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STILL HAVEN'T SEEN "DRIVERX"? NOW YOU CAN BUY AS WELL AS RENT
Dear DriverXers,
A few things to catch you up on with "DriverX." First, we had a terrific time in Houston last month, screening the film to a sold out audience. I grew up in Houston and many of my elementary/junior high/high school/college friends were there. Patrick was there, too, and got to meet everyone. The night included an after-party that doubled as a 35th high school reunion. It just so happens that my high school class is the same age as Leonard in the movie, so people could really relate to a lot of what happens in the film. Before the screening I was able to sneak onto the local Houston daytime talkshow Houston Life, which turned into a kind of "This Is Your Life" segment. All in all, the trip it was a blast!
We signed with a foreign sales agent and they went to their first market--EFM (European Film Market) in Berlin--and already made a couple of sales. They are enthusiastic about more sales to come and about going to the next market, Cannes, in May. People have asked when the film will be available outside the U.S. and these sales to foreign distributors will make that possible.
And finally, the film is available for purchase on a number of platforms. For the first three months, it was only available for rent, and at a premium rental rate. But now that rental price has dropped and if you want to own the film and watch it over and over again, (I've seen it probably 4 dozen times and I highly recommend multiple viewings!), you can buy it on these same platforms, (iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube, Microsoft, DirecTV, etc). If you still haven't seen it, now's a good time to watch the movie that Eye For Film called, "Great Cinema...sharply observed, warm and generous...a delight from start to finish.” And speaking of reviews... |
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| SOUR TOMATOES
As an independent producer, you have to have pretty thick skin. You have to be prepared to let your films walk out into the world on their wobbly little legs and make their own way. You can't expect everyone to love your film, whether they be critics or regular audience members. We test screened DriverX numerous times while we were editing it and we knew some of the complaints. In some cases, we worked to mitigate those issues, and in others, we were satisfied with what we were trying to say with the film and knew that not everyone would be equally satisfied. It was gratifying to discover during the year we played film festivals that critics and audiences alike seemed to really respond to the movie, but then festivals are not the "real world," and once you set that cub free--when the film is released--it has to fend for itself.
Well, as a mama lion, here's what irks me. By my count, the film has received 28 reviews. 23 of them are positive and 5 are negative. Included in the positive are prestigious outlets like the New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. Included in the negative are Mark Reviews Movies. With my limited math skills, I calculate an 82% positive review rate. Unfortunately, the site that everyone goes to to check reviews has a different math. They don't count all movie reviews, and for DriverX, they only counted four of our positive reviews and all of our negative reviews. That's a 44% positive review rate. And more unfortunately, this score shows up on other platforms where you can rent/buy the movie.
Now, I don't want to sound like sour grapes--again, you have to have thick skin--but come on! The injustice! There is a silver lining, however, and this is where you come in (and why I have been whining the last three paragraphs)--there are ways to change this perception. No one person's opinion about the movie is any less valid than another. If you liked the movie, your opinion is just as valid as someone's who didn't like it. So, I'd like to ask you to make your voice heard if you enjoyed the movie.
We can't change the Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score, but we can improve the Audience Score, (and we've already been doing that--it's 90%). And our IMDB rating, which is reported on our Amazon page, could use some help. This is a wonky weighted average, where they weigh the ratings from people who rate a lot of movies higher than they do people who rate only a few. So, while we have a lot of high ratings, our average doesn't necessary reflect that. Your help here rating and reviewing the movie will help others discover it, and after four years of working on the movie, would mean so much to us! |
| | HELP US/RATE US! MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT!
It only takes seconds to rate and/or review the movie on the sites that matter. And it would kill me to know that your voice was stifled. That would me that the Haters and Trolls won. Don't let them win! Not this time! Stand up for what is right! (Ok, so anyway, here's a list of links to rate the film...): - IMDB - You can quickly rate, and also write a review here. You'll have to create an account if you don't already have one, but it only takes a minute to do that.
- AMAZON - This one is super-important, since it's at the point of sale for anyone wanting to watch the movie on Amazon, (and the above IMDB rating shows up here, too). Most of you probably already have an Amazon account, so this one will take just a sec.
- ITUNES - Again, really important for the reason above. And we have so few reviews on iTunes and Amazon that your (positive) review can really make a big difference!
- ROTTEN TOMATOES - You can quickly rate it or even better, write a sentence or two with your thoughts. Our positive Audience Score can help combat the inequity of the crummy Critic Score.
I've said it. I've said it so many times. But I'll say it again...it means so much to us to have this support. It means everything. Thank you!!
Best, Mark
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