WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:07.960 Oh he is Bote. It's show tied. 2 00:00:08.679 --> 00:00:10.599 People say, good money to see this movie. 3 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:13.560 When they go out to a theater, they want cold sodas, 4 00:00:13.880 --> 00:00:15.960 hot popcorn, and no monsters. 5 00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:19.199 In the Protection Booth, everyone pretend podcasting isn't boring. 6 00:00:20.239 --> 00:01:18.799 Got it off? 7 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:27.519 Hey, folks, welcome to a special episode of The Projection Booth. 8 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:30.159 I'm your host, Mike White. On this episode, I'm talking 9 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:33.439 with Jackson Cooper. He is the executive director of AGFA 10 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:37.079 and is the American Genre Film Archive. If you are 11 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:39.400 a film fan, I am sure you are very familiar 12 00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:41.760 with a lot of their titles. They had quite a 13 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:44.799 few playing at the Fantastic Fest in Austin this year. 14 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:48.400 Sat down with Jackson while he was down at the festival. 15 00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:51.400 Talked a little bit about AGFA, what they've done, and 16 00:01:51.480 --> 00:01:54.480 what they're going to do. Got some exciting news ahead. 17 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:56.760 Thank you so much for listening, and I hope you 18 00:01:56.799 --> 00:01:59.200 enjoyed the interview. Jackson Cooper, tell me a little bit 19 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:01.480 more about yourself before you mentioned that you were a 20 00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:03.519 theater kid, and it looks like you've been involved in 21 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:06.519 the theater for a long time, quite a while. 22 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:12.159 I would say film specifically, genre cinema, horror movies and such. 23 00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:17.080 I was a kid discovering musicals with watching The Nightmare 24 00:02:17.080 --> 00:02:19.280 before Christmas when I was four years old, and just 25 00:02:19.400 --> 00:02:23.680 completely falling in love with this gothic imagery and this 26 00:02:23.800 --> 00:02:28.800 sort of really scary but lovable characters and having some 27 00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:32.400 pretty kick ass songs by Danny Elfman. So that's truly 28 00:02:32.439 --> 00:02:35.439 where it started. And so throughout my entire career it 29 00:02:35.520 --> 00:02:39.680 was always like working in the arts in specifically nonprofit spaces, 30 00:02:39.719 --> 00:02:43.560 while also being a huge film buff, film programmer, film writer. 31 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:47.680 And when I came to this role as executive director 32 00:02:47.719 --> 00:02:52.319 of AGMA, it felt like such a perfect fit. It's 33 00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:56.000 an incredible organization and I'm just really honored to be 34 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:57.400 in this position. 35 00:02:58.120 --> 00:03:00.319 For people who might not be familiar with it, what 36 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:02.039 is AGFA and what's your mission? 37 00:03:02.759 --> 00:03:06.479 So AGUA stands for the American Genre Film Archive. We're 38 00:03:06.520 --> 00:03:11.039 founded fifteen years ago this year by Tim Leek, who 39 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:15.520 is the founder of Almo Drafthouse Cinemas and a sort 40 00:03:15.560 --> 00:03:20.199 of merry band of genre film lovers in Almo Drafthouse. 41 00:03:20.840 --> 00:03:25.560 The mission is to promote and protect the legacies of 42 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:29.439 the greatest genre films and their filmmakers. So we preserve 43 00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:34.039 physical film thirty five sixteen and VHS and svhs in 44 00:03:34.120 --> 00:03:38.000 our archive which is located in Austin, Texas. We do 45 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:44.120 in house restorations and protect the legacies of these films 46 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:47.280 through restoration efforts and then putting those out on our 47 00:03:47.319 --> 00:03:51.039 Blu Ray label which is distributed by Ocean Vinegar Syndrome. 48 00:03:51.919 --> 00:03:55.400 And then we promote the greatest genre film through theatrical 49 00:03:55.400 --> 00:04:00.120 distribution arm so we gain a lot of theatrical rights 50 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:04.400 from our partner labels that Arrow, Severin Vinegar Syndrome, and 51 00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:07.280 we work directly with art houses and film festivals all 52 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:11.879 across the globe to just bring genre and repertory cinema 53 00:04:11.879 --> 00:04:15.240 to a whole new generation. So it's really cool. We're 54 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:18.519 very unique because we're nonprofit, so all of our work 55 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:22.759 is really rooted within mission and sort of the mission 56 00:04:22.759 --> 00:04:28.360 of using how genre has been used by specifically underrepresented 57 00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:35.160 filmmakers of bipoc Asian, feminist queer filmmakers to