The Tax-Payers are Watching -- and ticked.

You have to be ***king kidding me.

If the only simile you can muster is a transparently desperate correlation between Guy Maddin and a particular scene from Citizen Kane [what, you couldn't think of a Canadian film, oh Champion of the Taxpayer?], it only demonstrates the tenuous (that's diplomatic-speak for 'bizarre') logic behind your argument.

Why don't you get off your high-horse, take the chip off thy shoulder, and get a life.

uh, i thought the movie was great.

MagnificoSanto: I was somewhat bemused by your post. You say that the Canadian public ‘hates’ Guy Maddin. On what basis do you make this assertion? Is it not a bit presumptuous to speak for a whole nation on the basis of your personal dislike for Maddin’s films?

The box-office receipts that you quote are meaningless without some substantiation. Can I assume that you’re referring to domestic receipts in Canadian dollars? If so, it’s not possible to judge the profitability of a film on the basis of domestic box-office receipts alone. Given it’s population, Canada is a relatively small market and the film will certainly make more money internationally than it will domestically. Unfortunately, it can take up to two years or more before a non-Hollywood film reaches theatres in the rest of the world, so I think it’s a little early to make a judgment on the profitability of the film.

Are you suggesting that funding agencies must appeal to the lowest common denominator every time they decide to fund a project? What about the rest of the population, who also pay their tax dollars? Should those people with no interest in sports request that funding is withdrawn for any sports-related projects, on the basis that it doesn’t satisfy them personally?

You say that ‘great films that are real art make a profit’ and cite Godard and Bergman as examples. The cinematic landscape has changed profoundly since the 1960s when Godard and Bergman were in their prime. I very much doubt that Pierrot le fou or Persona would fare as well at the box-office today as they did in the mid-60s. Further, it is absurd to judge the artistic merit of a work on the basis of its profitability. I can offer you numerous examples of critically acclaimed artists whose work was considered worthless at the time it was produced. Van Gogh, Nick Drake, and Jean Vigo immediately spring to mind.

Personally, I thought The Saddest Music in the World was a stunning film. If nothing else, it’s completely unique and extremely innovative. This is quite incredible when you consider that Canada doesn’t have a particularly strong national cinema. There’s no point in Canada (or any other nation, for that matter) churning out populist films to compete with Hollywood. As Hollywood cinema becomes ever more banal however, there’s a real opportunity for national cinemas to re-emerge and properly assert themselves in the marketplace. I’d be extremely proud of this film if I were Canadian, and excited at the prospect of Canada increasing its standing in world cinema.

Santo

Truth be told, you didn't 'get' the movie, therefore IT'S wrong, not you.

If we followed your logic (more asses on seats means better movie), then we'd have even more force feeding of Marvel superheroes and CGI dwarves. God help us.

Three cheers for the likes of Maddin who try to express a different voice from a different point of view. Does he deserve a subsidy? ABSOLUTELY. Mainstream film-makers get subsidies - sponsorship deals from product placement corporates. But I guess that's okay with you because it's free market (not "Socialist").

Well, if your idea of a good visit to the movies is to watch a two-hour ad, have a great time. But once in a while it's good to get a dose of a different reality that isn't trying to sell you something, or make your viewing easy.

Is 'The Saddest Music' a great film? Absolutely not. But it is challenging - and for that Maddin and his backers deserve all the encouragement 'in the world'.

actually this film has been quite successful. not only in Canada but internationally as well... it will probably make a profit after DVD sales.

but another important point to make is that i believe the Canadian public is largely responsible for simply discounting Maddin's work. Maddin and crew have done a solid job advertising this film but so many cynical f*cking Canadians still just refuse to even just check out any of his films because they all believe that a good film could never POSSIBLY come out of their country. it's a f*cking sad inferiority complex that only THEY THEMSELVES can fix.

P.S. and, um... no, you idiot... not all good films necessarily make a profit. Sadly, many good films from not only Canada but all countries go underappreciated by the general public.

I agree with you and also disagree... I think Maddin has reached an international audience which is good for the Canadian film industry, however, I must say that his films aren't really all that wonderful.. Egoyan, yes... Maddin, not really.... he reminds me of Cronenberg, in a way... his films satisfy his own fetishes, sometimes they work and sometimes they dont... but I think you're right about the tax stuff.. perhaps we should try to put out a film by a different director or something.. what ever happened to that guy who made Leolo? Did he just dissapear off the face of the planet?

A dozen truths regarding THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD and Canadian film from an "insider" who remains masked:

1) My box office figures are from the US release of the film, not the Canadian one. A few weeks in a couple of theatres in the major centres here in Canada, it perhaps made low five figures. It's already been released worldwide. Nobody paid any attention.

