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Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 08:17:06 -0600

From: Kyle

Subject: Re: Movie posters and stuff!

At 10:20 AM 1/27/97 +0100, you wrote:

>Hi,

>

>Please, go on with the merchandise page, I'd like very much to be able to

>get some BT stuff from the Web.

>It's very hard to find something about BT. For example, I couldn't find

>the movie CD in Madrid while it was shown on cinemas. I found it later in

>Geneva.

>

>I'm not sure if I'd buy the film poster, at least the one they used in

>Spain. It had three big pink flowers with Jamie, Ste and Leah faces coming

>out of the flowers. It suggested a soft straight romance film.

>How were the poster films elsewhere?

>

>Bye,

> Xavier.

>

>

>

The one I saw in Dallas had Jamie and Ste dancing in the foreground (wearing

sunglasses) on a white background with the words "Beautiful Thing" written

multiple times in different colors. Identical to the soundtrack cover. :)

<hugs>

Kyle

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Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 09:35:53 -0500

From: Simon

Subject: re: ruminations

 

I guess the point that I was making is that the film has certainly been a

success in the out (or relatively out) gay community and we will treasure

it. But I doubt that it will spread beyond that. It's nice for us to have a

movie like Beautiful thing, but I just feel that it's a waste for it to be

just an undergroung success. We know that, if publicized and reviewed

properly, gay themed movies can recieve a wide general audience and

attention. A good example is "Pricilla," which like BIT has no stars, and is

not a hollywood movie. I doubt that many of the reviewers were drag queens,

nor were most of the audience, so maybe most did not quite "get it", but the

point is even if they didn't get it, they at least saw it.

Unfortunatly, the release and publicity for BIT has been so low key and

"discreet" that the people who could most benfit from it - closeted gay kids

and their straight peers - probably don't even know it exists.

Hopefully, the movie will receive a wider distribution in video (assuming

Blockbusters don't kill it).

I'd be interested in hearing from our contributors outside tha US if their

impressions are the same - hopefully they are better.

Simon

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Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 09:25:55 -0800

From: Jay

Subject: Introduction -Reply

 

Trent, you said:

>I'd also like to ask if anyone has had any success in viewing the QT

movie

>clips at the Sony site.

>Yes! I got them as soon as I found them (after I saw the movie for the

>first time in Sydney - I went 3 times after before it closed just before

>Christmas) and they all work perfectly.

>Trent

>Sydney, Australia.

I understand that there is a compression routine for QT .mov files that

only works on MACs at this time. I have not been able to get the files to

play on my pentium/WIN95 system.

Anyone have any suggestions?

:^} jay

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Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 09:21:11 -0800

From: Jay

Subject: Merchandise -Reply

 

>>> Shaun  01/25/97 02:42pm >>>

SH> I hope that Channel 4 Let's David and Andi do the merchandise.

>It's so hard to find things. I was trying to get the screenplay from a

>bookstore but he said that the publisher is sold out of it and they can't

>get it.

I ordered both the stage and screen plays through SF's biggest theatre

bookstore in early November (and mine wasn't the only order) and they

still haven't gotten any copies in ... they told me earlier this month that

their distributer couldn't seem to get copies and that they would order

directly from the publisher, but that hasn't produced anything yet either

(usually it takes only 1-2 weeks for them to get copy of a play from

London, they say). It does appear that the publisher may have sold out

the current printing.

Andi or Davie - is the play still on bookshelves in the U.K.?

If not, we may all have to wait for the next printing... hopefully the

publisher has a print date lined up...

 

:-{ jay

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Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 11:18:29 -0600

From: JOE

Subject: Re: ruminations

 

Simon  wrote:

>

> I guess the point that I was making is that the film has certainly been a

> success in the out (or relatively out) gay community and we will treasure

> it. But I doubt that it will spread beyond that. It's nice for us to have a

> movie like Beautiful thing, but I just feel that it's a waste for it to be

> just an undergroung success. We know that, if publicized and reviewed

> properly, gay themed movies can recieve a wide general audience and

> attention. A good example is "Pricilla," which like BIT has no stars, and is

> not a hollywood movie. I doubt that many of the reviewers were drag queens,

> nor were most of the audience, so maybe most did not quite "get it", but the

> point is even if they didn't get it, they at least saw it.

