Who Are the Oldest Oscar Winners?

So, who are the oldest people to have received an Oscar. In studying the records, it seems that many have. 

Plummer with Oscar for the 'Beginners'

Christopher Plummer was 88 when he received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for 'All the Money in the World'. Anthony Hopkins was 83 when nominated for Best Actor in 'The Father'. He won the Oscar for that performance and is now the oldest actor to win that award.

Age seems to have no meaning when it comes to the Oscar as many in the entertainment business strive to achieve this accolade throughout their careers.  

Jessica Tandy with Oscar

John Huston was 79 when he got the nod for Best Director for 'Prizzi's Honor'. However, topping the list for nominations is John Williams with 53, receiving has last one at age 90 for Best Original Music Score on 'The Fabelmans'. 

Cinema Mucho Gusto is a publication of Entertainment Equipment Corporation                         

As far as winning the Oscar, Christopher Plummer won Best Supporting Actor at 82 for the 'Beginners.' While Peggy Ashcroft won Best Supporting Actress at 77 for her performance in 'A Passage to India'. But topping the age list for the Best Actress Oscar is Jessica Tandy, who took it for 'Driving Miss Daisy' at 80.

For oldest recipient for Best Director goes to Clint Eastwood, who at 74 won the award for 'Million Dollar Baby'.

James Ivory taking it home at 89.

The oldest Oscar winner to date is James Ivory for Best Adapted Screenplay - 'Call Me by Your Name' at the age of 89. 

Many strive for an Oscar, but few receive the Award. However, it seems it is never too late to achieve this ultimate recognition. 

By: Jim Lavorato

Entertainment/Media Industry CEOs' Pay Just Keeps Growing

Economic downturns. Massive employee layoffs. Share prices plummeting. Yet would it be a surprise to you to discover that media moguls' compensation has risen both in 2021 and 2022!

Apple's Tim Cook hauled in over $100 million in compensation is 2022. While Alphabet's (Google) Sundar Pichai raked in over $225 million. These outlandish pay packages are a combination of bonuses, salary, and peaks (stock options and other benefits) - placing all of these CEOs firmly in the 1%ers.

CEO pay is always increasing.

Compensation never goes down no matter what the performance of the company. Good times or bad...their pay packages never recede.  When things go well, which one would expect, they are geniuses but when things go wrong, it's always due to 'external' factors. 

Take for example, Disney, where Bab Chapek ran the company for three years and in that time amassed a debt load of over $29 billion while the stock price nose-dived. Yet, on his departure he received a $20 million 'outgoing' comp package.

Companies, like Disney, Fox, and Comcast are so tightly controlled that their compensation committees don't have to worry about angry shareholders. 

Other than bonuses, most of these CEOs' compensation isn't tied to performance but is determined relative to what every other CEOs are being paid which just keeps ratcheting up automatically. 

Company        CEO             Pay          Aver. Employee    Ratio

Disney       Bob Iger          $15m           $54,000                446/1

Netflix      Reed Hastings    51m            218,000               234/1

Comcast   Brian Roberts      32m             83,000                385/1

Apple        Tim Cook           100m            84,000             1,177/1

Warners     David Zaslaw       40m           172,000               227/1

Paramount  Bob Bakish          32m           110,000               291/1

Fox           Rupert Murdoch     18m           91,000                237/1

Amazon     Andy Jasey               1m          34,000                  38/1

Meta         Mark Zuckerberg      27m         296,000                 91/1

Google       Sandar Pichai          226m        279,000                808/1    

Are the people that fill the CEO suite the best?

So, you decide. Do you think these CEOs are worth their pay? In good times and bad? In making the right decisions or wrong ones?

Are they really great at what they do? Never forget, they all have cadres of experts in marketing and promotion, production, team building, legal and accounting, etc., etc. at their disposal. 

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

      

Cameron Doesn't Want to Helm 'Alita' Sequel.

James Cameron is at the apex when it comes to box office winners. His latest endeavor, 'Avatar: The Way of Water' booked over $2.3 billion globally.

