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Studio Briefing:
From The Wire:
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Most Read
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BOX-OFFICE PLUNGE PREDICTED, SECOND-PLACE IDOL CONTESTANT AHEAD IN RECORD SALES, MOVIE REVIEWS: HOUSE BUNNY, COPS INTERRUPT FILMING, HANDCUFF ACTORS, FOX NEWS BARS CONSERVATIVE AD, SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SINGER TO PERFORM ENCORE -- LIVE, ONLY TWO MOVIES SHOOTING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, TICKETS ON SALE FOR DALLAS REUNION, BATMAN STAYS ON TOP OVERSEAS, MOVIE REVIEWS: DEATH RACE, BROKAW ANCHORS AGAIN, MOVIE REVIEWS: THE LONGSHOTS, BOX OFFICE: COOL WITH THUNDER, PTA WANTS TO KNOW WHAT'S IN 90210, SECOND WEEK OF CLAPS FOR THUNDER, DEAL DRAWS MORE VIEWERS THAN DEMS, WARNER BROS. SUES BOLLYWOOD FIRM OVER HARI PUTTAR, LION FOR SALE?, NASHVILLE PLANS TO BECOME 'MOVIE CITY', GERMAN EXTRAS SUE UA, |
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Top Stories
Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008
MOVIE REVIEWS: TRAITOR
Wednesday, August 27 2008
|
Several
critics
seem
to
suggest
that
Traitor,
starring
Don
Cheadle,
tries
to
take
a
complicated
story
and
condense
it
for
easy
digestion
--
but
succeeds
only
in
giving
the
audience
something
to
chew
on.
As
A.O.
Scott
puts
it
in
the
New
York
Times:
"The
movie
...
tries
to
cover
every
side
and
cater
to
just
about
every
possible
ideological
objection,
an
effort
at
comprehensiveness
that
seems
noble
and
a
little
nutty."
Similarly
Tom
(more)
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OLYMPICS RUNS RINGS AROUND RIVALS
Wednesday, August 27 2008
|
NBC's
telecast
of
the
Beijing
Olympics
last
week
left
its
competition
in
the
dust
as
each
day
of
coverage
took
one
of
the
top-seven
spots
on
Nielsen
Media
Research's
ratings
list.
The
"Beijing
Closing
Party"
took
an
eighth.
Overall,
the
network's
primetime
coverage
averaged
23.3
million
viewers
with
27.8
million
tuning
in
to
Sunday's
closing
ceremonies.
While
the
ratings
of
all
of
the
other
networks'
primetime
programs
sagged
under
the
weight
of
the
Olympics'
(more)
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More Headlines
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MOVIE REVIEWS: HAMLET 2
27-Aug-08
|
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After
five
days
in
limited
release,
Hamlet
2
is
opening
wide
today
(Wednesday)
but
ticket
sales
for
it
are
likely
to
be
as
lackluster
as
the
reviews
for
it,
analysts
suggest.
The
movie
follows
the
formula
developed
to
scientific
precision
by
the
Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker
team
who
made
the
Airplane
movies
a
(more)
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THREE FILM STUDIOS MAY RISE IN MICHIGAN
27-Aug-08
|
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Michigan's
recent
enactment
of
bills
aimed
at
using
tax
incentives
to
lure
filmmakers
may
also
result
in
a
studio
building
boom
in
the
state.
The
Grand
Rapids
Press
reported
on
Tuesday
that
Los
Angeles-based
V-One
Entertainment
Group,
which
says
that
it
provides
"infrastructure"
for
film
companies,
is
planning
to
build
(more)
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TOWELHEAD TITLE DRAWS FIRE FROM ARAB-AMERICANS
27-Aug-08
|
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Warner
Bros.
has
rejected
a
demand
by
the
Council
on
American
Islamic
Relations
to
change
the
title
of
its
forthcoming
movie
Towelhead
to
its
original
title,
Nothing
Is
Private.
