The Golden Apricot Film Festival

 

A not well known but nonetheless significant film fest is the Armenian Golden Apricot.

Officially opening last week, the fest has become a regional hub for cental European filmmakers. Launched in 2004, the fest highlights two main international competitions - feature films and documentaries. 

Festival attendees come from all over Europe

This year's festival, for example, includes Canadian entry 'Seven Veils' and Armenian documentary 'Orbita'.

Despite its small scale, the Golden Apricot is highly respected among European critics. And, due to its localized approach, serves as an important artistic counterpoint to the bigger fests in Venice, Cannes, and Berlin.

Small in comparison to the large Euro-fests it is highly rated

If you ever get a chance to attend the Golden Apricot, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the breath and sophistication of the event - don't miss it.

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

Hollywood Grapples with 'Gender Taliban'

Battle lines are being drawn between those that are pro male transexuals replacing women and those that see it as an afront against women's rights. Can transmen begin to replace women in movie and TV roles? Bad enough Hollywood is dealing with AI now the gender war is on. 

The question is, should men define who a woman is? Further, does this have anything to do with equality or simply the choice, by men, who desire to be women?

Everyone, I suppose, has the right to be who they want to be, so long as they don't hurt or infringe upon others' rights. That's the problem with the male transsexual issue - taking the place of women in traditional female activities. 

The most known and common example is transmen competing in women's athletics. Men have a physical advantage over women in sports, that's a given, so in competition the advantage goes to the man. In acting roles however, the issue becomes fuzzier. Men can, and will, substitute themselves for female actors - and why not. 

See, what's accepted in one arena (athletics) can be accepted in another (acting). So, Hollywood, should be careful how far they want to support male transexuals replacing women in female roles. There appears to be some cracks developing in the once solid support of transsexualism within the Hollywood community. The term being used is the 'Gender Taliban'. It appears that the sexual ideology foisted upon society by the pollical left is not only running out of steam, but women are beginning to understand the unfairness and are fighting back.

Men defining who a woman is - is, well, passe. Women are and should be speaking out for their rights. One thing is for sure: men and women are different physically, if for nothing else then the propagation of the species. 

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

Hollywood Steers-clear of Political Films

 

One movie U.S. audiences may never get to view

At the Cannes fest, a biopic on Donald Trump entitled "The Apprentice" was met with cheering crowds, and received distribution deals in virtually every territory except the U.S.

Dan Snyder, a pro-Trump billionaire, purchased the U.S. distribution rights and reportedly hates the film and has no plans to have the film released into the U.S. market. Scenes in the film have Trump abusing drugs, getting liposuction, and having scalp-reduction surgery (all of which are untrue).

But disregarding this film, Hollywood has been very reluctant to screen political films of any sort - as the financial risks are too high and box office very iffy. The last big American political biopic as "Vice", which grossed only $48 million and cost north of $60 million to produce sans marketing costs.

A good example of Hollywood's current distaste for political films was the demise of Participant Media, which shuttered its doors last year. They had produced Oscar winner "Spotlight" and docs like "An Inconvenient Truth." Or witness Disney's new policy for films as explained by Bob Iger, Disney CEO, "our films need to be to entertain, not be agenda-driven".

Hollywood's antipolitical stance regarding films is indicative of where the populace stands politically. You're either right or left, there is no common ground. So, instead of courting controversy, film distributors are staying away from politically based content altogether. This also includes the major content streamers.  

But, like most things, it comes down to the bottom line. The ability of any product to make money supersedes all and political films have never been big grossers. 

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

"Made In Ethiopia" - Clashing Cultures

 "Made In Ethiopia' a co-directed film by Xinyan Yu and Max Duncan explores the moral and cultural issues regarding the influence of China on the African continent. It was filmed in Dukem, a town southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital. 

This is a film about clashing cultures. It presents real-life situations that are complex and explores the moral and social implications of one country trying to invest in another where customs and moral traditions collide.

The film explores how Chinese influence in Ethiopia impacts both the native people and the expatriate investors as they fail, to resolve even the simplest of cultural differences, impeding progress and leading to distrust and failure.

"Made in Ethiopia" will test your sense of what's good and what's bad - the political, social, and economic issues of what a country's development entails and the impact on traditions and customs for both parties.

This film will have limited distribution so you may have to go out of your way to view it; however, it will be worth the search.

