'Independent Cinema Is Dead'...According To Variety's Peter Bart

The evil overlord over at Variety they let blog every once and a while, Peter Bart (he may be editor-in-chief or some shit like that, we aren’t really sure), declared recently that himself and the studios have finally defeated that bothersome little Independent film movement.

“I must have been preoccupied because I missed the thud. That sound, that is, of the specialty film business landing in the basement,” Bart said, while silently stroking the sinister-looking cat that lay in his lap. He also goes on to say that the specialty film industry has destroyed itself by going commercial, “The worst thing that ever happened to indie film was that the studios decided it was a good business.”
And that’s all his little ad hom attack has. How is the whole, “indie films are becoming an endangered species” posit anything new in the last few months? Or is Bart just adding insult to injury now that it’s clear they’re truly in danger.

Well, we guess it means that those who enjoy anything over than the “Transformers” film series is fucked right? All the future beholds for us is an endless supply of “Chronicles of Riddick.” Not exactly, it seems as though Bart assumes that every art-house film draws the same box-office as “Hamlet 2,” when if fact Woody Allen, who has historically struggled with the box office is having mild success with his newest film, “Vicky Christina Barcelona.” And when Bart makes supports his statement that the art-house industry is doomed because it has only grossed $161 million to date as opposed to $330 million last year, he forgets to inform us that fall season, which is when art-house films usually make their appearance, has yet to come. Sorry Peter, but we thinks a world where big explosions and Michael Bay rule supreme is more based in your own dreams, as opposed to reality.