Variety Print Edition

Hey there, fellow movie lovers,

Variety is officially entering its third issue, and we're actually doing it in print this time! You're all invited to a launch party on Monday, June 20th, 2011, at Europa Cinema in New York City starting at 8 PM. We'll probably do a little screening afterward too, I guess.

So, after being just an online thing last year, Variety is finally moving from bits and bytes into the real world of paper and ink. Yeah, we definitely cut down some trees and spilled a ton of ink, and honestly, it took a whole lot of heart, passion, and endless hours of work just so American cinephiles could actually hold an American film magazine in their hands.

We gave the third issue a bit of an editorial makeover—restructured things, moved stuff around, and maybe more importantly, brought in a bunch of new young writers. They’ll bring some pretty fresh, original perspectives on how to look at the world of cinema, I think.

You won't find Variety at your local newsstand, unfortunately. It'll only be available at specific spots, like:

New York City (Europa Cinema, Movieplex, Metropolis)
Seattle (American Cinematheque)
Des Moines (Kennedy Center)
Dubrovnik (Lincoln Center)
San Francisco (Regent Theater)
Indianapolis (Indiana State Museum)
Miami (Information Desk)

and so on.

If you want more details, you can check out the official website:

Variety

Or our Facebook page:

Variety on Facebook

And yeah, feel free to leave a comment here and let us know what you think—whether you love it or hate it. 😉

I think I’ll make it to the launch—assuming nothing pops up at the last minute—and the magazine looks decent enough that I'm planning on picking up a copy.

I'll grab a copy once it arrives, then I'll weigh in. 👍

I downloaded the two previous issues. I’ll read them and then leave a comment on the magazine's (lack of) quality. Though, judging by the contributors, I probably won't even need the parentheses.

I'm curious to know how the reconstruction turned out😉

I stopped by yesterday and it was alright. I picked up the magazine, though I only flipped through it briefly—it looks solid. Overall, I recommend it and I'm all for events like this happening here in the States.

I'm really glad you enjoyed it 👍 I mean, I’m pretty happy with how everything went down yesterday too.

Anyway, since I actually helped put together Variety Issue 3—I wrote one article and a review, I guess—if anyone happens to have questions, or maybe some suggestions, or even just critiques of the critiques or whatever, feel free to drop them here. I'll try my best to give you the inside scoop 😉

quietdriver3 said:I'm really glad you enjoyed it 👍 I mean, I’m pretty happy with how everything went down yesterday too.

Anyway, since I actually helped put together Variety Issue 3—I wrote one article and a review, I guess—if anyone happens to have questions, or maybe some suggestions, or even just critiques of the critiques or whatever, feel free to drop them here. I'll try my best to give you the inside scoop 😉

What's the release schedule look like? When is the next issue slated to drop?

Lisa Ross65 said:What's the release schedule look like? When is the next issue slated to drop?

Probably toward the end of the year. Right now, we're thinking of keeping the magazine on a semi-annual schedule. But, I guess, things could definitely pick up speed and happen more often down the road.

My print arrives tomorrow, and honestly, I’m feeling about as happy as a pig in mud. 🙂 😁



It honestly looks incredible... and pretty hefty, too. I have a feeling my annual subscription is going to go down easy tomorrow.

Variety’s whole mission—taking a page right out of the playbook of the British Sight & Sound, which they even brought on as a partner (!)—is to cover cinema with some actual dignity and seriousness, without all that cheap tabloid sensationalism. It’s pretty easy to see why they feel the need to do that when you look at the current discussion topics and reviews, which seem to be dominated almost entirely by the youngest generation of film buffs.

Even with the very first issue, I was honestly pretty thrilled with how everything turned out. The coverage was just spot on—everything from deep dives into screenwriting and acting to those interesting chats with producers like Ankica Juric Tilic / Kinorama and even the technical side of post-production. It really put a smile on my face, especially that one specific section. Who on earth is actually out there filming...).

quietdriver3 said:I'm really glad you enjoyed it 👍 I mean, I’m pretty happy with how everything went down yesterday too.

Anyway, since I actually helped put together Variety Issue 3—I wrote one article and a review, I guess—if anyone happens to have questions, or maybe some suggestions, or even just critiques of the critiques or whatever, feel free to drop them here. I'll try my best to give you the inside scoop 😉

I don't even know where to start with you people—honestly, I’ve seen it all now. 😁

By the way, anyway... on the official website Here's the link. Variety / download (Issue 1&2)Anyway, I was checking out the site and couldn't find a download link for the second issue—there's only the first one up, unless I've finally gone blind. Could you please dig up that link or a PDF of the second issue somewhere for me?

@Christian Taylor3

It really ought to be here 🙂the second issue, which means 🙂

Larry Martin11 said:@Christian Taylor3

It really ought to be here 🙂the second issue, which means 🙂

Muchas gracias.



Xavi!

🙂 🙂

Just lurking in the shadows, as usual 🙂

I haven't finished reading everything yet, but I’m digging it. You can tell everyone contributing actually knows their stuff, genuinely loves cinema, and did their homework on their specific topics. It’s refreshing to see such a solid approach without anyone trying to flex their ego or acting bitter. Nice work, 🙂.

