I wanted to do two things with it: to suggest what might happen if I did come back and to remind my audience of what they might be missing if I can't.
Milos has parental concerns which outrank my film nights on Friday nights. He's happy to let me continue on another night. When Milos bumped me for a play in 2009 I went to Sunday for three weeks and it was terrible. I and the majority of the audience I draw work for a living and cannot commit to any night of the week but Friday. Saturday would be harder still. It's Friday or nowt for me.
I will approach Milos in the new year to see if circumstances have changed and try for either the same or a lesser frequency. The last time I did the latter I put the words LAST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH on every single notification I made public and still got people claiming they didn't know which Friday it was. This was not due to stupidity but the plain fact that an independent screening ranks very low on the attention of anyone with a life to lead, even a staid and uncomplicated life. Those who made that claim unanimously said that they preferred the idea of knowing that there would be something good on at the place every Friday. So, when I went back to weekly screenings the numbers dropped off. They liked the idea, just not enough to turn up.
Make it special and you lose, make it routine and you lose.
I feel no diminishment of my enthusiasm for holding these screenings. Without a working art house scene there is more need now than ever to offer an alternative to a mainstream that is growing increasingly homogeneous.
I just haven't worked out a way of making it work so that ... it works.
Thanks for you commitment and enthusiasm Peter. I've enjoyed these sessions and will go back through you're previous seasons for movie options to chase up during the drought. I do hope that your find an option to continue that's palatable to all concerned.
ReplyDeleteBig thanks to you and Milos. Wishing you a fulfilling festive season..
Mark Allen
I can't believe it's been 3 years! 2 at the most, I would have sworn! I hope it's possible to continue in some form. Always a pleasure to come along. Even if I didn't end up loving the film on offer, which is, of course, a part of the package when vering off the beaten cinema track to places unknown. And underscored the satisfaction of the ones I did love.
ReplyDeleteThanks PJ. And Milos.
I'll watch this space....
Cheers, DP
No need to believe anything. Go to the side menu and look up the program lists, they're all still there. I think you had to miss a fair few last year.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed what you did.
PJ