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Tie Predicted For Box Office -- Or Is It Thai?
5 September 2008 10:35 AM, PDT
This weekend marks the official start of the fall box-office season, and it could hardly be less auspicious. The only film to open wide is Lionsgate's Bangkok Dangerous, starring Nicolas Cage, which was not screened for critics. The studio itself, apparently, does not have high expectations for it and reportedly has cut its marketing budget for it. Box-office forecasters are predicting that it will take in about $10 million in its debut, about what they're forecasting for the fourth week of Tropic Thunder, which has held the top-spot since its debut. The weekend after Labor Day is considered one of the slowest weekends of the year by studio executives -- who plan accordingly. Opening in limited release (96 theaters) this weekend is the movie Everybody Wants to Be Italian, which reviewers promptly covered in cement and drowned. Jeannette Catsoulis writes in the New York Times: "Assuming the title was ever correct, it won't be by the time you exit the theater."
De Niro Leaves Sand Trap And Quits Movie
5 September 2008 10:35 AM, PDT
Just days after he arrived in Massachusetts to begin filming scenes for Edge of Darkness, Robert De Niro has quit the film. "Sometimes things don't work out; it's called creative differences," a spokesman for the actor told Daily Variety. Earlier this week the Boston Herald reported that De Niro had been spotted filming scenes at the 15th hole of the Gannon Golf Club while director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) attempted to set up a shot that would show the actor, a sand trap and the Boston skyline in the shot. De Niro was to have costarred in the movie with Mel Gibson, who has not appeared in a movie in six years.
A Commercial About Nothing?
5 September 2008 10:35 AM, PDT
Microsoft launched its latest television marketing campaign featuring Jerry Seinfeld during Thursday night's NFL season opener on NBC, but viewers were left scratching their heads trying to figure out what it was supposed to be all about. The minute-long commercial featured Seinfeld encountering Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates trying on shoes at a discount shoe outlet at a mall (at one point the billionaire displays his discount card) and giving Gates advice about his selection. There is no mention of Windows and hardly a mention of computers. In fact, the commercial appears to advertise ... nothing.
SAG's Postcard Poll -- Not So Secret?
5 September 2008 10:35 AM, PDT
The postcard poll that the Screen Actors Guild has undertaken among its members over the proposed deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Dealers contains barcodes that could reveal the identity of each member and how they voted, according to entertainment labor attorney Jonathan Handel. In a commentary on the Huffington Post, Handel wrote that if such is the case, "that's not a confidential vote, despite language on the postcard that claims this to be the case. And the lack of confidentiality will no doubt leave some Guild members uneasy about voting - particularly in light of the highly partisan nature of the elections. Considering that Membership First controls the union, the dissenters - those who believe it's time to get a deal done - may be hesitant to cast votes. That's plain wrong: No member should have to fear his or her own union. The integrity of voting -- even if only advisory voting -- should be maintained." SAG has not commented on the matter.
What's Holding Up DreamWorks' Deal With India's Reliance?
5 September 2008 10:35 AM, PDT
Nearly three months after it was announced, the $500-million deal between India's Reliance and DreamWorks has still not materialized. "Insiders insist the basic deal remains intact," Daily Variety observed today (Friday), "but the devil is in the details. Especially the banking details." On Monday, Business Week reported that Steven Spielberg was currently meeting with Anil Ambani, chairman of Reliance, to finalize the deal and that it could be announced this week, but the week has passed without an announcement. At the time it was originally disclosed, some analysts speculated that it may have been a negotiating ploy to be used by Spielberg and partner David Geffen as leverage in securing a more favorable extension of DreamWorks' current deal with Paramount.
High-Def iTunes Movies?
5 September 2008 10:35 AM, PDT
Apple is expected to announce on Tuesday that its next version of its iTunes software will allow users to download movies and television shows in high definition, several websites disclosed Thursday, citing a leak of Apple's upgrade notes. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Amazon announced the launch of Amazon Video on Demand that makes available the company's catalog of 40,000 movies and TV shows for "rent" (i.e., via streaming) on PCs, Macs and other settop boxes like the Sony Bravia TV sets and Apple TV. Movies will cost $2.99 or $3.99; TV shows, $1.99. They can be viewed only during a 24 hour-period after being purchased.
Dark Knight Sets Another Record
5 September 2008 10:35 AM, PDT
Since its release in July, the IMAX version of Warner Bros.' The Dark Knight has taken in $55 million, making it the most successful film ever released in the format. The film is being shown in 139 theaters worldwide. By contrast, the previous IMAX champ, The Polar Express has taken in $45 million over several holiday-season releases.
Sunday Night Football Goes Online
5 September 2008 10:35 AM, PDT
NBC on Thursday kicked off Sunday Night Football Extra, online video streaming of its NFL football telecasts using Adobe Flash technology allowing viewers to watch plays from alternative camera angles. In a statement, Hans Schroeder, NFL vice president of digital media, said that the webcasts "provide a new level of interactivity, with fans getting to chose how they experience NFL games." The webcasts are only available in the U.S. and only in real time -- they cannot be viewed after the games are played. On broadcast television the game drew 13.57 million viewers down from 17.79 million for the season opener a year ago.
