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Why did Catherine Zeta-Jones drop out of Nine? Its not like she has a whole lot of amazing sounding films coming out in the near future that dropping what sounds like it could be a great role for her seems to be a smart move.

I would think, also, that she'd want to work with Rob Marshall again?

Two movies are....potentials:

Charlie Wilson's War
The Bucket List
Grace is Gone (but he's probably already seen it)
Sweeney Todd full version...

My two guesses - Bucket List (successful) Charlie Wilson's (successful but not critic-proof)

I would bet on the Golden Compass as the successful one and The Great Debaters being the other one

Dave, the Broadway workers are actually striking against you. So you can't write anymore about musicals.

There's really no rhyme or reason in regards to why Poland likes something or why he doesn't. I also have no idea why you're being such a bastard about this strike and think it's not having a strong effect on the studios and the networks. Maybe it's because you have Tom Rothman's number in your cell phone and you're blinded by the bullshit. Who knows? You're not going to change your tune and that's why I've spent the last few weeks reading Nikki Finke's page ten times as often as I've checked this one...and she's a fucking lunatic. But at least she's not oddly on the studio's side.

It's not so odd. Studios buy the ads that pay Poland's bills. Writers don't. I'm not saying he intentionally skews his coverage btw, but it's probably there under the surface somewhere.

Poland frequently takes a fiscally minded bent to his industry analysis and I think that's what fuelling his obvious contempt for the WGA side of the strike.

I also think he's unaware of this tendency, he just thinks it's the actual logical factual truth of the matter, and that everyone else is fooling themselves. It's the same mindset he's always exhibited, though usually it's about Oscar movies, whether he thinks too highly of Phantom of the Opera's chances, Dreamgirls' chances, or Hairspray's.

Anyway I've been hard on him for the past couple of weeks so I think I'll stop here for a while. I really do like his work despite these recurring and ludicrous blindspots.

Let us all pour some wine for the inner theatre fan of Heat. He went all the way across the country see some shows and the shows were not there. Sad. Very very very sad.

I feel the writers deserve a better deal than they are asking for, actually. But I think they are caught on the history of it all... something the studios don't seem too worried about except when it benefits them.

And I can do math, Rothchild. The first month of the strike is PROFITABLE for the studios because of the deals they can dump. Once the WGA struck, there was never an issue of it ending in less than a month for that reason.

The month of December is a dead month in town, so while I hope there will be a quick resolution, I don't see much give coming from the studios until mid-January. That is when they will get the sense that there is some real pain coming, with Sweeps Month February coming with no new product except reality shows to promote. If the strike isn't over, this will be the biggest season of American Idol ever. On the other hand, that is a huge loss for Fox because they won't be able to piggyback new programming on it.

I am sorry I am a realist and not a rallier over this. I have a great deal of respect for a number of the people who pushed and believe in this strike date... and I still don't agree that it was the right choice. Taking the double residual for DVD off the table, when in fact, that would still be half as much as the union should be getting is not a great moment.

What I keep suggesting is that the unions looking at the future and figuring out a system that says something like, "X dollars for every 500,000 people seeing the product in any delivery system and X cents for every unit sold at under $5, $5 - $10, and over $20," is not a bad idea. Maybe it flies, maybe it doesn't. But it pushes movement. What about a system that is not based on profit and loss, but on gross revenues versus general costs categories.

You know, the idea that I am "anti-writer" on this is quite frustrating. Like so many things, it doesn't seem that one can be critical at all without being deemed to be on "the other side." I don't think it serves anyone well to spin the truth into propaganda... at least not when it won't turn the game around. Don't tell me about how evil The Devil is when you are trying to cut a deal with him... look "him" in the eyes, assess what he really wants and make your deal.

And let this buzz around your brain for a bit... doesn't this all remind you a bit of the Democrats and the Republicans? Winning and losing happen... but losing when you so obviously should win, because you have right on your side - and the writers do - is deeply painful. I do not want to see that happen again. Does this make my philosophy on this overly cautious or overly aggressive? Perhaps. But I do believe that the p.r. story here can work for the guild. They really have to tell the story better though. My opinion.

I don't think Dave is anti-writer, I think he is anti-Nikki because every post of Dave's about the major online source of news on the strike tries to denigrate her "publish everything" coverage of the strike while he somehow still tries to promote the position that he isn't being spun despite posting very selective coverage of the strike. It's not that different from the growling, raised hackles, and marking of territory he does with AICN or anytime Drew posts on this blog.

guesses on the movies:

can't write: - Golden Compass
most critics dismiss because of the shmaltz - August Rush

Are those movies he can't write about coming this year? For all we know, they could be coming in May.

Did CZJ drop out of Nine because the film has been delayed due to the strike or for inexplicable reason like not wanting to work on a second musical with the director who won her an oscar.

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