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Marketing films requires a lot of savvy. For one thing, the timing of a film–entertainers can have a short shelf life; what seems a sure hit because, say, Brittany Spears is available, can bomb because Brittany Spears is imploding. Likewise elements of the culture can change rapidly – events like 911 or Columbine turn the…
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The process from a film’s conception to it’s premiere is rifled with conflicts. Just like any creative process, one might say. The most obvious obstacle for aspiring filmmakers is often said to be that foreboding question of finance. This means much more than ensuring appropriate equipment and technical support. It also means being prepared for…
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Laws of Attraction (1995), a comedy, at least on the surface, is worth viewing. The movie almost blew apart 15 times before it ever premiered. Like The Passion, no one wanted to put money into it, saying people wouldn’t go to see a movie without special effects The movie is somewhat in the Katherine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy (for example, Adam’s…
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One of the main rules in Hollywood is not to finance your own films. And, only six out of ten movies ever make a profit. Filmmaking is, in many ways, a brutal business. When Mel Gibson first looked for financing for The Passion of the Christ, no one would underwrite his movie. Gibson’s purpose for making the…
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Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell’s PC game hero needs hi-tech gadgetry to find secret documents hidden in an embassy. In a moment of crisis he turns to his Sony smart phone. Actually the real tension was between the video game publisher and Sony negotiating a deal to get the phone-camera used in the video game. Paul Hyman, Hollywood News wrote…
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Hot and Bothered By Women’s Annoying Habits If you wanted to acknowledge a single male actor for his incredible tenacity in dealing with annoying female co-stars, I think such an award would have to go to Harrison Ford – hands down. The litany of roles he’s played in which his female leads seemed hell-bent on…
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Conditioned by a culture that tells me I shall not judge other people’s behaviors or tastes, I shall draw no conclusions about the current comic book to film explosion. It means nothing. A genuinely sensitive person will recognize immediately that what other people do with their bodies and minds is their personal business. So, I…
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Melvin Van Peebles, driving force for change, was able to see what the studios missed – a chance for blacks to see a familiar face on the silver screen that they could relate to. His talent went beyond film. After he served in the US Air Force (navigator/bombardier), he worked in Mexico as a portrait…
