Nothing Has Changed

Ok, let's talk film. Well it's been a little while. Things have happened for the better. Like a Disney film, I am a better person at the end in light of all that has happened. I would tell you about it, but why, when you can wait for the movie that will be changed into a much more interesting bio pic by hack writers like Kurtzman and Orci and industry execs who malignantly obscure any shred of original story that first inspired the writer. Well in my absence it is nice to know that Hollywood hasn't changed at all. I have been in the loop as usual and see the insanity that is making Hollywood it's cornerstone for the talentless and bottom feeder population of California.

James Cameron is in the news today telling Tim Burton's producer, Richard Zanuck, that he is essentially full of it when speaking about Zanuck's analysis of 3D filming. Zanuck thinks that shooting in 2D and later transferring to 3D is the cheaper and best way to go about making 3D film. As we all know Cameron is busy chugging along hoping to give us an unparalleled 3D experience with his new film, Avatar, set to be released next Christmas. Cameron is shooting with expensive 3D cameras and the cost of such resources has some execs worried.

This is classic Hollywood exec thinking. Zanuck opens up the exec playbook and reads from the first page. "Do whatever is fastest and easiest". Zanuck says that he cannot tell the difference between transferred 3D film from 2D and 3D film shot with a 3D camera. Well, I happen to know people who can't tell the difference between Blu ray and regular DVD. Maybe Zanuck is one of these people. I am sure there is a HUGE difference between transferred and non transferred 3D film, but back in the 20's, Studio Execs, didn't know much difference between talking film and silent. These are just who these people are. Execs and bean counters with no real talent whatsoever. Of course Zanuck doesn't see a difference, he doesn't want to. many people who don't see a difference between Blu ray and regular DVD simply don't see it because they don't want to see it. I urge to read the article. Zanuck even sounds like he is riding the coat tails of Burton like a dolphin trainer. Read and laugh.

Well in another article Cameron urges filmmakers to provide interesting content in reverence before the 3D gimmick. Will filmmakers listen? Of course not. They won't listen not because they can't hear, the won't listen because they don't know how. I think Cameron knows that. I think he knows that most filmmakers, writers, and especially producers make bad film because they don't know how to make good film.

Most of Hollywood just remakes good film and turns it into bad film. I mean, yes that's all they know how to do. Look at all the Horror franchises. Texas Chainsaw, Hills have Eyes..etc, These people in Hollywood are dangerously out of ideas. I mean the well has run dry and they abhor any new talent because new talent would threaten their jobs and their livelihood. So here we are, millions of eager film goers who are suck watching rehashed ideas and flat out crappy film to only facilitate talentless people who refuse to get out of the sandbox and make room for the ones with talent who actually belong there. Is it good that execs haven't changed in 100 years? Until later, let's talk film.

Small Dogs, Big Profit

Didn't see it? Well a lot of people did and now it will probably give birth to a sequel.

Ok, let's talk film. Well Beverly Hills Chihuahua cashed in at 29 mil over the weekend. It's a family film. I agree that the main reason for the little dog hoopla over the weekend was the family appeal. But, seriously. It's a contrived idea. It's a bad contrived idea. I think and this is my humble opinion, that we basically told Hollywood that it's ok that they give us crap. When we as an audience propel contrived, non original film like this to number one, we tell Hollywood that it is perfectly ok if they give us crap like this. Not to mention the sequel to this thing that will be BIGGER and BOLDER like all sequels. SO today we told Hollywood that that if they put small talking dogs on the Screen we will run in droves to see it.

It's seems everything these days is about lists. Everyone wants to do best lists and top ten lists. Who cares? There will never be a definitive list that everyone agrees on. Every one's taste is different and that is the truth. I don't believe in top whatever lists. I think it is ridiculous. I am assertive in my writing of this blog, but I will never think I am all knowing enough to write a top ten list of any kind. It doesn't exist. I know what good film is. I will tell you what good film is. I am assertive enough to tell you what is good and what is crap. But, best lists, come on!

Well Empire Magazine compiled a list of 500 of the best films ever. What a waste. Every number one is The Godfather or Citizen Kane anyway. That's never changed. I mean why even bother with this. BTW I know number one is the Godfather without even looking at the list. People who write these lists are too predictable. Ok I just saw the list and yes I was right, so another pat on the back for me.

Moving on, now I have always said this. Kenneth Brannah should be directing feature film. He should be doing studio film. The best directors are actors. They are not commercial directors like Bay, the best directors are in fact actors. Like, Gibson, Costner, and Favreau. Why? Because they know how to direct actors. They know what works on screen. So, for a while I have been saying that Brannah should direct feature film. Finally someone at Marvel has picked Kenneth for Thor and that choice could not be more bold and proper. Until later, let's talk film!

Catching Up With Audience Demand

We're gonna need a bigger camera...

Ok, let's talk film. Well, I should not pat myself on the back too much for this. But, I am right again. I know I am right often in this blog. I have been saying for two months now that Michael Bay needs to start shooting Transformers 2 in IMAX. Well news from Variety.com yesterday says that Bay will indeed pick up an IMAX camera. Though I can't take all the credit for this. We all knew this. In fact I think myself and everyone was wondering why it was taking Bay so long to announce that he was going to film in IMAX.

Well he announced it yesterday. It is official. It will be interesting to see Bay's breakneck speed directing on such a large canvas, but hey, it's IMAX. It's the only way to go for this film. Someone at Paramount caught this in time and sent IMAX cameras to Bay. Or maybe they read this blog and knew how much I could not understand why they were neglecting something so painfully obvious. Well they fixed the error and all is well.

Well the IMAX and 3D revolution is here. I know. You still don't believe me. It is actually a far fetched thing to believe that a great portion of film will be in 3D, but it will. Hollywood has planned for it. They gave X number of dollars to help facilitate that and it will happen. I mean the sequel that we all knew we'd see, well not The Dark Knight Returns, but Kung Fu Panda will get a 3D sequel. Hollywood swears to us that this is not your mama's 3D and I am inclined to believe them. With the sweeping technology we have these days, I am confident that the audience will be demanding more 3D film.

Because as I always say, this is about getting people into the theater. I am a huge advocate of that. I believe that film will always be better on the big screen. We are coming to a crossroad where we will choose to view our film on Blu Ray and out God awful huge LCD's And why not? It's a good way to go. Yet, there will never be a substitute for watching a great film on a large screen with audience reaction. Sure, some audience members can steal theater experiences with loud popcorn chomping and talking even though the theater strongly forbids it. And everyone around you probably hates it.

The only thing Hollywood needs to remember with all this technology is to give us interesting film. That's the thing that Hollywood is and will always be incompetent in. They will always be incompetent in producing great film. They don't do that regularly. They do it once in a while. When it's just Lightning in a Bottle. They do it when it just happens. They don't know how to start from an idea and know from script page one, how to make great film. Pixar does it! It can be done. But mainstream Hollywood can't do it. Until later, let's talk film!

Lost and Found in Translation

Based on hoping for a good translation...

Ok, let's talk film. Well we lost a legend over the weekend. It's been that kind of year. We are losing legends and greats too often this year, in my humble opinion. I guess that's not like any other year. However, this year feels more personal for me. Feels more immediate. Legends and actors too young. I guess life is life. Well, God Bless Paul Newman and everything he did for film.

Number one at the box office was Eagle Eye thanks to it's high concept idea, strategic marketing to the target demo, and decent star power with Shia Labeouf. Nights in Rodanthe held on strong to come in second with half of what Eagle Eye made. 14 mil to Eagle Eye's 29 mil. 14 mil is very average for Romantic films, drama or comedy. This year with What Happens in Vegas came in at 20 mil. That was a spring release. Yes romantic films rarely see more than 15-29 mil. It appears to be a dying genre in theaters. Probably has to do with the quick market to DVD, people know if they wait they can watch a romance at home. Still, this particular period or post Summer, is a slow period. Things won't pick up till November.

So the LA Times today tells this very sad story of the translation of books to film and how difficult or a "horror story" it could be to do so for an author. You can read the article here or you can just imagine what the article says. It says Boo Hoo, films NEVER live up to the book. That's right they never will. Unless the book has a very strong narrative like Hemingway or the DaVinci Code, which are in essence, screenplays in disguise. That is a paraphrase of the article.

