If you’re a fan of auteurs and cringe at the state of the current studio system, you should be grateful for what Amazon is doing. They are filling theaters with films from some of our great indie directors who could not get studio support. By the time 2016 closes, Amazon will have released films fromKenneth Lonergan(Manchester by the Sea),Whit Stillman(Love & Friendship),Park Chan-wook(The Handmaiden),Jim Jarmusch(PatersonandGimme Danger) andNicolas Winding Refn(The Neon Demon). All of those films were acquired at film festivals, but after only existing for two calendar years (Spike Lee’sChi-Raqwas the company’s first dip into theatrical entertainment, released last December), Amazon is already stepping up to develop and distribute new films byTodd Haynes(Carol),James Gray(The Immigrant) andDoug Liman(Edge of Tomorrow) and they’ve even entered the animation arena for a film based on theEmily the Strangeseries of books.
While Netflix has drawn the ire of theater owners by offering their films online at the same time they’re putting titles in select theaters to be eligible for Oscars, Amazon hasn’t rocked the boat. It’s clear that they’re not trying to reinvent the distribution system, but instead they desire the prestige that comes from releasing acclaimed works.
Instead of trying to lead a revolution of providing home entertainment, Amazon is operating instead like a 1970s studio. Often considered the greatest era of Hollywood (and dubbed the “Second Golden Age”), the 70s saw distributors like Paramount operate under a corporate conglomerate (Gulf + Western for Paramount) to earn cool points for that corporation by being associated with great works of art. As the heads of production at Paramount during that time,Robert EvansandRichard Sylbertushered inThe Godfather, Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown, NashvilleandDays of Heavenand also brokered a deal to co-distribute films with Universal and MGM. Many of the films that were distributed by Paramount at the time did average at the box office, but they were nominated and won many awards, which put Gulf + Western’s business types in close proximity with famous actors and directors while being celebrated for making cerebral works.
Of course, post-JawsandStar Warsthe corporations and conglomerates no longer sought just prestige but also blockbuster returns. Priorities shifted and eventually you can see where film got to this current sequel and universe-obsessed point for the big studios. Most of the Hollywood studios have heads of production that come from the corporate world, not from the film world.
Amazon’s approach fits the 60s and 70s Paramount model not just because they’ve aligned with co-distributors and are releasing prestigious films that make for an esteemed and commendable awards slate party, but also because Amazon Studios’Roy Price(Head of Amazon Studios) andJason Ropell(Worldwide Head of Motion Pictures) have brought in two well-versed movie producers and distributors,Ted HopeandBob Berney, as the head of production (Hope) and distribution/marketing (Berney).
Hope was one of the most prolific indie film producers of the 90s and early 2000s. His Good Machine production and sales company ushered in some of the biggest new auteurs at their earliest incubator stages, fromHal Hartley’sTrust, to Haynes’Safe,Ang Lee’sThe Ice Storm,Todd Solondz’sHappiness,Alejandro González Iñárritu’s21 GramsandTodd Fields’In the Bedroom. And Berney ran indie distributor Picturehouse when the (now shuttered) company released such distinguished titles asPan’s Labyrinth,A Prairie Home Companion, La Vie en Roseand 2014’sThe Guest.
At a recent party for their Oscar slate, Deadlinereportedthat there were far more directors and actors in attendance than media and agents. The party wasn’t just aboutManchester by the Sea. It was an opportunity to let directors and actors know that their bottom line is different than Hollywood’s. Like Amazon’s purchase of IMDb, there’s a service they’re providing for obsessed film fans.
What remains to be seen is whether Amazon Studios will strike up deals with up-and-coming directors who might have exciting projects without their own name recognition. Or if Amazon Studios will let indie darlings like A24 and IFC unearth those talents first. But, with Hollywood being a difficult place for many of our great directors like Todd Haynes and James Gray to even get a film made without pre-existing fandoms, Amazon is an answer to film fan’s prayers. And in case you hadn’t noticed, even their animatedintro logofor their film releases (which zooms through a city to the marquee of a movie theater) highlights that they’d like you to venture out to the cinema, rather than stay in and stream.
