Funky Cinema's First Month Results & Lessons (June 2021)

Having launched on June 5 2021 with a cool mix of big screen beats, what can the UK cinema biz learn from Aylesbury's Funky Cinema? Many exhibitors are already copying Funky's innovations and programming taste. Suddenly, for example, 1983's LOCAL HERO is back on the theatrical circuit after Funky resurrected Bill Forsyth's hidden gem with its June 7 screenings. And Funky Cinema's imaginative 'pop-up art shows' are also being replicated by others, i.e. see Showcase's art-themed soccer screenings.

As Funky Cinema's programmer, and having been a catalyst for change for almost two decades, it's flattering that other exhibitors continue to track what I'm doing and follow suit. But there's one gargantuan opportunity that the UK's lazy film bookers cannot easily copy – the quietly popular original programming provided by new content start-up Redux Cinema. Funky has the reduxcinema.com film list exclusively and the results have been rosy.

Let's take a look at the best attended films shown at Aylesbury's Funky Cinema during June 2021 and consider some lessons for the future:

1.?MIRAI?(anime)

2.?HOW?TO?TRAIN?YOUR?DRAGON?(kids?animation)

3.?NIGHT?OF?THE?LIVING?DEAD:?THE?BREXIT?VERSION?(horror?/?satire)

4.?MAD?MAX?(action?/?thriller?/?1979?original)

5.?WHEN?HARRY?MET?SALLY?(romantic?comedy)

6.?CYRANO?DE?BERGERAC?(recorded?NT?Live?theatre?show)

7.?LOCAL?HERO?(comedy?/?light?drama)

I suspected anime might be hot, but I was surprised at just how popular it proved to be. We sold all the tickets. I'll expect to see more anime across mainstream cinemas going forwards, but you can be sure the film bookers will have only a begrudging regard for it. Why? Because it's not Hollywood product. Bookers care more about serving the US studios than they do about their own box office. Fact. But in Aylesbury, anime is rich pickings.

The dragon cartoon, coming in as the second best attended film, was always going to be a fairly safe bet.

The third best attended film was NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: THE BREXIT VERSION from the Redux Cinema slate. Complete with Union Jack cupcakes and a sing-a-long National Anthem at the start, this horror-satire sensation marked the fifth anniversary of the 2016 Brexit vote in highly inventive style, embracing Remain and Leave voters alike, complete with a Brexit-themed pop-up art show boasting sculptures and paintings.

With over 17m Brexit voters nationwide, it was an obvious programming choice. No other film booker in the country wanted it, incredibly. Bookers never think outside the box and are not known to be commercially savvy. It was Aylesbury's coup. What could have been the biggest cinematic event of 2021 ended up being a secluded gem fifty miles west of London.

More redux films are coming, including Marlon Brando in outer-space and Jack Nicholson spoofing veganism. The redux film programming is set to be a proper little goldmine.

As for the rest of the list, the Mel Gibson actioner and the iconic Billy Crystal-Meg Ryan rom-com gave deep satisfaction to those who came, and it?was a good 'temperature check' to see what appetite there could be for classic titles from the recent past.

Funky Cinema's BYOB policy (you can bring your own alcohol to select screenings) proved to be a big hit, especially with gal pal groups and silver haired older couples enjoying a civilised glass of Pinot (or two). We are possibly one of the only cinemas in the entire country outside of London where the audience can bring their own booze, versus paying Al Capone style-robbery prices for the lukewarm dross served at your local multiplex.

The NT Live recorded show was not as busy as I thought it would be but the audience adored it and the quality was first class, which was nice for Funky Cinema's reputation and repertoire. There is also a lingering question mark over whether pandemic concerns are having an adverse impact on attendance. The famous British bulldog spirit was very apparent though. Our audiences brimmed with vigour even when numbers were sparse.

I was especially proud to have resurrected Bill Forsyth's LOCAL HERO, from Film4 via Park Circus. It's a terrific movie, with mythical undertones that make it a far more profound film than you might think. I ran it on a weekday afternoon, when in hindsight a weekend evening slot may have been better. But I was shooting for the older demographic, including retirement home residents. Funky Cinema won't be overlooking the senior set. And our LOCAL HERO screenings included getting a word from the film's hallowed producer, the legendary David Puttnam (now a Lord) which we used in the promotion.