BUT, what's it really all about? Why are books singled out over original material. Well a book following is a built in audience. You like the book? Check out the movie! It's built in ticket sales. Hollywood loves that. They only make films with guarantees, not creativity. Don't let this article fool you. Don't let the LA Times woo you into thinking that Hollywood is the firing squad for a novel. It's not. Hollywood buys rights to books because its easier and more of a guarantee than original material. In fact, you will see most films out there are based on something. It's a safe haven.

As for the author, it's all about the money. If an author sells to Hollywood, it's for money and fame. That's it. I don't think these authors should cry over spilled book because they sold it to hungry lions in the first place. If authors want their ideas to stay pure, don't sell to Hollywood. Then there is nothing to cry about. How much does Stephen King really care if his films are sub par? He doesn't. He keeps writing books and selling then, he cashes his check. Don't let this creative process distress you. It's hit or miss anyway. Books and novels are two completely different mediums. What works in a book will NOT work in a movie. Peter Jackson knows that.

The Lord of the Rings books are WAY different than the film. So, in some cases it's good and in some it is a horror story. But do not forget it's all about the paycheck and the guarantee for the studio. It's the gamble writers take. They should stop whining about it. If they are gonna whine, they should not sell. Until later, let's talk film!

The Friday Night Rave

Ravin till dawn...with my boots on...

Ok, let's talk film. It's easy to get caught up in Hollywood. There is a lot of money and a lot of fame. It's very easy to get lost in the promise of what Hollywood has to offer. Fame, Sex, drugs all that stuff. If you're a screenwriter, like Diablo Cody and you really know and resits the faux glitz of it all, you know better than to get too excited before your name is properly established. Well there is whole slew of young comic book movie writers out there that read comic books, take cool parts out of them and write them on paper and get oodles of dollars for this David Blaine like magic trick. And they get way too excited before the deal is sealed.

Usually these writers come in pairs. Magic couple number one consists of Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci. They are the writers of Transformers 1 and 2. They recently got the good fortune of getting credit of taking dictation for Star Trek, the new prequel, sequel, whatever it is. Now I say that they take dictation because that's all they really do. They don't have any ideas of their own regarding the screenplay. They just take notes from the director and the ever so insightful execs and then they run into an over decorated office and write what they just took notes on. Then after they do that they run back to the aforementioned people and ask for approval.

This is what these two guys do. There is no creativity in it. I know what you're saying...It's a paycheck, it's a good gig. Well maybe so. But I am just here to tell you what they do. I am here to shine the light on this.article in the MtV Blog. The blog talks about more couples making gazillions being Secretaries, namely, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, the writers of Iron Man. It seemed they have been called up to other jobs as secretaries. Well read the article, judge for yourself. I think they are overpaid secretaries. Am I just jealous? Maybe, but I am still here to point out the truth.

So I saw this really amazing film the other day. It's called Redbelt. It is written and directed by David Mamet. And it is one of the best films I personally have seen this year. It's not one for the awards, but it is a fantastic film. I very much recommend it. Until later, let's talk film!

Disney Talking Smack

Brains of the operation...

Ok, let's talk film. Yes, I think that I may be getting a little of my old spunk back. I am getting comments again, so that keeps me writing at my best. I know. What an attention whore if you will, I am. Well, I think it's just a need for recognition from my peers. If you have read my Monday's blog about Diablo Cody, you may noticed I have revised it (four times). That is because if you google, Jennifer's body, Diablo cody, this site comes up at like third or fourth on the list. So I am actually trying to proofread now.

Well let's dive into this Article posted today by the Hollywood Reporter. Apparently Dick Cook, Disney Exec extraordinaire, gathered the who's who of the media biz and announced their future schedule. I am sure everyone waited with bated breath to see what Disney will have in store for us regarding live action. Do we really care? We know what Disney does. They rehash anything in their path and pass it off as their own. They ran out of ideas a while back so they had to come up with a brilliant idea to tie in the Disneyland theme park rides with the movies.

Haunted Mansion tanked at the BO. But, Pirates did not suffer a tragic fate. Yes Disney was saved by talent. If Disney does success, they DO NOT do it themselves. There is not ONE talented person at Disney. All of their talent is outsourced. Johnny Depp saved them in POTC. Looking back, Pixar saved their animation department since Howard Ashman died in the 90's. He was the lyricist for Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. They did not resuscitate their animation quality until Pixar did their Toy Story thing and breathed life into animation again.

But again it was not Disney themselves. Disney as a new idea factory is non existent. Well here you have Dick Cook giving us a quote for his vision of the future, "Movies are constantly changing, and we want to be at the forefront," said Cook, hammering home themes of innovation and creativity throughout the day."

"innovation and creativity", you have got to be kidding me Mr. Cook! Since when has Disney themselves been self sufficient at creativity? Well at the time of Walt Disney, yes! He was a hallmark of creativity. But then that's it. The Disney Classics such as Cinderella and so forth were staples of uniqueness and treasure. But, then once Walt and his people were out of the picture. Then what happened? Well they had a few live action films in the 70's and 80's, Flubber, Love Bug, all that. But then nothing until talent found them in the form of a lyricist named Howard Ashman and a musician names Alan Menken, who still does great work. But, they were a Lennon/Macarthy, it hasn't been the same since. Road to El Dorado anyone?

Now Pixar is giving them wings. Pirates and Johnny Depp is giving them wings. So how is Disney on the forefront? How are they ever going to be on the forefront? With Pixar! With Johnny Depp. Not with Disney themselves. Let's take another quote.
"We add that extra increment of quality to everything we do," Cook said.
No you don't Mr. Cook! You have others to do that for you who are not direct representatives of Disney. So you Mr. Cook and Disney. Do not do anything except ride the coat tails of others! That's it!

This is typical exec thinking. They think they are the talented ones when they have no more responsibility of a McDonalds manager. But, that's what they do! Mr. Cook is diluted. He is in Fantasyland. He nor any other person has true talent like the talent the outsource. Until later, let's talk film!

The New Digital Age...Is Anyone Prepared?

Demand is there, Hollywood isn't. What else is new?

Ok, let's talk film. Well here is this DJ Caruso interview in Collider.com says this, "As everyone is slowly realizing, what Christopher Nolan did with “The Dark Knight” this summer has changed everything." This is a quote in reference to the audience appreciation for IMAX format that The Dark Knight was partially filmed in. Well first off on that quote. Everyone is NOT SLOWLY realizing this. I am certain everyone is rather quickly realizing this. There is just a high cost option that Hollywood is scared of. Remember Hollywood is terrified of new ideas. All Hollywood wants to do is make the same films over and over again. I say that every blog. They want to make only the teen comedy, the Superhero film that's written with snappy dialogue, the slasher film, the feel good underdog film, and the by the numbers romantic comedy. That's all they have in their playbook. That's it! That's all we get.

Sure, they may throw a thriller out once in a while, like Eagle Eye. But in essence is a "Like a Bourne film, except..." We know the formula, we're not stupid. SO when the Dark Knigh shattered all records for being a great film and shot in IMAX, Hollywood wet themselves with fear. They don't know how to make great film. Making great film eludes Hollywood, always will.

Well here is Collide.com telling us everyone is slowly realizing this concept. No! Hollywood knows this concept! They know it very well, they are just unequipped to deal with it. So, that may come off as uninformed. Well, theaters are ill equipped as well. We have this 3D craze, this 3D revolution coming to theaters and the cinemas themselves are not ready. Only digital projectors can run 3D digital film. Only 40% of theaters have this technology. It's crazy.

And where is Michael Bay in all of this? Where is Spielberg for that matter? They NEED to be filming Transformers 2 in IMAX. They need at least 3 strong scenes in IMAX format. Favreau is panting in front of Paramount, begging for the budget for an IMAX shoot. What does all this do? Well IMAX and 3D (stereo as James Cameron calls it) brings people to the cinema again. Otherwise most people will wait for blu ray. And why wouldn't they?! Blu Ray is a wonderful technology.

Michael Bay should by all means be shooting in IMAX. Why he isn't doesn't make any sense to me. They have the budget, they need the cameras. Spielberg knows better. Until Later, let's talk film!

Diablo's Fear of Failure

Keep it personal, Cody.