Recent photo of Camerson & Iger at Avatar Land

Cameron has made big dollars for Disney, so Bob Iger, Disney CEO, wants Cameron to work his directorial magic on a sequel to 'Alita' and rug-pull Robert Rodrequez from the project.

The 'Alita' films are sci-fi action movies centered around a female cyborg. The first film, 'Battle Angel' grossed $405 million worldwide but with a cost of $200 million. The sequel has to do lots better.

Sources say that Iger is ready to green-light 'Alita 2' but not with Rodrequez at the helm. Disney is desperate for revenues at all costs as the Mouse-house is strapped with a massive debt load and marginal performances in its non-film divisions. 

     Cinema Mucho Gusto is a sponsored service of                                       Entertainment Equipment Corp. EECcinema.com

For his part, Cameron is not keen on the idea. At 68, he has committed to three more Avatar films, and other projects.

It would be no surprise if Cameron passes on this project. Given his age and other commitments. His comment regarding the latest turn of events was, "Our time as artists is finite."

By: Jim Lavorato

Disney's Decline Continues

 Disney+ lost over 6.4 million subscribers since start of 2023.

As a follow up to the CMG post of March 30, "Disney to Shed 7,000 Across the Company" we now report that the Mouse is feeling the hurt from the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. 

Banking on the Marvel ('Blade' and 'Wonder Woman') and Star Wars sequels to bolster sorely needed box office revenues, all three of these productions have ceased due to the WGA strike. 

On top of that, Disney+, the Mouse's content streaming service, lost over 4 million subscribers in the 2nd quarter. This was on top of the loss of 2.4 million subscribers in the 1st quarter. 

Cinema Mucho Gusto is a sponsored service

of Entertainment Equipment Corporation.

EECcinema.com

Bob Iger, Disney CEO, revealed that Disney is set to undergo massive restructuring. The massive layoffs are anticipated to save $5.5 billion, and it is planned to cut content production by $3 billion.

Disney carries a huge debt load at over $29 billion which needs to be addressed. This will be Iger's main target but with declining streaming subscriptions, the writers' strike curtailing content production, and a massive restructuring that needs to be skillfully executed the odds are against a short-term fix of anything.

By: Jim Lavorato

Have the Oscar's New Standards Gone Too Far?

 Apparently, the Academy Awards has taken the woke view to the extreme as regards to diversity, inclusion, and neo-sexualism standards...at least that's what Richard Dreyfuss thinks.

Dreyfuss in 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'

Oscar winner and longtime Hollywood stalwart, Dreyfuss criticized the new Academy requirements, saying, "they make me vomit."

Dreyfuss commented during a recent interview with PBS's Margaret Hoover, "It's an art. No one should be telling me as an artist that I have to give in to the latest, most current idea of what morality is. What is at risk? Are we really risking hurting people's feelings? You can't legislate that? You have to let life be life. Sorry, but I don't think there is a minority or majority in the country that has to be catered to like that."

Dreyfuss is adhering to a belief that many Hollywood liberals believe - simply that woke beliefs and standards have gone off the rails.

The four newest standards that will be instituted for the upcoming 2024 Oscars which two are required to be considered for Best Picture are:

• Expanding on-screen representation of minorities
• Expanding representation among creative leadership and department heads
• providing industry access and opportunities to underrepresented demographics
• expanding representation in audience development

Dreyfuss in 'Jaws' with Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw

To Cinema Mucho Gusto, these standards are very nebulous and obtuse, and CMG agrees with Dreyfuss that it is impossible to control and legislate an art form and its creators.

 

Cinema Mucho Gusto is a sponsored service of Entertainment Equipment Corporation EECcinema.com

Dreyfuss went on the say in the interview that under the new rules he or any other white actors "would never be able to play 'Othello'."

"Am I being told that I will never be able to play a black man? Is someone also being told that if they're not Jewish, they shouldn't play in 'The Merchant of Venice'? Are we crazy? This is so patronizing. It's so thoughtless and treating people, artists, like children."

Richard Dreyfuss

AI...Hollywood Writers' BIG Foe

 A big part of the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike against the Hollywood studios and content streamers is to prevent machines from writing any 'literary material'... and, so far, this issue regarding the use of AI has been met with outright rejection!

