Tenet (2020) - Christopher Nolan

Films Spies, Spoofs & Spinoffs
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Two things to say about this:

  1. The Hollywood Reporter has recently been thrown into turmoil, with its editorial director thrown out, even respected film critic Todd McCarthy was fired - because they would not comply with the new guidelines to be less critical and more in line with industry goals. - So it´s no wonder THR now wants to support cinemas by putting out such a positive article.

  2. The key part of the sentence in that survey is “IF new protocols were in place”. - And it´s mostly the group of the 14-29 target audience who would come back IF seat capacity would be drastically reduced, face masks worn, desinfecting every seat for each showing etc. Which would mean: no blockbuster can recoup its costs unless the reduced seat capacity can be filled for months. So… no.

Really, imagine all this happening. Is that the environment one can relax and watch a movie in?

I am absolutely convinced that most of these “many Americans”, even if some of them gave it a chance once, would not return.

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Definitely many of the noir films you hardly see anywhere these days. I particularly remember a late example - in Technicolor - from 1953 with Robert Mitchum and Jack Palance.

Then many of the French films that used to be extremely influential, I…COMME ICARE, UN SINGE EN HIVER, ASCENSEUR POUR L’ÉCHAFAUD, AVEC LA PEAU DES AUTRES, À BOUT DE SOUFFLE, LA PISCINE, so on.

Then such extraordinary forgotten masterpieces as A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, which I’ve only seen recently in a restored print. There is so much of the classic film canon that disappeared from screens and tellies over the years, a huge part of film history that used to be common and is now hidden inside a special interest bubble.

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174

I’d enjoy seeing some classic Hammer Horror double bills

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175

Me too, but also some of Hammer’s thrillers which are very underrated - Scream of Fear, The Nanny etc.

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The problem, as I see it, is that those protocols - distancing, disinfectant, masks and whatnot - are so difficult to define and enforce without an independent body of authority in place.

All kinds of business interests are currently pushing for their investments being allowed to reopen - but none of them can really say how to do this without risking case numbers to go up again. Each branch of the economy will do their best, yet nobody can say whether that will be good enough.

To illustrate: Jeremy Hunt recently asked the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, about the effort for finding a treatment and vaccine for Covid-19. When he heard the efforts are pushed through the usual channels, clinic studies and an intense approval and licensing procedure, Hunt asked whether that’s not the suspenders and garter approach, i.e. unnecessarily complex and taking too long in the current situation.

And the answer would be, yes - because that’s always the way these things - medicines, treatments - must be handled. Because they must be safe and work reliable, and making sure of both takes time. If a government doesn’t make sure these protocols are followed, who else should?*

I can absolutely see the AMC chain open up again with great furore and numerous measures to keep its customers safe. But I suspect many people will not feel sufficiently reassured, at least not initially. It’s a situation where you don’t want to be the one to test the waters, and that’s true for AMC, Warner and the audience.

That cinemas will struggle to survive for much longer…yes, absolutely. I just see no really obvious way to prevent this. Outside of bailing them out on a huge scale. Which is unlikely to happen.

*The disturbing thing here is not so much that both Hunt and Hancock are Tories. It’s that Hunt used to be Secretary of State for Health before Hancock, so should rightfully know the answer to his own question…

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177

Oh they are brilliant

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I’ll be there with Orion. Alas, staggered seating will be no problem at these screenings.

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Do we really think that the typical movie theater staff–teenagers/young 20-somethings paid minimum wage–are going to properly disinfect auditoria between screenings? It might–just might–start out well, but as the reality of dollars in/dollars out starts to become clear, corners will be cut.

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180

Take with huge pinch of salt.

IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond said during the company’s quarterly earnings call today. "Certain filmmakers are very anxious

The imax ceo talking to shareholders isnt exactly going to be without a horse in this particular race…

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181

That Nolan quote, I think, is an old one. Does he still think opening his film in July is a great idea? If so he is rather interested into his own position than human lives.

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The only Nolan quotes are from the Hollywood Reporter op-Ed he wrote a while back about the need to support theatres after Covid-19, and even then he was writing in the abstract, not assigning dates.
I imagine MGM’s shareholder meetings have the same words, just littered in with quotes from the press release Eon put out when they delayed to November.

