Oscars

This time last year, everyone knew either Avatar or The Hurt Locker would win Best Picture. This year’s race has been a little less clear-cut. Several studios have waited to the bitter end to release their Best Picture candidates. One notable example is The Weinstein Company’s Blue Valentine, which they sneakily released in limited locations around New York and Los Angeles to secure contention for the award. And now that the category is back to 10 nominees, it can be anyone’s race.

Disney has also been vocal in pushing it’s billion dollar animated feature, Toy Story 3, to not only contend in the category, but win out. Warner Bros has a few films it could promote including Inception, Hereafter, and The Town. They’ll probably put most of their publicity chips behind Inception since it was the most profitable and (in my opinion) best film out of the three. Paramount Pictures’ True Grit (made by the Cohen Brothers) has also been receiving a lot of Oscar buzz for Best Picture, even though the film’s not out for another two weeks.

My predictions for the 10 Best Picture nominees are: The Social Network, Inception, True Grit, Blue Valentine, Toy Story 3, The Town, Hereafter, The Kids Are Alright, 127 Hours, and Black Swan. The current frontrunners for Best Actor are James Franco for 127 Hours (Franco will be hosting the awards this year along with Anne Hathaway) and Jeff Bridges for True Grit (this would be the first ever back-to-back Best Actor win since Bridges won last year for his role in Crazy Heart). Ryan Gosling’s also said to be in the mix after his phenomenal portrayal of a broken husband in Blue Valentine. The Best Actress race is a little more up in the air. Natalie Portman has received a lot of acclaim for her role in Black Swan, but Michelle Williams has also gotten much praise opposite Gosling for her part in Blue Valentine.  We don’t know much so far, but we do know it should be a close race. It’ll all come down to which studio puts the best publicity campaign together for its films and actors.

Blue Valentine Rating Change

Upcoming Weinstein Company indie drama Blue Valentine just had its NC-17 rating overturned to an R. The MPAA officially confirmed the rating-change yesterday afternoon. President of The Weinstein Co., Harvey Weinstein, went in personally to argue with the ratings board. Harvey is notorious around the industry for shouting and bickering until he gets his way.

The controversy is mainly over one graphic sex scene between stars Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling. The MPAA wanted them to cut the scene out but director Derek Cianfrance refused to compromise his artistic vision. And with Harvey’s clout and bitter bark backing him up, he knew he stood a fair chance against the censors. When all was said and done, the scene stayed in.

The problem with NC-17 movies is that they can only be exhibited in certain art-house cinemas, usually only in big cities. Also, NC-17 movies cannot have television ads, which significantly affects the films market reach and award campaign.

Blue Valentine is getting superb reviews and The Weinstein Co. will surely make an Oscar push for Gosling and Williams. They’ll definitely make a push for Best Picture because that’s much more valuable to Harvey since his company owns the film. It could even be another dramatic episode like 1998’s Shakespeare in Love Oscar campaign led by Harvey Weinstein when he ran Miramax. The film won Best Picture even though Saving Private Ryan was widely regarded as the best movie that year. They attributed the win to Harvey’s slimy tactic of bullying people into voting for his film. You can question the guy’s method, but in the end, he gets what he wants. 

J. Edgar

Clint Eastwood is attached to direct a feature about famed FBI Director, J. Edgar Hoover. Leonardo DiCaprio is currently attached to play Hoover. Armie Hammer, of Social Network fame, has been cast to play Clyde Tolson – Hoover’s right-hand man and secret lover. The script was penned by Oscar-winning writer Dustin Lance Black.

Black, who is gay himself, did a phenomenal job portraying a controversial, homosexual government official in Milk. He wrote about Harvey Milk’s political insurgence and courage in advocating gay rights during the 70s. Hoover’s story gives him an opportunity to construct a narrative about gay rights during the 40s, 50s and 60s which were much more restrictive times for homosexual officials.

The difference between the two stories though is that Milk was openly gay, whereas Hoover never came out of the closet. He is, however, popularly regarded as being at least bisexual. There are numerous rumors of him being a cross-dresser and also sexually involved with his partner, Tolson.

It’ll be interesting to see how Black portrays Hoover. Imagine will be producing along with Warner Brothers. The movie’s due for a 2012 release. 

Texting, Social Media, and other way to avoid actually hearing people’s voices

 

It’s almost 2011 and a lot has changed in this short decade. But I think the most prolific changes to our lifestyles have come in the form of technological advances; advances that have made communicating with each other quicker and easier. However, progress often comes at a cost. And in this situation, the cost is personal interaction. No doubt, texting and Facebook have made staying in touch with your social sphere only a finger’s length away, but at this rate, we’ll be breeding socially inept children that lack the ability to make real emotional connections.

If you can remember all the way back to 2000, people were still calling each other when they wanted to talk. But now, it’s almost become a social faux pas to pick up the phone and actually dial somebody. Texting is the new preferred method of communication, at least among younger generations. Even older crowds have superficially tried to embrace the trend. I often get texts from my dad, and they usually make no sense. Dad, if you’re reading this “? r u” can mean “where are you?” or “how are you?” Just type it out, its only two more keystrokes.

But the real menace of texting is what it’s done to the way we communicate. It has caused us to reconsider what constitutes the most socially desirable means of communication. These days, texting your friends has become almost like a passive-aggressive contest. A text communicates just enough of what you want to say, without appearing over-zealous. The mentality is: why try harder than you have to? No one wants to be friends with people that try too hard. This, unfortunately, has become the new norm.

