Are movie theaters dying, or are we entering a new golden age of moviegoing?
Jett sits down with Miles Williams, artistic director of the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale, California, to talk about the future of cinema, the remarkable resurgence of 70mm film, and why the experience of watching movies together still matters.
Following the Alex's enormously successful 70mm presentation of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, Williams sees reason for optimism. Younger audiences are embracing analog film, historic movie palaces are finding new life, and filmmakers are exploring creative ways to reach audiences outside traditional Hollywood distribution.
But what about smaller independent theaters? Can they survive without the resources of a grand movie palace? And can cinemas become the community gathering places that many of us are missing?
From the legendary repertory theaters of the past to a new generation of filmmakers taking their movies on the road, Jett and Miles explore what's changing, what's worth preserving, and why the future of cinema might be brighter than we think.
Plus, a few thoughts on Nathan Fielder's You Can See Everything, the strange appeal of old technology, and why Jett feels Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome, is still relevant.
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Jett Loe (00:02.104)
So, Miles Williams, thank you so much for being on the show. Gareth and I really appreciate it, even though he couldn't be here today. And you know, we have to start right off with this. And and please, I hope you can show me some grace because I'm an old man now and I've got, you know, gray hair and what have you. So, you know, I'm old enough now when I go to the theater, it's a very different experience than when I was young. And I don't want to be sort of, you know, old man, kids get off my lawn, but I can't help but feel the last time I was.
In the theater yesterday, I went to see the brilliant new film, You Can See Everything, sort of creative nonfiction documentary about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos and all that. And I sort of felt like, Do you ever see Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome? There's a scene in which Max is talking to the kids who are out of Lord of the Flies, and they're Do you remember this? And they're holding up laser discs and do you remember this? Like they're talking about democracy. And I feel I feel like things have changed so much, I don't want to.
Miles Williams (00:34.95)
Mm.
Miles Williams (00:49.902)
Yeah.
Jett Loe (00:59.72)
I I don't want to be like, you know, the old man yelling at clouds, but I really wanted to have you on the show, Miles, and talk to you because as the artistic director of of a theater in Southern California, movie theater, you're you know, intimately involved with a theater going experience. I want you to help talk me down off the cliff here. Are movies okay? Are going to the movies is it still happening, Miles?
Miles Williams (01:23.817)
It's still happening, actually. you know, the a lot of the things that we base business off of is, you know, the the numbers, the numbers, right? And this last year, the numbers as far as the theatrical presentation of films are higher than they've been in a very, very long time, pre-pandemic. And that's like the the proof is in the numbers, but the proof is also just I think in an a developing culture.
of valuing large format film presentations, you know, there the what Nolan did this summer with his film, the film in and of itself has had incredible merit and I'm sure it will receive lots of it'll probably see receive lots of awards and and is lauded. But the thing that he did was he brought film format into the conversation in a way that it has never been in my life that I can ever remember.
it became something where he had he had his actors, not just, you know, they weren't just on like the press tours for the film. They were literally doing PSAs about what's the difference between 70 millimeter and you know, IMAX 70 millimeter. What's the difference in these formats? And when have we ever seen that? Like I just I think that he brought it to the fore, and I think that there is a willing and ready audience for it, as we've seen, through
our act through you know our in re-entry into studio films at the Alex and the success that we had with our 70 millimeter presentation of this film. But I think that there's a a younger audience that's starting to seem to value value these these kinds of presentations, the analog versions, value them so highly.