express themselves, 58 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:38.920 and our work is there to make sure that their 59 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:41.720 legacies are protected and that more people know about them. 60 00:04:42.439 --> 00:04:45.040 How do you choose which films you're going to restore 61 00:04:45.079 --> 00:04:46.279 and put out on Blu Ray. 62 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:52.160 We have an incredible, small but mighty team that between 63 00:04:52.199 --> 00:04:54.959 all of us we have such an insane amount of 64 00:04:55.000 --> 00:04:58.920 film knowledge and film history, and not just those of 65 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:02.160 us who know the name of the Ford's gaffer from 66 00:05:02.199 --> 00:05:06.720 the right in a paramount film, but also why Poverty 67 00:05:06.839 --> 00:05:10.399 Row horror films are as important to the history of 68 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:11.439 film as Jaws. 69 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:11.720 Right. 70 00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:14.600 That's how our team operates, So we can name the 71 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:17.720 fourth gaffer from the left, but we also can go 72 00:05:17.800 --> 00:05:21.879 on and on about the impact of a movie like 73 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:25.639 Mom and Dad, for instance, or Batpussy or Zodiac Killer. 74 00:05:26.439 --> 00:05:29.839 We have acquired over the years quite a number of 75 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:34.600 films and their respected licensing and rights that we just 76 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:37.199 have in our archive that has not been scanned or 77 00:05:37.240 --> 00:05:42.240 restored quite yet. So we usually go from that list 78 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:45.319 of what is available, and then we all have a 79 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:49.519 conversation over the course of probably two to three months 80 00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:52.079 at the beginning of the year planned for the following year, 81 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:55.040 of what our home video schedule is. And we've take 82 00:05:55.079 --> 00:05:59.680 into account everybody's opinion in every department, so Restoration has 83 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:04.560 to say what is available our creative scheme, you know, 84 00:06:04.639 --> 00:06:08.160 we go in and say what could appeal to audiences 85 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:13.160 theatrical or incredible head of theatrical Brett always knows what 86 00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:17.079 art houses and audiences are looking for and trying to 87 00:06:17.079 --> 00:06:20.199 get ahead of it. So we spend a lot of 88 00:06:20.199 --> 00:06:24.600 time just puzzle piecing these and based on all of 89 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:27.560 those different factors, and then we emerge with a full 90 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:30.240 calendar of what we're going to restore, which is about 91 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:33.680 I would say we used to do about twelve to 92 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:37.079 fifteen if I'm not mistaken, and now we do pretty 93 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:39.800 much one a month now, so about ten to twelve. 94 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:43.120 Yeah, that's pretty remarkable. That's got to be quite a 95 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:44.680 pipeline of work you have going. 96 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:50.040 It is, and I think it's very fulfilling because we 97 00:06:50.120 --> 00:06:55.920 all work together on curating the lineup. I should also 98 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:59.720 mention it's all through our mission lens. We all do 99 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:03.439 get it and say is this reflecting our mission and 100 00:07:03.560 --> 00:07:05.519 is it also something we want to work on. I 101 00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:10.519 think there's a significant personal investment from the team in 102 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:15.199 the work, because yes, while it is a lot, it's 103 00:07:15.240 --> 00:07:19.560 also exciting after that because we've curated a lineup that 104 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:24.399 all of the departments would go, oh this gets me excited, 105 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:27.199 or this title is exciting, and so we get to 106 00:07:27.240 --> 00:07:31.079 do that, and it's really unique and also really exciting. 107 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:34.319 Now, I don't want to ask you what some of 108 00:07:34.360 --> 00:07:38.759 your favorite restorations are, because I'm sure that, like, you know, 109 00:07:38.920 --> 00:07:42.680 who are your favorite children, but all my children equally, Yeah, 110 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:44.639 but what are some of the ones where you're just like, Oh, 111 00:07:44.680 --> 00:07:46.839 my gosh, I'm so glad we brought this out. I'm 112 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:48.879 so glad more people have access to this. 113 00:07:49.639 --> 00:07:53.199 It's incredible the work we do because with our work, 114 00:07:53.240 --> 00:07:55.879 we are carving out this sort of new film history 115 00:07:56.079 --> 00:08:00.079 of sorts, saving these films, and we are but a 116 00:08:00.120 --> 00:08:05.600 microcosm