Comcast Agrees To Pick Up Cuban's HDNet -- And Dan Rather
5 September 2008 10:35 AM, PDT
Marc Cuban's high-definition HDNet and HDNet Movies have been picked up by Comcast, the nation's largest cable provider. In a statement, the two networks said that they had been added to "many" of Comcast's systems but did not specify the number, nor were other terms of the deal disclosed. HDNet carries Dan Rather Reports, hosted by the former CBS anchor, whose reports on the Democratic and Republican conventions have been virtually lost among the cable coverage given the much wider distribution of CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.
Fox News Beats Broadcast Nets With RNC Coverage
5 September 2008 10:35 AM, PDT
Once again Fox News trounced the broadcast networks in the ratings for the Republican National Convention. While it also prevailed in 2004, its numbers on Wednesday night (9.2 million viewers) were nearly 20 percent higher than its closest broadcast rival, NBC (7.7 million). It was in fact the highest-rated convention rating in cable TV history. Meanwhile CNN's coverage (6.2 million) outpaced broadcast rivals ABC (5.9 million) and CBS (4.6 million) and cable's MSNBC (3.4 million). Nielsen observed that the number of viewers watching the three cable news networks rose 277 percent above the 2004 number.
News Execs And GOP Step Up Feud
5 September 2008 10:35 AM, PDT
Network news executives on Thursday responded to persistent attacks on the news media by speakers at the Republican National Convention, who charged the news media with bias in their coverage of vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin. CNN President Jonathan Klein responded in kind, telling Broadcasting & Cable magazine, "It's a time-honored marketing ploy and, every time they bash the media, it means they're not talking about a vision or a plan. ... But the best antidote to cynical marketing is solid reporting." Likewise NBC News President Steve Capus, responding to Palin's claim that "some in the media" have called her unqualified because she is "not a member in good standing of the Washington elite," told the trade publication: "What people who are politically motivated are trying to do is take every outrageous blogger that exists online and lump them into traditional media. ... And that's not a sophisticated analysis of journalism. That's someone making a political argument. Any objective analysis of the facts would come down on a different conclusion."
Snoopy Animator Melendez Dead At 91
4 September 2008 10:36 AM, PDT
Animator Bill Melendez, who worked on Walt Disney movies, including Fantasia and Pinocchio, in the 1930s then joined Warner Bros. in 1941, where he worked on the Looney Tunes cartoons, including Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck shorts, died in Santa Monica, CA Tuesday at age 91. The cause of death was not disclosed. Melendez may have been best known for his work on the Peanuts cartoons, in which he also made the sounds for Snoopy.He and partner Lee Mendelson eventually produced, directed, or animated some 70 Peanuts cartoons.
Roeper Becomes As Famous As Stars He Reviews
4 September 2008 10:36 AM, PDT
Chicago Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper writes today about his cameo appearance on HBO's Entourage this Sunday -- as himself reviewing the movie Medellin. It was, he writes, the culmination of eight years as a celebrity reviewer for the syndicated show At the Movies. (He joined Roger Ebert after the death of Gene Siskel in 2000.) "Over the last eight years, my job on the show led to some amazing pop culture moments. Homer Simpson, David Letterman and Mad magazine made jokes about me. I got to sing on a Jimmy Kimmel special(!). I was an answer on Millionaire, Wheel of Fortune and the New York Times crossword puzzle. I had dinner and/or drinks with Robert Redford, Al Pacino -- and I could keep dropping names, but enough's enough, eh? And I got to do at least four other things I'm never going to talk about, at least not in public. Entourage was one of the greatest kicks of all for me. Hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed doing it."
Toronto, Venice Step Up Rivalry
4 September 2008 10:36 AM, PDT
The Toronto and Venice Film Festivals -- always close rivals and usually overlapping one another -- may become direct competitors next year. Venice artistic director Marco Mueller said Wednesday that next year's festival will start a week later, on September 2, about the same time that Toronto is due to begin. (This year's festival opens today). Mueller indicated that the reason for delaying the start was to give filmmakers a bit of extreme time to put the finishing touches on their entries. But reports noted that it could force some filmmakers, who are unlikely to try to be in two places at the same time, to make a choice between screening their films at Venice or Toronto. USA Today observed today that even without the direct competition from Venice, Toronto's festival "isn't quite its bellwether self this year. Factors such as rising travel costs, delays caused by the writers' strike and weakened art-house divisions have kept the most likely best-picture candidates out of the lineup."
