There have been plenty of interesting stories in the world of film this month, but none have quite captured my imagination enough to dedicate an entire Feature to them. So this month's Feature is an assortment of a various stories, comments and bits of news.

Parents BBFC

Last May, I delivered a rather stinging criticism of the way in which the BBFC had ignored its obligations to young cinema-goers (and their parents) once the 12A certificate had been introduced. You can read it again here, if you so wish. However, I have recently discovered that the BBFC have launched a new feature called Parents BBFC, which addresses a number of my concerns. This new facility takes the form of a website, which can be found here, and provides the sort of insight that I felt the BBFC should have been doing from the start. Broadly speaking, the website contains detailed information about why new U, PG and 12A releases have been given their respective certificates. Details about the type of bad language used, any violence seen, and anything else is provided so that parents can make a more informed choice when taking their children to the cinema. I very much doubt that criticism from people like me motivated the BBFC to introduce this new facility, but it's a welcome improvement and something I look forward to seeing them develop.

Blu-ray vs. HD DVD

As someone who's always up for new technology, I have been following the Blu-ray/HD DVD saga with some interest. I bring the issue up now because it has been reported in the news that the last three months have seen a significant rise in the number of these players being bought in Europe, and particularly in the UK. Both formats saw price drops during this period, but I do think that people are slowly but surely coming to embrace these new mediums. However, I personally will not be parting with my cash until a single format is declared the winner. We had this before with VHS and Betamax, and we saw how Laserdiscs flopped only for DVDs to come along later with very similar technology. With studios signing exclusivity agreements with individual formats, this will inevitably lead to a reduction in choice; and the prices are still too high to warrant the improvements the new mediums offer. I was just about the last person I know to buy a DVD player, and I suspect it'll be the same story this time as well. I'm also refusing to link to any Blu-ray or HD DVD items from my review pages until one format wins out.

WGA Strike

So the Writers Guild of America is on strike for the first time in nearly twenty years, and just about everybody saw it coming. I think the writers have a fair point, but the eventuality was so obvious that the studios have been able to stockpile scripts in order to prevent a sudden shutdown. I gather the impact is being felt more on TV than it is in the cinema right now, but I watch little American TV, so maybe that's why I haven't noticed too much. The last time the WGA went on strike it lasted for over five months, which is something I can't actually see happening again this time. Their demands are not as serious on this occasion, and with films for summer 2009 really needing to get going pretty soon, I suspect the studios will be more enthusiastic to settle. I gather more talks are scheduled for the coming weeks.

Mean Cinemas

I apologise for the relatively few 'arty' films I have reviewed in recent weeks. Films like Rescue Dawn and this week's Assassination of Jesse James have been pathetically limited in terms of showings near me. The nearest cinema showing them is about eighty miles from where I live, which is obviously a bit of a trek. I'll see how things pan out, but it looks like I'll have to make a day trip out of it to catch up with some of these films at some point in the future. It's particularly frustrating as some of these films are being thrown around as possible award contenders, and I always aim to see as many of those as I can.

Best Picture Winners Update

As you'll probably be aware, I am slowly but surely making my way through the archive of Best Picture winners. There are just a handful that I am still waiting to see; all are very early ones and difficult to get hold of in the UK. But the reviews will follow at a pace of around one a week, though obviously that is subject to change. I'll also pretty much do them in reverse order from now on, as it will allow me more time to get hold of the few I am missing. When the full list is complete, I will offer a few observations which I hope you'll find interesting.

© David Mercier
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