From LA to NYC the WGA has been out in full force. Over 11,500 writers have put down their pencils and picked up a 'strike' sign. 

Strikers at studios in LA

WGA Strikers in NYC

At issue are negotiations regarding maintaining writers' rooms, guaranteed employment length, improved residuals from content streamers, and, the biggie, curtailing the use of AI in the entertainment industry. 

"We're fighting to stop the streamers and the studios from turning writing from a career into a gig-job, says Adam Conover, a writer and comedian. "They're trying to take away our jobs and employ us one day a week like we're Uber drivers. We're fighting for fairness."

The strike targets the rise of Artificial Intelligence, demanding safeguards against the use of AI in generating content. The WGA would require studios/streamers to regulate the use of AI on all projects: AI can't write or rewrite literary material and can't be used as source material.

Ray Romano and many other writers/actors have joined the strike.

For the moment, the studios and streamers outright rejected the AI limitations proposal and countered "by offering annual meetings to discuss advancements in technology."  Which is more of a placating posture than substantive discussion. 

The legal implications of AI add to the complexity of the issue. According to Leigh Brecheen, an entertainment attorney, "The legal system isn't designed with AI in mind. For example, you cannot copyright a work that isn't written by a human. This raises lots of questions about how precious intellectual property can be protected and when the threshold of human vs AI creation is passed."

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on picket line in LA

AI is a rapidly developing and improving technology. While many dismiss the possibility of AI fully replacing writers, the truth is, no one really knows what can happen in the future. This begs the question: Would the WGA ever accept an AI as a member of the union?

Cinema Mucho Gusto (CMG) doesn't think the WGA would ever allow this to happen. But there is the real risk that in a few years, you won't need humans to write scripts, books, or anything else for that matter.

According to Leigh Brecheen, "The greatest challenge for all of us is to find ways to retain our humanity. We cannot let ourselves become slaves to any technology or ideology." 

The solution to Leigh's issue may lie in Web3. CMG believes that both the writers and studios may find the answer in blockchain technology. 

Cinema Mucho Gusto is sponsored by:

Entertainment Equipment Corporation

Get entertained at EECcinema.com

From a content creator's perspective, blockchain technology really affords a lot of opportunity for control and ownership of your own content and the ability to leverage that content through smart contracts. This is very critical to the future of content creators as AI generated content is not considered intellectual property. Nonetheless, AI is rapidly ramping up on the tech, image, and video creation sides. 

In the flip side are the content users, which have not been discussed. AI, CMG believes, is actually pushing us into Web3 where control goes back into the creators' hands and the user can participate in the actual content creation, ownership, and special use and access to that content.     

Web3 maybe the answer

There is a final question to be answered. AI vs. AI. Which program will develop the best stories, the best scripts, the most 'thoughtful, meaningful, and humanistic' content?

Jim Lavorato

What's After the Mario Bros. in 2023?

 

'The Super Mario Bros.' is hopefully setting the benchmark for a super-summer box office. 

'Mario' has grossed over $1 billion putting it in rarified admission space. What its number point to is that moviegoers are BACK!

The movie, co-funded, by Nintendo and Universal, grossed over $37 million on its debut weekend, the highest ever for an animated film. With a PG-rating the Brooklyn plumbers, Mario and Luigi, are unplugging the post-COVID box office. It shows that consumers are craving good entertainment. 

Cinema Mucho Gusto is sponsored by, 

Entertainment Equipment Corporation.

Check out how EEC serves the cinema

industry... EECcinema.com

As it now stands, the 2023 box office is 37% higher than2022 and this upcoming summer roster of films is impressive. 

Going out on a limb, I'm predicting that at least 10 movies will exceed the $100 million mark this summer. They are Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-man, Mission Impossible, The Flash, Transformers, Little Mermaid, Fast X, Barbie, Ninja Turtles, Indiana Jones. Long-shots are Oppenheimer and Haunted Mansion.

True-to-form, the franchise films Guardians, Fast X, Spider, MI, Jones, and Ninjas will all do very well.

Jim Lavorato

Entertainment Equipment Corporation Gets a New LOOK!