Beyond the texting world lays the final frontier of communication media: social networking. Facebook has perfected what Myspace started in 2003. And with the added Facebook Chat feature, users can instantly chat with their friends on the world’s largest social network. It’s gotten so big that they even made a movie (The Social Network) about the little geniuses behind the master scheme. So why are people obsessed with Facebook? I think the reason is because they’re able to construct their identities as they want others to perceive them. You can pick and choose the photos you’re tagged in, post your favorite music to the news feed, and write about what you’re doing. The new “check-in” feature also makes it possible for you to let everyone know where you are. Also, people just love talking about themselves, and Facebook makes it possible to tell your network almost every single thing about you: interests, activities, favorite music/movies/TV shows, education, work information, etc. It’s scary how much I know about people I’ve barely talked to.  

Another thing Facebook has done has made it almost impossible to tell an original story in a face-to-face conversation. When your whole life’s floating around on the interwebs, your friends generally know of any recent developments in your life. When I see my friends, I try not to, but often find myself starting sentences with “I saw on Facebook that…” or “Remember on Facebook Chat you told me…” It’s like every real conversation young people have these days is just a supplement of something happening in cyberspace. Sites like Facebook have empowered the masses to have social lives without ever having to actually socialize.

The definition for the term “socialize” has also evolved over the past decade. To socialize used to mean you would go out to meet and talk to people. But with the development of different technologies, the definition has also evolved. Socializing with people these days includes everything from face-to-face interaction to the ultimate form of impersonal communication: the tweet.

I will, however, concede that these technological advances do have upsides. Texting is quick and easy. The textor doesn’t have to worry about the textee being in class or at work, where he/she wouldn’t be able to answer the phone. Also, a text skips the conversational foreplay and gets straight to the point – I can respect that. Facebook makes our lives easier too. It’s like having an email center, instant messaging service, event-planner, and birthday rememberer all in one package. It also gives people who are shy or socially awkward a chance at forming (somewhat) real connections with other people. Ideally, Facebook should not replace your social sphere, but supplement it in a beneficial way. At our core, humans are social animals. In order to lead a fulfilling life and avoid becoming a sociopath, you need to be able to create and maintain real relationships.

The problem arises when these media are over-used – which is especially common in younger generations. The growing concern is that the endless distractions of texting, Facebook, and other media are diverting kids away from their studies. When I was a kid, the only options I had when I got home were TV and homework. It’s pretty easy to regulate what your children are doing when those are their only choices. However, today’s parents have to worry about kids wasting time not doing their homework by watching television, constantly texting each other, and surfing the web. And since a lot of their work is done on the computer these days, making sure they’re actually doing anything has never been harder.  The endless distractions on the internet cause these kids to lose focus on their work as they try to juggle their social lives and schoolwork every day. Some people call this multitasking, I call it ADHD.

What we really need to find is that delicate balance between verbal and nonverbal communication. Tomorrow’s workplace needs savvy employees that are good communicators on both a technological and a personal level. The most successful Gen Y-ers will be the ones that can effectively strike this balance.

No matter the drawbacks, technology is not slowing down anytime soon. But I think we should take a lesson from Hollywood’s new 3-D craze and promote 3-D communication, in the form of more face-to-face time – before 3-D Facebook comes around and no one goes outside anymore. So get away from that screen and go meet someone for coffee.

The Next Big Action Star

Two years ago, Jeremy Renner was best known as “that guy from S.W.A.T.” After earning an Oscar’s Best Actor nomination and starring in this year’s Best Picture, The Hurt Locker, his career has taken off.

The 39 year-old starred in the Ben Affleck thriller, The Town (which is getting considerable Oscar buzz) and is currently filming Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in Dubai. Renner will be starring opposite Tom Cruise in the J.J. Abrams-produced, Brad Bird-directed thriller. In fact, several pundits have started calling Jeremy Renner the “next Tom Cruise.”

Renner will also star in The Avengers alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson. Renner will play Hawkeye, a bow-and-arrow wielding superhero. The Avengers is set for a 2012 release. The actor looks and plays much younger than 39, not that it should affect his acting. Tom Cruise is 48 and he’s still doing his own stunts. As long as he makes the right career choices, I believe Renner will be one of the biggest stars in Hollywood in 5 years. 

Daniel Day Lewis is Lincoln

Last week, it was announced that Daniel Day-Lewis would be staring as President Abraham Lincoln in the upcoming Steve Spielberg-directed biopic. Liam Neeson was originally set to star, but after being attached to the project for a while, he decided to drop out. And when he stepped down, Spielberg figured, “Who better to play America’s 16^th president than another big-nosed Irish dude?”

Jokes aside, I do think DDL will do a phenomenal job as Honest Abe. Day-Lewis is notorious for being extremely picky with his roles. The guy does a movie like every three years. He’s only been in 19 films total since his first role as “child vandal (uncredited)” in 1971’s Sunday Bloody Sunday. He’s also earned two Best Actor Oscars, for My Left Foot (1989) and There Will Be Blood (2007).

Lincoln was scripted by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Tony Kushner. Spielberg will helm the feature and production is set to begin in fall 2011. Spielberg is also committed to directing Robopocalypse (which is about exactly what the title implies), but will do Lincoln first. Disney’s Touchstone Pictures will release the picture in late 2012.

Potter takes over the world box office

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1 opened to slightly over $125 million this weekend, making it the 6^th largest 3-day opening of all time. The films also raked in $205 million from international showings, putting its global total at a staggering $330 million already. And since Warner Bros decided to make the first film into two, they’ll be making similar, if not bigger numbers with the second installment (which is due for a June 2011 release).

The franchise that made J.K. Rowling a billionaire has grossed over $5.4 billion dollars at the box office. The lowest grossing film (but my personal favorite) was the Alfonso Cuaron-directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (the third one in the series), which still made $795 in worldwide box office. Most of the other films have been in the $900 million range. Will HP7-1 be the one that finally breaks a billion? If not, HP7-2 surely will, since everyone wants to see how the series ends. This was a smart move from WB, essentially making double the money with one production (both films were shot at the same time). And since HP7-2 will be in 3-D, I think the 25% up-charge will boost the gross to over a billion dollars.