Ok, let's talk film. Lakeview Terrace was number one over the weekend. Samuel Jackson playing the bad guy is even money at the box office I would say. But Hollywood can rejoice! The film got terrible reviews and people still went to see it. I didn't. I caught up with Burn After Reading and laughed my tookas off. The best reviewed movie, Ghost Town, suffered from lack of a movie star. People still want to go see movie stars. Ricky Grevais, the star of Ghost Town isn't popular. Sure he is a good actor. But, the studio should really know better. Without a movie star, well, the audience will go see something else with a movie star.

SO I wanted to go see Ghost Town, but I was a week behind, so I saw the Cohen Bros. Film. Though the Box Office is slow. The number one film is still only pulling in 15 million. That's nothing. So even if you're number one, there is still nothing really to be that excited about. Studios I am sure are doing the pogo dance rejoicing that their film is number one, but until you're pulling dark night numbers, there is nothing to get excited about. Nothing.

So Diablo Cody, one of my favorite writers, though she has only one script produced thus far, talks to the LA Times today and reveals a career killing fact. Here's one on talking about her new film, Jennifer's Body, "I did not think this would be my follow-up to 'Juno.' But I don't know if I will ever write [another] highbrow, artsy movie."

Well Diablo, or Brook, as her real name is, Brook, that's what wins awards. A highbrow, artsy film, is basically a personally written script. When I think of her description of Juno as artsy, highbrow, I think of scripts like Ordinary People, Moonstruck, Forrest Gump. They're sure artsy films, but they are what we as an audience member responds to. I know! She is sounding like a Hollywood exec! She is sounding like Paramount Pictures. They canned Vantage so they would not have to do Artsy films anymore. She doesn't want to sell out, yet that train of thinking of NOT doing Artsy films, is selling out because that is the trend of thinking in Hollywood. If she wants to go against the grain she needs to do Artsy films. Don't you see that Brook? Is it that hard to notice your current train of thought is not risky at all. It is current Hollywood exec thinking.

You're an Oscar winning screenwriter now, I think, in my humble opinion, you need to act like one. She thinks being risky is doing offbeat, genre horror films. Well that's current Hollywood ideas Brooke. It's actually not risky at all. Risky is doing an Artsy film. No one right now in Hollywood wants to do Art films. They are a liability. Hollywood wants to do huge dark studio picks (Dark Knight) or cheap audience appealing films that make back chump change in the first day.

Here are two inevitable facts about being a writer. First, you're gonna write personal and artsy eventually anyway. I mean one day every writer wants to get introspective. Cody will want to write another Juno like script. And she should. It is her life. She can't escape who she is. I do not believe she is this offbeat writer. I mean leave the offbeat, sellout writing to Tina Fey. She has smart glasses and snappy one liners. Let her sell out and do frivolous, comedy pieces.

Brook, You're way better than that. You need to write from your gut and leave a pint of blood on those pages. That's what we want! Every writer WANTS and needs to write what they know. So even if Jennifer's Body is a success, you may and will eventually want to go back and re-open up your own floodgates. It's an evolutionary fact.

Second, a writer is always afraid of failure. We always hate what we write. I hate what I am writing right now, but I do it because putting words on paper is wonderful. I love it. I think she is
afraid of failure. It is written all over this LA Times article. Why else would she do what seems to be a throwback film. She can't hide herself and say as she does to the LA Times that she wants to forget her Oscar. I think that is a lie. I think she sees it everyday and wants to repeat that success, but is terrified. And rightfully so. She is afraid of success because in life and especially in Unforgiving Jew Town, it's hard to stay on top. Even Rob Reiner's golden streak ended. Even Speilberg makes a bad film once in a while. The industry is so hard to foster success that I am positive Diablo, my fair Brook, is afraid to fail. And with her pressure who wouldn't be.

So, she is making Jennifer's Body on purpose to seemingly take a huge risk and basically get that fear of failure out of her system. But, it's not risky. Art films are out in Hollywood. If she wants to go against the grain, she would write that auto bio stripper story and tell it from the gut. That is against the grain. Until later, let's talk film!

Manhunter vs. Red Dragon

Manhunter. Directed by Michael Mann

Ok, let's talk film. HD NET movies is a great channel to have. Watching Manhunter on my wide screen tube and I forgot how great a film this is. It was released in 1986 when high concept films were bombarding the multi plexes, so it was unfortunately easy for this film to get lost in the mix. It was directed by legendary filmmaker Michael Mann. He is the director of Heat, The Insider, Last of the Mohican's, Miami Vice, which I loved. I am not sure anyone else saw that film. It was really good. I recommend it.

Anyway I am watching this film now actually. I can two things at once and I want to write about it cause it reminds me of the hapless repetition of Hollywood. You see this film is the first Silence of the Lambs film. The definitive one was the spectacular opus starring Hopkins and Foster, both to walk away with the Oscar. But this film from 1986 stars William Peterson from CSI. Edward Norton took over this role in the Brett Ratner remake, Red Dragon. Now you have to expect a few things from Ratner and not expect a few things from him.

He's someone who could screw up a cup of coffee. But who knows if that is really his fault. I mean he is a studio yes boy. There is not too much to his style at all. If you look at his films, Rush Hour, Family Man, After the Sunset, X Men 3. There is not much to him. He is one of those directors that Hollywood likes because he went to USC film school. So he knows SOMETHING, but when it comes to meat and potatoes he is a small fry short of a happy meal. He can't improvise. At least Michael Bay can do that. Well that's all Bay does is improvise. He doesn't have any real vision as a director. So here you have this film that Michael Mann very competently did in '86 and Ratner and MGM decided to do it again. Well that's what we do in Hollywood. We do things twice, three times if needed until they get it right.

Well it doesn't really matter on this film because the original Manhunter by Michael man is far superior to Ratner's. There is a couple things artistically I want to point out. First really good camera decision is during a tense scene that is in every scary film ever. It is a slow pan around a house while a character looks for a possible killer in the home. But this pan is ingenious for Mann and DP Dante Spinotti pass the camera through a fish tank during a suspenseful scene like that. It is brilliant! It really is. The shot reminds me of Spielberg's shot in Saving Private Ryan in the beginning where he bobs the camera up and down in the water juxapositioning tranquility and chaos.

Performance or substance?

And that's what its all about my film fans and future filmmakers. You have to put two things that don't belong together together to make it interesting. Keep that in mind when you're making your film. Another interesting thing that actually is a point for the Ratner side is the infrequent use of Hannibal Leckter in Manhunter. There is actually a lot of dialogue referring to Leckter's madness and yet few scenes with him (the likeable Ronny Cox in Manhunter... I know). That is because when you have Anthony Hopkins playing his bone chilling version of Lecter (not a typo, they are spelled different in the two movies), you don't need excessive dialogue explaining how crazy he is. Hopkins shows you. Perfectly! Which brings us to lesson two, if you have good actors, the less dialogue you need. Great actors can sell emotion with fewer lines.

Well that is rub between these two films. Hopkins is fantastically bone chilling. Yet, Michael Mann is the better director. If you're looking for a great Hannibal crime thriller you may have never seen, this is something to rent. Until Later, let's talk film!

Decline of the Family Holiday Film

We want it done right or we don't want it at all...

Ok, let's talk film. The holidays are fast approaching and I wonder what kind of Holiday fare we will see. Well I can tell you right now. Its gonna be a Christmas film about not wanting to be with family. Well Hollywood echos itself this way. They show us who they are by releasing Holiday film like this. This anti family fare has been in the mix for a long time. I just saw this trailer for Four Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon and I can tell you that the trend is here to stay. If you look at the past Christmas film releases you will see the exact same trend.

The past flock of films include Saving Christmas, Christmas With The Cranks,Deck the Halls, and Surviving Christmas. The new theme here for Christmas film is avoiding family and the theme here is continued with this new Reese Witherspoon film. Why is this trend alive? I believe that Hollywood makes the films that they themselves believe in. Aside from the fact that the town in heavily Jewish, there still is necessity of a Holiday gathering in Judaism with Hanukkah. So, with whatever gathering the execs and writers in Hollywood choose, there is a need to tell a story of the estranged family.

