Robert Redford: Harvey Weinstein, Paris Hilton ruined my Sundance Film Festival

MSA-013174

Robert Redford has a new movie coming out where he is the only actor, the only star, the only person on camera for the entire film. It’s called All Is Lost, and I will get to that in just a moment. Mostly I’m just writing this because I’m so pleased that Redford is giving interviews to promote the film, and that Redford is at a point in his career when he has no more f—ks to give, if he ever originally had any f—ks to give, that is. Redford is now risking the wrath of none other than… Harvey Weinstein!! OMG.

Robert Redford has said Paris Hilton sullied his Sundance Film Festival. But he adds that Harvey Weinstein turned the LA crowd onto the indie fest.

“Harvey wanted to be a Hollywood mogul,” Redford tells Men’s Journal. “He’s got a real merchant mentality; he would start to pick stuff . . . then Hollywood came. When the actors started to come, the paparazzi came, and once the paparazzi came, then fashion came, and suddenly you had [Hilton]. I felt at a certain point that we were being engulfed.”

[From Page Six]

While I know exactly what Redford is complaining about – the commerciality of Sundance, when he wanted it to be a festival about true art and filmmaking – I think it’s a bit rough to put it all on Weinstein. ALL of the studios go fishing at Sundance for cheap little independent movies that they hope will be sleeper hits or awards-bait. Harvey has mastered that, of course, but lots of studios do it. And while Sundance isn’t what Redford expected, I think he should still be very proud of his festival – he’s done something really extraordinary there, and he’s helped out a lot of young writers, directors and artists.

As for Redford’s new film, it’s all about a man on yacht who is lost in the middle of the Indian Ocean. There is no dialogue and no other star. It’s just Redford on a boat, trying to survive. And people think Redford will get an Oscar nomination for it. Seriously! There’s saying it’s a tour de force performance and Redford is incredible in it. You can read more about it here.

MSA-013262

MSA-013253

Photos courtesy of PR Photos.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

44 Responses to “Robert Redford: Harvey Weinstein, Paris Hilton ruined my Sundance Film Festival”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Jacqueline says:

    I thought they basically did that movie already (see: Castaway)

    • Puff Daddy says:

      Lol

    • brin says:

      I guess RR missed seeing it as he was all alone on a yacht in the middle of the ocean.

    • ds says:

      Exactly first thing I thought about was Castaway..

    • MonicaQ says:

      Life of Pi minus Richard Parker.

    • mercy says:

      This one’s a lot better.

    • QQ says:

      BOOM!!
      (The trailer tho is like anxiety inducing!)

    • Algernon says:

      All is Lost is so much more and better than Castaway. I get why people are making comparisons, and the comparisons to Life of Pi, but AIL blows those two out of the water. It sounds like it should be awful: One guy, no dialogue, just watching him struggle? But everyone in the screening when I saw it was crying. Literally everyone. It’s incredibly moving.

      And his acting is phenomenal.

      • mercy says:

        +1

        I don’t understand the need to compare and dismiss sight unseen. A lot of movie plots sound like other movies. He should be nominated for every best actor award for this one.

  2. icerose says:

    I got a bit of a shock when I saw his photos. His skin looks so bad and he seems to have aged so much.

    • Kim1 says:

      It happens when you are almost eighty. I know he is only seventy seven LOL

    • snickers says:

      The eyelift TOTALLY ruined his looks. he was aging well before that..

      • Hautie says:

        See… this is why you do the mini lift when you are in your mid 40’s.

        It is a small change. Its not obvious. And then you have another one done in your early 60’s. Then you stop.

        So you age gracefully. Without it looking like you had any work done.

        Go look at Jaclyn Smith. She still looks all of 38. A very good 38. And that is how you have your face done. Very gradually. With little lifts. Then leave it alone.

        But Robert waited too long.

        He was a naturally fair hair man who loved the sun. And probably never used a good moisturizer to help fight off the sun damage. So messing with his face will never look natural.

        But I do love that he has not been shy about talking. How his festival got sullied by trashy people. 🙂

  3. Bananapants says:

    His legs look freakishly tiny here. Comically so.

  4. icerose says:

    I think most film festivals have become more commercial. Just look at Cannes. I can remember when USA stars were a rarity and mainstream films not on the agenda. Its good in a sense that they get more press conference but in it also means that as at TIIF the smaller indie films get lost in all the glitter

  5. j.eyre says:

    I have heard, and this is all second hand as I have never attended Sundance, but those I know who attend many festivals agree with this – Sundance is no longer a good festival for aspiring film makers. My one friend says virtually the same thing that Mr. Redford does here.

    • blue marie says:

      I can believe it, good on him for saying so.

    • moon says:

      Still, Sundance was what popularised the indie genre and made it known/more commercial (in a good way) in america – people are more willing to take a bet on indies and more good/experimental/edgy films are being made as a result.

