Post by partyanimalken on Jul 11, 2005 9:58:26 GMT -5
New York Times
July 10, 2005
B Movies Invade Your TV!
By LEWIS BEALE
"ATTACK OF THE SABRETOOTH." "Bloodsuckers." "The Man With the Screaming Brain." And, most indelible of all, "Mansquito."
A combination of outrageous genre concepts, low-budget filmmaking and sensationalized titles like the roll call above are all part of the Sci Fi Channel's attempt to establish a presence on Saturday nights, when a good number of potential viewers are out, asleep or watching reruns. The programming strategy has been a major success, with numbers that far exceed anyone's expectations.
"Alien Apocalypse," Sci Fi's biggest Saturday hit, attracted 2.7 million viewers in March. That may be a pittance for CBS or NBC, but it constitutes a major audience for a niche network. And besides, said Steve Sternberg, a television analyst at MagnaGlobal USA, "Friday and Saturday have become very weak nights for the broadcast networks," which, he explained, "have not been able to draw enough viewers with original entertainment series. Cable networks can flourish with much smaller audiences. Original horror and sci-fi movies seem like the perfect programming for Saturday night."
"They're good at the 'D' word, demographics," said Bruce Campbell, a star of B movies who also wrote, directed and starred in the "Screaming Brain" film, to be shown in September. "I think they're micromarketing," he said, "which in this fragmented world makes sense. They're saying, 'Who's at home on Saturday night?' "
The answer might be surprising. Nearly half of Sci Fi's audience is female, and in the highly sought-after 25-to-54-year-old demographic category, Sci Fi is the No. 4 basic cable network on Saturdays, behind TNT, USA and TBS.
Sci Fi's foray into Saturday night mayhem began in 2002, when network executives realized that cheap, independently made genre pictures, an important element of their programming mix, were hardly being produced any more. So, said Tom Vitale, the Sci Fi Channel's senior vice president for original movies "We had a choice of recycling older movies or going out and trying to create original movies ourselves. We went back to these producers who made genre movies, and asked them if they wanted to make them with us."
People like Ken Badish jumped at the chance. Mr. Badish's company, Active Entertainment, will have produced nine Sci Fi movies by the end of 2005, high-concept features like "Mansquito" (experiment gone awry creates man-mosquito hybrid!), and "Alien Lockdown" (government science produces horrific slime thing!).
The most important element of a Sci Fi film, Mr. Badish said, "is a topical film that has relevance to our audience."
"In a film coming up," he added, "stem cells are key to the plot; in another, it's mad cow disease. Secondly, there's a good story. Like we're shooting a 'Jaws'-kind of movie featuring a giant squid. We make a reasonable use of C.G.I., because the audience wants that escapist thing. And we add emotional content, so the audience can feel for the characters."
Often that amounts to borrowing shamelessly from works like "Alien," "The Fly" and "The Thing" and then adding ideas gleaned from Scientific American or Wired.
Shot on budgets ranging from $1 million to $2 million, Sci Fi's movies are made in money-saving locales like Bulgaria, Romania and Missouri. They're cast with B-list celebrities like Luke Perry and Stephen Baldwin, with the occasional big-picture actors - Sean Astin and John Rhys-Davies of "Lord of the Rings" - making an appearance. The network pays $750,000 for domestic TV rights, and the producers make their money back through international and DVD sales.
But are the films any good? Critics have not found much to praise, though some seem to have tried pretty hard. Virginia Heffernan of The New York Times said "Chupacabra: Dark Seas" (monster runs amok on a cruise liner!) was "founded on broad clichés, overacted and clumsily blocked." But she added that the casting of serious actors like Mr. Rhys-Davies and Giancarlo Esposito "provides evidence of self-respect," that "someone has tried to make a coherent, passionate and traditional B movie." Entertainment Weekly opened one of its reviews by noting, "There are better things on tonight, but none are called 'Mansquito.' "
The critics' disfavor doesn't seem to bother the folks behind the films, who have no pretensions to high art. Bonnie Hammer, the Sci Fi Channel president, likes to refer to the pictures as "popcorn movies for those who love the genre," adding, "Viewers come for the ride; it's a guilty pleasure." Jeff Beach, whose Unified Film Organization has made 20 films for the network, calls them "high-concept action-adventure movies with elements that are fun, whether a creature or a disaster."
"B movies don't mean bad," said Mr. Campbell, who starred in the classic "Evil Dead" films. "They're just operating on a limited budget and are trying to be entertaining. You go to the Sci Fi Channel, you see a high-energy thing."
And viewers are seeing a lot of them. The channel produced one original movie in 2002. This year there will be 23. Next year, 28. That's more than some major studios produce, and at a bargain basement price of $21 million - total.
Coming soon: "Heat Stroke" (aliens are producing global warming!), "Magma" (government project goes awry; Earth's core begins to overheat!) and "Black Hole Terror" (black hole threatens to swallow the Midwest!). Sci Fi has also announced "Fire Alien," a fire-breathing alien feature starring - who else? - William Shatner.
Even Internet hoaxes can lead to Sci Fi movie ideas. Last April, a bogus report circulated about a strain of malaria that quickly killed its victims and then restarted their hearts, turning them into violent zombies for several hours. Now in development at the Sci Fi Channel: a movie with the possible titles "Zombie Resurrection" or "Revenge of the Undead."
All this, and the promotional budget is virtually nil. "In traditional movies of the week you would have to promote it and market it each week," Ms. Hammer said. "We have a built-in audience. Our fans will come to us first, so we don't have to market it."
But, Mr. Vitale added, Sci Fi is also "trying to reach a mainstream TV audience." He added: "Look at CBS: they did 'Spring Break Shark Attack.' We are sort of zigging where the other networks are zagging. If you are home on Saturday night, you are looking for that escapist experience."