among other great labels like Severin and Arrow and 117 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:08.519 Vinegar Syndrome, which are also doing the great work. I 118 00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:12.360 will say the things personally I'm most proud of are 119 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:15.759 our collaboration with Something Weird Video, which has been a 120 00:08:15.800 --> 00:08:20.399 long time partnership with Mike Rainey and now Mike's widow, 121 00:08:20.600 --> 00:08:25.480 a Lisa Patrucky. That's been such a fulfilling partnership and 122 00:08:25.560 --> 00:08:28.800 something that every single year, every time we work on 123 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:32.480 Something Weird release it is one of the most fruitful 124 00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:36.559 and fulfilling partnerships because Lisa is just a wonderful partner 125 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:39.759 and the films are just so great because most of 126 00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:42.799 those films are why we all got into what we 127 00:08:42.840 --> 00:08:47.799 got into, and so we just put out restoration and 128 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:53.360 mixtape of the Hey Folks Intermission Time VHS that many 129 00:08:53.399 --> 00:08:57.240 people were big fans of and it did Gangbusters and 130 00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:01.320 we got to the team did a mixtape of it, 131 00:09:01.480 --> 00:09:04.639 namely our creative director Josie Emba and Brett Berg are 132 00:09:04.679 --> 00:09:08.399 head of theatrical. It just that was such a really 133 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:13.759 incredible release because of the reaction to it. It sold 134 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:17.919 out within the first two hours. Two thousand copies just gone. 135 00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:21.919 We love stuff like that because it's a fulfilling partnership 136 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:24.679 and then also we get to be surprised. I'll also 137 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:29.399 say personally, I'm really proud of the box sets we've done. 138 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:33.519 A filmmaker's word, so the Doris Wishman box sets are 139 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:37.440 pretty remarkable. Our work with John Mowort Sugo and putting 140 00:09:37.480 --> 00:09:41.000 out his box set, including one of my favorite movies 141 00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:43.759 that we have, Terminal USA, the greatest film no one's 142 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:47.039 ever seen or people haven't seen yet. I should say 143 00:09:47.360 --> 00:09:50.120 I think our filmmaker box sets are ones I'm really 144 00:09:50.120 --> 00:09:52.840 proud of. And I can talk about this because it's 145 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:55.679 going to happen. But we're about to restore the films 146 00:09:55.679 --> 00:09:58.240 of George and Mike Kuchar and we're working directly with 147 00:09:58.519 --> 00:10:02.759 the Kuchar Trust to restore those. So I'm very excited 148 00:10:02.799 --> 00:10:06.360 and looking forward to to that work. Yeah. 149 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:09.519 Is everything that you restore, is that all part of 150 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:11.879 your archive already or do you actually reach out and 151 00:10:12.039 --> 00:10:13.360 bring in other prints. 152 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:17.039 There's a combination of both. It's primarily things that we 153 00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:19.320 already own. But in the sense of like the Coup 154 00:10:19.399 --> 00:10:23.879 Chars or if I remember correctly, the Wishmen too, it 155 00:10:23.960 --> 00:10:29.159 was that we work directly whether either the filmmakers themselves 156 00:10:29.320 --> 00:10:33.200 or whoever owns the materials and the rights to send 157 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:36.480 us the elements to scan to restore. So in the 158 00:10:36.519 --> 00:10:40.879 case of the Coup Chars, will be loaning those elements 159 00:10:40.919 --> 00:10:44.759 from them to work on the restoration. But primarily things 160 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:49.679 like the Something Weird collaborations, some of our vhs and 161 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:53.039 other restorations, those are things that we own in the 162 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:54.039 archive already. 163 00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:58.639 And then not only do you do both the Blu 164 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:02.559 ray releases also theatrical runs of things. But then from 165 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:05.919 what I understand, people can hire you to do restorations themselves. 166 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:09.720 Yeah, we just paid off for a four K scanner, 167 00:11:09.960 --> 00:11:13.440 So we now own a great, beautiful, wonderful scanner which 168 00:11:13.480 --> 00:11:16.279 is here in the act Ball offices where I'm at. 169 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:20.519 And yes, we do lap work for folks. Yeah, if 170 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:24.120 they need a print scanned or just like a two 171 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:26.440 K scan or four K scan, we can do that. 172 00:11:26.759 --> 00:11:29.639 We work closely with people like draft House Films and 173 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:35.879 other Kino and a few other partners to scan prints 174 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:37.919 and things like that, which has been great. 