The simple point is that execs don't care about family. They greenlight Christmas films they want to see. They think this lack of family togetherness if funny. Yet, its not funny. Those films I mentioned above did not do well because the audience does not think the same as an exec. We, as an audience, love our families. Sure, in reality it is uncomfortable to see all our relatives at once, but we don't avoid them like the films execs put out during Christmas.

All these anti family Christmas films have failed. They will continue to fail because of what I talked about yesterday. Hollywood execs and the Box Office are two different entities. Execs obviously don't care about their families. But we as an audience do. They are gonna have to do better in delivering family fare about families that actually has a traditional family theme. Otherwise we will avoid it as we have been. Until Tomorrow, let's talk film!

Box Office Truth

They are good, my film fans...Cohen Brothers

Ok, let's talk film. So I think we all know that there are two separate entities in Film. One is Hollywood and the other is the Box Office. Hollywood represents the execs, the sharks, the ones who are out to make a gazillion dollars each film. The other entity is the audience, who pay 11.50 to see a good story. These two divisions never see eye to eye. Hollywood wants to make the same movie over and over again. They think we want the same movie over and over again. You know what movie I am talking about. They make the Hero movie, the film where the hero doesn't want to be the hero, yet becomes the Hero anyway. The underdog story. That's what Hollywood keeps making over and over again.

Well there is a point here. If you look at the Box Office this weekend. Let's just post it and take a look at it here.

1 Burn After Reading $19,404,000 2,651
2 N Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys $18,020,000 - 2,070
3 N Righteous Kill Over. $16,500,000 - 3,152
4 N The Women (2008) $10,088,000 - 2,962
5 4 The House Bunny $4,300,000 - 2,763

Well the first number is of course the weekend gross and the second number is the number of theaters. Here is the tomatometer for the opening films.

78% Burn After Reading
52% Tyler Perry's The Fami… $17.4M
23% Righteous Kill $16.3M
10% The Women $10.1M
84% Tropic Thunder $4.2M
40% The House Bunny $4.2M
95% The Dark Knight $4.1M
10% Bangkok Dangerous $2.6M
52% Traitor $2.1M
38% Death Race $2.1M

This speaks for itself. The big ticket for the weekend according to Hollywood was Righteous Kill. Hollywood marketed that like it was the next Godfather. And they had high hopes with Diane English's The Women. But, look how it turned out. The audience went to see the film that got the best reviews. How upset does this make Hollywood? I could not even tell you. It takes their wind away. They can't fool us anymore. This has been going on all summer. All summer long we as an audience has told Hollywood to shove it when it comes to sub par film.

They are gonna have to do better. Well don't think that this is gonna sink in right away. We are gonna have to boycott more films. Yes of course. Hollywood is aware but they are not going to learn instantly. They still have the studio formula stuck with them like cancer. That will be the biggest thing for them to overcome. They have to stick to their inbred formula and realize that it is time for change. Well this is a bolder of an industry that is not willing to change anytime soon, yet the Box Office demands it. It is there in plain black and white. Until Tomorrow, let's talk film.

The Friday Night Rave

Of course till the break of dawn...

Ok, let's talk film. Well this week has been a week for me hence only three posts. I guess only my die hard fans are upset. This week we have news of Spider Man 4 and 5 filmed consecutively. We all saw this coming. Whenever you have a third film in the trilogy that is sub-par. You now have in Hollywood complete freedom to do a forth one. There was a time in Hollywood, that if you made a bad tentpole film, that was it. A studio moved on to the next project. Now, we can do it again. Hell, I wouldn't even be surprised of doing a Spider-Man begins with an all new cast and a darker subject matter, released in late July.

That's the train of thought now. We all know that. What will the new Spider Man be? I dunno. But you can bet that it will have a darker tone. In fact any super hero film released from now on will carry a darker tone. That's the trend. Well the new Superman Movies will be redone completely. They won't have the PC Brandon Routh whose voice and mannerisms were a direct impersonation of Christopher Reeve. That's all that casting choice was. It was to honor Chris Reeve. I think they should have taken Superman in a whole new direction. Well they will now. They won't even have Bryan Singer do it again. They will get a darker director to handle the project.

SO what's good about this downtime before Oscar season and post Summer Blockbuster? The DVD's. Iron Man is to be released on DVD September 30th and the rest of the Blockbusters will follow. That includes The Dark Knight in December. All the summer films will be in stores before Christmas. That is something to look forward to. It is almost a shame that it happens so fast. It is a shame that DVD's come out only three months after the theatrical run. They do that so there is not enough time for pirating. Yet, that could be a reason for lower theater attendance.

I hope that no one forgets that film is all about watching it in the theater. I do think most people forget that. The majority of people out there who are not in the prime demographic will wait for the DVD release and ignore the theatrical. It is a shame to see that happen. Movies will always be about the experience. If you have never seen The Godfather in the theater, I guarantee you that you have never seen it. It's a whole different experience. Go see film in theaters. Of course check the tomatometer first. I don't want you throwing you money away. Until next week, let's talk film!

The Voice of the Mainstream Generation

The Voice! God bless you Don!

Ok, let's talk film. Don LaFontaine has passed. He has left this world at 68 due to complications of Pneumonia, or something. Now this death surprises me. When I hear of the passing of Don, you all know who he is whether you consciously know it or not. He's the voice of all the movie trailers. "In a world where Jeff writes a blog and no one reads it, one man can," yeah that guy. This is a guy who truly made an impact on the world. He can go to God and say, hey I touched just about every human being on this planet. Totally. How many people can actually say that. Well the thing that strikes me as odd in Don's death is how not sad I am. I am actually happy that he will be remembered with such high regard.

It makes me smile to think of his memory and impact on this world. To touch someone like that in death is an amazing feat. Well prayers to his family and friends. God bless him. But wow, what an amazing life. I mean you could not hear a trailer without hearing his booming voice to really sell the picture. Well let's talk about trailers for a little bit in honor of Don and his legacy and just to talk about trailers because I never get to talk about them

Well, first off, if the trailer is better than the film, then why not make the film like the trailer? An obvious thought and one that Hollywood has not figured out yet. It is easier to make a story look good in two minutes than two hours. Especially when narrative can be boring and trite, Titanic spitting scene anyone? Trailers have one quality that films lack. it is an obvious quality. It is pacing of course. Trailers have interesting fast pacing. Life filet minon, all meat no fat. Well if films were like trailers, then there would be no real substance, no real moments. But then in films, most of the time a Mickey Bay film, there are no real moments or substance. So there is that.

Trailers are done by separate trailer companies. If you saw the Holiday, you know that Cameron Diaz's job was to make trailers. In fact she had one film that was not good looking good because of her. That's essentially what trailer making is, it is picking the best parts whether the film is good or bad, in essence making lemonade out of it. Anything can look good if the trailer is done well. Anything!

Which of course brings me to my last point. Don't trust the trailers! They lie! Look at them and see if they seem original or interesting. But as we all know the director and the director's approach to the material is the make or break. But I know you are a savvy Hollywood player who doesn't listen or become mesmerized by trailers with the bell and whistles on them. Even if Don LaFontaine sold it like snow in Alaska. Don't trust the voice completely even though the voice made us anticipate some of the greatest mainstream film ever made. We do popular mainstream film here in this blog. Have a good night. Until Tomorrow, let's talk film!

The Friday Night Rave

Confront your wildest fears...

Ok, let's talk film. Welcome to the rave. It's gonna be a long movie watching weekend. I highly recommend The Nightmare Before Christmas on Blu Ray if you have means to a Blu Ray. I have my PlayStation 3 that I acquired earlier this year. It works perfectly for Blu Ray viewings. It looks amazing. I think it is a fantastic film that is so original especially compared with standard holiday fare. I mean you could watch Santa Clause or Saving Christmas, but why bother? When the holidays are here I will share with you the Holiday Films I suggest you watch again or maybe for the first time. But who am I? I am but one singular voice in this crazy overpopulated movie blog world.

There are thousands of movie bloggers out there. How do I separate myself from the rest? I am glad you asked. I do my best to enable you to think for yourself. I share with you what makes a film hot or not. I don't do lists and don't do reviews. If you read this blog daily, you will know what is worth seeing and what is not. Not by what TOP ten whatever I tell you, but with what I share with you about the industry itself. I, unlike execs, think you, the audience is very smart.

