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Movie Reviews: Body Of Lies
10 October 2008 10:37 AM, PDT
Spy thrillers are rarely plausible -- and suspending belief may be part of the fun of watching them. That's the observation of most critics in their reviews of Body of Lies, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. For example, Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times concludes: "Body of Lies contains enough you can believe, or almost believe, that you wish so much of it weren't sensationally implausible." Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times reaches the same conclusion. "The skill of top-flight director Ridley Scott and his veteran production team, not to mention the ability of stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, ensure that this story of spies and terrorism in the Middle East is always crisp and watchable," he writes, "but as the film's episodic story gradually reveals itself, it ends up too unconvincing and conventional to consistently hold our attention." Joe Neumaier in the New York Daily News has little patience for the routine nature of the spy flick. To him it "aims to be up-to-the-moment -- yet feels same-old, same-old." Likewise Lou Lumenick concludes in the New York Post, "There's nothing here we haven't seen in many other movies." Lisa Kennedy in the Denver Post chimes in: "Body of Lies is an A-list project with B-game results. The movie might be set in the Age of Jihad. But the rules of trust and mistrust are wholly familiar." A.O. Scott in the New York Times writes that director Scott's "professionalism is, as ever, present in every frame and scene, but this time it seems singularly untethered from anything like zeal, conviction or even curiosity."
Movie Reviews: City Of Ember
10 October 2008 10:37 AM, PDT
The kiddie sci-fi flick City of Ember, which features Tim Robbins, Harry Treadaway, Saoirse Ronan, and Bill Murray, may end up a movie of embers after the critics get done with it. Actually, most of them find the overall look of the film quite impressive. It's set in a future post-apocalyptic world where humanity lives in an underground city. That the film fails as both "a kids' adventure and a dystopian finger-wag," writes Robert Abele in the Los Angeles Times "is a shame for all the dazzling craftsmanship brought forth from its production team." Liam Lacey writes in the Toronto Globe and Mail that director Gil Kenan's "strength as a set-designer works against the story. The escape from the claustrophobic city should feel like an escape to light and freedom; instead, it feels like being kicked out of a cool club where you'd prefer to spend more time." On the other hand, Ty Burr in the Boston Globe comments: "For all its missed chances, though, City of Ember still casts a neat glow." And Susan Walker concludes in the Toronto Star: "City of Ember is a thrilling adventure tale and teen fantasy that is grounded in real concerns about who is managing the planet." Note:Summaries of additional new releases will be posted here on Monday.
Columbus Day Crowded With New Films
10 October 2008 10:37 AM, PDT
The box office will become even more crowded this weekend (the Columbus Day holiday) as four new films join the traffic jam and one film opens wide after a limited release. They will all be chasing Beverly Hills Chihuahua, which opened with a stronger-than-expected $29.3 million last weekend. Leading the newcomers is Ridley Scott's Body of Lies, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, which is expected to earn $13-16 million -- about what is expected for Chihuahua. The horror film Quarantine, which was not screened for critics, is also expected to make a solid debut.
Hollywood.Com Buys Media By Numbers
10 October 2008 10:37 AM, PDT
The box-office-tracking firm Media by Numbers has been acquired by Boca Raton-based Hollywood.com. The firm's president, Paul Dergarabedian, who previously headed Exhibitor Relations, is joining Hollywood.com as part of the deal. Terms were not disclosed. In a statement, Hollywood.com CEO Mitchell Rubenstein said that the acquisition "creates a powerful partnership that is unique to the entertainment industry." Dergarabedian, arguably the most prominent box-office analyst, said that the combination "will allow us to realize our full potential and better showcase our services." In a separate statement to clients, Dergarabedian promised "additional enhancements that will make our data more usable and comprehensive."
SAG Tells Members: Strike Vote Imminent
10 October 2008 10:37 AM, PDT
In a curiously delayed email message to members of the Screen Actors Guild, union President Alan Rosenberg and National Executive Director Doug Allen said that on October 1 the union's negotiating committee had asked the national board of directors to send a strike authorization referendum to members when it meets in Los Angeles on October 18 and 19. "Although the national negotiating committee is empowered to authorize such a referendum, the committee felt that the national board should be the body to debate and decide this important issue at this time." Critics of the union leadership have suggested that the move is a ploy by the Membership First "hardliners" to test the resolve of the Unite for Strength faction to support their demands for new media jurisdiction and payments. Analysts have suggested that even if a strike authorization vote is approved by the required 75 percent of the voting membership, the earliest a strike could be called would be early January.