Entertainment Equipment Corporation, the equipment and service provider to independent cinemas, universities and special venue presenters, launched a new website today.

Celebrating it 35th year in business, Jim Lavorato, EEC's President, stated, "we are very enthusiastic about our new site, it is informative, entertaining, and most of all engaging to viewers." 

EECcinema.com takes you to the new site and greets you with audio and visual effects. The site is sticky with many images depicting the diverse customer basis EEC has developed over its many years of business in the cinema exhibition industry. 

EEC has sponsored Cinema Mucho Gusto since 2006, and CMG has gained a reputation for reporting on those entertainment industry stories and news that is many times under or never reported by other blogs or journals. 

Take a few minutes and tour EECcinema.com - you'll like it! 

AMC Theaters - Bankruptcy Claims Fake, But No One Cares!

 On Monday, May 1st, Robinhood (the mobile app that allows commission-free trading in stocks, ETFs, and crypto - the firm makes its money on interest of client accounts, margin leading, and high frequency traders' sell order information) erroneously announced that AMC Theaters (the large multi-plex cinema chain with over 600 theaters and 10,474 screens) was filing for bankruptcy.

The days of the 20 and 30plex cinemas are over.

That declaration, however, was false. Later, that day, Robinhood confirmed that their trading platform, "experienced a technical issue" that "created a banner declaring AMC was insolvent."

Needless to say, Adam Aron, AMC's CEO went ballistic and tweeted that Robinhood was "either incompetent or evil" and AMC was going to "sue the bastards". 

The news of AMC's demise and the market reaction to was - who cares? AMC is a financial basket case. It has reported losses for the last four years. For the fourth quarter of 2022 it reported a loss of $288 million.

To illustrate how bad management is, in February, it instituted a new admission policy whereby patrons pay an upcharge for seats in the middle of the auditorium!

In separate news, AMC is trying to convert preferred stock into common stock in a 10-for-1 reverse split - thereby raising more, desperately needed, capital. Another management financial ploy.

For 2022, CEO Aron received $23.7 million in total compensation, up 25% from 2021 - a lot of loot for a company on the skids.

AMC's CEO Aron

A popular 'meme' stock in 202l, AMC's current share price is about $5.50. Its total debt is currently at $4.5 billion and has a negative net worth of $2.6 billion.

Seems the only one getting rich is Mr. Aron and the rest of the AMC senior staff. The Company is perhaps beyond redemption and the reason why the Robinhood faux pas had no impact whatsoever on the share price. 

AMC is, unfortunately, the poster child for the large U.S. cinema multiplex chains - they are very poorly managed, offer no customer service or engagement and are essentially a detriment to the cinema exhibition industry. 

Rescuing The Cinema: Protecting and Preserving Feature Films

At this year's TCM Classic Film Festival, which was held last week in L.A., the importance of rescuing films that are at risk of deteriorating was front and center.

Held at the Chinese Theater discussions centered around the efforts required to rescue decades-old films.

Steven Spielberg noted that Martin Scorsese had initiated The Film Foundation in 1990 to preserve motion pictures history in collaboration with the major studios.

Spielberg with Angie Dickinson at Festival

Spielberg stated, "We all joined Scorsese in going around to all the studios to get them to finance this rescue operation to save our cultural heritage. Since that time, over 990 films have been rescued. We try to find the films, not the films that are our favorites, but films that tell a very unique story of this country and the people of this country. We're also rescuing international films." 

Several attending Festival glitterati

The importance of this work goes beyond just preserving cinematic history but of preserving memories.

The week-long Festival spotlighted Warner Bros. films in honor of the studio's 100th anniversary.

Is The Cinema Back?

This spring's box office was stellar and may forecast a back to normalcy for the cinema.

'Super Mario', 'John Wick', 'Air', 'Scream VI', 'Creed 111', were all big grossers this spring. The content pipeline for major motion pictures is once again flowing. 

'Renfield', 'The Pope's Exorcist', Mafia Mamma', and 'Suzume' are now screening and doing very well.

