Responding to new sexual assault allegations brought to light by U.K.’s Channel 4 in the documentary “Spacey Unmasked”, Kevin Spacey sat down for an interview on X, formerly Twitter, with controversial British journalist Dan Wooton. In the documentary, which airs next week and will stream on Max via an acquisition by ID Network, nine new victims come forward accusing Spacey of various forms of inappropriate behavior ranging from sexual harassment on set to masturbating in a movie theater during the storming of Normandy scene in “Saving Private Ryan”.
“I take full responsibility for my past behavior and my actions,” Spacey said in his interview on X. “But I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologize to anyone who’s made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about me.”
These allegations and interview come less than a year after a U.K. court found Spacey not guilty...
“I take full responsibility for my past behavior and my actions,” Spacey said in his interview on X. “But I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologize to anyone who’s made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about me.”
These allegations and interview come less than a year after a U.K. court found Spacey not guilty...
- 5/4/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Dr. Seuss has been busy of late.
TV and movie projects tied to beloved characters from the inimitable children’s book author and illustrator have been popping up as frequently as Sneetches on the beaches at a time of heightened global demand for marquee content.
Susan Brandt, president and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, is in charge of the balancing act of making sure Dr. Seuss stays relevant to new generations. That requires fresh content that doesn’t tarnish the value of indelible works like “The Cat in the Hat,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Horton Hears a Who,” “Hop on Pop,” “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish” and more. Dr. Seuss was the pen name of Theodor Geisel, who died in 1991 at age 87.
“We’re blessed with this beautiful IP, and we take that responsibility quite seriously,” Brandt explains on the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business.
TV and movie projects tied to beloved characters from the inimitable children’s book author and illustrator have been popping up as frequently as Sneetches on the beaches at a time of heightened global demand for marquee content.
Susan Brandt, president and CEO of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, is in charge of the balancing act of making sure Dr. Seuss stays relevant to new generations. That requires fresh content that doesn’t tarnish the value of indelible works like “The Cat in the Hat,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Horton Hears a Who,” “Hop on Pop,” “One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish” and more. Dr. Seuss was the pen name of Theodor Geisel, who died in 1991 at age 87.
“We’re blessed with this beautiful IP, and we take that responsibility quite seriously,” Brandt explains on the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business.
- 3/30/2022
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Joe Ianniello hopes to take advantage of M&a shakeups and technological disruption in media as he launches his a media-focused Spac with a number of fellow CBS Corp. veterans.
On the latest episode of Variety’s podcast “Strictly Business,” the former chief operating officer and CEO of CBS sees his next move as partnering with former peers in Big Media to acquire and help manage assets that may no longer be top priority for a large conglomerate, but are still big businesses.
Ianniello emphasizes that Argus is not looking to buy and flip assets. The team he brought together to run Argus is ready to operate existing businesses or help advise young companies on how to run as public entities.
“What investors really want — they want focus when they’re investing in a company. They want to know how the management team is prioritizing, how they allocate capital,” Ianniello said.
On the latest episode of Variety’s podcast “Strictly Business,” the former chief operating officer and CEO of CBS sees his next move as partnering with former peers in Big Media to acquire and help manage assets that may no longer be top priority for a large conglomerate, but are still big businesses.
Ianniello emphasizes that Argus is not looking to buy and flip assets. The team he brought together to run Argus is ready to operate existing businesses or help advise young companies on how to run as public entities.
“What investors really want — they want focus when they’re investing in a company. They want to know how the management team is prioritizing, how they allocate capital,” Ianniello said.
- 10/27/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
The Los Angeles Clippers are stepping up their arena game.
Steve Ballmer, Los Angeles Clippers chairman, spoke with Variety‘s “Strictly Business” podcast about his plan to build the team a dedicated arena in Inglewood, Calif., scheduled to open in 2024. The team at present shares Staples Center with their NBA rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ballmer has been deeply involved in the planning and design for the venue, which will have state-of-the-art technology features and a host of elements that will make it purpose built for basketball and concert performances. No other sports will play in Intuit Arena, as it will be known thanks to a naming-rights deal with the software company that was announced last month.
“For basketball, that means creating a sense of community,” Ballmer says. “The more people feel like they are brought together, that makes for a better experience. I wanted to make sure it was a basketball mecca.
Steve Ballmer, Los Angeles Clippers chairman, spoke with Variety‘s “Strictly Business” podcast about his plan to build the team a dedicated arena in Inglewood, Calif., scheduled to open in 2024. The team at present shares Staples Center with their NBA rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ballmer has been deeply involved in the planning and design for the venue, which will have state-of-the-art technology features and a host of elements that will make it purpose built for basketball and concert performances. No other sports will play in Intuit Arena, as it will be known thanks to a naming-rights deal with the software company that was announced last month.
“For basketball, that means creating a sense of community,” Ballmer says. “The more people feel like they are brought together, that makes for a better experience. I wanted to make sure it was a basketball mecca.
- 10/13/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
When Jason Richman joined United Talent Agency nearly 12 years ago, his division was commonly referred to as “the book department” or the book-to-film arm.
From those humble beginnings — scouring the publishing landscape for the next hit movie or TV series — the agency has built a team that was rebranded as the “media rights” group at UTA several years ago. It encapsulates the massive field that Richman and media rights department co-head Keya Khayatian play in sourcing content pipelines all over Hollywood.
They represent authors like Celeste Ng, journalists behind delicious long-form reads, audio creators and individual life rights holders all feeding a content machine only made more prolific by the advent of the streamers.
“We really help guide the lives of authors and journalists and life rights holders, podcasts, any intellectual property we think can be exploited for film and TV adaptation,” Richman said on this week’s Variety podcast “Strictly Business.
From those humble beginnings — scouring the publishing landscape for the next hit movie or TV series — the agency has built a team that was rebranded as the “media rights” group at UTA several years ago. It encapsulates the massive field that Richman and media rights department co-head Keya Khayatian play in sourcing content pipelines all over Hollywood.
They represent authors like Celeste Ng, journalists behind delicious long-form reads, audio creators and individual life rights holders all feeding a content machine only made more prolific by the advent of the streamers.
“We really help guide the lives of authors and journalists and life rights holders, podcasts, any intellectual property we think can be exploited for film and TV adaptation,” Richman said on this week’s Variety podcast “Strictly Business.
- 10/6/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Stacey Snider has run major movie studios and a very well-heeled independent production company over her long career in Hollywood. Now for the first time, she’s working for herself as a partner with Elisabeth Murdoch and producer Jane Featherstone in Sister.
The executive, who has steered Universal Pictures, DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox is now attempting to build a new kind of production entity that is guided by the mantra “curate excellence.” On the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Snider details the steps that led her to team with Murdoch and Featherstone, and she outlines the company’s focus on film and TV production as well as investments in other digital media companies.
Sister has the luxury of resources to finance its own development, Snider says, and it is endowed with leaders who have strong track records and deep relationships.
“We’re fiercely independent. We believe that...
The executive, who has steered Universal Pictures, DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox is now attempting to build a new kind of production entity that is guided by the mantra “curate excellence.” On the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Snider details the steps that led her to team with Murdoch and Featherstone, and she outlines the company’s focus on film and TV production as well as investments in other digital media companies.
Sister has the luxury of resources to finance its own development, Snider says, and it is endowed with leaders who have strong track records and deep relationships.