175 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:41.600 If you're talking about this being your fifteenth anniversary and 176 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:44.399 the screenings that you're doing a Fantastic Fest and must 177 00:11:44.440 --> 00:11:47.000 be a little bit of like a homecoming with the 178 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:51.200 ties between Alamo and Fantastic and then Eggfa. 179 00:11:50.919 --> 00:11:56.919 Yeah, yeah, absolutely, Alamo and Fantastic Best have always been partners, 180 00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:01.600 still are incredible partners and talk about to filling partnerships 181 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:04.799 and relationships. We all have some connection to Draft House, 182 00:12:04.840 --> 00:12:07.840 whether we worked for them. I used to program a 183 00:12:07.879 --> 00:12:10.759 monthly film series with them when I was in Raleigh, 184 00:12:10.759 --> 00:12:14.399 North Carolina. I like to say that all of us 185 00:12:14.399 --> 00:12:17.720 were all on the same team, right, and so it's 186 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:18.480 been really great. 187 00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:18.840 Yeah. 188 00:12:18.919 --> 00:12:22.279 I think for Fantastic Fest this year, it was very 189 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:26.120 fun to curate because not only is there this circus 190 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:31.279 carnival theme which brings out the weirdest and wildest movies. 191 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:34.559 Often if anything said in a carnival that if there's 192 00:12:34.600 --> 00:12:38.720 a fucking clown, it's just like a crazy film already. 193 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:43.000 And we also use this as a way of showcasing 194 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:47.720 our new restorations. And so we just acquired a film 195 00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:50.320 and restored it which will be premiering called Saint War, 196 00:12:50.360 --> 00:12:55.960 which is this very diy Amityville satanic panic spin off 197 00:12:56.519 --> 00:13:00.159 by Bart LaRue, and it's going to be a lot 198 00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:03.159 of fun screening these things. And yeah, for our fifteenth 199 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:06.799 we wanted to showcase sort of the breath of what 200 00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:09.759 we do, so working with partners like Severn that's the 201 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:14.240 Ray Dentis Steckler film and their beautiful restoration Carnival Blood, 202 00:13:14.279 --> 00:13:18.120 which was our own restoration Gorgeous that premiered a fantastic 203 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:22.080 best few years ago, and archival thirty five of Johnny 204 00:13:22.120 --> 00:13:27.120 Toas's The Mission, a largely underseen but highly incredible and 205 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:31.840 underrated action film like that showcases our archive work and 206 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:36.080 then you see upcoming restoration and Sain War. So it 207 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:38.320 was really fun to be very thoughtful with how he 208 00:13:38.440 --> 00:13:40.080 curated this year's lineup. 209 00:13:40.320 --> 00:13:43.120 Yeah, do you have a wish list of things that 210 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:46.480 you wish you could get your hands on restore? Oh? 211 00:13:46.519 --> 00:13:50.759 My god, so many. But the beauty of what we 212 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:53.679 do and working with people like Benniger, Syndrome and Severn 213 00:13:53.799 --> 00:13:57.039 is if we don't get it, then someone else gets it. 214 00:13:57.159 --> 00:13:59.840 So either way, we're all on the same team. It's 215 00:13:59.879 --> 00:14:03.360 not of competition. We're all communicating and it's a beautiful 216 00:14:03.399 --> 00:14:06.919 community that way. For me personally, I would love us 217 00:14:06.919 --> 00:14:10.440 to put out Michael mants to keep the uncut version, 218 00:14:10.519 --> 00:14:15.519 the lost version. It's not particularly genre, but I think 219 00:14:15.559 --> 00:14:19.240 I could convince Elain May to give us her three 220 00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:22.200 hour cut of a new lead to at least scan. 221 00:14:23.559 --> 00:14:27.240 I would love I shot Ady Warhol a lost film. 222 00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:31.279 There's quite a bit of lost fifties films as well 223 00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:35.480 that I'd like to get and Janis did a beautiful 224 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:39.960 restoration many years ago of my favorite films of all time, Equinox, 225 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:42.399 so I would love for us to put out a 226 00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:46.000 four K of that at some point. And there's quite 227 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:48.080 a few something weird titles that we have that I'm 228 00:14:48.360 --> 00:14:52.279 excited about when we get the opportunity to put those out. 229 00:14:52.759 --> 00:14:55.759 It'll be a good day to do. And I will say, 230 00:14:55.799 --> 00:14:59.559 like the Kupchar project is going to be huge, and 231 00:14:59.799 --> 00:15:02.600 that that's been a dream