YTD box office gross is up 29% over 2022 at $2.1 billion. The box office is almost back to pre-COVID levels and there is a solid slate of films coming up for the summer and holiday season.

Upcoming Hits

May: Guardians of the Galaxy, The Little Mermaid

June: Strays, Spider-man, Transformers, The Flash, Indiana Jones

July: Mission Impossible, Barbie, 

August: Meg 2, Mutant Ninja Turtles, Gran Turismo, Haunted Mansion

September: Equalizer 3, Fat Greek Wedding, The Nun, Expendables

October: The Exorcist, Saw 10, Paw Patrol

November: Dune Two, The Marvels, Chicken Run, Hunger Games

December: Wonka, Ghost Busters, Aqua man

The Wick Franchise - What's Next?

 

The success of the John Wick films is huge. The latest installment, John Wick: Chapter 4, grossed over $140 million its opening weekend globally. However, there was never talk of a 5th episode as Wiek seemingly meets his demise (sort of - Wick is never shown dead) at the end of 'Chapter 4', until now!

Lionsgate, the franchise producer, wants a 5th Wick, and nothing is impossible in Hollywood even a death-rise. If there is a 5th film, Keanu Reeves would return but not necessarily in the lead role.

There is a spinoff of the series already in development, 'Ballerina', which is schedule for release next year. It stars Ana de Armas, as a female Wick style assassin. The chronology of this film fits between John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and Chapter 4.

Reeves and Armas in Wick spinoff, 'Ballerina'

I really like the Wick franchise and think a 5th episode will be made but that would be the last we will see of Baba Yaga.

Another thought would be to make a prequel to the original John Wick which would delve into how Wick got started and become the top hit man.

At 59, Reeves indicated Wick role is physically very demanding.

Diversity in Movies

 

UCLA recently issued a Hollywood Diversity Report, and, as one would expect, it found that movies were not diverse enough. The Study was based on 200 theatrical releases and 100 streamed films.

What the study found was that people of color (there was no breakdown of ethnicity) comprised 22% of lead stars (no mention of entire cast makeup), 17% of directors, and 12% of writers. Women were 39% lead actors and 15% of directors for theatrical releases.

Now, it is widely known that Hispanics are the most frequent moviegoers on a percentage basis vs. other groups. With Hispanic women the most avid moviegoers of all groups. However, the UCLA study didn't breakdown who or how many of each ethic group made up the numbers of actors, directors, or writers. Nor who frequents the cinema to view a movie vs. those that stream films.

I my experience, Hollywood is all about one thing, 'green'. If there are good script writers, good directors, and great actors they will be employed. It's not a matter of gender, race, etc. the only deterrent to getting roles is age. And the major motivator is box office gross. 

The UCLA study did take into account how many disabled actors were used. Which is meaningless, as anyone at any time can say they have a disability or one sort or another.

Overall, the UCLA report doesn't provide any new helpful information - it just reiterates the same old non-diversity rant and how much better films would be if only Hollywood would be more inclusive. It's really tiresome and a complete waste of time and money.

Disney Sheds 7,000 Across the Company

 

No division was sparred in CEO Bob Iger's employee purge at the Mouse house. The layoffs are taking place in three stages: starting this week, in April, and May end. 

The ABC News Division lost 50 high-level employees. A corporate press release couched the downsizing as "necessary step to ensure we're on solid footing for the years ahead."

In addition to the cuts at ABC, major staff slashes are taking place at the TV production and acquisitions unit, the newly formed 'Web3/metaverse division, and Marvel Entertainment, which is shedding staff as it gets rolled up into other divisions. 

Disney has massive debt (currently totaling $51.6 billion), and its business units are not generating the revenue or market growth that was previously envisioned. Coupled with a cultural shift to a 'woke' posture which has also contributed to weaker revenue at theme parks and Disney+.

A total staff reduction of 7,000 is planned throughout the company as Iger repositions the company to emphasize its core business functions. 

2023 Oscars Were in Keeping With the Past - As Bad as Ever

Although viewership was up over last year by 12% the Academy show was as lackluster as ever.

I didn't watch the Awards, I rarely do, but from the post writeups and after-party photos, it seems that the gowns and dresses were the highlights of the evening.  

