Starsuckers
By Tremayne MillerThe Times sponsored BFI 53rd London Film Festival 2009
Published by Tremayne (Potter)
THE FINAL DAY OF THE FESTIVAL: 29 October 2009
Starsuckers
UK 2009/100 min
A docu-film by director Chris Atkins, who was BAFTA-nominated for his Blair-baiting documentary, Taking Liberties.
‘Starsuckers probes various aspects of celebrity culture with a scathing wit and sense of mischief, from the pushy parents who seek recognition for their children to the established public figures who use their position to gain political influence. It illustrates how truth has become devalued by the modern news media.’
Chris Atkins made an unexpected appearance yesterday at The Vue Cinema, Leicester Square on the final day of The BFI 53rd London Film Festival after the 13h00 screening of the film Starsuckers, allowing for a 10-min window where people could ask questions.
1)Where did you get your inspiration from for the film?
“A critique has never been done before on media companies. I got the inspiration for it about two years ago.
I thought, if you can make someone laugh, you engage them a lot more. That’s why it took two years to make. There’s no central character, so I
invented the personage of God of the Starsuckers, who helps to create media concepts that are all around us.”
2)On your own Blog it mentions the £5,000 grant you were refused by The UK Film Council. Your film exposed the media and its spin doctors, how can we believe that this isn’t just another hoax?
“Of course, there’s a circular pattern of cynicism on this subject and this week we’re up against James Cameron film Avatar and Michael Jackson movie – This is it. You’re rightfully meant to be given a £5,000 grant from The UK Film Council but instead they gave us a £5,000 fuck-off!”
3)What were your reasons for making the film?
“Because these people are conning us out of money and I wanted to expose them for what they really are!”
4)Why is your narrator’s voice American?
“It wouldn’t have worked with my own voice, an Oxbridge graduate, especially when the main media swaggering has come from America, and I wanted to create something that was unique.”
5)The film doesn’t offer any solutions to the problems. Why is that?
“If you’re not careful you run the risk of being like Live8 where more coverage was devoted to the stars themselves. I believe that all gossip columns should attach the tag ‘probably not true’ to them!”
6)What resources would you recommend to prevent this media juggernaut from catapulting out of control?
“Stop your children from watching T.V. It hasn’t done me any harm. And stop buying trashy magazines.”
7)For the scene in the shopping centre where you asked parents’ permission to allow their child to take part in an infomercial, explaining what happens to an animal after it has been taken to the slaughterhouse, using a rubber chicken and a toy axe, did many refuse?
“2 out of the 42 we asked.”
8)To reach a television audience how would you have to alter the film?
“It would have to be massively edited, cut down by half and most probably be only shown on More4 after midnight.”
9)Have you noticed any recent changes in the world of the Media?
“Yes, the circulation in magazine sales is dropping.”
The difference with today’s Journalists is that they’re not given time to sift through news, casting aside the bad from the good, with the exception of Private Eye whose information doesn’t go out to press until two weeks later.”
Starsuckers is released on October 30th by City Screen & Curzon Screen.