CAIR
had
objected
that
"the
use
of
such
a
derogatory
term
by
a
major
film
studio
will
serve
to
increase
its
(more)
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DISNEY TO PUSH BLU-RAY
27-Aug-08
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Children's
movies,
which
are
generally
credited
with
giving
home
video
its
initial
thrust,
may
do
the
same
for
high-definition
Blu-ray,
if
the
Walt
Disney
Co.
has
anything
to
say
about
the
matter.
The
New
York
Times
reported
today
(Wednesday)
that
the
film
studio
plans
to
release
five
"platinum"
classic
titles
(more)
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TIVO TO TAPE MAGAZINE'S RECOMMENDATIONS
27-Aug-08
|
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Stepping
up
its
drive
against
johnnie-come-lately
rivals,
TiVo
plans
to
announce
an
agreement
with
Entertainment
Weekly
magazine
that
would
let
TiVo
subscribers
automatically
record
programs
recommended
by
the
magazine's
staff,
the
Wall
Street
Journal
reported.
Terms
of
the
deal
between
TiVo
and
the
magazine,
a
publication
of
Time
Warner's
Time
(more)
|
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ANTI-PIRACY LOBBYING AT CONVENTIONS
27-Aug-08
|
|
Motion
Picture
Association
of
America
chief
Dan
Glickman
and
Recording
Industry
Association
of
America
president
Cary
Sherman
are
currently
attending
the
Democratic
National
Convention
in
Denver
lobbying
on
behalf
of
legislation
that
would
create
a
cabinet-level
copyright
czar,
according
to
Wired
magazine.
It
quoted
spokespersons
for
the
two
leaders
as
(more)
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MSNBC HOSTS GO ON THE ATTACK -- AGAINST EACH OTHER
27-Aug-08
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The
decision
by
NBC
Universal
executives
to
counterposition
MSNBC,
their
cable
news
station,
as
a
liberal-leaning
alternative
to
Fox
News
produced
political
sparks
between
the
channel's
anchors
Tuesday
that
threatened
to
short-circuit
their
coverage
of
the
Democratic
convention.
It
began
when
host
Joe
Scarborough,
apparently
feeling
isolated
as
the
only
(more)
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CELEBS ARRIVE FOR VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
26-Aug-08
|
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The
65th
annual
Venice
Film
Festival
is
due
to
open
on
Wednesday
with
a
screening
of
the
Coen
Brothers'
Burn
After
Reading.
Stars
George
Clooney
and
Brad
Pitt
are
expected
to
attend.
The
film,
however,
is
not
among
the
21
films
entered
in
the
official
competition.
Also
expected
to
attend
(more)
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SECOND WEEK OF CLAPS FOR THUNDER
26-Aug-08
|
|
Ben
Stiller's
Tropic
Thunder
held
on
to
the
box
office
crown
for
the
second
week
in
a
row
as
it
earned
$16.3
million
to
bring
its
total
to
$65.7
million.
Most
analysts
expect
it
to
remain
on
top
over
the
upcoming
Labor
Day
weekend,
which
is
generally
the
only
(more)
|
|
GERMAN EXTRAS SUE UA
26-Aug-08
|
|
Eleven
German
extras
who
were
injured
during
the
filming
of
United
Artists'
Valkyrie,
starring
Tom
Cruise,
have
sued
the
studio
for
$11
million,
claiming
that
production
personnel
were
aware
that
the
World
War
II-era
trucks
that
they
were
riding
in
were
unsafe.
In
an
interview
with
the
German
magazine
Der
(more)
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ONLY TWO MOVIES SHOOTING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
26-Aug-08
|
|
Only
two
major
studio
films
are
currently
being
shot
in
Southern
California,
DreamWorks'
Transformers:
Revenge
of
the
Fallen
and
Sony's
Angels
&
Demons,
the
Los
Angeles
Times
observed
today
(Tuesday),
blaming
the
production
slowdown
partly
on
scheduling
decisions
made
a
year
ago
in
preparation
for
a
possible
actors
strike.