And so I do have good I I have I mean that's how I see things. I see that the the the younger generation is valuing it. as a presenter, I like to, you know, I think that it's appropriate for me to present something in in the format that it's most desired. that's why we put the 70 in. It was it's not we're we're not like purists around only on film, but
Miles Williams (03:44.482)
And we recognize there's a lot of content. There's a lot of films that you can't show on large format film or even 35, you know. But I do think as this younger generation of of moviegoers have have also represented a a a much larger segment of the patrons, the the the ticket buyers in this last summer. And I think that as they mature and they get into from their twenties into their thirties, that these there'll be
there will be young filmmakers also growing up and doing more and more films on 35 and on large format. Hopefully the studios will also it's more expensive to shoot. hopefully the studios will also get behind it recognizing the value in it because I think that the the people are speaking that this is what they want and
You know, I can go on and on, Jet, about like the way that a f large format film or or on film elevates the audience experience because I see it in front of my eyes. And if and for those of us who who do go to to to screenings like that, we all feel it. We can feel it together. We can feel it collectively. I don't have to convince anybody, you know. If you haven't been to a large format presentation, go and you'll know why it it's it it matters.
You know, there I don't know, there's my opening salvo. What do you think?
Jett Loe (05:11.31)
Well, there's a there's a lot to unpack there. You know, one I can't help but think about when we ha talk about filmmakers, and I'm always trying to encourage young filmmakers as much as possible, or folks that are trying to do new things or or trying to find different ways of of both producing, you know, moving pictures and distributing them. You know, one of the issues with digital is that everything is so is so perfect and so clean. And that sounds almost like I'm I'm talking about CDs when they're first released and people
Miles Williams (05:15.38)
Yeah.
Jett Loe (05:41.261)
There was a lot of, I guess, what poo-pooing of CDs way back in the mid 80s, what have you said, well, the sound is too clean. But everything is so crisp and and clean with digital, right? We don't have the the the stuff that, you know, someone of our generation grew up on with the gate weave where the film actually moves to the camera, which kind of creates an illusion. And, you know, the young filmmakers I know are, of course, are fascinated by different formats that introduce introduce that friction and that element of mystery. And we can see that I think.
Miles Williams (05:57.909)
Sure, sure.
Jett Loe (06:07.032)
You know, across the love of of retro for younger folks, see my niece was just here visiting from El Paso, and she saw that I had an old iPod, like must have been an iPod shuffle with no screen. And just a and all it is is a USB stick, right, folks? Just a USB stick with with with a headphone jack. And her eyes lit up. And this is now her prized possession amongst her and her friends that had this, you know, ancient piece. Again, going back to that Mad Max kind of.
Miles Williams (06:20.538)
Yeah, yeah.
Miles Williams (06:29.616)
Wow.
Jett Loe (06:31.822)
you know, do you remember the old days or sort of what is what was that, Matthew? Was Matthew McConaughey, Christian Bale Dragon film where they reenact Star Wars? You know, for for the younger j generation. But I think there, you know, there is something in those the in the different technologies that, you know, even adding the friction, I know it adds expense, it definitely creates, I don't want to say some sort of magic, but it's it's great to be able to play with those those formats. You know, I f where I was coming from, I used to be a
Miles Williams (06:32.677)
Sure.
Miles Williams (06:40.987)
Yeah, yeah.
Jett Loe (07:01.116)
photojournalist for you know usa day and usa today network and you know all the images look the same everybody's all shooting on cannons or nikons they're all they're all identical at a certain at a certain point you go yeah well that's a canon red what have you but everything is is really really clean let's talk a little bit more about your experience so you're the artistic director is that like the programmer for the the the theater or what how does that work? Is that a repertory cinema that that like shows a couple different films every day or every week or what what's the story there because I want to talk about
Miles Williams (07:22.132)
Miles Williams (07:29.388)
What's our story at the Alex? Yeah, yeah.
Jett Loe (07:31.094)
Yeah, the while I'm curious about the audience reaction of them. So you talked about how the audience reacts to the large format. So is you're there daily seeing the audience react to to to movies there. Tell me a little bit about that.
Miles Williams (07:42.439)
Well, I mean, yeah, the role and the way that the Alex does presentations is that we are actually a a multi-hyphenate theater. We do stand-up comedy shows, we do concerts from bands locally here in the US and also from around the world and other spec musical musical things, even classical music. We do full fully stage ballets.
that are incredibly popular and have a huge audience. And the we have a lot of different new media as well that we host, YouTube stars, you know, other things where we have I call them the nerd shows, and and I love the nerds coming into the theater. We love those kinds of engaged audiences. the the cinema part is something that used to be the primary identity of the Alex.
