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August 31, 2008

PS The Hurricane Is A GOP Blessing

No uncomfortable comparisons to the Dems... they can't be blamed for an act of god.

No Bush. No Ahnuld. No problem.

Posted by dpoland at 02:55 PM | Comments (18)

Following In The Footsteps Of Giants

(Yes... I know... but a guy gets to have a little fun on Labor Day, no?)

Posted by poland at 01:38 PM | Comments (3)

The Watchmen Mess Continues...

Michael Cieply's report on the latest salvos in the Watchmen mess contains only one item of real interest... unless you have no interest in the simple legal reality that "you shoulda known" is no defense of an abuse of contractual rights.

"Fox, moreover, was paid $320,000 by one of Mr. Gordon’s companies for rights to “Watchmen” as early as 1991, Warner lawyers said in the report. Fox has said that agreement was superseded by a later deal, under which Mr. Gordon was supposed to deliver a much larger buyout price that has never been paid."

Right there is the entire case. Either $320,000 was paid as prescribed... or not. Either more is due... or not. Simple.

Neither company is asking to go to a trial on any of this before the release date of the film... which continues to suggest that the request for an injunction is just a power game. However, that doesn't mean it won't be granted.

Once the judge decides - he may have already - whether Fox is owed money or not, he might grant the injunction just to move the settlement along... but more likely, he will tell the lawyers, in chambers, to settle the damned thing before he settles it for them. If he agrees that Fox was paid $320k and they deserve another $320k, he will hint and suggest that WB should pay and that Fox should take a small win. If he feels they have been aggrieved beyond this, he will indicate that Fox better settle it or their movie might get stopped and he'll give for Fox their percentage against net (which has been in every document that I have ever read on this case, from the very first quitclaim on, so I don't know what Cieply left that detail out).

This is not a complex case. Really. Judge Judy could have it done in under 30 minutes. She would either bitch out Fox for knowing and not saying anything before awarding them the full amount and a share of the profits or she would yell at Warners for not being more careful before handing Fox their interest payment and maybe legal fees and throwing them out. And as silly as that sounds, it's pretty much what's going on here. Either the pawn ticket was paid or Gordon/WB/Par threw a 20 on the counter, grabbed the property that was once theirs, and ran off with it, hoping not to be chased.

Posted by poland at 01:07 PM | Comments (1)

BYOB - Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?

Posted by poland at 03:03 AM | Comments (21)

Im-Palin

After almost 200 comments on my hastily written Sarah Palin entry yesterday - I was on a plane, saw her speech on DirecTV just before take-off and posted - I thought I would start fresh with a new entry.

The most fascinating thing about the story, to me, was that the whole thing turned in less than 12 hours.. maybe less. Those on the right want to attribute this to the left-wing media, but the real culprit is John McCain. The only thing left to know about Governor Palin by Wednesday will be anything that the Alaska media was too afraid to report. There is nothing good about this person that is going to be lingering beneath the very light bushel of her public career.

In the comments on the earlier post were the expected accusations of fear driving the smart ass response to Palin. Sorry. Any fears I harbored were relieved by her "Meet Your Surprise Choice" speech. She seemed very bright, attractive... and way out of her depth. Think Ben Lyons.

The talking points for a clearly surprised GOP base were "maverick, pro-green, executive office, female."

Sadly for the Republicans, the "maverick" tag went out the window before the details even started piling up... the far right part of the party was "overjoyed" by the choice. In other words, she takes McCain farther to the right, not to the center, where he once was, and has given up completely during the election cycle to shore up the GOP "base." And he really did shore that up. And in the process cut his odds to win from the 57/43 area he was working and improving slowly on (at least before the DNC Convention) to something more like 60/40, reflecting the choice to go with one of the few women who could motivate disgruntled Hillary voters not just to vote Obama, but to campaign for him.

Not only is Palin anti-choice/anti-Roe v Wade, but she is a gun-loving, animal-killing, pro-refuge-drilling, newly minted careerist.

Some brought up my mention of her Down Syndrome newborn as a form of sexism. Uh, bull. I would have brought up the same issue had any male candidate from a small place more than 4000 miles from Washington DC decided that it was more important to be VP than to deal with the very real challenges of supporting the family with a newborn, who also happens to be a special needs kid. There is a reason we have not seen many toddlers, much less infants, in the White House ever.

When Jackie Kennedy had her young children in the White House, things were very different. Men were not expected to participate in the hands-on day-to-day of the family and women were not expected to participate as much more than goodwill ambassadors now and then.

God bless Governor Palin and her likely unexpected pregnancy six months into her new job and her choice, based on her faith, to keep the child. I have no opinion that matters in any way about that. But what does it say about a person that they so arrogantly think that jumping at the chance to be second-in-commander-in-chief of this nation makes sense for their family when having a baby in the house is overwhelming to working parents who carry nowhere near that level of responsibility? Male or female, the issue is the baby that they chose to have, not which parent is giving up most of their responsibility in parenting it.

The other sexism issue that's been thrown out there is the "beauty queen" stuff, which I had not mentioned. The problem is that with a paper-thin resume of a politician who was an out-of-nowhere winner in the only major job she's had, in Alaska, "beauty queen" will stand out as much as Mayor of Town Smaller Than Most Major State Universities and... is there anything else?

First person who mentions the PTA gets smacked.

What was most interesting to me about the comments on the last entry were that the detailing was so intense that people - especially those trying to sell the idea that she was a good choice - seemed to be missing the forest for the trees.

The comparisons to Dan Qualye don't fly, since Bush 1 was the incumbent VP when Potatoe-Man was chosen. Unless you want to parse percentages of poll inaccuracies, Obama is still ahead in most polling, especially state-by-state. McCain is not the front-runner. So the wildcard choice is much more problematic.

My more complex take on the choice, however, is that if Palin turns out to be interesting, it is way too late to be bringing her on board right now. Had McCain decided to go Govs Gone Wild back in May, say, there would have been time to deal with all the public vetting of Palin and for her to start to build a real image. However you want to game her experience vs Obama's, Obama was not an unknown national figure going into this election. And many people are still working to get comfortable with him after a year of electioneering. We saw that in the late primaries in which Clinton used her familiarity to smack Obama in states that were whiter, older, and poorer than other states which had gone for Obama. Palin has 2 months to take her beating and to build a real constituency. She would have to be one of the all-time greats pols to turn that trick. A real savant. And there is no indication that she is. She might have been an interesting choice, but we will never really get to know her. There just isn't enough time.

We don't even have to get into her suggesting that Hillary Clinton was "whining" about how she was treated in the media... or the rumors in Alaska... or what she has actually done in 20 months in Alaska... or whether her first big claim of stopping the "bridge to nowhere" was an outright lie ("Asked if she was in favor of continuing state funding for the project. 'Yes,' she responded, noting specifically her desire to renew Congressional support. 'Yes. I would like to see Alaska’s infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now–while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist. '")...

All that said, everyone who says that people vote for the President, not the Vice President, is correct. But this choice actually says much more about McCain than it does about Palin. And that's the problem. You can hurl stuff at Joe Biden and get into why he hasn't had a strong run at the Presidency, but no one can say that he is not as experienced, if not more experienced, than anyone in this race or who could actually be in this race. His experience, in fact, blows Hillary Clinton's experience right off the map. But his appeal has limits. Still, no one can say that Obama was making a wacky, dangerous pick by calling Biden.

McCain chose his VP candidate with just two meetings ever... one by phone. McCain chose a woman whose potential presidency would be too wild a subject for a film by Rod Lurie or a book by Irving Wallace.

The details are IRRELEVANT unless they are terribly damaging. What is relevant is the conversation at the dinner table and the water cooler. "Who the hell is this girl and if McCain dies, would she really be The President?" The stench of "crazy" now sticks to McCain. First it was all the childish attack ads that, even if effective, people didn't want to admit worked on them. Seven houses. Pandering to the PUMAs. And now, Phyllis George after 20 months in an unexpected office, with politics that push the McCain ticket further right when he's trying to appeal to disaffected Dems and Independents.

The reason this feels so much like a "hail mary" pass is that it represents yet another change in the "strategy" of the McCain campaign. And Palin herself is a mixed message... Charlton Heston with a vagina. Ms Smith Goes To Washington... and leaves his family behind in Bedford Falls so he can fight for the rich. Dave II, where the guy who tricked the nation admits the real president is dead and the employment agency owner loses the next election because even though he is a really good guy, he has no real experience in Washington and people would rather have a fool from a famous political family with his finger on the button than some boring rich guy from Tenn or Mass who never seems to be able to give a straight answer.

But mostly, it is the end of the road for a guy who was once a maverick, but who sold his soul to get a shot at the presidency vs a black guy or a woman, but who could never tie up his base well enough to stop begging them so he could go get other voters to get behind him... the ones who could have elected him. So in his biggest decision pre-election, he chooses to throw away his value as The Safety Pick against the black newcomer and to actually pick a much bigger question mark, who actually does have Republican base support (ain't that desperate?) because she is so much farther to the right than the top of the ticket, pushing all those people who were still dubious about Obama, but who are not into far right political positions to get off the fence.

Obama really couldn't have asked for more.

Posted by dpoland at 01:02 AM | Comments (146)

August 30, 2008

Box Office & Stuff

So Klady has Babylon AD and Tropic Thunder dead even for Friday. I have to agree with Steve Mason that TT should be the easy winner by Monday. Zzzzzzzz...

Just wondering why we aren't having rousing fights about the massive accomplishment by Thunder... after all, it was such a critical proof of Dark Knight as a cultural event, right?

My point is, stats like this are meaningless, much like box office share. They are worse than just being obsessive details... they lie. For instance, WB and Par are fighting for top slot in summer market share, but WB will have a summer return on box office, based on domestic box office only, of about triple what Par will have... And international will make the gap even wider.

Speaking of WB, The Bat will pass $500m domestic by Monday.

Woody Allen is looking at his third highest grosser of the last decade, at least.

Babylon AD, which stiffed in spite of being MK's cut in France, will stiff here too. While busy raging at Fox, you might want to see if you can find out details of what actually happened on the production from more than one side/source... Just hintin'...

In other stuff, I am pleased that Obama realized that McCain made his campaign a fish in a barrel yesterday and will allow nature to take its course without more prodding. No one needs the spots of Vogue Gov vs Paris Hilton to get this joke.

Also, I had the misfortune of opening the Baltimore Sun this morning and seeing that Zell!!! has already got the 50/50 content to ads split in full force here, with lots of wire service coverage about politics and everything but local sports (50/50 in that section too) in spite of being the biggest city this close to DC. The future of out LA Times is bleak.

