'An American Pastoral' - A Tale of Two Ideologies

 As the Democratic Party and its supporters lick their wounds from a decisive defeat in the recent elections, a film ('An American Pastoral') provides a snapshot into the chasm that exists between the left and right in U.S. society.

Aubari Edler

The film captures the election of a local school board in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania in a non-partisan view by French journalist and filmmaker Auberi Edler. There is no narration or commentary on the ideological split between leftist Democrats and rightist Republicans. 

The movie calmly 'watches' the on-going battle between the two opposing sides and lets the viewer decide which to place their support. 

To non-American audiences, school board elections, with voting even by residents without children, seems contrary to normal thinking. But Edler easily makes the micro-issue in this small community a metaphor for the larger social battleground the U.S. finds itself in.

Edler, selected the title to reflect ruralism and the Christian undercurrent that runs throughout the right-leaning thought it is built upon. 

Edler in Tikrit, Iraq war zone, 2003

'An American Pastoral' is an uncovering exercise. Acting as her own camerawoman, Edler avoids interviews and editorials and even omits identification of key figures and locations in the film. She lets the viewer decide and find their own path to the ambiguities it presents. She sits on the sidelines and doesn't participate and that's what makes 'An American Pastoral' a great film. If you get the chance to view it, do so. 

Edler's other works include American Laundry (2022), Etoiles de la SCAM (2020), Clean Torture (2019), and Le Blues de la Nouvelle-Orle'ans (2010).

By: Jim Lavorato

Behind The Camera Awards

 

Not given the attention or accolades they deserve, the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards, sponsored by Variety, were held on November 14th.

Introduced in 2006, the BTCAs celebrate the visionary artists who help tell stories through their crafts and the work happening behind the scenes which bring films to life.

Ryan Reynolds won for 'Deadpool & Wolverine'

Some of the artists that received Awards this year included:

 

Editing - Joe Walker - 'Dune Part 2'

Stunts - Chris O'Hara - 'The Fall Guy.

Animation - Kelsey Mann - 'Inside Out 2'

Sound - Steven Marrow - 'Joker: Folie a Deux'

Hair & Makeup - Julia Flock - 'Carbonel'

Direction - Gia Coppola - 'The Last Showgirl'

Screenwriters - Ryan Reynolds - 'Deadpool & Wolverine'

Score - Jon Batiste - 'Saturday Night'

Congratulations to all of this year's winners. It the work behind the cameras that make the movies magic.

By: Jim Lavorato

Kimmel Out - O'Brien In

 

                                            https://x.com/i/status/1857416541056225636

Conan O'Brien, the stalworth comedian will emcee the Academy Awards show - which will be aired on ABC, March 2nd, '25. 

O'Brien, 61, will host the 97th Oscars replacing Jimmy Kimmel, who was lackluster in his hosting last year and drew much deserved criticism.

This will be O'Brien's first-time hosting, but he has decades of television experience. He currently presides over a podcasting company called 'Team Coco' - which has a number of well-viewed podcasts, including: 'Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend' 

He has had 31 Emmy nomination, which includes five wins for his work on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons. 

When asked about the upcoming Oscar gig, O'Brien quipped, "America demanded it and now it's happening: Taco Bell's new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I'm hosting the Oscars."

For me, O'Brien will be a breath of fresh air for the Oscars. He is funny, self-deprecating, and a great announcer. He will be a vast improvement over Kimmel.

By: Jim Lavorato

Asian Governments Fund Coproduction of Movies

 

Not unlike the European model, governments across Asia are moving to expand and extend cross-border film production. 

Last week, during the Taiwan Creative Content Festival, four Asian countries - the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Turkey - discussed their funding and coproduction movie agreement. All of these countries agreed that film policy would be overseen by a film department under their Education Ministries.

Coproductions are to be encouraged, and the participating countries will match funds from private movie producers or from groups such as the World Cinema Fund. This will essentially be a new model for coproduction financing. 

