A Sad Farewell...

[Furious D]

Today, Dec. 16th 2003, it was announced by Canada's #1 Film production & distribution company Alliance/Atlantis that it was shutting down its Nova Scotia based Academy Award winning division Salter Street Films and laying off the 10 remaining employees.

It marks not just the end of a single company, or the unemployment of a handful of people, it marks what is probably the death knell of truly Canadian film/TV production.

The company was started around 20 years ago by the Donovan brothers, Michael & Paul. Together they practically invented the film & TV industry in Eastern Canada. They showed that films and TV shows could be made outside of the Toronto-Montreal-Vancouver Axis.

While not every project was a blazing success, they did show that a profitable company could operate in Canada. They grew and even branched into other markets, like post production services, and they started the Canadian version of the Independent Film Channel.

Their success made them a tempting target for acquisition and 3 years ago Canadian Entertainment Juggernaut Alliance/Atlantis made the Donovans an offer they couldn't refuse and they were bought out and signed to new 3 year contracts as A/A employees. It looked like a good match. The massive A/A's resources paired with the creativity and extensive library of Salter Street.

Alas, it was not meant to last. As soon as their contracts were up, the company was shut down. The staff, already whittled down to a 10th of their onetime strength, was pink slipped and all new productions ceased.

It seems that A/A is no longer interested in producing TV or movies anymore. They say that there is no market for TV drama or comedy anymore and that the feature film market is dead. They say the future is in broadcasting. All they wanted was the Canadian Indie Film Channel, and that's all that's left now.

It seems an ironic statement coming from the producer of the world's most watched TV drama CSI, that drama's dead. And that the feature film market's moribund when it's nearest rival, Vancouver's Lion's Gate Films just bought out indie feature company Artisan Entertainment for $240 million US.

Sadly, it's a symptom of what's happened to the Canadian film industry. It's dead. Pure and simple. More people won Genies, Canada's movie awards, than people who actually paid money to see the films being honoured. Telefilm, the government agency that finances feature films, is now demanding that producers make films & TV shows that people actually want to see and that scares the hell out of them. It means they'll have to actually do more than just fill out forms and schmooze Cabinet ministers, they actually have to go out, make good films, and the get people to see them. So A/A is getting out of producing, and sticking to the tried and true moneymakers. Distributing American films by New Line & Miramax in Canada, and flooding the airwaves with specialty channels that no one watches, but everybody pays for because of the channel packaging system.

Oh well, it's late and I'm ranting. What do you think.:confused:

[El Duderino Diablo]

Originally posted by Furious D
What do you think.:confused:

I think that this is indeed a very sad day. Over the years I've enjoyed a number of Salter Street Film's offerings and to see a local production house like that aquired and wrung dry by a (comparitively speaking) corporate behomoth with increasingly little to justify it's own existence really pisses me off.

[Furious D]

The thing that real burns my ass about the Canadian Film & TV industry is that it's populated by so many people that my grandpa would classify as "Nutless Wonders."

They're scared to do anything that won't get them a government grant. They all want to be broadcasters now, yet they won't do anything to fill up their airwaves with new programing, inflicting Canadians with 1000s of cheap ass home decor shows and prehistoric American reruns.

It's also almost impossible for any film to get made if the director isn't named Cronenberg & Egoyan, and woe be tide any Canadian Filmmaker who doesn't have actor/writer/director Don McKellar in his production.

I met McKellar once and he seemed like a nice guy, and TWITCH CITY was one of the most FUBAR TV shows ever made, but is there some law that I haven't heard that says he has to be in what seems like every damn Canadian movie?

Don, buddy, muchacho, take a vacation. Canadian Film won't collapse without you. It's already collapsed.:p

[BuckyMcSatan]

It is quite sad that in Canada, we have something worse than the MPAA in America and it's called the CRTC.

There is a law that a certain percentage of entertainment product whether it's music on the radio, television programming and/or film production/distribution has to be Canadian Content.

Hence the reason a lot of your favorite films do not show up on the movie networks - just soppy Canadian drek you've never heard of.

I am Canadian, but man - when I stayed down south and had Direct TV - as compared to our digital cable package here - I was in heaven! I didn't move from the couch half the time. (Good or bad depending on how you look at it.)

You Amercians think there's "nothing on" television? Try coming up here and watching our satellite or cable packages for a month.

The only think that did stink about it was the US version of "Bravo". Full of commercials every two minutes down south. Up here? Virtually commmercial-free and uncut. (Which, of course, matters, when film watching).

Let me ask you why Cronenberg needs to rely on Canadian governmental funding at this stage in his career? Check any one of his film credits to see what I mean. It's time for directors like him and Egoyan to stop suckling at the motherland's teat if you ask me.