Posted by dpoland at 11:46 AM | Comments (40)

August 29, 2008

Thanks, Crazy Old Guy

Wow. And I thought Lieberman was a bad idea.

Two years in as Gov of Alaska... Parent of a 4-month old special needs child... Had her sister's ex fired...

This is who America wants to be a heartbeat away from the presidency of our oldest president ever.

Game over.

Posted by dpoland at 07:45 AM | Comments (191)

BYOB - Travelin'

The floor is yours... for the moment...

Posted by dpoland at 01:09 AM | Comments (27)

August 28, 2008

If You're Right, Why Lie?

On May 18, in Pendelton, Ore., Obama said that "strong countries and strong presidents talk to their adversaries. That's what Kennedy did with Khrushchev. That's what Reagan did with Gorbachev. That's what Nixon did with Mao. I mean, think about it. Iran, Cuba, Venezuela -- these countries are tiny, compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us. And yet, we were willing to talk to the Soviet Union at the time when they were saying, 'We're going to wipe you off the planet.'

"And ultimately, that direct engagement led to a series of measures that helped prevent nuclear war, and over time, allowed the kind of opening that brought down the Berlin Wall," Obama continued. "Now, that has to be the kind of approach that we take. You know, Iran, they spend one-one hundredth of what we spend on the military. If Iran ever tried to pose a serious threat to us, they wouldn't stand a chance. And we should use that position of strength that we have, to be bold enough to go ahead and listen. That doesn't mean we agree with them on everything. We might not compromise on any issues, but at least we should find out other areas of potential common interest, and we can reduce some of the tensions that has caused us so many problems around the world."

And this morning... the elementary school playground stuff continues...

To: Interested Parties
From: Brian Rogers, Deputy Communications Director
Date: August 27, 2008
Re: Proper Attire For The Temple Of Obama ("The Barackopolis")

Today, workers at Invesco Field are putting the final touches on the newest wonder of the modern political world -- The Temple of Obama ("The Barackopolis"). It is upon this pulpit that Barack Obama will tomorrow night address thousands of screaming, adoring fans.

There may be some confusion among the press about the venue and appropriate dress code for Barack Obama's big speech. To help out, we wanted to provide the following tips on appropriate attire. The toga may have gone out of style centuries ago, but after Obama's temple speech tomorrow night, they're sure to be flying off the racks.

The memo - here in pdf - goes on to suggest methods of dress. It ends with a twist that defines McCain's campaign as well as any.

At the Temple of Obama, reporters are expected to observe a level of decency and decorum demanded by the import of the moment and the presence of The One. No "Animal House" behavior permitted. Specifically, no "Toga" chants.

Watch Here For Examples Of Inappropriate Conduct

The "here" is this YouTube link... which demans the question be asked... how out of touch and literally old do you have to be to not recall that in Animal House, the Deltas, not Dean (John Mc) Wormer and the uptight idiots at the Omega House we the heroes?

But more importantly, is this the kind of thinking anyone should be allowed to bring into the White House? The Dems are having a big event, so mock it, not on substance, but on style? Try to suck the air out of the closing night by dangling your VP selection in front of the media for 48 hours? Keep making lies up to fill your ads and then become reduced to the fear tactic of showing bombs going off on a loop while repeating electioneering attacks from the defeated candidates?

Of course, John McCain sent his wife to Georgia, so we understand the depth of his diplomacy, right?

Believing Repubican dogma is one thing... being a scallywag and a liar is quite another. John McCain's behavior makes it clearer than ever that he is not fit to be in this office... unless this kind of stuff is what you think America should be all about. "America: Soccer Hooligan To The Wold! Vote McCain!"

Posted by dpoland at 08:39 AM | Comments (44)

August 27, 2008

And Now, Australia Puts Itself On The Turkey Day Barby

Fox Press Release -

BAZ LUHRMANN’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED EPIC, AUSTRALIA, TO BOW THANKSGIVING
LOS ANGELES, CA (August 27, 2008) __ Twentieth Century Fox announced today that it now will release AUSTRALIA – Baz Luhrmann’s epic adventure motion picture, starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman – on November 26th in the U.S., Canada and Australia. The rest of the world follows at Christmas as originally scheduled.

The move takes advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday play period in the U.S. – always one of the biggest moviegoing times of the year – made available by the absence of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

“Recent shifts in the release dates of other pictures created an opportunity for us to move AUSTRALIA to November 26, which is a big win for us and for this amazing film,” said Bruce Snyder, Fox’s President of Domestic Distribution. “It’s only a 12-day move, but the new date is an ‘event’ weekend – one of the busiest moviegoing periods of the year – and one truly befitting this Baz Luhrmann motion picture event.”
Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman star in Luhrmann’s epic and romantic action adventure, set in Australia on the explosive brink of World War II. Luhrmann is painting on a vast canvas, creating a cinematic experience that brings together romance, ACTION, adventure and spectacle.

Posted by dpoland at 11:21 PM | Comments (16)

US Career Suicide - Episode #432

The very talented Mathieu Kassovitz has pretty muhc burned his last bridge in Hollywood by attacking Fox for the handling of his Vin Diesel starrer, Babylon A.D..

Complain about Fox as you like, there is no studio that wants a director who publicly attacks the work... or actors, for that matter. Only the very biggest can survive taking this position publicly... and Matty, you ain't Sir Ridley.

A damned shame.

Of course, Kassovitz could easily be p[ushed to question WB after Gothika opened, spouting passive aggression in spurts... the kind of spurts that guys like me don't report because the spurter doesn't seem to know how self-destructive the choice is.

There is plenty of righteous indignation at restaurant tables all over L.A... but taking it public just doesn't play when you want people to hand you tens of millions of dollars so you can express your art.

(Thanks to Anne Thimpson for digging up and displaying the corpse.)

Posted by dpoland at 05:50 PM | Comments (32)

Formerly Known As "Nothing Is Private" Responds To Complaints About The Name Change

As an Arab-American woman, I am of course aware that the title of my book is an ethnic slur. Indeed, I selected the title to highlight one of the novel's major themes: racism. In the tradition of Dick Gregory's autobiography Nigger, the Jewish magazine Heeb, or the feminist magazine Bitch, the title is rude and shocking, but it is not gratuitous. Besides the fact that the main character must endure taunting about her ethnicity (including being called a towelhead), so much of the novel's plot is fueled by the characters' attitudes toward race.

I was not contacted by any organization or group when my novel was released in 2005. I don't know if this was because no one had heard about my book, or because they didn't feel it would have as much of an impact as a film. Having lived in a world in which my book has existed without protest for the past three years, however, I feel I have at least some view onto what to expect from the public in terms of a response. The bottom line is, never once have I encountered anyone who didn't understand the seriousness of the word "towelhead" and all its implications.

This is not to say that I don't find these concerns legitimate -- I absolutely do. We live in a racist society, one in which people continue to use ethnic slurs to delineate those who are different than they are. Realistically speaking, though, these people are neither the audience for my book, nor for the film. They will continue to use whatever language they wish whether or not a movie called "Towelhead" is released. For this reason, I am pleased that Warner Bros. is standing by the title.

Towelhead, like its many cousins -- nigger, spic, gook, etc. -- is an ugly word. The job of the artist, however, has been, and always will be, to highlight that which is ugly in the hopes of finding something beautiful. This charge, by necessity, will at times put the artist at odds with admirable groups such as CAIR. The solution, it seems to me, is not to force the artist to alter his or her work, but instead to use the occasion of that work as an entry point for meaningful debate and discussion.

ALICIA ERIAN -- In addition to Towelhead, Erian wrote a book of short stories called The Brutal
Language of Love. She is currently working on a memoir.

*
As a gay man, I know how it feels to be called hateful names simply because of who I am. Therefore, I felt it was important to retain the title of Alicia Erian's novel, in which she so effectively dramatizes the pain inflicted by such language, something many people of non-minority descent never have to face. I believe one of the unintended consequences of forbidding such words to be spoken is imbuing those words with more power than they should ever have, and helping create the illusion that the bigotry and racism expressed by such cruel epithets is less prevalent than it actually is, which we all know is sadly not the case.

ALAN BALL -- "Towelhead" is written for the screen and directed by Alan Ball, Academy Award-winning writer of "American Beauty, " and creator of "Six Feet Under" and "True Blood."

(Edited 9am, Thurs, for mistaken title)

One of the ideas conveyed in the film is that we all make assumptions about each other, without knowing, based on racial stereotypes. It was our goal in releasing "Towelhead" to help make this point.

Some of our past releases, like "Paradise Now, " were extremely controversial and elicited demands that the film not be released; "Good Night, and Good Luck." drew criticism from some as well. Warner Bros. supported the release of these films then, as they do now of "Towelhead," as a medium to create dialogue and support the expression of ideas, as controversial or as unpopular as they may be. We apologize for any offense that is caused by this title but support Alan Ball and Alicia Erian in this effort.

WARNER INDEPENDENT PICTURES

The concept of cinema can be described as ‘the cultural transmission of symbolic forms’ which include actions, utterances, images and texts and are embedded in structured social contexts which involve relations of power. These forms are produced by subjects and are recognized as meaningful constructs. As a form of entertainment, it also plays ‘a leading role in shaping attitudes and ideas, including political ideas’. In-depth studies of Arabs and Muslims in Hollywood films over the past eighty years have found that out of the nine hundred films examined, only five percent of all the movies (approximately fifty movies) debunked the barbaric image of Islam.

There are very few films that show Islam in a positive light. Dr. Rubina Ramji, Film Editor for the Journal of Religion and Film, is one the scholars who has researched the images of Islam in Hollywood films. Dr. Ramji screened Towelhead at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and found that this film is indeed one of those few that promote different faiths and the challenges faced by these groups in America, while offering a much more balanced representation. Using the derogatory term "towelhead" as the film's title, in the context of this film, provides a different meaning to the term, one that encourages viewers to observe these challenges first-hand and to better understand how Muslim characters have been stereotypically displayed in previous films.

By bringing forth the racist attitudes which have arisen about Muslims living in America, Towelhead openly reveals projected fears about difference and offers a constructive, yet difficult, approach to bring forth understanding. We, the undersigned scholars, have spent years researching and understanding the impact that cinema has had and continues to have on various religious groups in American culture. We hope that the true intentions of the semi-autobiographical novel, written by Alicia Erian, who has encountered such racism as an Arab-American, will continue to be accurately reflected in the film Towelhead, by leaving the title as is – a thought-provoking and difficult term that needs to be deconstructed.