“We’re fiercely independent. We believe that...
- 9/15/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Arthur Smith has been a prolific producer of unscripted television for 30-plus years. His A. Smith & Co. banner has zigged and zagged through many trends and phases of demand for reality and competition fare.
But as Smith details on the latest episode of Variety podcast he’s never seen a bull market like the past few years of Peak Global TV.
“Ten years ago, there was a time when things were in – game shows, music shows – and there was a time when things were out – game shows, music shows,” Smith says. “And now, everything is in. Everything is in. It’s just about how you package it and how you get it out there.”
A. Smith & Co.’s specialty is the type of show that it’s leader calls “the Big Show,” a large-scale reality production with elaborate set-ups and physical stunts. The kind seen in NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior...
But as Smith details on the latest episode of Variety podcast he’s never seen a bull market like the past few years of Peak Global TV.
“Ten years ago, there was a time when things were in – game shows, music shows – and there was a time when things were out – game shows, music shows,” Smith says. “And now, everything is in. Everything is in. It’s just about how you package it and how you get it out there.”
A. Smith & Co.’s specialty is the type of show that it’s leader calls “the Big Show,” a large-scale reality production with elaborate set-ups and physical stunts. The kind seen in NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior...
- 9/1/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Small independent TV companies are an endangered species at a time when media’s largest conglomerates are focused on the streaming wars and global expansion.
The latest episode of the Variety podcast “Strictly Business” features separate conversations with two such business leaders: Paula Madison, CEO of The African Channel, and Bill Rouhana, chairman-ceo of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, which owns Crackle and other AVOD channels.
Both CEOs spoke with such conviction about their businesses but also with no illusions about their limitations in the current climate.
Madison is a former NBCUniversal executive who ran the network’s Los Angeles O&o and later served as the company chief diversity officer. During her tenure at NBCU, Madison launched the The Africa Channel as a private cable venture with her brother and other partners in 2005.
“Being an independent has been a lonely and arduous slog, but it’s one that...
The latest episode of the Variety podcast “Strictly Business” features separate conversations with two such business leaders: Paula Madison, CEO of The African Channel, and Bill Rouhana, chairman-ceo of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, which owns Crackle and other AVOD channels.
Both CEOs spoke with such conviction about their businesses but also with no illusions about their limitations in the current climate.
Madison is a former NBCUniversal executive who ran the network’s Los Angeles O&o and later served as the company chief diversity officer. During her tenure at NBCU, Madison launched the The Africa Channel as a private cable venture with her brother and other partners in 2005.
“Being an independent has been a lonely and arduous slog, but it’s one that...
- 8/5/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
CNN disclosed the first details of its long-awaited new subscription streaming service Monday, which will launch in the first quarter of 2022 with 8-12 hours of original live content each day.
CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker shared some basic information about CNN Plus with his employees in an internal meeting Monday. A network representative confirmed the disclosure in a press release that characterized CNN Plus as a venture “that complements the core CNN linear networks and digital platforms to serve CNN superfans, news junkies and fans of quality non-fiction programming.”
The network didn’t provide any specific programming information but Monday’s release made clear it would involve contributions from existing CNN talent as well as entries from the network’s catalog of series and documentaries including past seasons of “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” and “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy.”
But while the initial details were scant, CNN Worldwide chief digital...
CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker shared some basic information about CNN Plus with his employees in an internal meeting Monday. A network representative confirmed the disclosure in a press release that characterized CNN Plus as a venture “that complements the core CNN linear networks and digital platforms to serve CNN superfans, news junkies and fans of quality non-fiction programming.”
The network didn’t provide any specific programming information but Monday’s release made clear it would involve contributions from existing CNN talent as well as entries from the network’s catalog of series and documentaries including past seasons of “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” and “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy.”
But while the initial details were scant, CNN Worldwide chief digital...
- 7/19/2021
- by Andrew Wallenstein
- Variety Film + TV
Geoffrey Zakarian has become one of the most recognizable faces on Food Network as a judge on “Chopped” and co-host of “The Kitchen.”
But the chef and restaurateur behind New York City’s Lambs Club and other spots has gradually expanded the scope of his work in TV to include behind-the-camera activity as a content producer. As Zakarian explains in the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” he launched Corner Table Entertainment in 2017, which put him in the perfect position to help deliver new shows for Food Network and other outlets featured in the newly launched Discovery Plus streamer.
The fledgling streaming service that launched Jan. 4, in Zakarian’s view, “is a voracious animal. It keeps eating up the content. We keep feeding it more and it never gets fat.”
Zakarian has plenty of experience in business and with startup ventures. He loves the creative process of developing new...
But the chef and restaurateur behind New York City’s Lambs Club and other spots has gradually expanded the scope of his work in TV to include behind-the-camera activity as a content producer. As Zakarian explains in the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” he launched Corner Table Entertainment in 2017, which put him in the perfect position to help deliver new shows for Food Network and other outlets featured in the newly launched Discovery Plus streamer.
The fledgling streaming service that launched Jan. 4, in Zakarian’s view, “is a voracious animal. It keeps eating up the content. We keep feeding it more and it never gets fat.”
Zakarian has plenty of experience in business and with startup ventures. He loves the creative process of developing new...
- 3/4/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Buy the downturn. That may be the mantra for media M&a in the coming year as entertainment giants go through a period of “repositioning” and the streaming sector drives innovation and reinvention.
On the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Bart Spiegel, U.S. entertainment and media deals leader for Pwc, predicts there will be buying and selling in unexpected places.
“There are lot of tangential impacts that are happening out in the market,” Spiegel says. “Some of them are easy to identify [and some] we may not realize for another year or two down the road in terms of how it’s changing behavior and in terms of what that means from a commercial entertainment perspective.”
The pandemic has thrown a wrench in the five-year plans of the largest media conglomerates. But Spiegel doesn’t think the choppy economic environment will deter dealmaking if companies see the ripe prospects.
On the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Bart Spiegel, U.S. entertainment and media deals leader for Pwc, predicts there will be buying and selling in unexpected places.
“There are lot of tangential impacts that are happening out in the market,” Spiegel says. “Some of them are easy to identify [and some] we may not realize for another year or two down the road in terms of how it’s changing behavior and in terms of what that means from a commercial entertainment perspective.”
The pandemic has thrown a wrench in the five-year plans of the largest media conglomerates. But Spiegel doesn’t think the choppy economic environment will deter dealmaking if companies see the ripe prospects.
- 1/13/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Jessica Lessin was ahead of the curve on the boom in subscription media.
While working as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal nearly a decade ago, she saw an opening in the journalism market for more thoughtful longform reporting. The decision to follow her instincts meant that she has been in the business of launching a subscription business just as the companies she covers went headlong into an industry-shaking pivot to direct-to-consumer offerings.
On the latest episode of Variety’s podcast “Strictly Business,” the founder and editor-in-chief of The Information discusses the growth of the eight-year-old outlet that has distinguished itself through deep-dive reporting, analysis and scoops in the tech and media worlds.
“It’s been fascinating to see the media business embrace [Dtc services] and in some ways be upended by it,” Lessin says.
Lessin is the sole owner and financier of Information, which has a staff of about 40 at present.
While working as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal nearly a decade ago, she saw an opening in the journalism market for more thoughtful longform reporting. The decision to follow her instincts meant that she has been in the business of launching a subscription business just as the companies she covers went headlong into an industry-shaking pivot to direct-to-consumer offerings.
