IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

I saw Death in the House on Saturday's mini cinema B3. The story was set in
the 60s', with black and white photograph, edited in old-film effect, and
all in all it's a fine short film with a good twist.

It received a blue award. Blue? I can't understand that.

I hope William Bain, the filmmaker of this film, has not been too disappointed.
Maybe we should all just take a good laugh of it. Film judging is not a scientific
exercise. There are lots of personal preferences and opinions involved, and
everyone needs a bit of luck in competitions.

Atta

Atta said:

I saw Death in the House on Saturday's mini cinema B3. The story was set
in
the 60s', with black and white photograph, edited in old-film effect, and
all in all it's a fine short film with a good twist.
It received a blue award. Blue? I can't understand that.

Michael warned against arguing with judges. I agree that never works
if you are defending your own film (or one by a close friend) since it
looks like "sour grapes". But if we are talking about someone else's film
purely on its merits then I reckon a bit of discussion is useful.

Bill Bain is a well-known, popular Scottish moviemaker with a quirky
style of humour. He entered several movies in this year's competition.
I suspect that this one was not a clever fake ... but an actual movie
made on super-8mm in the 1960's. The same house and family appeared in
different films with the children growing up between movies.

I thought it showed how much higher our technical standards have
become thanks to sophisticated video cameras with automatic everything
making sure the image is sharp and well exposed.

The joke was fairly heavy-handed and to my sense of humour rather over
stretched. There was, however, a superb funny walk from the chief mourner.

[For those who did not see the film I should explain - and give away the
joke - that the death involved was that of the household television set
in the days when we only had one per home. The TV repair crew appeared
as undertakers, such was the importance of the loss.]

It may indeed have been judged a tad harshly. A Blue usually only has one
or two things right and this had many. Much depends on what tickles your
sense of humour. Comedy is always subjective and it is rare for a comedy
to be popular with almost everyone.

Of the Bill Bain movies I saw ... there was one purporting to be a talk
to cine clubs about choosing music for your films, which was too long but
wickedly funny.

Dave

P.S. It was great to meet two of Atta's children at the Festival: "Game-Boy"
and "Super-Model", I hope they enjoyed most of what they saw.