Movies that broke hollywood
Hollywood in 2024 can be defined as a largely risk averse industry. In the upcoming Movies that Broke Hollywood series, Calgary Cinematheque will take audiences back to a time where that was not the case. After Steven Spielberg broke the industry open with Jaws in 1975, the next 5 years in American filmmaking were defined by massive financial successes, often driven by an auteur in the director’s chair.
Directors with critical or financial bonafides found themselves with more and more resources at their fingertips, allowing themselves to dream bigger and chase their wildest ambitions. As the decade changed, the swings got bigger. Production companies and movie studios banked on the past successes of The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. What they got were three endlessly fascinating films that bombed at the box office, and put companies across California out of business. Join us as we reassess Movies that Broke Hollywood.
Art by Jeff Martin
Series Films
Heaven’s Gate (1980)
Directed by Michael Cimino
November 28, 2024
Heaven’s Gate is a searing look at class in the 1890’s, with unconventional politics and beautiful filmmaking. The cast, notably led by Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken and Isabelle Huppert, give commanding performances. Cimino and the Criterion Collection worked together to restore his version of the great American landscape. This 2012 Director’s Cut is what Calgary Cinematheque is pleased to screen. The journey Heaven’s Gate has taken from one of the “worst movies ever made” to a culturally significant touchstone is a key signifier that modern audiences should take a chance on the Movies that Broke Hollywood.
One From the Heart (1981)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
December 5, 2024
After escaping the jungle with his masterpiece Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola turned his attention to utilizing technological advances at his Zoetrope Studios. Initially conceiving One From the Heart as a simple romantic comedy, Coppola’s ambitions grew larger. The story became a musical, with the soundtrack composed by Tom Waits and Crystal Gale. Gene Kelly was brought in to oversee the dance number.
The Right Stuff (1983)
Directed by Philip Kaufman
December 19, 2024
Critical acclaim does not always protect filmmakers from the harsh realities of money in the movie business. Unlike the last two films covered in the Movies that Broke Hollywood series, The Right Stuff came out to near universal praise. The film is an exhilarating look at the Mercury Seven, a group of almost mythical astronauts. These men would go on to be some of the first men to travel to space. Kaufman delivers a stunning ode to American exceptionalism that is not afraid to keep reminding audiences that the country has a long way to go still.
Heaven’s Gate (1980)