“In one sign of the enthusiasm for the film, whose theatrical release was initially held up after a hacking attack on the studio, “The Interview” scored an 8.0 rating on the Chinese Internet movie database Douban, with more than 10,000 people posting reviews.”
Category: media
“The Interview” Makes A Million Dollars On Its First Day
“The film made just over $1 million in ticket sales from 331 locations for an impressive $3,142 per theater average, according to distributor Sony Pictures. Many theaters reported selling out showings.”
How Sony’s “Interview” Problem Has Turned Into An Opportunity
“This is the first time a major studio film has embarked on what the industry calls a day-and-date release — that is, available for home viewing at the same time as it opens in theaters. Sony, which often seemed to be reacting as much as plotting a strategy while the hacking crisis blew up, has created opportunity out of disaster.”
Here’s Why Classic Directing Endures
“In critical circles it’s fashionable to mock the discipline and caution of these less-obtrusive directors, but I would like to cheer the artisans and chameleons who quietly pursue their craft in the shadow of more sacred monsters.”
Yikes! America’s Radio Dial Has Gone All-Christmas
“No less than 529 stations have gone all-holiday this year, an increase of 8.4 percent from last year and the largest number of such stations ever recorded, according to Inside Radio, a trade publication that tracks the holiday format.”
Hollywood’s Woman Problem
“In indie arenas like the Sundance Film Festival, female directors have inched closer to gender parity, and in 2013, half the movies in the American dramatic competition were directed by women. But even in the hothouse world of Sundance equality isn’t a sure thing, and when the next festival starts in January, women will have about a third of the titles in the American dramatic competition. That’s not great, but by the end of this year, the six major studios (not including their art-house divisions) will have released three movies directed by women. It’s a number that should be a call to action.”
“Mozart In The Jungle” And The Backstage Drama
The new show, based on Blair Tindall’s book, “Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs and Classical Music,” is a lighter and more diffuse production. At times, it feels like a smarter, less melodramatic version of a backstage series like “Smash” (or a less over-the-top version of a superior backstage story like “Slings and Arrows”).
The Best Movie Trailers Of 2014
“In the past 12 months, the number of movie trailers you’ve seen is probably greater than the number of actual movies you’ve seen. Now that the Internet means you don’t have to show up to a theater to watch them, previews are more widely available – and widely discussed – than ever. Which means the good ones really deserve to be appreciated.” (includes video)
John Waters Has Remade “Pink Flamingos” With, And For, Kids
Says the auteur of the G-rated 74-minute video Kiddie Flamingos, “It’s a conceptual art piece. It’s really only your perverted mind that makes it not innocent.”
Security Experts Disagree About Whether North Korea Is Behind The Sony Hack
“Skeptics criticized the evidence saying it was inconclusive and failed to make the FBI’s case. The agency, however, maintains that it has other evidence it can’t disclose, raising questions about whether signals intelligence collected by NSA surveillance might have been used.”