Dr. William Blizek, Founding Editor, Journal of Religion and Film; Professor of Philosophy and Religion, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Dr. Amir Hussain, Associate Professor of Theological Studies, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles; Author of Oil and Water: Two Faiths, One God (2006)

Dr. John Lyden, Professor and Chair of Religion, Dana College; Chair of the Religion, Film, and Visual Culture Group of the American Academy of Religion; Author of Film as Religion: Myth, Morals, Rituals (2003)

Dr. Rubina Ramji, Film Editor, Journal of Religion and Film; Professor of Religious Studies (Islam and media), Cape Breton University

Rev. Danny Fisher, Doctoral Candidate, University of the West

*** The above statements represent the personal views of the signatories and are not attributable to any particular organization.

Posted by dpoland at 05:47 PM | Comments (7)

BYOB - The Non-Political Movie One (Traitor Opens)

Posted by dpoland at 04:19 PM | Comments (14)

BYOB - The Political One (Nomination By Proclamation)

Posted by dpoland at 04:18 PM | Comments (8)

My First Fall Rage

I know the awards season has begun because I find myself being enraged by a parade of people (some of whom I really like), institutions, and general (often intentional) absurdity.

Unlike some, I will never take out these moments of anger on the movies themselves or the people in them or who made them. For someone who loves the work, that would be an abomination.

But man, it gets to be like swimming in a tank of acid-tripping piranha sometimes. There are so many people in charge of the same things. So many layers of people who are “in charge.” So many good reasons for things that happen that are reduced to bad excuses because so many are afraid to just tell the truth. So many bad reasons for things to happen that occur just because no one really thinks, “What is the right thing to do?”

It’s outright embarrassing to allow oneself to think, even for a moment, that you are “the last honest player” in the pool. It’s ridiculous. Because “they” are all honest. “They” are all seeking to play out their goals as they feel inescapably compelled to play them out. I get that. And it’s unfair to be angry at people for it. Almost everyone has a boss to answer to… or a client.

But from this side of things, when you are in a position where you can fight these fights and cause trouble for people, even without printing a word, it sometimes feels like you are being asked to assert that authority just to get the little things done. It is, in many ways, an adversarial situation. But mostly, it is not. Most of us do play by the rules and do our work like professionals… and that is on the web and traditional media as well.

There is something beautiful and symmetrical about the old days, where everyone knew their place. But those days are over. Every newspaper is a website now… every trade a bunch of blogs and a gaping, desperate maw for link pick-ups. The majors are breaking the rules as fast or faster than web sites these days. Snark has won, for the moment, over substance. The self-delusion of breaking news in the movie business rages out of control as gossip becomes the standard of the day.

On the other hand, journalists are being called on to write what used to be left at the barstools in conversation with other journalists, where real insight occurs, but often cannot be proved. And so long as we all admit that we are theorizing and not pretending that insights – often very valuable insights – are news, I applaud this evolution.

But I digress from my rage…

I don’t like feeling like my two options are “muscle people” or “lay down for people.” And that is what this becomes. I have no interest in doing either. And maybe that makes me a naïve little whinny baby. Maybe I am supposed to be thrilled to push people around, to make life harder for the people who keep the trains running by demanding stuff from their bosses, to get what I want no matter what the cost and no matter how insignificant the “get” is in the end. Maybe I am just supposed to be happy with low hanging fruit and whatever falls off the tree.

Tensions get high. Money is on the line. Jobs are on the line. Egos are as vulnerable as egos get.

I understand all that.

But I seek to be able to act like a decent, moral, respectful human being, even under those circumstances. It is not that much to ask. We all fall off of our principles often enough that staying on that high horse when we can seems like an aspiration we should all seek to achieve, even when the pressure is at its highest. Isn’t that the measure of our humanity… even in show business?

Posted by dpoland at 02:52 PM | Comments (7)

August 25, 2008

BYOB - Democratic National Convention Week

I'm not going to stop working, but while on a constant schedule of movies for TIFF and planning for the fest and watching the convention, I might be a little absent. Self-amusers are welcome... if asked for a touch of restraint.

Posted by dpoland at 11:13 PM | Comments (103)

Denial Is A River In Century City

STATEMENT FROM METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIOS INC.

LOS ANGELES, CA August 25, 2008--- Contrary to recent media reports, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) is not for sale. There is no "asking price" for the company. MGM's existing financing arrangements are sufficient to meet its needs. Goldman, Sachs has been retained to explore enhancements to MGM's long-term capital structure. All of the MGM shareholders, including Providence Equity Partners, TPG, Sony Corp. Of America and Comcast Corp, are pleased with the Company's current momentum and are committed to the future growth of the studio.

================

And can we all just say now... "Bull."

MGM was on sale before Ron Grover got a call from a friend, before Mary Parent was hired, before they dumped Sony, before Harry Sloan came on board, when Kirkorian owned it, before Kirkorian owned it, when Kirkorian owned it, before Kirkorian owned it, when Kirkorian owned it, and before Kirkorian owned it.

MGM has been a library with an attached pseudo-studio since they sold the lot where Sony now is, decades ago.

I still think that Team DreamWorks is more likely to end up with controlling interest by this time next year than anyone else. The "price tag" being thrown around is likely what Harry Sloan dreams of... but the unreality of the number is instantly apparent.

There is no future for a studio making 6 films a year at studio prices. DreamWorks learned this. MGM has learned that lesson a dozen times.

So, MGM wants you to think that they aren’t for sale… and GE wants you to think that NBC/Universal isn’t for sale… and Sony wants you to think that Sony Pictures is not open for serious offers… and Paramount/Viacom B doesn’t want you to think that they will either re-merge with their other half of sell within 36 months… and Time-Warner doesn’t want you to think that they endlessly consider spinning WB off into a separate entity and would be happy to sell it for the right price as the stand-alone studio that has the most inherent ongoing value in town (including real estate and television).

What majors aren’t for sale? Disney and Fox… the most integrated, balanced, conservative players in town… and not coincidentally, two of the three studios left with major networks attached. (The big difference for GE, owner of the third network, is that the entertainment business is not their central business.)

Meanwhile, MGM must stop these responses to media stories that rehash old news and old ideas. The “clarifications” are embarrassing. Do what everyone else does… get a stooge at a major paper (or of desperate, an industry gossip blog) to carry your water for you. It’s not that hard, really.

Posted by dpoland at 12:31 PM | Comments (12)

Summit Rolls It Out

One of the big stories of this fall/holiday season will be the full roll out of Summit Entertainment as a new mini-major.

The huge amount of attention they have already garnered for Twilight is truly remarkable… as I’ve written before, a very rare recipient of a summer cover for a November movie (or really, any movie) that is not a Time-Warner property.

The studio has released four movies so far, starting with P2 in January 2007 ($4 million). This year, it was the long delayed Penelope ($10 million… the #7 “specialized” release of the year) in February, Never Back Down ($25 million), an action film in March , and just last week, Fly Me To the Moon 3-D, which opened conservatively and had a $4.2 million launch.

Clearly, they have to do better.

Next up, a thorw away sex comedy called Sex Drive

The muscle begins with The Brothers Bloom, the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels spin with Oscar winners Brody & Weisz and indie-king Mark Ruffalo.

Bigger still (the company''s cruucible, really) should be Twilight, now on Nov 21.

And they just rolled out the trailer fo the Nic Cage thriller, Knowing, due in March, which combines Shyamalan and National Treasure elements as the dates of future tragedies become known. .

By the time the opening weekend for Knowing comes and goes, we will know how real Summit is going to be in an industry universe of disappearing mini-majors.

Posted by dpoland at 10:58 AM | Comments (14)

August 24, 2008

Hot Button - TIFF Preview, Pt 2

The 35 other titles I am quite interested in seeing... which makes a total of 59... and a lot of stuff that I will be looking for advice on.

The titles...

American Swing – Another swinging doc… but this time, chronicling the specific ups and downs (and ins and outs) of Plato’s Retreat, a club whose daily existence, I must admit, I still can’t get my brain around.

Beaches of Agnes – Agnes Varda’s autobiodoc. Yeah.

Biggest Chinese Restaurant In the World – A 5000 seat restaurant with 1000 in staff… this has got to be fascinating. (And in China, I guess it’s just “the biggest restaurant in the world.)

Blind Sunflowers – Another Spanish civil War drama, but the cast is compelling enough to get me in the door (Maribel Verdu and Javier Camara).

Dead Girl – Stand By Me meets a naked dead girl that comes back to life. Eeeewwww….

Examined Life – How can this navel gazer skip a doc about Big Time navel gazing?

$5 A Day – Chris Walken goes road tripping again… it must be better than Around The Bend right?

the rest...

Posted by dpoland at 08:38 PM | Comments (17)

Hot Button - TIFF 08 Preview, Pt 1

I am now working my way through the TIFF list... here is the first part of what I am finding that I think might be particularly interesting...

Appaloosa – Ed Harris takes on the western… fingers crossed.

Blindness – Fernando Meirelles took a beating in Cannes… but I trust him more than I trust “them.”

The Brothers Bloom – Rian Johnson’s first, Brick, was a cult phenom… and little seen by mainstream movie lovers. Here, he has indie beloved Ruffalo and Brody as brothers/con artists, working Rachel Weisz. Fingers crossed.

Burn After Reading – A Coen Bros comedy. ‘Nuff said.

the rest...

Posted by dpoland at 04:18 PM | Comments (7)

I Did Not Have A Political Diatribe With That University!

Yesterday, a wannabe op-ed called "Obamacide" turned up in the inbox. The bio line on it was: Matt Barber is Director of Cultural Affairs with Liberty Counsel and Associate Dean with Liberty University School of Law

Today, the follow-up...

PLUS - My favorite dumb ad of the week from McCain... "Ladies... that young man dumped you... why... because you aren't as attractive as you once were... don't bother to think about how the right tramples on women's rights and wants to pull back Roe vs Wade... we know you are just emotional beings who can't think when you are hurt... really, trust the man with the rich wife who finances all of his ambitions instead of the guy with a wife who actually speaks her mind... it will feel good to smack Obama in the face..."

ALSO - I just saw this page for the first time and it speaks to what The Tribune Company needs to be doing across the board...

This seems to be a Chicago Tribune site, but the idea that capital-T Tribune would have "The Washington Bureau," "The Show Business Bureau," "The Sports Bureau," etc, being fed by all of the company's papers is the web strategy that they really need to get focused on (as I have been saying for years now).

