The Hot Blog Archive for February, 2007
Trump Eats Shark?
Why is it that eveyr shark jump lately seems to involve seeing more of someone’s skin than we really ever wanted to, aside from “our” fantasies? (Oddly, I think that the reality of Ms. Spears’ vagina, amongst others, spoke to the fantasy life of men, which is not as singularly vagina-focused as many tend to believe.)
In any case, Donald Trump, whose real estate seminars, blow-up/pin-up wife, and self-exploitation fighting Rosie “Pick A Harder Target” O’Donnell seemed to be as far as a man with money could sink, is topping himself with an appearance at the next WWE Wrestlemania (23… oy… I remember the first). He will shave his head if… well, something happens at the even on April 1. The release doesn’t even indicate what the “bet” with Vince McMahon is. All I know is that we can expect to see Vince’s bald pate on April 2. And Donald Trump is at 14:58 on the Warhol clock.
The Daily David – Feb 21, 2007
How does the Sirius/XM merger reflect on the movie business?
And the YouTube version…
The First Ever Daily David
And the YouTube version…
Also from the ACE Awards – Tarantino notes that he is heading back into the editing room for his last 10 days of cutting majors scenes… he and Sally Menke need to cut the big car chase in Death Proof. Meanwhile, a bunch of Grindhousers are heading to a pro wrestling match to enjoy and promote today. Ever quotable Quentin also said, “An editor is a psychiatrist who keeps the director from committing suicide.” He also called Menke, “his one true collaborator, from start to finish.”
Klady's 4-Day Pres Weekend Estimates
Notable: Lou Lumenick tells the world that Alien v Predator and Freddy v Jason were actually the highest openers without screening before Ghost Rider. Noted.
MoBO4U
Okay… so if, as a blog commenter wrote, Bridge to Samantha Stevens’ Daughter (aka Bridge To Terebithia) actually cost $30 million… or even $40 million or $50 million, a $28 million 4-day weekend – for a kids movie, likely to signal a film that cracks $100 million – will make the movie a major profit center. (Far more so than An Inconvenient Truth, which Peter Bart oddly claimed a few weeks ago is Paramount’s “Paramount’s single most profitable release.”)
Meanwhile, February has become
Klady's Friday Estimates
There is so much to say today and so little time.
Ghost screenings worked out burningly well for Ghost Rider.
Terabithia
Lunch With… Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham
Two of the writers of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan sit down and chat with David about the process of making the film, why Bruno pisses off more poeple than Borat, what’s next, and making a waistcoat out of Dakota Fanning. And away we go….
20 Weeks – Dead Horse Beating
Everyone liked something. Generally, the hate levels were down. And while nothing particularly unexpected is expected a week from Sunday, there really isn’t much opportunity for anything remarkable to happen.
Really
Zzzzzzz
I’m only going to ask these questions for now…
1. Why would David Fincher want to be Alan J Pakula when he is so good at being David Fincher?
2. Why can’t anyone (except del Toro and Scorsese) seem to be able to do high visual style lately and actually do an effective job of storytelling?
3. A 2:40 period drama that had no clear clock or ending did manage $60 million this Christmas… but why would anyone think a similarly period story without a single box office draw and no clock or ending would be worth doing at 3 hours?
4. Wouldn’t Fincher have been well served by seeing Se7en and resepcting what worked about that film before making another movie about a serial killer?
Rashomotor
Lou Lumenick’s blog sent me scurrying for more info about the Volkswagon Relentless Drive Award, given to a Sundance filmmaker each year. This year it went to deborah Kampmeier, who made the now infamous Dakota Fanning movie, Hounddog.
As “reported” in a press release written by The Motion Picture Group, which is funding Ms. K’s next film:
“The Relentless Drive Award” pays homage to the incredible amount of dedication, determination, sweat, tears, spit and downright unyielding will to get an independent film produced. This year, Volkswagen owners selected the director with the best story of how they used music in their quest to make their film happen. VW owners were able to vote throughout the Festival in the Volkswagen tent, after which the “Relentless Drive Award” was awarded to Kampmeier.
Volkwagon announces the competition on its own site:
The theme this year will be Music in Film. The award will go to the director whose movie was most inspired by music, or in which music played a huge part in it’s (sic) creation. Directors will submit their stories, and we’ll advertise them on the back page of the Daily Insider. VW Owners will vote on the winner who will then drive off into the sunset with the use of a free VW for one year.
So…. Volkswagon owners who were at Sundance and who voted for the film most inspired by music, or in which music played a huge part in its creation made this call. Could it have been more than 50 people voting? And is there any way they wouldn’t vote for the film named after an Elvis Presley mega-hit? And is this one reason why there is no publicity on the win – going to a very controversial film – from Volkswagon itself?
It’s not a big deal. But once again, one person’s dedication, determination, sweat, tears, spit and downright unyielding will is another man’s minor marketing ploy.
Will Jackie Costigan Have An Oscar In His Mitts Next Sunday…
Or will he (and his movie) end up in an awards ditch?
(Some say he’d happily take the ditch in order to get Marty Scorsese his Oscar. But I think he’d like to survive this version of The Departed.)
TypePad Problems?
Can anyone sign in?
Update 2:18p – Well, I can’t sign in to comment… and I’ve gotten a few e-mails about others with a similar problem. Sorry about that, chiefs. No idea how to fix it. Waiting out TypePad probelms seems to be the only real solution. The wave of spam from opening up commenting without it is too ugly.
The Love That Dares Not Show Its Ass
If you really want to go there…