Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One is like a pick and mix bag full of sweets aimed squarely at hungry pop-culture fans. Adapting Ernest Cline’s novel of the same name, the film takes us to a not-too-distant future where humanity has dropped out and plugged into the Oasis, an online VR simulation where anything is possible. Its creator was an 80s-obsessed tech nerd who - shortly before his death - left the keys to his digital kingdom hidden within three geeky Easter eggs, igniting a frantic race-to-the-finish that'll impact the future of Earth’s digital utopia. 

That’s the hook although to be honest, it’s almost secondary. In Ready Player One’s photo-real pixel world 80s pop-culture is the main currency, and for viewers it’s also probably the main reason why you’ll be buying a ticket. From Marty’s DeLorean to the Iron Giant himself, the film is literally packed with references to iconic movies and movie franchises, many of which come directly from Director Steven Spielberg’s own wheelhouse. It’s busy - crazy busy - and at times, verges on being a little too much for your eyes to physically take in. 

However at the same time, it’s undeniably satisfying. It's the contradiction of meta-movies - they're both the best and worst things ever - selling you something you’ve already bought into whilst disguised as something entirely new. After all, there’s a reason why this small sub-genre of meta-films exists in the first place. Movie fans love it when stories make a nod-and-wink reference to another property whilst in the midst of their own adventure, so why wouldn’t they lap up a fully-fledged feature that specialises in exactly that? It’s a tightrope walk though, one which needs to be treated with care so the crux of the primary story is compelling and not neglected in favour of a quick, selfreferencial win. 

Earlier films have successfully dipped their toes into this formula. Robert Zemeckis’s animated mash-up Who Framed Roger Rabbit not only wowed by seamlessly splicing animation with reality back in 1988 but, perhaps more impressively, negotiated a merger between Disney, Warner Bros and Max Fleischer characters - much to the delight of us viewers. 1993’s Arnie movie send-up Last Action Hero did it too, albeit lightly, twisting the genre on its head while taking us on an uncanny trip through popular cinema. Both kept the meta-secondary and achieved relative success, and both had a primary hook strong enough to stop things getting lazy.

Maybe that’s the key. Whether or not fans will feel Ready Player One adheres to this rule too is yet to be seen - Perhaps they'll think its all a little too much. Only time will tell. Whatever the case, it's clear that movie fans love a little in-joke every now but their love of an original story is just as strong. 

Is meta filmmaking good or bad? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

What does it take to ensure a film’s success? These days, you’d be forgiven for thinking that having a big name star to focus all your movie-marketing around is a no-brainer when it comes to box office gold. After all, the majority of today’s film media spends so much time talking to (and about) famous faces that audiences may even feel as though they know them well enough to consider them friends. When it comes to spearheading a new feature (an original feature, that is - not an adaptation or a reboot), slapping their face onto an unknown story surely greatly increases their chances of success, right?

Not always. Especially if the underwhelming release of Jennifer Lawrence-shaped spy thriller Red Sparrow is anything to go by. This in itself raises an interesting problem. If a star as ubiquitous as Lawrence can’t guarantee a hit film in 2018, then just who can? Could it be that star over-exposure has reached its peak? Unlike audiences before us, the cinema-goers of today find themselves in the unique position of being able to (in some cases) pick up their phone and literally speak directly to actors. Barriers have clearly been broken down but has it had an impact on the ways in which viewers digest new stories featuring their favourite famous faces?

It’s not just social media, either. A quick Google search of some of the top names of today reveal the varied ins-and-outs of their private lives and hot topic opinions before serving us examples of their on-screen work. Perhaps this transparency - or awareness of every single nook and cranny of an actor’s private life - has actually made it harder for us to suspend our disbelief and invest in a performance of a character that’s not already familiar to us. That’s certainly what the facts and figures show in the case of Red Sparrow. Present us Lawrence as Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen and we’ll bite your hand off. Give us the exact same star in an unfamiliar hard sell? No, thanks. 

Compare the same circumstance to those who lead more private lives and the reverse appears to be true. Other than his humanitarian and environmental efforts, little seems to be known about the everyday life of Leo DiCaprio. As far as audiences are concerned he’s pretty much a blank canvas. Could this be why we buy him as a wheeling-dealing wall street hot shot just as easily as we buy him as a revenge-ridden revenant? It’s an interesting thought. For many seeking a career in the industry, fame and fortune are unwanted guests that hitch a ride along with your emerging success. However if this idea proves anything, it’s that they’re worth keeping an eye on. Sometimes being too famous can do more harm than good. 

Is being too famous a bad thing? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Being a film fan in the English regions can often feel frustrating. Unlike the music industry or even the literary world the talent you so admire rarely visits. That’s not to say national and international faces aren’t up for discussing their work with keen audiences - they are - however the industry itself can sometimes feel cursed by an inequality divide regarding opportunity and location. A quick Google search regarding film events in the UK tells you all you need to know: those involved in bringing movies to audiences seem to think that they stop existing altogether once you leave London. Hell, some have even gone so far as to moan about the abundance of events that happen right on their doorstep. Heaven forbid they move out of the capitol... 

This has gone on for so long that change felt all but impossible, until recently. Thanks to a handful of determined and innovative film programmers, the UK’s regional cinema scene is currently thriving. In fact, just last week independent picture house HOME in Manchester celebrated its most successful week on record and topped off this jam-packed week by hosting a post-film Q&A with You Were Never Really Here Director Lynne Ramsay, one of her only audiences events outside of the Glasgow Film Festival. More impressive still is that this type of film add-on activity isn’t rare for the venue; with Directors, Actors, Producers and Musicians regularly visiting for similar events, from big name stars to tomorrow’s ones-to-watch. 

They’re not the only ones doing this either. Frustrated fans have even taken on the role of event programmers to help bridge this equality gap and provide an eager audience with something they’re sorely missing. On the cusp of celebrating its third year (or season as they like to call it), Pilot Light TV Festival invites a handful of established and emerging stars to venues across Manchester to celebrate the continued success of small screen entertainment. The same team also host regular (and regularly sold out) Retro And Dangerous Film Screenings of cult classics, each with a celebratory and raucous vibe typically reserved for airings of Tommy Wiseau’s The Room - and before you ask, yes, they’ve hosted that one too and audiences loved it.

What do these examples of regional success tell us? Well, they quantify something that people who live here already know: that audiences for this type of content not only exist but they’re actively passionate about it and bored of waiting for it to arrive. Proof that there’s endless scope for events of a similar ilk and if Distributors don’t take notice soon, fans aren’t afraid to take matters into their own hands and do it themselves.

Full Disclosure: I also work for HOME in Manchester but that doesn't mean I've sugar-coated the work do or made it seem more relevant than it is. They do lots for regional film fans and its all good, regardless of perspective.

Do you think we need more film events in the regions? Let me know in the comment section below!