Most
(more)
|
|
LION FOR SALE?
26-Aug-08
|
|
MGM
Tuesday
denied
published
speculation
that
it
had
retained
Goldman
Sachs
to
explore
a
possible
sale.
In
a
statement,
the
studio
couched
its
denial
in
language
that
appeared
to
some
to
fortify
the
rumors,
saying
that
while
it
had
indeed
retained
Goldman
Sachs
it
was
doing
so
"to
explore
enhancements
(more)
|
|
PTA WANTS TO KNOW WHAT'S IN 90210
26-Aug-08
|
|
The
Parents
Television
Council,
which
single-handedly
launched
the
letter-writing
campaign
that
induced
the
Federal
Communications
Commission
to
intensify
its
regulation
of
television
indecency,
has
suggested
that
the
CW
has
not
screened
the
pilot
episode
of
the
new
90210
series
because
it
contains
scenes
that
the
network
doesn't
want
sponsors
to
(more)
|
|
WINFREY REMAINS TOP-PAID TV PERSONALITY
26-Aug-08
|
|
No
one
comes
close
to
rivaling
Oprah
Winfrey
as
the
highest
paid
talk-show
personality.
In
the
latest
Forbes
magazine
list,
Winfrey
holds
the
top
spot
with
$275
million
a
year,
nearly
four
times
the
amount
that
the
second
person
on
the
list,
radio
shock-jock
Howard
Stern,
earns
each
year
($75
(more)
|
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IDOL TO SEAT FOURTH JUDGE
26-Aug-08
|
|
American
Idol
producers,
who
had
vowed
to
spruce
up
the
show
to
lure
back
viewers,
announced
the
first
of
its
changes
on
Monday
--
the
addition
of
a
permanent
fourth
judge,
songwriter
Kara
DioGuardi.
Although
the
final
nights
of
last
season's
competition
remained
among
the
season's
highest-rated
shows,
many
(more)
|
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In Other News
|
26.3 MILLION WATCH OLYMPICS CLOSE
26-Aug-08
|
|
Sunday
night's
closing
ceremonies
of
the
Beijing
Olympics
drew
26.3
million
viewers,
up
27
percent
over
the
the
closing
night
of
the
Athens
Olympics
in
2004
and
38
percent
over
the
Sydney
Olympics
in
2000,
according
to
figures
from
Nielsen
Media
Research.
The
ratings
service
also
confirmed
that
the
NBC
(more)
|
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DEAL DRAWS MORE VIEWERS THAN DEMS
26-Aug-08
|
|
Those
who
were
expecting
the
Democratic
convention
in
Denver
to
be
a
cut-and-dried
affair
were
controverted
Monday
night
by
the
poignant
appearance
of
Senator
Ted
Kennedy,
who
is
battling
brain
cancer,
at
the
podium
to
endorse
the
Obama-Biden
ticket.
As
television
cameras
panned
the
crowd
of
delegates,
many
of
whom
(more)
|
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NASHVILLE PLANS TO BECOME 'MOVIE CITY'
25-Aug-08
|
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Plans
are
afoot
to
turn
Nashville,
which
calls
itself
"Music
City,"
into
a
preeminent
movie
production
center
as
well.
The
Nashville
Tennessean
reported
today
(Monday)
that
the
city's
821
Entertainment
and
Woodland,
CA-based
Tower
Investments
have
proposed
that
the
117-acre
site
of
the
Tennessee
State
Fairgrounds
be
developed
into
a
(more)
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COPS INTERRUPT FILMING, HANDCUFF ACTORS
25-Aug-08
|
|
Filming
of
the
independent
movie
27
Down
in
North
Andover,
MA
was
halted
unexpectedly
Sunday
after
police
descended
on
a
gas
station
convenience
store
after
receiving
an
alert
that
an
armed
robbery
was
taking
place
there.