When it was first opened and through the many years, it was known as a first-run cinema in it and all the way from the like the nineteen twenties into like nineteen ninety, nineteen ninety-one. And then there it was renovated and turned into like a performing arts theater primarily. And when I took charge of it was right after the pandemic. I'm the owner or founder of the company of a venue management company. This is our fourth.
historic theater project. So I've actually helped resurrect and I was heavily involved in four other primary historic theaters in LA, all of whom you've known you you know of. Everyone who's listening knows these theaters. But coming to the Alex, I saw a while ago that it's its future should involve cinema in a big, big way.
that this was the movie palace of the day and its its programming needed to be aligned with that history and aligned with what the people of LA want to see there. And so I started we the the project was 70 millimeter, the project with Nolan's film this summer, you know, was sort of the launch point. and it was so successful, you know, we were the highest grossing theater showing 70 millimeter of that film in the entire US.
Miles Williams (10:02.265)
And that was it opened a lot of doors. We're we're we've kind of relaunched this this historic movie palace into the the current market and audiences are responding really well. I think that seeing a film in a movie palace is a is a completely different experience. and I know that I know all these other historic theaters that do film too, they they have a different experience than the Alex does. The Alex
is beautiful on the outside, it's beautiful on the inside. There's it it gives a sense of history of place. We actually one of the things we did with the the new booth that was created for the 70 millimeter is we put it right there on the audience level so they can come and peer in like these windows to see the projectionists at work and see the film. And people love that. I think that's a really cool thing and part of the experience. It's almost like
It's almost like it hallows or it it like makes the makes the real film kind of holy in being able to be witnessed and adored almost. It's it's funny to see audiences come in and just wow, wow. I I you know, the person that I had brought in to help with the projection is a like well known figure in LA's, you know, kind of scene when it comes to large format. His name's Taylor Uppenauer and
I remember on sort of opening night of the Odyssey, we were there at the doors by the windows, to the booth, and we watched people's reaction to it and we just got giddy. We were just jumping up and down like it worked, this is perfect, you know, and people were just like really, really excited to see something like that that they'd never seen. Yeah, historic theaters have a place in people's memory from their when they were younger, like
what you were talking about. Like I hear people talk about the Alex that way constantly. We had a steady stream of 315 patrons during our Odyssey run that were mostly retired people and older people. And I would overhear them talking, I remember when I saw, you know, this and that from, you know, from Star Wars to Raiders of the Lost are, you know, like from this other era. And we love that. I mean this is
Miles Williams (12:28.419)
This is a huge part of what we care about is have that patron experience be elevated to make them feel like this is something that they're, you know, particularly the elders coming back to, I mean, that's that's cool. That's nostalgia, that's worth it, you know. yeah, and the young people they come for curiosity and they come because like, this film is big and this is like, you know, the big format, and that's like that's part of what they're into. Yeah. So the audience's response have been.
Jett Loe (12:46.338)
But yeah.
Miles Williams (12:58.539)
Like really, really good. And and we took that as a mandate. Like, let's keep programming. So I am programming all kinds of film stuff into the future and currently. So yeah, we have I think three or four more films just this like left over this month. And and it continues on. We've got Dune Three, a big old run coming in December into January. You know, three weeks of Dune Three we have you know, s Wild Horse Nine, that film.
That everybody's talking about, we're hosting the only thirty five millimeter screenings of that film in the entire country. And that's cool.
