Category: media

Despite the unpromising track record of such films (remember Gus van Sant’s Psycho?), the London artist duo called The Centre of Attention is planning to reproduce “John Schlesinger’s classic tale of an amoral model [played by Julie Christie] climbing the ladder of success in swinging 60s London. The cast? Members of the public.”

“New Michael Jackson songs may be years from release, but a documentary about the late singer could be in cinemas worldwide before the end of 2009. The promoters of Jackson’s aborted [London] O2 residency are in talks to sell the rights to nearly 80 hours of rehearsal footage, with plans to release a concert film.”

“American television series are more addictive than British ones, according to a poll of British viewers. … [B]y and large, they’re right. American series are more addictive. But that’s because, for commercial reasons, they have to be. American television bosses are much more ruthless than ours.”

“Directors, writers and cinema buffs had arrived in Jeddah for what had been billed as a week-long festival of films from Saudi Arabia and neighbouring states.” Scheduled to begin Saturday, it was canceled Friday. “The only official explanation was that the event had not been sufficiently prepared. But it is widely believed the ban is the latest victory for religious conservatives, who regard cinema as a form of Western moral pollution.”

“Drastic funding cuts to the arts planned by the Silvio Berlusconi government prompted Italy’s film community to protest in front of parliament on Monday, with some industryites threatening a Venice Film Festival boycott as the next step.” Berlusconi intends to severely prune the arts fund, reducing it from $711 million to $540 million.

“The sixth movie in the formidable Harry Potter franchise whipped up the biggest worldwide opening of all time, selling an estimated $396.7 million (U.S.) worth of tickets during its first five days.”

“We want to do a video game where kids can experience what it’s like to audition on one of these reality shows. I have discussed this with the Really Useful Group and we can use the songs to musicals like Cats and Starlight Express.

“I see the BBC as a broker in these times. It is the next stage for us. We must make sure culture remains confident in this country.”

“The bigger the slate, the better the odds for profit. The five-film slate had a net loss of $94 million. The 10-film slate had almost $140 million in profit, while the 15-film slate had $466.4 million in profit. The study, which used a time frame of 12 years to determine the results, assumed 8% in distribution costs and 10% profit-participation and also included video and television revenues.”

“Marking the sector’s fourth consecutive monthly decline, sales of video games and consoles in the U.S. fell 31% last month to $1.2 billion, down from $1.7 billion in June 2008, according to a report released Thursday from market research firm NPD Group Inc.”