With all the money these films make, you would assume WB is really raking in the dough. But the net profit is not as large as you would think. WB never released HP7’s budget but claimed it was “less than $250 million” which means it was probably $250 million. A movie of this magnitude also requires a marketing budget of at least $60 million. This puts the total at roughly $310 million. The studios keep half of all box office grosses and the other half goes to the exhibitors. So for WB to recoup this $310 million, the movie has to gross $620 million (which shouldn’t be too much of a problem). But WB is notorious for creative accounting, which shows it losing money on a lot of these big budget cash cows. The fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), grossed $938 million worldwide, but WB still claims it lost over $160 million on it.

Still, WB can't deny the Potter franchise has been a blessing for the studio. After the Potter series end, their next big feature will be Batman 4, the follow-up to the 2008 juggernaut, The Dark Knight. 

Unstoppable?

Unstoppable is getting good reviews. Go figure.

P.S.

Apparently Denzel only does train movies now. Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 then this thing? Even Training Day has “train” in the title. 

Arrested Development

Some say it’s the best comedy writing in decades. Some say the ensemble cast rivals any that came before. Some say it’s simply the best TV show ever. So why was development arrested on Arrested Development after only 3 seasons? Maybe it was the ever-changing time slot. Maybe its target demographic was too ambiguous. Or maybe it was just too smart for network television.

No matter how you slice it, there’s nothing we can do to bring the show back now. After Arrested Development was canceled in 2006, rumors surfaced that the show would move to Showtime. It seemed like a much more appropriate fit because they would have a lot more freedom on a premium cable network. However, creator Mitch Hurwitz wasn’t too keen on the idea. On the topic of extending the series on Showtime, Hurwitz said, "I had taken it as far as I felt I could as a series. I told the story I wanted to tell, and we were getting to a point where I think a lot of the actors were ready to move on.” He also claimed he was "more worried about letting down the fans in terms of the quality of the show dropping" as opposed to upsetting them by not making any more episodes.

And although I love this show and agree that it might be the best TV show ever made, I agree with Hurwitz. Out of the 53 episodes, there was never one bad one. But it never got any love from its network either. Fox even aired the 2-hour series finale against the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics on February 10, 2006.

There have been a lot of rumors about an Arrested Development movie also. In August, reports surfaced that Hurwitz was “half-done” with the feature film script. However, David Cross (Tobias) shot down these rumors a week later claiming the movie would probably never happen because the cast members had moved on. But I’m sure if there is a script, the gang will re-unite for one final chicken dance.

It’s Fox’s loss. Seinfeld didn’t really pick up steam until the fourth season. It should have given Arrested Development one more shot at glory. But they canceled it. Canceled?! You’re gonna say that to the show that won 6 Emmies in 3 seasons? C’mon!

Conan is back!

Conan O’Brien returned Monday night from a 10-month hiatus to star in his new self-titled TBS talk show. The first episode of Conan drew in 4.2 million viewers, making its mark as the most-watched late night talk show episode of all time. The episode beat out David Letterman, Jay Leno, John Stewart and Steven Colbert.

After a 7-month stint on NBC’s Tonight Show, Conan had fun bashing the peacock in his opening sequence. He compared his expulsion from NBC to Sonny Corleone being set up and gunned down at a toll booth. Conan also came out with his new, bearded look and

Andy Richter reprised his roll as Conan’s sidekick, but one notable missing gang member was Max Weinberg. Weinberg was less than pleased after losing his title as band leader of the Tonight Show Band (since he was frequently gone and touring with Bruce Springsteen and The E-Street Band) to guitarist Jimmy Vivino, while they were on The Tonight Show. The lost job title also came with a pay-cut, so when Conan was kicked of the NBC lot, Weinberg decided not to follow.

For the sake of irony, Conan’s first guest was Arlene Wagner, curator of Leavenworth, Washington’s Nutcracker Museum. His second guest was Seth Rogen, who kept the atmosphere light and had some funny banter with Conan. He was followed by Glee sensation Lea Michelle. The musical guest was Jack White (who also was the last musical guest on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien) who, with Conan, covered Eddie Cochran’s “Twenty Flight Rock.” It was a good performance and nice ending for the first episode of a show that will hopefully be on for longer than 7 months. 

Curb on Basic Cable

The other day I witnessed one of the greatest atrocities in modern history: an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm censored and cut short. This episode (“The Bracelet” from Season 1) was on a basic cable network and thus, needed to be censored to meet certain FCC guidelines. And since Curb plays on the commercial-free HBO, most episodes are in the 28-30 minute range. When they get syndicated to basic cable, they need to be abridged to 22 minutes to account for ad time. Censoring the risqué material usually cuts down a few minutes, but getting it to 22 minutes takes some more slicing.

You may ask yourself, what’s wrong with this? Well if you’re a die-hard Curb fan like myself, you know that the only way to enjoy Curb is through Larry David’s unfiltered, uncut lens. Anything short of this defeats the purpose of watching the show. It’s all about an estranged man trying to overcome societal norms in his dismal life journey. The way the show works is by constantly building on newly introduced topics until everything finally comes together at the end. The episodes are unscripted (besides the basic thematic plot points) and the actors improv all of their dialogue. Adding commercial breaks breaks the flow LD does such a careful job of crafting.

In this particular case, the perpetrating network (WGAN) literally cut out the entire ending so it could fit the episode in the 22 minutes it had apportioned. Without the ending, the story made no sense and was an absolute train wreck. Be warned – don’t watch Curb Your Enthusiasm on a basic cable channel, it is an inaccurate representation of Larry David’s genius.

3D TVs

The 3D movie insurgency has paved the way for the next step in 3D technology – the 3D television. We all knew it was just a matter of time until 3D TVs started to pick up steam, but will they have the same effect as this decade’s plasma television revolution?

