The British Film Institute, as part of its five-year "Film Forever" blitz to revitalize the UK movie industry, will digitize 10,000 titles from its massive vault of 450,000 film cans by 2017. The goal? To offer them on-demand.
BFI says it will crowdsource which 10,000 titles will be digitized, and those films will then be made accessible on TV channels, a mobile app and a new video player dubbed BFIPlayer.
"Film Forever is founded on a renewed commitment to the future — the future generation of audiences, the future generation of filmmakers and the opportunities presented by digital technologies," BFI CEO Amanda Nevill said in a statement. "We are investing where we think we can most make a difference."
BFI's website allows people to see a sampling of its film archive.
More than $800 million, or roughly £500 million, is slated to be spent on Film Forever, which aside from the digitization project, includes investments in filmmaking, improving film education as well as growing audiences and overall excitement about film culture.
BONUS: Need Something to Watch Now? Try One of These Flicks
When it comes to comedy horror flicks, Beetlejuice is certainly one of the zaniest. It follows the Maitlands (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin), a recently deceased couple haunting a lovely New England home that belonged to them in life. When the obnoxious Deetz family purchases the house, the Maitlands try their best to scare them away. They bring in a supposed bio-exorcist named Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) as a last resort, but this mischievous ghoul just ends up causing even more trouble.
Check out this movie on Amazon Instant Video or iTunes.
Everyone tells a tall tale once in a while, but in Big Fish, Will Bloom (Billy Crudup) thinks his father, Edward (Albert Fenney), tells too many. With Edward on his deathbed, Will hopes to hear the truth about his father's life but only gets more stories. The movie shows these vivid flashbacks following young Edward (Ewan McGregor) on many adventures full of colorful characters and locales. Bit by bit, Will puts together the truth from among the tall tales.
Big Fish is a film that is both touching and surreal, with lots of magic in every scene. You can watch this larger-than-life story through iTunes and Amazon Instant Video.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is Burton's adaptation of a Roald Dahl novel of the same name. The plot follows Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore), a poor boy whose life changes when he finds a golden ticket in a chocolate bar. The ticket is part of a contest held by the mysterious Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp), and it grants Charlie entrance to a tour of Wonka's wondrous chocolate factory.
Underneath all the bright colors, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory manages to capture the darker side of the original book, and you can definitely see Burton's unique stamp on the story. Stream this sweet adventure on Amazon Instant Video or in iTunes.
For something on the romantic side, you could go with Corpse Bride, another of Burton's stop-motion animated works.
In this story, Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) is engaged to the girl he loves, Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson), but he botches his vows during their wedding rehearsal. While he practices them in the forest, Victor accidentally winds up married to the Corpse Bride, Emily (Helena Bonham Carter), who was killed on the night she was going to elope with her fiancé. At first, Emily doesn't want to let Victor go back to the land of the living, but they both realize he should be with his love.
You can watch this ghostly love story through both Amazon Instant and iTunes.
If you're looking for one of Burton's most iconic works, check out his dark fairy tale Edward Scissorhands. It has a compelling plot and was met with critical acclaim; plus, like Frankenweenie, it could be viewed as a loose retelling of the Frankenstein story.
Edward (Johnny Depp) is an artificial person created by an inventor (Vincent Price) who died before giving him proper hands. After living alone in a mansion most if his life, Edward is taken by Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest) to live with her family in a suburban neighborhood. Edward gets along well with the family, falling in love with their daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). At first, many of the other people in the neighborhood like Edward and his skill with trimming hedges, but a few who dislike him cause the rest to turn on both Edward and the Boggs family.
For something leaning toward the supernatural, check out Sleepy Hollow, Burton's loose adaptation of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, an 18th-century police officer who is sent to the village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of murders. He comes prepared with tools for fingerprinting and other scientific methods of investigation. However, the townsfolk tell him that the murders weren't carried out by a human but rather by a headless horseman. It's up to Crane to get down to the bottom of the mystery before more people lose their lives — along with their heads.
Watch Ichabod Crane search for the truth behind the horseman on either Amazon Instant Video or iTunes.
Ever heard of a horror musical? Well, that's the best way to describe the unhappy tale that is Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) was a barber until a judge (Alan Rickman) who coveted his wife had him falsely charged with a crime and sent overseas. Now, Barker is back in London under the guise of Sweeney Todd. He and Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), owner of the pie shop under his apartment, start a sinister business in which he kills his customers to supply meat for her pies. All the while, Todd is plotting his revenge on the judge who ruined his life.
For a bit of fright, humor, and the chance to hear Johnny Depp sing, catch this movie on iTunes or Amazon.
This visually impressive stop-motion film is truly a classic. It's a bit of a twisted tale, but with just the right doses of scary and heartwarming, The Nightmare Before Christmas is sure to appeal to most viewers.
Every year in Halloween Town, Jack Skellington plans the festivities to celebrate Halloween. However, Jack is sick of doing the same things every year, and he seeks inspiration in the forest near town, where he discovers a portal to Christmas Town. Jack decides that he wants to do Santa Claus's job instead, but it turns out to be difficult for someone so used to terrifying people to deliver the usual spirit of Christmas to the world's children.
Scare up a good time and check out this movie through Amazon or iTunes.
This film is known for being dark — in Burton's typical style — and its popularity resulted in several more films featuring the Caped Crusader. The plot pits Batman (Michael Keaton) against the Joker (Jack Nicholson), offering origin stories for both characters. With Gotham City becoming increasingly more dangerous, Bruce Wayne becomes Batman to strike terror into the hearts of villains. Meanwhile, the Joker, a criminal with a permanently discolored face, is around to serve up trouble with a sinister smile.
You can check out Burton's take on Batman through Amazon.
This live-action twist on Alice in Wonderland is a visual treat. It follows an adult Alice (Mia Wasikowska), who thinks her childhood trip to Wonderland was a strange dream. At a party where everyone expects her to accept a marriage proposal, Alice is distracted by the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), who leads her back to Wonderland. The Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) has taken control of the realm from the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), and Alice must save the day. Of course, memorable characters like the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and the Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry) appear as well.
Make your way to Wonderland when you watch this film on iTunes or Amazon.
For something on the romantic side, you could go with Corpse Bride, another of Burton's stop-motion animated works.
In this story, Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) is engaged to the girl he loves, Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson), but he botches his vows during their wedding rehearsal. While he practices them in the forest, Victor accidentally winds up married to the Corpse Bride, Emily (Helena Bonham Carter), who was killed on the night she was going to elope with her fiancé. At first, Emily doesn't want to let Victor go back to the land of the living, but they both realize he should be with his love.
You can watch this ghostly love story through both Amazon Instant and iTunes.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, MarinaRazumovskaya
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