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

Sony Acquires Alamo Chain: Bring Back Memories

 

Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas was a unique concept where the mixing of food, drink, and movies spelled magic. I remember newly hired Alamo staff making the trip to Buffalo to attend Cinema Training Central. Taking courses on cinema management, as well as technical training - this was circa 2001.

Alamo had a novel idea - a dine-in movie theater that served alcoholic beverages and ran first-run features. This concept has been replicated over and over since Alamo's inception in 1997.

It appears that Alamo, which currently has 35 locations throughout the U.S., had been soliciting offers for some time through Goldman Sachs as broker. Under its Sony ownership, Alamo will continue to operate as the Alamo Drafthouse brand. Sony also purchased as of the rights to Alamo's Fantastic Fest film festival.

To its credit, Alamo differentiated the movie experience and in doing so gained a very loyal fan base of movie goers. 

Moviegoers enjoying a movie at Alamo

The Sony/Alamo transaction is rare, in that the purchase of a movie exhibitor by a studio doesn't happen very often. Several years ago, Netflix purchased two theaters - the Egyptian in LA and the Paris in NYC. Amazon bought the Arclight in Culver City at about the same time.

Sony must believe that theatrical exhibition is worth the investment long term. I believe they're right.

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

AI vs. Hollywood - The Battle is Just Beginning

Many of the Hollywood glitterati are harping about the urgency to enact laws curtailing the use of artificial intelligence. Congress however is doing a very slow walk on the issue and there is no legislation in sight let alone pending.

On the flip side, the AI industry argues laws and restrictive regulations will only stifle innovation and creativity. 

House Democrats say Republicans are to blame for the holdup, but that tactic doesn't compute because the issue is extremely complex. How and in what form should AI take? How do you control it? If there are only regulations in the U.S., AI developers will just move to another jurisdiction. 

We all know that AI can and will deliver breakthroughs in science, medicine, education, industry, and in our daily lives. AI can be a great and good force that can help people the world over and the bigger picture must be addressed - not just the few who want protection for their image or voice.

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

The Cannes 'Palm Dog' Award

 

This year's Palm Dog Award, where the film fest presents an award for the best on-screen canine performance, was won by Kodi.

Kodi, a mutt, played the lead role in the film 'Dog on Trial', a comedy in which he plays, Cosmos, an aggressive pet whose taken in as a client by a defense lawyer in a story that explores the status of dogs in society. 

First launched in 2001, the Palm Dog award has become a highlight of the Cannes festival. It's said, every dog has its day and Kodi will have his, this Saturday at Cannes. By the way, it's said that the dogs have much better behavior on the red carpet then many of the two-legged celebrates. 

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp. 

Leftists Go 'Nutty' on George Lucas

 

Lucas at Cannes fielding questions

In Cannes this week to receive the Palme d'Or honorary award for his contributions to the cinema, leftist protestors shouted out negative comments regarding George Lucas' gender preferences in the 'Star Wars' films. 

Lucas shot back at the critics, "Most of the characters are aliens. The idea is you're supposed to accept people for what they are, whether they're big and furry or whether they're green or whatever. The idea is all people are equal." Lucas went on the say, "in the Star Wars universe who were discriminated against were the robots"

Lucas during filming of 'Star Wars' the movie

Leftist critics also complained about his depiction of women. Lucas responded by saying, "You can't put a woman in pants and say she's a hero. It's their brains and their ability to think and plan and be logical. That's what a hero is."

Lucas is the visionary behind the 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' franchises, founder of LucasFilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light and Magic, and THX audio.

I believe Lucas fully deserves the Cannes accolades. He is a pioneering force in the history of cinema and the woke leaning critics are really off-base in accusing him of sexism and discrimination.

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

"Movie industry No Longer About Creativity" say Jessica Lange

 The previous post about the views of Jerry Seinfeld dovetail to what Jessica Lange has been saying about the movie industry. "We're living in a corporate world, and it certainly has moved into the film industry. So much is now not about creativity. Look at the best films of the past year - they are not from Hollywood."

Lange is currently starring in the Broadway production 'Mother Play'. She has a long career in film, TV, and the stage. "There used to be a synergy between the actors and the filmmakers. It was a beautiful way to work, and it's gone."

