Quentin Tarantino has become the latest in a surprisingly long line of film actors and directors who have been seduced by television (he directed episodes of CSI and ER). The first big message for me that the world was changing was when Martin Sheen started appearing on the West Wing, but since then, several movie people have crossed the "great divide" into television productions. Granted, most of those have been for made-for-TV movies produced by HBO, including the astounding Angels in America (starring Al Pacino and Meryl Streep and directed by Mike Nichols), but you can sometimes see "movie stars" taking on conventional TV roles (Keifer Sutherland's long run on 24 is the most obvious example).
What should we take from this? It's quite possible that TV offers more interesting opportunities than the movies these days, perhaps because so much less is at stake (financially and in career potential). Hollywood movies have become largely a big-budget fast food business, playing it safe each and every time. With millions of dollars on the line, perhaps you can't blame them. In TV, on the other hand, some artistic risk can be afforded. Also, with the growing market for satellite and digital cable, more people seem inclined to just stay home. We could see the day when TV actually eclipses film in its boldness, and its star power. Wouldn't that be ironic?
What should we take from this? It's quite possible that TV offers more interesting opportunities than the movies these days, perhaps because so much less is at stake (financially and in career potential). Hollywood movies have become largely a big-budget fast food business, playing it safe each and every time. With millions of dollars on the line, perhaps you can't blame them. In TV, on the other hand, some artistic risk can be afforded. Also, with the growing market for satellite and digital cable, more people seem inclined to just stay home. We could see the day when TV actually eclipses film in its boldness, and its star power. Wouldn't that be ironic?
| :: posted by Ian Dawe, 7/12/2005 | Comments (0) Links to this post |
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