Between his massively successful sitcom “Seinfeld” and his popular Netflix streaming talk show “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee” and his various stand-up specials, comedian Jerry Seinfeld has long established himself as arguably a master of comedic television. Seinfeld has spent nearly four decades on television, but after all this time, the funny man is finally making the jump to movies with “Unfrosted,” a comedic take on the origin of the beloved breakfast pastry Pop-Tarts, which he both stars and directs.
Ironically, and perhaps not the most optimistic way to promote your new film, Seinfeld says he’s a little late to the party and while speaking with GQ Magazine, said, in his opinion, the “movie business is over.”
“It was totally new to me. I thought I had done some cool stuff, but it was nothing like the way these people work,” Seinfeld told GQ of his experience making the jump to film directing. “They’re so dead serious! They don’t have any idea that the movie business is over. They have no idea.”
READ MORE: Josh Safdie Will Direct Adam Sandler’s Next Upcoming Netflix Comedy Special
When asked by GQ to elaborate on the notion that the film industry was over, Seinfeld basically said movies don’t have the same cultural cache that they used to.
“Film doesn’t occupy the pinnacle in the social, cultural hierarchy that it did for most of our lives. When a movie came out, if it was good, we all went to see it,” he explained. We all discussed it. We quoted lines and scenes we liked. Now we’re walking through a fire hose of water, just trying to see.”
“Depression? Malaise? I would say confusion. Disorientation replaced the movie business,” Seinfeld said, citing confusion when pressed to explain what has replaced the movie business. “Everyone I know in show business, every day, is going, ‘What’s going on? How do you do this? What are we supposed to do now?’”
Seinfeld also explained the differences between stand-up and movies, with the latter being something audiences are potentially tired of, finding more authenticity in the stand-up world.
“Stand-up is like you’re a cabinetmaker, and everybody needs a guy who’s good with wood. There are trees everywhere, but to make a nice table, it’s not so easy. So, the metaphor is that if you have good craft and craftsmanship, you’re kind of impervious to the whims of the industry. Audiences are now flocking to stand-up because it’s something you can’t fake,” Seinfeld said of the strength of the stand-up specials and live shows. “It’s like platform diving. You could say you’re a platform diver, but in two seconds, we can see if you are or you aren’t. That’s what people like about stand-up. They can trust it. Everything else is fake.”
Seinfeld’s cynicism isn’t unwarranted. The 2024 box office isn’t doing well so far, and there’s a lot of alarm in the industry following the SAG/and WGA strikes, plus the rising fear of A.I. and how it might take away jobs.
It’s a bit hard to tell where the joking stops, and the earnest begins. Asked why he decided to make a movie after all this time, Seinfeld was dismissive again and suggested he only did it because he had too much time on his hands during the pandemic and was coerced into it.
“It was Covid. I had nothing to do. So I got talked into it,” he said about the decision to direct his first film. “It wasn’t my idea. ‘Seinfeld’ wasn’t my idea either. I keep getting dragged into things and surrounded by the most amazing people.
It’s a very strange strategy for promoting his film, but then again, perhaps Seinfeld is so wealthy it doesn’t matter if his film does well or not. Either way, “Unfrosted” can be seen exclusively on Netflix and will be ready to stream starting on May 3.