come true, especially as the 232 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:07.919 queer person, a queer weirdo myself. George and Mike were 233 00:15:08.120 --> 00:15:12.240 very formidable in my early days of learning about genre 234 00:15:12.440 --> 00:15:16.919 and the history of experimental film, the history of outsider art. 235 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:21.039 So that's the dream come true doing that box set. 236 00:15:21.240 --> 00:15:25.799 Yeah, early queer films like Jack Smith and some of those, 237 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:29.120 even like getting your hands on like a Scarecrow in 238 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:31.960 a Garden of Cucumbers or something that would be such 239 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:37.840 a huge coup. We're putting out Scarecrowner Garden of Cucumbers. Fantastic. 240 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:41.000 Yeah, we're putting out Scarecrown Garden Cucumbers on Blu. 241 00:15:40.919 --> 00:15:44.159 Ray next year. Oh that's wonderful. I'm so glad to 242 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:44.519 hear that. 243 00:15:45.159 --> 00:15:48.480 Yeah. We actually we worked directly with the Academy Film 244 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:52.279 Archive on that restoration. We have it in our theatrical 245 00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:55.200 now we're putting it out on Blu Ray next year. 246 00:15:55.879 --> 00:15:57.440 It's going to be tough for you guys. I mean, 247 00:15:57.480 --> 00:15:59.480 you talked about how you have a new four K scanner, 248 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:03.600 but it's like technology is constantly evolving. I mean, what's 249 00:16:03.639 --> 00:16:04.840 going to be next after that. 250 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:09.120 We've chatted a little bit about this as a staff, 251 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:12.440 more so as a board, and I've been to conferences 252 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:16.639 and on panels talking about restoration preservation, where the very 253 00:16:16.679 --> 00:16:19.559 obvious question everybody is asking us like how is AI 254 00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:22.799 going to integrate in restoration and the thing that we 255 00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:26.799 really are proud of. And I won't speak for our 256 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:30.080 partner labels, but I know we all probably share this 257 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:34.200 sentiment and value, which is that for restoration and preservation work, 258 00:16:34.279 --> 00:16:38.440 it is all personal. So a machine will not be 259 00:16:38.559 --> 00:16:43.639 able to replace a person physically going in and restoring. 260 00:16:44.159 --> 00:16:48.039 I think AI and there will be tools that will 261 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:51.919 help streamline the process. One of my board members, who 262 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:55.360 is an archivist, did talk about that it's not going 263 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:58.600 to be for a while, and at any rate, we 264 00:16:58.759 --> 00:17:02.000 do see it being beneficial for things like dirt and 265 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:05.319 scratch removal, things that do take up quite a bit 266 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:09.000 of time before you actually get to the meati work 267 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:12.079 of color grading and sound and things like that. There 268 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:14.720 could be some tools with that, but nothing has been 269 00:17:14.839 --> 00:17:18.039 on the market or the vault fleet yet. Everything's still 270 00:17:18.839 --> 00:17:21.319 up in the air. And just thought an idea at 271 00:17:21.359 --> 00:17:24.880 this point, but it'll be interesting to see how things evolve. 272 00:17:25.640 --> 00:17:27.759 Tell me a little bit more about the theatrical arm. 273 00:17:27.799 --> 00:17:30.759 I'm very curious how people are able to rent the 274 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:32.680 prints and actually get these things out there. 275 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:37.880 Yeah, so we have ant and Digital available. If he's 276 00:17:37.920 --> 00:17:41.079 not available, we have Blu Ray of course for theatrical. 277 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:44.079 We have quite a bit of prints in our archives. 278 00:17:44.839 --> 00:17:46.880 We have a lot of prints that were donated to 279 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:50.640 us over the years, are deposited from film libraries and 280 00:17:50.680 --> 00:17:54.519 from collectors and such, so there are opportunities for people 281 00:17:54.599 --> 00:17:57.960 to book those prints. I will say that it goes 282 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:02.359 without saying that thirty five millimeter sadly is becoming less 283 00:18:02.359 --> 00:18:08.640 and less prominent in the exhibition world. We're starting to 284 00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:11.279 do some work on the back end as a nonprofit 285 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:15.440 just encourage a bit more thirty five, including increasing our 286 00:18:15.480 --> 00:18:20.759 thirty five millimeter traffic and striking new prints and doing 287 00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:23.960 things like that to just encourage venues to show it 288 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:27.039 more because it is