Posted by dpoland at 12:57 PM | Comments (40)

Weekend Estimates by Klady

Well... that would be me being wrong. Tropic Thunder's number was right in line with their Friday estimate. The House Bunny didn't even have as good a weekend trajectory as Traveling Pants 2... evne though Pants had a Wed and Thurs to eat weekened dollars. (For the sake of accuracy, Bunny is about 25% behind Pants at the end of the first weekend.)

Posted by dpoland at 12:22 PM | Comments (34)

August 23, 2008

Can You Smell The McCain Burning?

The McCain campaign is already selling Obama's "the next president" verbal stumble as a show that he is giving Biden the lead on the ticket.

Tee-hee.

If this and old debate footage is what they have to fire at the Obama-Biden ticket, Democrats can start to get cocky again.

In an odd way, Obama selected a Dem version of McCain... less bluster, less anger, but a veteran Washington voice who is fearless about saying what he really things... well, that used to be McCain.

We will get more of the same scam from the Republicans… trying to sell Biden’s experience as a liability while trying to sell their guy’s experience as something other than what it has been and what it has become. Trying to cherry pick polls to suggest trouble. Trying to sell Obama and Biden as Paris and Britney.

But people really do decide for themselves. And who, in real life, doesn’t actually want the new guy, who they aren’t sure is proven, to have experience in the room with him? Who can’t understand that 95% voting with your President is a vast agreement with your President? Who really wants the guy whose best defined ideas are how to attack his opponent?

Obama still is the top of the ticket.... still suffers from being the new guy... is still black with a "funny" name... and now he has to be careful not to make Biden so much the attack dog that he doesn't become further labeled as emotionally distant. They have to work out the act so that Obama sets first and Biden spikes next. Because in the end, they have the goods.

Keywords: Bluster... Bush/McCain... Out Of Touch With The American People... Straight Talk

Posted by dpoland at 12:07 PM | Comments (30)

Friday Estimates by Klady

(Changed Out, 11:55a... waiting on corrected chart)

Okay. Trying to care...

I'm not sure how Steve Mason is pulling a Tropic Thunder win out of his ass this weekend, but anything is possible. If you base Tropic's wekeend number on last weekend's trajectory, it will do $16.2 million. If you base the House Bunny trajectory on Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the last comedy with female appeal targetting teens and college kids (along with Baby Mama, whose opening was almost identical), THB opens to $17.1 million. I can only assume that Mason is being told not to expect a Saturday bump because... uh... it's not the date movie this weekend?

But again... anything can happen.

Much more likely to shrink like a hack director getting hit in the pants with ice water as Michael Bay dials up Natalie Marttinez's cell number is Death Race, which will do a little better than last year's Jason Statham August 24 opening, WAR.

Posted by dpoland at 10:50 AM | Comments (28)

August 22, 2008

The Mentality Of Victimhood

"Here we go again!"

There is no denying it... I hear it all the time from liberals who are allowing themselves to be sucked into the right-wing promotion - mostly based on manipulated stats and lies - that Barack Obama is heading down the drain.

As Cher spoke John Patrick Shanley's words, "Snap out of it!!!"

It is finally setting in for me, just what is so pathetic about the party to which I have been affiliated since I first registered to vote. After Nixon, the perceived failure of Carter's presidency, the Reagan Revolution, and a stunning eight years of Bush II, liberals in this country are acting like children who have been taken to the woodshed and whipped raw and threatened with more if they dare told anyone.

I hate to be unsympathetic to my brethren, but grow the fuck up already.

“We” have already made the huge mistake of indulging Hillary Clinton’s horrible abuse of her own party’s goals in pursuit of even more ego rewards than she and her husband racked up over the last 16 years. McCain could never undermine the new face, Obama, like a fellow Democrat could. McCain could never have made him as much an outsider amongst half his party.

“We” are turning into that character in every high school movie that so desperately wants to be with the in-crowd that we betray our closest ally, all too childishly ready to assume that our ally will not get us where we were so wanting to go anyway… after all, if we are losers, so must our friends be losers.

Pathetic.

Republican conventions have been delusional… I mean, how crazy is it to have Ahnuld get up and proclaim that he is a Nixon Republican? But on the other side, Dems have been apologizing for everything like a bunch of losers. Now we’re apologizing for Obama being popular, smart, being the only one in this position (including the current president) to stick with an Iraq timetable which they are ALL now supporting… to be against the war from the start… to take the heat for being willing to negotiate with enemies in Iran which is now being done by Bush Administration… to push out lobbyists from his process… to be serious about pushing the oil companies… to actually have a profile that the rest of the world welcomes after 8 years of Bush... etc, etc, etc.

We are apologizing for our beliefs!

We are IDIOTS!

Stop. Breathe. And grow up now. Rush Limbaugh doesn’t speak for America unless we treat him like he speaks for America. Are we really so weak that we get queasy when Obama doesn’t pander to the Christian right about abortion and McCain does? Shouldn’t we be enraged when McCain lies and lies and lies about Obama’s tax plan?

Why don’t liberals have the courage of our convictions?

“Here we go again…”

I guess “we” get what we deserve sometimes.

Fortunately, Obama doesn’t seem to be listening to our loser clock. He doesn’t seem to feel the need to pander by asking Clinton to VP. He isn’t manufacturing celebrity. He is not a messiah. He is a politician. But he is smart and motivated and unlike so many of my sisters and brothers, he keeps moving forward. And unlike the first Clinton, I think he will stick to his principles in office too.

It’s hard to be the frontrunner. It’s hard not to make fun of McCain in ways similar to the infantile crap McRove has used to go after Obama in recent weeks. It’s hard to be black in America but not being able to break out the race card like McCain breaks out being a P.O.W. 4 decades ago.

If you want anything worth having, it’s very likely to be hard.

It’s time for Democrats to grow up, grow a shell, and stop waiting to lose. It’s embarrassing already.

Posted by dpoland at 12:10 PM | Comments (64)

Hot Button - It Was 11 Years Ago Today...

Happy Button birthday to me.

I usually write some sort of heavy perspective column at this time of the year, but... nah.

The column was inspired by the lack of daily commentary from anyone but Army Archerd. I was online because of the late, great Andy Jones recruiting me from EW for a weekly. The support of TNT's Scot Safon was critical. The anger from most of the staff in Atlanta, once the column caught on, was palpable.

Six months or so off for The Miami Film Festival. VoicesOfHollywood.com. And then Movie City News.

Eleven years later, I am still having the same arguments with Moriarty... ten years of Wells doing my schtick (19 months of not reading him or communicating with him as a result of the prior 100)... about three years of blogs transforming the daily marketplace into something else altogether... the insanity (mostly offline) of Nikki Finke... and the desperation of an group of mainstreamers to be just like her, still not understanding that the opportunity of the web is to be so much better than smears and gossip.

Through the whole 11 years, I have not only done as I like, but I have always had very clear ideas of what I don't want to be doing on the web, regardless of how it might spark bigger numbers or greater popularity. What I have had to fight off has changed, year by year. People and sites have come and gone. Overresponding to "threats" happens... and I think I have retreated to my real standards each time. (Welcome to the jungle, Sharon Waxman. Good luck.)

Of course, it is the people read my endless musing that make it all possible. It is the eyeballs of the industry that has allowed me my independence and made MCN a viable home not just for me, but for an entire somewhat underpaid staff of writers and other creative people. I couldn't be more proud of or thankful for our staff, led by my partner in MCN crime, Laura Rooney.

Every year has been a little different. The Hot Blog came along about 3.5 years ago and 3000 entires and over 90,000 comments later, it has become the primary release valve. Lunch With David, now known as DP/30, soon to be known as something else as we take the 30 minute interview on the web to its next step, has been an absolute joy, even though it occupies part of my workspace that used to be spent grinding out copy. I love working with the only traditional editorial cartoonist working weekly on the film beat, RJ Matson, as we continue to seek out new ways to expand the boundaries of web editorial.

I'm healthy. I'm married. I'm busy. I'm still learning every day. And I am always looking for the next thing that will feel fresh and worth the effort.

I am happy.

And I thank you all.

Posted by dpoland at 11:18 AM | Comments (21)

August 21, 2008

Who's That Guy?

One hates to give away free advertising, but I was puzzled, having seen and enjoyed Hamlet 2 and a great deal of Steve Coogan's work on film and TV... who the hell photoshopped channing Tatum over Mr. Coogan for this web ad? Who are they trying to trick into thinking someone other than Steve Coogan is rocking "Sexy Jesus?"

Well, I guess it's better than just deflating his lips or inflating his bust (though the biceps are certainly not his)....

Posted by dpoland at 12:28 PM | Comments (10)

BYOB - Slow Roll

Sorry for being distracted...

Three movies today in anticipation of Toronto... the beat goes on...

Posted by dpoland at 11:37 AM | Comments (61)

August 20, 2008

Beyond Headlining...

Posted by dpoland at 04:32 PM | Comments (14)

August 19, 2008

10 To Watch...

I don't know how I fell about the press release I got today that Variety would release its "10 Actors to Watch" list at the Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony.

Who is trying to leverage who?

Anyway... here is the list I wouldn't be surprised to see...

Dominic Cooper - Mamma Mia! and The Duchess
Essie Davis – Australia
Kat Dennings - Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Rebecca Hall – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins – Happy Go Lucky
Robert Pattinson – Twilight
Amanda Seyfried – Mamma Mia!
Carice Van Houten – Body of Lies

And… someone from Miracle At St. Anna

Posted by dpoland at 06:29 PM | Comments (14)

Watchman Claim a Bit Worse Than Indicated

I haven't read anything that indicated that this segment of Fox's claim doesn't just say that Warner Bros was party to the situation Larry Gordon was in, but that they actually induced Gordon to assign rights without regard to Fox's claimed rights. "Willful or concious disregard."

This, of course, is how Fox navigates the iinevitable indemnification claim.

ADD, 4:29p - Reading through these documents (this set is cleaner than the Hollywood Reporter's) is fascinating, But for all these pages, it seems to come down to one simple conflict.

WB's deal to take over Larry Gordon's rights states that WB had the June 17, 1991 agreement between Fox and Gordon (via his corporate entities).

The June 17, 1991 document simply offers...

So you know, this image doesn't include the profit agreement which follows. The contract does.

Plenty of people hate Fox for all kinds of reasons, good and bad. But there doesn't seem to be anyplace to turn for WB on this one. The 1994 agreement once again restates Fox's position and the agreement not only to a payment, but to a piece of the net profits (2.5%), and quite specifically "No Assignment," stating that the rights being assigned to Gordon and personal to him and that he can't assign rights to any party without Fox's approval.

Oof!

Posted by dpoland at 03:37 PM | Comments (34)

Oh Mamma!!!

