Interesting article from 2016 about how TCM was (then) being looked at as the savior of classic movie fare. The article offers three ways in which people become classic film buffs:
1. Introduced to classic films by an older family member or friend. 2. Start out loving contemporary films and want to further explore their historical roots. 3. Accidentally become an old film buff just by watching such films on television or renting them on video.
I took path No. 3, which is the one the article says is disappearing. Other than TCM, classic films never appear on broadcast or cable TV, and Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services (which have replaced video stores) have limited numbers of classic films in their catalogs.
Such are the times we live in that an article about the shutting down of a little-known film streaming service feels compelled to take a shot at Donald Trump in its first paragraph. There's just nowhere to hide.
Such are the times we live in that an article about the shutting down of a little-known film streaming service feels compelled to take a shot at Donald Trump in its first paragraph. There's just nowhere to hide.
Yet you felt completed enough to bring up an unrelated comment about a banned subject onto this board.
Luckily this bad news has absolutely nothing to do with soundtrack music.
Except that Filmstruck afforded access to hundreds of films with soundtrack music that could not be heard anywhere else!
As an aside, I'll insert a reference to a popular topic that has marginal relevance here. People are always curious about film scores that reference the Dies Irae chant. I always like to ask: What movie contains the longest sustained use of the Dies Irae (both text and music)? Hint: Find it via Filmstruck.
While I admire FilmStruck, I never understand what a petition is supposed to do for a business like this. How can they be telling AT&T they're not a niche market when AT&T knows exactly how many paying subscribers they had?
Let's face it. Massive media companies don't think of themselves as museums, dedicated to keeping past cultures alive. If they can turn a (big) buck on old assets, that's fine, but in terms of profit per hour expended, running a curated old movie service doesn't rank up there with getting this year's A STAR IS BORN ready for 4K streaming.
Oh, they will periodically put some of their old titles on display in whatever streaming platform they're offering, and maybe rotate the offerings over time. But to expect them to keep all these old films instantly available at all times is asking a bit much. Even the Smithsonian Institution has only 2% of its holdings on display at any given time, and frankly, some items will never see the light of day.
While I admire FilmStruck, I never understand what a petition is supposed to do for a business like this. How can they be telling AT&T they're not a niche market when AT&T knows exactly how many paying subscribers they had?
Petitions can at least reinforce the existence of a potential niche market.
"We are incredibly touched and encouraged by the flood of support we’ve been receiving since the announcement that FilmStruck will be shutting down on November 29, 2018. Our thanks go out to everyone who signed petitions, wrote letters and newspaper articles, and raised your voices to let the world know how much our mission and these movies matter to you.
Well, if you loved the curated programming we’ve been doing with our friends at FilmStruck, we have good news for you. The Criterion Collection team is going to be carrying on with that mission, launching the Criterion Channel as a freestanding service in spring 2019."
Let's hear it for physical media! It may overrun the house, but as the article states, no one can yank it away. When I streamed Netflix, I recall several occasions of watching half of a film one night only to discover when I went back to see the rest on the following night it had been dropped from the service.