There were a lot of things that happened this week that I didn't talk about. A lot of my predictions came true. I predicted that all that stuff about Cher and Brain Austin Green was just campaigning., and it was. I talked two weeks ago about the Fox/Warner lawsuit being childish and annoying and LA Times published something to that effect. How do I know all this? Well these execs are easy to predict. And the actors who are diva-like are easy to predict. People with no talent have to pursuit every available avenue besides creativity to stay alive in Hollywood. Hollywood will always be a haven for the talented only. Talent and creativity is the only thing that sells in Hollywood.

We learned this week that ego and films that are not good, don't sell. I say it all the time and I am sure my smart filmfans think it all the time.

Well summer is over now. This weekend marks the end of the summer film season. I thought it was an amazing summer. Numbers wise it was the best summer on record. Now we get to look forward to all the DVD releases of the summer films. That is always exciting. I guess I am dried out now that it is Friday and the summer is over. So, I leave now to remind you that in spite of all my ranting and RAVEing about execs and Hollywood, I have to shout out that I am in love with MOVIES. I always have been. Movies are the greatest thing in the world as far as I am concerned. I watch movies all the damn time.

Movies make me happy, sad, pensive and motivated. That's why I write this blog. I love love love movies. I would not do it otherwise. I know A LOT about them and I don't force my opinions about them specifically down any one's throat. I hope you love movies like I do. Have a great weekend! Kiss the summer goodbye. Let's get ready for Oscar season! I am more than sure we will have soooooooo much to talk about then. Until Tuesday! Let's talk film!

The Changing Tide in Hollywood

Hollywood once made great film on purpose...

Ok, let's talk film. This is an easy subject for me. I am not sure if you know or not, but I actually do a lot of research in writing this blog everyday. It takes maybe about two hours at the most. Mostly an hour for me. Usually it's a subject I have to mull over for a bit. But this subject is easy for me because I talk about it ALL THE TIME. It's is the underlying subject in every blog I write, the quality of film. Hollywood has been getting away for a long time with delivering sub-par film. Yet, history repeats itself and it has again.

You see in the early 70's films used to run in the theater for up to a year. The only form of advertising was word of mouth. So in the 70's Hollywood knew they had to make quality film to perpetuate word of mouth. They went to USC and other film schools to recruit filmmakers to help make great film. Well this is total irony for the filmmakers they got were Coppola, Spielberg, Lucas, De Palma, Scorsese and Kubrick. The ones who made film not only great, but exceptional.

When Jaws was released in 1977, the world of film changed. It was the first film with a huge opening weekend. The studio heads since that day in 1977 have tried and succeeded until 2008 to fool audiences by heavy advertising. And all through the 80's and 90's, we ran to the theater to see Total Recall, Big Trouble in Little China, Matrix Reloaded and even Episode one, just to be let down.

It got really bad for a while

Well this summer has changed everything. Thank God for that. Studios know that they now have to produce quality film or any hope of breaking even at the Box Office is over. The films that reigned this year all were films of good review. A while ago, execs blamed texting for a film's opening failure. They did! Execs blamed texting. People texting each other after the film on opening day telling their friends the film sucked. Today its the Internet. Specifically Rottentomatoes.com.

The tomatometer at RT.com has wreaked havoc on studios marketing campaigns. We as an audience have once again regained control over the quality of film. We have all the studios scared. LA Times covers the studio by studio summer progress here. I know I feel like I am repeating LA times today, but I really wanted to chant from the rooftops today that Hollywood is fearful because they are realizing that the audience out here is smart.

And that is what Hollywood hates about us. They hate that we are smart. They want us to be dumb and listen to them. They want us to watch what they want us to watch. Well No more! When Disaster Movie bombs this weekend, the audience will have spoken completely. That's all Hollywood wants to do. They want to hire cheap, make cheap, dazzle, slap on a happy ending and count their money. I think that trend is ending. Hollywood needs to start making great film again. If they don't then we just won't go. Until tomorrow, let's talk film!

The Losing Battle of Hollywood Greed

Greed is not...you know

Ok, let's talk film. The Warner/Fox Watchmen feud will continue till the wee hours of next year for sure. The New York Times in trying to make sense of this issue. Here is the article that tells the fine print I didn't know about called the turnaround clause. Well the turnaround clause in any studio development contract says:

On its face, turnaround is a contractual mechanism that allows a studio to release its interest in a dormant film project, while recovering costs, plus interest, from any rival that eventually adopts the project. But turnaround is a stacked deck.

The turnaround clauses in a typical contract are also insurance for studio executives who do not want to be humiliated by a competitor who makes a hit out of their castoffs.

I talked about this a couple weeks ago. We knew Warner knew it was time to reap what Fox sat on for 16 years. But in the quote is the real reason besides making money they would not have otherwise made if they did it themselves. It's all about the EGO. EGO is rampant in Hollywood. I talk about this all the time. Projects are made and destroyed by ego.

An ego project

Well these two studios are in the sandbox and Fox had the idea for the sandcastle and Warner built it. I feel like I am repeating myself cause I covered this two weeks ago, but the point I wanted to bring up is that no one is going to win in this situation. Fox will destroy itself through this childish behavior. They want to have a 20 million dollar settlement for a film they only had lunch over. Like I said before, it's blood money. But what I didn't say is that greed never wins. Every film that has been made from ego and greed has flopped. Heaven's Gate, Pluto Nash, Golden Compass, Battlefield Earth Robin Hood, Waterworld. the list goes on. All these films were made from Hollywood ego and greed and it never wins. It never will. The highest grossing film ever Titanic was made by two Studios, Fox and Paramount. Two studio collaboration. They bet on each other to win and everyone succeeded. So why can't Fox and Warner learn from this success? EGO!

The whole top ten list is made from creativity. ET, Passion of the Christ (#12 actually) Star Wars, Shrek 2, Spider Man, these films stemmed from love of the project. This film Watchmen is already suffering from greed. How do we know for sure? Well otherwise there would be no debate. Things would have been done correctly. There are thousands of very intelligent lawyers in Hollywood. I highly doubt someone missed this fine print. It's impossible for anyone to miss it. That means a lot of people knew before and after the film was made and the studios still went ahead with blood sucking each other.

Well basically Watchmen is doomed for failure. I could be totally wrong, but from what I know about greed, this project does not look good. It does not look like an inspired project or a fun project to watch. In fact I think Warner knows that it will be a flop and undo all the money that The Dark Knight made for them. Fox may know this and they may be doing this to mess with Warner's bottom line. Warner just had the best summer of their lives, Fox may very well want to screw that up. I believe that. I hope that this project reminds everyone that greed always fails. We can only pray it sinks in. Until tomorrow, let's talk film.

The Kevin Costner Syndrome

In Power Trip recovery...

Ok, let's talk film. Let's talk about what I call the Kevin Costner syndrome. There is a new trailer for Fast and Furious. It is the forth film as you know in the The Fast and The Furious saga. Do we call it saga? Is it a continuation of anything? No...Well Vin Diesel does not like sequels. I am sure he likes sequels now. He actually is one of these actors who has successfully avoided success by not listening to his audience. He thought he could do whatever he wanted after The Fast and the Furious and XXX. Well, he did and he failed. Why did he fail? Because he turned his back on his audience. Kevin Costner started this trend after he won the Oscar, then micromanaged Robin Rood and Water world to their critical and then evitable box office death

It is crazy that you don't have to be an exec to act like an exec. Actors do it too. They think that power is greater than talent. And that will never be true. You see it all the time. It's really easy to confuse the two. The funny thing is about this syndrome, which you can call Suzanne Sommers syndrome, David Caruso syndrome. Its rampant in Hollywood. It is so easy to get get caught up in the money and the fame. I mean if you're a star, you have everyone telling you how great you are. Money is no object, you can throw it away and get more. Girls or guys are not a problem anymore. A star can lose focus easily.

That's what Vin did. Did you know he is a screenwriter? He is! His second film that he wrote and directed was admitted into Sundance before he was popular. As you know, that is no small feat. I mean Sundance! So, what made this talented, action star, who is smart, turn his back to his audience? Well, he thought he knew it all. What has this later half of this decade taught everyone? It's all about the trilogy.