Free Sailing For Pirate Bay
10 October 2008 10:37 AM, PDT
Details of a ruling by an Italian court overturning a decree from a public prosecutor that blocked the BitTorrent search site The Pirate Bay indicate that it may be more far-reaching than initially supposed. According to a translation of key sections of the ruling appearing on the website TorrentFreak.com, the Court of Bergamo went beyond The Pirate Bay's argument that it merely posted information about BitTorrent sites and did not offer bootlegged movies itself. The judge instead ruled that Italian authorities had no jurisdiction over foreign websites that are accused of copyright infringement. According to the translation, the judge stated: "No [Italian] criminal court is allowed to issue an order to ISPs [Internet Service Providers] to block traffic to a foreign website based on alleged copyright infringement." The court cited a 2000 e-commerce act by the European Union, which states that European countries cannot require ISPs to oversee the data that they transmit or store.
CBS News Shows Soar In Ratings
10 October 2008 10:37 AM, PDT
CBS said Thursday that it is showing striking gains with all of its news program during the first weeks of the new season. Last Sunday's 60 Minutes, it noted, drew 16.65 million viewers, making it overall the third-highest-rated show of the week. Ratings for Face the Nation were up 33 percent. 48 Hours Mystery saw a 16-percent increase and was the highest-rated show on the air Saturday night. CBS Evening News with Katie Couric saw a 5-percent increase in its ratings, as did The Early Show. By contrast NBC has yanked all of its primetime news programming after airing as many as five hours of Dateline programming weekly during the summer, and ABC has pulled off Primetime temporarily, leaving only 20/20 as its sole primetime news program during the week.
Letterman Sends New Invitation To McCain ... Sort Of
10 October 2008 10:37 AM, PDT
David Letterman on Thursday addressed rumors that first appeared in the New York Post that John McCain would appear on his show and that the two would bury the hatchet after McCain dropped out of an appearance two weeks ago at the last minute, citing the need to return to Washington to deal with the economic crisis, but instead headed for an interview with Katie Couric. Letterman confirmed that such negotiations were underway but that the McCain backers were being "squirrely." During his monologue Letterman remarked, "In an attempt to save his campaign, they're talking about coming back. You see what I'm saying? So we said, 'Sure, we would love you to come back.' And even on the phone, he said, 'I'll bring...Sarah.'" Letterman said that although the McCain backers were aware that he tapes his show at 5:30 p.m. in New York, they were insisting that the interview take place a half hour earlier. Suggesting that he was reluctant to accommodate him, Letterman said, "We have no guarantee he's going to show up, period. ... I just don't know if we can trust him. And by the way, I don't need to remind you that the road to the White House runs right through here."
SNL On Thursday Holds Its Own Against Stiff Competition
10 October 2008 10:37 AM, PDT
Although it was up against the season premiere of CBS's CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which accounted for the best ratings of the season with a 14.1 rating and a 22 share, and ABC's Grey's Anatomy, which recorded a 10.1/15, Saturday Night Live Weekend Update held its own with a 7.1/11 Thursday night. The figure was particularly impressive given the fact that its lead-in, The Office, placed fourth in the time period with a 5.2/8. The show also beat the L.A. Dodgers-Philadelphia Phillies playoff game on Fox, which averaged a 6.2/10. Disappointing many viewers who had tuned in hoping to see another Tina Fey ribbing of Sarah Palin, Fey did not appear on the show. (Throughout the week there had been rumors of a Fey-Palin encounter.) The biggest surprise was the appearance of one "William Murray" in the crowd watching the faux Obama-McCain town-hall debate to ask what the candidates thought about the Chicago Cubs chances. (The bit was not far off the mark. In 1960, Richard Nixon and John Kennedy were taken to task by critics for failing to mention Pittsburgh Pirate Bill Mazeroski's World Series-winning 9th-inning homerun against the New York Yankees, which occurred a few hours prior to the third presidential debate.)
