B-film

'n B-film of B-fliek is 'n tipe lae-begroting kommersiële rolprent. Hierdie term het tydens die "Goue Era van Hollywood" oorspronklik spesifiek verwys na films wat bedoel was om vertoon te word as die minder bekende tweede helfte van 'n dubbele rolprent, ietwat soortgelyk aan B-kante in die wêreld van opgeneemde musiek. Die vervaardiging van sulke rolprente as "tweede rolprente" in die Verenigde State het egter teen die einde van die 1950's grootliks afgeneem. Hierdie verskuiwing was te wyte aan die opkoms van kommersiële televisie, wat die rolprentateljee B-filmproduksiedepartemente aangespoor het om na televisiefilmproduksieafdelings oor te skakel. Hierdie afdelings het voortgegaan om inhoud soortgelyk aan B-flieks te skep, al was dit in die vorm van lae-begroting films en reekse.

Vandag word die term "B-film" in 'n breër sin gebruik. In die gebruik na die "Goue Era" kan B-films 'n wye spektrum van rolprente insluit, wat wissel van sensasionele films tot onafhanklike kunshuisproduksies. Hierdie evolusie beklemtoon hoe die konsep van B-films aangepas en volgehou is in die voortdurend veranderende landskap van die rolprentbedryf.

In beide gebruike verteenwoordig die meeste B-films 'n bepaalde genre—die Western was die "Goue Era" se belangrikste B-film, terwyl lae-begroting wetenskapsfiksiefilms en rillers in die 1950's gewilder geword het. Vroeë B-films was dikwels deel van reekse waarin die ster herhaaldelik dieselfde karakter gespeel het. Dit was byna altyd korter as die hoofrolprent, baie het speeltye van 70 minute of minder gehad. Die term B-film veronderstel 'n algemene persepsie dat B-films meer minderwaardig was as die hoofrolprent; individuele B-films is dikwels deur kritici geïgnoreer. 

Hedendaagse B-fims inspireer steeds soms veelvuldige vervolgverhale, maar reekse is minder algemeen. Soos die gemiddelde looptyd van topfilms toegeneem het, het dié van B-films ook toegeneem. In sy huidige gebruik het die term ietwat teenstrydige konnotasies: dit kan 'n mening aandui dat 'n sekere fliek (a) 'n "genre-film" is met minimale artistieke ambisies of (b) 'n lewendige, energieke film wat nie geïnhibeer word deur die beperkings wat op duurder projekte geplaas word nie. Dit is dan nie belas deur die konvensies van meer ernstige onafhanklike films nie. Die term word ook nou losweg gebruik om te verwys na sommige hoër-begroting, hoofstroomfilms, gewoonlik in genres wat tradisioneel met die B-film geassosieer word.

Van die ontstaan van B-films tot vandag, het B-films geleenthede gebied vir beide diegene wat in die beroep tree en andere wie se loopbane aan't kwyn is. Gevierde rolprentmakers soos Anthony Mann en Jonathan Demme het hul kuns in B-films vervolmaak. Akteurs soos John Wayne en Jack Nicholson het aanvanklik in B-films gevestig geraak, en B-films het werk verskaf aan voormalige A-fliekakteurs en -aktrises, soos byvoorbeeld Vincent Price en Karen Black. Sommige akteurs en aktrises, soos Bela Lugosi, Eddie Constantine, Bruce Campbell, en Pam Grier, het vir die grootste deel van hul loopbane in B-films gewerk. Die terme "B-akteur en aktrise" word soms gebruik om te verwys na kunstenaars wat hoofsaaklik of uitsluitlik in B-films werk vind.

Geskiedenis 

In 1927–28, aan die einde van die era van stilrolprente, het die produksiekoste van 'n gemiddelde rolprent van 'n groot Hollywood-ateljee gewissel van $190 000 by 20th Century Fox tot $275 000 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Die gemiddelde bedrag het beide "specials" weerspieël wat soveel as $1 miljoen kon kos, en films wat vinnig gemaak is vir ongeveer $50 000. Hierdie goedkoper rolprente (nog nie B-films genoem nie) het die ateljees toegelaat om maksimum waarde te put uit fasiliteite en gekontrakteerde personeel tussen 'n ateljee se belangriker produksies, terwyl hulle ook nuwe personeel ingebreek het.

Ateljees in die laer-koste deel van die bedryf, soos Columbia Pictures en Film Booking Offices of America (FBO), het op die soort goedkoop produksies gefokus. Hul flieks, met relatief kort draaitye, het teaters geteiken wat huur- en bedryfskoste moes besnoei, veral kleindorpse en stedelike woonbuurte. Selfs kleiner vervaardigers, bekend as Poverty Row-ateljees, het rolprente gemaak waarvan die koste so laag as $3 000 kon beloop, op soek na wins deur enige besprekings wat hulle ook al kon optel in die gapings wat deur die groter vervaardigers gelaat word.

Met die wydverspreide aankoms van klankfilm in Amerikaanse teaters in 1929, het baie onafhanklike rolprentvertoners die destyds dominante aanbiedingsmodel laat vaar, wat regstreekse optredes en 'n wye verskeidenheid kortfilms behels het voor die aanvang van die hooffilm. 'n Nuwe programmeringskema het ontwikkel wat gou standaardpraktyk geword het: 'n nuusfilm, 'n kortfilm en/of rolprentreeks, en 'n animasiefilm, gevolg deur twee films. Die tweede film, wat eintlik voor die hooffilm vertoon is, het die vertoner minder per minuut gekos as die ekwivalente looptyd van die nuusfilms, korter films, reekse en animasieprente.

Die groot rolprenthuise se reëls, wat hul geaffilieerde teaters bevoordeel het, het tydige toegang tot topgehalte-rolprente vir onafhanklike teaters onmoontlik gemaak; die tweede kenmerk het hulle toegelaat om eerder hoeveelheid te bevorder. Die bykomende fliek het ook die program "balans" gegee—die praktyk om verskillende soorte kenmerke te koppel het die idee by potensiële klante geskep dat hulle iets van werklike belang kon kyk, ongeag wat werklik vertoon word. Die lae-begroting films van die 1920's het dus ontwikkel tot die tweede rolprent, die B-film, van Hollywood se "Goue Era".

Verwysings

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Eksterne skakels 

 The Biology of B-Movie Monsters analysis by Michael C. LaBarbera, University of Chicago
Dwight Cleveland collection of posters, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Onderhoude van B-filmspelers 
 The Astounding B-Monster Archive
 Badmovies.org Interviews
 Rogue Cinema
 Search My Trash

Diverse aangeleenthede 
Paste Magazine's 100 Best "B Movies" of All Time 

Rolprente