RUST ...The Saga Continues

 As a follow-up to our other posts on the 'Rust' movie and Alec Baldwin, the latest news is that the Directors Guild of America issued orders to all of its members to stop working on a related project.

Baldwin with the backdrop of the 'Rust' movie set

Citing safety concerns, the Guild issued a directive to stop work on the teen genre film 'Oak' being produced by Thomasville Pictures, one of the companies behind 'Rust'.

The Guild informed its members that they should stop work on "Oak' and leave the set or face union discipline. 

Representatives of the Guild informed the producers of specific safety requirements that needed to be satisfied for the film to be covered under a Guile agreement. According to a spokesperson for the Directors Guild, "The producers failed to meet those conditions".

And so the sage of 'Rust' continues. Baldwin has now disavowed all responsibility for the on-set shooting in which one person was killed and another severely injured - although he was the shooter. CMG will continue to follow this story as events unfold.

Mission Impossible's Real-life Mission

 

Six films and two to go - #7 & #8 Missions

The Mission Impossible franchise has raked in close to $4 billion in admissions. That is six films about a super spy, Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise. The MI franchise is based upon an American TV series of the same name which was created by Bruce Geller. Then in 1996 the first (in the now 8 film franchise) was released and from that point on the films have been one of Paramount's best moneymakers.

However, things aren't so rosy between Cruise and Paramount these days, as his lawyers have notified the studio that he was not happy with the 45 days theatrical release window - much shorter than his usual three-month cinema release - before streaming to Paramount+. 

So, the production of MI #7 was put on ice, and filming of MI#8 started. MI 7s release has been postponed four times and is now scheduled for release in July 2023, but on hold pending resolution of the release issue while working on #8. 

Cruise, who has creative control over the films, wants the longer cinema release window for both films. So, the notion that the studio has control over Cruise and the films' budget is wrong. Cruise is a guy that is incredibly detailed and willing to put an enormous amount of time and effort into every detail of the films. But, the still-unfinished #7 has already blown through $290 million as there is a relentless drive for bigger and better stunts and more and more shooting locations. 

At this time, Paramount has no other big, surefire franchises and #7 and #8 (both untitled as yet) will be big moneymakers. So, Cruise has Paramount under a barrel, and Paramount, like all other studios, is desperate for tentpoles.

Looks like we'll have to wait until 2023 to see another MI, but it should be worth the wait.

Monroe Biopic Gets NC-17 Rating

 The Motion Picture Association of America has given the new Netflix biopic on Marilyn Monroe an NC-17 adult-only rating.

The film stars Ana de Armas as the iconic Monroe and the rating was based upon sexual content. It is no surprise that a well-made depiction of Monroe would carry this rating. Monroe was not adverse to nude pictures of herself, she was the pin-up in the first issue of Playboy. She was a Hollywood sex kitten and liked playing that role. 

                                          Ana de Armas and Monroe

'Blonde' was "a demanding movie and one of true depiction. It's an NC-17 movie about Marilyn Monroe, it's kind of what one would expect," says Director Andrew Dominik. 

CMG agrees. A film of Monroe's life, if depicted truthfully, would be rated as an adult film. Try to catch the film at your local 'art' cinema as mainstream theater circuits are wary of screening NC-17s. I can't wait to see it.

Can The Academy Resuscitate The Oscar

 This year's Oscar Awards show represents a pivotal point in its history. This year is meant to "be a fun and engaging telecast for all viewers", according to Will Parker, this year's show producer. Really!

The Oscar is going to need a lot more than a snort of coke to revive 

The show will have three hosts, (Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes - all three old-school SNL-type comics which makes for a big yawn) so you start with this as a challenge from the get-go. Additionally, there has developed a major riff regarding the Academy's decision to pre-record eight 'craft' awards and disperse them throughout the show. Many in the industry strongly feel this degrades the work of filmmakers in general.

All of this aside, the fact remains that no matter how the Oscars are presented, in what format, who hosts, what awards are given live and which are not - the show has no relevance to fans.

The Oscars have to have a whole make-over from top-to-bottom. Award the relevant films no matter the genre. This show should be all about entertainment and should be aired as an entertainment property. 

The Academy misses the point on the relevance of the Oscars. It is not a night to honor celebrities it is a night to honor moviegoers. The emphasis should be placed on the user and not the provider.

A core group is going to watch the show no matter what, but that core gets smaller each year. Viewers and movie fans have many choices and their choice is to be entertainment not to view a half-assed, pretentious, forced-humor, social-speak fashion/award show of the same old.