EDGE OF OUTSIDE begins tonight on TCM

[Jake Schuster Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jake Schuster]

Re: EDGE OF OUTSIDE begins tonight on TCM

This just came to me...

I think you have to keep an indie sensibility while working within the system. I learned this some years ago (as a novelist) really from a French writer who's become a good friend, and whose works--bestsellers, all--seem like thrillers but which have an intellectual underpinning that keeps him uncompromised.

In writing today you can find this in the thrillers of the Swedish Henning Mankell and in the Scots Ian Rankin. They write literature, but they also write top-selling thrillers. They've found the balance. I believe it's possible to do likewise as a screenwriter--and as a Hollywood screenwriter, to boot.

[cluckyburger Regular Find all posts View Profile Close cluckyburger]

Re: EDGE OF OUTSIDE begins tonight on TCM

Adam,

It doesn't matter if you are talking about the 60s or the 80s, Hollywood has from its inception been driven by one thing - profit.

The idea that there was a time when HW didn't care about profit, and therefore mad better movies, is pure revisionist fantasy.

Every decade has seen the making of both good and bad movies. The movies made in the 60s or 70s are no better than the movies made in the 80s or today.

Sensibilities have changed since the 60s to keep in step with audiences and maybe you find yourself in the minority who do not find the HW films to be your taste. That's fine. There is nothing wrong with that.

Just don't believe the fantasy that there was once a time when HW was a Nirvana where artists were given money freely with no conditions or expectations or that somehow movies were "better" during that magical time. It's BS.

we all understand that film is a business and that said business is the motor that makes the films get made, however your implication that nothing has changed at all in Hollywood ever seems off to me. of course profit's been a motive but things change. the studios used to own movie theaters too. the studio system used to be the only manner of production. there used to not be sound. whatever.

not that they were giving out blank checks in the late 60's-early 70's but there was more of a deference to the artist, more of a willingness on the part of the studio/financier to trust the artist's vision. point being, yes filmmaking has inherent financial risk, but the studio/financier has the option to hedge bets on the corporate side or on the artist side. as a current example look at new line making lord of the rings as a trilogy, when it was brought to them as a two parter. they deferred to the material, not to their risk.

[Adam Isaac Member Find all posts View Profile Close Adam Isaac]

Re: EDGE OF OUTSIDE begins tonight on TCM

That's the verdict, Jake

I thought about that earlier. Balance is good.

[Deus Ex Machine Member Find all posts View Profile Close Deus Ex Machine]

Re: EDGE OF OUTSIDE begins tonight on TCM

not that they were giving out blank checks in the late 60's-early 70's but there was more of a deference to the artist, more of a willingness on the part of the studio/financier to trust the artist's vision.

I don't see this at all. There was a certain amount of dependency on the artist's vision by the studios in the 70's, I don't see it being any greater than it was in the 50s or is today. I think it's a nostalgic view of the past that makes people think this.

[English Dave Member Find all posts View Profile Close English Dave]

Re: EDGE OF OUTSIDE begins tonight on TCM

The only major difference in the 70's was that the studios discovered the 'wide release' Before then films had been released in limited venues and then spread out as word of mouth increased awareness.

True, it was a forced measure because HW was in a panic because they were spending huge bucks on crap like 'Paint Your Wagon' totally out of touch with what the movie going audience wanted to see and were bleeding badly.

Then they made Jaws and thought it was a hugely overbudget piece of dreck and their best chance of getting their money back was to stick it in as many theatres as possible to generate bucks before the Rubes got wise.

Not much has changed.

For the avoidance of doubt I'm not saying Jaws was a piece of dreck. Just saying it opened a Pandora's Box where opening weekend became King.

[andlary1 Member Find all posts View Profile Close andlary1]

Re: EDGE OF OUTSIDE begins tonight on TCM

Which is why all I want to do is write the damned things.

Too many numbers.