The UBS Evening Movie News 04.17.08
Posted by George H. Sirois on 04.17.2008
The “So Little Time” Edition…
Welcome everyone to the latest edition of The UBS Evening Movie News. I'm George H. Sirois, and as I'm writing this, I have a little over two hours before deadline, so this is going to be a little shorter than the typical report. Obviously, I don't have time to get the Mad Prophet of the Airwaves rant up this time, but don't worry. I got some good stuff to talk about next week.
Anyway, enough rambling. On with the news…
TOP STORY
After two days of contract negotiations with the majors, the Screen Actors Guild is looking to put some pressure on the studios by signing interim deals with indie feature producers that would allow actors to continue working on select projects even if a strike occurs.
SAG's expected to announce at least one indie signer as early as today. But the majors are unlikely to react to SAG's maneuver, as Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers member conglomerates have been steadfastly holding off on starting any projects until after a deal with the guild is clinched.
SAG's guaranteed completion contracts are available only to independent feature productions that have neither financing nor distribution deals with any AMPTP-repped company.
The signing of the "guaranteed completion contracts" signals that SAG's not expecting a quick resolution to the talks. The negotiations began Tuesday at AMPTP headquarters in Encino and continued Wednesday with minimal public disclosure as to the substance of the bargaining.
SAG and the AMPTP plan to negotiate every day -- except for Sundays -- through April 26. The majors will then launch talks with rival actors union AFTRA on April 28.
Neither SAG nor the AMPTP would comment Wednesday on the pending announcement regarding interim agreements.
The guild's decision to pursue interim agreements is a strong indication that the sides have considerable ground to cover before a new three-year contract is reached. However, reps for SAG and the AMPTP have so far refrained from the kind of public criticism of each other that characterized the AMPTP's early bargaining sessions with the WGA last fall. Plans are for the sides to issue a joint statement at the end of each day; after the first day of talks on Tuesday, SAG and the AMPTP said only that initial proposals were exchanged.
SAG first announced in early March that it was offering the contracts to independent feature producers, under which producers would agree to observe the terms and conditions of any SAG interim deal that would be offered during a strike. By signing such a contract, indie producers would not have to worry about a strike shutting down their productions.
The prospect of an actors strike hitting after the current SAG contract expires June 30 spurred a ramp-up in feature production at the majors last year and earlier this year. Production schedules have been designed so that shooting's completed by mid-June -- with insurers insisting they won't issue completion bonds for projects that can't be completed by that deadline.
The WGA signed more than 20 interim deals during its strike as a way of gaining leverage over the conglomerates. Companies agreed in advance to adhere to terms of the guild's final contract agreement.
The first WGA interim pact was signed in late December by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants. The guild eventually signed Lionsgate, RKO, Marvel, Weinstein Co., United Artists, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Spyglass Entertainment, Media Rights Capital, Jackson Bites, Film Department, Intermedia and Mandate.
I'll give the AMPTP credit for covering their asses this time around with the possibility of another strike looming. It looks like all of the production companies that signed interim deals had pursued the same kind of deal during the WGA strike, so kudos to them for actually learning something during those months.
Of course, with the kinds of salaries that actors command and how much power they have when it comes to how a movie opens, it's only natural that the producers would go out of their way to make sure the business doesn't come to a screeching halt again. I wonder if some reality TV stars are going to try to get on the big screen. God, I hope not.
Credit: Variety
SYBIL THE SOOTHSAYER
UPCOMING FILMS
Forgetting Sarah Marshall: Jason Segel and Kristen Bell star in this comedy about a man who has a hard time getting over his old girlfriend.
The commercials I've seen for this look pretty funny, but the word I've heard from a couple friends who have caught earlier said this is hilarious. That gives me hope, and if the latter is true, then I'll give credit to Apatow & Co. for not succumbing to the urge to put the funniest material in the trailer.
88 Minutes: Al Pacino plays a successful forensic psychiatrist and college professor who has 88 minutes to prevent his murder.
Now this looks like the kind of movie that Pacino can sink his teeth into, a ticking-clock thriller that doesn't allow for very much backstory or a subplot. If Al doesn't solve the mystery, he's going to die, so be on the lookout for plenty of moments here where Al's a little frantic.
The Forbidden Kingdom: A discovery made by a kung fu obsessed American teen (Michael Angarano) sends him on an adventure to China, where he joins up with a band of martial arts warriors (Jackie Chan, Jet Li) in order to free the imprisoned Monkey King.
So they set up the long-awaited big screen team-up of Jackie Chan and Jet Li… and they give us a story similar to Last Action Hero??? Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of John Fusco for his two Young Guns scripts, and I'm looking forward to how these two stars interact with each other, but don't you think a better story would have suited them?
