On the official Iron Sky blog, director Timo Vuorensola lets us all know that the distributor, Revolver Entertainment Group, are only going to release the film in UK cinemas for one day only.
He suggests the following:
STEP 1: CONTACT Revolver Entertainment, and tell them what you think of their plans to release Iron Sky for just one day to cinemas in UK. Please email to info@revolvergroup.com.
Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Attempts to email Revolver end (apart from one email with just one word in the subject and body) result in the awful:
Google tried to deliver your message, but it was rejected by the recipient domain. We recommend contacting the other email provider for further information about the cause of this error. The error that the other server returned was: 550 550 5.7.1 Message rejected as spam by Content Filtering. (state 17).
REALLY? Here’s an independent result from a mail server that’s configured to check RBL lists, SPF records and DKIM – in short, it’s a spam checker extraordinaire:
SpamAssassin Score: -0.801
Message is NOT marked as spam
Points breakdown:
-0.7 RCVD_IN_DNSWL_LOW RBL: Sender listed at http://www.dnswl.org/, low
trust
[209.85.215.47 listed in list.dnswl.org]
-0.0 SPF_PASS SPF: sender matches SPF record
-0.1 DKIM_VALID_AU Message has a valid DKIM or DK signature from author’s
domain
0.1 DKIM_SIGNED Message has a DKIM or DK signature, not necessarily valid
-0.1 DKIM_VALID Message has at least one valid DKIM or DK signature
So it makes me think that Revolver are doing keyword filtering on all incoming mail. Which is bloody stupid – they publish a list of email addresses on their web site (covered with Iron Sky banners, etc.) – or at least did when I last looked before their web server was returning Internal Server Errors.
If they’re not filtering mail by keywords and it’s because their mail server isn’t coping with everybody asking them to extend the release – the SMTP banner is misleading. They should perhaps look for a better email hosting provider if that’s the case.
STEP 2: LET THEM KNOW what you think also on their Facebook page – www.fb.com/ironskyuk – and on their Twitter feed – @ironskyuk
Their Twitter feed is mere PR – they don’t attempt to engage AT ALL. Who knows if Revolver are even bothering to read anything sent to them.
STEP 3: DEMAND to see Iron Sky in your local film theaters. Go to www.ironsky.net/demand and place your Demand.
Done. But in real terms – what effect is this going to have on Revolver, really?
STEP 4: SPREAD THE WORD and machinate your friends to join the campaign also. Share this link everywhere on the Internet; let’s make sure Revolver hears your voice.
Yep – indeed.
I know it’s expensive to distribute movies to cinemas. I can appreciate the difficulty in film distribution and marketing. But to have made a film (note the word film – emphasised) using high quality kit and for a limited number of people to be able to watch it in the cinema and it not being a bloody film festival is .. stupid.
On the other hand, the filmmakers should now have learnt not to do deals with distribution companies that don’t distribute properly. That’s the job. To distribute. While I have a HD TV, the experience of watching a film as intended is not the same as going down to the local cinema (except no bloody mobile phones being pulled out and tinkered with during the movie, or people nearby offering free commentaries about their life).
As a consequence: if Revolver does not extend distribution of Iron Sky to cinemas – nationally – not necessarily by the time next week comes around, but at least a few weeks or a month later – then I’m not going to watch this film – or any other film that Revolver distributes (which is a shame – I wanted to watch Werner Herzog’s Into the Abyss as his documentary series, which leads up to this film, on Channel 4 about prisoners was excellent). I won’t rent their stuff. I won’t buy their stuff. I won’t (not that I would anyway – remember I used to work in film for 6 years) pirate their stuff.
That said: do you know how much of an impact me boycotting Iron Sky will have on sales figures? To paraphrase a Mr. Prossor from HHGTTG – none at all. Only if others did the same might it have some impact. But one person? Never. At least I won’t have to bother with cinema -> home entertainment windows, etc 
Distribute Iron Sky as it was intended, Revolver. And sort out your bloody email problems.