Jett Loe (13:35.703)
You know, I'm I'm interested in how your success with something that is, you know, this big, you know, big commercial hit or big temple, whatever you want to call it in the Odyssey, can be translated into other theaters that are across the country that are not necessarily palaces, right? They're not necessarily in LA, Chris Cruise, you're not or Southern California because you guys, you know, you have a specific kind of there's a speci a specific kind of crowd down there. And you have this, you know, you have a beautiful
venue and it's interesting you touched on this idea you used the word hallowed or we think about people growing up and going to the movies almost like for me like going to a church right because I went to the UC theater in Berkeley and it was you know two different films every day right so it was like a Hitchcock and a truffeau and the next day it would be a Kurusol and an Ozu and then it would be a Russ Meyer and they would do great it there was always intention there, right? There we we're gonna show Kriana Scotzi a double bill and then you're gonna do you know no no dialogue and then we
Miles Williams (14:12.348)
Sure.
Jett Loe (14:29.496)
Couple that with my dinner with Andre, right? And you know, it was a wonderful education. It wasn't as beautiful as the Alex, I think, but it but it was large. It seated like 1,200 people. And I'm curious now, like I live out here in New Mexico in the nearest repertory cinema, the guild is a tiny little theater on Route 66 on Central Avenue. And they show a couple of different films every day. And I'm curious how we translate your success to that. And I'll put that in the context, Miles, and I'm putting it on the spot here, because I did see you can see everything.
Miles Williams (14:39.251)
Yeah.
Jett Loe (14:58.112)
yesterday and it was great because was sold out right I had to sit in the front seat I didn't go to a critic screening sold out so everything's distorted everyone's jowls were the size of yachts right because of the because of the distortion it was sold out but of course the theater experience itself is terrible right the theater there's no there's no glamour there's no mystery there's no beauty there we're a low cost of living state but I think the tickets are like twenty dollars for a matinee
Miles Williams (15:14.456)
Yeah. Hmm.
Jett Loe (15:23.81)
You buy I know, I got a small popcorn, a small drink, it's $40. And that's an Albuquerque. Do you know what I'm saying? We're not, we're not. I live up about 7,000 feet up in the mountains in between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. So I I go through it's like the it's like the shield wall in the Dune pictures, right? Where you gotta go. I don't know if I'm if I'm outside in the desert or if Albuquerque said, I'm not sure which, but I drive down through the through the mountains to get to get to Albuquerque.
Miles Williams (15:28.154)
Are you in Albuquerque? Is that where you're at?
Miles Williams (15:37.419)
wonderful.
Miles Williams (15:41.505)
Yeah, yeah.
Miles Williams (15:50.146)
Cool. I know New Mexico well. It's one of my places. I I had a place during the pandemic I was in Santa Fe and I had a place in Ojo caliente and yeah, yeah. So it's yeah, yeah. Well that's a nice spot to be, isn't it?
Jett Loe (15:59.451)
For for for listeners not from here, call yeah. It's very, it's like a luxurious spa, my friends. It's very, it's it's a fancy spa. It's lovely. I they do. They do. And and and folks, you know, in my day, talking about when I was young, when I lived in New Mexico as a as a kid, it wasn't a fancy spa. I kept getting burned down whenever the lightning struck. It was a shack, and now it's fancy.
Miles Williams (16:09.161)
It's a fancy spa. Yeah, yeah. Mineral springs. People come from all directions to come to Ojo Caliente. They do. Yeah, yeah.
Miles Williams (16:27.583)
Really? I'm glad they fancified it. I like fancy stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, back to the question. How do we how do we
Jett Loe (16:28.758)
Yes. But in they they did. But but but anyway, yes, we'll we'll Miles will join yeah. Miles will join us next week for spa talk. Yeah, I'm cu I'm curious. You it's you know, could monetize it. So the my my question is I'm wondering if we could still have the cinema experience, even if it's in places where there's not like the movie palace that the Alex has. are you in contact or work with other folks across the country that have like, you know, repertory cinemas?
Miles Williams (16:40.097)
Dude, we could do that. Yeah.
Miles Williams (16:53.17)
Well I you the w
Miles Williams (16:59.122)
You know, so let's see, where do I start to answer this? I would say that my specialty is the movie palaces, right? I've had like the four of them here or the the historic theaters. You know, one of them is called the Orpheum Theater, and that is like the the crown jewel of downtown Los Angeles when it comes to the historic theater core. that was twenty-five years ago we opened that place and and it's become a premier premier venue in Los Angeles.