July 10, 2005
B Movies Invade Your TV!
By LEWIS BEALE
"ATTACK OF THE SABRETOOTH." "Bloodsuckers." "The Man With the Screaming Brain." And, most indelible of all, "Mansquito."
A combination of outrageous genre concepts, low-budget filmmaking and sensationalized titles like the roll call above are all part of the Sci Fi Channel's attempt to establish a presence on Saturday nights, when a good number of potential viewers are out, asleep or watching reruns. The programming strategy has been a major success, with numbers that far exceed anyone's expectations.
"Alien Apocalypse," Sci Fi's biggest Saturday hit, attracted 2.7 million viewers in March. That may be a pittance for CBS or NBC, but it constitutes a major audience for a niche network. And besides, said Steve Sternberg, a television analyst at MagnaGlobal USA, "Friday and Saturday have become very weak nights for the broadcast networks," which, he explained, "have not been able to draw enough viewers with original entertainment series. Cable networks can flourish with much smaller audiences. Original horror and sci-fi movies seem like the perfect programming for Saturday night."
"They're good at the 'D' word, demographics," said Bruce Campbell, a star of B movies who also wrote, directed and starred in the "Screaming Brain" film, to be shown in September. "I think they're micromarketing," he said, "which in this fragmented world makes sense. They're saying, 'Who's at home on Saturday night?' "
The answer might be surprising. Nearly half of Sci Fi's audience is female, and in the highly sought-after 25-to-54-year-old demographic category, Sci Fi is the No. 4 basic cable network on Saturdays, behind TNT, USA and TBS.
Sci Fi's foray into Saturday night mayhem began in 2002, when network executives realized that cheap, independently made genre pictures, an important element of their programming mix, were hardly being produced any more. So, said Tom Vitale, the Sci Fi Channel's senior vice president for original movies "We had a choice of recycling older movies or going out and trying to create original movies ourselves. We went back to these producers who made genre movies, and asked them if they wanted to make them with us."
People like Ken Badish jumped at the chance. Mr. Badish's company, Active Entertainment, will have produced nine Sci Fi movies by the end of 2005, high-concept features like "Mansquito" (experiment gone awry creates man-mosquito hybrid!), and "Alien Lockdown" (government science produces horrific slime thing!).
The most important element of a Sci Fi film, Mr. Badish said, "is a topical film that has relevance to our audience."
"In a film coming up," he added, "stem cells are key to the plot; in another, it's mad cow disease. Secondly, there's a good story. Like we're shooting a 'Jaws'-kind of movie featuring a giant squid. We make a reasonable use of C.G.I., because the audience wants that escapist thing. And we add emotional content, so the audience can feel for the characters."
Often that amounts to borrowing shamelessly from works like "Alien," "The Fly" and "The Thing" and then adding ideas gleaned from Scientific American or Wired.
Shot on budgets ranging from $1 million to $2 million, Sci Fi's movies are made in money-saving locales like Bulgaria, Romania and Missouri. They're cast with B-list celebrities like Luke Perry and Stephen Baldwin, with the occasional big-picture actors - Sean Astin and John Rhys-Davies of "Lord of the Rings" - making an appearance. The network pays $750,000 for domestic TV rights, and the producers make their money back through international and DVD sales.
But are the films any good? Critics have not found much to praise, though some seem to have tried pretty hard. Virginia Heffernan of The New York Times said "Chupacabra: Dark Seas" (monster runs amok on a cruise liner!) was "founded on broad clichés, overacted and clumsily blocked." But she added that the casting of serious actors like Mr. Rhys-Davies and Giancarlo Esposito "provides evidence of self-respect," that "someone has tried to make a coherent, passionate and traditional B movie." Entertainment Weekly opened one of its reviews by noting, "There are better things on tonight, but none are called 'Mansquito.' "
The critics' disfavor doesn't seem to bother the folks behind the films, who have no pretensions to high art. Bonnie Hammer, the Sci Fi Channel president, likes to refer to the pictures as "popcorn movies for those who love the genre," adding, "Viewers come for the ride; it's a guilty pleasure." Jeff Beach, whose Unified Film Organization has made 20 films for the network, calls them "high-concept action-adventure movies with elements that are fun, whether a creature or a disaster."
"B movies don't mean bad," said Mr. Campbell, who starred in the classic "Evil Dead" films. "They're just operating on a limited budget and are trying to be entertaining. You go to the Sci Fi Channel, you see a high-energy thing."
And viewers are seeing a lot of them. The channel produced one original movie in 2002. This year there will be 23. Next year, 28. That's more than some major studios produce, and at a bargain basement price of $21 million - total.
Coming soon: "Heat Stroke" (aliens are producing global warming!), "Magma" (government project goes awry; Earth's core begins to overheat!) and "Black Hole Terror" (black hole threatens to swallow the Midwest!). Sci Fi has also announced "Fire Alien," a fire-breathing alien feature starring - who else? - William Shatner.
Even Internet hoaxes can lead to Sci Fi movie ideas. Last April, a bogus report circulated about a strain of malaria that quickly killed its victims and then restarted their hearts, turning them into violent zombies for several hours. Now in development at the Sci Fi Channel: a movie with the possible titles "Zombie Resurrection" or "Revenge of the Undead."
All this, and the promotional budget is virtually nil. "In traditional movies of the week you would have to promote it and market it each week," Ms. Hammer said. "We have a built-in audience. Our fans will come to us first, so we don't have to market it."
But, Mr. Vitale added, Sci Fi is also "trying to reach a mainstream TV audience." He added: "Look at CBS: they did 'Spring Break Shark Attack.' We are sort of zigging where the other networks are zagging. If you are home on Saturday night, you are looking for that escapist experience."