Since its inception in 2004, the World Cinema Fund (a German Federal Cultural Foundation program) has funded hundreds of film projects. These projects are coproduced by the German Cultural Ministry and the partnering country.

The WCF is now the leading entity for obtaining international film funding for artistic and innovative film production. It concentrates its funding for films in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia, and the Indian sub-continent. 

The Turkish government, through its Ministry of Culture, has stated that they will also fund movie scriptwriting, production consultancy, and pay for Master Classes for aspiring filmmakers in the areas of coproduction and project development.

These are all good projects and certainly aid filmmakers in funding which would otherwise be unavailable to them. Currently, the U.S. is not part of nor a participating member of any coproduction group, as this is seen as a competitor to studio productions. It should be said that funding for U.S. domiciled filmmakers is available from many sources from the Ford Foundation to Netflix and the National Geographic Society, to crowdfunding sources.

By: Jim Lavorato

Motion Picture Association Garners Favor with Trump Administration

 

The Motion Picture Association, the trade/lobbying group, which represents the major movie studios sent congratulations to President Trump on his 2nd Presidential victory. The MPA also congratulated new members of Congress - which now have Republican majorities.

This was a prudent but hypocritical move on the MPA's part given Hollywood's and mass media's very vigorous and outspoken distain and dislike of the MAGA movement and Trump on a personal level. 

In their public statement, the MPA said, "We look forward to working with the Trump Administration on a wide range of important issues for the film, TV, and streaming industry. We commend everyone who worked this year to ensure fair elections and preserve our nation's legitimate democratic processes." 

Wow! Why in the world would the MPA think the Trump administration would want to work on behalf of the movie industry? One can only surmise there are looming issues which impact MPA members and which the new Administration may not favor. So, getting out in front, at the get-go, maybe the best strategy for the MPA to take.

Big Media

For example, big media is very fearful that new appointees at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will approve the auctioning of the radio frequency bandwidth, now used free-of-charge by legacy networks (ABC, NBC, CBS) but which is valued in the billions of dollars. Or a change to the tax code which currently allows the immediate expensing of the full cost of film or TV production, rather than depreciating the expense over time.

On the flipside, the entertainment industry is a major U.S. export industry, to the tune of over $11 billion per year. Other countries, such as the U.K., India, Canada, and Australia, have subsidy programs geared toward building up their domestic film and TV industries. Additionally, due to high labor costs and excessive government regulations content production in the U.S. has the highest cost structure of any country, ergo U.S. based content production is down 40% from pre-pandemic levels.

The MPA is lobbying, not only for favored tax status and subsidies but also for controls on AI, copyright, and online piracy which are big negative impactors. 

To all of this, I say, 'Good luck'. Most of the issues facing the major studios are self-inflicted. Embracing a very woke posture socially, voicing and pushing a rabid distain for MAGA, and agreeing to labor union wage and work demands over the last several years does not bode well for them now. Hollywood needs to do some heavy soul-searching and get out of the business of producing moral message movies and TV shows. Playing it straight and producing content people are interested in and eager to view - a real 180 is called for by MPA members.

By: Jim Lavorato

 

John Willimas the GOAT

 

John Williams is the GOAT

It has been some time since I wrote anything about John Williams. With a career that spans seven decades, John Williams has penned the most iconic movie scores of all time. Scores from 'Star Wars', and Indiana Jones', to 'ET' and 'Saving Private Ryan'.

He is now being honored with a documentary entitled, "Music by John Williams" which will be aired on the Disney+ channel. 

Growing up in a musical household, Williams played the piano at a very young age. In 1951 he joined the U.S. Air Force and played piano and conducted and arranged music for the Air Force Band. He then journeyed to Hollywood where he worked as a studio pianist and session musician. In his early career, he worked on many movie and TV scores and then began to write songs and scores which, to this day, he pens with paper and pencil.

From 1980-1993 he was the conductor for the Boston Pops. He has been prolific in his music compositions and has been intuitive in his uncanny feel for the storyline he is writing for. For example, he composed the 'Harry Potter' score without viewing a single frame of the film and only was inspired by the Potter books.