No doubt, 3D movies have become a staple of today’s film industry. Studios drool at the opportunity of charging an extra $3 per ticket – resulting in an automatic 25% more in revenue. However, moviegoers have shown a general decline in interest in 3D movies. I mean it was pretty cool when they first came out, but now they’re almost played out now. The newly released Saw 3D was destroyed in the box office by competitor Paranormal Activity 2 (a 2D release).

Last week I was at Best Buy and I watched the 3D Sony Bravia. I sat in the chair and put the glasses on. As the reel went through sports games, movies and other clips, I couldn’t help but think what the big deal about 3D TVs was. The picture looked almost the same (it’s like when you go to a 3D movie that doesn’t look 3D and you wonder why they made it in 3D) and the glasses are uncomfortable to wear.

Then again, there are some television manufacturers, like Toshiba, that are producing glasses-free models. But the problem with buying one of those is they are really expensive and the technology hasn’t been perfected. Toshiba’s 20” GL1 model (3D & glasses-free) goes for $2900 and is currently only available in Japan. It also looks like shit (see above picture). It’s like they took a plasma from 1998 and shoved a 3D platform into it. Also, you can only see the 3D image if you sit at a certain angle directly in front of the screen. However, the glasses-free models are the only option in my opinion. People who buy the 3D with glasses models have to buy the glasses (at $200 a pop). And what do you do when people come over?

Even with the current drawbacks, I think 3D TVs will gain significant market share in the near future. Technology and societal one-upmanship will cause people to buy 3D TVs to impress their contemporaries, only to find out the picture’s not really that different.

Leo gets a Killer role

Erik Larson’s non-fiction novel, The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness At The Fair That Changed America, has been optioned by Leonardo DiCaprio and his Appian Way production company. The story tells the true tale of 19^th century Chicago serial killer Dr. HH Holmes (played by Leo) – who was rumored to have killed 200 people, numbers that put Ted Bundy, Charles Manson and Jeffrey Dahmer to shame. Will this finally be the roll that nabs Leo the Oscar?

He’s been nominated three times before – twice for Best Actor (The Aviator and Blood Diamond) and once for Best Supporting Actor (in a chilling performance as a young mentally challenged boy alongside Johnny Depp in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?). Since Titanic came out in 1997, everyone’s been saying how good Leo is and how he deserves one. But he’s never had that one, juicy roll he can really sink his teeth into – something in the vein of Anthony Hopkins’ Dr. Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s The Silence of the Lamb (a roll Hopkins literally and figuratively sunk his teeth into) which won him the Oscar.

With a good director behind the camera, this project has a lot of Oscar potential for Leo. He’s made some good movies this year, but his roles are starting to look the same – especially with his new, go-to squinty-eyed facial expression, that he incessantly used in both Shutter Island and Inception this year. This one facial expression acting style is what I like to call the Mark Wahlbergization of contemporary acting (in Wahlberg’s case, the expression is unbridled confusion). Leo’s role as a cunning serial killer lends itself to a multitude of emotions, let’s see if he can use his range and ride this project all the way to Oscar town. 

Kiefer Sutherland's Hitting Broadway

Kiefer Sutherland hasn’t been up to anything since 24 ended. Now, he’s set to star in Jason Miller’s That Championship Season alongside Brian Cox, Jim Gaffigan, and Jason Patric. The story focuses on a group of friends that were on a championship basketball team, reuniting after 20 years. The play first debuted in 1972 and won both a Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize. However, with Sutherland as the lead, this production has enormous destructive possibilities.

Sutherland is notorious for being extremely hard to work with. 24 ended because he was showing up shitfaced to work everyday. He has 4 DUIs, with the most recent one in 2007. Earlier this year, he was kicked out of a New York strip club for being too drunk and taking his shirt off. This came after pledging he would quit drinking and focus on acting after his last DUI arrest. He might be a good actor, but the guy’s got as much class as a can of wine.

The only reason he became a celebrity was because of his father Donald. But riding the coattails to the top can only get you so far. Eventually, you need to prove you belong where you are and Sutherland has failed his father and himself time and time again. 

The Future of TV

Since the dawn of time, people have been glued to their TVs. Radio used to be the popular form of entertainment but since the television was invented, Americans have been hooked like catnip. Television will be around until the end of the world (2012?), but the way we experience TV has and will forever continue to change. As the network model becomes less viable, we’ll see the rise of new technological platforms such as digital video recorders (DVRs), internet-enabled televisions, and non-network content owners (such as Netflix).

The financial element behind the current model is not sustainable. The networks have been bleeding profits since 2008 – the start of the Great Recession. Networks make money in one way: ad sales. Companies don’t have as much money anymore and advertising is usually the first thing to go when businesses start going in the red. Cable, on the other hand, has an advantage with its dual-revenue stream. Basic cable networks like FX and TNT are doing much better than the networks because they have subscription fees plus ad space to sell. Premium cable networks have been relatively unaffected by the recession. HBO still has 30 million subscribers at $10 a month. That’s roughly $3.6 billion in revenue a year.

I predict that within the next 15 years, network television will no longer exist. The parent companies that control the networks can’t afford to keep losing money. When there were only 3 channels (ABC, NBC, and CBS) each network was able to garner a significant market share. But now that there are literally thousands of things to watch on TV, people have so much more to choose from. Logically, the networks have less viewership – that’s why they will eventually have to charge for viewership. I think this will be for the better because the networks will have more money to work with and can therefore make better product. The rise of trashy television and reality shows is the consequence of not investing the money in quality programming.