“You Can Dance, You Can Jive, Having The Time of Your Life...”

STARTING AUGUST 29, SELECT THEATERS NATIONWIDE
TO SHOW SPECIAL SING-ALONG EDITION
OF SMASH HIT MAMMA MIA!

Universal City, CA, August 19, 2008 — Due to overwhelming demand, Universal Pictures announced today that it will release a special sing-along edition of its worldwide smash hit movie musical Mamma Mia! in selected theaters nationwide, starting Friday, August 29, for a limited time. The movie phenomenon, based on the songs of iconic supergroup ABBA, has earned more than $320 million at the worldwide box office.

Audiences at these specially selected theaters are invited to bring friends and family to experience the smash hit movie musical in a whole new way by singing along to the songs they love. Mamma Mia!: The Sing-Along Edition will feature the lyrics to every musical number on the screen, and you are invited to sing and dance along. Join in on all your familiar favorites like “Dancing Queen,” “S.O.S.,” “Money, Money, Money,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “Lay All Your Love on Me,” “Voulez-Vous” and all the others from the film!

Details on theaters and showtimes that will feature Mamma Mia!: The Sing-Along Edition will be coming soon. For the latest news, please visit www.mammamiamovie.com or your favorite ticketing site to make a destination visit to join in on the celebration.

Since its release in early July, Mamma Mia! has turned into an unprecedented worldwide phenomenon, breaking records across the world as the biggest opening of a musical in history. It has already become the fastest movie musical to reach $100 million at the U.S. box office and is now the highest grossing film of 2008 in the U.K., Austria, Greece, Hungary, Norway and Sweden. Within the next two weeks, the Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan-led musical romantic comedy will become the most successful film Universal has ever released in the U.K. The film still has more than 35 territories in which to open.

The music of the film has proved as much a draw as the film itself and brought resurgence to the world’s favorite ABBA songs. Currently, the Mamma Mia! soundtrack is the No. 1 album on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart. It is also the No. 1 album overall in Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Finland and Hungary.

Mamma Mia!: The Sing-Along Edition arrives in select theaters across the country on August 29, 2008.

Posted by dpoland at 03:24 PM | Comments (6)

The End Of The World As We Knew It, OR...

… Jon Sloss Invests Heavily In Rosetta Stone

The full Toronto Film Festival 2008 list came out today and the most striking thing was the continuation of a phenomenon that has grown with every major festival in the year since the last TIFF… The American Indie Movement is dead.

Of course, it is always subject to the next resurrection.

But the lack of quality American product smacks you right in the face when you look to our friends to the north.

American films make up only 8 of 20 Galas, an area where America tends to dominate… and where TIFF was fighting for more high profile titles up until the end of last week. Masters? 1 of 10. Special Presentations? 17 of 51. Contemporary World Cinema? 7 of 58.

The good news? The festival will be more like a festival and less like a marketing machine.

The bad news? Navigating the fest just got a whole lot harder.

Personally, I’m not quite sure how I am going to get my film count this year over 30, given that we will be shooting our interview segments to the tune of 4 or 5 a day through the first half of the fest.

My focus will likely be on emerging filmmakers, from Rian Johnson to Neil Burger to first-time directors Guillermo Arriaga and Charlie Kaufman. Also, established filmmakers who are pushing the envelope, whether its Meirelles’ Blindness, Bigalow’s Hurt Locker, Aronofsky’s The Wrestler or Soderbergh, whose Che’ will certainly get 4 hours of my time… or 8.

McGehee and Siegel seem to be back to the cutting edge with a Visions film, Uncertainty. Barbet Schroder continues to work in French with another doc, Inju, la bete dans l’ombre. I was a big fan of John Crowley’s Intermission, so I will be trying to get to Is There Anybody There? And films from Hirokazu Kore-eda, Kevin Smith, Spike Lee, Richard Linklater, Ed Harris, Atom Egoyen, Agnes Varda, The Dardennes, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Anne Fontaine, Rod Lurie, Ramin Bahrani, Kristian Levring, Walter Salles, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, and the magnificent Jon Demme are all on the “go’ list.

But the real fun will be finding things that are not on the list today. A festival like Toronto’s this year is an opportunity to find emerging greatness.

Yes, scoring 30 minutes with The Coens is the ultimate get. But man does not live on the familiar alone.

It’s not your normal idea of TIFF… but it’s kinda exciting.

Posted by dpoland at 01:45 PM | Comments (52)

Wild W.

Posted by dpoland at 01:09 PM | Comments (58)

Who Was On Watch, Man? (Landed In LA)

I find the Watchmen situation very interesting.

The first striking thing is that for all the claims that so many make to journalism in this town, once again we have a major story - studios actually suing other studios is a rare occurrence – that didn’t actually break until a lawsuit got to the public release of a judge’s preliminary decision. And even then, you can be sure that the “news” was not unearthed, but delivered.

Perspective.

As for the suit itself, no one on this side of the table has the slightest idea what the real answer is.

Comparisons to the Dukes of Hazzard situation are specious… other than to bring WB Legal under the microscope again. It’s one thing to not have paid the guy who owned underlying rights. In this case, everyone knew that Larry Gordon’s Largo Entertainment was in bed with Fox at the start of the company’s life and extreme caution should have been exercised. At the very least, the first thing development execs normally consider on a project that’s been bouncing around is whether there is any money out there against the project. Someone decided to simply listen to Larry Gordon’s people and not to do due diligence and ask Fox, lest they get the wrong answer.

You can bet dollars to donuts that WB’s position will be to blame Gordon and to try to hide behind whatever indemnification and claims his contract offered the studio.

But it’s also very unlikely that any judge will simply allow it to pass on that because it was unreasonable of WB Legal to simply proceed on that basis. Fox will argue that it is standard industry business procedure to “follow the money” and that a call should have been made.

It appears that, had they asked, the price tag could have been $1 million or so for development expenses and some small piece of the film’s net. After all, the movie has proven to be a tough one to get made. But Warners instead made their collective self a very attractive target. And it is easy to imagine this becoming a $50 million unexpected windfall for Fox… and that would be getting off cheap, if the suit holds up.

Another reason this interests me is that my first serious investigative piece on Hollywood, which was never published, was about a very similar case. And the story, the details of which remained private, didn’t get published because it was too hot to handle in the day.

The movie was The Flintstones. And the punchline was that the studio, Universal, had made the film with Amblin based on the first live-action screenplay, written by Steven DeSouza. The problem? They didn’t own that screenplay, which had been commissioned by an out-of-business production company whose assets had been sold and re-sold and re-sold over the years, so that none of the companies in the chain of ownership knew whether they actually held the rights to the script.

The reason there was so much heat in the story was that there were all kinds of payoffs going on, involving union tampering and cover-ups with the knowledge of people who should have known better. And like Watchmen, the film had a number of false starts before it was finally made. Things had gone so far as Universal having plans drawn up for the Flintstones section of Universal Studio Tours theme park… which were thrown out when the problem of ownership cropped up again.

I’m not going to name names and throw out specific accusations here and now. There were threats of lawsuits back then, though I had the goods, on the record. I couldn’t prove every payoff… only the actions of some very well-known folks who coincidentally did exactly what some lesser known folks - who admitted what had happened - had done… actions which on their face were not in their self-interests.

But even that story, while it involved hubris, didn’t involve an ongoing business that had invested hundreds of thousands into something and could not be reasonably expected to sit quietly while someone else capitalized on that expenditure. The original copyright owner was long out of business. As I just wrote, the multinationals that might have had rights didn’t even see a blip on their radar about it… until I called asking questions.

There are literally scores of thousands of film projects that are in “permanent” turnaround, encumbered by so much in development money that they are unlikely to ever resurface. Some truly great scripts… mostly not. No studio would ever think it could just pick up the script and greenlight it without figuring out what was owed against it, no matter what the producer’s lawyers said.

And keep in mind, Fox is the company that bought an entire finished movie of The Fantastic Four so it could bury it and start their franchise.

And what, dear reader, of Paramount, the owner of the foreign rights to this project? And Legendary, which likely footed about 25% of the overall cost of the film?

300 did 6.6% more at the overseas box office than at home. The film is due for near day-n-date release in most of the major international markets. If Fox prevails, they have dibs on all of that too. So all of a sudden, even if the domestic/world split is 50/50, the math gets uglier for WB.

Made Up Numbers - $400 million worldwide. Fox gets 10% of the gross rentals... $22 million. $11 million of that is Paramount’s. $5.5 million is Legendary’s. But WB can’t take that money from them under their deals, it would seem likely. So, WB’s $55 in rentals is now $33 million (and $20m in distribution fees) against their share - about $90 million - in P&A and production. The $37m left over can surely be made up in DVD and other ancillaries, though again, WB is looking at a quarter of the revenue minus a full – guessing – 10% that it has to eat for all the funding entities and give to Fox. So you’re looking at about 15% of the post-theatrical net, putting the breakeven for WB at about $400 million gross from post-theatrical… Fox gets $42 million (minimum) for suing… Paramount has a more profitable movie than any they had this summer… and Legendary continues its current winning streak.

And if the movie actually did $400 million worldwide, but it was, say, a 55% international split, WB being forced to keep Paramount whole would mean that a very successful movie could be an actual money loser for WB, even factoring in distribution fees.

Brutal.

And a remiinder of how narrow the margins are in the movie business.

Anyway… don’t expect the movie to delayed… expect a very expensive settlement before October’s out, almost inevitably before another major finding by this judge.

The very least that Fox can expect to get out of this is their development costs, probably doubled and interest added. But Fox is playing for keeps. They will not bury a $300 million investment by a fellow studio. The blood spilt would be too red and slippery. But don’t expect them to go away for anything less than $25 million. And they will take an amount like that now… because they don’t want to gamble either. 100% of WB’s profit could be $0.

And when it comes to alternative remedies, gross points make more sense than anything else. It would be too harsh a remedy to force Paramount out and to give Fox, say, international distribution. To eat a larger percentage of the gross would be to really encroach on the investment well before any chance of recouping.

It will be interesting. And my guess? Completely silent when it happens. Sealed by agreement, settled out of court. Rumored. Lied about. And done. Soon.

Posted by dpoland at 12:58 AM | Comments (11)

August 18, 2008

WBLG In Cinncinati

Two great non-starters...

First, if anyone at EW is really whining about the Harry Potter date move, they should line up with Moriarty in the shut-the-fuck-you-whinny-spoiled-brat line. The only thing more stupid than EW whining is media pretending it matters... or buying into the bull that EW and WB don't have a "special" relationship... oy!!!