>

I enjoyed "Priscilla" as a light entertainment, but I really didn't

"get it," since I don't relate to (and I don't condemn either) the drag

culture within gay society. So I probably watched it more as a straight

person would, except for the fact that I've probably seen more drag

shows than the average straight viewer. :)

Among reviews that I've read in publications that focus on independent

films (as opposed to the Hollywood big-budget films), the reaction has

been quite positive. I suspect it will be seen in festivals of indy

films for some time to come.

> Unfortunatly, the release and publicity for BIT has been so low key and

> "discreet" that the people who could most benfit from it - closeted gay kids

> and their straight peers - probably don't even know it exists.

>

That is somewhat of a problem. Those of us who already read OUT or the

Advocate knew about the film, but what about the young gay living at

home who doesn't even know about these gay magazines and wouldn't be

aware even if Beautiful Thing played in his hometown.

> Hopefully, the movie will receive a wider distribution in video (assuming

> Blockbusters don't kill it).

>

Blockbusters likely will carry it. They used to be owned by Wayne

Huizenga, who is a big contributor to the Christian Right and its

anti-gay efforts. Now its owned by Viacom, the same folks who own MTV,

etc. and their company has a non-discrimination hiring policy including

sexual orientation. Our local Blockbusters in Jackson, TN carries

several of the indy gay-themed titles.

Gary

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Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 14:37:10 -0600

From: Kyle

Subject: Re: Introduction -Reply

 

At 09:25 AM 1/27/97 -0800, you wrote:

>

>Trent, you said:

>

>>I'd also like to ask if anyone has had any success in viewing the QT

>movie

>>clips at the Sony site.

>

>>Yes! I got them as soon as I found them (after I saw the movie for the

>>first time in Sydney - I went 3 times after before it closed just before

>>Christmas) and they all work perfectly.

>

>>Trent

>>Sydney, Australia.

>

>I understand that there is a compression routine for QT .mov files that

>only works on MACs at this time. I have not been able to get the files to

>play on my pentium/WIN95 system.

>

>Anyone have any suggestions?

>

>:^} jay

>

There's also a routine that works for PC/Win95 as well Jay, though I much

prefer to use Thumbsplus for viewing. I've been having a few problems with

it lately (sound but no video--unless I resize the window slightly) but it

seems to work just fine when you do that :)

Kyle

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Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 15:10:24 -0600

From: JOE

Subject: Re: Introduction -Reply

 

Jay  wrote:

>

> Trent, you said:

>

> >I'd also like to ask if anyone has had any success in viewing the QT

> movie

> >clips at the Sony site.

>

> >Yes! I got them as soon as I found them (after I saw the movie for the

> >first time in Sydney - I went 3 times after before it closed just before

> >Christmas) and they all work perfectly.

>

> >Trent

> >Sydney, Australia.

>

> I understand that there is a compression routine for QT .mov files that

> only works on MACs at this time. I have not been able to get the files to

> play on my pentium/WIN95 system.

>

> Anyone have any suggestions?

>

> :^} jay

They run fine on my Pentium, but I'm using Active X controls to run

them. I have QuickTime still on the hard drive, but my system is

programmed to run them with Active X. The only problem this presents is

that, after I've downloaded a .mov clip, my browser tells me it can't

find QuickTime (Netscape doesn't like to run Microsoft-based things like

Active X <G>). So I use "Find" to locate the file (usually in

\windows\temp) and rename it appropriately, if needed. I then move it

somewhere safe (Win95 regularly empties the \windows\temp file) and just

double click on it when I want to view it. I even have a desktop

shortcut to the clip of Jamie and Ste talking in Jamie's bedroom. :)

Gary

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Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 18:02:57 +1100

From: Trent

Subject: Quicktime movies

 

Jay said,

>>I'd also like to ask if anyone has had any success in viewing the QT

>>movie clips at the Sony site.