There was there were another downtown one, there's one out in Beverly Hills. So I've had a great life in showbiz at these palaces, at these like historic places, that have all of them have had funding from ownership or, you know, in different ways to be able to renovate, to be able to invest and see the results of that investment. you know, me trying to comment on and helping answer your question.
as far as like how I could help or how I could assist places that are very like smaller and different. I'm not sure. I I'm not sure I have the answers for them because you know like LA is a very different it's its own unique beast, right? As far as that goes. I know that, you know, I know I know about marketing shows. I've been involved in many, many shows. Fifth like 5,000 shows, but in my life in 35 years. But the primarily
the things change too. I mean, I I I think I should talk about that a little bit, you know, I mean having like access to having access to to the to the right films and having access to that kind of creating that kind of experience, I would think that the smaller places would be about community. It would about building
Jett Loe (18:32.942)
Sure.
Miles Williams (18:53.717)
Like where this feels like my place. So member events, things I would go there with it because I can't show off how cool the building is. Right. I would be more like the it sounds like the cure the curators are doing a great job, right? They've they've got interesting things playing and things that like a breadth of things. That sounds wonderful. That sounds really fun to me. but I I think that, you know, I my specialty is sort of the elevated experience. So
Jett Loe (19:03.288)
Sure. Yeah.
Miles Williams (19:23.625)
Yeah, yeah. I wouldn't want to try and pretend I know more than I do about like when I get out of my market and I get out of my you know, my I guess my specialty. Like this thing I've done with these historic theaters, I'm the only one really who's been around long enough and done all these different ones. And so they've all had different needs. They've all had they have have found some different niches that they that they fill.
And the Alex is just my most recent one. I'm five years in. And it's it's all coming into fruition, which is really nice to see. yeah. So
Jett Loe (20:03.618)
Well, I mean, I think you've hit upon something interesting. And you know, again, I'm putting you on the spot, but you know, why not? Because we do have these small, you know, tiny little venues that are dotted across the country and there's people that are very passionate about them. But you know, for me as somebody that, you know, as I've talked about, alluded to, you know, today, you know, I have I think if I have this this fear, somebody who grew where it did feel like a church or there was that community aspect, I have the fear of it being lost.
Miles Williams (20:17.992)
Mm-hmm.
Miles Williams (20:31.59)
Hmm. Well, I think that I think that theaters yeah, well, we I think a lot of us stopped going to church. And I think that having theaters, having cinemas be a community gathering place, a place that that is built, I think that's exactly the right idea. And I'm not just talking about I'm less commenting on like the right business model, more commenting about like the mission.
Jett Loe (20:32.758)
You know what I mean? There's a there's a genuine fear of community going away.
Miles Williams (21:00.941)
And like the role, the role in culture. You know, they are buildings. One of the things, because my father was a minister. So I grew up in like this church and I and I understood like what a building can mean to a community that comes together every week. And so the building matters. Having the common space matters. And it helps grow community. And and I think that cinemas, theaters, I think that's one of our best roles in this sort of post-church age is most people are not finding it.
There. It's sort of like a maybe a little secular community, a secular church, not so much about, you know, doc mun doctrine and dogma and answering the big questions, but more about just like, you know, feeling like an extended family, feeling like, you know, let's watch interesting art, let's have good conversations about what these films are bringing up. You know, so I I think that that, you know, I'm trying to develop more and more things like that for the Alex.
because it is a good role in society it is a good role in the culture and you know in the history of in the history of the US I mean theater and music the arts you know they are political they are very cultural and as we found our as we're finding ourselves at this unique place in the history of of our country with facing everything from climate change to
political sort of unrest around you know, divisiveness, you know, all this and that. I mean, there's a lot going on. And it's good to have a place you can call where you have your friends are at, where your community's at, that's not just family, that that, that has like a and has a voice and where you can you know, try and try and uphold our best ideas of what it means to be human, what it means to be American, and what it means to be human.
