60's Kurosawa Masterpiece Films

There is no doubt that Akira Kurosawa, the Japanese filmmaker, has had a profound impact on moviemaking and film history. From the 1960's to the 1980's Kurosawa made one masterpiece after the other and was a major influencer to the new generation of filmmakers throughout the 1970's to today, including Spielberg, Lucas, Lee, Altman, Bergman, Fellini, and Kubrick.

Kurosawa with young American directors Francis Coppola and George Lucas

To rank Kurosawa's works is a fool's game. Given his films, it is in the eyes and ears of the viewer which masterpiece ranks over another.  For example, his 1960's film 'The Bad Sleep Well', based upon Hamlet, is a story of revenge only set in corporate world. Not usually ranked as a Kurosawa favorite it is nonetheless a masterpiece.

'Red Beard' (1965) is epic. This film explores the close and tension-riddled relationship between a medical student and his mentor. This three-hour classic is set in the mid-1800's and explores the relationship between doctor and student, doctor and patient, and doctor and medical staff. 

'Sanjuro' (1962) is a sequel to the more famous masterpiece 'Yojimbo' - but nonetheless can stand on its own as a very special movie. 'Sanjuro' is a samurai-based violent, bloody, death-riddled journey with the lead character assisting a group of young samurai take down corrupt individuals in their clan.

"Yojimbo' (1961) is the story of good guy taking on bad guys and is the basis for the spaghetti westerns. A timeless classic that is considered one of Kurosawa's best works.

 Kurosawa, the greatest visual Master of Films

Shifting gears, in 1963 Kurosawa makes a thriller, entitled 'High and Low', which is almost without peer. In fact, as I write this post, Spike Lee and Densel Washington are in the process of producing an updated version of this film - which many consider the best thriller movie ever made. 'High and Low' deals with greed, justice, corruption, and crime like no other. It demonstrates the art form of filmmaking and a top-tier film that should be viewed by every movie fan at least once.

By: Jim Lavorato

State of the $800+ billion Entertainment Industry

 It should be no secret to anyone that the $800+ billion global entertainment market is split in two. Legacy businesses - broadcast and cable TV, standalone videos, and the cinema are struggling, while streaming and online platforms are thriving and multiplying. 

Of the legacy businesses only, the cinema is ever so slowly moving toward higher attendance levels. We see this in Asia, especially in China where the cinema is booming. As for broadcast and cable TV, it is on a downward trajectory with no end in sight.

There is also a movement from legacy entertainment models that were national to streaming models which are universal in reach. This has had a major impact on content distribution as online entertainment is chasing after the same audiences creating massive market redundancy and overlap.

When speaking about the cinema, the exclusive theatrical distribution window is essentially over. This makes film distribution ever more complex. The saving grace for movies is that streaming platforms are not the premier form of viewing movies, that honor is still held by the cinema. 

For streamers, the focus is on advertising while retaining subscribers by the use of long episodical series spread over some timeframe. Whereas on the movie side the trend is for less production by the studios but content of higher quality and a significant increase in independent movie production for both fictional and documentary films. 

There has been a shift in funding as well. For movies the move toward multi-party funding for films vs. single source will grow - as for example the recent 30-picture deal inked between Paramount and Domain Capital. 

In summary, the massive global entertainment industry is currently adapting to a new playing field, where streaming will be king but other players, such as the cinema, will still be viable and significant.

By: Jim Lavorato

 

Diane Warren: Least Known but Most Heard

 

This year, Diane Warren's original song 'The Journey' for the film 'The Six Triple Eight' is her 16th Oscar nomination for that category - it is also the eighth year in a row and the tenth time in 11 years she has been nominated for best original song. However, and unbelievably, she has never won. 

At 68, Warren is the only person to be nominated more times in the same Oscar category without winning. 

It's not that she is unpopular. She is very well thought of in the movie industry and in the music community so let's chalk it up to bad luck. This may be the case this year as well, as her nomination was the only one received by 'The Six Triple Eight'.