part of the experience. I was 289 00:18:27.079 --> 00:18:29.319 a projectionist when I was in high school of thirty 290 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:32.960 five right before the digital turnover. There's still nothing like 291 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:37.119 seeing a movie on film, and then we have our 292 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:40.400 theatrical We have a bunch of prints that people can 293 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:42.680 book and rent, and if they want to, they have 294 00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:44.400 to reach out to us directly because we have a 295 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:48.799 whole super list. Then on our website you can find 296 00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:54.440 our catalog which is AGVA plus many other film libraries, 297 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:58.680 including our partner labels sever and Arrow Benniker Syndrome Factory. 298 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:02.960 We do theatrical distribution on their behalf, which is why 299 00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:10.200 AGVA maintains the theatrical distribution of Arrows Beautiful Restoration of 300 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:13.079 Donnie Darko. So anytime Donnie Darko wants the screen, it 301 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:16.519 goes through us. And I think our unique positioning as 302 00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:20.720 a nonprofit allows us creating so many partnerships, not just 303 00:19:20.839 --> 00:19:25.839 with libraries and collections, but also the art houses themselves. 304 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:29.640 We have an incredible head of theatrical distribution, Brett Burke, 305 00:19:30.119 --> 00:19:33.599 who is literally the person booking all of the films 306 00:19:33.640 --> 00:19:37.640 and communicating with the venues and Brett's programmer as well 307 00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:41.799 of film programmers, so he not only books it and 308 00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:47.799 processes the rental, but he also is managing all of 309 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:53.000 these relationships and working with microcinemas who are just emerging 310 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:57.720 or very established organizations with big membership bases like American 311 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:01.480 Cinema at the Academy Museum and not just saying here's 312 00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:04.319 the film that we have, but hey, you showed this film, 313 00:20:04.519 --> 00:20:06.920 check out this other film in our archives, so really 314 00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:10.640 helping to curate it and that's very important to us 315 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:14.279 also as a nonprofit being that sort of connector and 316 00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:18.920 the partner for theaters that are reaching a moment now 317 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:23.079 where repertory is coming back and theaters are trying to 318 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:26.440 figure out how to bring audiences back off their couch 319 00:20:26.680 --> 00:20:29.279 and into the movie theater. And I think it does 320 00:20:29.319 --> 00:20:33.160 a really good job helping to provide films that are 321 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:37.839 unique and interesting to get people into the theaters. How 322 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:41.880 many people are part of eg vote staff is there's 323 00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:45.359 six of us right now and we're growing for literally 324 00:20:45.400 --> 00:20:52.880 everything for restoration, marketing, fundraising, theatrical finance. There's six of us, 325 00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:56.759 so we are a small but mighty team and it's 326 00:20:56.799 --> 00:21:00.759 great but we're growing, so it's exciting. And also we're 327 00:21:00.759 --> 00:21:04.480 never without something to do. I like to say, yeah, 328 00:21:04.519 --> 00:21:09.440 we have our nonprofit board of directors, which oversees the 329 00:21:09.480 --> 00:21:12.759 strategy and the financial health of the organization. So they're 330 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:16.240 my boss as the executive director, and yeah, we're in 331 00:21:16.279 --> 00:21:19.160 a growth period, so we'll be growing and adding more 332 00:21:19.160 --> 00:21:22.400 people over the next few years, which is exciting and 333 00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:25.680 also I think is good for us sustainability wise for 334 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:28.240 the long term. I got to tell you, I'm looking 335 00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:31.799 forward to all things ACTA coming out. This is great 336 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:34.359 hearing about some of these new titles and just the 337 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:37.160 work that you guys have been doing is just so 338 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:40.240 mind blowing and such an important part of our community. 339 00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:41.799 Thank you. 340 00:21:41.880 --> 00:21:42.839 We're really grateful. 