On the latest episode of Variety’s podcast “Strictly Business,” the founder and editor-in-chief of The Information discusses the growth of the eight-year-old outlet that has distinguished itself through deep-dive reporting, analysis and scoops in the tech and media worlds.
“It’s been fascinating to see the media business embrace [Dtc services] and in some ways be upended by it,” Lessin says.
Lessin is the sole owner and financier of Information, which has a staff of about 40 at present.
- 12/23/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Brent Montgomery was tired of negotiating for nickels and dimes in unscripted TV series budgets.
The producer behind the ambitious Wheelhouse venture decided it was time to build a better mousetrap, so in early 2018 he left his lofty perch as head of ITV’s U.S. production operation to start anew. On the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Montgomery explains why Wheelhouse has expanded beyond TV production to investing in tech startups, digital media, marketing and merchandising efforts for promising talent such as TikTok phenoms The Hype House.
Montgomery credits the pandemic-imposed downtime for forcing the company to focus on new horizons for content in the digital arena. That’s how the company wound up doing a development pact with the youthful comedy troupe that has built a following via TikTok.
“There was this epiphany moment that if you can find the right talent who will be open-minded...
The producer behind the ambitious Wheelhouse venture decided it was time to build a better mousetrap, so in early 2018 he left his lofty perch as head of ITV’s U.S. production operation to start anew. On the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Montgomery explains why Wheelhouse has expanded beyond TV production to investing in tech startups, digital media, marketing and merchandising efforts for promising talent such as TikTok phenoms The Hype House.
Montgomery credits the pandemic-imposed downtime for forcing the company to focus on new horizons for content in the digital arena. That’s how the company wound up doing a development pact with the youthful comedy troupe that has built a following via TikTok.
“There was this epiphany moment that if you can find the right talent who will be open-minded...
- 12/10/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
For just $20 a month, Philo offers consumers more than 60 cable channels. It’s a simple value proposition that has helped this venture stand out in a crowded marketplace of so-called virtual MVPDs. And as Philo CEO Andrew McCollum explains, he’s not about to make the mistake that has the prices of many of his competitors soaring at a time of economic hardships across the U.S.
“We have always established ourselves as a low-cost, high-value service,” said McCollum on the latest episode of the “Strictly Business” podcast. “We’re very well positioned as people are looking to control their budget and the cost of what they spend on entertainment.”
Listen to the podcast here:
Philo just passed 800,000 subscribers in its third year of operation, with a bouquet of networks heavy on cable entertainment and lifestyle, but no broadcasters, sports or major news channels like CNN. The service may be...
“We have always established ourselves as a low-cost, high-value service,” said McCollum on the latest episode of the “Strictly Business” podcast. “We’re very well positioned as people are looking to control their budget and the cost of what they spend on entertainment.”
Listen to the podcast here:
Philo just passed 800,000 subscribers in its third year of operation, with a bouquet of networks heavy on cable entertainment and lifestyle, but no broadcasters, sports or major news channels like CNN. The service may be...
- 12/2/2020
- by Andrew Wallenstein
- Variety Film + TV
Sinclair Broadcast Group has opened up a new front in the streaming wars: Local markets.
The TV station giant is expanding the ad-supported Stirr platform designed to help its nearly 200 stations better monetize digital viewing of newscasts and syndicated programming. Adam Ware, Sinclair’s VP and general manager of national networks and platforms, talks about the growth of Stirr and why local TV is poised to prosper in the ad-supported streaming arena in the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business.”
Stirr launched with very little fanfare in January 2019. Like most other video platforms, Stirr has seen a big boost in usage and general circulation amid the pandemic conditions. Ware said Stirr is about 18 months ahead of its original business plan, with no “We really have yet to turn on the marketing,” Ware says. “Ott revenues are exploding on a local basis.”
Stirr has evolved into a mix of live...
The TV station giant is expanding the ad-supported Stirr platform designed to help its nearly 200 stations better monetize digital viewing of newscasts and syndicated programming. Adam Ware, Sinclair’s VP and general manager of national networks and platforms, talks about the growth of Stirr and why local TV is poised to prosper in the ad-supported streaming arena in the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business.”
Stirr launched with very little fanfare in January 2019. Like most other video platforms, Stirr has seen a big boost in usage and general circulation amid the pandemic conditions. Ware said Stirr is about 18 months ahead of its original business plan, with no “We really have yet to turn on the marketing,” Ware says. “Ott revenues are exploding on a local basis.”
Stirr has evolved into a mix of live...
- 11/25/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Carlos Watson, co-founder and CEO of Ozy Media, started his company in 2013 as a digital magazine venture that was dubbed by one reader “the love child of Vice and the Economist.”
Watson’s ambition for Ozy Media has grown to include TV series, podcasts and a traveling festival featuring top thinkers and entrepreneurs. On the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” the one-time McKinsey & Co. analyst and Goldman Sachs banker-turned-journalist-turned-digital entrepreneur discusses how his San Francisco-based company plans to grow even a pandemic and how he attracted top investors, including Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective and Marc Lasry.
Ozy Media’s mission is simply put: “Helping people be a little smarter a little sooner and doing it in a really flavorful way,” Watson says. He notes that Ozy Media’s digital magazine profiled Trevor Noah before he was host of “The Daily Show” and was way ahead of the...
Watson’s ambition for Ozy Media has grown to include TV series, podcasts and a traveling festival featuring top thinkers and entrepreneurs. On the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” the one-time McKinsey & Co. analyst and Goldman Sachs banker-turned-journalist-turned-digital entrepreneur discusses how his San Francisco-based company plans to grow even a pandemic and how he attracted top investors, including Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective and Marc Lasry.
Ozy Media’s mission is simply put: “Helping people be a little smarter a little sooner and doing it in a really flavorful way,” Watson says. He notes that Ozy Media’s digital magazine profiled Trevor Noah before he was host of “The Daily Show” and was way ahead of the...
- 10/8/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Mona Scott-Young had been in the music business as a manager for years when opportunity knocked in the form of a reality TV show about the significant others of hip hop stars.
That was a decade ago. The durable VH1 franchise “Love & Hip Hop” is now the cornerstone of Scott-Young’s Monami Entertainment banner, which has ventured into everything from cosmetics and wine to physical production and post-production assets.
On the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Monami CEO Scott-Young discusses the company’s growth and the building blocks in her professional life that led her to launch Monami in 2008 after leaving the top-tier music management firm Violator. She had wanted to break into television, but hadn’t found the right avenue until the concept for “Love & Hip Hop” came to her from a former protege, manager-producer Yandy Smith, who would later appear on the show.
“I...
That was a decade ago. The durable VH1 franchise “Love & Hip Hop” is now the cornerstone of Scott-Young’s Monami Entertainment banner, which has ventured into everything from cosmetics and wine to physical production and post-production assets.
On the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Monami CEO Scott-Young discusses the company’s growth and the building blocks in her professional life that led her to launch Monami in 2008 after leaving the top-tier music management firm Violator. She had wanted to break into television, but hadn’t found the right avenue until the concept for “Love & Hip Hop” came to her from a former protege, manager-producer Yandy Smith, who would later appear on the show.
“I...
- 9/16/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Call it Food Network or HGTV for the Twitch generation.
