Hal Hartley's Latest Film / Kickstarter

[Small Man Big Horse]

I'm sure we had a dedicated Hartley thread but I can't find it right now, but anyway, he's hoping to direct another film, "Where To Land", which he ran a Kickstarter for in 2019 but then had to refund everyone when the pandemic hit. Now he's returning to the project, and details are here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/260302407/where-to-land-again

I did back his Kickstarter for Ned Rifle, and was pleased I did as I enjoyed the film a lot, but I won't be this time around as to actually see the film you have to buy a blu-ray (and I don't have a blu-ray player) but also it's $50 (or £42, according to Kickstarter) which is a hell of a lot, and even if I did have a player I'm not sure I could spend that much, especially as by the time it's released it'll be ten years since his last movie.

I really hope it gets made, and I really hope I can rent it via Amazon as I'd be happy to pay a certain amount, but despite being a huge fan of his work that's just way out of my budget.

[Sebastian Cobb]

The blurays are extortionate but I guess that's the price you pay for limited crowdfunded runs. The films seem to crop up on Mubi from time to time.

I might chuck a few quid in. It saddens me he and other filmmakers of this calibre are reduced to begging.

[Small Man Big Horse]

The blurays are extortionate but I guess that's the price you pay for limited crowdfunded runs. The films seem to crop up on Mubi from time to time.

I get what you mean but some more creative rewards could have helped reduce the price there, even if it were things like signed dvds / blu-rays of his other films or his recent novel, and get those he's worked with in the past as well, I'm sure Martin Donovan or James Urbiank would be more than happy to autograph some scripts or photographs.

I might chuck a few quid in. It saddens me he and other filmmakers of this calibre are reduced to begging.

I'm with you there, I just wish I could back it and get to see the film, even if it were only the ability to watch it once via Vimeo / other streaming site, I'd happily pay £15 for that.

[madhair60]

loved this guy in Pipkins.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I get what you mean but some more creative rewards could have helped reduce the price there, even if it were things like signed dvds / blu-rays of his other films or his recent novel, and get those he's worked with in the past as well, I'm sure Martin Donovan or James Urbiank would be more than happy to autograph some scripts or photographs.

I'm with you there, I just wish I could back it and get to see the film, even if it were only the ability to watch it once via Vimeo / other streaming site, I'd happily pay £15 for that.

I did actually get a couple of unadvertised freebies thrown in when I ordered some of the blurays, I think it was a CD of Hals compostitions for one of the films, it may well even be signed but I can't 100% remember. It was also when covid was rife and they threw in a high quality N95 mask.

I like Martin Donovan, always nice when he unexpectedly crops up in something, most recently it was that Special Ops: Lioness (don't bother it's shit).

[Sebastian Cobb]

Just bumping this as I decided to donate in the end and it's at 90% with a day left.

I don't know the trajectory/curve these things often take but it was quite a bit shorter than that when I looked less than a week ago. I hope it makes it, or it gets close enough that the thing can go ahead anyway.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I ended up donating $5 with no reward, in the hope that it does get made and I can then watch it illegally.* I have been monitoring the campaign over the last week or so and it does seem to have leapt up in the last 48 hours and gone from "Hmmm, seems unlikely" to "Martin Donovan's had some high profile roles recently, couldn't he donate the final twenty grand?" and I'd be surprised if it wasn't successful now.

Edit: It's now down to only £3,000 with 20 hours to go, so I'm guessing it definitely will be made. And Hartley better now back my own kickstarter, or I'll be bloomin; furious.




*By which I mean I will hide in some bushes in Hartley's garden with a telescope and an audio bugging kit and I've already written way too much here for this to be even vaguely funny, which of course it wasn't in the first place. For fuck's sake.

[Sebastian Cobb]

If it doesn't make it now I'll be fuming right enough.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Well, that's it almost 20 grand over with about 5 hours to spare!

