Anghus Houvouras on Netflix vanity projects and The Irishman…

Modern journalism is about quick reactions. It is the highest priority. Quickly get a “hot take” so the world can see it before anyone else in hopes of getting likes, upvotes, and views. Getting it right is far behind.

That’s why I found amusement in so many conversations surrounding Netflix’s announcement that they “will stop greenlighting expensive vanity projects like The Irishman‘. Immediately, fans of legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese flocked to their keyboards and iPhones to post their take on this part of cinema.

Imagine hiring Scorsese and then calling his movie a “vanity project” when you just spent $30 million an episode on Stranger Things https://t.co/aUGGrGDIGs pic.twitter.com/BaaFlS5yZT

— Jeff Zhang 张佶润 (@strangeharbours) June 1, 2022

What has become painfully obvious is this; People don’t know what “vanity project” means or the criteria that constitute the term used. The best definition comes from TV Tropes which defines it as follows:

“Vanity (or Vanity Productions) projects are those creative works that are ostensibly showcases for one’s talents as an actor, director, writer, singer and/or composer but fail miserably to achieve their purpose”

Famous examples of “vanity projects” include Madonna’s awful project swept awayJohn Travolta’s attempt to bring L. Ron Hubbard battlefield land on the big screen, Kevin Costner is inflated, disconcerting The postman and the Tarantino/Rodriguez mash-up Crusher.

Film twitter has gone wild over the claim that any creative endeavor led by my Martin Scorsese could be considered a “vanity project”. But when you look at the common traits associated with vanity projects, The Irishman ticks a lot of boxes.

1. They are forgiving

In the case of major motion pictures, vanity projects are films that indulge the creative force behind the film. Films are most often the product of occasional collaboration and friction. Where the director works under pressure from studio executives and producers to ensure they deliver what is expected. Vanity projects are more often under the control of a single individual. It could be the huge star appearing in the movie justifying the expense. Like Madonna in swept away or Mariah Carey in the years 2001 Shine. Or a director coming off a blockbuster who has carte blanche to do as he pleases like the epic box office failure of Michael Cimino The Gate of Paradise.

In The Irish’s case, that singular creative force was Martin Scorsese, who received a blank check from Netflix to deliver the exact movie he wanted. None of the checks and balances that exist on most film productions were present. The Irishman was Scorsese’s uncompromising vision. And I think it’s fair to call the movie “forgiving.” I mean, they spent millions aging Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci instead of casting different actors for the roles. This creative vanity alone is enough to label The Irishman ‘indulgent’.

2. They are expensive

Most of the time, the word ‘vanity project’ is thrown around, it’s because you need a big budget and set up a studio or independent financiers who expect a return on their investment. Vanity projects rarely generate profits. Netflix spent $159 million to The Irishman, making it one of the most expensive dramas ever made. There are those who claim real the number was as high as $280 million. That’s booty for a gangster movie. Even adjusted for inflation, very few of its modern-era dramas have come close to the $100 million budget mark. The Irishman was a huge investment from Netflix.

3. They don’t achieve their goals

For many people, this is the dividing line. What constitutes a film “not achieving its objectives”. From a creative point of view, this part is completely objective. However, for the studio funding this venture, the goals are very clear. For The Irishman, these goals were to “attract new viewers” and “win major awards”. Profitability and/or prestige. Netflix was trying to attract the most talented people and create films and shows that kept their subscriber numbers up and brought them the prestige of the big movie studios.

According to a 2020 Chicago Tribune article, The Irishmanan entertainment blogger known as the “Entertainment Strategy Guy” did the math and estimated that Scorsese’s three-hour epic earned the streaming giant around $40 million and puts the losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Even if you disregard the nebulous calculations of the streaming services and assume that Netflix was content with The Irishman being a loss leader meant to bring prestige to the service, the lack of major awards means it doesn’t. achieved none of its goals.

4. A troubled development history

The majority of “vanity projects” have a long history of development, usually because studios are reluctant to fund a project that they believe will not achieve profitability or prestige goals. Scorsese spent more than a decade trying to get someone to do The Irishmanbut the usual suspects felt that was not a safe bet.

Five years ago, Netflix was not interested in sure values. They wanted to improve their image and become home to the most renowned talent in the world assuming it would lead to higher subscription rates than Seth Rogen at Burning Man. Without Netflix’s blank check, The Irishman would never have been done. They were ready to please the great Martin Scorsese and let him do whatever he wanted. The end result was a movie that proved the studios that passed on the project were prescient.

When a ‘vanity project’ is financed, it is a bet made by the studio or the financiers. Not all bets will win.

Put everything into perspective

Let me say this; none of this matters to people who love The Irishman and those who adore Martin Scorsese. A club of which I consider myself a member. How much money a movie makes or how many awards a movie wins has nothing to do with your enjoyment. Art is not a competition and cinema is not a sport.

The phrase “vanity project” exists on the periphery of the entertainment industry. Betrayed by agents, executives, journalists and other non-creative elements of the film world. It might sound like a sleight of hand to moviegoers, but all it really entails is leniency and the impact of that leniency on the trajectory (or lack thereof) of a film.

By these definitions, The Irishman would absolutely fall into the category of a “vanity project”.

What are your thoughts? Let us know on our social media @FlickeringMyth…

Anghus Houvouras