As always at theSundance Film Festival, there were premieres for a host of new documentaries, includingStudio 54, the new film from directorMatt Tyrnauer(Valentino: The Last Emperor). Shortly before seeing the film, Tyrnauer visited the Collider Studio at Sundance for an exclusive video interview. He talked about why he was interested in this subject, gettingIan Schragerto tell his story for the first time, how he “struck gold” with previously unseen film footage from Studio 54, what he learned in the editing and screening process, the cultural impact of Studio 54, and so much more. In addition, he talked about the movie he’s making aboutRoy Cohnand where he’s is in that process.
If you’ve never heard of Studio 54, it was founded and created by Ian Schrager andSteve Rubell, and became the most popular nightclub in New York City in the late 70s because of the celebrity cliental and constant media coverage. Everyone wanted to get inside, and only those judged worthy by the people running the door would be allowed entrance. Each night hundreds of people would line up waiting to get in only to be told to just go home. But if you were one of the lucky ones to get inside, people felt free to do anything and everything they wanted without judgement from the outside world. Back in the late 70s, homophobia was rampant, and being transgender was unheard of in the mainstream media, so having a place where you could be yourself meant so much to so many people. It was that melting pot of people from every walk of life that became one of the reasons for the popularity of the club – that and the way Studio 54 constantly reinvented itself every night with different themes.
Check out what Matt Tyrnauer had to say in the player above and below is exactly what we talked about followed by the synopsis.
Finally, ahugethank you to everyone atKiaandThe Future Partyfor helping to make these interviews happen at the Kia Supper Suite and offering up transportation in the all new Kia Stinger high performance Sportback for our guests. We’d also like to thank Altec Lansing, Kunde Wines, Blue Moon Brewing, and Topo Chico for their support.
Matt Tyrnauer:
Here’s theStudio 54synopsis:
Studio 54 was the epicenter of ’70s hedonism—a monumental magnet for beautiful stars, casual sex, and mounds of cocaine, a den of excess that defined its own rules and enshrined the ostracized, queer, and fabulous. Matt Tyrnauer (Valentino: The Last Emperor) chronicles the rise and fall of this nightclub’s founders: two best friends from Brooklyn, Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell, who conquered New York City only to have it crumble before their eyes.
With rare footage, a parade of colorful patrons and staff, and brutally honest interviews with Schrager himself, Studio 54 is a riveting study in contradictions. Inside the palatial theatre-turned-disco, the crowd reveled in an atmosphere of total acceptance, whether drag queen, octogenarian, waiter, or celebrity. Yet outside, a frenzied, excluded mob yearned to be noticed by the doorman and ushered into the sanctum of pulsating love. Schrager and Rubell’s glittering creation sprang from carefree naivete and unbridled ambition—yet those same instincts managed to destroy it. This bracing story reveals how even the most culturally potent and transformative phenomena can be vulnerable and fleeting.