  6. bns says:

    Robert Redford doesn’t need to be afraid of Harvey Weinstein.

    • Tania says:

      Precisely!

    • Anthea says:

      Robert Redford is awesome, I just watched 3 days of the Condor and he’s just brilliant.

      Him and Paul Newman together was SO good 🙂

      • dj says:

        Amen! Robert Redford in 3 Days of the Condor, The Natural, & Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid is so fantastic. I love that he is aging naturally. People this is what we are supposed to look like. Deal with it.

  7. O says:

    Grumpy old man

    • brin says:

      He could play Harry Potter in his senior years.

    • Dawn says:

      I don’t find him to be a grumpy old man I find him to be a truthful old man and there is a difference in that, a huge difference. And Robert Redford is not the first and will not be the last to bemoan the presence of reality people. Besides it’s his festival and if thinks reality people stink the joint up well then reality stinks the place up. I have nothing but respect for this guy.

  8. Tania says:

    I think we can all agree that none of us have issue with him criticizing Paris LOL

  9. Caz says:

    Robert can darn well say what he wants. Gee wizz he was hot when younger. And an excellent actor.

  10. Maya Memsaab says:

    Just introduce a system where anytime Paris needs to get a drink or a goodie bag, she has to utter 3 sentences on the works of Ingmar Bergman. Or answer which Italian giallo is her favourite.

    That oughta get rid of her.

  11. JudyK says:

    I think he looks good, and his wife is really cute.

  12. mercy says:

    Good for Redford for telling it like it is and not just taking on easy targets like Hilton. It’s great to see smaller films get more attention and money, but is a shame that the biggest pocketbooks are often attached to the biggest egos. At least Harvey has a purpose there beyond free gift bags and isn’t some trustfunder, but I can’t stand the creep nonetheless.

  13. Mina says:

    The one and only Gatsby.

  14. Sumodo1 says:

    Paris H and Harvey W have a) been to Sundance before, and b) there are many, many other blowhards and gift-suite-hogs there. E! and Extra, the tabs, EVERYBODY goes. I wonder how Redford would handle foreign indie director Lars von Trier making pro-Nazi statements at Sundance, as he has done at Cannes? Oof! Calm down, Mister Redford and enjoy your new movie buzz.

    • Bridget says:

      Redford’s comments about Paris were years ago, and I’m pretty sure you didn’t get what he’s saying. He’s commenting that weinstein helped commercialize the festival, which eventually led to it being the all-out gifting suite, entertainment show, schmoozefest it is now. He’d hope to have his festival be about showcasing independent art and talent, not become just another arm of the Hollywood Machine.

  15. Ag says:

    I love Redford. And, as a young man, he was possibly the best looking man who’s ever lived. 🙂

  16. Kiddo says:

    I get what he is saying. He intended the film fest to be the little Indie that could, but it has jumped the shark by turning into a mainstream mindless sideshowpalooza. Sadly, that is often a byproduct of success.

  17. rtms says:

    So basically he’s mad that he’s achieved his goal? It was about indie films getting a chance to show themselves and studios making them and their producers bigger with a wider audience. This pretty much demands that movie moguls show up to assess the goods.There are very few indie movies these days who just want festival releases or VOD etc. They want to be seen, the people behind them want to get a rep etc. It’s how things go in the movie business. Why complain about it?

  18. Megan says:

    Redford is an amazing actor and deserves an Oscar nomination so I hope he gets one. I can agree with him about Sundance, however, it is a great event and really without it no real movies about story and human experience would be made. All Hollywood would do was push out Transformer type crap.

  19. mmtahoe says:

    This New York Times article published last week about Redford and the movie is superb.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/13/movies/robert-redford-goes-to-sea-in-all-is-lost.html
    And he is only stating the reality of what Sundance turned into. I used to attend every year because I have family in Park City but stopped in 2007.

  20. Gwenhamara says:

    Robert Redford. Oh my. In his day there wasn’t a man alive who came close to his sex appeal, charm and great looks. Sigh….

  21. Nan209 says:

    I really never gravitated to RR until I became an adult. He likes stories, depth and independence. I saw him in some interviews that were unvarnished and man, he is a man after my own soul. No f**ks to give? He never gave a f**k. He never was a rebel, he just did what he liked, what he wanted and didn’t damn about what others wanted. I love that b/c so few people have it in them to not follow the crowd.

  22. JJ says:

    I never get the attitude of independent folks.

    Do they want people to know about their movies or not? Do they think it’s not a great movie if more than 5 people go see it?

    Good movies come in “Independent” and in “Blockbuster”. No need to feel superior if your movie isn’t talked about or if it doesn’t makes money.

    Weinstein is a gangster, yes, but he does make some great movies.