We got pitched a great suspense-thriller this week which the powers-that-be upstairs turned down flat. The reason - there isn't any money to be made in the original R-rated thriller anymore.
That's a shame. It made me go home and rewatch De Palma's DRESSED TO KILL. De Palma was an absolute master behind the camera and this film showed him at height of his powers. Great suspense sequences. Angie in the museum, vacillating, without any dialogue, is the work of a visual genius. The subway sequence also keeps the viewer off-balance and on the edge.
It's a complete shame we don't develop material like this. We're given boxes of comics to read and told to ignore screenplays that can't sell a ton of merchandise after the film's been made. Films have become a portal to the ancilliary markets. Marketing drives all the major decisions and product that lends itself to multiple platforms get all the love.
I doubt DRESSED TO KILL would get made by a major today. That's an indictment on the business.
No comments:
Post a Comment