He made his own cage once

I mean Hollywood should have paid attention when the Scream series made the episodic trilogy popular again. But, sadly they had to learn the hard way when Lord of the Rings slammed dunked the saga trilogy. By then, the damage was done. In the early 2000, sequels to Meet the Parents, the Fast and Furious, Oceans Eleven, XXX, and such all were simply stand alone sequels that did not continue the original story. Those sequels did a terrible job or just trying to recreate the original.

So, Vin should have realized that he was sitting on solid gold from day one. He had two films that he could have taken into Trilogy-ville, F and F and XXX. But sadly he chose not to chase success. He felt that sequels were just a passing fad. Well, the point to all this is that when an actor goes into the Kevin Costner syndrome, they always snap out of it. They realize that they needed to stick with what made them popular to begin with.

Well before some actors totally hit bottom, they beg to be taken back. Sometimes they get a second chance. Look at Costner, he paid some of his own money to get Swing Vote to the screen just so he can play his Bull Durham character style. That's what makes him famous. He plays the down to earth guy. He does it well! So what the hell was he doing in Waterworld and the Postman? Well Swing Vote is ten years to late.



Fast and Furious is very late too. But I write all of this today because when you see the trailer it looks good. It looks fun. It looks like what we should have seen before. The original cast making a good episodic sequel. Continuing the story. I am not saying this film is going to be good. Who knows? But it is good to see every one coming together and having what looks like a good time. That's what this is all about. It reminds me that movies are supposed to be fun and creative, not over produced power trips. Until Tomorrow, let's talk film!

The Oooooo Factor...

Nolan knows best...

Ok, let's talk film. So, I don't think this is anything to worry about or anything at all for that matter. Oh yeah, first things first. Mike who writes the Pixar Blog corrected my misrepresentation of his blog, The Pixar Blog. I said it is the Official Pixar Blog, it is not. It is no affiliation to Pixar or Disney. My apologies. It is a very good and informative blog. I read it, so should you. Thanks Mike. Moving on, here is an article by Telegraph.co.uk that says Cher is Nolan's first choice to play Catwoman. This is hilarious. Yes, please laugh. Where do some of these people get their news.

I am sure this is just a fluff piece. The article also says that Johnny Depp is already cast to play The Riddler. It says the film is to be titled, the Caped Crusader. This is fluff. It is campaigning, again. I talked about this two weeks ago. Everyone is campaigning to be in the third film. I think the execs want to go this route with Johnny Depp as the Riddler and such. This article is nothing more than to get Nolan thinking about casting choices, aka campaigning.

Well the third film will not be like the 90's Batman. Can it? Does it now have the potential to become like a Batman Forver? Or a Spider Man 3? Yes it does. I think Nolan for one is actually being smart. Sure you have you execs that want immediate gratification power. There is the temptation to start spreading around the rumor, "Johnny Depp as the Riddler? Oooooo. Wow" This film is perfect to start the Ooooooh Buzz. I don't think were gonna have the Oooooo factor. Its not gonna be Phillip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin, Depp as the Riddler and Jolie as Catwoman! Ooooooo.

This is not what Nolan's series is about. The above cast is what most of Hollywood wants. They want to watch everyone go Oooooo. That is why Execs do some projects. So that their friends will go Oooooo. Like the Rocky Horror remake and the Poltergeist remake. I guarantee you there is no real integrity in those mentioned remakes. They are there for the Oooooo factor. That's it. And Nolan knows that he can succumb to the Ooooo factor, but he won't. He is smarter than that. He knows the casting must be accurate to a crime story. Or as a fugitive type of piece and not a fluff, Oooooo factor piece.

Warner now is planning its huge event summer. They want the final Harry Potter and the Third Batman to be in the same year or six months of each other. They are manically wringing their hands together for the biggest summer of their lives. That is the real story. Right now execs are buying their RV's and Aspen Timeshares. It's all financial right now. That's the real Ooooooo factor. They are planning the biggest Warner Summer ever! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and The Dark Knight Returns. That is the only thing that matters right now to Execs is that Billion Dollar year. Its all they can think of.

We as an audience care about the movie. The execs are projecting their numbers not even caring about the film itself. This is who they are. They do not and will not ever care about the film itself. They care about the financial results and not the quality results. I don't think they know how! So yes that summer will be great. The casting of The Dark Knight Returns will not Ooooooh us or wow us. It will be the opposite. It will be on the side of unsettling like Leger's performance. That is what The Dark Knight is about. It is not about Warner. Not about actors, It's about a gritty, realistic film for an audience. Quite the opposite of what execs believe. Until Tomorrow, let's talk film!

The Friday Night Rave

Put up or shut up...

Ok, let's talk film. Welcome to the rave. I have now obtained a real full time job, so my posts will be posted late. I am trying to get into a habit to post the night before, but I like my Hollywood news fresh, so we will See how that works. Well, let's shut the brain off and let's just write for the sake of writing! I got my first comment yesterday! I was pretty excited. Fridays would be the day I respond to comments so let's do that for my first one. Anonymous said that he or she likes the National Lampoon direct to video series. First off, thank you for your comment. It was well written and articulate. This user, I hope you mind I call you USER. You didn't leave a name. But this USER says that they don't mind the Direct to Video market already working (on a small scale) and the new market Paramount is establishing with Paramount Famous. This is from yesterdays blog, "Paramount's Panhandling.

Well yesterday I was sticking to the facts and I didn't share my emotion on the actual films themselves. I have never seen them so I can't be critical on the films themselves. I did actually buy American Pie Presents Band Camp. Yes I did. It was trite, but good for parties. Now I am not gonna bag on the films themselves. Just because it is not totally my humor. It obvoiusy doesn't mean it sucks. That's why I don't do reviews, cause every one's taste is different. I mean I think my taste is correct, but unless you're dating me, you don't have to worry about me shoving that into your brain.

Was I was getting to is that Paramount Famous was created to fill in for Paramount Vantage. Vantage was doing small artsy films, like No Country for Old Men, Babel. And now since they went into production and marketing overload, they had to lay off a bunch of people. So now they still have the "make for less money and get decent return" void to fill. So they filled it with direct to video comedies and stopped artsy films. That irked me. I hope I made that clear. If anyone still disagrees with my thoughts please sound off. I have a very dominant type personality, but that doesn't mean I am never wrong, it just means I am always right! Anyway I am glad I inspired good dialogue.

Let's continue with the brainless rave. I saw a few films on DVD this week. I have Netflix and Blockbuster. I saw Apocalypse Now twice this week. That's just how I roll. If you're gonna aspire to or you are a director, please watch that film. It is a masterpiece of direction. You wonder what happened to Coppola when you watch this film. It is soo amazing. I was blown away to see a amazing performance by a 14 year old Larry Fishbourne. So classic. His face was still the same.

Oh yeah, huge point here. I saw Street Kings with Keanu. WOAH! I know. And aside from him trying to still get this acting thing down. I mean he has come a very long way. I like him. But two things about this film. It's a corrupt police drama that is just ok. In the corrupt police drama, there have been masters of the genre. It's like when I was talking about 21 a couple weeks ago. If you're gonna do a genre film, like a mob film, a Vegas scam film, or a corrupt police film. You have to re-set the bar or get out of the game.

Street Kings was not bad. It just was not like it's masters, LA Confidential and The Departed. My God! Those films were so wonderful and amazing and saucy and juicy. I mean what a moment when Guy Pierce and a then unknown Russel Crowe team up after the 2 hour mark in LA Confidential to play the good cop/bad cop. How amazing and shocking was it when DiCaprio was gunned down without warning in The Departed! These were masterful moments in film. In Street Kings, there is no risk. There is no passion like the masterpieces of the genre. The film was not bad, it was just nothing compared to what we have seen in the genre. Why do you think there have been no mob films?

AND the dialogue keeps saying the Keanu is a Bruce Willis type. It is hilarious. Anyway I will stop there. Rent it. Have a good weekend! Until Monday Let's talk film!

Paramount's Panhandling

Paramount's turn...They do this to themselves, I didn't plan this at all!

