Toronto Pirates Go Y'arrrr at TIFF


The other day, a friend of mine told me that he had watched Julie Taymor's Across the Universe — a day after the film had premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Knowing him not to be the festival type, I asked him where he had seen the movie. He quickly replied: "oh, I downloaded it."

Warner Bros. already took action against piracy and imposed an embargo on all preview screenings of their upcoming movies in Toronto, but are the pirates out there at TIFF as well? Well, according to Thomas Purves' video above, the pirates are not only out there, but vocal as well.

From Thomas' blog post:

On Monday, it started with a few scattered pranksters shouting Arrr at the opening screen of the film premiers at this year's Toronto International Film festival. By week end the meme had caught on.

While I don't condone film privacy at all, I have to hand it to Toronto crowds for their humor and their timing. This outburst during the continent's most important film festival not only says a lot about our city's comedic skill, but also sends a clear message to Hollywood that people in Toronto (and around the world) are looking for a new kind of film industry model, and the execs better sit up and listen to the Y'arrrs.

The Pirate Bay relaunched Suprnova a few months ago with the following message to Hollywood:

This is how it works. Whatever you sink, we build back up. Whomever you sue, ten new pirates are recruited. Wherever you go, we are already ahead of you. You are the past and the forgotten, we are the internet and the future. Y'arr!

If Hollywood didn't get it then, perhaps the little demonstration in Toronto might get them to start thinking about what is wrong with their business model.

Reader Reviews and Comments

Submit a Review or Comment

I was at the screening of The Tracey Fragments at the Cumberland and everyone there gave up a hearty Y'arrrr as the Anti-Piracy warning came up, it took away a lot of the power of the warning.

Posted by: Digit at September 18, 2007 9:45 AM

Hi there,

My understanding of how the pirate talk made its way through the festival is that TIFF Midnight Madness programmer Colin Geddes started it himself in the midnight screenings. Since midnight audiences are really enthusiastic they really got into and after doing this a few nights in a row, it started to catch on in other screenings at the festival...

Posted by: Diana at September 18, 2007 9:47 AM

Thanks for letting us know Diana! I'd probably expect something like that from Colin...

Posted by: Sameer Vasta at September 18, 2007 10:16 AM

AHEM.

I started the pirate thing. :) First to do it at the first Midnight, then Colin caught it and started encouraging the crowd to do it, and then it spread to the non-Midnight screenings.

Thank you for your kind attention. :)

Posted by: Matt at September 18, 2007 10:19 AM

Heard it at Tracey Fragments too. Wow so the roots of this are much closer to home than we thought, huh? You're hilarious, Matt.

Posted by: Adam at September 18, 2007 10:22 AM

A quick search through any of the most comprehensive torrent sites would suggest your friend is full of crap since there doesn't seem to be a CAM of 'Across the Universe' out there.
Also, while I support an end to the ridiculous attempts at demonizing the P2P community, I don't think a bunch of people yelling 'Y'arr' at a TIFF screening somehow means that there's a massive movement against the studios' 'war on piracy'.
What it does mean is that TIFF audiences are a fun, spontaneous lot and that going to a screening beats watching it on your computer screen any day.
Fiinally, there's a big difference between watching a pirated film that's been recorded in a cinema and one that comes from a DVD screener. I must say that even if your friend did watch a CAM of the film I'm shocked that you didn't point out to them that that's a lousy way of experiencing art.
Is there an argument to be made for a new business model for DVD releases? Absolutely. Is there one for theatrical releases? Not at all. The social element of theatre going is one of the crucial aspects of going to the movies - if you don't know that - then you have no business talking/writing/blogging about it.

Posted by: Justin... at September 18, 2007 12:47 PM

Wow, why so vitriolic Justin? My friends all know that I'm a cinema junkie: I don't download movies and they know I'd get mad at them for doing it - not because I'm upset they're subverting the film industry, but because I'd much rather they come to the theater with me. So when you say:

"I'm shocked that you didn't point out to them that that's a lousy way of experiencing art."

I'm actually surprised about how you know what my reaction was...perhaps I did say that, perhaps I didn't. Making an empty assumption based on a lack of information is a bit uncalled for, no?

Ah, and maybe my friend was full of crap: I didn't call him on it, because I had no clue...I haven't done any searching for CAM torrents on the web for ages, so thanks for clarifying that for me. I can now go back and make my friend feel like a fool. =)

Posted by: Sameer Vasta at September 19, 2007 4:01 AM

Post a comment

   
Remember Me?

Email This Entry

Email 'Toronto Pirates Go Y'arrrr at TIFF' to: Message (optional):
Your email address:

Please type the verification code displayed in the image:

By forwarding this entry to a friend, we do not opt you or your friend into
receiving any additional mailings from blogTO. We hate spam too.
Disclaimer: Comments and blog entries represent the viewpoints of the individual and no one else.