A lot of legs was shown this year

As were other body parts

But, who am I to argue with haute couture. Besides the revealing evening wear, as is tradition, faux pas were abundant.

First, the red carpet wasn't red this year but a beige tone which did nothing to embellish the gowns, oops.

Second, having a donkey on stage with Kimmel was a good idea, as Kimmel is not funny. He has very poor timing and delivery, and is the host because no one else wants the job of MCing the Show.

Suffice it to say that this year the Awards where an Asian romp and that was a good thing, as 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' deserved all the accolades bestowed upon it.

Oh yes, kudos to James Hong who I have watched in many, many movies and TV shows throughout my life (he played in over 650). He was great in any role he played, be it hero, villain, comic, in any genre.

Hong at Oscar Awards, at 94 he is still making movies.

To sum up, this year's gala didn't go entirely off the rails but it still lacks the showmanship the biggest entertainment awards show deserves.

 

Better Movie Viewing at Independent Cinemas...Here's Why

 

North Park Theatre, Buffalo, NY

Lane Brown, authored an article for Vulture Magazine, entitled "Bad Projection is Ruining the Movie Theater Experience".

Brown's premise is that multiplexes are failing at the most basic function: presenting a best on-screen image with great sound ... and he's right!

Aurora Theater, East Aurora, NY

The large cinema circuits are doing a great disservice to the industry. Dim images, bad sound, torn masking, poor general facility upkeep, and other issues make going-to-the-movies an expensive but unpleasant experience. Much of this has to do with money issues, which I'll discuss later, but a lot has to do with poor staff training and mismanagement of the business operations at major circuits.

Brown's article centers on, not smaller, independent cinemas but with flagship AMC and Regal (Cineworld) theaters in New York City.

Old, discolored screens, bad or no masking, out-of-calibration lighting and sound, over and under thrown on-screen images, it goes on and on. 

BarnZ's Meredith Cinema, Meredith, NH

Moviegoers can tolerate a lot, but the very poor quality of exhibition has reached a point where they are not showing up at the box office. 

I don't buy the argument that the pandemic is still impacting the current poor attendance figures. The large cinema chains, like all other businesses, were compensated for being shuttered - via salary recoupment, mortgage and/or lease payments, etc. So, equipment maintenance should have been maintained. 

Additionally, the theaters knew that the public was pent-up and yearning to return to the movies and offered very little showmanship on reopening. 

Capitol Theater, Rome, NY

Most of the large circuits let go of their projection staff upon the introduction of digital cinema projection. They under-train their staff and use ushers or assistant managers to act as projectionists, including movie setup, formats, cleaning of lenses and portholes, general maintenance of equipment. 

Luckily, Entertainment Equipment, recommended and installed NEC projectors which had, in my judgment the best light engine of all the digital projectors. Additionally, we have always impressed upon our customers that hours of usage be keep and lamps changed out within 50 hours before warranty expiration. 

Little Theater, Rochester, NY

I believe independent exhibitors present the best movie screenings. They are fastidious, are acutely aware of their clients' needs and likes, and know they must compete not only against the large circuits but with their customers' living rooms. 

People like going to the movies but the large circuits are making it very difficult to justify the cost/benefit of admission. If you have a local, independent cinema in your neighborhood or town, please plan a visit - you'll be pleasantly surprised. 

Apollo Theater, St. Mary's, PA

Throughout this post, I have inserted photos of several independent theaters that are long-time EEC customers. We service many independent, first-run cinemas, as well as art houses and university cinemas.

Notes on the Large Cinema Circuits 

The top five circuits: AMC, Cineworld (Regal), Cinemark, Cineplex Entertainment, and Marcus Corporation have a combined screen count of 21,867 out of a total of approx. 43,000 screens in North America, about 50%.

 If you look at them from an ongoing business perspective, it's a scary sight. For example:

•  AMC's share price is $6.50, it has a negative cash flow and outstanding debt of $6.8 billion.
•  Cineworld is worse, it had an operating loss in 2021 (last year financials are available) of $565 million and debt totaling $9 billion.
•  If you skip to Marcus (which is probably the best of the lot) their share price is currently $16. They reported a net profit of $3.7 million in 2022, however, their debt load is over $700 million. 