I think filmmakers take us there. That's part of their role is to give us things to talk about and question and put their perspectives out there. You know, I was just watching a I don't know, I saw I saw something this morning about a film that is interviewing a bunch of Israeli soldiers and it's a documentary, and I think that it's playing in the UK.
Miles Williams (23:25.54)
And I was considering like, wow, should this come to LA? Should this come to the Alex? Because this is a big conversation that's being had right now. And I think that cinema should be that and has always been that, hasn't it?
Jett Loe (23:38.031)
Well, I think you brought up, you know, the idea of of films bringing up ideas and people having discussions about them. And I'm and i putting this in the context of me again, sorry for putting you on the spot asking for advice for small theaters across the country. I remember as a kid and God, this is a terrible refrain, folks. I wanna apologize to all the listeners out there. I have to check I have to check the you know, the the the the Facebook stats and see what our average or or see what our average listenership is. Maybe it's like, you know, seven seventy nine. I don't know.
Jett Loe (24:38.478)
So on the weekends, they would then have a panel show explaining the episode where people will debate the themes because the show is a little bit out there. And I could see that, you know, I could see that kind of thing, you know, where community theaters have unusual films, surreal films, or films that, you know, make a make a point, and having panel discussions and involving the community that way. So I'm feeling, you know, I was feeling a little down, I have to be honest with you, Miles, before we started this talk. I feel a little better now. I feel there might be.
Miles Williams (24:43.532)
Cool.
Miles Williams (24:57.73)
Yeah.
Jett Loe (25:08.238)
Might be some some hope there. And theaters, you know, they can also serve drinks. Folks, there's the cockteau, you know, the place that's is it R. R. Martin? Do you have a cocktail hour? Yeah.
Miles Williams (25:15.549)
We have a cocktail hour. Yeah. mean we have we do. We have a cocktail hour where it's like a pre-show where you you know, kind of buy those like concessions early and then show up and get early access and can come chill at the bar, you know, and then go see the movie after. I mean, yeah, we have that, but and and I do think that there's some community that can form that way too. but I like the idea of discussions and there's a lot of different ways.
You know, one of the things that I've done, we do like I call them the nerd shows. So they already have like a community, right? They all love this thing like beyond belief. Like we had a Minecraft show where they set up like a hundred and fifty computers and they had like a like a battle, not a battle, like a contest, right? And it was amazing the community there was great. We had a Survivor, the TV show Survivor.
Fiftieth season. We had a fiftieth season like viewing party. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, they do like two a year, twenty five years, I think they're in. But we had a viewing party and then the I haven't watched it much, but the community showed up, you know, and we were a place for them. We you know, we they they stayed at the Alex, they they were there for hours and hours just like having a good time.
Jett Loe (26:13.272)
Fift fifty fiftieth season. That's my God. I f I feel I'm behind. I'm still on s season thirteen of Inkmaster. Sorry, please go ahead.
Miles Williams (26:38.254)
watching this, there was a big podcast big live recording and then a big party afterwards where everybody like hugged and took pictures with the survivor champs. So there are some ways to have community different in different formats. and I don't know. I mean I think that exploring that when you are running a s running a a space like mine, I think that, you know, that's a cool thing to to give to people, you know. I might be a little different, you know, than some other people in my role.
Jett Loe (27:03.832)
So we've
Miles Williams (27:07.544)
You know, I do see a very important job to fulfill for people. I do think that the patron experience and growing community is important and it comes with it's sort of like being the curator of historic theater, being the person like who's trust entrusted to like make it successful and relevant. I mean, I take that on as a big responsibility.
Jett Loe (27:31.224)
Does do you feel a lot of pressure?
Miles Williams (27:33.589)
No, not because I've been at it for too long. It's my fourth. You know what I mean? Like I I kinda know what we're up to and I, you know, have confidence that what we're doing matters and it it just takes some time to get things like really rolling. And now we're finally rolling at the Alex and either's a really bright future and we're gonna I'm sure we're gonna create lifelong memories for our patrons for many, many years to come. So, you know, that's a good place to be.
