AMAZON STUDIOS BREAKS OUT OF THE GATE WITH AN IMPRESSIVE ROSTER OF INDEPENDENT FILMS!
Article By Jeffery Sanders
They may be the new kid on the block, but they have chosen to go with established talent. They may not have the biggest movies of the year, but they have the best lineup. There may be people questioning their methods of distribution, but this studio is leading the way in a new strategy of getting films seen.
Their lineup consists of new films from Woody Allen, Todd Solondz, Whit Stillman, Jim Jarmusch and Nicolas Winding Refn, just to name a few. The MANCHESTER BY THE SEA footage they screened indicates they have Oscar nominations coming their way. Their peek at NEON DEMON proves that they aren’t afraid of taking risks and pushing unconventional films into the public eye.
The majority of their films are getting stand-alone theatrical distribution before becoming available for their Amazon Prime members. Basically, the movie theaters still win, and the low budget consumers still win.
Of all of the presentations at this year’s CinemaCon, Amazon Studios surprised the attendees with the best lineup. Sure, Warner Brothers wowed with an impressive (and hilarious) animated line-up including STORKS and THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE, while Paramount’s THE STORY OF YOUR LIFE footage clearly showed that they have some meaningful entertainment for movie goers to look forward to, but Amazon’s lineup was just as strong and considerably more eclectic than any of the heavy hitters.
CAFÉ SOCIETY–purchased by the studio without having actually seen the finished product– looks to be a pretty smart risk, because you can’t go wrong with Woody Allen. The film clip Amazon shared with attendees was absolutely classic Allen, involving nervous Jesse Eisenberg’s reluctant intimacy towards a pretty blonde.
Whit Stillman has crafted what looks to be a superb retelling of Jane Austen’s beloved LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP (based on the novella LADY SUSAN). The film already garnered stellar reviews after premiering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP looks as perfectly elegant as it does funny and Kate Beckinsale has never been better.
Jim Jarmusch has returned in a big way with not one, but two films set to premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The first is PATERSON, starring Adam Driver (aka, the guy appearing in everything.) The film focuses on a bus driver/poet (you know…Jarmusch stuff.) His second film, GIMME DANGER, is a documentary about Iggy Pop and the Stooges, in which Jarmusch has been granted privileged access to loads of previously unseen footage and intimate interviews with the bad boy of punk. It’s about damn time someone made a definitive documentary about the alt music king! This one sounds like a sure-fire fix for fans of music left of the dial.
ELVIS AND NIXON seems to be a crazy and refreshing biopic that gives us a window into a defining moment in American history when pop stars had carte blanche access to pretty much whatever the hell they wanted, and for reasons unknown, Nixon seemed to be cool with it. Michael Shannon and Kevin Spacey are having a blast here.
Todd Solondz is finally getting another push from a studio with his new film WIENER-DOG after being completely dumped on by the filmmaking community (which is an absolute travesty considering his last two films, LIFE DURING WARTIME and DARK HORSE, were among the best films of the year upon release). Amazon stated that this film is Solondz’s most accessible since WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, and with a cast that includes Danny DeVito, Greta Gerwig, and Ellen Burstyn, they look to be right. WIENER-DOG is a movie to look forward to for anyone who likes his/her comedy biting and thoughtful.
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA, from the underappreciated Kenneth Lonergan, was the standout of the entire convention. Amazon Studios presented a scene from the movie. The raw, emotionally charged three minute clip features an apology between Michelle Williams and Casey Affleck. Based on this one scene alone, Williams and Affleck are sure to garner Oscar attention later this year. Subtle, nuanced, and very powerfully played. Wow! This is a film to look out for!
Amazon Studios closed out their presentation with a live Skype session with director, Nicolas Winding Refn, and a live appearance by actress Elle Fanning. Both were on hand to discuss their new film, THE NEON DEMON. The exclusive footage shared, showed Elle Fanning’s transformation into the LA dream, while the trailer–filled with artful images of high fashion, insecure models, surreal violence, glitter, and a mountain lion in a hotel room–is proof that Refn isn’t interested in making safe movies. That being said, perhaps he’s made something that has wider appeal considering the smart casting, gorgeous cinematography, and a relatable core story about losing yourself in the city of dreams.
Amazon Studios has come out guns blazing. They are not a little startup. With this clever and confident lineup–A lineup that consists of films that look to be big contenders on both the large and small screen– Amazon may be a big boy here soon enough (if they aren’t already.) As far as I’m concerned, this new kid on the block won the week at CinemaCon.