Ok, let's talk film. So Hollywood now is all about the bottom line. I mean it's always been about the bottom line, but at least it was all about the usual formula. Great pitch + Big star + Big name or cheap visual director = big opening weekend. That's the standard formula. Well, now things are shifting again. I mean this is the week that Hollywood has stepped in it. I mean I have never seen this much greed and reality TV style backstabbing since the closed projection room, coke sniffing days of the 80's. Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson laid the ground rules for stabbing in the back in that time. Well, now it's the years post millennium and no one has grown up. Lack of maturity is to be expected when millions of dollars are thrown around.

That's the real danger here to worry about, isn't it? I mean some people out there literally kill for a lot of money and here you have a business that throws around millions for breakfast. I am not inferring that actual crime is involved, but morality in Hollywood is very corrupt. I have proven that this week. Thought, It is a dangerous thing. It really is. It's cut throat and no one really survives in Hollywood unless you get lucky being involved in a large project. That is what this all comes down to. The people playing in Hollywood want to stay playing forever. The reality is that Film, though a popular medium, will always be a true home for the talented ones. But, money talks. And in Hollywood, money or the ones behind the money, have no talent. The really talented ones, are not the rich ones.

The rich people do not have talent. They never will. I don't know why. Well, maybe I do know. I think it has to do with the fact that you have to really lived life to replicate it properly. And if you have struggled in life and felt real pain, with out having the luxury of 2000 shopping trips like Britney can do, you have something to write about.

Hollywood will always be a losing power struggle between the untalented, rich people and the talented not so rich people. Well Louis Feola, let's talk about this guy. He is one of those execs. Oh yeah and if you are reading this and think I am unfair when taling about execs, read the Offical Pixar Blog. They bag on Eisner for a few paragraphs. I am not the only one who is aware of the destruction of Hollywood Execs.. So, Feola has taken over a NEW branch of Paramount now that it's Vantage is practically non existent. This new Branch is called Paramount Famous. They are taking smaller films such as Road Trip and Without a Paddle and making direct to video sequels.

If Execs could be as honest...

This is of course an immediate response to the Lost Boys sequel that is doing well AND the National Lampoon films out there, most of them you never heard of. National Lampoon and oh yeah American Pie Presents have been doing cheap direct to video sequels to make the bottom line. Well two things about this. Maybe more. You know how I lose count. One, it's a small line to cross, so you would think "why Bother?" I mean 3 million to make and maybe they only double that. Sure the studios that do this don't lose money, but its playing the slots and not sitting at the tables. Its so miniscule, it seems shameful. Why? Because Hollywood doesn't bet on talent. They are giving us empty IDEAS again. It's the Mini HIGH CONCEPT version ideas of the 80's. Remember when everything in the 80's was HIGH CONCEPT. We have Back to the Future to thank for that trend.

Now, Paramount wants to jump in and say, hey you like Road Trip? Here is a ridiculous sequel for you to dismiss. You know what this is, it is oh She is MARRIED? Here is her younger, unkempt sister. This is all it is. It's pathetic. It's Hollywood's equivalent of pan handling. Because all they are going to make is chump change anyway. I am not going to lie to you. I have shook Frank Sinatra's hand. No I really have. No joke. In Vegas when I was 18. So I can't lie or rat on my friends. So I am serious when I say that this is Paramount sitting on the side of the road with a sign that says, Like Road Trip? Give a dollar or twenty! Because no direct to video sequel is ever Lightning in a bottle. It never will be. Otherwise it would not be direct to video.

What they also can be doing here to is hoping for LIB. If Road Trip 2 is suddenly the next Animal House, then they can get a wide release and soak up all the glory for making a high grossing film on a toothpick budget. That actually may be the goal here. With these knuckle heads its hard to tell. Well however you put it, it is a bad idea. How do I know? Well here is TWO. Disney tried this a while ago. They released sequels to Lion King and Beauty and the Beast on direct to DVD. It works for the short term. These films don't have any longevity. Years from now the kids who watched Belle's Christmas or whatever will remember Beauty and the Beast and not the aforementioned. That's the way it is. It's a short term fix. You like Lion King? Here is quick fix that cost us ten bucks to make.

American Pie Presents and National Lampoon series gets old fast. I mean what do you remember? Band camp or American Pie one? Vacation with Chevy Chase or Bag Boy? It's not art, it's..I don't know what it is. It's sad. Its panhandling and it's pathetic. It is extra pathetic too because this branch was created as an answer to Paramount Vantage's fall. SO basically so more Cohen Bros films or Paul Thomas Anderson films. Paramount has stopped giving us great film and now is giving is Without a Paddle 2: Direct to Video. Until tomorrow, let's talk film!

All I Got From My Dissapointment Was A Friggin' Apology Letter..

Now there's a Batman release date...

Ok, let's talk film. Here is the actual apology letter written by Alan Horn CEO extrordinare at Warner.

Many of you have written to me to express your disappointment in our moving Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to Summer 2009.

Please be assured that we share your love for Harry Potter and would certainly never do anything to hurt any of the films. Over the past 10 years, we have nurtured and protected each film, and the integrity of the books upon which they are based, to the best of our ability.

The decision to move Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was not taken lightly, and was never intended to upset our Harry Potter fans. We know you have built this series into what it is, and we thank you for your ongoing enthusiasm and support.

If I may offer a silver lining: there would have been a two-year gap between Half-Blood Prince and the much-anticipated first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which opens in November 2010.

So although we have to wait a little longer for Half-Blood Prince, the wait from that film until Deathly Hallows will be less than 18 months. I am sorry to have disappointed you now, but if you hold on a little longer, I believe it will be worth the wait.
Alan Horn
President, Chief Operating Officer
Warner Bros.

Here is really what he should have said.

I keep reading all your blogs and my neice has expressed her rage in our moving Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to Summer 2009. In fact there is not a soul on this planet that has agreed with this decision

Please be assured that we share your love for cash cows as Harry Potter. Hell it could be French Documetries you guys like. We don't care and we will roll them out if you demand it! We would certainly never do anything to hurt any of the films except as you know not hiring back Alfonso Cuaron because we felt he was too "artsy". Over the past 10 years, we have tried to rush each film before these kids get too old and the kept the integrity of the books upon which they are very very very very very very very loosely based, to the best of our ability. (which without Spielberg directing, isn't much)

The decision to move Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was not taken lightly over sushi lunch, (I put too much wasabi into my soy sauce at one point) Boy that was rough for me. We never intended to upset our Harry Potter fans. We know you have kept buying tickets, and we thank you for your ongoing enthusiasm and financial support. You can be excited as you want for the films, but if you don't buy tickets, we don't make movies.

If I may offer a silver lining: We are taking The Dark Knight's release date in order to offer us a better chance to break the 400 million dollar mark. That's what it really comes down to. Oh yeah and there would have been a two-year gap between Half-Blood Prince and the much-anticipated first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which opens in November 2010. Well we all know that this series is so easy to forget. We are so totally doing you a favor.

So really we just want to wear the Bat suit next summer. I mean come on The Dark Knight is on fire! Who doesn't want a peice of that?! So that is what it really all comes down to. If I can break 400 million, I can stay working in Hollwood for a long time.
Alan Horn
President, Chief Operating Officer
Warner Bros.

Until Tomorrow, Let's talk film.

The Fantastic Fox

Fox's turn today...

Ok, let's talk film. And some of you still say that Execs have a heart of gold buried somewhere deep in their black chest. I think not. Now I do like to talk of the craft of film and I do that sometimes. In fact I think I do that a lot. I Talk about actual film often. But, one of my joys in life is attacking Hollywood executives They are no talent blood suckers who stifle creativity. They rework director's talent to keep all film on a happy keel so that it appeals to a "broad audience". In other words, we don't want to get real with film because someone somewhere might raise their eyebrows. I mean someone somewhere may not like it if John Cusack didn't end up with Kate Beckinsale at the end of Serendipity. Because that's how the film should have ended.

And just when I think execs can't get any scummier, they prove me wrong the next day. Here is the last atrocity that Fox has done. I will sum it up quickly. Read the article if you want to know the legality. Fox acquired rights to Watchmen in 91. They decided not to do it, too expensive or whatever. My friend at Fox Angie Averitt wasn't doing the marketing then, so they said forget it. They opted to "quitclaim" the rights. Meaning I believe, they don't want to do the film, but if someone else does make it, they have to repay development costs (all those sushi lunches)and give Fox Royalties. In order to remain in compliance with this, the new owner would have to pay up front sans the royalties of course to FOX.

