather trade in our passports for "citizen of the world" status but that's not yet possible. And for the *n*th time, Brits enjoy *huge* popularity when they visit or live here. The BBC is more respected than any American television or radio source for news. The world's clock system still centers on Greenwich. I've heard more drooling over Hugh Grant and Colin Firth than any American actor of late. - --Amy, watching commentary and episodes of The Young Ones and it's absolutely hilarious ====================================== http://www.bunnymenlist.com ====================================== ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 12:44:24 -0500 (CDT) From: Amy Moseley Rupp Subject: Re: seven-seas OT: sorta film High Fidelity > Again, that's what I was getting at. > It's always the almighty dollar that makes the decisions.... > but they all seem to think it has to involve the > US or they won't GET that almighty dollar! There's an interesting interview at: http://www.iofilm.co.uk/feats/interviews/j/john_cusack.shtml that discusses the ironic fact that the book version (set in North London) had a guy who primarily liked American music, and the movie version throws in more Brit artists than I've ever seen in a movie. I mean, in what other movies have Belle and Sebastian gotten a mention? In many ways, perhaps _High Fidelity_ was a bit of a Trojan Horse -- palatable to Americans and yet insidiously namedropping/checking so many BritBands that you know people went out and got those albums. So -- *for this particular film* -- would it have been better to leave it in London, but talk about American music, or bring it here and introduce millions to the names and the sounds of a lot of BritBands? The fact that the book version has the guy liking American music is yet another validation of our colonisation-through-media-and-money approach. Can't win. ====================================== http://www.bunnymenlist.com ====================================== ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 13:55:12 -0400 From: "Henry Biedenkapp" Subject: seven-seas Hairspray >From: Red >Yeah, I've always found that odd too. >The movie Hairspray has a cool soundtrack >if you like oldies, but some of the tracks >in the film aren't on the soundtrack, and some that >are on the soundtrack aren't in the film. >It just doesn't make sense. I thought the purpose >of a soundtrack was to use the songs from the film. > >And before anyone makes any bad comments about Hairspray.... >it's just a lighthearted film I used to watch a lot in the 80's :PPP >but I see it's on Broadway now! RUTH BROWN RULES! Henry _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail ====================================== http://www.bunnymenlist.com ====================================== ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 11:09:18 -0700 (PDT) From: Adrian McGivern Subject: Re: seven-seas-digest V2 #582 On the subject of film soundtracks, it is of note that 'just a touch away' was on the soundtrack to 'Dark City' , but not in the film. For me, the best film soundtrack was the Laurel & Hardy films. _____________________________________________________________ Get your Free, Permanent, and Private Email Today! - -------- www.mth-railking.com --------- ====================================== http://www.bunnymenlist.com ====================================== ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 13:14:55 -0500 (CDT) From: Amy Moseley Rupp Subject: Re: seven-seas OT: sorta film High Fidelity > I didn't think it needed adapting either, but unfortunately it's the > American Way!! That said, I really liked the film and John Cusack is a > pretty cool dude. I like how he'll make the occasional 'hollywood' picture > to make some money so he can finance more of the projects that he really > wants to do that normally wouldn't see the light of day. 'high fidelity' > falling into that latter category. And Stephen Frears does the same, with the film _Liam_ being one result. Millions more people will have read the book _High Fidelity_ than if it'd been set in England. Part of it is that we simply have a hell of a lot more people here. If you're going to market *anything* you're going to target the most people you can get. The only way many projects in the UK and Canada ever see the light of day is through direct government funding, something Americans HATE -- try bringing up the National Endowment for the Arts to anyone who's moderate or right of centre politically and brace yourself. And yet the Arts Council in Canada and the lottery system in the UK back many, many projects that could not be commercially successful due to them having a small audience. If the box office won't pay a film's way, you have to have a sugar daddy like Dodi Fayed, or a government backing a film. Pure and simple. ====================================== http://www.bunnymenlist.com ====================================== ------------------------------ End of seven-seas-digest V2 #585 ********************************