I hope things break Warren's way. She really deserves the Oscar.  As a tribute to her 16 nominated songs, she composed a seven-minute medley - listen here.

Best of luck Diane.

Which Genres Have Won Most Best Picture Oscars

Since its beginning in 1929, the best picture award has remained the highest honor of the Oscars. The best picture award has been bestowed on 96 films to date and winning was dependent upon the social trends of the time. Musicals, which dominated the best picture award during the 1950's and 60's, have not won a best picture award since 'Chicago' in 2002. 

So, let's take a look back and see how each of nine movie genres vied for and won the top prize. 

- Biographical Dramas explore the way individuals have impacted history. Over the years, nine bio-dramas have won best picture with 'Oppenheimer' the most successful. 

- Biopics stories about one person and how they lived. Only two biopics have won best picture awards. 'Ghandi' won in 1982 and 'The Life of Emile Zola' in 1937.

- Romantic Comedies have won best picture five times. The romcom 'It Happened One Night' is one of only two movies ever to sweep the big five awards: best picture, best director, best actor, best actress, and best screenplay, the other being 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'.

-Epic, a movie with a sweeping theme and big production budget. This genre has won best picture 21 times. Some of the winners had multiple parts, such as 'The Godfather'.

- Historical Drama, similar to bio dramas, this genre is defined as fictionalized accounts of specific events set in a distinct time period. Only four films have won in this genre with 'Mutiny of the Bounty' the most well-known.

- Horror, only seven horror films have ever even been nominated for best picture, including this year's 'The Substance'. Only one has won a best picture Oscar, 'The Silence of the Lambs'.

-Musicals, have won 10 best picture awards. The musical that won 10 of 11 Oscars it was nominated for and set the record for most awards won by a musical was 'West Side Story'.

- Thriller, a film with suspense and drama. Six have won best picture awards. 'Rebecca' (1940), the Hitchcock thriller, was the first to win in this genre.

- Sci-Fi movies have won only two best picture awards. It wasn't until 1971 when 'A Clockwork Orange' was nominated for best picture. It took another 46 years when in 1971 'The Shape of Water' actually won best picture. 

And there you have it.

By: Jim Lavorato

Rom-Coms: No Longer Movies to Take a Date

 

"People will watch this one at home", says Helen Fielding, the author who created Bridget Jones. "If you're Bridget's generation it will be with a bottle of wine and a tub of ice cream. If you're Gen Z, it will be with mineral water and slippers. But it's a good movie to watch on the sofa." That's Fieldling's view of the rom-com. "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" the latest in the Jones' series debuted on February 13th via the second-tier streaming service Peacock. 

The once highly valued film genre, the romance-comedy has fallen from audience grace. Making the careers of Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, and Sandra Bullock, over the last decade moviegoers have abandoned the genre as these films now go directly to online streaming bypassing the cinema release completely.

What happened was that rom-coms became 'same old' and failed to reach the quality of an earlier generation of films. The funny thing is that outside the U.S. rom-coms are booming and still have theatrical releases which are followed by streaming. For the Jones' series of films, the global box office accounted for 89% of total ticket sales. Yet, in the U.S. online streaming is keeping the rom-com alive. Look to the Anne Hathaway led 'The Idea of You' or Amy Schumers' 'Kinda Pregnant' standout on the seemingly endless list of new streaming releases.

U.S. rom-com fans are hoping for a big-screen revival but to do so will require storylines that are inventive and captivating and cast with A-listers. Scott Meslow, author of 'The Rise and Fall of the Romantic Comedy' predicts, "In five years, the rom-com will be resurrected. People are charmed by these stories if they're unique and well made." 

Well, I guess, it's a wait and see. Rom-coms draw a specific demographic so to be mainstream the storylines need to be broader than just - boy-meets-girl. 

By: Jim Lavorato

Studios Have Become Risk Adverse

I love the movie award shows and festivals where the winners are always thanking their backers for their bravery and courage..."we're so thankful that the studio had the bravery and foresight to make this film."