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

Seinfeld Battles Against Wokeism - "It's Killing Comedy"

 "Political correctness and extreme left policies are making television comedy extinct" says Jerry Seinfeld. "Nothing really affects comedy. People always need it. It used to be you could go home and watch 'Cheers', or 'MASH', or 'All in the Family'. There would be some funny stuff to watch. It's gone. This is the result of the extreme left and PC crap and people worrying so much about offending other people."

"There was an episode of 'Seinfeld' where Kramer decides to start a business of having homeless people pull rickshaws because, 'They're outside anyway', could that episode be aired on TV today?" Seinfeld says.

In culture, the acceptance gates are always moving, Comedy however should move the gates. Seinfeld went on to say that "standups have the freedom to cross the line because TV networks and movies do not want to ruffle feathers."  Regarding the movie industry, he says, "film does not have social, cultural significance it once did." 

He is right on all counts. PC and extreme left policies have permeated our culture in an exclusionary way to its detriment. We need to get back to complete freedom in all of the arts.  

Seinfeld is currently promoting his upcoming Netflix film, 'Unfrosted', which will stream beginning on May 3rd.

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

 

The Comeback of Historic Cinemas

 As you're aware, Entertainment Equipment has, from it very beginning, always prided itself on catering to older, independent and historical cinemas. In fact, EEC's website is dedicated to these client/cinemas.

Now, the movement that EEC started over 30 years ago has become a trendy thing for Hollywood elites to spend their time and money on. Both actors and film makers have taken to buying and restoring old cinemas.

Tarantino's Hollywood, CA 'Vista Cinema' is under renovation.

Jasonl Reitman, Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, and Quentin Tarantino, just to name several, have taken to investing or buying old cinemas and restoring them. Additionally, communities and townships have joined with local theater owners to fund a revitalization of their 'town's' cinema.

Believe me when I say that the last 3-4 years has been dismal for the small, independent cinemas but they have weathered the storm and not one of the cinemas the EEC services closed. Cinemas need to become 'go-to venues' and offer comedy and live music shows, school graduations, film club meeting, parties, film festivals, etc. 

Many cinemas represent what are architecturally significant buildings that were constructed in the period from 1930 to 1980 and they are worth preserving as a reminder of the past.

 

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

The Cinema in '24

 It's easy to be pessimistic when you look at the reality of the current cinema market. But are these woes overstated? Yes, the industry is being challenged but movie owners look forward to a much steadier footing for 2024. 

Moviegoers are returning to cinemas.

2023 biggest takeaway, for me, was the introduction of concert movies and their direct distribution to theaters. The huge success of the "Taylor Swift: the Eras Tour" and "Renaissance" A Film by Beyonce" opened a whole new revenue stream for cinemas and opened a lot of eyes regarding the screening of not just Hollywood films but an array of entertainment that will be theater-lead. The Paris Olympic Opening Ceremony which will be live-streamed at IMAXs across the U.S. is a great example. 

What's in Store for '24

I believe smaller studios will have a greater impact going forward, for example, 'Civil War' by A24 studio will be a significant box office draw. 'Sound of Freedom" was a perfect example of a great big-screen success by a small studio last year.

Cinema owners/managers need to become marketers and not rely on the major studios to do 100% of the marketing - the exhibition industry is beyond that. Let's look at the collectibles and merch business. Many moviegoers are also big fans of the movies they view at cinemas. Collectibles are a major part of the concession sales at cinema. The special cup, the T-shirt, the hat, etc. are all examples of merch cinemas can sell and, in many cases, wrap that merch around concession items. 

As it turns out, going to the cinema is now one of the most economical of entertainment spends. It's much less expensive to go to the movies then attend a game, concert, museum, live performance, etc. According to the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO), cinema loyalty programs are highest in households with income under $40,000 per year vs. those with incomes over $120,000.

So, pessimistic no - there are many trends that appear to be favorable for exhibitors over the next 3-5 years.

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

Can Movies Stay Out of Politics...NOT

 A new movie, "Civil War", is about a divided U.S., premised on a blue state/red state scenario that leads to violence and civil war.

That's one side of Hollywood. The other is that studios (which are known to be left-leaning) are struggling to be apolitical - for fear of finding themselves in a culture war that hurts box-office takes. This is a valid concern given the upcoming presidential election which has become very polarizing.

