Jett and Gareth at the start of The Film Talk

Hi Folks, Jett here:

I’m humbled, excited and grateful all at once.  ‘Operation Save The Film Talk’ has been a success – and it’s all down to you!  Thank you so much to all the people who coughed up the cash to keep us going – and to those who helped out with donations of time: evangelizing for TFT on Facebook, Twitter and all the rest of the webinets.

When Gareth and I started this thing we had no idea what we were doing; we’d just met and noticed right away that our conversations about movies were something special.

I was experimenting with the podcast form at the time so it seemed natural that we start recording our talks and putting them out there for whoever wanted to listen.

  Three years later we were still at it but found that the amount of time spent producing the show and website was taking an ever increasing amount of time and money.  We needed folks to step up and help out till we could figure out a model to make this work, and you did.  So thanks again to all of you – you read a lot about ‘the long tail’, the collapse of traditional media, fan-supported bands, etc. – but it’s one thing to read about it and another to actually do it.

Jett and Gareth after 3 years of doing the show for free

Anyhew, I digress – the point is the hobby has become something else for me – a vocation – and it’s all down to you guys for listening and supporting it.  With that in mind I want to give a special mention to a couple o’ folks:

Matthew Hutchinson – our very first monetary supporter and the code guy behind ‘Operation Save The Film Talk’ – Matt you went above and beyond and Gareth and I are so appreciative.  Also I’d like to mention Kiley MacLeod and Matt Ford and who wanted to contribute so much more than I thought possible that we had to create a new level of membership – The Cameron!, (what the perks are of being a Cameron Member I have no idea – a project for the new year).

Evolution of the TFT Logo on iTunes

Speaking of perks – now that we’re continuing I’ll sort out getting the promised ‘bonus material’ to all the members – we’ve got bloopers, unaired eps and interviews in the archives – some of which probably shouldn’t see the light of day – but screw it – it’s The Film Talk!  If we can’t do what we want with the show than what’s the point? 

(and heck – let’s dole out some special material right now – here’s the opener for the now unavailable Episode 11, (back when the show was still called ‘Film Talk’):

Film Talk at the Dublin Road Movie House, Belfast

Ok, that’s it for now – at the risk of being even more repetitive, thank you again – I just don’t have the words – I’ll leave that to Gareth whom I’m sure will write a brilliant TFT fan appreciation when he gets back from his much deserved honeymoon -

Yours in cinema, 

Jett

Andrei Rublev

Before we get too entrenched in the new year, a recap: 2009 was the richest year for US American movies since 1999, when my imagination was captured by ‘Magnolia’, the anti-war film was reinvented with ‘Three Kings’, Michael Mann made his best film so far in ‘The Insider’, ‘The Matrix’ set the bar for church youth group metaphor-talks for the next decade, in a foreign interlude ‘La Vie Revee des Anges’, ‘Holy Smoke’, ‘All About my Mother’, and ‘Lovers of the Arctic Circle’ inspired conversations about love, chance, depression and religion, Cronenberg’s ‘eXistenZ’ reminded me why his work is so vital and never disappointing in its exploration of the meaning of the human body, ‘Star Wars Episode 1’ became a cultural benchmark, if not a good movie, ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ elated, John Sayles astonished me with ‘Limbo’s exercise in explaining how being human means to be, first and perhaps only, a storyteller, ‘The Red Violin’ confounded, ‘Arlington Road’ appeared to prophesy America’s doom unless it comes to term with its own shadow, and life went on….

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Hey folks – today’s the day – your last chance to become a TFT Member and save The Film Talk! If we don’t make our goal by midnight Nashville time then we’ll have to close shop.

But I have faith in you listeners out there – I’ve been so impressed already with the time and money folks have put in to keep us going – I know we can make it.

We need the equivalent of an additional $60 a month or $360 in total to keep the show online – click below to help out by becoming a Member for as little as $3 a month!:

Operation Save The Film Talk

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UPDATE 1:40pm: In response to several members who’ve emailed saying they want to donate more I’ve just created The Cameron level of Membership. It’s $20 a month and just might ensure that TFT lives on! Click here to become a TFT Cameron Member.

UPDATE 12:15AM: You did it! Y’all saved The Film Talk – right at the wire! :) Thanks so much everyone! Normal service will resume soon – we’ll get back up and running to deliver a podcast next Friday! Whew!

The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans is the most joyous, life affirming film I’ve seen in ages.  What better pic to watch on Christmas Day?

If in Nashville you can catch it at The Belcourt till the 31st.

Hey there folks – Jett here. Hope everyone out there is having a happy and healthy holidays.  I’d like to thank everyone for supporting TFT this year – Gareth and I have had a great time doing the show and we couldn’t have done it without you.  I’d love to send each and everyone of you the new Criterion Collection Kurosawa Box Set but, unfortunately, Uncle Jett’s cash has all gone to keep the servers ticking over this holiday season – if we’re still here then maybe next year.

What I can do though, in lieu of Mr. Akira, is recommend a holiday movie treat.  Ok, so here it goes and please stay with my on this one ’cause it’s a bit strange:

Sherlock Holmes.

Yes, that’s right.  Sherlock Holmes.  Or to be more precise Joel ‘Lethal Weapon 4′ Silver’s production of Guy “Director of Snatch” Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes.

I loved it.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying it’s a good movie – and in fact it’s far more entertaining than it has any right to be.  But it is entertaining.

Hear me out here.

You see they’ve cracked the secret to Guy Ritchie. Here’s what you do: don’t let Guy direct a project that is his baby, that he’s written or that he actually wants to do.  Use him as a director for hire for fun, silly cheesy fare and BAM! you’ve got a hit.

And Sherlock Holmes is a hit.

Sure it drags a bit – especially when Holmes and Watson aren’t on screen together. But when they are it’s magic. Downey and Law are the great new cinematic couple – coming out of the theatre I couldn’t wait to see them in another adventure.*

Now there are some caveats.  If you go into the theatre expecting a ’standard’, yet highly produced, version of a Sherlock Holmes story you’ll leave in the first five minutes.

Because, apparently in this film Holmes has the power of Neo and knows how to manipulate The Matrix.  You’ll know what I mean when you see it Dear Reader. But, once you get over the fact that they’ve turned Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation into an action-packed, adrenaline-fueled thrill-ride you’ll have a great time.

Right, I’m off now to eat some Christmas Ham – but I’ll leave you with one thing – many thanks again to all of you who have contributed both in money and in time to supporting TFT and keeping us going.  We’re not at the top of thermometer yet, but I have absolute confidence that there are enough folks out there who enjoy Gareth and I enough to cough up some cash.

And on that traditional note of the season, money, I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday time!

Till the ham is finished and I’m back on the site – I am, Dear Reader, your humble cinema servant,

Jett

* This is without a doubt the cheesiest, most ‘Ben Lyonsesque’ thing I have written on in this site in the three years since we started this.