Rez Bomb released on DVD

Roaring Fire Films releases Rez Bomb DVD PremiereThe gripping film is arguably the first truly universal story to be told on an American Indian Reservation. Most films set on reservations are culturally specific but Rez Bomb's story would fit Marseille or Addis Ababa or Rio.

In fact it was first written for Edinburgh, Scotland but having spent lots of time on Pine Ridge Simpson wanted to shoot its incredible cinematic texture and to spend the budget where it would make a difference. “The only way to shoot there is fast and loose, crew small and be flexible. But without the great access to the tribe I have it wouldn't have happened. It was a truly unique shoot” Simpson said.

“I wanted the film to help break down another barrier in the cultural apartheid in the film industry where only culturally specific films set in Indian Country had been financed and want to push the barriers till any story is set in any community.

People with hard lives on reservations don't want to watch movies about how hard life is on a reservation so we provide them an opportunity to watch an entertaining movie with stars they can relate to but that is an escape and doesn't just resemble their bleak daily lives” Simpson said.Every filmmaker claims his story is "universal." I don't think I've ever heard one say, "Our film is particular to certain groups of people. They'll enjoy it but others won't."

Telling upbeat and entertaining stories about Indians is good. Telling stories devoid of Indian culture is bad. People are interested in Indians, and if a story can be set anywhere, it's generic by definition.

It isn't hard to tell a universal story with specific cultural details. Consider ethnic films that succeed in the US, or foreign films that get remade in the US. Their stories are tied to one culture, but they're universal enough for other cultures.

Marketing Rez BombA grass roots marketing campaign is being adopted to ensure that people in Indian Country and beyond who have very limited access to traditional DVD rental and retail mechanisms can buy the film which initially shall be exclusively sold through www.rezbomb.com as if the film is successful then others will follow through reinvestment.Comment:  This supposedly explains why Rez Bomb won't be available through Amazon.com, Netflix, Best Buy, or Blockbuster. But it doesn't make much sense. Since most Indians live off-rez, they have plenty of access to retail stores. Indians on remote reservations without nearby stores are also unlikely to have Internet access. And anyone with Internet access can go to online sites such as Amazon.com and Netflix as well as RezBomb.com.

Even if Indians have "limited access to traditional DVD rental and retail mechanisms," why force them to go through RezBomb.com? Isn't more access always better than less access? How does RezBomb.com alone serve Indians better than RezBomb.com plus a retail store plus an online site?

Sounds to me like Rez Bomb's producers just want to keep all the money for themselves. Okay, but don't spin this as some method to give Indians more access than usual. Consumers want several options at reasonable prices, not one option at a fixed price.

I'm not sure the sole-source model will do much to get Rez Bomb noticed. I always thought wider distribution was better. Even if the producers don't make as much--or any--money, people can see the film and advertise it by word of mouth.

For more on the subject, see Preview of Rez Bomb and The Best Indian Movies.