Take, for example, Disney's remake of "The Little Mermaid", which suffered dismal grosses because of racial miscasting. Ditto, Pixar's "Lightyear" which saw lackluster box-office due to same-sex intimacy. These are two examples of children-friendly films that parents considered 'unfriendly.' On the flipside, "Sound of Freedom" an independent film hit the spot demographically with both conservatives and anti-child abuse activists and was soundly rewarded at the box-office.

All that being said, political correctness is not a big topic of conversation with studios executives at present - that phase has run its course. Essentially, films can't afford to lose 50% of moviegoers due to being woke. 

According to Pew Research, over 65% of U.S. voters say they feel exhausted when thinking, let alone talking, politics. So, it's little wonder the studios' marketing departments are very careful with film messaging and promotion. Currently, if people perceive even a tinge of political bias it could cause box-office doom. 

No major movies are scheduled for release during the first week of November - election time.

Many moviegoers, me included, turn to the movies as an escape from the barrage of real-world issues and concerns. So, the take-away is films should do their best not to get too close to politics. 

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

Nielsen's Media Rating Monopoly Gets Competition

 Nielsen, the media rating giant, is getting competition from iSpot, as small, but well-regarded audience measurement company.

The upstart, iSpot, is going after Nielsen's big clients. During the Super Bowl, it predicted a "preliminary audience measurement estimate" for Super Bowl viewership, at 126.6 million viewers, while the final number came in at 123.4 million - not bad.

Nielsen has had a virtual monopoly on media ratings for decades and its time it got competition. There is good bank to be earned in media ratings and iSpot wants its share and will to work for it.  

As the global leader in audience measurement, it works across all channels and platforms to determine what audience preferences are and passes this information on to its clients. 

iSpot believes survey-based creative testing and measurement, that Nielsen uses, is too slow for today's fast-paced requirement to provide clients' up-to-the-minute feedback. They provide immediate verification of ad impressions. It considers itself to be the new standard of audience measurement.

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

View the Olympics "Opening" Live at IMAX

 If you can't be there, the next best thing is to view the Olympics' opening ceremony live at an IMAX theater. 

A deal between IMAX and NBC will allow IMAX to air the live coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics' Opening Ceremony - it will be covered by all 150 IMAX locations in the U.S. on Friday, July 26th.

According to organizers, the game's opening will take place on the Seine River, which flows through the heart of Paris. The Seine will be turned into a stage on which a four-mile-long flotilla consisting of 100 boats will carry thousands of athletes from over 200 countries past on-shore spectators.

Artist rendition of what the flotilla will look like. 

CMG thinks witnessing the beginning of 16 days of events in this spectacular way is an option totally unavailable with home viewing. The live show will be hosted by Kelly Clarkson, Peyton Manning, and NBC's Mike Tirico.

This will be Paris's third time hosting (also in 1900 and 1924) tying London for the most as a Summer Games host. Los Angeles will also tie at three times hosting when it sponsors the Games are in 2028. LA hosted in 1932 and 1984.

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

Film: Alive and well in Denmark

 With numerous Oscar and Palme d'Or awards the Danes have always produced above their size when it comes to the cinema.

The 2024 48 new DDF incoming, very select students.

Recently, the Danish government, boosted financial support for the film industry to $4.7 million per year (a small sum by U.S. standards but huge for the Danish film industry).

Thomas Vintergberg, a DDF grad, celebrates receiving an Oscar for "Another Round"
Best Foreign Language Film - 2021

Very instrumental in the Danish cinema's global success is the Den Danske Filmskole. A film/media school which is one of the most important drivers in Danish cinema The DDF is also Denmark's most competitive educational institution - with over 1,000 applicants for just 48 admissions every two years.

Franois Truffaut, French filmmaker taught at the DDF. His works
include: '400 Blows' and 'Fahrenheit 451'

"Our student body is very elite", says Tine Fischer, DDF's Director, "our small size is critical to our success. The students are tutored individually, with many hours of personal dialogue and feedback, developing their own artistic vision and potential."

The Den Danske Filmskole is a one-off educational facility totally devoted to the cinema and pushing the limits of media in general, I applaud and salute your endeavor.

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corporation

Oh No! Not Another Hollywood Workers Strike

 Yes, it may happen again this summer, another Hollywood union strike - this time the movie crews. The International Brotherhood of the Teamsters' contract expires on July 31st and already the issues surrounding the negotiations are heating up. 