I went for one of the pledges that included the poetry book because I'm quite intrigued by that (and it looked nice)

[Small Man Big Horse]

I love Hal Hartley films, they date back to my first becoming a bit of a cinema knowitall / snob / um, fan? and Simple Men was one of the first indie films I saw at the cinema (RIP Metro, I miss you to this day), but the moment he got funding he sent out an email saying "We've hit our target - but I want more! More! Harrass your friends! Demand they donate!" and while maybe that is perhaps a slight exaggeration, I did feel it was a bit off, and a "Jesus, thanks everyone, I'm overwhelmed, you're all so kind, I thought this was going to fail but your kindness means it's not, thank you, thank you, thank you!" kind of message and now I hate him with a burning passion that terrifies the world (or at least think, eh, you misjudged that a bit Mr Hartley)

[Small Man Big Horse]

Well, that's it almost 20 grand over with about 5 hours to spare!

I went for one of the pledges that included the poetry book because I'm quite intrigued by that (and it looked nice)

It's now finished, and raised $344,693 in total. So if I hadn't donated he might not have been able to buy, um, a cup of coffee? Does that cost $5 these days? Gah, anyway, I will be stealing this the moment he finishes it, and that'll teach him.

[Sebastian Cobb]

It's now finished, and raised $344,693 in total. So if I hadn't donated he might not have been able to buy, um, a cup of coffee? Does that cost $5 these days? Gah, anyway, I will be stealing this the moment he finishes it, and that'll teach him.

I got updates to the kickstarter but only begging for more while it was open. Since it has completed all I saw was a thankyou and no extra demands for money.

One thing I did notice at the real top end of the investment it seemed like a really shit deal. You could give 10 grand to get 'executive producer' credit but I didn't see any listed returns should the film do well. Surely that's what happens when 'industry' (rich celebs or suits in production companies) stump up money.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I got updates to the kickstarter but only begging for more while it was open. Since it has completed all I saw was a thankyou and no extra demands for money.

One thing I did notice at the real top end of the investment it seemed like a really shit deal. You could give 10 grand to get 'executive producer' credit but I didn't see any listed returns should the film do well. Surely that's what happens when 'industry' (rich celebs or suits in production companies) stump up money.

Ah, I should have made it clearer, and only got the begging emails when the campaign had hit its goal but still had 19 hours to go, once it was over there was nothing. Either way it just feels a bit...ungrateful, maybe? I understand the frustration when it seemed like it wouldn't hit its target but once it eventually did I'd have presumed he'd be incredibly grateful, but it felt a bit like "Yeah, finally, now give me more!" though perhaps I'm being uncharitable.

I thought that about the rewards, the executive producer one really is meagre stuff like you say, but none of them seem particularly great value for money, I mean the poetry book's only 60 pages yet he wanted $35 (£28.28) for it, and having self published myself recently he'll be making a fuckton on that alone.

Gah, I know this is very petty, I really do, and if when he hit the target he'd written a heartfelt post explaining how much this means to him I wouldn't be complaining, but all we got was:

Merci, Danke, Arigato, Gracias, Thanks. Let's get this show on the road!

I'm grateful to have an audience as supportive as you all and I look forward to getting to work on Where to Land.

Sincerely,

Hal

which given the amount of emails I received throughout the campaign before it hit its target makes it seem a bit thoughtless to me.

[Tarquin]

I love his Yo La Tengo vid. If rock vids had a narrative they would all be about the solo - lets go literal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qgv2NLpVaw

[Sebastian Cobb]

Apols for the necro-bump but I got an update today saying it's going into production and shooting is imminent.

Today we opened the production office here in New York. Though we've been working fluidly and remotely since the start of the year, we now have a professional space in which to have strategy meetings, costume fittings, and some room to store props! And pay bills!

Pictured above are (left) Line Producer, Sandy Siu, and (right) Production Manager, Chris McChane, organizing reality to coincide with my selfish creative aims. I thank them for this and I am sure you approve.

We start shooting three weeks from today. We have a tremendous cast whom I can't officially announce until all the contracts are signed (it's coming soon, stay tuned!) and a formidable crew headed up by my old friends and associates, cinematographer Sarah Cawley, art director Richard Sylvarnes, and editor Kyle Gilman.

Finally, this (below) is me in the new office wondering if we can really use this low-slung armchair the previous tenants left behind...