Ariel Horn and Ben Kusin are the co-founders and co-CEOs of Venn, the fledgling ad-supported streaming service that hopes to be a live entertainment destination for video game enthusiasts, casual and otherwise.
Horn and Kusin detail the vision and planning for Venn on the latest episode of Variety’s weekly podcast “Strictly Business.” The pair cites the familiar statistics about the explosive growth of gaming as an entertainment pursuit that has blossomed into a $150 billion industry, with plenty of expansion on the horizon.
Although a linear live feed of programming with commercials embedded would seem out of step with the way younger consumers are consuming content, Horn and Kusin see an opening for a lifestyle-oriented programs that are available wherever the target audience is. For Venn (which stands for Video Game Entertainment and News Network), the flexibility of being ad-supported...
Ariel Horn and Ben Kusin are the co-founders and co-CEOs of Venn, the fledgling ad-supported streaming service that hopes to be a live entertainment destination for video game enthusiasts, casual and otherwise.
Horn and Kusin detail the vision and planning for Venn on the latest episode of Variety’s weekly podcast “Strictly Business.” The pair cites the familiar statistics about the explosive growth of gaming as an entertainment pursuit that has blossomed into a $150 billion industry, with plenty of expansion on the horizon.
Although a linear live feed of programming with commercials embedded would seem out of step with the way younger consumers are consuming content, Horn and Kusin see an opening for a lifestyle-oriented programs that are available wherever the target audience is. For Venn (which stands for Video Game Entertainment and News Network), the flexibility of being ad-supported...
- 9/2/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Andre Harrell, whose Uptown Records is considered one of the key bridges between hip-hop and R&b, died of heart failure Thursday night at his West Hollywood home. He was 59 and his death was confirmed by his former wife.
Harrell was a key to the careers of Sean Combs, Mary J. Blige, Heavy D & The Boyz, and Jodeci, among many others. His label, Uptown Records, is remembered as one of the R&b giants of the 1990s, finding a niche as a home for artists who were sophisticated and smooth, yet retaining its street edge.
Andre O’Neal Harrell was born in the Bronx on Sep. 26, 1960. He graduated from Charles Evans Hughes High School in 1978, and attended Baruch College and Lehman College.
Harrell’s career started on the performing side. He was Dr. Jeckyll, half of the rap duo Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, with high school friend Alonzo Brown. They had several hits,...
Harrell was a key to the careers of Sean Combs, Mary J. Blige, Heavy D & The Boyz, and Jodeci, among many others. His label, Uptown Records, is remembered as one of the R&b giants of the 1990s, finding a niche as a home for artists who were sophisticated and smooth, yet retaining its street edge.
Andre O’Neal Harrell was born in the Bronx on Sep. 26, 1960. He graduated from Charles Evans Hughes High School in 1978, and attended Baruch College and Lehman College.
Harrell’s career started on the performing side. He was Dr. Jeckyll, half of the rap duo Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, with high school friend Alonzo Brown. They had several hits,...
- 5/9/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Nicole Clemens has been an agent, a producer and a creative executive for a major producer and a top network. But in her current role as president of Paramount Television Studios, she sometimes functions as a banker managing a portfolio of investments in TV series that have different underlying business models.
On the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Clemens discusses the growth of Paramount’s TV production unit and the studio’s approach to managing a roster of series for streaming outlets and basic cable. Of late the studio has taken a few swings on development projects for broadcast networks, including a medical drama prospect at Fox with Melissa Leo on board to star.
“The idea is to have some shows with major upside (potential) so you can hit a home run,” Clemens said. “Our bread and butter is not in broadcast TV.”
The voracious appetite of streaming...
On the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Clemens discusses the growth of Paramount’s TV production unit and the studio’s approach to managing a roster of series for streaming outlets and basic cable. Of late the studio has taken a few swings on development projects for broadcast networks, including a medical drama prospect at Fox with Melissa Leo on board to star.
“The idea is to have some shows with major upside (potential) so you can hit a home run,” Clemens said. “Our bread and butter is not in broadcast TV.”
The voracious appetite of streaming...
- 5/6/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
It isn’t easy staying competitive in a streaming sector crowded with ventures big and small, but Britbox CEO Soumya Sriraman is secure in her corner of the market.
Britbox super-serves the super fans of British TV shows including “Vera” and “Hold the Sunset,” and the service’s demographic skews toward women over 45. That’s a core audience segment with no shortage of pay-tv and streaming brands vying for their attention with programming of all stripes. But Sriraman is confident she can hold onto her audience despite the quick-churn world of subscription VOD.
Listen to the podcast here:
“The market is very crowded, we are staying focused on who we are,” said Sriraman. “The audience that comes to us will stay loyal, all our metrics to date to tell us that.”
A joint venture of BBC Studios and ITV, Britbox has attracted more than one million subscribers in its three...
Britbox super-serves the super fans of British TV shows including “Vera” and “Hold the Sunset,” and the service’s demographic skews toward women over 45. That’s a core audience segment with no shortage of pay-tv and streaming brands vying for their attention with programming of all stripes. But Sriraman is confident she can hold onto her audience despite the quick-churn world of subscription VOD.
Listen to the podcast here:
“The market is very crowded, we are staying focused on who we are,” said Sriraman. “The audience that comes to us will stay loyal, all our metrics to date to tell us that.”
A joint venture of BBC Studios and ITV, Britbox has attracted more than one million subscribers in its three...
- 4/30/2020
- by Andrew Wallenstein
- Variety Film + TV
Commercial bankers spent much of the past few weeks working round the clock processing loan applications for the Small Business Administration’s coronavirus relief loans known as the Paycheck Protection Program. And they’re about to do it again as the program designed to protect jobs at companies with 500 or fewer employees is poised to receive another big influx of funding from Congress this week.
On the latest episode of Variety‘s “Strictly Business” podcast, three veteran entertainment industry bankers from City National Bank break down the Sba relief program and its importance to thousands of entertainment industry-related clients.
Listen to this week’s podcast below:
Martha Henderson, executive VP and manager of entertainment banking for Cnb, said the Ppp loan blizzard that began in late March was unlike anything she’d experienced after nearly 40 years in business.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever come across something like this,...
On the latest episode of Variety‘s “Strictly Business” podcast, three veteran entertainment industry bankers from City National Bank break down the Sba relief program and its importance to thousands of entertainment industry-related clients.
Listen to this week’s podcast below:
Martha Henderson, executive VP and manager of entertainment banking for Cnb, said the Ppp loan blizzard that began in late March was unlike anything she’d experienced after nearly 40 years in business.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever come across something like this,...
- 4/22/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
As the scope of the coronavirus lockdown became clear last month, ABC was faced with a dilemma over what to do with “American Idol.”
The network was counting on the show to fill many hours on ABC’s Sunday and Monday night schedule. Rob Mills, ABC’s senior VP of series, specials and late-night, said the “Idol” team embraced the age-old mantra “the show must go on” in crafting a way for the live performance shows to continue starting April 26 with contestants performing from remote locations while judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan will preside from their homes.
“I’m fascinated to see how ‘American Idol’ looks and feels when people are doing their performance remotely,” Mills says in the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business.”
Listen to this week’s episode here:
The pandemic-related delay in “Idol’s” third season on ABC was particularly frustrating to...
The network was counting on the show to fill many hours on ABC’s Sunday and Monday night schedule. Rob Mills, ABC’s senior VP of series, specials and late-night, said the “Idol” team embraced the age-old mantra “the show must go on” in crafting a way for the live performance shows to continue starting April 26 with contestants performing from remote locations while judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan will preside from their homes.