But this isn't the case. If anything, risk taking in Hollywood has and will continue to diminish. This caution is caused by a several factors, from consumers' changing habits to the major content streamers growing into predictable and safe corporate entities. 

Many film scripts are now viewed as too socially correct or too political to be distributed let alone funded. Message films, which were once embraced by the studios are now taboo. Studios are no longer in the risk-taking game. The days of opening their checkbooks to totally unproven, nameless productions without obvious and immediate box office success - are gone. 

Film making is now a vicious circle... studios take fewer risks, so audiences see fewer risky movies, so studios take fewer risks, and so on. What you wind up with is the 'same old' on the marquee.

I believe this is a sign of the times in which we live. No one wants to take a risk with anything...it's all about risk aversion and it's unfortunate.   

By: Jim Lavorato

Netflix As Restaurateur...?

 

Netflix is opening up 'Netflix Bites' at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Netflix says they are opening this latest experimental project later this month as a full-service restaurant.

Netflix had previously opened a dinner only restaurant in Los Angeles in 2023 to mixed reviews and closed in six weeks. Netflix Bites will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner 7 days a week and offer dishes inspired by their iconic shows, including Stranger Things, Bridgerton, Squid Game, One Piece, Love is Blind, and Nailed It!

Netflix Bites is the streamer's push into live experiences, which will culminate later this year when it opens Netflix House, with locations in Pennsylvania and Texas offering food, retail merch sales, and experimental offerings.

"With Netflix Bites Vegas, we're taking fan-favorite shows from screen to table and turning that into a culinary adventure", says Josh Simon, Netflix VP consumer products, "We're excited to offer fans a new way to experience their favorite stories."

I guess my question is why? Netflix is by far the largest content streamer on a global basis - operating on over 190 countries and having more subscribers worldwide then all other streaming services combined. I can see trying to link their hit shows to a consumer experience but why restaurants with their huge cost of buildout, heavy, hands-on management, and extreme competition. 

Arguably, Netflix was the best stock to own over the last 15 years (with a total return of 11,554% over that time) but there must be other ways for them to parlay their success besides opening restaurants that sell merch.  The key to success, for any content streamer is to retain (and increase) your subscription base - which is becoming harder and harder to achieve. I believe a better way for Netflix to grow outside their core business is to purchase already successful podcasts and social media outlets which would help in cementing their subscriber base.

By: Jim Lavorato 

 

The Death of Lagacy TV News

 

OUT WITH The OLD

IN WITH The NEW

The news cycle moves at a frantic pace and legacy news outlets are having to face the grim reality that they are dying a slow death.

In the U.S., ABC, NBC, the New York Times, CNN, etc. the list is long, are all facing new ownership or closing as their platforms, which have defined media for five decades, are breaking down and have become socially irrelevant.

MSNBC is being spun off by parent Comcast joining sister channel CNBC at 'Spin Co.' Warner Bros. is restructuring and CNN is being staged for divestment. According to CNN CEO Mark Thompson, "these are profound and irreversible shifts as the way consumers obtain their news and that's not us."

Not only are broadcast and print outlets in trouble but cable TV as well. Cable cord-cutting has been going on for years, with younger consumers largely opting not to pay for TV but instead spending their viewing dollars on streaming platforms. For example, earnings at CNN were $600 million in 2021 but only $400 million in 2023.This led to the firing of 200 staff at CNN in January.

The legacy networks and print media had it good for a very long time but now the party is over and it's not coming back. The majority of people get their news and daily information online - podcasts and short-clips on social media. This has forced legacy outlets to ink deals with podcasters and other digital-native hosts - but this is too little, too late. They are too far behind the curve. They have become dinosaurs in the world of mass media, and it's not just the U.S. legacy media but those across the globe.

By: Jim Lavorato

Pro Football Goes Hollywood

The Kansas City Chiefs will be in the upcoming Super Bowl, this would be their fifth SB win if they come out victorious. But that's not all the Chiefs are pursuing within the entertainment industry - they want to be in the film making business as well.