Credit: TheMovieBox.net
DVD NEWS
Continuing on a story I mentioned several weeks ago, Paramount Home Video has announced that on August 5, they will be releasing Star Trek: The Original Series – The Complete Second Season. No word on if there will be any extras up to the standard of the HD-DVD / DVD Combo set for The Complete First Season. Oh, and these will only be released on standard DVD… for now. No word on if these will be released on Blu-Ray. When word comes around to how much it will cost, I'll let you know.
Credit: DVDReview.com
MOVIE TRAILER OF THE WEEK: Zombie Strippers
God bless Jay Lee for coming up with a concept like this, and then bringing both Robert Englund and Jenna Jameson into it. Sure, it looks Godawful, but it looks like a blast as well. I wonder if this will prompt the DVD release of Fred Olen Ray's masterpiece Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers…
Oh, and here's another YouTube video from yours truly. Last week, I covered The Undertaker. This week, Mick Foley…
JIM WEBBING AND HIS IT'S-THE-HONEST-TRUTH-DEPARTMENT
Ellen Page Now Available On-Demand: At least two more majors have joined Disney in allowing their new releases to be sold via Apple's iTunes Store.
Fox decided to go all the way on Juno, offering it for purchase on Tuesday, the same day that the DVD and Blu-ray versions hit shelves. Paramount has begun testing download sales of new releases as well: It offered Beowulf for purchase shortly after the pic hit shelves Feb. 26, and Jackass 2.5 was made available on the Web on Dec. 19, one week before the pic's DVD release.
A Fox rep said it's likely the studio will offer more new releases for sale in the future but indicated that decisions would be made on a title-by-title basis.
A Par spokesman said the studio has started experimenting with selling films on iTunes on a download-to-own basis during their new-release DVD window.
That more majors are even dipping their toes into the iTunes sales waters on new releases reps a notable breakthrough for Apple topper Steve Jobs, who has been trying to lure other studios to do so even since Disney entered the fray a year and a half ago. The Mouse House, which has a relationship with Apple since Jobs is its biggest individual shareholder and sits on its board, ran into static from Wal-Mart when it offered the made-for High School Musical.
Other studios have hesitated to follow suit due to concerns about Apple's pricing and fears that Jobs could become too powerful. Par, for example, allowed certain older movies to be purchased on iTunes but barred new releases from the service until now.
I expect to see this one become a hit on iTunes, since I've mentioned before how the smaller and more dialogue-driven the movie is, the better it comes off when viewed on a media player. This makes me wonder how Beowulf has done so far since its iTunes release. I gotta give kudos to Fox for keeping it on a title-by-title basis instead of just going nuts with its archive. If they expect on-demand video downloading to be a success, patience will definitely be a virtue.
Credit: Variety
No Comment Needed: The WGA West's Animation Writers Caucus has awarded its animation writing award for lifetime achievement to writer-director Brad Bird.
Bird will be honored at the WGA West's Honorary Awards Luncheon on April 23 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.
"Brad's work has put him in the pantheon of animation creators for whom the art and craft of animation writing are elegantly (and sometimes literally) drawn together," Verrone said.
Bird wrote and directed Ratatouille and The Incredibles, both of which won Oscars for animated feature. Bird also received Oscar nominations for writing Ratatouille and The Incredibles. Neither pic was covered by the WGA, which has limited oversight of feature animated writing.
Bird's TV credits include serving as executive consultant on "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill."
Bird is prepping his next project, the live-action feature film 1906.
No further comment is really necessary here, as you can't pick a more deserving modern animated filmmaker to get an award like this. (And no, it's not just because I'm running out of time to get this finished.) I only hope that Bird's live-action attempt is just as successful.
So here I am, wondering what I'm going to do for this week's Photo News Brief. And what happens last night? I get an e-mail from the master himself, DivasRGr8 with a brand new submission to the UBS Evening Movie News lore.
Posted By: Dan (Guest) on April 17, 2008 at 12:31 AM
I went to a screening of zombie strippers it was "ehhh"
88 minutes was going straight to dvd, Pachino's first ever. And Sony at the last minute decided to release it in theaters. His next film with diniro is a 60 million dollar indie directed by the same dude... scary!
Posted By: Sirois Destroyer (Guest) on April 17, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Jessica Canizales= MANY BUYS
Posted By: JMASCORPIO (Guest) on April 17, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Ellen Page on Demand? I demand to be on Ellen Page!
*Crickets chirp*
Posted By: PHOENIXZERO (Guest) on April 17, 2008 at 03:16 PM
Hey I heard WWE is looking for A new Brazilian Diva, I guess you are on the Right track (Jessica Canizales).
O god Fuck ME
Posted By: Hank (Guest) on April 17, 2008 at 06:08 PM