O'Brien at Teamsters' Solidarity Rally on 3/3/24

In a recent rally, more than 2,000 film crew members gathered to pledge their support for a strike if their demands are not met by the film producers. "We are not afraid to strike, says Sean O'Brien, President of the Teamsters, "if these greedy corporations - whether it's Amazon, Netflix, Sony, or Disney - if they choose not to reward our members, they are putting themselves on strike. We will put them on their backs, on their knees, begging for mercy."

O'Brien built a national reputation in dealing with UPS and FedEx last year. This year's negotiations, with the Hollywood film producers and streamers, will focus on wage increases and quality of life issues (hours worked, meals, and turnaround times). At 1.3 million strong and with an additional 500,000 retired (but active members) the Teamsters have a lot of clout. And, O'Brien has told them that they will need "to put their helmets on in this battle with Hollywood".

The movie industry is still recuperating from the impact of last summer's strikes which brought movie production to standstill and is still not at full strength.

I'm hoping a peaceful settlement will be made and a shut-down avoided, the industry, particularly the exhibition side of the business, can ill afford another strike. 

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp. 

Will the Real Alexi Navalny Please Stand-up

 In 2022, a documentary film entitled 'Navalny, won an Oscar for Best Documentary Film. The film depicted the latter part of the life of Alexi Navalny, the Russian politician and opposition Party leader to Russian President Putin.

Navalny died last Friday while incarcerated in a Russian penal colony. He was serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism, he was 47. His official cause of death was determined to be sudden death syndrome. 

Navalny was considered to be one of Vladimir Putin's major political critics and had been so since the early 2000's. In 2021, after returning to Russia from the U.S. (where he had been residing) he was tried and imprisoned.

In the U.S. and Western nations, Navalny was considered to be an anti-Kremlin and outspoken Putin adversary who wanted to enact reforms against a corrupt Russian government. This viewpoint is what is portrayed in the 2022 documentary, which begins after Navalny was poisoned and returned to Russia for trial. The film premiered at the Sundance Festival and then went on to win an Oscar.

Navalny's wife, speaking at the Oscar presentation.

But. there is more to this story. It's a bit more complicated. The Western press would have us believe that Navalny was a great anti-hero and political activist who spent his life as a crusader for the Russian people. Since 2005, Navalny was active in anti-government protests within Russia, primarily in Moscow. Then, in 2013 he received a suspended sentence for embezzlement of political contributions. He then ran for the mayoral race in Moscow and placed second. In 2014 he received another suspended sentence for embezzlement.

Navalny (on left) attending the Yale World Fellows Training Program

In 2010, Navalny received a scholarship to Yale University's World Fellows Program, an instruction program which teaches individuals how to get elected and govern in foreign countries. Navalny's scholarship to the Program was sponsored and funded by the U.S Central Intelligence Agency. After he finished his work at the WFP he returned to Russia and ran for Mayor of Moscow. The general plan was to get Navalny elected Mayor and use that office as a stepping-stone for higher office, mainly the Presidency. It seems there was no plan B. 

It seems illogical that Putin, who has a 90% approval rating would bother with Navalny let alone have him killed - he just wasn't that big a threat. 

During the 2020 U.S. Presidential race Navalny endorsed Bernie Sanders; however, he has always been a fervent anti-immigrationist and was widely known to despise the Muslim community in Chechnya. His campaigns were, for the most part, funded by post-Soviet capitalists and, more than likely, the CIA; however, his support within Russia is vastly overstated by Western governments and the press - as his popular support was only about 3%.

Obviously, his death was unexpected, but it had been reported earlier this year that Navalny had decided to go on a hunger strike as he wanted to be transferred to a less secure and better located prison and he was in poor health since being poisoned. 

Like many sagas, the Navalny story will really never be fully aired. Conspiracies will develop and misinformation and disinformation will shroud the truth.

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corporation

Akira Kurosawa: The Greatest Filmmaker EVER

 

Akira Kurosawa is by far my favorite filmmaker, with Stanley Kubrick a distance second. 

Kurosawa made a crime drama in 1963 called 'High and Low', which is being reimagined by Spike Lee and Denzel Washington with shooting scheduled to start next month. 'High and Low' was based upon a novel called King's Ransom by Ed McBain, which Kurosawa turned into a classic film which starred Toshiro Mifune as a wealthy man in ruin after paying the ransom for a kidnapping. 