Another thing to consider is that the network “brand” no longer exists. Back in the 3-channel days, each network had a brand identity. But now, any network show can fit in any network station. People don’t watch networks, they watch shows. And now, with digital video recording (DVR) and on-demand, people watch shows on their own time. The days of getting together with friends and huddling around the tube on to watch Seinfeld on Thursday nights are over. We’re busier than ever and refuse to conform to the traditional TV schedule.

TiVo changed the game with the DVR, empowering consumers with the ability to watch shows on their own time. With the proliferation of DVR, advertisers are having a much tougher time getting people to watch their commercials. Why would anyone sit through commercials when they can fast-forward them? These advertisers have demanded lower CPMs (cost per a thousand ad exposures) from the networks.

In my opinion having everything available on demand is the most efficient and effective television model. This concept is known as IPTV (internet protocol television). When I visited Shanghai earlier this year they were already using this technology in most places. It is one of the best and most economical ways of watching television. You just go to the menu and pick what you want to watch. It helps people save time – and since we all know that time is money, through the transitive property, IPTV helps people save money. It may not be quite that simple, but at its core, IPTV promotes a more efficient society. The only problem with this is live events like award shows or sports games. However, this shouldn’t be hard to work around, they can simply offer a “live-stream” section with all the live events happening at that hour.

If and/or when IPTV is the dominant form of watching television, the network identity will truly no longer exist. In fact, networks (both cable and non-cable) will no longer exist. The only “network” will be your cable provider. This might bother some traditionalists who remember the good ol’ days when they would sit around the tube, watching Bonanza, while eating their Swanson TV dinners. To those people I say, “Beat it old-timer, get with the program.”

Whether you like it or not, the internet is eventually going to be part of TV. IPTV works through a broadband connection and company’s like Verizon (FiOS) and AT&T (U-verse) use fiber-optic internet connections for their television platforms. With websites like Hulu and Clicker, a lot of people are watching TV on their computers these days. A merger of these two mediums is logically imminent.

The cyber company with the most destruction capability is Netflix. In an earlier post I highlighted how Netflix has the potential to destroy our current model. They already have the on demand set up which allows consumers to stream all types of content over a broadband connection. PlayStation3, Xbox 360, Wii, and even some Blu-Ray players are able to project Netflix content on televisions. If Netflix starts producing original content instead of just acquiring it, they could really put a dent in the networks’ wallets.

So will all this new technology really improve television, or will all the clutter make it even harder to watch? The technological revolution is imminent and while this might scare the traditionalists, I think it’s exciting. The old model is no longer viable and we need to look to the future. It’s really only the networks that are opposed to DVR, IPTV, and Netflix – for the sole purpose that these shows empower the viewer and allow them to skip commercials. Networks want you to conform to their pre-set schedules, but the consumers will not stand for that. They’re worried about finding a way to monetize the trend, but it’s not that complicated – just make it impossible to skip commercials on all DVR-ed or web-based programming (like Hulu and several network sites already do).

In an ever-going effort to save time, we’ve adjusted many aspects of our lives. Living in the age of technology, we have the luxury of new tools that conform to us and make our lives easier. We’re on the brink of a televisual revolution that will promote social efficiency by empowering the audience and we can’t let the networks’ corporate fat cats thwart our progress.

Scary Movie Weekend

Saw 3D, the seventh and supposedly “final” installment of the franchise, opened at $24 million this weekend – underperforming its $30 million estimate. Even with the higher 3D ticket price, the opening ranks only fifth among the other Saw movies.

So are people getting tired of this franchise? The movies have grossed over $750 million globally, with another billion dollars coming from DVD sales. Financially speaking, it’s the most successful horror franchise ever, but it’s time for a change. Every year they dupe audiences with the “final installment” fib. People go out and watch the gore, but eventually, the core viewers become desensitized. There’s only so much garbage a studio can churn out of one dumpster.

Another reason Saw 3D may have underperformed was because of the 3D. Maybe people are just tired of 3D movies; or maybe the $3 up-charge is turning viewers away. Further evidence to support this claim is the success of (the 2D) Paranormal Activity 2. The film is in its second week and has a grossed $66 million up to this point. It opened at $40 million, blowing Saw 3D out of the water.

Although Saw 3D claims to be the last installment, they’ll be back with another one. Lionsgate (who produces Saw) isn’t going to let Paramount (Paranormal Activity) have a monopoly on the Halloween movie weekend market. With the success of the first two films, Paramount’s already in talks to make Paranormal Activity 3. Also, the Saw writers have reportedly come up with an amazing idea for Saw 8. From the looks of it, Paranormal Activity and Saw will be in a Halloween pissing match far into the foreseeable future. 

Not So Sunny

Two years ago, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia was the best comedy on television. It was my favorite program and showed so much promise. However, in the past two seasons, the show has fallen down a slippery slope. The jokes have gotten so take and over-the-top that I just can’t get through an episode anymore.

In the most recent episode I saw (“Mac and Charlie: White Trash”), the gang tries to get into a private pool only to be repeatedly turned away. There’s only so much you can do with this concept and the idea is painfully exhausted by the end of the show. Another thing that bothered me about this episode was the blatant theft of the cut-off jean idea from Arrested Development (which is one of the best TV comedies ever). Charlie struts around in his cut-offs to show how flexible and comfortable they are whereas AD’s Tobias has to wear them because he’s a never-nude.

It’s hard for me to say this but I think It’s Always Sunny should be canceled. The show is currently in its 6^th season, but hasn’t been truly funny since season 3. Like most cable comedies, seasons 4-6 are tough to get through.

The same thing happened with Entourage. The show was a real stinker from seasons 4-6 but made a triumphant comeback in the 7^th season. Hopefully It’s Always Sunny can follow suit. 

Jersey Shore Spin Offs

Pauly D (of Jersey Shore fame) recently started spinning tracks as a DJ. Now, he’s shooting his own spin off entitled Pauly’s Entourage. The show will focus on the DJ as he struggles to make headway in his new career. Hey, at least MTV’s getting back to the music right?

