With the Cannes vs. Netflix debate in full swing, we’re starting to hear from filmmakers that were caught in the crossfire. Yesterday, we reported that Orson Welles’ daughter, Beatrice, had written an email to Netflix, asking the streaming service to reconsider their Cannes ban. One of the other filmmakers involved is Jeremy Saulnier, whose “Hold the Dark” was a strong contender to be included in the festival.
Saulnier, who is best known for his films “Green Room” and “Blue Ruin,” was recently asked by IndieWire what he thought of the Netflix/Cannes debacle, and he said it was a “shame.” He continued, “I respect Netflix for carving new paths that bypass traditional methods of distribution to directly connect with a humungous audience. But both entities are evolving, and I think eventually they’ll work out their differences.” However, the filmmaker took that opportunity to get the what he thinks is the real issue at play – what constitutes a film.
There are people like Steven Spielberg who believe that a film released outside of a theater is a “TV movie.” And with Cannes’ rule about French distribution, the implication is that if a film doesn’t screen in a theater, then it’s not a true film. Well, Saulnier has some strong thoughts on that.
“With new distribution platforms and release strategies on the rise, I hear a lot of volleying back and forth in the trades as to what constitutes a movie,” Saulnier said. “I’ll happily stay out of that debate as long as I can keep telling narrative stories with other people’s money. Oscar versus Emmy? Not concerned.”
“But if anyone tries to tell me any of my modest movies aren’t actually movies they can kindly go stab themselves in the face several times and set themselves on fire,” concluded the filmmaker.
The times are changing, and it appears that Saulnier, and many other filmmakers, are willing to sacrifice a traditional release strategy for the creative freedom and opportunity that streaming services like Netflix offer. He’s right. Eventually, Cannes and Netflix will figure it out and in the future, there’s no doubt we’ll see more Netflix films at the film festival.
But we definitely don’t recommend telling Saulnier that he makes “TV movies.”
“Hold the Dark” should be released on Netflix sometime in the fall.
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Did I read this correctly that he says he’s going to stay out of the debate and whether it’s Emmy or Oscar he’s “not concerned.” But then he immediately says if you call his films “TV movies” he will be offended?
You did not read it correctly.
He said “But if anyone tries to tell me any of my modest movies aren’t ACTUALLY movies they can kindly go stab themselves in the face several times and set themselves on fire.”
He never says that the “tv movies” classification would “offend” him.
sounds like he’s full of himself to me
His last two movies, both repugnant, made me wonder if this guy was not
only a worthless “artiste” but also an asshole. Now I know.
You’re kind of a no-taste having piece of shit
You can’t objectively say Neftlix movies are not proper movies. That said, IMO, Netflix output is reinforcing the perception that the quality of Netflix films equate to TV movies. I’m rooting for Netflix, but have been disappointed so many times. Maybe there really is a magic business/creative mix that the big six studios have learned w their decades of experience that Netflix hasn’t grasped yet
Spielberg is wrong. A “tv movie” has commercial breaks woven into the narrative structure. Those breaks impact the way the story is told. A theatrical movie has a completely different narrative architecture.
Rather than using point of first exhibition as a test of what qualifies as a “real” movie, why not try this: if a film can be played in a theater, and that experience would be narratively, structurally, experientially indistinguishable from a movie created for theaters, then it’s a “movie”.
Alternatively, we could have Spielberg watch a mix of film festival projects and Netflix movies in a theater and tell us which is which.
It’s not that complicated, people. A movie is a narrative format. It doesn’t matter whether it is recorded on film or digital and it doesn’t matter whether it is exhibited in theaters, on tv, or over the internet.
Jeremy Saulnier is a national treasure.
They can kindly get their arm destroyed by Neo-Nazis and have their faces chewed off by dogs.
I see Jeremy’s still in a good mood after his experience getting fired from True Detective 3.0…
“But if anyone tries to tell me any of my modest movies aren’t ACTUALLY
movies they can kindly go stab themselves in the face several times and
set themselves on fire.” ??? So much for folks having an opinion other than his
Now that is a real Mature attitude. I bet investors will just be flocking to him. Sure …He might have done some stabbing of his own self here.
Don’t want to be called a maker of made for TV movies? Don’t make made for TV movies.