“I’m fascinated to see how ‘American Idol’ looks and feels when people are doing their performance remotely,” Mills says in the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business.”
Listen to this week’s episode here:
The pandemic-related delay in “Idol’s” third season on ABC was particularly frustrating to...
- 4/15/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
John Sloss, founder and principal of Cinetic Media, is the consummate mover and shaker in the independent film business. But a conversation with Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos a few years ago changed his view of television forever.
“From the moment Ted Sarandos informed me he was going to drop an entire season of ‘House of Cards’ at once — and I told him he was insane — I think the world has had to rethink the length of narrative stories and whether something told over 11 hours is significantly different than something told over 100 minutes,” Sloss says in the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business.”
“The idea that stories would be told a half-hour or an hour a week over a series of weeks never seemed that particularly interesting to me,” Sloss says. “The idea that a narrative story would be told over 11 hours that you could watch for 11 hours straight...
“From the moment Ted Sarandos informed me he was going to drop an entire season of ‘House of Cards’ at once — and I told him he was insane — I think the world has had to rethink the length of narrative stories and whether something told over 11 hours is significantly different than something told over 100 minutes,” Sloss says in the latest episode of Variety podcast “Strictly Business.”
“The idea that stories would be told a half-hour or an hour a week over a series of weeks never seemed that particularly interesting to me,” Sloss says. “The idea that a narrative story would be told over 11 hours that you could watch for 11 hours straight...
- 4/1/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Ask Stanley Nelson about the key to his longevity as a documentary filmmaker and he doesn’t hesitate with his response: “Luck.”
Nelson is the director-producer behind such recent films as “Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool,” which premiered at Sundance last year and is now part of PBS’ “American Masters” series, 2015’s “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” and 2017’s “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities.”
On the latest episode of the Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Nelson discusses the luck factor in his long career, and the many paths that documentarians pursue to fund projects that are almost always purely driven by passion rather than dreams of hitting it big at the box office. The environment for independent filmmakers has definitely improved, thanks to the explosion of content and platforms.
“There are so many different funders and so many different outlets for documentary film.
Nelson is the director-producer behind such recent films as “Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool,” which premiered at Sundance last year and is now part of PBS’ “American Masters” series, 2015’s “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” and 2017’s “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities.”
On the latest episode of the Variety podcast “Strictly Business,” Nelson discusses the luck factor in his long career, and the many paths that documentarians pursue to fund projects that are almost always purely driven by passion rather than dreams of hitting it big at the box office. The environment for independent filmmakers has definitely improved, thanks to the explosion of content and platforms.
“There are so many different funders and so many different outlets for documentary film.
- 3/11/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Maybe the empire can strike back. Or at least strike anew.
Over the past few months, a number of developments have emerged for traditional media companies that indicate a spirit of reinvention and experimentation is spreading across the industry. There’s a new willingness to take a hard look at long-standing operations and make big and sometimes surprising changes.
This goes deeper than the headline-generating M&a deals that are measured in tens of billions of dollars. Of late there have been some granular-level moves that signal a push to revise the business blueprint for a new era of streaming and linear competition on steroids.
Who could have predicted that Sony Pictures Television would part with a clutch of Asian TV channels in a sale to the executives who previously ran those channels, Sony alums Andy Kaplan and George Chien? Or that Warner Bros., with all its volume and market clout,...
Over the past few months, a number of developments have emerged for traditional media companies that indicate a spirit of reinvention and experimentation is spreading across the industry. There’s a new willingness to take a hard look at long-standing operations and make big and sometimes surprising changes.
This goes deeper than the headline-generating M&a deals that are measured in tens of billions of dollars. Of late there have been some granular-level moves that signal a push to revise the business blueprint for a new era of streaming and linear competition on steroids.
Who could have predicted that Sony Pictures Television would part with a clutch of Asian TV channels in a sale to the executives who previously ran those channels, Sony alums Andy Kaplan and George Chien? Or that Warner Bros., with all its volume and market clout,...
- 1/31/2020
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Now that the Golden Globe voters have had their say, the next big awards show is right around the corner — the 25th annual Critics’ Choice Awards. The ceremony that hands out both film and TV awards will be hosted by actor Taye Diggs and will broadcast live on The CW from 7 to 10 p.m. Et (delayed Pt) on Sunday, January 12.
The Big Kahuna on the film side is Netflix’s “The Irishman,” Martin Scorsese‘s epic-length descent into the world of corrupt mobsters and labor leaders that tops the nomination list with 14. Given that the truth-based drama starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino failed to translate any of its five Globes chances into wins, it could do with some love from this group of 300 or so critics.
Discuss All the Critics’ Choice contenders with Hollywood insiders in our notorious forums
In second place for nominations is Quentin Tarantino...
The Big Kahuna on the film side is Netflix’s “The Irishman,” Martin Scorsese‘s epic-length descent into the world of corrupt mobsters and labor leaders that tops the nomination list with 14. Given that the truth-based drama starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino failed to translate any of its five Globes chances into wins, it could do with some love from this group of 300 or so critics.
Discuss All the Critics’ Choice contenders with Hollywood insiders in our notorious forums
In second place for nominations is Quentin Tarantino...
- 1/7/2020
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Janet Evanovich, one of the biggest selling authors in the world with 200 million copies in print and 25 No. 1 New York Times bestsellers, has signed with The Story Factory for exclusive representation. Her son, Peter Evanovich (The Big Kahuna) and daughter Alex Evanovich (Troublemaker) have made the move too. Evanovich was previously repped by Wme.
Led by Shane Salerno, The Story Factory will rep the entire Evanovich literary portfolio and look to expand its publishing universe around the world, and ramp up film and TV adaptations. One effort will be to build a co-author program to create new properties and franchise book series. She makes the move as her latest book, Look Alive Twenty-Five, which debuted atop the Nyt hardcover bestseller list, this month topped the Publishers Weekly mass market paperback bestseller list. Her 26th Stephanie Plum novel, Twisted Twenty-Six, will be released November 12. The 27th Plum novel — which Evanovich...
Led by Shane Salerno, The Story Factory will rep the entire Evanovich literary portfolio and look to expand its publishing universe around the world, and ramp up film and TV adaptations. One effort will be to build a co-author program to create new properties and franchise book series. She makes the move as her latest book, Look Alive Twenty-Five, which debuted atop the Nyt hardcover bestseller list, this month topped the Publishers Weekly mass market paperback bestseller list. Her 26th Stephanie Plum novel, Twisted Twenty-Six, will be released November 12. The 27th Plum novel — which Evanovich...
- 9/25/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Hulu has released its list of all the new content coming May 1 as well as everything that will leave the streaming service at the end of the month.
Highlights include Hulu Originals like “Into The Dark: All That We Destroy,” the show’s eighth episode coming May 3. Hulu describes the show as “A geneticist who fears that her son may be becoming a serial killer creates a group of clones in an attempt to cure him of his psychopathic tendencies by allowing him to relive the murder of his first victim.”
George Clooney’s “Catch-22,” which is on the Joseph Heller novel of the same name arrives mid-month. Per Hulu: “‘Catch-22'” is the story of the incomparable, artful dodger, Yossarian, a Us Air Force bombardier in World War II who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him.” The show stars Kyle Chandler,...