With established producers/directors gorging on government funds and films like "Men With Brooms" getting wide release, it's no wonder we're in trouble creatively and financially.

Coupled with the fear of producing something that isn't bland, generic or CBC bound on Sundays with "Rita MacNeil and Friends" for the over 50 crowd, it's a cancer to creativity for Canadians to force the issue of having a certain amount of programming slated for our own under the guise of capitalism. I'm thinking there's a more sinister reason for the agenda.

Then again, I'm probably watching more "Alias" or "Six Feet Under" or "Sopranos" or "Curb Your Enthusiasm" or "24" or even "Buffy" than the idiotic and substandard HBO-style rip off "Slings and Arrows".

Er... okay I think I made a couple of points - and if not - ah, well - this forum is called "Rants".

[Furious D]

You made a few good points there Buck.

According to Sturgeon's Law 99% of all creative works, like movies, books, or music are crap. Sadly this is also true of Canadian prods.

In an interesting twist, some of the best Canadian work is done in TV. It seems to be the medium we do best, even though there is still a lot shit on the airwaves.

Decent Canadian Productions Throughout History:
This Hour has 22 Minutes
Da Vinci's Inquest
Made In Canada (aka The Industry)
The Newsroom
SCTV
4 on the Floor
Trailer Park Boys (uneven, but has its moments & just signed a US broadcast deal with BBC America)


The problem with Canada & its funding structure is that the same mistakes are repeated over and over again. It's almost like they become dogma. "We've done it that way in the past, so we must do it all over again now."

That's how somebody can make a steaming pile of a movie or a TV show, but because he has a credit under his belt, can make it over and over again. That's how we end up with dozens of movies & shows being made each year that nobody sees & even fewer people care about.

And there's absolutely no interest in new ideas or people entering the industry. I once talked to the people who run a foundation that's supposed to promote new writers. I asked them what it took to qualify. They said I had to have at least 2 feature film screenplay credits. There's not a single person under 40 in Canada who could make that claim. I was also once told by a talent agent that his agency was proud of the fact that it hadn't signed a new writer or director in over a decade. What a way to run a railroad.

What's gone is the risk-taking entrepreneurial spirit that got the industry started in the first place.

I gave up on Canadian producers years ago. While still struggling, I've at least attracted honest interest in the States & will probably rocket south within about 5 seconds of my first sale. I'd hate to do it, but I have to.

[Jeremy Knox]

Yup, I always said that if Canada started a low budget studio to make horror movies like Cronenberg did at the beginning of his carreer they'd actually make a profit on those films.

What's amusing is that the most varied films out of Canada come from Quebec because no one thinks they have to be "typically Canadian". They just make a movie and by extension it simply IS Canadian.

Oh well... goodbye Canadian film industry. :(

JK13

[Furious D]

Originally posted by Jeremy Knox
Yup, I always said that if Canada started a low budget studio to make horror movies like Cronenberg did at the beginning of his carreer they'd actually make a profit on those films.

What's amusing is that the most varied films out of Canada come from Quebec because no one thinks they have to be "typically Canadian". They just make a movie and by extension it simply IS Canadian.

Oh well... goodbye Canadian film industry. :(

JK13

I've been saying the exact same thing for years. I once wrote a silly article for a website where I explained Canadian Films for Americans. Basically I said that each region had one region specific film that's made over and over again while Quebec's film industry was rich and lively.

I've also been calling for a low-budget 'B' company to start in Canada for years. But you'll never get Canadians to invest in it without a federal check in hand. Maybe they should bring back those crazy tax laws from the late 70's that caused the Hollywood North explosion & gave birth to what would later become Alliance, Salter Street & Lion's Gate.

Sure 99% of the movies made then were crap, but that's true with any creative endeavour. Besides, there's always a chance for a diamond to pop up in the dirt.

Maybe we can sucker, I mean interest, some Yankee bucks to come our way. They've got guts and are willing to take the occasional risk.

[Jeremy Knox]

My fave French-Canadian films in no order are

1. Cruising Bar (1989)
Kind of like a french After Hours about 4 different guys trying to get laid. The same actor plays all four guys and pulls it off beautifully.

2. The Decline of The American Empire (1986)
This is a classic. The french version of The Big Chill.

3. Elvis Gratton: Le King Des Kings (1985)
Made by that blowhard Pierre Falardeau but the man has some talent and a lot of love for slapstick so the movie works as a comedy even though it was intended as satire.

