Cutting the Cord: Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock embraces streaming options
Movie lovers and filmmakers alike are beneficiaries in the streaming video explosion.
Consumers get access to more movies amid the competition between Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and others — including niche sites such as Fandor — while those making movies and other videos have more outlets, says Morgan Spurlock, best known for his Oscar-nominated documentary Super Size Me.
"I'm like anybody else who loves their movies to be shown in movie theaters, but there is also the reality that some movies don’t need to go to movie theaters," said Spurlock in an interview. "And there’s also great stories that can be told in an hour or 30 minutes or 20 minutes, and those aren’t really made for theatrical releases. Where do those go? I like this idea of having digital partners who can help put movies out."
Spurlock has made use of many avenues, including traditional networks such as CNN, A&E and FX, for TV series such as Inside Man, American Takedown and 30 Days. He also executive-produced the original series Connected for AOL and directed Crafted, a short film commissioned by Haagen-Dazs for streaming on Amazon.
Spurlock is thankful for what he calls "the democratization of filmmaking ... the idea that anybody with a camera, a computer and a good idea could make a movie. That made it possible for a guy like me to get a camera and make Super Size Me."
He has also benefited from the subsequent "democratization of distribution, where suddenly you could put a movie out anywhere, on Vimeo or YouTube," Spurlock says.
Now, online video destinations have begun to step up their curation of content so that movies find their audiences. The most recent example: the just-launched Tribeca Shortlist movie-streaming service, a joint venture of Tribeca Enterprises and the studio Lionsgate. Spurlock is one of several filmmakers, actors and others who created video recommendations of films on the service.
New Tribeca streaming service curates films for you
His list of Cult Films 101 recommendations include: Escape from New York, The Producers, This is Spinal Tap, Swimming With Sharks,The Party (a 1986 Peter Sellers film) and Hair (the 1979 Milos Forman-directed version of the musical).
"Part of what I wanted to do was have some films a lot of people had heard of but maybe haven’t seen and were important to me for very different reasons," Spurlock said. "This idea of curation is so important because (now) you have that friend who is saying, 'Trust me, you gotta see this' or 'You gotta watch that.' Whether it’s going down the past to see The Party or somebody saying, 'I’ve never seen The Producers, I’ll finally watch that.' They are finally going to get their taste of Mel Brooks outside of Blazing Saddles."
If you aren't into cult films, Tribeca Shortlist (available on computers and iPad, with more devices in the works) has plenty of must-watch films, organized in an elegant, uncluttered interface. You can try the service for free for 14 days. After that, Tribeca Shortlist costs $4.99 monthly, with the regular monthly cost set to increase to $5.99 in 2016.
Tribeca Shortlist plans to keep a selection of about 150 movies with one-third of the catalog refreshing each month. I've found plenty that I would like to see and could envision a Woody Allen marathon — I found Annie Hall, Interiors, Broadway Danny Rose and Love and Death on the service — or a Stallone double feature with Rocky and Copland.
Still, I found it comforting that Spurlock and others such as John Leguizamo (Chef) were there to assist, if needed. "There’s so many films being made today to have somebody help and hold your hand in that process is invaluable," Spurlock said.
"Cutting the Cord" is a regular column covering Net TV and ways to get it. If you have suggestions or questions, contact Mike Snider via e-mail at msnider@usatoday.com. And follow him on Twitter: @MikeSnider.