Thing is, like AICN boycotting Star Wars, EW could attack Potter every week from now until the bitter end and it would by cost the franchise a single greenback. Boo Hoo! The "problem" has gotten more media attention for EW than it's generated on its own in years.

NEXT - It doesn't matter whether McCain sat in the front row of the Obama section of the public chat the other night. And it doesn't matter if media thinks McCain or Obama "won." What matters is that Obama answered the questions directly and with thought and McCain stump speeched his way through an past almost every question.

The question of this election becomes clearer... does America want a thinker in the presidency or a guy who tells stories that are well off point, throwing out plattitudes, some lies, and distraction? They wanted the latter for the last two elections. They may prefer it this time. We'll see.

Meanwhile, if McCain wins, it will be the most profoundly sad choice of my adult life of elections (this is my 7th cycle). W is nothing in comparison... because Gore and Kerry were true car wrecks as candidates. Obama can only lose to lies. Of course McCain is locked into 40% of the vote. But the rest? To push away from a candidate of ideas and sincerity based on utter crap about being too thoughtful and too smart and too popular?

Then again, on spite of endless Republican spin, McCain has not make significant incursions into Obama's poll numbers anymore than Hillary Clinton had a way to win the nomination after losing Texas' delegate count. But the lie can be powerful. And it is time for the left to start calling out the lies instead of cowering like a child who fears another unexpected beating.

Finally, the reality is actually one sided...

Posted by dpoland at 05:32 PM | Comments (43)

August 17, 2008

BYOB - Sunday

Not much more to say about the Sunday estimates... enjoying the TT excuses... of course, we all know that The Clone Wars underperformed as a result of the geek reverse embargo.

Still in NC, seeking the best BBQ. Had to come east to see Phelps win his seventh and eighth gold in real time.

Onward.

Posted by dpoland at 12:14 PM | Comments (85)

August 16, 2008

BO Add

Sorry... Clone Wars got lost from the last post.

$20m and change is still possible for a film targetting mostly kids.

Regardless, a $50m total is enough to make this a profitable release for all involved. WB gets paid for distribtion. And Lucasfilm makes a little on the box office, but a nice chunk more on the pay tv sale comng off a WB theatrical release. Plus, the release should actually increase DVD sales.

Apparently, there was some great AICN drama, again, in Moriarty's review. Can't wait to read that!

PS - Now I have read it... and I have to say, I have rarely thought less of Drew than after reading that crap. Nothing yet has so clearly and concisely expressed how out of touch with reality and how unaware of how the real world works and how profoundly in denial that Drew can be. Sad, really. Anyway...

Posted by dpoland at 12:13 PM | Comments (74)

Friday Numbers

Once again, iPhoning it in means less detail. But...

Tropic Thunder is making excuses for rolling out slower than a Pineapple Express, the most bizarre one - especially for a movie that chose a release date during the Olympics - being that Michael Phelps is slowing the movie's roll. Or could it be... uh... that a comedy about arrogant people in Hollywood appeals more to the geeks and the older critics who are enraged by Holllywood excess than anyone else?

The big problem is not the marketing - the thing has been shoved down America's gullet endlessly for months - or even the number - though the arrogance of this and Pneapple on back-to-back weeks is breathtaking - but the price tag. Pineapple will cover its $30m pricetag and much of it's marketing in theatrical. At 100m+, Tropic will be sweating international, hoping against hope to do What Stays In Vegas numbers overseas.

Speaking of Fox, another exciting non-centenian, unripe opening for Fox... but even P-Goldy must admit that $10m+ for Mirrors is a positive surprise.

As is a good start for Vicki Cristina Barcelona on just 693 screens.

All of Klady's estimates are on the front page...

Posted by dpoland at 11:15 AM | Comments (10)

August 15, 2008

byob on the road...

Posted by dpoland at 10:13 PM | Comments (17)

Just Off The Plane... Gerry Off The Mountain

Nothing like landing and getting the text message...

It's really simple. Gerry Rich got kicked to the curb. He actually didn't have it coming. But Lesher is in charge of the movie side now and he is going to live or die with his people. This is nothing remotely surprising. Anyone who claims surprise is either being disingenuous or just didn't know what was going on at the studio.

Once again, as we work through late August "surprises," we see that the new game in town is to pick your favorite stenographer/reporter/blogger to get the scoop, based on who will tell - and now, defend - your one side of the story.

I'm on the iPhone, so I will be brief, but the new team should be a little out of its depth... and do just fine. In fact, with new kids in charge that Lesher trusts without question - as much as a former agent can do that - there may be some more stability for the surviving staff.

While I am not 100% convinced this is all headed to a great post-DW future, I must say, the guy should have the people he wants working for him. It's tough enough and who wants to look back and say, "if only...?

Posted by dpoland at 04:39 PM | Comments (2)

August 14, 2008

ARRRRRR - McCain Pirates Again

Jackson Browne sues McCain over song use

Who's going to sue next?

Posted by dpoland at 07:01 PM | Comments (28)

Just Followin' Up...

I'm already bored by this story, really, but I do find it amusing to watch the "news" bend in the wind...

Yesterday, as the news of Paula Wagner’s exit from UA was handed to Variety (press release as news), the first wave of “my opinion is news” was Nikki Finke’s Paula Wagner is an idiot, followed soon after by Anne Thompson’s Paul Wagner is a nice, smart person and should move to New York.

Today, as the dust settled, the worm started to turn. Peter Bart was busy doing what he mostly does… self-promoting about his history. And Patrick Goldstein took/was whispered a strong Paula-wuz-screwed position:

“Wagner never seemed to realize was that she was a pawn in the game. She had greenlight power and plenty of Merrill Lynch moola, but whenever Wagner tried to greenlight a movie, Sloan blocked it, either saying MGM wouldn't distribute it or saying he didn't believe the studio could market it.”

We are slowly getting to the bottom of things. As Deep Throat said, “Follow the money.”

Funding has gotten near-impossible. Sloan was looking for $1 billion to $1.5 billion to float MGM as a studio before selling it again. But there were no takers, no great pay TV deal, no success getting traction in the Paramount/MGM/Lionsgate pay TV effort, nothing left to release… no real money. And no real prospects. But he did have a very impressive new production team in place.

So, Harry Sloan is stealing UA’s $500 million to fund production at Mary Parent’s MGM.

Great.

So now that this has become plain, the next question is, “How?”

As usual, the monkeys are spinning stories that befit their prior opinions. This one is a victim. That one is a victim. But the truth must be, business will out. If Wagner had used her funding more aggressively, the money wouldn’t be there for Sloan to grab. But Wagner’s two movies that did get made have been a mess, before and after. But Sloan shows no ability to get anything better done. But Wagner is a former-agent dilettante who lived off of Tom’s coattails and never did anything but interfere. But Wagner supported Cruise through the best of his career and the worst.

Out of breath yet?

Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not new. Keep those trains moving... a check from Bond will be here soon! Great chance to chatter about the personal gossip of Cruise & Co. But not much actual meat.

Meanwhile… how much do you think that MGM can do with $380 million (figure $120 million is already used up)? Answer… not a whole lot unless they get lucky early. There seems little doubt that MGM will have to, at least until there is more cash on the table, partner up on most of what they produce and to try to get others to invest marketing dollars, the real Achilles heel of a movie start-up these days… even if you are responsible with money.

In other words, if you need to shift things around to grab $380 million from another division, you probably don’t have enough to keep the railroad running very long. Keep in mind, Lucas/Spielberg/Ford made more than 70% of that number for themselves on Indiana Jones this summer. It’s just not that much money.

And here’s the topper that finally falls into perspective… Valkyrie, moving into 2008, will now be the last film to squeeze in under the line on the Showtime deal, which ends December 31. So why open the movie next year when there is some guaranteed pay-tv money this year?

Hold on to your hats for the most publicity-centric campaign for a movie with a major star that you are likely to see in the decade.

And weeks of backbiting… until the memories of summer fade into fall.

Posted by dpoland at 05:39 PM | Comments (23)

Oy.

You know... John Horn gathers critics who seem to be anti-PC as regards Tropic Thunder. Fine.

Our own Len Klady is crowing, "It's impossible to make a great p.c. comedy - it's antithetical to what makes us laugh and would neuter most of what's truly laudable about Tropic Thunder."

Backlash backlash.

Equally stupid as PC.

The standard of crossing the line is, to me, simple. Make ANY joke... go as dark and ugly as you want... use whatever words or body parts or fluids you want... so long as it serves an idea bigger than a cheap laugh.

And for me, Tropic Thunder fails in that regard more often than not.

Some will agree with me. Others will not. And so it goes.

Posted by dpoland at 04:40 PM | Comments (48)

About That Support For The Women

Just thought I'd note... screening invitations for the film landed today... all after Labor Day, as much of the media is on its way to Toronto.

Confident.

Posted by dpoland at 04:33 PM | Comments (8)

Harry Says...

STATEMENT FROM HARRY E. SLOAN, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIOS INC.

LOS ANGELES, CA August 14, 2008 -- After reading erroneous reports about Tom Cruise and United Artists, I would like to clarify that we are honored that he will continue as our full partner in control of UA. He is in the middle of one of the greatest careers our industry has ever seen and one that will continue at the top of United Artists Entertainment.

Posted by dpoland at 12:15 PM | Comments (4)

August 13, 2008

Body Of Lies Trailer

For the HD... which is worth looking at...

Posted by dpoland at 11:25 PM | Comments (37)

BYOB - 8138

I have the urge to weigh in on Paula Wagner, trying to balance out Crazy Nikki's Wag-Wag Attack and Anne Thompson's generous appraisal of all things Paula. The most interesting unturned rock to me is why Paula and Rick both got the boot/took the exit in the same few weeks. Odd.

But the truth is, this story is still all spin and little substance. And I don't feel like speculating.

You have to wonder, however, who talked Team MaGMa into releasing Valkyrie in the most expensive release month of the year, a week after Will freakin' Smith and Brad bearded Pitt, not to mention a perhaps-funny-for-a-change Jim Carrey arrive in the marketplace to rape and pillage.

Oh yes... it's also head-to-head with Oscar hopeful Revolutionary Road and The Spirit, which may not seem to be the same demo, but will draw anyone interested in a little adult action.

Are they out of their bloody minds?

Perhaps they know they are dead and this is the most aggressive, really-we-love-it way of putting it out there and letting it die at the altar of bigger movies.

Even with that, they should at least open the thing on December 12 so that it has a week to breath.

God, I would love this movie to be good.

