

Columns By Gary DretzkaDretzka@moviecitynews.com
The Oscars of Journalism
As far as I know, Pulitzer Prize-winners and presenters aren’t awarded gift baskets for showing up at the annual banquet saluting the best in the business of journalism … not yet, anyway. A handful of bloggers pay attention, but the ceremony isn’t televised … except, maybe, on C-SPAN … and no one in Las Vegas…
Read the full article »The Audience is Listening
Many moons ago for reasons that have been lost to time, I was attending a film festival in Montreal. While I can still vividly remember some of the selections, I cannot remember the name of the event or its stated gestalt. The program was very alternative with selections from the likes of Werner Schroeder and…
Read the full article »If the seat fits …
After ShoWest, Digital Dretzka managed to get lost in the Digital Ozone, and, for a while, the business of Hollywood took a back seat to monitoring March Madness and propping up the teetering pile of DVDs awaiting scrutiny elsewhere in Movie City News. Upon venturing into the blogosphere Tuesday morning, a random search turned up…
Read the full article »Keep On Flossing …
And, speaking of Floss ‘n Toss … being of the Boomer generation, DD naturally wondered if the good folks at StaiNo LLC had attempted to get the seal of approval of the American Dental Association, which had done wonders for sales of Crest and Colgate. David Antler, the company’s president, allowed that an ADA endorsement…
Read the full article »Sitcoms losses no laughing matter
A report that found its way into the Los Angeles Times’ Quick Takes column last Saturday has revealed that Americans are investing more time watching sitcoms than a dozen years ago, but fewer are getting their yucks from shows selected for them by network programmers. Magna Group’s research has discovered that 4.84 hours/week currently are…
Read the full article »Mr. Boxoffice Goes To Washington
There was a Spike in the box office both literally and figuratively as Inside Man ascended to an estimated $29.2 million to lead weekend movie going. The frame also provided surprises for other national debuts with the teen thriller Stay Alive having more utz than expected and the big screen incarnation for Larry the Cable…
Read the full article »V R The World…
V for Vendetta arrived with close to commercial vengeance with a domestic gross estimated at $24.7 million and an additional $8.5 million from openings in 16 international territories. The frame also featured okay results of $10.9 million for the gender-bending comedy She’s the Man and a disappointing return of $520,000 for the crime saga Find…
Read the full article »Admission Slips
The mantra at ShoWest – the annual conclave of film exhibition – emerged as “we have to look at the long term.” And, on the surface, that’s not an altogether unreasonable statement. Let’s refrain from making snap judgments. What occurred six months ago may not be indicative of what we will see moving forward a…
Read the full article »ShoWest Wraps Up
ShoWest 2006 threw itself a wrap party Thursday night, but not before Warner Bros. availed itself of the opportunity to brag on its upcoming slate of “event” movies. The company, which once was known for sponsoring the most star-studded of all ShoWest banquets, has been a no-show for the last few years. Instead, the “new”…
Read the full article »Skip the butter, add the floss
Much of the fun for civilians attending ShoWest comes in strolling through the aisles of the exhibition hall, where the latest trends in concessions, furniture, cleaning supplies and technology are put on display. This year, there were few products that caused any kind of a stir, but one or two managed to stand out in…
Read the full article »Exhibs preview Altman’s Prairie Home Companion
Garrison Keillor may lack the charisma of a George Clooney or Brad Pitt, but 4 million radio listeners can’t be wrong … or, so hopes Picturehouse president Bob Berney. Exhibitors attending ShoWest didn’t pack screenings of “A Prairie Home Companion” in the same numbers as greeted “Cars,” but those who made the effort were rewarded…
Read the full article »Disney takes Pixar’s Cars out for a spin at ShoWest
LAS VEGAS — Few potential summer blockbusters will arrive with as much baggage in its trunk as “Cars,” which will be the first animated feature released under the newly conjoined banner of Disney and Pixar. Wall Street analysts will put the picture under the same intense scrutiny as that employed by film critics approaching any…
Read the full article »ShoWest & the Ghost of Cinema Future
Judging from all the projections of doom and gloom that accompanied each new weekend’s box-office reports last summer and fall, you’d think organizers of ShoWest would have staged the annual gathering of theater owners in a funeral parlor, and not within the faux-sunny confines of Paris Las Vegas. Apparently, with business up in the first-quarter…
Read the full article »Soar Winners…
Failure to Launch surprised pundits with an unexpectedly potent estimate of $24.7 million to emerge the weekend’s top viewed movie. Also stronger than anticipated was the horror remake ofThe Hills Have Eyes that ranked third overall with $15.6 million while the recycled The Shaggy Dog barked up a Disneypointing $16.1 million. Best of the limited…
Read the full article »The ShoWest Must Go On
These are grim times for theater owners. Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’re well aware that 2005 not only marked a downturn in overall revenues, it also experienced significant erosion in the big screen audience. Then there’s a consolidation in theater ownership that’s put thousands of people back into the job market this…
Read the full article »16 Block Party…
Medea’s Family Reunion withstood a quartet of new releases as top draw in the marketplace with an estimated $12.7 million. There was a lack of real utz in film going for Oscar weekend with 16 Blocks taking second spot with $11.6 million and the bow of Dave Chappelle’s Block Party trailing the freshman field with…
Read the full article »All That Glitters
There are, to be honest, only so many things one can say about the Oscar race in this or any other year. The films and players obviously change and the details have a specificity but the basics are, well, the basics with a few caveats tossed in for color. It is not infinitely malleable….
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