Spike Lee, like so many other filmmakers, has voiced his admiration for Kurosawa, saying "my 1986 comedy 'She's Gotta Have It' was highly influenced by Kurosawa's film 'Rashomon'."

Kurosawa's works have been remade over and over and used as the foundation for many outright classic films and franchises, and even film genres over the last seven decades. For example, in 2022, the 'Living', which starred Bill Nighy (who received an Oscar nomination his performance) was based upon Kurosawa's 1952 film 'Ikiru' - a story about a terminally ill government bureaucrat on a search to find the meaning of his life. 

The Spike Lee/Densel Washington's 'High and Low' remake will be released theatrically before being streamed on Apple+. Densel's latest film, 'Equalizer 3', grossed just shy of $200 million globally but he is adamant that there will be no Equalizer 4 for him. The word is there may be a prequel to the Equalizer franchise based upon how Robert McCall began the equalizer. At the moment, Densel is working on the sequel 'Gladiator 2', in which he co-stars - this to be released in 2025. 

Lee and Washington agree on remake of 'High and Low.'

Note on Akira Kurosawa (1910 - 1988)

Kurosawa directed 30 films and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in cinematic history. From his first acclaimed film, 'Drunken Angel' (1948) to his last 'Ran' in (1985) each can be viewed as a masterpiece in its own way.

The 'Seven Samuri' was the foundation for the classic Western 'The Magnificent Seven' and 'A Fistful of Dollars' was based entirely on Kurosawa's 'Yojimbo' (the bodyguard) which Sergio Leone only made minor changes to the original. While 'The Hidden Fortress' was the basis for the Star Wars saga, as George Lucas has openly attested to. 

In fact, many past and present filmmakers have stated they were highly influenced and revered Kurosawa, including Lucas, Spielberg, Coppola, Bergman, Fellini, Polanski, Lumet, Kubrick, Altman, and the list goes on. 

Akira Kurosawa is the goat (greatest-of-all-time) filmmaker, and you should seek out his works to view and enjoy. My favorite is 'Dreams'. 

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

Why Hollywood is Falling Apart... It's Not a Lack of Moviegoers

It appears most moviegoers just want to be entertained.

Pre-pandemic, Hollywood was flourishing. The box office was awash with blockbusters which were making oodles of cash even though they were mainly composed of sequels, remakes, or franchise add-ons.

Flash forward to the present - what happened?  It seems as though the rug was pulled from under the box office. For one thing, during Covid, streaming became a major player in how people consumed entertainment making it now the main source of viewing all forms of entertainment - from sports to movies. But, more importantly, the new, so-called, blockbusters are not at the level of quality that they once were, therefore, moviegoers now wait and stream these 'lesser quality' films at home.

Empty cinemas are a reflection of poor-quality content, and not movie attendance or price. Franchise films were the bread-and-butter for Hollywood but now the majority of franchise films have been on a decline in quality or are too long in release between episodes, i.e. the Avatar movies. 

There currently exists a disconnect between Hollywood executives and audiences. Films keep getting made that audiences do not want. For example, Disney's 'Haunted Mansion' - a remake of a not too great film that had a price tag of $150 million plus marketing and grossed only $59 million. 

Hollywood is plagued by what is called, 'upward failure'. The past is not an indicator for the future in films. What once worked will not work now! Today, audiences are a much harder sell. There has been a shift in audience preferences and Hollywood hasn't reacted or recognize this moviegoer sea-change. For example, A-list actors can't carry a poorly made and constructed movie - audiences won't have it.

The Political Factor

                                 Hollywood has started to get the message from moviegoers.

Like it or not politics has invaded Hollywood. There is an obsession that major films be progressive socially to the point of absurdism. Moviegoers don't want to be preached at or given messages that have no place in the movie being viewed. And these films garner poorer and poorer box office returns.

Gender and race swapping characters for no apparent reason other than trying to push a social agenda is something the film industry is embracing, and it needs to recognize that this doesn't work.

Hollywood has forgotten that escapism is the driving force for most movies that people want to view at a cinema. Audiences want to be taken to another place for 2-3 hours. They want to leave the real world behind and be mesmerized by a great story with great characters and great visuals and sound. 