ADD, 6:42p - MGM's press release on the date change just landed... the headline...
MGM ANNOUNCES CHRISTMAS RELEASE DATE FOR VALKYRIE

All I want for Christmas is a Nazi film... a Nazi film... a Nazi film...
All I want for Christmas is a Nazi film... so I can wish you Merry Heil Mass

(Oddly, the "christmas release" is on dec 26)

Posted by dpoland at 05:53 PM | Comments (47)

Dane Cook: Dumb Around The Edges

What lesson did Dane Cook learn from Katherine Heigl's ongoing implosion?

Go and do likewise, gent.

Here is a mediocrity whose entire career in the movies has been created by Lionsgate. So what does he do? He does what all BRILLIANT people do. He attacks the people who control his image!

From his blahg -

1. Graphics:
Whoever photoshopped our poster must have done so at taser point with 3 minutes to fulfill their hostage takers deranged obligations. They should have called Donnie Hoyle and had him give a tutorial using "You Suck at Photoshop" templates. This is so glossy it makes Entertainment Weekly look wooden.

Later...

10. Final thoughts:
I set out to make a movie like the contemporary men and women, that you and I respect, are making. My generation of comedians, actors, directors and producers that I wish to collaborate with as I build a solid body of work.

Let's not even do the grammar check here... your're in a Howie Deutch movie, you cretan! Get it? It's the man who made Grumpy Old Men TWO... The Odd Couple TWO... The Whole TEN Yards... he hasn't made a decent film in over 20 years! Nice guy... terrible director. You were done long before a crap one-sheet... done by your own choice to doa movie with a nice guy hack.

Is this your break from Lionsgate forever? Do you expect their marketing department to do you any favors in the future? Do you want to see new TV spots that make Jason Biggs the funny one... because of the two of you, he IS the funny one?

Will morons never cease?

Posted by dpoland at 11:42 AM | Comments (80)

New Spam Scam

Imagine my surprise this morning when MSNBC sent me an alert that California had outlawed abortion.

But they hadn't. And MSNBC hadn't sent me an e-mail.

It turned out to be the third such fake News Alert this morning. And being that I get news alerts from a number of media outlets every day... well, thank goodness for my internet security system, which blocked the click-thru even though it did get past the spam filter.

But be careful what you open out there...

Posted by dpoland at 10:08 AM | Comments (6)

August 12, 2008

Waiting for Jewface

Manohla Dargis has given us a new word, not just for the critics' lexicon, but for the world.

Jewface.

And here, a rare image from the reshoots of Valkyrie. DreamWorks has come in with Red Hour Films to reconceive the project. Lee Frost replaced Bryan Singer as director and Wes Bishop was there to re-write. The new title... The Man With Jew Heads or The Nazi Wore Jewface .

The tender comedy about the Nazi and the Jew Movie Producer he has sown to his body in order to keep him alive stars Tom Cruise as The Nazi, Tom Cruise as Jewface, and in a new hillarious side character, Ben Stiller as Dr. Hank Mengele, the slippery fingered, 1/16th-Jewish surgeon who is endlessly mistaken for his more famous, more talented brother.

Tag Line - "Is He Or Isn't He? Only His Experimenting Nazi Surgeon Knows!"

Let the heeeeeeb-larity begin!

Posted by dpoland at 11:06 PM | Comments (10)

The Olympic Tape Delay Is RUINING The Phelps Story

I am spending more time watching the Olympics this year than I have in many years. I love the multiple channels and HD of it all.

But with the central story for America this year happening in prime time on the East Coast, the West Coast/Mountain Time Zone are getting SCREWED!

There is not a single general news outlet on the web that is not leading with each race each day. If you open a new alert from the NYT or WSJ or others without thinking... you know what is going to happen in 3 hours.

It is truly horrible. And given the weight of the story, it is time for NBC to get its head out of its ass and to do something about it. Yeah... if you want to be a turtle all afternoon and then watch in Prime Time only, you still can. Great. But if there is a 10p swim, as there was tonight, either put it on one of the 7 other channels running and then, hey, don't put it all over the place. But we on the West Coast deserve to see this live.

This is the Oscars... everything else, including the basketball hype show, is The Golden Globes. Of course, NBC is idiotic about that too... they should be live in Los Angeles, then repeated... and they can be tape delayed everywhere else. But a company town will watch the damned show early and many will watch again to see the highlights of the first live show.

But I digress...

Please... please... please... stop doing this. I know it's only a medal and a sporting event, etc. And it's not unpleasant to see it, even knowing the outcome. But it's not the same. And it is unneccessary. And stupid. And if I had a Neilsen box or a diary, I'd be watching some other TV to avoid giving credit to NBC for hold out on half the country in a way that goes 100% against their entire effort to expand and open up the games this year.

Posted by dpoland at 10:48 PM | Comments (33)

BYOB - Starring Mutiny

Posted by dpoland at 05:48 PM | Comments (45)

It's Not Stealing... It's McCain!

Posted at 3:08 PM on 8/12/2008 by Michael Goldfarb
Celebrities Fight Back

Obama's celebrity friends are bringing their considerable resources to bear in this election, hosting fundraisers at their estates in Geneva, offering advice on Middle East policy, and now threatening this campaign with legal action over our latest ad, "Fan Club."

The ad features kids talking about how "dreamy" Senator Obama is, how he brought a crowd to Taco Bell despite inclement weather, and how he is no less of an international superstar than U2 frontman Bono. Unfortunately, the final clip of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey doing their 'we're not worthy' bit from Wayne's World has spurred a celebrity backlash. Myers had his people call the campaign to demand that the video be removed from YouTube for copyright violation. Apparently, we are not, in fact, worthy.

Or it could be that a presidential candidate who approves an ad that overtly infringes on copyright and includes a celebrity in an endorsement without prior approval shows you exactly the kind of man who you are dealing with.

And do you get the stinging feeling that Sumner Redstone, seen as many as a neo-con, instructed his super-litigious company as regards copyright infringement, to look the other way when the McCain campaign infringed on the Ten Commandments copyright? And now, another Paramount-owned movie, Wayne's World.

I think it would be a very good time for the Obama campaign and others to look into the support of Viacom - owner fo a major network as well as a studio - for one specific political candidate. after all, the McCain effort has not been to Swift Boat Obama - since there appears to be no such availability, even though the campaign runs their tax lie endlessly, without shame - but to Tom Cruise him... running the "I fired him because he jumped on Oprah's couch" bullshit.

It's fascinating to see how the current McCain push is actually angering people. Why? Because McCain and his peopel are intentionally lying and spinning and acting like desperate scum on a level that makes even Bill O'Reilly blush.

It's one of life's ironies... McCain was a renegade and supportable before Bush screwed him in North Carolina eight years ago... and he was interesting enough to be truly dangerous to the Democrats when he got nominated... and now, fearing a blowout loss, he has turned into someone who I would be embarrassed to have as the head of my country because he is doing what he sees as neccessary to possibly become head of my country.

Sad.

Posted by dpoland at 05:06 PM | Comments (49)

On The Trail...

A bunch of eye catching stuff out there...

Happy Go Lucky - Mike Leigh's latest... hot new Oscar prospect for Best Actress... headed to more fests...

The Spirit: Trailer 2 - Lionsgate has been running wild postings of the women, pretty much as they are featured in this trailer. It really has felt like an internet campaign hitting the streets. Lionsgate has long liked to tease, but these images, out of context, six months out was rather unusual... but provocative. And now, more so with the trailer. "What's with you and the women?" Good question... good looking answer, albeit a bit dehunanizing for the parade of very hot celebrity babes Miller got to be the focus of his visual obsession..

Punisher: War Zone - To me, this looks a lot more like what I was hoping for in a Punisher movie than the last one. Instead of going for the "it's real" thing, hyperreal makes more sense to me. Excellent.

Full Battle Rattle - A doc on a modern Iraq war training facility. Looks like a fun, smart ride.

8 Miles High - Another groupie movie... but this one looks like it knows better what it is supposed to be... sex, drugs, attitude... cue the mysterious German brunette who no one will tout for Oscar, but will actually get more boy excitement than a flirty Sienna Miller.

A Girl Cut In Two - For the Ludivine fans... she's all growns up...

Posted by dpoland at 03:15 PM | Comments (22)

Whose Movie Is It Anyway?

Maybe I am just showing the hypersensitivity of a child whose parents are getting a divorce but who are still living under the same roof. But I keep getting the feeling that there is a weird internal battle going on over the last child the ‘rents expect to be together to release, Tropic Thunder. Today’s entry in weird:

August 11, 2008 - Westwood, CA.
DreamWorks Pictures hosts the Los Angeles Premiere of TROPIC THUNDER held at the Mann Village Theatre

This, of course, was in an e-mail sent by Paramount.

There is also no sign of Paramount on the trailer or the website. (There are, however, lead quotes from Pete Travers and Ben Lyons… a sign of horrible trouble for any movie.)

There must be a story. I don’t really want to be the one to tell the story right now. But breakin’ up is hard to do…

Posted by dpoland at 01:11 PM | Comments (4)

August 11, 2008

Oh, That Is Soooooo Retarded!

You know, I find politically correct protesting to be foolish.

On the other hand, if I had a relationship with someone with "intellectual disabilities," I would want to smack Ben Stiller upside the head after seeing Tropic Thunder too. (I wouldn't mind punching him in the arm really hard as it is.)

Stiller's sense of humor is mean spirited. He tries to hide behind intellectualizing it. but inevitably you end up realizing that he just thinks that retards, and fat people, and various ethnic groups are just plain funny. Hee hee.

Downey playing an actor obsessive enough to put on permanent black face for a role is an interesting idea… not that it goes anywhere interesting. But somehow, this forgives turning “Alpha Chino” in a shucking, jiving Negroid salesman of “Booty Sweat.” Hee hee.

If I were a Southeast Asian, I'd want to kick his ass too.

Somehow, the guy who has become famous for getting his balls stuck in a zipper and other such subtle gems feels good about mocking Eddie Murphy’s complex work in make-up as nothing more than a bunch of fart jokes, mocking fat people in a similar way to the way he did in the end of Dodgeball. I thought it was very funny in Dodgeball. But I didn’t think of it being him mocking fat people in general, but that his muscle man character had been reduced to his least wished for image of himself.

But that is how it works for Stiller with me. When he is the butt of the joke, it works. As soon as he starts to point the finger at others, he becomes a nasty little turd of a man.

Yes, there are a couple of sharp satirical element in “Simple Jack.” One is the lust for awards and how far some actors go to chase them. Another is that audiences often do love these stereotypes with a heart. (See: Radio)

But part of it is just another retard joke.