SNL Hurts Palin's "Favorability," Says Study
10 October 2008 10:37 AM, PDT
A national study has indicated that the "favorability rating" for Sarah Palin drops when viewers watch Tina Fey impersonating her on Saturday Night Live. Among a group of 314 Democratic, Republican and independent voters, Palin's favorability rating dropped to 43 percent from 47 percent after they watched Fey's parody of the vice-presidential candidate. As expected, the rating fell more sharply among Democrats and independents than it did among Republicans, who were virtually unaffected by the SNL skit. The study was conducted by Flemington, NJ-based Hcd Research and Allentown, Pa-based Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion.
Coming: The Barack Obama Show
10 October 2008 10:37 AM, PDT
In yet another departure from recent advertising strategy by political candidates, Senator Barack Obama's campaign has bought a half-hour of television time on CBS and NBC on Wednesday, October 29, less than a week before the presidential election. In recent elections presidential candidates have primarily bought time on local stations in key markets. No presidential candidate has bought a half-hour time period on primetime TV since Ross Perot did so in 1992. The New York Times reported today (Friday) that the campaign is also talking to ABC and Fox, although the possibility of a sixth game in the World Series on that date may rule out a deal with Fox. Neither the campaign nor the two television networks would discuss the price paid for the TV time. The deals were first reported Thursday on the website of the Hollywood Reporter.
Screenwriter In Blockbuster Battle With Disney
9 October 2008 10:34 AM, PDT
Screenwriter Cyrus Nowrasteh has taken his battle with Disney and ABC to the video store, where his documentary, Blocking the Path to 9/11, is being released Tuesday. Nowrasteh's ABC miniseries, The Path to 9/11, which received high ratings when it aired in 2006, contended that missteps by the Clinton administration led to the successful attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It was subsequently denounced by Clinton officials and the Democratic Party. The Path to 9/11 was never repeated or released on DVD. In the documentary, Nowrasteh argues, according to the Hollywood Reporter, that ABC bowed to pressure from Clinton and other Democrats, and he shows scenes purportedly removed from the miniseries at their request.
See The Video; Buy The Movie
9 October 2008 10:34 AM, PDT
Google's YouTube is collaborating with Amazon.com and Apple's iTunes store to offer for sale the complete movie or television show from which the online clips are derived. In a statement, the company said that the producers will be able to garner "additional revenue from their content beyond the advertising we serve against their videos." Users will also be able to buy the complete CD through a "click-to-buy" link while watching a music video, with YouTube receiving a commission for each sale. YouTube's statement said, "This is a first step to building a broader eCommerce platform for content partners and users on YouTube," but it did not indicate what it had in mind for the future. However, the Associated Press said that the company plans "to expand beyond entertainment sales to create a shopping bazaar. For instance, a home-care how-to clip on YouTube might include a sales button for a lawn mower."
Oscar Battle Creating "Demolition Derby," Columnist Claims
9 October 2008 10:34 AM, PDT
The costly competition for Oscar recognition was responsible in large part for the collapse of several studio specialty film units and independent production houses, Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick Goldstein contended today (Thursday). Citing studio insiders, Goldstein said that Paramount Vantage was especially hard hit by the expense of running Oscar campaigns for No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood. Of $50 million spent on marketing No Country, "a healthy portion" went to run the Oscar campaign for the movie, Goldstein said. "What the Oscars have done is create a cinematic demolition derby," he wrote, pointing out that studios now hold back their best films until the last 12 weeks of the year, "forcing them to engage in a suicidal fight."
Studios To Sponsor Oscarcast For First Time
9 October 2008 10:34 AM, PDT
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences said Wednesday that, for the first time, it will allow commercials for movies to be broadcast during the 2009 Oscar presentations. The academy imposed numerous restrictions on the ads, however. They can not promote any nominated film, nor any prequel or sequel. Only films that are scheduled to open in April or later in the year can be promoted. Each distributor will be allowed to purchase one 30- or 60-second commercial, and each can promote only one film. They may not have aired prior to the telecast. Only one movie spot can be broadcast during any commercial break. And none of the spots will be permitted to use the terms "Oscar" or "Academy Award." Meanwhile it was announced that Hyundai will replace General Motors as the telecast's primary automotive sponsor. (Gm said last month that it was withdrawing from Oscar sponsorship because of the high cost of a commercial during the show, estimated at $1.8 million.)