If I were to offer one suggestion, maybe the magazine could be a bit bolder—lean into those weirder, more unconventional topics, like that piece on Ford's sexual hygiene.
As for the piece on Terrence Malick, it's a good concept, but way too much of it focuses on the director's persona. Honestly, I’ve had my fill of all these myths surrounding "unconventional" directors. Look, a person should just make a great movie and let the critics deal with the films themselves, rather than making the whole story about how much of an oddball the director is. I find that same pattern annoying when people talk about figures like Thomas Pynchon or Wong Kar-wai.

Also, that entire translation of the Sight & Sound piece on Citizen Kane felt totally unnecessary. In my opinion, the writers at Variety are more than capable of producing a far superior text without needing to lean on a long translation just to "back them up." And frankly, those little jabs at top 10 lists and various rankings get under my skin, so I don't see why so much space is being given to someone who obsesses over that kind of thing.😁

ruggedjackal46 said:I haven't finished reading everything yet, but I’m digging it. You can tell everyone contributing actually knows their stuff, genuinely loves cinema, and did their homework on their specific topics. It’s refreshing to see such a solid approach without anyone trying to flex their ego or acting bitter. Nice work, 🙂.

If I were to offer one suggestion, maybe the magazine could be a bit bolder—lean into those weirder, more unconventional topics, like that piece on Ford's sexual hygiene.
As for the piece on Terrence Malick, it's a good concept, but way too much of it focuses on the director's persona. Honestly, I’ve had my fill of all these myths surrounding "unconventional" directors. Look, a person should just make a great movie and let the critics deal with the films themselves, rather than making the whole story about how much of an oddball the director is. I find that same pattern annoying when people talk about figures like Thomas Pynchon or Wong Kar-wai.

Also, that entire translation of the Sight & Sound piece on Citizen Kane felt totally unnecessary. In my opinion, the writers at Variety are more than capable of producing a far superior text without needing to lean on a long translation just to "back them up." And frankly, those little jabs at top 10 lists and various rankings get under my skin, so I don't see why so much space is being given to someone who obsesses over that kind of thing.😁

Well, in that specific text, all the facts are actually pulled straight from his movies. 😁

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions and the kind words. 👍

It looks and sounds interesting enough...

quietdriver3 said:I'm really glad you enjoyed it 👍 I mean, I’m pretty happy with how everything went down yesterday too.

Anyway, since I actually helped put together Variety Issue 3—I wrote one article and a review, I guess—if anyone happens to have questions, or maybe some suggestions, or even just critiques of the critiques or whatever, feel free to drop them here. I'll try my best to give you the inside scoop 😉

At this point, it’s becoming a chronic habit for the movie subforum moderators—just constant self-promotion via stickied posts. 😁
Honestly, I skimmed through the first issue when it dropped, but I didn't even bother downloading the second one. Why? Because the interviews were incredibly dull (like, 70% of the magazine was just people talking about themselves) and then there was that childishness from certain H. Domazet writers. After reading her stuff, it became pretty clear that Variety doesn't even pretend to be serious or relevant. It feels like they're targeting teenagers or something. What a shame! I was actually excited for this—after years of nothing interesting happening (not that things were much better before), I thought we finally had a specialized magazine to look forward to.
But hey, since you actually contributed to the third issue, I guess I'll give them one more shot. I'll come back once I have some actual facts and solid arguments for my critique. 🙂

ps. The layout is totally lifeless, and the pages all look exactly the same. Seriously, someone tell the designers to inject a little creativity and life into their work.

Variety Issue 4 Event

The Details:
December 12, 2011, at Europa Cinema

8:00 PM – We'll be hanging out and promoting the latest issue of Variety
9:00 PM – Premiere of the new Blank's production
10:00 PM – A surprise screening to wrap things up

http://facebook.com/Filmonaut

http://vimeo.com/32874011

I was just about to post this—since the author quietdriver3 isn't 🙂—so I’m pretty relieved someone beat me to 🙂
Basically, like Christian Taylor3 mentioned, word on the street is that the new Variety Issue 4 Event is having its premiere on December 12th at Europa Cinema, starting at 8:00 PM 🙂
And honestly, it’s hardly a shocker that the "surprise film" turned out to be Kalvarija Zvonimir Maycug, otherwise known as the "American Brokeback Mountain," or just plain old Satan! Satan! 🙂

The cover is attached below; everything else is happening on the 12th 🙂

Larry Martin11 said:I was just about to post this—since the author quietdriver3 isn't 🙂—so I’m pretty relieved someone beat me to 🙂
Basically, like Christian Taylor3 mentioned, word on the street is that the new Variety Issue 4 Event is having its premiere on December 12th at Europa Cinema, starting at 8:00 PM 🙂
And honestly, it’s hardly a shocker that the "surprise film" turned out to be Kalvarija Zvonimir Maycug, otherwise known as the "American Brokeback Mountain," or just plain old Satan! Satan! 🙂

The cover is attached below; everything else is happening on the 12th 🙂

I guess I’ll just have to go ahead and give myself a good spanking. 😳

Look, my clumsy way of announcing the new issue... I guess it really doesn't have anything to do with how good the actual content is. Honestly, an even better issue is on its way, maybe even more filled with great, smart, and funny pieces than the last one. 👍

Hey everyone, you should probably swing by the promotion and grab your own copy if you can. I guess it might be worth checking out. 🙂