Director
John
Depew
told
KHAS-TV,
"They
came
in
and
they
said
'Drop
the
gun,'
(more)
|
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VUDU HEXED?
25-Aug-08
|
|
In
more
troubling
news
for
the
struggling
online
movie
rental
business,
the
website
CE
Pro
said
Friday
that
Vudu
was
laying
off
about
16-18
members
of
its
100-person
staff,
including
co-founder
Patrick
Cosson,
who
had
served
as
its
marketing
chief.
A
Vudu
executive,
Mark
Donnigan,
told
the
website
that
the
(more)
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WARNER BROS. SUES BOLLYWOOD FIRM OVER HARI PUTTAR
25-Aug-08
|
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An
Indian
court
today
(Monday)
is
expected
to
hear
a
lawsuit
brought
by
Warner
Bros.
against
a
Bollywood
producer
whose
latest
movie
is
titled
Hari
Puttar
--
A
Comedy
of
Terrors.
Warner's
claims
that
the
title
is
too
close
to
the
titles
of
its
Harry
Potter
movies.
The
movie,
produced
(more)
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BATMAN STAYS ON TOP OVERSEAS
25-Aug-08
|
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Overseas,
there
was
no
stopping
Batman.
The
Dark
Knight
grossed
an
estimated
$34
million,
to
bring
its
overseas
tally
to
$381.2
million.
But
in
the
U.K.,
the
Universal
musical
Mamma
Mia!
continued
to
clean
up,
pulling
in
$3
million
in
its
seventh
week.
Reuters
reported
that
it
now
stands
at
(more)
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BOX OFFICE: COOL WITH THUNDER
25-Aug-08
|
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Paramount/DreamWorks'
Tropic
Thunder
was
no
big
shakes
at
the
box
office
over
the
weekend,
but
its
estimated
$16.1-million
take
was
enough
to
land
it
in
first
place
for
a
second
week,
as
it
held
off
Sony's
debuting
The
House
Bunny
with
$15.1
million
and
UA's
Death
Race,
which
opened
with
(more)
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ONLINE COVERAGE NO BIG MONEYMAKER FOR NBC
25-Aug-08
|
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While
NBC
has
said
it
raked
in
more
than
$1
billion
in
ad
sales
for
the
Olympic
Games,
only
$5.75
million
came
from
online
ad
revenue,
according
to
eMarketer
Inc.
On
Sunday,
the
New
York
Times
reported
that
NBC
had
employed
its
NBCOlympics.com
primarily
as
a
"research
laboratory"
to
get
(more)
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OLYMPICS END; NBC TAKING STOCK
25-Aug-08
|
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Nielsen
Research
had
not
yet
released
overnight
ratings
figures
for
Sunday
night's
closing
ceremonies
of
the
Olympic
Games
in
Beijing
at
midday,
but
reports
indicated
that
overall
the
games
were
watched
by
211
million
viewers
in
the
U.S.
and
would
likely
surpass
the
number
who
tuned
in
during
the
1996
(more)
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COURIC CELEBRATING SECOND ANNIVERSARY AS CBS ANCHOR
25-Aug-08
|
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Katie
Couric
is
celebrating
her
second
anniversary
as
anchor
of
the
CBS
Evening
News.
In
an
interview
with
the
Baltimore
Sun,
Couric
acknowledged,
"It's
been,
quite
candidly,
pretty
tough
some
of
the
time
for
me
in
my
new
job."
Noting
that
her
ratings
are
up
in
Baltimore
and
a
few
(more)
|
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OBAMA'S CONVENTION OPENS TONIGHT
25-Aug-08
|
|
The
Democratic
National
Convention
is
due
to
open
tonight
(Monday),
but
with
Barrack
Obama
already
established
as
the
party's
presidential
nominee
and
Joe
Biden
it's
vice-presidential,
some
writers
were
asking
whether
the
convention
--
as
well
as
the
upcoming
Republican
one
--
doesn't
merely
amount
to
a
political
infomercial.
Others
(more)
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