XX is a 2015 American horror anthology film produced by XYZ Films (Tusk) with four female directors: Sofia Carrillo, Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body), Jennifer Chambers Lynch (Surveillance) and Jovanka Vuckovic. Dwjuan Fox is supervising producer for all segments. The Soska Sisters were originally signed to direct a segment but are no longer involved.
Finally got around to adding some of my interview columns for Indiewire from way back in the day to my portfolio.
Written while I was also senior editor in 2002-3, subjects include writer-director-genius Claire Denis, Sundance Film Festival head Geoff Gilmore, film producer Ed Pressman, legendary film rep (and "Big Lebowski" inspiration) Jeff "The Dude" Dowd, film distribution pioneer Eamonn Bowles, MoMA senior film curator Larry Kardish, and director-producer Gary Winick.
If anything, it's a pretty telling comment on how much independent film has changed in the past 10 years.
Click here or on the title link above for the full story.
President Eamonn Bowles talks about digital distribution and announces VHS, John Dies at the End and Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning for future release on Netflix Instant
Instant Gratification (Zach Kaplan): Hello, thank you for speaking with us. What should our readers know about Magnet Releasing?
Eamonn Bowles: Magnet is the genre releasing arm of Magnolia Pictures. It’s the exact same company, but we use Magnet to differentiate the genre films from the other type films that Magnolia releases, such as documentaries, foreign and arthouse films, etc. Magnet really has an eye out for the more complex examples of the genre, not just the typical studio teenagers-in-peril types of films. We look for filmmakers who have an individual style and strong point of view.
IG: It seems your company has truly embraced the digital age: almost all of your films are streaming on Netflix Instant, with many available on VOD (Video-on-Demand) as well. What do you think that this kind of digital distribution brings to the table that previous formats could not?
EB: The amount of people you can reach with your films has expanded exponentially with the advent of digital releasing. It also brings an enormous cost efficiency over having to ship and have stores stock physical goods. It’s now as easy as pushing a button in your home.
Some of the films in Magnet Releasing's diverse library, most of which is available on Netflix Instant
IG: Your company has also begun releasing films on VOD before they’ve hit theaters, notably the 2012 comedy Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie. What was your strategy in doing so?
EB: We found there was a great appetite for people to be the first ones to see a particular movie and that it was worth it to pay a little extra for the privilege. Also, the geographical coverage of the VOD platform is wider than the widest theatrical release. Virtually every home with a digital cable box or high speed internet has access to these films as soon as they come out.
IG: Are you happy with the results of this approach?
EB: To say it’s been enormously successful would be an understatement.
IG: Do you plan to continue releasing films in this manner — on digital formats prior to theatrical release?
EB: Yes, the public has shown a huge demand for it, which we will continue to service. We don’t release every film in the pre-theatrical manner. We also do traditional releasing and day and date theatrical/VOD ones as well. We really cater our release strategy to the individual strengths of the picture.
IG: Would you consider releasing films for streaming on Netflix Instant before theaters, perhaps for a limited time?
EB: Netflix is not really a transaction-based service, but subscriber-based, meaning we wouldn’t get paid for each person who streams the movie. Because of that, it’s extremely unlikely that we’d go down that road.
IG: Are there any other modern distribution formats you plan to embrace in the future?
EB: We like to have our films available wherever people buy movies. They haven’t invented a practical brain chip application yet.
IG: It seems that Magnet has primarily distributed foreign films in the past, but you’ve recently released more diverse titles, like small-budget comedies Tucker & Dale vs. Evil and Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie. Why did you decide to make the shift?
EB: Both Magnolia and Magnet have distributed a number of foreign films, but by no means have we solely concentrated on them. Some of our breakout titles like Let the Right One In were foreign, but we’ve always distributed more English language films than foreign ones.
IG: I see. Do you plan to expand Magnet's library into different genres in the future? What other types of films do you think would work best?
EB: Our philosophy is that we see ‘em and we hit ‘em. We let the film do the talking and figure out what’s the best way to sell it. We don’t do much pre-packaged type fare here. And some films invent their own genre, which is always cool.
IG: That's great. What titles can viewers look forward to seeing on Netflix Instant and other forms of digital distribution from Magnet in the future?
EB: Right now we have VHS, which Rolling Stone called "the scariest film of the year". It's killing it on pre-theatrical release, and comes to theatres in early October. Coming up soon are Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning with Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lungren in a strong revitalization of that series, and also John Dies at the End from Don Coscarelli, the director of Bubba Ho-Tep and Phantasm, which stars Paul Giamatti. It’s a wild film, one that creates its own genre.
IG: Which of those are you planning on bringing to Netflix Instant?
EB: All of them will be on Netflix Instant shortly after DVD release.
The rest of the Magnet Releasing library
IG: Great! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
EB: We’re always on the lookout for exciting new voices and talents in genre filmmaking. We’re proud of the filmmakers and talents we’ve brought attention to, people such as Tony Jaa of the Ong Bak trilogy, Nicholas Refn of the Pusher trilogy and Bronson, Ti West of House of the Devil and The Innkeepers, Bong Joon Ho of The Host and Tomas Alfredson of Let the Right One In among many others. We’re big fans, and that informs everything we do with our releases.
Instant Gratification thanks Eamonn Bowles for his time. For further reading, check out Magnet Releasing's website.
