Good morning. I wrote an essay for The Guardian about Netflix's cancellation of a 9-hour Prince documentary and the depressing state of the celeb documentary complex. I argue that sanitized celebrity docs are now indistinguishable from high-end brand management: www.theguardian.com/film/2025/ma... - ThreadSky

zachschonfeld.bsky.social • 2 days ago

Good morning. I wrote an essay for The Guardian about Netflix's cancellation of a 9-hour Prince documentary and the depressing state of the celeb documentary complex. I argue that sanitized celebrity docs are now indistinguishable from high-end brand management: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/may/05/prince-netflix-documentaries-amazon-prime-trump

Comments

kliphscurlock.bsky.social•1 day ago

I read that yesterday and thought it was a great essay.....and totes didn't notice that you had written it.

jonathanmqz.bsky.social•1 day ago

I don’t know anyone who watched Melanies Documentary so I doubt that’s the future.

20244202.bsky.social•1 day ago

Zionista in charge. . . suck it up.

waisallas.bsky.social•1 day ago

This is spot on. Every “Untold” on Netflix is a PR rebranding

drbutchermd.bsky.social•1 day ago

The response to the Michael Jackson documentary showed me that there are in fact some people who are just too famous. R. Kelly? Fine. Sean Combs? Fine. Take them both, but if people feel like they're being asked to give up Michael? No dice, it's not going to happen.

stewardn.bsky.social•1 day ago

wut?

silenthillx.bsky.social•1 day ago

nope that so-called "Documentary" was a crock of shit and i'm glad it's done-Jackson's "accusers" weirdly only went after him AFTER they found out they wouldn't be part of a Cirque Du Soleil tribute show for Jackson, hmmm gee I wonder why? Fuck HBO for putting their name on that trash.

zachschonfeld.bsky.social•1 day ago

I argue that Netflix's cancelling of the Prince documentary, Amazon's bankrolling of a $40M Melania Trump vanity project, and No Other Land's struggle to find a U.S. distributor are all symptoms of the corporate cowardice afflicting documentary film distribution.

microfilm.bsky.social•1 day ago

All true, and goddam, I wanted to see that Prince doc, even with all the "Prince is an a-hole" stuff taken out.

zachschonfeld.bsky.social•23 hours ago

Finally, I argue that this culture of servility to subjects risks spreading to the publishing world. I'm biased, but I love reading (and writing) unauthorized biographies.

bourgwick.bsky.social•23 hours ago

it's already there to some degree with larger publishers who are often only interested in authorized bios, in part (i've been told) because the subjects' social media reach/promotion is now more reliable than traditional coverage. not always, thankfully.

zachschonfeld.bsky.social•22 hours ago

Man that's bleak

bobcalhoun.bsky.social•23 hours ago

Alex Van Halen gets a little pissy about VH books such as Van Halen Rising at the end of his book, Brothers. Alex gives insight into his relationship with Eddie & their upbringing but most of their story would be lost if we only had Alex’s book.

funkyzengoomba.bsky.social•1 day ago

THERE’S A 9 HOUR PRINCE DOCUMENTARY?!?!?

zachschonfeld.bsky.social•1 day ago

Yes, but we're not allowed to watch it

jonsternfeld.bsky.social•1 day ago

This is a brilliant and important piece, Zach. Nice job tying in with the administration's extortion of CBS--documentaries are in danger of being either too frightened to say anything or too compromised to be interesting.

zachschonfeld.bsky.social•1 day ago

Thanks, Jon

jonsternfeld.bsky.social•1 day ago

As Mike D once said: "Everybody's rapping like it's a commercial/acting like life is a big commercial."

silenthillx.bsky.social•1 day ago

not so brilliant, can't believe he's defending the pack of lies that is "Finding Neverland" it's full of shit and i'm glad that lawsuit got it pulled, I lost a ton of respect for HBO for putting their names on that crock of shit, Jackson's so-called "accusers" are nothing but vile con-artists.

bradleymorgan.bsky.social•16 hours ago

Truly amazing read. Great work!

zachschonfeld.bsky.social•14 hours ago

Thank you

silenthillx.bsky.social•1 day ago

Finding Neverland was nothing but a crock of shit and i'm glad it's gone, "troubling omen" my ass, Jackson's accusers are nothing but lying con artists-they conveniently only started accusing Jackson AFTER they found out they wouldn't be part of a Cirque Du Soleil tribute shot.