Well Warner Bros didn't pay enough or at all and Fox never said a word to remind them. This is low. This is the lowest I have ever seen execs work. It is mean and totally unethical to wait until Warner has the film completed until they exercised their claim. Well in the eyes of an exec, its not. They obviously waited to see if the film was good or not. Then they claimed their rights. I doubt if the film was bad, they would care. This is exactly what happened. Warner settled but Fox lawyers who originally held the contract, held something back. I am not a legal person, but you don't have to be to smell this manure. Fox waited. They waited until the film was done then said, "oh that's mine, by the way" How childish! This move by Fox execs is appalling. I mean come on, say something before the filming. WTF? Fox can't even act like a responsible adult.

They did not want to make Watchmen, they were sitting on it for 16 years. And now, yes ALL OF A SUDDEN, they want to pee a circle around it. Well I think we all get the idea here. So what is going to happen? Well Fox is going to get major royalties or they will settle for a lump sum which the latter seems ridiculous. They are trying to delay the release of Watchmen, slated for March 2009. I want to say this again and close with this. This is because Warner has made a good film out of it. Warner Bros makes good comic book films. Superman and Batman anyone. FOx has the problem, Fantastic Four and X Men? Not SO good.

So Fox sits back and lets Warner make Watchmen waiting for something to go wrong or go right. Fox does not want to stop it from being made because where is the fun in that? They had a sneaky feeling that is would be good. If they said something before filming, then the film may never get made. But if you wait until the film is finished, then you get the best of both worlds. This is mayhem. This is the devil rubbing his palms together and laughing. Its maniacal.

I would really like to say this surprises me, but again it doesn't. Its hungry, needy no talent execs making money. Blood money. No talent to fall back on. Petty back stabbing to rely on. It honestly makes me sick this time. We pay our 10.50 or so to see film made by people who act like children. Mean children. I would like to see Fox eat crow here. I really would. This is the lowest I have ever seen execs go. Sorry Angie that you have to work with snakes. You have talent. Until Tomorrow, let's talk film!

Warner Bros and the Half-Brained Decision

Logo in the clouds and head way in the clouds...

Ok, let's talk film. Huge news today in Hollywood. Huge, lifestyle changing news. From Warner Bros. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince has now been moved to summer. Whoa! I know. That was a Keanu Reeves WHOA! It was slated to be released November 21st, the coveted spot before Thanksgiving. That's a Golden Spot! You think that would be enough. But no. What have I been saying this whole summer? No, The other thing! That's right my educated film fans! Everyone wants to be The Dark Knight. Harry Potter 6 is moved now to July 17th 2009, the same date basically as The Dark Knight this year. These Warner Execs are so out of touch, they think the release date itself is charmed. How hilarious is that?

The Dark Knight, and I am really getting tired of saying this, is a great film. That is why it is making gazillions! If it was a good film or a really good film, it would not make a gazillion. Indiana Jones 4 is not a great film, it wasn't even a really good film, it was just a good film. Iron Man is a really good film. Dark Knight is a great film. If Harry Potter is a good film or a really good film, it still will not make the numbers The Dark Knight did. It needs to be a Great film. And let us not forget that interest in The Dark Knight was propelled because of the very premature death of a very young and gifted actor.

I am going to say this again. Deep down inside the black heart of Warner Execs, they wish they could have the death of one of the actors to help film sales. If you are naive and say, "No, Jeff, that's unthinkable. Execs don't want that!" Well they do. I guarantee it. If, and please God Forbid, something tragic like that did happen, they would have to act mournful. However, again if one of those young and talented actors met a unthinkable (to us) demise, execs would party at the Mansion. I am telling you 100% that is true. They are proving my theory as we speak. They made a more realistic and darker trailer, check. They did a re-edit to tighten it up two months ago, check and now, they moved their date to where the Dark Knight is now! They are dying to be the new Dark Knight. They are not the only ones. All of Hollywood has Dark Knight fever. It's all about the dark realism tent pole. Don't let anyone fool you. So don't think for a minute that deep down inside execs don't wish for a tragic death to propel this film. Think of all the money they will make.

Why do I harp on this? Well because I want you to know how shallow and heartless these people are. I want you to know that the people that run Hollywood, don't care about the audience, more less, than about the film makers themselves. All they care about is the bottom line. Why? Because they have no talent to fall back on like we do.

I also think that Warner Bros wanted to rework the film even more to make it realistic. It's a dual opportunity here. They get to wear the bat suit next summer and they get more time to work on the film. Another actually pretty good reason to do this is to build momentum for the last films. If you release it Dec, the DVD comes out summer 09 and you still have a whole year before the final two films (summer 2010 and 2011). This way you release it summer 09, DVD in November 09, the first of the final films now only six months away (summer 2010). That way you can really build it up and not lose any momentum of interest.

Well however way you cut it, its a bad idea. They are doing exactly what Walden media did with Prince Caspian, they are moving it from a sure thing to a place where they have no business being. Christmas is perfect for a Harry Potter. It was made for that time slot. It a family film. Families go see it. And now they are removing the family element and making something it is not. Its a tragic move. Forcing it to summer will be and mark my words, a big mistake. The funny thing about Hollywood is that they learn from other's success, but they don't learn from other's failure. Warner is making a huge mistake that will cost them millions. They will make the bottom line, but they will miss the family film Holiday experience. It will make slightly less than what they could have made if they just stayed true to themselves and not chased the Batman. Until tomorrow, let's talk film!

The Friday Night Rave

Turn off the brain and just write. Write because you LOVE it!

Ok, let's talk film. Friday night rave is here. I know you're all excited. One day of the week I allow myself to be more incoherent than usual, let's do this! Trite and ordinary movie dialogue. Corny film dialogue is all over the place. I see a lot of Independent film on the web. A lot of budding film makers making film and using scripts that would serve better as fire wood. Not that I haven't written great stuff all the time, I have written garbage a lot. I actually most of the time I write crap. If you're reading this blog you can shake your head yes with confidence in that statement. But if I were making a film, you better believe I would try at best to have some meaty dialogue. I think all of us as writers want to get stuck with the "Hello, how are you" We want our characters to be revealed in everyday speech. When in fact and please write this down, we want to see exposition and plot/narrative in tandem.

What does that mean? I am glad you asked. Well put your character in the plot immediately and have your first lines of dialogue stem from that moment, your character's response. It's way more interesting that, "Hello, pass the papaya". It is more fun to learn of characters in the moment. Let's take Die Hard for a moment to analyze. You remember the whole opening scene with John Mclaine in the limo talking to Argyle divulging his life story. I bet if you cut that whole scene and gone straight to the terrorist and have the narrative exposed as the plot unfolded, it would have been surprising and more interesting. Not that Die Hard is in anyway a bad film, it is one of my favorites, but imagine the first half hour cut out and the film tightened. I know you're saying that I sound like a studio exec now. No, I am sounding like I thought of a good way to add an element of mystery to a film while getting the ball rolling.

Why? I am glad you asked again. Because not every film can make up for its lack of interesting dialogue. Die Hard can. If you watch Speed, you wish Keanu Reeves would stop talking right away. Anyway, write dialogue that goes with the Narrative. The narrative is variable, plot is the constant. We have to go to the store, but how we get there is Narrative. Don't spend a half hour changing the oil, spend your time accidentally running over your neighbors caton the way to the store. The neighbor whom you owe money to. Something like that. We will learn more from that.

Beauty and brains..and Beauty.

Everyone wants to be the villain in the next Batman film. I mean everyone. Everyone is campaigning for this. Last week we heard Angelina Jolie was campaigning for Catwoman. Not a surprise. This week Brain Austin Green is campaigning for the riddler. Who knows. I think the only best thing Green has gotten into is Meghan Fox. Who cares really. Here's the thing with this. In the 90's it was an honor to to play the Batman, now, in the Mellenia it is an honor to play the Batman Villain.

So everyone wants to be the villain. Let Nolan decide. When he chose Heath no one had faith in that decision. So let him decide. A film should be the vision of a singular person, not a focus group and certainly not Angelina Jolie. We need Laura Linney to get in there an do it. Ah it's the Rave I can say what I want. Go see Tropic Thunder, you'll laugh till you pee. Until Monday! Let's talk film