>

>>Yes! I got them as soon as I found them (after I saw the movie for the

>>first time in Sydney - I went 3 times after before it closed just before

>>Christmas) and they all work perfectly.

>

>I understand that there is a compression routine for QT .mov files that

>only works on MACs at this time. I have not been able to get the files to

>play on my pentium/WIN95 system.

>

>Anyone have any suggestions?

Do you have the correct version of Quicktime? The new version from

I think www.apple.com (not sure!) ... I am using a Pentium/Win95

system, and they worked fantastically and perfectly on the first try.

Trent

Sydney, Australia.

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Date: Tue, 28 Jan 97 12:43:18 UT

From: "Ralf

Subject: WG: Quicktime movies

 

You may also use the (free) ActiceMovie Player from Microsoft at

http://microsoft.com/msdownload/ieplatform/iewin95.htm. To download chose the

ActiveMovie Player from the dropdown list.

Ralf

Munich, Germany

 

Jay said,

>>I'd also like to ask if anyone has had any success in viewing the QT

>>movie clips at the Sony site.

>

>>Yes! I got them as soon as I found them (after I saw the movie for the

>>first time in Sydney - I went 3 times after before it closed just before

>>Christmas) and they all work perfectly.

>

>I understand that there is a compression routine for QT .mov files that

>only works on MACs at this time. I have not been able to get the files to

>play on my pentium/WIN95 system.

>

>Anyone have any suggestions?

Do you have the correct version of Quicktime? The new version from

I think www.apple.com (not sure!) ... I am using a Pentium/Win95

system, and they worked fantastically and perfectly on the first try.

Trent

Sydney, Australia.

**************************************************************

Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 10:12:15 -0600

From: Kyle

Subject: Re: The British Poster and the Global Poster.

 

At 07:04 PM 1/27/97 -0000, you wrote:

>With reference to all the mails floating around on the list

>that give reference to the Posters and the Official

>posters.

>

>As far as I can see, the "Official" poster is the one that

>was released in the pack when the film was first screened

>in the UK. The Logo used on our page was taken from this

>and is on the cover of the Video, CD, screen and stage

>play.

>

>The cards / postered that Kyle refered to are the ones

>Designed and printed for / by Sony for the US Market, and

>(personally speak fail in comparison to the one's used on

>the books when Jonathon first Published, This theme / font

>was continued when channel four and film Four produced the

>film on all of the printed material). I saw the Film for

>the "n th" time with a friend in Dupont Circle, Washington

>DC and picked up a few of the Sony cards, with the URL for

>their site on the back. I wasn't too impressed as the

>picture they used was taken during rehearsals, and at that

>time no link to our site. ):-(

>

>Davie and I made some calls to the relivant people at Film

>Four today and we are continuing to ask them until we get

>some answers as to who we need to speak to, it's almost

>impossible to pin one person down and say "Your the one we

>want!". Merchandising will be done, that I can be sure

>of!!!!

>

>To help the Guys and Gals from the US and myself in

>particular, I'll get a copy of the British Version of the

>poster scanned later and I'll it out to website and mail

>the URL to you, so those who want to can view it. :)) Let

>me (Andi) know what you think, and I'll argue with the

>powers that be.

>

>Have fun, I'm Off out tonight, going to Davie's Uni's LGB

>meet :))

>

>Andi

>xx

I appreciate that Andy :) Look forward to seeing the British version of the

poster soon (I'm building a kinda-sorta Beautiful Thing scrapbook--reviews

and such on the web, etc) and it would make a very nice addition :) May

need to get a bigger notebook soon :)

<hugs> Kyle

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