At 91, Williams was the oldest person to be nominated for an Oscar - his 54th, a record only surpassed by Walt Disney with 59 nominations. 

Williams at 92 - still going strong

Williams has won five Oscars including those from 'Jaws' and 'Fiddler on the Roof' and is the only person to be nominated for an Oscar in seven different decades. His work has influenced many music composers, not only in classical, but in popular and jazz genres. For example, he composed the theme music for the Olympics and Sunday Night Football. 

John Willimas is the Greatest of All Time in composing and arranging musical scores for the most iconic motion pictures and at 92 he is still working.

By: Jim Lavorato

Japan's PM Vows More Yen for Entertainment Industry

Japan is the world's third largest cinema market after China and the U.S. - and the majority of that market is locally produced content. Moreover, the Japanese cinema industry has become the toughest market for Hollywood to penetrate. This year, only one foreign produced film, "Inside Out 2", will crack the top ten of Japanese cinema grossers. 

Shigeru vows more funding for Japanese based film production

To maintain its local dominance of the movie business, Ishida Shigeru, Japan's newly elected Prime Minister, recently stated, "the government is working to lay the groundwork to further encourage the development of Japanese entertainment content."

Big Six Will Spend $126B on Original Content

The six biggest global content producers are projected to end 2024 at a record $126 billion spend. Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix, Comcast, Google, and Paramount Global will account for over 51% of all entertainment content worldwide.

Disney, the largest spender, will end the year at $35.8 billion, followed by Comcast (NBC/Universal) at $24.5 billion, Google at $17.6 billion, Warners at $16.8 billion, Netflix at $16 billion, and Paramount at $15.1 billion. 

Who owns what in entertainment industry 

Of the $126 billion total, about $40 billion is currently spent on subscription streaming services, as spending on original content remains king.   

Gen Z - They are Different

Gen Zs (often referred to as Zoomers) are perplexing and, in many cases, behave very contrary to established business and marketing norms. To help understand this generation, I've compiled some insights regarding this truly first digital demographic.

Gen Z Snapshot

Born: 1995-2010 / Age: 14 to 29 / Size: 68.8 million, about 20% of the U.S. population

Median Income: $38,300 for those 20-29 years old

Cities with most Gen Zs: Minneapolis, Atlanta, Boston, Columbus, Raleigh, Tucson, Austin

By 2030, they will comprise about 30% of the workforce; therefore, understanding the motives that shape their behaviors is important. They are the most diverse of the generations - 48% are non-white compared to 18% of boomers who share that designation. They wield about $360 billion in buying/spending power so they cannot be ignored. 

Pew Research confirmed that Zs preferred social platforms are TikTok and Snapchat spending about 24 to 48 hours per month on TikTok alone. Pew's research also showed Zs interact with brands via their phones and visually oriented websites. Most important, a whopping, 80% believe that brands are disingenuous and say and advertise things they don't sincerely stand behind - placing enormous value on authenticity. 

About one-third of Zs are actively involved is some form of activism compared to 24% of Millennials. However, only 27% donate money to any cause. Their areas of concern: inflation/cost of living, health-care access/cost, housing affordability, climate-change, and income inequality - in that order.

So, there you have it. Zoomers are the first digital generation and the first really diverse group ethnically. They exhibit self-awareness, uniqueness and have a strong sense of fairness.

By: Jim Lavorato 

An Oscar for Best Stunts is Long Overdo

 

There has been pressure placed on the Academy for years regarding the inclusion of an Oscar category for stunt work. Stunt work has essentially gone unrecognized by all of the major award shows. However, the Academy, which is undergoing a reshaping in an effort to rejuvenate its brand is seriously, and most likely will, establish a Best Stunts Oscar category.

The Academy has already added a new Award that will be launched in two years for Best Casting Directors. So, there is strong momentum in establishing a Stunt Award.

There's doubt that stunts are an integral part of most movies and TV content, and it is long overdo that this art form be recognized for its huge impact on virtually all forms of entertainment. CMG is strongly in favor of establishing a Best Stunts Oscar category.