MPAA Yanks Posters For Kevin Smith's "Porno" Film
4 September 2008 10:36 AM, PDT
The Motion Picture Association of America confirmed Wednesday that it has banned the poster for the new Kevin Smith film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno. The decision came after the MPAA had originally given the film an NC-17 rating but changed it to an R on appeal. The poster shows the two stars, Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks in split images, fully clothed, with a tuft of hair at the bottom of the two pictures at about crotch level. "I understand [the MPAA] has got a job to do, but c'mon ... this image isn't that dirty; they're both fully clad" Smith told Entertainment Weekly. The movie is due to be shown this weekend at the Toronto Film Festival -- and the posters are on display throughout the city. Smith, who is on hand for the festival, commented, "I've always loved Canada and Canadians for giving us hockey. Now I love them just a little bit more -- for allowing tufts of hair."
Deal Back On Top
4 September 2008 10:36 AM, PDT
Last Thursday night's televised address by Sen. Barack Obama to the Democratic Convention may have drawn 30.2 million viewers, but they were divided up among the broadcast and cable networks and barely showed up in the Nielsen Media Research's top-ten list of broadcast shows. NBC held on to its lead as the most-watched network following its overwhelming domination a week earlier with its Olympics coverage. It once again aired the highest-rated show of the week, the unflagging game show Deal or No Deal, as well as two episodes of America's Got Talent, which finished in second and third place. CBS was close behind with repeats of Two and a Half Men, 60 Minutes, and NCIS. Overall, NBC averaged a 3.8 rating and a 7 share for the week. CBS placed second with a 3.6/6. Fox took third with a 3.0/5, while ABC trailed with a 2.8/5.
The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research:1. Deal Or No Deal (Monday), NBC, 7.3/12; 2. America's Got Talent (Tuesday), NBC, 6.9/11; 3. America's Got Talent (Wednesday), NBC, 6.5/11; 4. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 5.8/9; 5. 60 Minutes, CBS, 5.4/12; 6. NCIS, CBS, 5.1/8; 7. America's Toughest Jobs, NBC, 4.6/7; 7. Criminal Minds, CBS, 4.6/7; 7. House, Fox, 4.6/7; 10. Democratic National Convention (Thursday) ABC, 4.5/7.
Record Ratings For Palin Address
4 September 2008 10:36 AM, PDT
On the broadcast networks, Gov. Sarah Palin's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night drew a bigger audience than last week's address by Sen. Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention, according to preliminary ratings by Nielsen Media Research. The 10:00 p.m. hour, which included Palin's introduction by former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, posted a 5.4 rating and an 8 share (7.72 million viewers) on NBC; a 4.0/6 (5.05 million) on ABC and a 3.1/5 (4.63 million) on CBS. Earlier in the evening, the season premiere of Fox's Bones attracted an average 9.69 million viewers, dominating the two-hour period.
Palin Vs. The Media -- And Vice Versa
4 September 2008 10:36 AM, PDT
Even as the news media began scouring Sarah Palin's background, the Alaska governor used her acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul to accuse the media of liberal bias. She said that since the announcement that she had been chosen to be Sen. John McCain's running mate, she had learned "that if you're not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. But here's a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I'm not going to Washington to seek their good opinion. I'm going to Washington to serve the people of this country." Newsweek reported that at this point in her speech a group of delegates began shaking their fists at the NBC booth, chanting "NBC, NBC, NBC!" In fact, the media, by and large, graded her appearance an A+. The Associated Press, which had given Barack Obama's acceptance speech one of a handful of tepid reviews, said that Palin "rocked the GOP convention with a star-turning performance." TV columnist Tom Shales wrote in the Washington Post: "If the Republicans win the presidential election in November, it may well be said that they won it last night -- the night that John McCain's brilliantly screwy choice for a running mate changed from laughingstock to national star." Indeed Daily Variety reviewed her address as if it were reviewing an actress's stage performance, saying that she "electrified the crowd."
Open Mike Embarrasses WSJ Columnist
4 September 2008 10:36 AM, PDT
Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan is the latest personality to learn the perils of the open microphone. Believing that she was off the air she began discussing the choice of Sarah Palin as the Republican's vice-presidential candidate. "The most qualified? No! I think they went for this -- excuse me -- political bulls**t about narratives. ... Every time the Republicans do that ... they blow it." Noonan who had praised the choice of Palin in her column, wrote today (Thursday) that her words were taken out of context. "I am certainly sorry I blurted my barnyard epithet. I am certainly sorry that someone abused my meaning."
Liberty Media Spins Off Liberty Entertainment
4 September 2008 10:36 AM, PDT
In a widely expected maneuver, John Malone's Liberty Media said Wednesday that it is planning to split off Liberty Entertainment, currently a tracking stock that was launched to measure the value of the company's entertainment assets, into a separate public company. It will include Liberty's 50-percent stake in DirecTV, which it acquired from News Corp in April, Starz Entertainment, Liberty Sports, and Fun Technologies, among other assets. Analysts had expected the move to be accompanied by an announcement that Liberty had increased its stake in DirecTV, and some predicted that such a move remained an imminent probability.
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