4. Jesus De Montreal (1989)
Powerful film about a passion play in Montreal.

5. La Petite Aurore l'enfant Martyre (1952)
This is one of the worst made "serious" movies ever. Everyone overacts. It's badly (and cheaply) shot and the moral of the story is delivered like a baseball bat to the knees. It sucks so bad that it's funny as hell to watch. Especially when you consider how serious this film is supposed to be. Imagine Ed Wood making Mommy Dearest and you'll have a clue as to how bad this is.

6. Un Zoo la Nuit (1987)
It's weird but worth watching. It always felt to me like David Lynch would love to do the english remake.

7. La Guerre Des Tuques (1984)
I saw this with my school. It's a good movie about how violence is futile. It's a kids film but not all fruity and childish about it. The kids come off as real and there are consequenses to their actions.

8. Karmina (1996)
Light Vampire comedy. It's silly but I have a soft spot for it.

9. Les Invasions Barbares (2003)
A sequel to Decline. Instead of sex, the subject matter is Death, but it's still a joyful fim.

10. Louis 19, Le Roi Des Ondes (1994)
Remember ED TV? Wanna see a GOOD movie with the same themes?

With special mention to two TV series because unlike English Canada where you get mostly crappy movies and some fine Television Quebec is the opposite. You have a lot of decent movies a whole crapload of bad TV. These two are an exception though.

1. Rock et Belles Oreilles (1986)
Kind of like Monty Python's Flying Circus only with jokes that make the stuff on South Park look tame. No subject is too taboo. We see men french kissing, spouse abuse, abused children and police officers beating the shit outta people.

2. Un Gars, Une Fille (1997)
Made by one of the guys from Rock et Belles Oreilles. This is sort of like Fawlty Towers vs Flying Circus. It's a simple TV series about a guy and a girl who are dating but it manages to be funny as hell. Don't be surprised if an english version of this one day winds up on NBC. They already sold the rights to France and are negotiation for England.

JK13

[Furious D]

I agree with you about Quebec films, they're not bound by any Telefilm rules of content and are free to be funny, scary or whatever the hell they want to be.

EDTV was a remake of LOUIS 19th, but as you can probably guess, a lot was lost in translation. And I think a Canadian company is doing an anglo-language version of FILLES & GAR called a GIRL & A BOY for one of those specialty channels. So it should disappear quickly, especially if Alliance Atlantis is involved in any way.

As for Quebec TV how can you not love LA FUROR. I don't speak french, but even an ignorant anglo like myself can see that they're having a hoot. And once while channel surfing I stumbled on a show called SEXYCAM, Quebec's favourite soft-core candid-camera show. It was one of those, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING ON THE FRENCH CHANNEL? moments. All Canadians have had them, and often found the mystery of the French channel more entertaining than the crap seen on Anglophone Canadian TV.

Anglo Canada needs to adapt a more Quebecois attitude, no I'm not talking about nudity, though it wouldn't hurt, I'm talking about making films & shows that people want to see. Because I'll puke out my left lung if some Atom Egoyan clone makes another goddamn tedious 'character study of voyeurism & incest.'

[filmgurl]

the other reason quebequois films make money, are more interesting (often)... is because they have built in markets because of the language. people in quebec, france...etc will go see these movies because they are in their native language (which is very (!) important). they make money and have more sources of money open to them (foreign investment/distribution).

on another tangent, speaking of canadian television and the colapse of telefilm, has anyone else checked out "train 48"? i initially laughed it off as a poor community theatre project, but find myself hooked by it more each time i catch it. although it is a little funny the way the have to put the fact that it was made without government support in the credits.

(don't be put off by the fact that it seems toronto-centric. this is the canadian soap opera mary walsh wishes she had)

[El Duderino Diablo]

Well, it's become apparent that if one is to apply Furious' region specific theorem then the best way to make a name for oneself here on the wet coast is to make an overwrought lowbudget documentary on Vancouver's downtowneastside (really, it's just one word now).
That or change your name to Anne Wheeler and cast Molly Parker as the lead in an off kilter drama about a pleasent young woman with distressingly odd and somewhat morbid sexual quirks. Or has that been done already?
;)

[filmgurl]

actually that was lynn stopkewich (kissed). anne wheeler makes nice non-threatening movies with wendy crewson about lesbian awakening and mid-life passion, or something.

the other option is to make redudant commentaries on suburban enui (i'm looking at you mr. sweeney)

[El Duderino Diablo]

Originally posted by filmgurl
actually that was lynn stopkewich (kissed). anne wheeler makes nice non-threatening movies with wendy crewson about lesbian awakening and mid-life passion, or something.

the other option is to make redudant commentaries on suburban enui (i'm looking at you mr. sweeney)

D'oh!
For reasons unknown I get Stopkewich and Wheeler confused.

[GiGi]

That really blows a crusty one. Sorry to hear.