Its bonkers that so many CEO’s still think they can bully their way out of this…

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Truly bonkers

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Given how Tenet still hasn’t moved an inch and is that first movie to open cinemas (obviously assuming current plans to reopen by July in the US and other major markets), instead of a more sure fire franchise hit like Wonder Woman 1984 - it’s definitely a Nolan decision. It’s not about his own position (otherwise it would have been delayed to potentially earn more at the box office), it’s him wanting to offer it as an olive branch to cinema owners, so they have a big new film to play as soon as possible.

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Yes, but what good is an olive branch to any business if it risks the lives of those who have to actually conduct those businesses?

Nolan´s signal towards cinema owners is wonderful. But according to the scientific facts the virus will still be there in July (and maybe forever). And unless there is a vaccine or a cure, everyone will be exposed to it and spread it if it is not contained.

Now, of course, it won’t be possible to lock everything down for the next two years. That won’t even be necessary if a reliable tracing of infections is organized so that every new infection herd can be isolated before a huge wave of infections rolls over a whole country.

But this kind of organized handling of the virus is still not reliably installed in every country, and as I understand, definitely not in the United States. So to just ignore that and move forward, simply because one needs to give olive branches or incentives, is irresponsible. Especially since - in this case - it won’t be Nolan and his family who will be sitting in those cinemas or cleaning seats and facilities.

Again, we all want a return to normalcy. But wishing desperately for the sun to shine won’t keep anyone dry if it is raining.

Or to use another example: if a nuclear desaster had made a town radioactive, who would want to go out there because, hey, we just need a return to normalcy?

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I wish more of the press and politicians who are clamouring for everything to reopen ASAP would see this point of view.

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It would be nice, but it’s all about ego for these people. There’s no sense of community or civic responsibility. All one has to do is look back a couple of weeks ago when the first comments from government officials came about people needing to b willing to sacrifice their lives in order for the economy to recover.

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Especially politicians because that’s what it all comes down to. What the governments actually end up saying. Until then it’s mostly guesswork. Whoever is advising US and UK chains and cinema trade bodies at the moment is clearly pointing them towards June/July.

As I said previously, as soon as governments rule out July reopenings then the film is moving. But under the current assumption from chains that they’re able to reopen before July 17 and put in the appropriate safety measures , from Nolan’s POV, why not be the first film out the gate instead of running away like all the others save for Mulan?

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The answer: because the gate should not be opened already. To assume it makes sense to open theaters and to have his film play to, well, capacity is merely stubborn wishful thinking.

To be clear: I like Nolan´s films. I think he is a great director. And I always applauded his stance towards films being shown on the big screen. But that was in another era. Now, it feels to me dangerously out-dated. Reminds me of some older relatives who currently stick to the “I was never prone to panicking, and it is time that we return to our lives again, damnit”-argument.

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190

No! Imho piracy will make it impossible to charge too much.

Cinematic piracy is (by all accounts) not great quality, so there’s still a reason to buy a ticket.

However, if it’s going straight to VOD, then HQ pirate versions will be available immediately to those thus inclined.

Prices will need to be very affordable and include very good value passes.

Venturing out and about the people of the U.K. seem cut right down the middle between those that understand the need for distancing and the intellectually challenged, whom are apparently derived from all quarters of society.

A great number of folk see lockdown as an infringement of their liberties and I don’t doubt that as soon as they’re giving the chance this half will flock straight back to the pubs, restaurants and cinemas with the fleeting concern for proximity.

So i’d guess the cinemas will be half full within a week, but stay only half full for perhaps a year or more.

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Exactly - and that really baffles me. Right now, all around the world one can see that lockdowns have worked. They flattened the curve. I understand why one wants to restart normalcy again. But to misunderstand the containment measures as a threat to their liberty? To now go out again and drop all the safety protocols will only lead to bigger infection rates again. Does anybody of those protesters think about the threat to their health - and other people’s?

Really, so many adults behave like spoilt children these days. I want, I want, I want.

And the virus just shrugs and thinks: more hosts for me.

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