Yes, the Chiefs have decided to venture out of the gridiron and into the business of moviemaking. They have launched their own film production studio, dubbed the Foolish Club Studio. Their goal is to develop and produce scripted and unscripted content for a variety of media platforms - and enhance the Chief brand.

Last year, the Foolish Club Studio produced and distributed via the Hallmark Channel the holiday film 'Holiday Touchdown: A Chief's Love Story' which played to good reviews. 

Clark Hunt, Chairman & CEO of the Chiefs says, "we expect this new studio to grow as we expand our plans in storytelling and continue to make our brand more relevant to our fans through various entertainment vehicles." 

The thought is that the Foolish Club Studio will allow the football team to connect with individuals around the world in new and unique ways.

We predict other pro-teams will follow suit and enter the entertainment production space. This makes a lot of sense for a fan-driven entity, such as a pro-sports team. 

Copyright vs AI

 

Last Wednesday, the U.S. Copyright Office declared that the use of AI tools to assist in the creation process does not undermine the copyright work. This paves the way for the use of AI in post-production of movies. Studios, live and die on strong copyright protections and have expressed grave concerns regarding the use of AI. 

In its report, the Copyright Office reiterated that human authorship is essential to copyright, and simply entering text prompts into an AI program is not enough to claim authorship of the output. This position leaves room for AI's legitimacy when used to supplement the creative process. 

"The use of AI tools to assist rather than stand in for human creativity does not affect the availability of copyright protection for the output," the Report concludes. This marks a significant step in the AI creative debate. The Copyright Office had previously called for legislation to prevent AI-generated replicas that mimic a person's voice and likeness.

Essentially the Copyright Office is stating that work created by a "machine is not eligible for copyright protection." However, it has no issue with AI being used as a brainstorming tool, or to create outlines for literary works. 

In ending, the Office stated that "in our view, society would be poorer if the sparks of human creativity become fewer and dimmer."

By: Jim Lavorato

China's Box Office Booms as U.S.'s Languishes

 The Chinese box office went crazy over the Year of the Snake Lunar Holiday, with a massive $1.24 billion take - a 234% increase over last year's results.

'Ne Zha 2'

An animated sequel, entitled 'Ne Zha 2', lead the way with a $434 million gross over the seven-day holiday period. 

In addition, the next four top grossers, none of which were Hollywood productions, were:

'Detective Chinatown 1900' - $253.1 million.

'Creation of the Gods 2' - $124.3 million.

'Boonie Bears' - $57.9 million

'Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants' - $41.4 million

'Detective Chinatown 1900'

It appears that blockbusters are back in China and bigger than the most optimistic of forecasts. This indicates that the soft 2024 was a result of supply and not demand - let's hope this is the case in the U.S. market over the course of the rest of the year. It may be that U.S. exhibitors start booking Chinese films.

Hollywood's Doggie Airline

 BARK Air opened last spring with none-stop flights out of L.A. to NYC, London, and Paris.

Passenger with pet on BARK flight

BARK specializes in providing air transportation for passengers and their dogs. It operates Gulfstream G5 and G4 private jets and proclaims itself the 'first dog airline'. These days, pets traveling on airplanes need to have 'emotional support' papers and the pet must be housed in an under-seat carrier, all other pets have to travel in the luggage hold. 

All on board

The BARK departure lounge in L.A. is filled with treats and happy, dog-trained attendants. The menu includes items such as 'Barkaccino' and 'Chompagne'. There is no size or weight restrictions for canine passengers.

"Flying on traditional airlines with dogs is very stressful for both the dog and owner. So, we thought we'd go the opposite way and supercharge it so that we care about your dog even more than you", says Dave Strangel, BARK's brand manager.

Most of the weekly $6,000 cross-continental flights sell out - this is about equal in cost of two first-class tickets on a commercial flight. 

BARK is betting that enough people are willing to pay for themselves and their dogs to travel in first-class style over long distances - and it seems to be working.

By: Jim Lavorato

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