Jett Loe (28:02.2)
So where do you s see things going? So early on you talked about, you know, these the large formats and the idea of we talked about the idea of film and the the changing nature of of the synagogue experience. Well are you optimistic for the future? And if so, where do you see see it going? Or or are you pessimistic and where do you see it going? Those are your options, sir.
Miles Williams (28:21.692)
Okay. Okay. Well I would if I had to choose one, I will choose the optimistic, but that's in my nature, as a person. But I do think that going out to the movies seems to be having, at least here in LA, it seems to be having a big new like importance in people's lives. And I think that that's good. That bodes well.
You can't get the kind of experience that happens at my theater. You can't get it in very many other walks of life. The you know, seeing something that is will create joy, will create tears, will create whether it's on stage or on screen, to give all this energy into that patron being moved.
you know, whether it's moved by the ballet or moved by, you know, Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film, you know, it or Nolan's film or the other or older repertory films that, you know, we just had Ellen Green and Little Shop of Horrors, right? And people love seeing her. And she was like just like the most vibrant and amazing woman, right? And it you know, those kinds of things are, you know, this is special. This is something that
You know, matters to people. so I I do think there's a format that draws people in and I think that it's nice to be able to be that place for them. So I I'm optimistic. I'm not pessimistic about it. Now, when it comes to digital, I want to say something about that. I personally love the fact that YouTube exists. I love the fact that young people can do their thing.
And get it out into the world. And they don't need there's no gatekeeping from big studios where all if you can't afford a real film camera, it gets you're out of luck. You know, I made a student film on SVHS when I was in, you know, at university, and I don't even know what SVHS stood for back then. I think super VHS. It was what we had available. And we made a feature length film based on a C S Lewis book, and it was, you know, horrible.
Miles Williams (30:47.54)
But it was a great experience. I don't think the finished product was worth ever seeing again. But it was a fun like thing to do. And that was this is obviously way before YouTube and before we had digital cameras in our pockets that we could make films out of. but the access to the to the to young people in particular or anyone who wants to be a filmmaker, it's right there. So I'm not anti digital.
I I think that that that it has its place and I do think that some of like, you know, what we saw with we're we're s doing a double feature of Blair Witch Project and Obsession that we're doing next week. And in presenting that, it's sort of like the indie film that could or that blew up, right? Both of them did. It's sort of it's a little homage to the Alex, funny enough in my curation, because we were kind of the indie place that also blew up.
Right. So why not like have that? And those are great films. But to be able to make them f so inexpensively, I mean, this is good. Access is good. Being able not not not having the gatekeeping. Have you seen Jet that there's these n this new trend of films that are going on tour rather than you know signing a distribution deal, they're actually the filmmakers are taking films out on the road like a rock and roll tour.
And they're playing this these cities around the around the country and they're making money at it. Have you seen this?
Jett Loe (32:13.162)
I did not know that. I have the image in my mind of a bunch of kids in the van, like in that movie Green Room, where they accidentally go and again to a bad situation with Patrick Stewart. Folks, see that film, but not if you are of a nervous disposition because it's very, very tense. I think that's a great idea. And you and what that signifies to me is that we're that cinema's not at the end. You could even look at it and say, we're just at the beginning. We're just at the beginning. You again, I keep gushing about you can see everything, but you look at a documentary or nonfiction-esque film like that and say,
Miles Williams (32:19.697)
Yeah.
Jett Loe (32:42.616)
There's so many places to go with how films can be made, how they can look structural both the content and the actual structure themselves that I I could leave a movie like that, dear listeners or Diggers, another one where I just feel you know, excited about the movie. So I love that idea. I love the idea of people going on tour with the picture. Like, why not? Why not try new forms? Fantastic.