Wrong. Listen to Pauly D’s new (and only) song, “Beat Dat Beat.” I wouldn’t really consider it music – it’s more like assorted noise. I guess all you need to be famous these days is sharp hair and orange skin.

Reports also surfaced that Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Jenny “JWoww” Farley were getting their own spin off too. However, in the past few days, MTV sources have revealed that JWoww will not be a part of the show because they feel it’ll be a bigger hit if Snooki’s flying solo. ZOMG! This is going to be DRAMAzing. 

Goodbye Boredom, Hello Stumbleupon

Have you ever sat at your computer, constantly refreshing the same five pages you frequent, looking for something new? Have you ever been so bored the internet that you actually considered starting that 10-page term paper you have due next week? Have you ever wondered what else there is to do on the interwebs? Surely you answered yes to one of these questions. With smart phones and WiFi, the internet is always at our fingertips, so it’s easy to feel jaded.

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a life changing website: Stumbleupon. You make an account, choose your interests, and start stumbling. It’s that easy. With the click of a button, Stumbleupon takes you from site to site based on your interest. But don’t get too caught up – the website is really addicting. I’ve spent hours on it without even realizing.

Stumbleupon also offers a social networking feature where you can follow people and see their favorites. It’s a unique and different way of connecting with friends. If you don’t have a Stumbleupon, make one right now…seriously. And 

Jersey Shore

The season 2 finale of MTV’s Jersey Shore was last night. Now you might think that I would bash the show – maybe because it’s trashy television, makes people stupider, or is the antithesis of culture – but no, I love it. “How is this possible Mosi? We only read your blog because you’re a cynical asshole.” Well my friends, I’m still a cynical asshole, but let me tell you one thing: Jersey Shore is one of the most important TV shows ever made.

From a purely business standpoint, Jersey Shore is genius. The episodes cost almost nothing to make and consistently draw in 6 million viewers or more – a figure most primetime network shows don't even reach. MTV’s ratings are the highest they’ve been in eight years. After MTV canceled it's last real music program (TRL), everyone was on the network’s case. The deterioration of the brand caused people to stop watching. 

But with the introduction of Jersey Shore, viewership has soared. It’s not only a show, it’s a lifestyle. The GTL (gym, tan, laundry….yeah, I don’t get it either) trend has taken a life of it’s own, and viewers can’t get enough. People tune in all the time to see what’s going on with that skankopotamus Snooki, the 'roided-out Ronnie and his girlfriend Sammi (aka "the sweetest bitch you'll ever meet"), or the King of Sleaze: Mike "The Situation" (who is making an un-Godly amount of money for the level of talent he possesses). I don’t know how I was able to live without knowing who Pauly D was “smushing” these days, or how to get skin cancer as quickly as possible.

I find myself mesmerized by this show – I can literally feel myself getting stupider as I watch, but for some reason, can’t look away. It’s like eye crack. Jersey Shore may be the beginning of an irreversible trend of idiocy, but no matter how you slice it, the show’s a hit and will be here until (sadly) an even trashier and stupider show comes along. Jersey Shore has put MTV in a great situation. And as only The Situation could put it, “This situation is gonna be indescribable, you can't even describe The Situation that you're about to get into The Situation.” Eloquently put, sir. 

The Jackass Phenomenon

In three short days, Jackass 3-D has set several box office records. With a whopping $50 million dollar opening, it is beat Scary Movie 3 ($48.1 million) as the biggest October opening ever. Against a $20 million production budget and roughly $40 million advertising budget, the film will make its money back sometime around Thursday. Of course, the $3 3-D up-charge also plays into the astounding gross, but the studios predicted just a $30 million opening. Also, at $50 million, it’s already the fifth highest grossing non-fiction documentary ever (c’mon, its kind of a documentary). It might even break the $119 million mark set by Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11. Johnny Knoxville and Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Where the Wild Things Are) produced under their Dickhouse banner (a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures).

However, the success of Jackass 3-D also resonates on a higher level. In these turbulent economic times, American audiences want to go see movies where they can turn their brains off and enjoy the physical humor. Notice I wrote “American” audiences, not all audiences. While one might assume the Jackass movies would fare well internationally (I mean they’re not exactly dialogue-driven), they perform far worse than most movies. Most films get 40-50% of their grosses internationally but the two previous Jackass movies have gotten 19.2% and 14%, respectively.

What does this say about American audiences? Are we stupider than the international crowd? Not necessarily. We just like the ball-busting, America’s Funniest Home Videos/Tosh.O type of painful, hard-to-watch humor more than other countries. The American audience has been so desensitized to pain and violence (mainly through videogames but also other media) that we need to resort to polar extremes to get our kicks. The Jackass movies continually push the envelope and give us the fix we need. So how many times do Americans have to see Steve-O get hit in the balls before we’ve had enough?  As long as they keep thinking of cruder ways to do it, I’ll keep buying tickets.

Carl Icahn puppeteering Lionsgate-MGM Merger

Since early this year, billionaire investor Carl Icahn has been trying to buy Lionsgate, the production company behind movies like the Saw franchise and TV shows including Weeds and Mad Men. With 20% of the company’s stock, Icahn is currently Lionsgate’s largest shareholder. He also owns a significant amount of MGM’s debt.

MGM, which is currently going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, originally announced a deal with Spyglass this week. The agreement would make Spyglass chiefs Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum the new co-CEOs of MGM. Icahn is now trying to block this deal and get Lionsgate to merge with MGM instead. He has interests in both companies and has been adamant and aggressive in his approach. What started as a hostile takeover of Lionsgate has turned into a grad scale bi-company clusterfuck.