Highlights include Hulu Originals like “Into The Dark: All That We Destroy,” the show’s eighth episode coming May 3. Hulu describes the show as “A geneticist who fears that her son may be becoming a serial killer creates a group of clones in an attempt to cure him of his psychopathic tendencies by allowing him to relive the murder of his first victim.”
George Clooney’s “Catch-22,” which is on the Joseph Heller novel of the same name arrives mid-month. Per Hulu: “‘Catch-22'” is the story of the incomparable, artful dodger, Yossarian, a Us Air Force bombardier in World War II who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him.” The show stars Kyle Chandler,...
- 4/16/2019
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
The Big Kahuna is a story all about three businessmen that are attempting to land a huge account that could make them all very wealthy people. Larry and Phil are old hands at this sort of thing while Bob is kind of a newcomer that has yet to really prove himself. But through a lot of wheeling and dealing Phil and Larry manage to put their fate in Bob’s hands, which goes slightly awry at first but seems to work out as the film reaches its close. It’s a story about the art of the deal as much as it
10 Things You Didn’t Know about “The Big Kahuna”...
10 Things You Didn’t Know about “The Big Kahuna”...
- 4/15/2018
- by Tom
- TVovermind.com
Check out our reaction to the Dceu panel below! The big kahuna of the Warner Bros. panel is underway - The DC segment. It kicked off with a video teaser announcing the next series of movies, including Shazam!, Wonder Woman 2, Suicide Squad 2, Flashpoint (The Flash movie), Green Lantern Corps, The Batman and Batgirl. After the footage aired (watch here!), the team answered questions as to... Read More...
- 7/23/2017
- by Matt Rooney
- JoBlo.com
Anyone who has watched more than one of Quentin Tarantino’s films knows about the Big Kahuna Burger. But, for those who don’t happen to be fans of the filmmaker or simply have not paid enough attention, this is a fictional chain of Hawaiian-themed fast food restaurants that have appeared in at least four of Tarantino’s movies: “Death Proof,” “Four Rooms,” “Pulp Fiction” and “Reservoir Dogs.”
Tarantino also included this fictional burger joint in the script of his 1996’s Robert Rodriguez–directed film “From Dusk Till Dawn”.
Read More: Quentin Tarantino’s Cinematic Universe: Watch a Video Linking ‘Pulp Fiction,’ ‘Kill Bill’ and More
It is the delicious-looking burger that Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Jules Winnfield, takes away from a terrified guy named Brett (Frank Whaley) in a scene from 1994’s iconic “Pulp Fiction.” “Hamburgers, the cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast,” says Jackson’s character before asking...
Tarantino also included this fictional burger joint in the script of his 1996’s Robert Rodriguez–directed film “From Dusk Till Dawn”.
Read More: Quentin Tarantino’s Cinematic Universe: Watch a Video Linking ‘Pulp Fiction,’ ‘Kill Bill’ and More
It is the delicious-looking burger that Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Jules Winnfield, takes away from a terrified guy named Brett (Frank Whaley) in a scene from 1994’s iconic “Pulp Fiction.” “Hamburgers, the cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast,” says Jackson’s character before asking...
- 1/4/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
The Big Kahuna Burger is one of many recurring figures that establish a consistent universe among Quentin Tarantino’s movies, along with the Vega brothers and Red Apple cigarettes. The Hawaiian burger joint pops up in Death Proof, Four Rooms, Pulp Fiction, and Reservoir Dogs, as well as Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn. It’s the burger that Samuel L. Jackson maliciously takes a huge bite out of while tormenting a chap named Brett early in Pulp Fiction. “This is a tasty burger!” Jackson tells the terrified man. If you would like to make that tasty burger and experience the joy that Jules did, a new video is here to help.
The video sort of cheats, since, by its own admission, the Big Kahuna Burger itself is not exactly inspiring—just some cheese and ketchup. It jazzes it up by smashing the beef against a smoking hot cast-iron...
The video sort of cheats, since, by its own admission, the Big Kahuna Burger itself is not exactly inspiring—just some cheese and ketchup. It jazzes it up by smashing the beef against a smoking hot cast-iron...
- 1/4/2017
- by Clayton Purdom
- avclub.com
We’ve officially arrived at the Christmas season, and while cable channels and streaming services will be overflowing with holiday offerings, here’s a quick tour through some new DVDs and Blu-rays that will help to make the season bright. The Big Kahuna If anyone were ever to designate the Official American Christmas Movie, the clear winner would have to be that legendary Frank Capra film that’s the only black-and-white film that can stake out three hours of prime-time television every November and December. But every holiday movie fan’s library should have It’s a Wonderful Life: 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition (Paramount), a new two-disc set that offers a crisp, hi-def remaster of the beloved fantasy (plus, if you must, a colorized...
Read More...
Read More...
- 12/3/2016
- by Alonso Duralde
- Movies.com
Last night, on WWE Monday Night Raw- the longest running weekly episodic program in history- WCW Legend Bill Goldberg made his hotly-anticipated return. As part of the next escalation of his feud with Brock Lesner, which seems to be ripped straight from the plot of Rocky Balboa, he came out and answered Paul Heyman's challenge from last week.
And he looked great doing it.
Goldberg delivered a promo that was easily- far and away- the best he's ever sounded on a microphone. He was loose; He was natural; and he seemed to be speaking from the heart. The crowd, much to my surprise, absolutely loved him, and his entrance last night will probably go down as one of the most memorable moments WWE has had in quite a while.
I've got to hand it him. That closing line, which I'll paraphrase here: "You're not just next. You're last!
And he looked great doing it.
Goldberg delivered a promo that was easily- far and away- the best he's ever sounded on a microphone. He was loose; He was natural; and he seemed to be speaking from the heart. The crowd, much to my surprise, absolutely loved him, and his entrance last night will probably go down as one of the most memorable moments WWE has had in quite a while.
I've got to hand it him. That closing line, which I'll paraphrase here: "You're not just next. You're last!
- 10/18/2016
- by Mario-Francisco Robles
- LRMonline.com
This week, Cinematic Sound Radio presents another program from the archives. This program, which originally aired in August 2014, featured the music from the filmography of the versatile composer Christopher Young. We will be featuring music from some well-known films as well as music from some obscure gems. You'll hear music from Runaway Jury, The Shipping News, Murder At 1600, Swordfish, The Big Kahuna, The Fly II and Getting Even. Listen on PodTyrant
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- 10/6/2016
- by Ben Pearson
- GeekTyrant
By Neil Hudson
MoreHorror.com
Horror fans are generally a pretty cheery bunch, considering the all the man-hours they spend watching scenes of carnage, mutilation and the like. Lately, I’ve spent a considerable chunk of time watching horror films, only to get to the end and it dawn on me how utterly miserable I should feel. Which is cool, I’m fine with carrying around a persistent, heavy sense of dread in the pit of my stomach; that’s normal, right? This is a list of some of my favourite depressing horror movies. Not all of them are oppressively bleak for the entire flick, but they all end up in the same place: Bum-out city.
Need I say it? Heavy spoilers are below. Proceed accordingly.
I’m trying not to repeat any titles on my lists here; otherwise Martyrs and The Mist would be most certainly be down on this one.