Miles Williams (33:01.578)
It's happening. I've hosted two of them. Yeah. I've hosted two of them. There's more coming. I think that, you know, the the most recent one that I'm announcing is a film from Lebanon that they actually have a tile to my a tie to my city of Glendale, which is our suburban California and Los Angeles. And you know, I'm excited about that. We're gonna premiere it and then it's gonna go on tour. I'm like, great, let's give it a good launch.
You know, and it's a comedy. It's not what let's not a documentary. It's not like a a a series film. It's it's it's a comedy film. And I think giving opportunity to filmmakers like that at the Alex is also one of my missions. Let's give them a good launch. Let's give some visibility. You know, I have a good PR form firm. They're actually amazing. They're wonderful. and this is something that else we can, you know, bring into the world.
So yeah, I like that they're not signing big distribution deals where they barely make any money and actually trotting them out and getting a better deal because they've already made it successful, you know, that kind of thing. So yeah, no, I mean again, I I just wanted to say that, you know, yeah, I I think digital, I think anything that gets creativity, you know, a chance to be in the world, this is good. And I th and I'm and I like the younger generation as they're using the digital technology and how
you know, they hope that maybe one day they'll shoot on film and they're, you know, hopefully they will. Hopefully they'll grow into it. So I love the access that things like YouTube and and digital filmmaking allows.
Jett Loe (34:38.272)
I think on that optimistic note that's that we're not throwing out the new in favor of the old, that it's all in the mix and that we're still inventing and creating. I think that's a great pace place to end it. Miles, is there any any films you want to recommend? Normally we end that way. Anything you really wanna champion? You're like, this is this is, you know, people have to go and see it. The they have to. That was me with Digger. And I know there's the backlash to Digger and then there's the re backlash and there's a backlash to the backlash. But you know
Miles Williams (34:57.68)
Have to go and see it. have to have to.
Miles Williams (35:06.695)
Yeah.
Jett Loe (35:07.804)
that's a film that I enjoyed immensely, but
Miles Williams (35:09.126)
What yeah, I mean the the actual the one that you mentioned earlier, the Nathan Fielder project, right? I mean, that one to me so I was supposed to go see it with my daughter yesterday, right? And we didn't make it, it was something came up, da da da. But I inside of me, I've been reading reviews, and maybe you should comment on it. Is it I've read reviews that'll reorganize your reality.
And I found Nathan Fielder's work does that. I mean, I'm a huge fan of his and I think that the work that he's done is singular a singular talent in his field. So I would say that this is my this is the film right now that I'm most excited about and I'm looking forward to seeing it and hope maybe it'll reconfigure my reality, you know, like like the reviews have said. So yeah, that's the one I'm excited about too, man. So
Jett Loe (35:37.197)
Yeah.
Jett Loe (36:05.25)
Well, w I won't give anything away, folks, but it's it's definitely worth seeing. I'm here's what I'm gonna do though. I'm gonna I'm gonna save this one. This is a a tweet, or no, tweet, throw all these platforms. I what also I love is you they're all in shit if I look the same. I'm looking at them like, am I in threads, am I on reels, am I on TikTok? No, they're all copying each other. So it's just sort of a a giant smudge of shit across my phone. But anyway, there's a wonderful threads comment by Jared Johnson.
at Born Jet, spelled like my name, but no no connection. He says, You can see everything is about a magician who goes to watch another magician's act and has trouble deciphering the illusion. Whether he's figured it out or not, he doesn't tell because magicians don't do that. Yeah. So it's definitely worth saying. Well, yeah. Well, Miles, thank you so much for being on the show. Thanks for being on the film talk. You know, we've been doing the show for almost 20 years now. We've rebooted after
Miles Williams (36:47.988)
Mm.
Miles Williams (36:51.413)
Wow. Yeah, they don't.
Jett Loe (37:02.314)
after we'd stopped it for a while because Gareth and I just love talking about movies so much. And I've loved talking to you about movies and in theater. So thanks for being on the show, Miles. We really appreciate it.
Miles Williams (37:10.408)
Cool. No, thanks so much for having me. It's been fun. I l I love talking about what we're up to, man.