MGM has been unable to make any new movies during its bankruptcy bout. The former media juggernaut owns titles such as the James Bond franchise, but the only major film its released this year has been Hot Tub Time Machine. While going through bankruptcy, the production company has been unable to finance or release any major pictures.

One movie that’s had an especially tough time during this phase is Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, which MGM owns the rights to. Guillermo del Toro was originally slated as the director, but dropped out because funding fell through and the production was a total disaster. Warner Bros is now co-producing with MGM and Peter Jackson has stepped into the director’s chair.

After someone finally buys MGM, it will most likely serve as a stripped down production entity with no marketing or distribution department.

James Cameron's back at it

James Cameron and producer Scott Rudin are tentatively attached to develop a 3D Cleopatra biopic. Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired the rights to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff’s biography, Cleopatra: A Life. They want Angelina Jolie to play the title role. Jolie is reportedly very interested and anxious to start filming. I personally think she would do an amazing job as the Egyptian pharaoh. She has the look and the star power to carry this film, which will surely be a huge production since Cameron doesn’t make movies for less than $200 million anymore.

However, the Cleopatra role has had some stigma associated with it in the past. Elizabeth Taylor played Cleopatra in Joseph Mankiewicz’s 1963 epic, Cleopatra. Taylor almost died of pneumonia while filming; she had to have a tracheotomy to stay alive. Also, the film almost bankrupt 20^th Century Fox. The original budget was set at $2 million but quickly swelled to $44 million ($300 million in today’s dollars, which is how much Avatar’s production budget was). Taylor fell in love with Richard Burton (who played Mark Antony in the feature) while filming, ruining both of their marriages. However, they were supposedly arguing and fighting for most of the film’s shooting, making it hard for everyone else to work. Although the film grossed $26 million (the most out of any film in 1963) and won 4 Academy Awards, Cleopatra is widely regarded as biggest production disaster in the history of cinema.

Jolie is hoping that Brad Pitt will land the role of Mark Antony. Let’s hope that this version of Cleopatra won’t have as many problems as the 1963 version did.

The Social Network

If Facebook were a country, it would be the 3^rd largest in the world. With over 500 million people on the social network, it’s not hard to see why Columbia pictures made The Social Network. Facebook has revolutionized the way we communicate with each other, but what’s more interesting is the story behind the glory.

The official story is that Mark Zuckerberg “founded” Facebook in his Harvard dorm room in 2003 with the help of his friends Dustin Moskowitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin. However, three Harvard students (Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss and Divya Narendra) came up with the general concept and pitched the idea to Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg then went behind their backs and create the website himself; although, to his credit, he claims he never used any of their original coding. Zuckerberg had to pay the Winklevii (as he refers to them in the film) a $65 million settlement. He also had to pay Saverin – his best friend who he ultimately betrayed in favor of Napster founder Sean Parker – an undisclosed amount (reports say it was in the $600 million range). Zuckerberg is now worth $6.9 billion and his company is worth $25 billion. At 26 years old, he’s the youngest billionaire in the world and he’s already richer than Apple CEO Steve Jobs ($6.1 billion).

The Social Network goes over the court cases and leaves it up to the audience to decide who’s right or wrong. Aaron Sorkin’s script is pitch perfect. The crisp, quick dialogue is delivered flawlessly by the young actors. Andrew Garfield's acting stood out from the pack. He reportedly landed the role as the next Spiderman from his performance as Eduardo Saverin. The film is already receiving a lot of Oscar buzz and is currently considered the frontrunner for Best Picture. The screenplay is essentially a lock for Best Adapted Screenplay (the movie is based on Ben Mezrich’s book, The Accidental Billionaires). David Fincher (Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) also does a great job in directing this Adderall-fueled dream of cosmic proportions. He got everything he needed out of his young talent, while simultaneously capturing the film’s highbrow, Ivy League backdrop.

These kids are all geniuses and they live in their own bubble where financial success is meaningless unless you gain recognition among your peers. The reason Zuckerberg creates Facebook is so people notice him, not so he can make money. By putting the whole social sphere on the web, he sparked the social networking trend that has taken over the world. People love talking about themselves and Facebook is the ultimate way of doing so.

It might be a sweeping cliché but The Social Network really does define a generation. The “me-now” generation. My generation.

DC Makin’ Moves

In an earlier post I mentioned DC Comic’s restructuring and how they need to start building on their established franchises and start making new ones. Well, yesterday they announced that the final scripts for Green Lantern 2 and The Flash will be done by this winter so the films can go into production next year. The Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds is slated for a June 2011 opening. The movie has been tracking extremely well and director Martin Campbell (Goldeneye, Casino Royale) is finishing up the final edits.

The Flash is a very popular superhero among comic book fans. David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight) was originally slated to write, direct, and produce the film. He even penned a draft of the script. However, Greg Berlanti (No Ordinary Family) is now attached as the director/producer.

The movie has a lot of franchise potential, but choosing the right actor will be key. Some names that are currently being thrown around to play the superfast superhero are Neil Patrick Harris, Adam Brody, and Jerry O’Connell. Personally I think NPH would do a sensational job as Wally West.

Warner Bros will probably release GL2 and The Flash sometime in 2013.

Justin Bieber is hosting Punk’d….God save us

What’s worse than Punk’d or Justin Bieber? Justin Bieber hosting Punk’d. Ashton Kutcher just announced that he will be rebooting the series on MTV, but he’ll only act as the executive producer this time. Kutcher will producer under his Katalyst banner and he has chosen Justin Bieber as his successor.

Bieber (or shall I say the self-proclaimed “new Kurt Cobain”) might be the biggest tween superstar ever. He’s like a Jonas brother on pubescent steroids. His songs are not only adored by adolescents, they’re played in nightclubs all over the world.  The kid’s got brass and he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

You know what they say: if you can’t beat em, join em. Well I, for one, do not believe in this. Make no mistake about it, Justin Bieber is a monster. He’s already ruining music; will we let him ruin television? A movie career will surely follow and when that happens, the apocalypse can’t be far off.

