“Because exhibitors want to discourage studios from releasing films on DVD before they finish playing in theaters, they generally refuse to re-book a movie after it’s available in home entertainment formats. They do occasionally bend that rule,” but few are flexible in the case of best-picture Oscar winner “The Hurt Locker.”
Tag: 03.09.10
Boston Public Library Branch Rankings To Decide Closures
Among other criteria, “administrators will rank the 26 neighborhood branches by foot traffic, computer use, and how many Web surfers use laptops to log on to Wi-Fi networks. They will count how many programs are offered at each location and tally the number of people who attend storytime and English classes.”
Phantom Sequel Follows Most Popular Musical Ever
“Lloyd Webber says the idea of writing the sequel came to him some 15 years ago, in a conversation with Maria Bjornson, the set designer of the original Phantom. ‘I remember saying to her, “You know, I think it’s slightly unfinished business, because all we do is we just leave a mask on a chair,” and what happened?'”
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Don’t Be So Girly!
“Boys didn’t want to see a movie with ‘princess’ in the title.” So Disney has renamed its upcoming animated version of the Rapunzel tale “Tangled,” and its “marketing campaign will amp up the role of the dashing Errol Flynn-styled male lead…. Hints of swashbuckling action are already being leaked online.”
Not Even Broadcast TV Wants To Be Free
“One of the oldest free mediums, [television] has something to teach us about free information: It can be expensive. And, perhaps, we would be better off if we were allowed to pay for it.”
Is It A Publisher’s Job To Make Sure Authors Are Truthful?
“Publishers say that responsibility for errors and fabrications ultimately must lie with the author. ‘It would not be humanly possible to fact-check books the way magazine articles can be fact-checked,’ ” editor Robert A. Gottlieb said. “But in many recent cases publishers did not seem to ask basic questions of authors, accepting their versions on almost blind faith.”
Private Equity Firm Takes Over Annie Leibovitz’s Debt
“Under terms of their arrangement, Colony will become Ms Leibovitz’s sole creditor and help her market a library of photographs that includes such images as her Vanity Fair magazine cover of a naked, pregnant Demi Moore and her Rolling Stone photo of a nude John Lennon embracing Yoko Ono.”
Two NJ Arts Companies Succumb To Economic Crisis
“The American Repertory Ballet in New Brunswick announced today it has canceled the remainder of its season, opting to not perform in order not to make an already six-figure shortfall even worse. At the same time, the smaller 12 Miles West Theatre Company of Madison, has suspended operations, and it’s unlikely it will re-open.”
The Conflict At The Oscars’ Heart
“This year the entertainment industry woke up to a clear if troubling realization: the Oscars telecast exposed an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in full-fledged identity crisis. Almost everything about the ceremony was big and commercial; almost everything about the winners was small and arty.”