2) This film will not enter into profit any time soon as it will need to make about 6 million bucks in DVD sales. Not going to happen.

3) Box office is hardly the be all and end all of filmmaking. I think Maddin deserves some money from my paycheque based on his ability to pay back his Telefilm loans. Because that's what they are: LOANS. Based on that, he is worthy of being considered for Telefilm's recent $750,000 low budget program.

4) Telefilm is supposed to exist as a "kickstart" system with the intent of setting up and helping Canadian filmmakers with their first projects. Then they pay the loans back and are mostly self-supporting with investors willing to invest in this most expensive art form. Instead, thanks to McKellar and crew, we've got a Welfare system with Welfare Queens who operate a very tight inbred circle and use their "power" with their entrenched cronies at Telefilm and other funding agencies to promote themselves and bury other projects not in their interest. A perfect example is Egoyan's recent move to being Exec. Prod. of recent films bigger budgetted Canadian films. He does nothing except ensure the tax money comes in by being associated. As a result, he collects a hefty fee for bomb after bomb that the Canadian public doesn't care to see. Another example is Don McKellar's appearance in junk like Rub and Tug. His zero-box office appearance enabled funding for the film. It makes no logical sense at all.

5) There is nothing inventive or innovative about a Guy Maddin film. It's all just about aping old film techniques in a very self-absorbed and ultimately uninvolving way. It's all about the surface and a few sophmoric jokes that mostly backfire. It's amusing in short film form, I'll give him that.

6) We have no real film industry in Canada. This is because of the Canadian Film Mafia -- okay, let's label it less dramatically, the Old Boy's Club. Telefilm continues to toil under the assumption that they need to build a star system. And yet, the people they give power to make films to have proven time and again that they've got nothing. It's time for some new people. Somebody to replace the crowd who have failed us. There is no possible denial that they have failed beyond a few trophies sitting on their shelves at home from film festivals. A lot of big noise from Telefilm regarding "more commercial" product. Hahahahhaha Instead, what do we get? 3.5 million dollar Guy Maddin films. Or, worse, 5 million dollar Don McKellar road movies starring -- himself! hahahhahahhaha It's ludicrous. What is the track record of road movies staring Don McKellar? The only time they made their money back was when they were sold to the CBC. Is it a profit when it's a government funded movie being sold to a government funded broadcaster? Of course not. Ridiculous.

7) Big US movies shooting in Canada impact the economy in a very positive way. Canadian movies as they are now, are make work projects that are a money trap. It could and should be different.

8) It is a great scapegoat to blame Hollywood for the lack of a viable Canadian film industry. Truth be told we must look at who is getting the money and has been getting the money for the past decade and a half. And who is responsible for giving them the money at the expense of new filmmakers. Ignored right now, but the truth is, Canadian films have had success in the past. One example: SCANNERS was N.A. number one in its first week of release. There are many others.

9) Hell, yeah I'm jealous. I'm not jealous of their work at all. I'm jealous that they've got it so easy, doing anything they want and, unlike down south (aka US), nobody ever gets the sack for making one turkey after another! Nobody ever gets fired. Nobody ever gets the plug pulled once they're in the Mafia.

10) Don't have a problem with Mambo Italiano. Didn't say anything about it. Not my kind of film, but I'm glad to see it did something.

11) If English Canada is ever to have a viable film industry like French Canada does, we need to take drastic measures. Plain and simple. And measures which will certainly never happen. We need to base funding directly on the history of the investment we've made in the entrenched Canadian Film Mafia. Egoyan, McKellar, McDonald, Rosema, Maddin and company. I'm talking hard figures. What exactly is the ratio of investment versus return for these people? And, based on that, cut them off entirely and give new talent a chance. And if the new don't deliver after -- hell, give them two chances, two feature films -- cut them off and move on.

12) I realize it's a waste of time in a practical sense telling it like it is with regards to Canadian film. The Public is so apathetic and doesn't know or care about this little system. And getting the Canadian public to do something about something they don't know much about or care about is pretty much impossible. It's hard enough getting them to do something about what they do know and care about. But because they are working with my money, I have decided to start telling like it is. Somebody's got to fight the losing battle for what's right.

This is tiresome. I'm not really interested in singling out Guy Maddin as being the biggest culprit in Canadian film's failure over the past decade and a half. He's not that bad of a person, I'm sure. He's paid some dues in obscurity as a house painter at least for a long period of time. Others have not. I think one can point to people whom, it is about time, are publicly criticized by the public who has been paying the bill. Few are more worthy than Don McKellar. Let's discuss this "Canadian celebrity" whom the public has rejected.

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