So what does the Bieberfication of modern media mean? To put it simply: we’re all fucked.

Marvel vs. DC

DC and Marvel comics have been rivals since the 40s. These days, the rivalry continues on the silver screen. DC owns titles such as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. They work under the Warner Brothers production banner developing movies around their characters. WB recently announced they are moving the DC Comics division from New York to their Burbank, CA lot. WB figured that if DC is going to try and rival Marvel’s upcoming schedule, they need a better communication channel with their production entity. Marvel has five huge projects in development (Thor, The Avengers, Captain America, X-Men: First Class, Spiderman 4) while DC Comics only has two (Superman 2 and Batman 3).

Marvel was bought for upwards of $4 billion by Disney in 2009. With the backing of Disney, Marvel will have loads of new opportunities. One exciting advantage of having the support of a media juggernaut like Disney is the licensing opportunities of using the comic characters in other ways than movies. For example, Disney can use them to make new theme park attractions. DC Comics, on the other hand, is part of the bigger Time Warner family. And although Time Warner will surely provide them with movie and television licenses, they’re not involved in several different areas of business like Disney.

In an effort to trim the fat from the old regime, DC fired three of its top executives: Richard Bruning (SVP and Creative Director), Cherly Rubin (SVP of Management) and Steve Rotterdam (SVP of Marketing and Sales). They want to start fresh when they move to LA.

Also, it was just announced that Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) will direct the new Superman reboot. Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception) is producing under his Syncopy Production banner. Snyder directed Watchmen and Nolan helmed The Dark Knight, two DC comic releases. If they can keep big names like Snyder and Nolan in the DC family, they may be able to develop and release more huge titles in the future. Their next big release – The Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds – is due out in June 2011.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?

In a project that marries the top two trends of contemporary cinema (3D and vampires), Twentieth Century Fox is developing a movie based on Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. This project is the hottest option material in Hollywood right now and Fox won a fierce bidding war for the rights to the story (the price they bought it for is still undisclosed). The film will be directed by Timur Bekmambetv (Wanted) and the budget has been set at about $70 million. Production is due to start in March.

This new movie has resounding implications for what drives consumers. Five years go, someone pitching a 3D movie about Abe Lincoln as a vampire hunter would have been laughed out of the room. But now that Twilight has ruined the American movie-going public, the big studios are salivating over the moneymaking potential of this story. Slap a 3D tag on it, charge an extra $3 and boom – a guaranteed cash cow.

The vampire fad will probably fade soon, but is 3-D here to stay? To answer this question, one must first ask, why do people like 3-D movies? Could it be that consumers like 3-D because it mimics the live action nature of theater productions? A more reasonable answer is that the 3-D effect makes each audience member feel like they are targeted and part of the show. Audience members see the same images coming out at them and each one feels like he or she is the only one that sees it that way. 3-D’s ability to break the fourth wall is what attracts consumers. 3-D movies have been around since the 50s but with these new technological breakthroughs – like in Avatar where James Cameron invented a camera that shoots in 3-D (it has two lenses that mimic the human eye) – the mainstream public has taken a greater liking. 

Boardwalk Empire

HBO just launched its new flagship program, Boardwalk Empire. It comes from the minds of Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese and Emmy Award-winning writer Terence Winter (The Sopranos). Mark Wahlberg also serves as an executive producer on the show. Boardwalk Empire takes place in the 1920s and follows businessman Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) as he navigates the treacherous waters of Prohibition-era Atlantic City.

In a world where networks churn out turkey after turkey, HBO consistently provides quality programming for its viewers. The premium cable network rules Sunday nights and its shows speak for themselves. Boardwalk Empire is the next Sopranos (which is widely accepted as the best TV show ever made). It even got picked up for a second season after the first episode, which is unheard of these days. Granted, the first episode was the most expensive pilot ever made (a staggering $20 million!) This cost includes the boardwalk they built which will be used in all future episodes. Scorsese directed the pilot and will act as executive producer for the rest of the series.

Boardwalk Empire is extremely cinematic in its approach – the first two episodes look like mini-movies. The period also lends itself to great fashion and décor. The costume and set designer must be having a blast working on the show. However, my favorite part of the program is the opening credits. In an homage to Belgian surrealist painter Rene Magritte, the credits center around Nucky in a bowler hat and black overcoat walking across the boardwalk on a cloudy afternoon.

While most networks are trying to cut costs, HBO is flouring and spending money right and left. With almost 30 million subscribers at $10 a month, it’s not hard to see how the cable network is able to spend so much on its programming. Boardwalk Empire, Sunday night, 9 pm, HBO, watch it.

Zucker Punched

After 10 years of terrible ratings and dreadful programming, NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker has finally been fired. NBCU was bought by Comcast last year and when the deal is final, Zucker will be ousted. This news comes as no big surprise because most media minds knew his head was on the chopping block. Comcast COO Steve Burke made the decision to fire Zucker. Burke plans on taking over as acting NBCU CEO when the deal is done.

The only noteworthy shows to emerge during Zucker’s time as CEO were 30 Rock and The Office. Under his reign of terror, he greenlit some of the worst shows ever (My Own Worst Enemy, The Philanthropist, Kath & Kim). Zucker also received a lot of criticism for terribly handling the Conan O’Brien – Jay Leno Tonight Show situation. He was so bad that the words “Zuckered” and “Zucked-up” became common media jargon intended to signfy an error in judgment.

GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt can’t protect you any longer Zucker. You took the presitigious name of NBC and flushed it down the toilet. After taking over as chief exec, he quickly took the company from first to fourth in ratings. Now that a cable company is operating NBC, maybe they’ll know how to get the company back on track.