Now, films are heavily and senselessly politicized, and audiences aren't stupid - they know when political messages and social dictates are infused into a film, and they don't like or condone it.

However, according to Hollywood insiders, it appears that audiences are to blame when a woke product flops - and not the studio, the cast, or filmmakers. Hollywood has reached a point where they don't see film making as an art but view it as a business. That's a mistake. 

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment, Corp.

Weird Academy Awards Fact

 

Brennan with Gary Cooper in 'The Westerner"

Walter Brennan is the only actor ever to have won three Oscars within a five-year period. Best known for playing grumpy old-men characters, Brennan was a great actor who commanded the roles he played and had the ability of stealing a scene even when playing opposite A-list actors.

His career spanned over five decades and included acting in comedies to dramas. From classic oaters like Rio Bravo, and The Westerner, his gravelly voice was easily recognized, and he sometimes acted without has teeth (his were knocked out in a fight). He also had the ability to play different ages of characters - from old men to young types. 

Another first for Brennan is that he was the very first actor to receive a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, which he received in 1937 for his role in Come and Get It. His second Oscar was awarded in 1938 for his role in Kentucy, in which he played an old grouch (which he carried throughout his career). His third Oscar can in 1940 for his role in The Westerner opposite Gary Cooper, where he played a villainous Judge Roy Bean.

Now, back in the day, extras were allowed to vote for Oscar recipients, and Brennan (who worked as an extra and knew many of them) perhaps earned favorite son votes. However, over his long career he is universally regarded as of a one of Hollywood's greatest character actors. And he still remains the only actor to have won three Best Supporting Oscars.

Brennan played a staggering, 230 feature films or TV shows. Several of which were: To Have an have Not, Red River, Bad Day at Black Rock, Once Upon a Time in the West, and Support Your Local Sheriff.

Note: after receiving his third Oscar win, the Academy changed its voting rules and extras were no longer qualified to vote. 

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

My 2024 Oscar Picks

 

It's always fun to guess which films will win at the Oscars and 2024 is going to be difficult. There were no really clear winners, and the selection was very limited...but here goes.

Best Picture - 'Oppenheimer'

Best Director - Chris Nolan - 'Oppenheimer'

Best Actor - Paul Giamatti - 'The Holdovers' (this is my real outlier)

Best Actress - Lily Gladstone - 'Killers of the Flower Moon'

Best Supporting Actor - Robert Downey Jr. - 'Oppenheimer'

Best Supporting Actress - America Ferrera - 'Barbie'

Best Animated Feature - 'Elemental'

Best Documentary - '20 Days in Mariupol'

Best Original Song - Scott George - 'A Song for My People' - 'Killers of the Flower Moon'

Visual Effects - 'Mission Impossible, Dead Reckoning #1'

Of course, there are always the films that were overlooked or snubbed for one reason or another,

those films were:

• Super Mario Bros.
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol3
• Fast X
• Wonka
• Sound of Freedom

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.

Where Do You Get Your NEWS?

Most don't get their news from the so-called mainstream networks.

 I don't normally go off course and write about non-cinema topics, but I came across a review of cable and broadcast news shows' statistics which astounded me. These stats came from the latest issue of 'Broadcasting + Cable Multichannel News', a trade publication of the broadcast/cable TV industry.

The title of the article, 'News Insights, Fall 2023', detailed the total cable/broadcast news networks' viewership. To my surprise, this entire segment totaled only 9.81% of all linear TV network watch-time. 

The network rankings were as follows:

1. Fox News - 4.54%
2. MSNBC - 1.99%
3. CNN - 1.72%
4. Newsmax TV - 0.57%
5. CNBC - 0.38%
6. Fox Business - 0.33%
7. NewsNation - 0.22%
8. CSPAN - 0.06%

What this tells you is that people are not getting their news from broadcast or cable the majority of the time. They simply do not watch news programming or (which is most likely the case) get it from the internet. I can surely attest to this fact, as I do not watch any of the above listed shows. I fact, when I thought about it, I get most of my news from webinars, podcasts, or online sources, such as YouTube and Twitter.

The golden age of news programming is over, replaced by marginal news operations, which in many cases do not represent news or investigative reporting but a mirror of what the political parties decide what is newsworthy and what is not. 

By: Jim Lavorato, Entertainment Equipment Corp.