By: Jim Lavorato

AI's Impact on Filmmaking

 

There is no doubt that AI will be transformative throughout all facets of what we do in the future, and that includes the cinema. Many in the film industry are adamantly against its use, while others say they must embrace it. One thing is clear, AI is a technological advance and its use is inevitable.

Streaming is still impacting the filmmaking business model, and, like AI, it is a blessing and a curse. I favor the big screen over the TV screen every time I want an immerse entertainment experience. Having said that, there is no denying the positive impact streaming has had on expanding the amount of viewing content across all genres. Every filmmaker wants to make big screen releases but that just cannot happen given the time and budget a full-length feature requires.

The question often raised by pundits in the movie industry, "Is the cinema losing its identity and will people abandon the cinema altogether? I say no, not any time soon, if ever. From its inception, the cinema has been evolving, collapsing, building, and redefining itself. The future of the cinema has always been the creative types developing fresh, unique stories about characters and worlds we cannot imagine.

So, it's not time to close the curtain on the cinema, and in fact, I believe AI maybe the catalyst that pushes the cinema into new and unchartered entertainment experiences. 

By: Jim Lavorato

New Study Indicates Teens Adverse to Sex in Movies

 A study from the University of California at Los Angeles entitled, "Teens and Screens" has reported that the 10–24-year-old age group would like to see less sexual content in films and TV shows.

The study, which polled 1,500 respondents, found that 62% favored less gratuitous sex in viewed content. According to the report, adolescents, teens, and young adults were, "tired of seeing the same dated and unrelatable romance scenes."

Their favorite form of entertainment was found to be playing video games, watching TV and movies, and scrolling social media platforms - in that order.

Why are the results of this study not surprising? Adolescents and young adults can view all the sex they want online. Further, it's not surprising that fantasy films are at the top of their watch list. 

UCLA could have just contacted CMG for the answers and saved a lot of time and money compiling this report.

By: Jim Lavorato

'View-Master' Movie

 

Mattel, the maker of Barbie and Fisher-Price toys is producing a film about the stereoscopic image device, 'View-Master'. 

The film will be a live action production with Sony Pictures and Escape Artists helming the project along with Mattel's in-house TV and film staff. 

First developed in 1939, Mattel describes the View-Master as a generational toy that took users all over the world with its 3D images.

What the movie is about and how it will entice audiences is yet to be determined. Mattel will only say, in promotional material, that it will be "a four-quadrant family adventure." I'm not sure what that means.

As of now, the movie will be called 'View-Master' but has no formal production schedule. Mattel does have a long list of films and TV shows based on its vast toy portfolio - its most famous being 'Barbie" which grossed $1.4 billion globally. 

I had a View-Master as a child. I'd slide in the picture wheel with images of far-off places and clicked on the switch to advance the wheel. I believe there were 20 images per wheel. It was great fun.

By: Jim Lavorato

Keanu As Clean-shaven 'Wick'

 Believe it or not, one of the biggest battles in obtaining financing for the 'John Wick' franchise was Keanu Reeves's beard. The investors wanted a clean-shaven Wick. The producers and director were told, "we don't want to cover-up the leading man's face. He needs to be shaven for the international audience."

Obviously, the Director, Chad Stahelski won out. He says, "we wanted people to view the character not as Keanu." As the story goes, after the first day of shooting and watching the dailies, everyone loved the 'look'.

Keanu Reeves as 'John Wick'

Union Deals Have Forced Production Out of H'wood

 Sony Pictures CEO, Tony Vinciguerra, says that the union deals agreed to during last year's strikes are forcing movie production out of the U.S. 

"The cost differential between the U.S. and countries like the U.K., Australia, and particularly those in Eastern Europe are forcing a migration abroad. The contract terms are forcing production out of the U.S. as we speak. We told the unions this would happen and it's happening." 

