Peachy the Magazine January / February 2014 | Page 56
Sundance
Simultaneously with these box office
disasters, Hollywood witnessed the
staggering success of films such as
Jaws and Star Wars. These blockbusters ushered in a new mentality in
Hollywood, which focused primarily on unprecedented profit margins.
Merchandise tie-ins such as toys and
soundtracks added to the kitty and
suddenly studios were making money
hand-over-fist. The nation was also
embracing a new conservative agenda
with the election of Ronald Reagan,
and Hollywood’s work-product
reflected this cultural paradigm shift.
Once Wall Street became privy to the
extraordinary upside of the film industry, major corporations started purchasing Hollywood studios, and corporate
control translated into an intense focus
on the bottom line. Some New Wave
directors fell in line and altered their
filmmaking accordingly, but the principled among them did not because
the true common denominator among
these directors was their autonomous
nature and their conviction that what
they were making was art not fluff.
They certainly were not focused on
profit margins nor did they have any
interest in making wide-release, entertainment-driven films. And now they
were “out in the cold” in sunny L.A.
Robert Redford also was feeling a chill
as he considered the plight of American
film while at his Sundance ranch in the
snowy Utah mountains. He could not
bear the fact that extremely talented
young directors had no resources
available to produce alternative films.
Redford eventually collaborated with
Sterling Van Wagenen to form the
A Sense of Place:
Robert Redford on
the Sundance Story.
Robert Redford and
Michelle Satter talk
about the history
of the Sundance
Film Festival.
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PEACHY