MoreHorror.com
Horror fans are generally a pretty cheery bunch, considering the all the man-hours they spend watching scenes of carnage, mutilation and the like. Lately, I’ve spent a considerable chunk of time watching horror films, only to get to the end and it dawn on me how utterly miserable I should feel. Which is cool, I’m fine with carrying around a persistent, heavy sense of dread in the pit of my stomach; that’s normal, right? This is a list of some of my favourite depressing horror movies. Not all of them are oppressively bleak for the entire flick, but they all end up in the same place: Bum-out city.
Need I say it? Heavy spoilers are below. Proceed accordingly.
I’m trying not to repeat any titles on my lists here; otherwise Martyrs and The Mist would be most certainly be down on this one.
- 9/8/2015
- by admin
- MoreHorror
The big kahuna burger of movie awards shingles, the 87th Academy Awards took glamorous form at the Dolby Theater tonight. The pre-awards buzz had the quote-unquote big categories divided between Birdman and Boyhood. But in the end, it was Birdman all the way, taking Picture, Director, Original Screenplay and Cinematography. Boyhood went home with only Best Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette.The four awards for Birdman were matched, numerically speaking, by The Grand Budapest Hotel, followed by Whiplash with three.In the Acting categories, everything proceeded as everyone had foreseen. Eddie Redmayne won Best Actor for his turn in The Theory Of Everything and, also as predicted, Julianne Moore won Best Actress for Still Alice. J.K. Simmons took home Best Supporting Actor for Whiplash, while Arquette gave a rabble-rousing (and Meryl Streep-rousing) call to feminism during her speech after Best Supporting Actress for Boyhood.As expected, The Grand Budapest...
- 2/23/2015
- EmpireOnline
Best Picture
1-5
The big kahuna, the best picture category holds the key to all the other categories essentially. If you guess wrong here there's a domino effect since contributing to one of the 800 lb gorillas will always give you an advantage -- you can see that effect most clearly each year in the "contemporary" sections of the various guild awards when Bp frontrunners always show up, no matter what films had more impressive achievements in that craft that particular year. The past few weeks have been tumultuous beyond the three locked up frontrunners: Boyhood, Birdman and The Imitation Game. You can also count on The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Theory of Everything since neither has faltered with precursors and both were surprising hits with audiences - yes even Theory (see Tina & Amy's great Golden Globes joke 'combines two things audiences love: crippling nerve disorders and super complicated...
1-5
The big kahuna, the best picture category holds the key to all the other categories essentially. If you guess wrong here there's a domino effect since contributing to one of the 800 lb gorillas will always give you an advantage -- you can see that effect most clearly each year in the "contemporary" sections of the various guild awards when Bp frontrunners always show up, no matter what films had more impressive achievements in that craft that particular year. The past few weeks have been tumultuous beyond the three locked up frontrunners: Boyhood, Birdman and The Imitation Game. You can also count on The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Theory of Everything since neither has faltered with precursors and both were surprising hits with audiences - yes even Theory (see Tina & Amy's great Golden Globes joke 'combines two things audiences love: crippling nerve disorders and super complicated...
- 1/15/2015
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Toronto — If it's September, not only is it fall film festival time, but it's also time for the return of the Contender Countdown. Yes, your weekly snapshot of the Best Picture race is back and who knew 2014 might actually deliver another real race? By this point last season, the showdown between "12 Years a Slave" and "Gravity" was well under way. There were some films on the horizon that had a chance at joining the fray, but it never really came to pass. The 2015 season is markedly different. Venice, Telluride and Toronto have ended with only two major contenders having been vetted by pundits and audiences alike, "The Imitation Game" and "Birdman." Neither is the frontrunner yet, although the former may jump into the lead fairly quickly. Toronto's major honor, the People's Choice Award, will be announced on Sunday. Over the past six years three winners went on to win the Best Picture Oscar ("Slumdog Millionaire,...
- 9/12/2014
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
Since the release of DVDs in the late ‘90s and freeze frame technology becoming highly accessible, movie makers and manufacturers have been hiding secrets for viewers to discover. Every genre and every studio has likely done it by now; we’ve started to compile them all in a series of posts with the help of the Internet. Happy hunting!
It’s the Pulp Fiction special edition where all the Easter eggs will be from, you guessed it, Pulp Fiction. A few of these are new to me, 20 years later I’m telling you, Pulp Fiction is one of the most layered movies ever made.
The Movie: Pulp Fiction (1994)
The Eggs: Unfortunate Lady
I laughed at this, then felt bad. In the film Reservoir Dogs when Tim Roth and Harvey Keitel are escaping from the failed heist, they pull over a lady in a car who shoots Roth before she is taken care of.
It’s the Pulp Fiction special edition where all the Easter eggs will be from, you guessed it, Pulp Fiction. A few of these are new to me, 20 years later I’m telling you, Pulp Fiction is one of the most layered movies ever made.
The Movie: Pulp Fiction (1994)
The Eggs: Unfortunate Lady
I laughed at this, then felt bad. In the film Reservoir Dogs when Tim Roth and Harvey Keitel are escaping from the failed heist, they pull over a lady in a car who shoots Roth before she is taken care of.
- 5/30/2014
- by Graham McMorrow
- City of Films
Wow, what a busy January. With Sundance and the TCAs wrapping up, Award Season is also peaking with a slew of critics and industry awards. The big kahuna, of course, is the Oscars. The nominations are in, and "American Hustle," "Gravity" and "12 Years a Slave" should be pleased. As the big day approaches (March 2), it's looking more and more like a three-way race. Meanwhile, Tom Hanks, The Coen Brothers, Robert Redford and Oprah Winfrey were among the snubbed. There's always next year... As for the rest of this week's list... January 23, 2014 1. The Oscars (Last week: Not ranked) They'll be here...
- 1/24/2014
- by Dave Lewis
- Hitfix
In Richard’s Wedding, which follows a bevy of wedding guests and the soon-to-be-wedded on their way to a small Central Park wedding, director Onur Tukel has crafted a delightfully funny, seemingly real-time ensemble piece. From British blowhard Russell (Darrill Rosen) to the writer/director/editor/star’s Tuna, the characters live on the edge of likability and the film’s narrative deftly frames the torrent of just-this-side-of-racist jokes, downright delusional character asides, and a general decline of civility. The unconventional comedic approach gives proceedings a hard-won warmth and generosity that lesser films skating this kind of textual irony and cutting, ribald humor frequently fail to achieve. Co-starring a number of terrific performers who have begun to make names for themselves as filmmakers (Dustin Guy Defa, Lawrence Michael Levine), the project has an intimacy and freewheeling feel to it that suggests the filmmakers were having as much fun off camera as they were on.
- 5/30/2012
- by Brandon Harris
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The Big Apple is feeling Golden Delicious tonight as it celebrates the Giants 21-to-17 victory over the New England Patriots, but Hollywood is also getting a Gatorade shower. The Super Bowl is the biggest advertising day of the year, and the studios blitzed TV viewers with new looks at their coolest flicks.
It's also when different companies trot out serious big gun celebrities to pimp their rides. So are you feeling lucky, punk? We're chugging Pepto Bismol, recycling our empty beer bottles, and looking back at the best movie moments during this year's big game.
Welcome to Super Bowl… Psyche!
Universal Studios Hollywood pulled some ol' fakeout interrupted programming, with Optimus Prime and Megatron warning us that we'll perish if we don't hop on "Transformers: The Ride 3-D" this May. Hard sell, guys.
You Sunk My Studio!
