Why Sundance + Big Names = Crap (views)
It happens every year. The biggest crowds, the hottest parties, and the most attention go to, as in all other forms of public display, the movies with the biggest names.
But here’s the rub… if it needs Sundance, it simply can’t be imbued with the elements that make for successful movie marketing. That doesn’t mean that Sundance films can’t be sold and/or be big hits. What it means is that if you have the stars or the hook or the big name director and it comes down to trying to use the roar of the Sundance crowd to sell your film, something is wrong.
The classic of this was What Just Happened, a film with pedigree in almost every area of the credit roll. So what was it doing at Sundance? It was trying to find someone… anyone… who might think it was worth distributing.
There are, of course, exceptions…
...films that insiders like fans and critics think should be seen as mainstream product, like this year’s Adventureland and Paper Heart and even Humpday. Even with some fresh, young big names like Michael Cera and Kristin Stewart, these are indie minded pictures that aren’t really built for major studios. So creating a bidding war amongst the Dependents and indies makes sense.
Even a film like I Love You Phillip Morris, with Jim Carrey, may make sense here. Of course, Jim Carrey playing with his sexuality is not studio stuff. They are invested in him being JIM CARREY.
But not if you have Brooklyn’s Finest, a cop thriller made by studio director Antoine Fuqua and starring Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle, and Wesley Snipes… well…