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Tuesday, October 27, 2015

"WHAT'S UP" - At The Movies

Victoria - A First

Feature films are never shot in one single take.  No cuts. No stops. No special effects. No tricks. Just one single 138 minute take - that's 'Victoria'. And that's impressive.

'Victoria' is a movie about a woman who gets caught-up (by choice) in a bank robbery and the story goes from there.  The movie is very good, perhaps excellent, considering there was no editing and the actors played there roles off of a twelve page script so most of the narrative was ad-libbed. Nonetheless, 'Victoria' is a first-rate drama which is technically complex.

Filmed in Berlin, 'Victoria' has gotten rave reviews particularly given it's non-stop filming and direction which occurs in-doors and out - an amazing feat in this age of long production times and mega-millions to produce even a small budget Hollywood-type film.  'Victoria' is a must see and you have to keep reminding yourself, as you watch it, that it's all filmed in less than three hours.

Rich Women Of Hollywood

There has been much hoopla recently about the women of stardom not making as much as men; however, it is hard for the common person to empathize with the issue, given the amount of money movie stars earn.  Here is a rundown of the top 10 wealthiest (several will surprise you):
Alba hit it big 'going natural'

- Sofia Vergara - $85 million. Surprise! Sofia earned $37 million last year between 'Modern Family' and mega-endorsements.

- Cameron Diaz - $90 million. Making one hit after another Diaz deserves her big paydays.

- Jane Fonda - $120 million. Over the years Jane not only made a lot of films and cash but tons of dough from her fitness videos.

- Angelina Jolie - $145 million. Earning about $20 million per film she rakes in big paychecks.

- Jennifer Aniston - $150 million. 'Friends', films, and TV commercials all add up for this highly successful actress.

- Julia Roberts - $175 million. An 'A' lister Julia gets $25 million per pic and it's well deserved given that her films have made over $2 billion.

- Julia Louis-Dreyfus - $200 million. From 'Seinfeld' to any number of her own sitcoms have made Julia lots of cash.  Additionally, her father, Gerard Louis-Dreyfus is a billionaire - all of which Julia will inherit some day.

- Sandra Bullock - $200+ million. Movies, movies, and more good movies have made Bullock a very rich woman.  She now selects which movies to make and who directs them.

- Jessica Alba - $220 million. Another surprise. Jessica has made a lot of good films but her real money comes from her co-founding of The Honest Company (a natural products company for babies and women). If and when The Honest Company goes public, Jessica will be worth hundreds of millions more.

- Dina Merrill - $5+ billion. Yes, starring in 22 films in the 50s and 60s plus numerous TV shows Dina is the grand-dame of the Hollywood upper-crust. She is also the heir to the Post cereal fortune.

And there you have it. Not too shabby in the wealth department these ladies but hey, you can always have more. Remember: you can never be too rich or too thin.

H'wood Women Need A Break?
Sorry, but I had to put this in. It's a squeak. 


According to the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film in 2014 only 15% of movies had a female director, only 20% female writers, and only 8% of cinematographers.  Having tracked these numbers for over 20 years, Dr. Martha Lauzen, Head of the Center, says "not much has changed over that period of time."

In fact, the issue of gender equality in Hollywood has gotten so much attention of late that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal agency in charge of employment discrimination, is now interviewing industry figures in sorting out the huge gender discrepancies in films.

Funny thing. When researching the data, the Center, looked at the 700 highest grossing films (which make up all that had a theatrical release).  What it found was that more women were employed on the lower budget, lower grossing films than the bigger productions.  Meaning, according to the Center, that there may be the notion that women are not being hired on big films because they are somehow riskier hires.

And so it goes. I've said before, women in films (and everywhere for that matter) need more representation and equal pay.  Thing is - the movies that drive the box office (the top 25, which generate close to 50% of global admissions) are dominated by action-based, high-impact films with lots of killing, destruction, and over-the-top effects which is where male film-makers thrive.

Don't be fooled. Hollywood portrays itself as a liberal bastion of politically correct do-gooders.  In reality it is a very closed, very conservative social environment that leaves little room for (and doesn't want) change.

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