Summer blockbusters take a kicking

ARTOON:FOR THE PAST few decades, writes Donald Clarke, the cinema release schedule has been structured around two periods of mainstream fecundity. At Christmas, you get the Oscar contenders and – since Lord of the Rings, at least – your big shouty, sword-waving fantasy features.

During the summer, the lucky punter enjoys (or tries to enjoy) superhero sequels and films in which cabin cruisers turn into killer robots.

So what’s gone wrong this year?

The release schedule for June 2010 is creepily short of mainstream blockbusters. If you want a fine medieval horror flick, check out this week's Black Death. If you want a mid-budget romantic comedy or kissy drama, you are not short of options: When in Rome, Letters to Juliet and She's Out of My League all push those buttons. But, between May 28th, when the world got to see the horrific Sex and the City 2,and July 2nd, when Shrek Forever Afterhits our screens, there remains a notable dearth of tent-pole releases (so-called because, with their obscenely large takings, they keep the studios' entire summer aloft). The main cause for the drought is, of course, some football tournament in South Africa.

The fourth and final Shrekfilm was released in the US on May 21st. But it looks as if the UK distributors (who also dictate Irish release dates) felt few dads would be free to escort children to the ogre's farewell while his Rooneyish lookalike was prowling the stadia of the Western Cape.

There is good news here. The folk behind His & Hers, an excellent new Irish documentary, have observed the echoing vacuum and chosen to release Ken Wardrop's award-winning film next week. Untroubled by competition from warring cyborgs, His & Hers– in which women from the midlands discuss the men in their lives – now has a better chance of attracting the attention it deserves.

Difficult days are forecast for the Cork Opera House, writes Mary Leland. The absence of further plans for the summer reduces the element of surprise at the recent resignation of Gerry Barnes, the theatre's executive director for the last 20 years. He is to be replaced on an interim basis by Padraic Liston, previously managing director of Heineken Ireland and then group commerical director of the Musgrave Group. It is understood Liston's tenure will end by September, by which time a new general manager will have been appointed.

Although all existing bookings will be honoured, the main house is to be empty for most of the rest of the summer, with the small Half Moon theatre continuing to operate.

Gerry Barnes has never had an easy time at the Opera House, which has experienced continued financial pressures over the past 10 years and is supervised by a board which is now recommending stronger commercial awareness while respecting its cultural obligations. The cultural ethic is a crucial condition given the importance of the Arts Council grant of €200,000.

The theatre was dramatically affected over the Christmas period by the impact of flooding and freezing on the usually lucrative pantomime season, during which it lost about €140,000. Last month the city council, which has a 39 per cent shareholding in the theatre, agreed to be guarantor for a loan of €1.5 million, while also contributing revenue funding of €60,000; Padraic Liston is now understood to be preparing a business plan to redress losses of €83,000 for 2008-2009 and a 10 per cent reduction in turnover for the same period. However, he is also expected to reflect the city council’s insistence on restructuring, including a reduction in staff numbers.

There are changes also at the Everyman Palace, where general manager Eimear O'Herlihy becomes executive director while Pat Talbot continues as artistic director. This managerial alignment gives both of them shared authority as chief executives while allowing Talbot to concentrate on production, policy and planning for a future as a lively venue for touring productions, including Druid's visit with Enda Walsh's new play Penelopein July, along with a greater emphasis on in-house presentations.