341 00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:46.559 And we have so many things in our collection and 342 00:21:46.759 --> 00:21:49.440 archive that have yet to be restored, have yet to 343 00:21:49.480 --> 00:21:52.759 be put out. So we joked the other day in 344 00:21:52.759 --> 00:21:56.079 a staff media we'll have enough stuff to get us 345 00:21:56.079 --> 00:22:00.279 through this lifetime and many others afterwards. So the act 346 00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:03.559 But will continue from now to the end of eternity, 347 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:07.839 and that's something that's really incredible. I pinch myself when 348 00:22:07.880 --> 00:22:10.839 I think about that. Yeah, you mentioned that you're also 349 00:22:10.920 --> 00:22:14.519 a writer. Do you have any writing projects coming up? Yeah, 350 00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:17.720 I'm working on a book on the history of midnight 351 00:22:17.799 --> 00:22:24.039 movies and this idea of outsider art and how merry 352 00:22:24.119 --> 00:22:29.000 bands of misfits and outsiders created the midnight movie craze, 353 00:22:29.839 --> 00:22:32.920 and then working on a book on Rocky Horror Picture Show, 354 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:36.480 and on our fiftieth anniversary next year, and then in 355 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:41.759 early stages of a book on Danny Elfman. So yeah, again, 356 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:44.880 I like to stay busy, So we're busy at AGVA, 357 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:48.000 and then I go home and busy with my own projects. 358 00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:49.839 So it's great, that's fun. 359 00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:53.200 We mentioned Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers, and there's 360 00:22:53.240 --> 00:22:59.079 that whole Middler tie in, and that Ben Miller Tomlin too, 361 00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:01.799 and then with being married to one of the Pipper 362 00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:05.160 kids and then them being in the Forbidden Zone. Just 363 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:08.119 it feels like all of that art was all coming 364 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:11.160 together during the seventies and just I can't wait for 365 00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:13.519 you to unravel that. When it comes to Danny Elfman 366 00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:14.559 the interview. 367 00:23:14.599 --> 00:23:17.759 I've been a fan since I was four, and I 368 00:23:17.799 --> 00:23:21.240 also just think for Danny, he's probably one of the 369 00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:25.559 most talented film composers working today, next to people like 370 00:23:25.880 --> 00:23:30.400 Thomas Newman and Hans Zimmer of course, but also yeah, 371 00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:33.559 Danny just was in the middle of everything, and not 372 00:23:33.720 --> 00:23:38.319 just with the underground scene but in Hollywood too. The 373 00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:43.039 evolution of Hollywood and also the sound of Hollywood, like 374 00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:47.119 soundtracks really changed from by the time he was writing 375 00:23:47.160 --> 00:23:51.279 Peewee's Big Adventure all the way through like Batman was 376 00:23:51.319 --> 00:23:54.400 a game changer, but then he wrote something like Edward 377 00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:59.640 Scissorhands and then Nightmre before Christmas and it completely changed 378 00:23:59.640 --> 00:24:02.160 a game. All of the stuff he did, but even 379 00:24:02.240 --> 00:24:06.920 his lesser known things like Dolores Claiborne and night Breed 380 00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:12.880 are just so fucking good and just he deserves a 381 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:15.920 lot more credit than I think he gets, and he 382 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:18.920 gets a lot of credit. People love him, but I 383 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:22.960 think he needs to be Harold did as a genius. 384 00:24:23.200 --> 00:24:26.359 I don't use that term lightly. So I was really 385 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:30.720 excited to dive into starting some early research on that book. 386 00:24:31.319 --> 00:24:33.920 He'll be Bunderwight. I'm excited like you. 387 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:36.079 I worked at a movie theater as well when I 388 00:24:36.160 --> 00:24:39.039 was coming up, and we used to play soundtracks all 389 00:24:39.079 --> 00:24:42.400 the time in the lobby, including that I can't remember 390 00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:45.640 the name of it, something about Darken Theater. The greatest 391 00:24:45.720 --> 00:24:47.480 hits of Dann music for a dark in Theater. 392 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:48.319 He was one and two. 393 00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:51.559 Yes, the best, the best. I recognize this, but oh 394 00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:54.279 he also did Midnight Run. This is crazy and it's 395 00:24:54.279 --> 00:24:59.400 such a different style run. Yeah, Summers be black beauty. 396 00:25:00.680 --> 00:25:03.000 He did so much stuff. And yeah, Music for a 397 00:25:03.079 --> 00:25:08.079 Dark in Theater that's a pretty remarkable two volume set, 398 00:25:08.599 --> 00:25:12.480 just because you hear the familiar, but then you also 399 00:25:12.599 --> 00:25:17.200 hear these not so well known Elpman works that are 400 00:25:17.519 --> 00:25:20.359 just as good, maybe a little bit better than some 401 00:25:20.400 --> 00:25:24.160