Support your local independent cinema. It's less expensive and the presentations are superior.

Cinema Mucho Gusto is a service of

 Entertainment Equipment Corp. 

Give It a Rest...Please, Enough

Rowling with Harry Potter cast. They turned on her because of her stance on neo-sexualism

The controversy over comments made by J.K Rowling regarding transgenders has reached a point of absurdity. The neo-sexual community in their quest for universal acceptance of their beliefs has now entered into full heterophobic mode.  

People can declare themselves to be any sex they choose, fine - do it. The problem lies in the fact that men are now defining who a woman is. And women are letting them get away with it. How can women, and the women's movement, let men define who they are? 

When Rowling questioned the phrase 'people who menstruate' and further, 'if sexual orientation isn't real, there's no same-sex attraction. If sex isn't real, the lived reality of women globally is erased", the neo-sexualists went off the rails, as did many of the Hollywood glitterati. 

Threading the fine line between sexes is difficult. Purport to be what you want but don't try to control the process of acceptance by labeling others homophobes or transphobes because they don't agree that men can give birth or menstruate. 

Men defining who a woman is goes beyond chauvinism or misogyny, in fact, those words lose their meaning under the neo-sexual community. 

Let's move on. Be whatever you want but don't expect universal attention or gratitude from others. 

 

Disney and the Chinese Communist Party: A Happy Duo

 

Disney does whatever to catch the Chinese Market

Bob Iger, Disney's returned CEO, is one of China's best friends. Iger, has been sitting on the Disney throne for less than three months but has already worked his censorship of content in favor of China.

For example, a recent episode of 'The Simpsons', which criticizes China's human rights abuses never aired on Disney+ in Hong Kong which was a kow-tow to Chinese censors.

Yet, Disney decided to not release 'Thor' or 'Lightyear' in other Asian markets rather than give in to pressure from censors over those films' LGBTQ characters.

Iger, who once told associates that he was considering a "diplomatic post" in China for the Biden Administration and was the main driver in opening Disney theme parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Iger, unfortunately, is a real friend to the Chinese Communist Party.

It's all about money and nothing about patriotism for Iger. The Chinese adage, "the U.S. will hang itself, and we'll sell them the rope" could not be truer in Disney's case.

Iger and Xi Jinping, Head of CCP

Why U.S. business executives see the need to placate to the CCP is getting to a point where 'collusion with the enemy' is warranted. Feeding the dragon isn't in the best interests of the U.S. but the CCP knows that the adage is correct. They know they can use our businesses' greed needs to leverage their capitulation - and Iger is the poster child for this. 

There isn't a CCP apple Iger won't polish or a boot he won't lick to get Disney's debt laden balance sheet in order. At the end of 2022 Disney's debt totaled $104 billion of which $75 billion was long-term. It lost more than $120 billion in market cap last year. Since Iger took over just three months ago, Disney as cut employment by 7,000 people. 

CMG believes that Iger/Disney runs a big PR risk in chasing yuan. Most Americans and the Biden Admin. are less and less comfortable with companies' doing business with China and the fallout will come. So, beware Bob Iger.

Cinema Mucho Gusto is a blog provided by Entertainment Equipment Corporation

Disney v. State of Florida

The State of Florida, led by its Governor, Ron DeSantis is in a bare-knuckles brawl with Disney Inc. 

In the latest bout, the Florida legislature introduced a bill that would limit the control that Disney is able to exert through the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special government entity that oversees the area that has been managed by the company for over 50 years and is home to Disney World. 

Reedy Creek administration provides municipal services such as water, sewage, and emergency services under the total control by Disney, including eminent domain (the ability to requisition private property). 

 

Too Woke Costs Disney

The new legislation would fix the boundaries of the District preventing land grabs. It also removes a provision which allowed Disney to build a nuclear fission power plant, open an airport, or build convention halls at its whim.

The District is going to be renamed to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

It appears that Disney is losing its unique business status as the Florida Governor and Legislature 'unwoke' the Mouse.