I first started ploughing the depths of the Film4 library during April and May whilst curating the initial Funky Cinema programming. Film4 has a lovely little basket of big screen goodies. I remember thinking that cinemas were missing a trick by not raiding their treasures. So it wasn't too surprising to learn recently that Picturehouse, Everyman, Odeon and many others were suddenly jumping on the Film4 bandwagon after Funky Cinema led the way with the otherwise forgotten LOCAL HERO.

I quite like the idea of influencing the programming trends that other exhibitors will adopt, especially in our politically correct world, where Far Left activists are trying to destroy freedom of expression and stir up social, racial and gender division. Hence, having an impact on the nation's cinema programming becomes all the more important, because we're mired in an ideological battle with what's become known as “Cultural Marxism”. Of all the arts, said Lenin, cinema is the most important. Believe it.

Good old fashioned films with traditional values like LOCAL HERO are despised by the woke Far Left. The left-wing war on masculinity and the irrational demonization of the so-called “Patriarchy” would prefer a film like that to be condemned to the dustbin of cinema history. But I succeeded in bringing that film back into the industry's consciousness, and it's had a floodgate effect on Film4's back catalogue which I welcome warmly.

For example, can you imagine anyone today making TRAINSPOTTING, BRASSED OFF or SEXY BEAST, three more 'anti-woke' films that are being hitched to LOCAL HERO as part of a new cinema package? Bristling with brawny manhood, proudly British and free from hollow virtue signalling, the revival of these films is the equivalent of serving up a big plate of red meat in a restaurant overrun with salad options. Film4's Daniel Battsek should throw?SHALLOW GRAVE and A ROOM WITH A VIEW into the mix too.

It's worth noting that I queried the younger generation about social media hang outs, as part of my information gathering exercise during June. What's hot these days? The feedback is that Facebook is dead, at least among people under 30. Instagram seems to be the place. But that will get old too at some point. Are exhibitors monitoring any of that? Probably not.

So what are the core lessons from Funky Cinema's first month of operation in June 2021? You'll have your own perception, perhaps, and I could be wrong about exhibitors following my lead. Maybe it's just a coincidence. I'm always happy to be wrong. Nothing is more self-limiting than thinking you always need to be right. Maybe I'm delusional. That's fine. Nobody's perfect. The important thing is what audiences think about their cinema trip.

A big takeaway for me personally is that exhibition needs to focus on the big screen experience from the very instant the customer enters the auditoria. Incredibly, even after all these years, how often do you walk into a cinema auditorium and see a dark, lifeless screen, with nothing yet being projected? How unimaginative and lazy is that? Why waste the chance to engage and entertain the audience immediately?

At Funky Cinema, the screen is never inactive, not even for a second. We start playing a funky pre-show 'edutainment montage' before the doors open, with booming sound, so that people walk into something loud, brash and mysterious immediately. I have professional grade editing software and I produce films for theatrical distribution as well, so it's easy for me to whip up something cool and bespoke. The audience loves it.

Meanwhile, mainstream cinemas mindlessly run their ads and trailers and never stop to consider the wider potential to fill the screen at all times. Also, at Funky Cinema, we transition seamlessly into a neat farewell montage as soon as the end credits fade.

But ultimately it's the films that must do the heavy lifting. You have to entertain and provide escapism. Mainstream cinemas today face a tough future, because Hollywood isn't trying to entertainment people anymore. Hollywood today is driven by woke culture political correctness. Lenin would chuckle. The US studios are dominated by Far Left activists and the UK cinema industry is too full of sycophantic bootlickers to resist it. It's a terrible cocktail and the sector will gag badly.

Streaming isn't a threat. Netflix and Amazon are run by a similar brand of left-wing advocates. Those platforms will not remain popular in the years to come. Just like Facebook, they will age badly. The likes of Disney+ won't fare any better. None of them are offering anything fresh. It's like walking into a music hall and everyone is playing the same note on the same instrument. It's an agenda-driven echo chamber, nothing more.

But Funky Cinema draws its water from a different well. It's going to be interesting to see what happens, especially with so many lazy film bookers copying what we're doing. I hope they continue to do so. They're not able to access the redux films, of course, and we're planning some amazing innovations for deaf and blind audiences too which other cinemas won't be able to 'copy and paste'. But there's still plenty to steal from Funky Cinema in terms of ideas and strategy generally. There's a lot at stake for the culture, so it's vitally important that Funky Cinema gets mirrored in as many ways as possible.

I'll keep you all posted. Remember, always think for yourself and don't be afraid to buck the trend. Peace and love.

Marc John, Manager at Funky Cinema x