Tony Vinciguerra, Sony Pictures CEO

The one sure thing is that the demand for entertainment is not going away. It is going to grow, but most of that content won't be produced in the U.S. 

Musk and 'Blade Runner 2049' Still at It

 

Musk

As a follow up to our post of 10/21/24 where we discussed the lawsuit being brought against Elon Musk for the illegal use of the 'Blade Runner 2049' image, it appears that Elon had a three-word response - "that movie sucked", which he posted on the X social-media platform.

Musk, Tesla, and Warner Bros. Discovery are accused of "misappropriating the intellectual property" of Alcon Entertainment's 'Blade Runner 2049' during the promotional launch of Tesla's Robotaxi self-driving 'cypercab'.

Released in 2017, 'Blade Runner 2049' grossed $267 million globally and won two Oscars, for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects.

CMG still can't figure out what the suit is all about. The so-called infringed image does not convey 'Blade Runner' upon view.

The lower image was the one used in the Tesla promotion

By: Jim Lavorato

Musk Gets Sued for Robotaxi Promo

 

Does this image scream "Blade Runner 2049"?

Elon Musk, Tesla, and Warner Bros. Discovery are being sued by Alcon Entertainment over alleged use of images from the film "Blade Runner 2049" to promote the Tesla RoboTaxi.or, oft called Cybercab.

The Cybercab is a Tesla auto that the company says it wants to produce by 2027 for under $30,000.

Alcon's suit claims the defendants used an AI generated "fake image" to produce an 11 second promotional film for the Cybercab. Alcon also stated that beyond the legal issues, the company does not want Musk to be affiliated with its project, due to his "arbitrary behavior and use of hate speech."

Wow. This reeks of cancel culture on Alcon's part. Musk is backing Trump's reelection, and it appears Alcom can't help itself, going beyond the legal aspects of the suit and into personal derogatoriness of Musk. A big mistake 

Looking at the image (above) I didn't automatically think 'Blade Runner'. The image is simply a man in a trench coat viewing a dystopian city landscape.

Alcon is seeking damages due to what it alleges are copyright infringement and false endorsement - I don't see it.

By: Jim Lavorato

Vegas Sphere Will Be Replicated

 

Las Vegas Sphere Venue

The Las Vegas Sphere will get a twin, and others are expected to be constructed. The second Sphere will be built in Abu Dhabi.

James Dolan, CEO of Sphere Entertainment stated that "the Sphere is a unique venue offering cutting-edge entertainment by setting new standards in immersive experiences and cultural offerings."

The Vegas Sphere opened in September 2023 and is reported to have cost over $2 billion. It reported revenue of $273 million for its latest fiscal quarter, so payback will take time but is eminent.

Sphere can change colors

Sphere's opening show was 'U2" followed by "Dead & Company'. It is currently headlining 'The Eagles'

Dolby Sells Iconic Theater

 

Dolby Theater holds Oscars

Dolby has sold its Hollywood Theater, home of the Academy Awards. The 3,400 seat Theater was sold to

Jebs Hollywood Enterprises. Jebs is a holding company made up of a group of investors, including Two Girls Holdings, and Sheikh Abdulla Bin Al Qasimi through the investment firm Master International Group. 

Neither Dolby nor the new owners have made the particulars of the deal public but rumors as the sale was "around the $50 million mark."

The Oscars have been held at the Dolby since 2002. The Theater also holds live events including "The Nutcracker" and other concerts. The new owners would like to continue its association with the Academy but so far there has been no comments from them.

James Bond Day

October 5th is Bond Day. It was October 5th, 1962, when Dr. No, the first Bond film debuted. In reality the true beginning of Bond was April 13, 1953, when the first Bond novel was released, "Casino Royale" by Ian Fleming.

Kim Sherwood has penned two Bond novels

What is interesting is that the Bond saga didn't end with Fleming's death. The literary world of James Bond is much more complex - and 007 books proliferate. 

For example, "Carte Blanche" a Bond novel by Jeffery Deaver (2011) shows a hard-edged Bond, where Bond tries to determine who killed his parents.