BBC Video Disputes U.S. General On Afghan Strike
9 October 2008 10:34 AM, PDT
The British Broadcasting Corporation has plunged into the controversy over the U.S. bombing of Azizabad in Afghanistan in August after U.S. military investigators on Wednesday acknowledged that 33 civilians had been killed, not 7 as originally claimed. The smaller figure was originally corroborated by Fox News correspondent Oliver North (of Iran-Contra fame), who was embedded with the U.S. troops. The BBC posted on its website today (Thursday) an eight-minute video showing what it said were 40 dead bodies, mostly children, lying under sheets and blankets inside a mosque. The video was reportedly taken by a doctor at the scene with his cell phone. It also reported that officials of the Afghan government and the U.N. claimed that 90 people, 60 of them children, died in the strike. Although in releasing the latest findings Wednesday, Lt. Gen Martin Dempsey said that U.S. forces had acted on credible intelligence and had killed 22 insurgents in the attack, a spokesman for President Hamid Karzai last month blamed "total misinformation fed to the coalition forces" for the attack and acknowledged that "not a single Taliban" was killed. The London Times originally posted the cell-phone video last month, warning of its graphic content. A BBC spokesman was not available for comment.
Relatively Few Layoffs In TV Newsrooms
9 October 2008 10:34 AM, PDT
Although the American newspaper industry has been forced to lay off thousands of employees this year, the total number of layoffs in TV newsrooms across the country amounts to only 360, according to the Radio and Television News Directors Association. In an article published in the organization's Rtnda Communicator, Hofstra University Journalism Professor Bob Papper, who conducted the survey, observed, "The difference between newspaper and television is there are fundamental problems with newspapers in both circulation and business model. In TV, what we are seeing is a reflection of economic times." Papper noted that although 2009 is expected to be "a tough year," most stations, which operate with far fewer staff members than newspapers, "have little room to do any more cutting unless they cut newscasts. That's hard to envision given more than 40 percent of local station revenue is derived from local news."
Guild To Osbournes: No Writers For You!
9 October 2008 10:34 AM, PDT
The Writers Guild of America has sent a letter to members warning them not to work for the upcoming variety show hosted by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne being produced by FremantleMedia North America, the company that produces American Idol, The Price is Right, and Million Dollar Password, During its negotiations with Fremantle, the WGA said, the production company "wanted to treat certain portions of the show as 'reality content,' not cover the writers who create it, and lower the compensation of the WGA-covered writers, arguing that they would only be responsible for writing part of the show." Fremantle's demands, it insisted, amounted to an "aggressive undermining of our contract." For its part, Fremantle insisted that the WGA had broken off negotiations "after only a few phone conversations" and then "implemented their usual mendacious strategy of feeding misleading and erroneous information to the press."
Old Is In; New Is Out During New Season
9 October 2008 10:34 AM, PDT
CBS and Fox continued to draw solid ratings for previous hits on Wednesday night, while ABC and NBC continued to flounder with new series and struggling returnees. Fox's Bones was the top-rated show in the 8:00 p.m. hour, averaging 10.3 million viewers -- twice the number who tuned in to ABC's Pushing Daisies in the same time period. CBS took the lead at 9:00 p.m. with Criminal Minds averaging 15.9 million viewers, while viewers deserted Fox, as 'Til Death attracted just $3.97 million. CBS retained the lead at 10:00 p.m. with CSI: NY counting 15.8 million viewers. ABC was far behind in second place, as its Dirty Sexy Money tallied 5.9 million viewers. NBC's Lipstick Jungle placed third with 4.7 million.
63.23 Million Watch Debate
9 October 2008 10:34 AM, PDT
Some 63.23 million Americans watched Tuesday night's presidential debate on broadcast television and cable (Internet and PBS viewing was not included), according to figures released by Nielsen Research Wednesday. The figure far exceeded the 52.42 million who watched the first debate between John McCain and Barack Obama on Sept. 26 but was significantly lower than the 69.99 million who tuned in for the vice-presidential debate last week. On cable, CNN drew the most viewers, averaging 9.23 million, just ahead of Fox News Channel with 8.77 million. MSNBC counted 3.77 million viewers. Meanwhile, Sen. McCain's reference to Sen. Obama during the debate as "that one" created an overnight industry, with a website, www.thatone08.com, selling "That One" T-shirts and stickers within hours after the debate ended. Demand for the $19.95 T-shirts was so fervent that by today (Thursday) they were going for $24.95.
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