I know, it’s Christmas and I should be writing blog entries of Christmas cheer and screaming “Happy Holidays” and… I will, I do that, love everyone, MUAH, but over the holiday weekend and going into the rest of the holidays I like to catch up on my pile of films to watch for review and my mind is elsewhere.
Now, these are films that have been coming in for a couple days, weeks, months that I personally set aside because, I don’t know, the box art moves me, the synopsis sounds cool or it’s a film I’ve heard something about and have an interest in. Unfortunately, as Editor-in-Chief, I’m the slowest to get around to reviewing anything. Just too many other things on my plate besides watching films. However, there are certain times of the year when I get an opportunity to catch up and watch films like the shut-in I’ve become, and I love doing so. I’m currently in one of those times of year and…
So far the three films I’ve attempted to get through have had faulty DVDs. I’ve tried watching them in my normal DVD player, the XBox 360, the Playstation 2 and the various DVD players in the laptop and desktop and… it’s frustrating beyond belief, so I felt I needed to write something.
Filmmakers, test your DVDs before you send them out. Test them repeatedly. Test them to the point where you’re certain that at least one device on this Earth that is commonly owned will actually play your movie, because I WANT to see your film and sometimes I just can’t, and I do not have the time to track you down for another copy.
Seriously, instead of loading your DVD with extra features and the like, make sure the damn thing works. Because if it doesn’t work, I have to move on and your film doesn’t get reviewed, and then I get an angry email about how it’s been months since your film was submitted with no review and… we get too many movies a week to be following-up on your quality control. I’m not being pissy for any other reason than I want to see the films that I’m being sent, and I can’t do so and it is frustrating. You may have made the greatest film ever, and I want to find that out… but I can’t.
Anyway, Happy Holidays!
True on that, Phil.
Film Threat should really release a DON’T Guide for submissions or something.
I’ve received too many movies without press releases and had to look at the run time for them on my DVD player, and search far and wide for info on the internet.
It’s freaking annoying.
I echo that sentiment. I would also like to add my own plea to filmmakers: include press notes with your DVDs. I’ve received submissions of a DVD that sports the film’s title and nothing else. I have no idea if it is a feature or a short, who made it, what it is about, etc. You don’t need an elaborate press kit – a one-page sheet with the basic data (title, cast, crew, brief synopsis, online site, etc.) works well.
I Third that emotion with a passion.
There are at least fifty movies I’ve been sent that simply would not work, or could not work regardless of what I did that I had to chuck without reviewing.
Oh God, I second that. In fact, this should be taught in film school it’s so important. I’ve gotten bum DVD’s quite a few times myself and know exactly how you feel.