Jeffery Deaver, Bond author

"A Spy Like Me" by Kim Sherwood (2024) is her latest Bond novel (follows "Double or Nothing" (2023) where she has created three 00 agents. In her latest, Sherwood has three agents, 003 - Johanna Hardwood, 004 - Joseph Dayden, and 000 - Conrad Vane. All are introduced in a present-day setting.

"Forever and A Day" by Anthony Horowitz explores what a young Bond would have been like. While "Solo" by William Boyd (2013) is a work that attempts to fill in the Bond literary chronology. 

"Colonel Sun", a novel by Kingsley Amis (1968), who was a close friend of Fleming, penned a comic work where Bond rescues his boss - 'M'. 

All of these works are a great fun read. They prove, once again, that Bond is not a commonplace character but a very complex and deep construct with many favorable attributes but that is also flawed.

Pick up one of these novels which extend the Bond mystique and enjoy the ride.

By: Jim Lavorato

Cinemas Add Pickleball and Ziplines to Lure in Moviegoers

 Popcorn and pinball don't cut it anymore to entice patrons as cinemas introduce pickleball and even ziplines to attract moviegoers.

Pickleball at B&B Cinemas,

According to a recent survey by NATO, the eight largest cinema chains (representing over 21,000 screens) have committed to spending $2.5billion on facility upgrades over the next three years.

Sound and projection are on the wish list but there seems to be a real push for offering "attraction" based offerings to keep moviegoers happy.

In theatre bowling

Moviegoers are returning to pre-Covid levels of attendance but if you browse social sites, you'll read that cinemas are aged, in need of substantial refurbishing, and can offer more activities. All of the large circuits admit that their cinemas need a fresh look.

How about a zipline in the auditorium?

CMG believes that cinemas can become event-based destinations, but they can't lose sight of what makes bank, and that is popcorn, candy, and soda.

By: Jim Lavorato

Auditions for Potter Reboot Cause Frenzy in U.K.

Emma Watson Now and Then

HBO is planning a TV series of the Harry Potter saga and has cast its net for 9–11-year-olds to fill the three leading roles of Harry, Herminie, and Ron. This has caused somewhat of a frenzy in the U.K. as thousands of kids (and their parents) are vying for the parts and the instant stardom it brings.

Hollywood is filled with child-star has-beens cursed with mental health issues and drug abuse. 

Radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, who played the original Harry Potter trio from 2001-2011 have all been open and vocal about the toll early fame and lack of privacy impacted their lives. 

Radcliffe has struggled with alcohol, and Watson has bemoaned the ceaseless intrusion by the paparazzi and trying to cope - "your normal life is over" she quipped.  

Each was overnight earning huge bank. Radcliffe's earnings from the franchise were $95 million, Watson's $85 million, and Grint's about $50 million. All have stated that it was hard for them to tell where their characters began and ended. 

Rupert Grint

"It's harder now, it's not just the paparazzi but everyone with a phone, taking photos and videos. You have no private life", says Watson

But who is going to turn down a shot at the limelight and massive bank? No one!

By: Jim Lavorato

Winslet Says Female Actors Aren't "Brave"

 

Kate Winslet was quoted by Time Magazine as saying she felt female actors who show their bodies or don't wear makeup on camera aren't brave. 

Winslet, who is promoting her new film, "Lee" (about the life of WWII photographer Lee Miller) said she was adamant that a body double not be used in the nude scenes of the film. 

"That's not fucking brave" said Winslet, " I'm not fighting for justice. I'm doing a job. There's a bit where I am sitting on a bench in a bikini and one of the crew came up between takes to say I may want to sit up straighter to lessen my belly rolls, No Way."

When asked about wearing makeup, she quipped, "Looking less than perfect on screen is what I take pride in because it is my life on my face. It wouldn't occur to me to cover that up. I'm more comfortable with myself as each year passes."

"Lee" is scheduled for release on September 27th and is a must see. Winslet is a great actor and has gotten better and better over time.

By: Jim Lavorato