Robert Redford -- You screwed the pooch

[Armstead]

Redford started and owned the Sundance Channel, which carried great movies, documentaries and other special programming.

Then he recently sold it to Rainbow Holdings, the same company that has just butchered the once equally great Independent Film Channel.

Having just watched a bit of Sundance, it is clear that the new owners have plans for Sundance -- and it ain't pretty.

It is clear that Rainbow Holdings is planning to massacre the Sundance Channel in the same way they have ruined IFC.

IFC now shows a limited selection of the most sensationalistic and popular "independent" films over and over again, as well as (mostly) dumb "edgy" comedy shows (in this case edgy means stupid. Just as bad, IFC started chopping up movies with endless commercials. They didn't just add a few commercials -- they have made it so you get about three minutes of movie, five minutes of commercials and then three more minutes of movie, etc.

The same company also did the same a few years ago with American Movie Classics, which now shows the same "popular favorites" over and over -- and which is also unwatchable because of the ridiculously high commercial to movie ratio.

Now, one can see the same slimy hand of greed beginning to strangle Sundance. Was just watching one of their new "series" called Love, Lust and.... which is basically a slightly higher-toned version of those cheapo EW! Channel shows that list the greatest somethings ,that consist of some old file footage interspersed with shallow snarky comments by non-celebrities.

And -- surprise, surprise -- they are sneaking in commercials there too. Just a few, but the handwriting is on the wall.

Sundance still does show some good indie and foreign films. But it is only a matter of time before those start getting chopped up by commercials too, and the selection limited to the most sensationalist "indie" films and dumb-ass reality shows pretending to be high-toned.

Oh Robert, Robert....Did you really need the money that bad you would sell a once great channel to a bunch of corporate shysters?

[CBGLuthier]

1. It wasn't about making money for Mr. Redford

He can't pour every penny of his personal finances backing a niche cable channel.

I loved IFC before it was ruined and also Sundance.

I have not had cable for a year and have watched a lot more good movies without it. Cable is Middle of the Road pap. "History" channels doing non stop nazis and UFOs. Science channels doing ghosthunting. Food channels using pre-packaged food "cooked" by non-chefs

News channels making up the news. And a so-called SF channel that has some of the worst crap ever seen by man woman or beast.

Why anyone would pay for that shit is beyond me.

[Armstead]

10. The problem is that not everyone has access to high-speed Internet

TV is still the dominant form of mass communication, and it's a shame to see it so totally destroyed, including the few corners of quality that existed like Sundance.

[alarimer]

13. The history channels have things like "Swamp People" on them now.

Kind of compelling, actually, in a trainwreck sort of way but not by any definition "history". Neither is Ice Road Truckers, Alaska Troopers, etc, etc.

[Blue_Tires]

2. Sad to see

I loved the old IFC and AMC, but never heard of Rainbow Holdings...I thought there was some common thread on why my channel flipping rarely stopped on those channels anymore...

[Armstead]

6. What ius ironic is they claim to be serrving some strange demographic

They have some buzzword for their target audience as "independent-minded cultural influncers."

What they don't realize in their stupidity is that those are the very same peopel who will be turned off by their apprtoach to programming and lack of integrity by inflicting so many commercials.

[Iggo]

3. Yep, IFC's unwatchable.

Sad.

[MicaelS]

4. Jeez, the man is nearly 74 years old...

Maybe he want to cash out, retire and relax. He just got married 2 years ago, maybe his wife wants him to retire. Besides, he's been working for 52 years, he might be tired of all the film industry bullshit, and all the prima donna "artists."

[Armstead]

7. But I think he still has integrity and might have preferred a buyer who woiukld not smash his visi

and might have preferred a buyer who wouldn't smash his vision to smithereens.

[UTUSN]

5. Excellent post/analysis. Too bad I can't Rec it in the Lounge, but will Kick!1 n/t

[Armstead]

8. Thanks I was thinking I should have posted it elsewhere

But it's not political enough for General Discussion and no one would see it in Media.

Oh well

[Iggo]

11. Try Entertainment. (n/t)

[UTUSN]

12. It has enough political reference for GD. Besides lots of stuff gets into GD

that has NO political content.

The GD hook here is that a noted Lib/REDFORD appears to be selling out. VIRTUAL REC from me, here: !1

[Fire Walk With Me]

9. Nothing ruins a movie like interruption.