Watching my business partner’s production of Anton Corbijn’s THE AMERICAN the other night, I was struck by how few truly cool American films there are. The American is certainly one, but cool is an aesthetic that few truly dare to tread. The cool that I refer to, is not something that is just neat or novel. My cool differs from the way my son uses the word.
Cool is a committed style. Cool is a discipline. Cool embraces both content and all the elements of execution. In a cool movie, everything other than cool is truly secondary, and ideally non-existent. Cool movies thrive on an existential protagonist. Cool is about the sustain and not the flash.
What are the cool American films of relatively recent vintage?
- The American
- The Limey
- Stranger Than Paradise
- Out Of Sight
- Jackie Brown
This list is far from complete. What have I forgotten? Yet, the real question is “why are there so few truly cool films?”.
The first color film tests — that perhaps ever were — are pretty damn beautiful.
But here they are, 1922, and then how long did it take to make color films the standard? Sure everything happens sooner these days, but change sure takes awhile, even when the tools already exist.
Back twenty years ago, I was hired several times to write business plans for indie films. I included a paragraph for the anticipated windfall of profits from VOD. I see a version in many a plan that I stumble across in the present day. We can dream, but I don’t think $100K is exactly the windfall I was fantasizing about back in the day….
Our director broke first with this photo forecasting some of the mayhem that The Crimson Bolt and Boltie will get into later on in our film SUPER (and as the caps tell you, you pronounce the title LOUD, like at eleven), but hey I am always late to the party.
"Boltie" & "The Crimson Bolt" manufacture mayhem.
And if you haven’t yet, please “like” our Facebook Page.
I hope to see you all there… in costume!
SUPER Screening Schedule – Toronto 2010
Public 1 – RYERSON – 9/10/10 @ 11:59 PM
Public 2 – VARSITY 8 – 9/13/10 @ 9:30 AM
Public 3 – SCOTIABANK THEATRE 4 – 9/18/10 @ 6:00 PM
P&I 1 – SCOTIABANK THEATRE 4 – 9/11/10 @ 1:45 PM
P&I 2 – SCOTIABANK THEATRE 1 – 9/15/10 @ 4:15 PM
Sabi Pictures’ third episode of “The New Breed” is “Planning For Discoveries”.
“The New Breed” kicked off Episode One with “Nothing You Have To Have”. It’s a great series on the creative process brought to you by Sabi Pictures courtesy of Filmmaker Magazine and The Workbook Project.
NEW BREED LOS ANGELES – Episode 1 from Sabi Pictures on Vimeo.
“Beginning, middle, and an end — but necessarily in that order” — so today it’s Episode 2 from “The New Breed”. Featuring Julius Onah, filmmaker Jeff Malmberg, actress Trieste Kelly Dunn , director Brett Haley, and yours truly.
NEW BREED LOS ANGELES – Episode 2 from Sabi Pictures on Vimeo.
This site could not have been built without the help and insight of Michael Morgenstern. My thanks go out to him.
Help save indie film and give this guy a job in web design or film!