"We're looking at an extinction-level event." That's the line from the "Battleship" trailer,...
It's also when different companies trot out serious big gun celebrities to pimp their rides. So are you feeling lucky, punk? We're chugging Pepto Bismol, recycling our empty beer bottles, and looking back at the best movie moments during this year's big game.
Welcome to Super Bowl… Psyche!
Universal Studios Hollywood pulled some ol' fakeout interrupted programming, with Optimus Prime and Megatron warning us that we'll perish if we don't hop on "Transformers: The Ride 3-D" this May. Hard sell, guys.
You Sunk My Studio!
"We're looking at an extinction-level event." That's the line from the "Battleship" trailer,...
- 2/6/2012
- by Max Evry
- NextMovie
First things first: Livewires is Not a manga. Sure it’s been collected in a digest format, features hyper-advanced human looking robots displaying human emotions, the art is very reminiscent of Japanese comics, it has, at times, a highly convoluted plot, and features more action than a comic published in America has any right to (the first issue is a protracted battle at a weapons factory,
where we meet each main character one by one, at once showing their personality and role within the series). It’s not a manga. But it’s the closest Marvel has ever come to publishing one.
Written by Adam Warren, with art by Rick Mays (based on Warren’s layouts), the mini-series inhabits the espionage filled corner of the Marvel Universe that is home to Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D, and numerous secret organizations, like A.I.M. And Hydra. The...
where we meet each main character one by one, at once showing their personality and role within the series). It’s not a manga. But it’s the closest Marvel has ever come to publishing one.
Written by Adam Warren, with art by Rick Mays (based on Warren’s layouts), the mini-series inhabits the espionage filled corner of the Marvel Universe that is home to Nick Fury, S.H.I.E.L.D, and numerous secret organizations, like A.I.M. And Hydra. The...
- 10/14/2011
- by Tom White
- Obsessed with Film
He played leads – but never became a star. He played supporting parts – but was never considered a second-stringer. He moved between the big and little screen easily throughout much of his career without ever looking like he’d overreached (for the former), or was slumming (in the latter). The only thing that mattered – the one thing that was consistent whatever the vehicle, whatever the medium, whatever the size of the role – was the caliber of his work. By his own description, Cliff Robertson, who passed away this week one day after his 88th birthday, was a “utility player” who shone whatever his position.
Still in his 20s, he was already working regularly on TV during those early, hectic days of live broadcasting in the early 1950s, and just as immediately demonstrating the utility that marked his career. His range was limitless as he performed in everything from heavyweight drama anthology...
Still in his 20s, he was already working regularly on TV during those early, hectic days of live broadcasting in the early 1950s, and just as immediately demonstrating the utility that marked his career. His range was limitless as he performed in everything from heavyweight drama anthology...
- 9/12/2011
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
With great power comes great responsibility.
It's a lesson Peter Parker learned when his Uncle Ben died. And it's a lesson all of Hollywood learned thanks to Cliff Robertson, the actor who played Uncle Ben in "Spider-Man" -- and who USA Today reports died Saturday at the age of 88.
Though Robertson was known to modern film fans mostly for his role as "Uncle Ben" in Sam Raimi's 2002 blockbuster "Spider-Man," the actor had a long and distinguished career that was capped off in 1969 when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the moving sci-fi drama "Charly," where he played a mentally disabled man who is subjected to intelligence boosting experiments.
But in Hollywood circles, Robertson was perhaps more infamous for a 1977 incident where, after discovering his name had been forged on a check by the head of Colombia Pictures, the actor went to the FBI,...
It's a lesson Peter Parker learned when his Uncle Ben died. And it's a lesson all of Hollywood learned thanks to Cliff Robertson, the actor who played Uncle Ben in "Spider-Man" -- and who USA Today reports died Saturday at the age of 88.
Though Robertson was known to modern film fans mostly for his role as "Uncle Ben" in Sam Raimi's 2002 blockbuster "Spider-Man," the actor had a long and distinguished career that was capped off in 1969 when he won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the moving sci-fi drama "Charly," where he played a mentally disabled man who is subjected to intelligence boosting experiments.
But in Hollywood circles, Robertson was perhaps more infamous for a 1977 incident where, after discovering his name had been forged on a check by the head of Colombia Pictures, the actor went to the FBI,...
- 9/11/2011
- by Scott Harris
- NextMovie
New York — President John F. Kennedy had just one critique when he saw photos of the actor set to play him in a World War II drama.
The year was 1963 and actor Cliff Robertson looked convincing in his costume for "Pt-109," the first film to portray a sitting president. Kennedy had favored Robertson for the role, but one detail was off.
Robertson's hair was parted on the wrong side.
The actor dutifully trained his locks to part on the left and won praise for a role he'd remain proud of throughout his life.
Robertson, who went on to win an Oscar for his portrayal of a mentally disabled man in "Charly", died of natural causes Saturday afternoon in Stony Brook, a day after his 88th birthday, according to Evelyn Christel, his secretary of 53 years.
Robertson never elevated into the top ranks of leading men, but he remained a popular actor...
The year was 1963 and actor Cliff Robertson looked convincing in his costume for "Pt-109," the first film to portray a sitting president. Kennedy had favored Robertson for the role, but one detail was off.
Robertson's hair was parted on the wrong side.
The actor dutifully trained his locks to part on the left and won praise for a role he'd remain proud of throughout his life.
Robertson, who went on to win an Oscar for his portrayal of a mentally disabled man in "Charly", died of natural causes Saturday afternoon in Stony Brook, a day after his 88th birthday, according to Evelyn Christel, his secretary of 53 years.
Robertson never elevated into the top ranks of leading men, but he remained a popular actor...
- 9/11/2011
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Available now, Fruit Ninja Kinect (Halfbrick/Microsoft Studios) redefines summer fun with the worldwide gaming phenomenon for Kinect for Xbox 360. You are the ninja! Use your arms for blades to play all the fruit slicing action you know and love, along with special features including Party Mode and Challenge system which will reveal the true masters among your friends.
What better way to celebrate the finale to this year’s Summer of Arcade program than with the playful ’80s era combat game Toy Soldiers: Cold War (Signal Studios/Microsoft Studios). Bring your favourite action toys to life to wage war, call in a friend for co-op campaign action on the couch or over Xbox Live, or take a break from the main battle with Survival mode and playful mini-games. When you beat your Live friends’ scores, they’ll be gunning to reclaim the top spot!
Here’s the current...
What better way to celebrate the finale to this year’s Summer of Arcade program than with the playful ’80s era combat game Toy Soldiers: Cold War (Signal Studios/Microsoft Studios). Bring your favourite action toys to life to wage war, call in a friend for co-op campaign action on the couch or over Xbox Live, or take a break from the main battle with Survival mode and playful mini-games. When you beat your Live friends’ scores, they’ll be gunning to reclaim the top spot!
Here’s the current...
- 8/14/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Yes, it's that time again. It's the red carpet of all red carpets. The big kahuna. The award show that tops all others. Sigh, no. Not the Teen Choice Awards, it's the 83rd Academy Awards! And none other than best actor nominee James Franco has graced us with his presence by taking time out from the 17 different art installations he's working on, studying for his third graduate degree and his recent addiction to twitpic to co-host the show with the always adorable Anne Hathaway. A new generation is here! That said, can you believe Oscar is 83 years old? The...
- 2/27/2011
- Hitfix
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