And I'm not saying that Stiller or anyone else should do the old schtick of saying, "If I offended anyone... I'm sorry... I love all people." I like the hard stuff to be hard. But I also like it to be smart, no tjust smart-assed. And I am afraid that Stiller rarely is smart enough to forgive him his urge to be hurtful.

The Farrellys have always walked this line. So does Alexander Payne. And I know that The Farrellys do it with some real love for others. Payne is often accused of hating his characters, but I think his intellectual side and Jim Taylor's heart have also gotten his films past that accusation.

Not Stiller.

Posted by dpoland at 10:27 PM | Comments (25)

BYOB - Sloooooow

Did I mention that it's a slow time of the year....

Whaddya got?

Posted by dpoland at 07:42 PM | Comments (145)

Hot Button - Taking A Knife To A Gun Fight With Fox

Goldstein uses the most petty journalist trick in the book, selective box office information. He writes;

“This summer has been different. Without a true tentpole film, the results have been dispiriting. The studio's biggest hit was "What Happens in Vegas," a forgettable comedy that grossed $80 million in the U.S. and roughly $215 million around the world. "The Happening," a poorly reviewed thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, topped out at $64 million (though it's performed better overseas).”

Problems?

1) However forgettable What Happens In Vegas is, it is the #2 comedy of the year so far worldwide, behind only Sex & The City, with a reported $209 million to date. As a point of reference, only one Judd Apatow movie (written, directed, or produced) has EVER matched or beaten the WHIV number – Knocked Up – and then, by only $11 million. The #2 Apatow movie is $30 million behind.

I had no idea how very real the success of WHIV was… and if Patrick had his way, you wouldn’t either. Even offering the number, he chooses not to offer the perspective.

2) Worse, Patrick smacks The Happening without mentioning the worldwide number... only admitting “it's performed better overseas.” Yeah… about $145 million worldwide so far.

3) Likewise, there is the “summer only game,” which eliminates a relative bomb in America, Jumper, which is a $222 million worldwide hit, and allows him to overlook Fox’s animation strategy, which is to release in March, not the summer, which led to a $295 worldwide gross for Horton Hears A Who.

4) Finally, is Patrick really selling that idea that a studio MUST make a summer tentpole – a dead concept still used all the time by old media – to be doing the right thing? Would a smash hit like The Day After Tomorrow, a truly horrible movie in any season that made huge bank before audiences realized they were buying a pig in a poke, have made this summer a success in Patrick’s mind?

No. I don't think so.

The rest...

Posted by dpoland at 07:23 PM | Comments (24)

Does It Really Matter?

Harry Knowles broke embargo on Clone Wars, then pulled it down. Defamer escalated it into a "cease and desist" directly from George Lucas himself.

Drew/Moriarty wrote in an AICN talkback:

Harry took his CLONE WARS review down at the request of Lucasfilm, who have chosen to enforce an embargo on reviews on our site. There may, in fact, be other outlets who have reviews up currently. That is not something we can control. Harry will repost his same review when he is able to. I hope that explains it, but if you have further questions, I'll try answer them.

I'm not really shocked that Knowles (or others) are enraged by further infantalizing of the franchise. I'm not really sure how embargoes are handled on that site these days, though Drew insists frequently that the site's rule is that they respect embargoes... and these days, I believe him. There is enough stuff being screened for Knowles and others that doesn't turn up early that it makes sense.

I'm going to wait for more actual information before speculating... or not speculating... because...

Does It Matter?

ADD, 2p - It turns out that, according to the studio, it was WB requesting that the review be pulled until the release date and not Lucasfilm. Moreover, there was never anything close to a threat of a "cease & desist" and there is no indication that George Lucas was aware that the review had even gone up.

Perhaps Drew will dispute this in Comments. We'll see.

I an waiting for further input from some of the other players in this "news story," as I think that it will be more reflective of the circle jerk of stories expanding like a game of telephone than any great drama about the film itself. But we'll see where it goes.

Update, 3:53p -- As you can see in Comments, where Drew/Moriarty has kindly responded in as much detail as he has, he wrote based on what he was told in passing.

I have also had an exchange indicating that the Defamer piece was a riff on the whole situation and a genral dislike of Lucas in recent years, not a factual piece of reporting.

The problem I have with all of this is not that Drew wrote what he was told, not really obsessing on the distinction that Lucasfilm made the request, which it appears not to have made. I don't have a problem with Defamer riffing on the whole thing with comic intent. The problem is that other media will read this stuff and take it as fact... when it is not. Neither Drew or Stu is really responsible for that.

But as someone who deals with stuff over years and not minutes, I see stuff like this get absorbed into the ideas people - including some very smart and well-read industry people - have about the world we work in. In 2 of the first 6 comments on this blog entry, there is a specific reference to Lucas making the call and that mattering. It is, after all, in the Defamer opening graph - "...rouse George Lucas from his afternoon cash-bath with a cease-and-desist order straight from the top." But it's not true.

We will see how many other places it turns up on... and whether the detail shows up accurately, reported, distorted, or ever corrected. And should Lucas or WB be in the position where they have to chase people around the web to correct what seems like a minor detail to some and a major issue to others? Doesn't it make them look guilty of something they of which they are not guilty?

Small issue... but it resonates in so many bigger stories...

Posted by dpoland at 12:36 PM | Comments (25)

Bloggity Blog Blog

I have to admit, I am losing interest even in mocking the new anti-blog bloggers from Variety and The LA Times.

We have heard from neither writer since Friday’s 4 pieces between them. Two pieces the inevitable responses to Bernie Brillstein’s passing. One odd “open letter” to the presidential candidates urging them to choose VP candidates well. (Huh?) And one promotional piece on Religulous (his second in 2 days… 2 of 5 total entries), a movie that, with due respect, has been sitting around for over a year after premiering at Toronto to no excited response last year. This gave Patrick a chance to remind us of his earlier work – how unusual! – and to keep selling old news that’s going nowhere fast (in spite of the film’s top-end publicist/consultant).

Okay… so there are a couple little mocks in there. But really… zzzzzzzz…

That said, I actually dug into it when Peter Bart was linked by Ray Pride, our headline co-editor at MCN, and as he started into one of his reveries – after, of course, shoving Variety co-promotion of yet another section no one really wants to read – about The Good Old Days, I was interested in reading how things changed from the old days to the new days on the lots. I have read a lot about the end of the studio system and Bart was, indeed, a first hand witness.

So you can imagine my disappointment when all we really got was an examination of how full or empty the commissaries and a kind of tone poem about how more voices can be better… but Pete… why is this all happening… and with the creative tension alive and well between The Studio and The Filmmakers once the projects are about to go green, how do YOU, oh experienced one, think it affects things?

I really feel compelled to do a DP/30 on this subject (and others) with PB. I am sure he actually has a lot to say. And whether or not I agree with him in the end, that experience IS worth its weight in ideas.

Meanwhile, it seems that Bart, who has been right there keeping Variety in business with Oscar advertising dollars but who has been amongst the first to whine about hype congestion, is about to become Variety’s new Oscar Blog of Record as the studio cuts back on efforts intiiated last year. (Word is that The Hollywood Reporter, always a step behind, is trying to do their version of a "Red Carpet" blog with a very ambitious - and inexperienced - out of towner this season.) Oy.

The funny thing is, he could actually be a real player in that game. He is old. He is part of the system.

But he needs to actually start blogging.

If Variety thinks they having some kid pull a bunch of links to post on Bart’s blog and to have twice a week comments of 500 words from Bart will do the job, they are mistaken. On the other hand, if PB just knocks out 250 words a day of sharp comment and a couple column-length pieces on top of that, he could be the West Coast answer to The Bagger, albeit older, crankier, and more full of himself.

It’s dangerous to answer to yourself for too long. This is one of the reasons The Web is such an interesting place to work. Sure, there are plenty of stupid ideas coming your way and people built personal agendas, etc. But if you mine the crosstalk, there is a lot of wisdom to be gotten.

Ironically, I think Bart has a ton to offer… but maybe someone needs to actually ask him the questions for a change?

And Patrick? He just needs to give up the ghosts and move forward. He can do this. Absolutely. But he continues to choke on his lunch ego. I know it galls, but you’re never going to be Nikki. (Either am I.) Why? Because you are not a f-ing nut job and you have standards that keep you from ever being half the manipulator she it. (You have not been above wielding your “power” with publicists to the detriment of their clients in the past. But I put that mistake on them, not you. The manipulations were, in reality, above board.)

But you can kill as a blogger. You just need to remember that however you might like Avi Lerner, if you hold him up as an expert on anything but making money on some of the worst dreck made in this town, you will be mocked. And maybe that’s a good way to get attention, but I don’t really think that’s the attention you want.

Come on, guys. Give me a reason to click on you other than you affiliations.

Posted by dpoland at 10:19 AM | Comments (11)

August 10, 2008

Chef Is Dead... Long Live Chef

An iPhone type in is hardly enough of a chance to celebrate a bad mutha Scientologist (hush yo mouth) like Isaac Hayes.

There are some great voices in this generation, but we haven't really found the deep, threateningly sexy, makes you happy just hearing it voices like Hayes', Jones', White's, Rawls'...

I can dig it. I thought the Stone/Parker to Hayes' exit was one of the crueler things I have ever seen on air. They were right that he was being a hypocrite, but using his own voice against him... brutal.

Meanwhile, I wonder whether the voice of God, Mr Freeman, has some serious connections upstairs, having stayed out of the Rule of Three.

I raise a big, salty, chocolate ball in your honor. Few artists get to leave absolutely indelible marks in more than one medium. Hayes left us Chef, Shaft, and songs to which we can all make sweet love.

Posted by dpoland at 01:40 PM | Comments (16)

Klady's Sunday Estimates

Posted by dpoland at 11:39 AM | Comments (49)

August 09, 2008

Bernie Mac

Who said there were no second acts in American life? (rhetorical)

Bernie Mac had a fairly successful career as a stand-up and occasional movie actor before Spike Lee made and released The Original Kings of Comedy through a major studio, Paramount. But like Tyler Perry and many of the great comedians, he was really only a name inside his community, in this case, the Black community.

But from the weekend Original Kings opened to over $11 million - more than most thought it would gross in its entire run - Mac and Cedric The Entertainer (and to a lesser degree, Steve Harvey and Dl Hughley, who already had more of a following) broke out as go-to-guys for the industry. The first mega-break was Ocean's Eleven, followed quickly by replacing $6 million Bill Murray in the Charlie's Angels sequel. His own self-named show followed.

His opportunity to be a movie lead was cut short wi