The entertainment industry is pumping big money into politics. “The Democrats have collected $5.8 million from the television, movie, and music industries, ranking it fourth on the campaign donation list. That figure outpaces the Republicans by $2.1 million, which ranks the entertainment industry eleventh.” The money figures to influence policies on recording, intellectual property and … Continue reading “FOLLOW THE MONEY”
“Those who object to the violent, sexist or otherwise ugly images in movies tend to seek censorship, either by the industry itself or by legislation. I agree that movies, music, television programs and all privately funded works of art must be protected against censorship without regard to their content. But I also agree with those … Continue reading “FILM DECAYED”
This summer has been a dark one for the movie theater industry. The season is usually the time for the chains to boost their bottom lines, most of which need a lift to pay for all of those state-of-the-art multiplexes the exhibitors have been building across the country.” Instead, several large movie-theatre chains are on … Continue reading “MULTIPLEX BLUES”
Joe Lieberman gave his speech to the Democratic Party convention Wednesday and didn’t slam Hollywood. But he sent pal William Bennett to speak on a panel in his place across town. Bennett decried the “morass of sex and vulgarity promoted by Hollywood” and “reiterated that the entertainment industry is responsible for ‘the degradation of our … Continue reading “THE WHO’S TO BLAME GAME”
A longtime critic of the entertainment industry, U.S. Democratic vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman on Sunday accused Hollywood of corrupting the nation’s children and the culture at large. He singled out Walt Disney Co. as particularly lax morally and warned that Washington could impose “legal restrictions” if the industry doesn’t impose some of its own. … Continue reading “PLAYING TO THE RIGHT?”
Hollywood is pondering the possibility of Joe Lieberman becoming vice-president of the US. “Lieberman is widely regarded as ‘the moral conscience’ of the Senate and has continually blasted TV, movies and the recording industry for featuring too much sex and violence.” – New York Post 08/08/00
In the past year Hollywood has been accused of being closed to minorities. The number of minorities working on TV projects doesn’t come close to representing their numbers in the general population. But this summer “African-American filmmakers are now making their presence known in Hollywood in the only way Hollywood has ever truly recognized and … Continue reading “SHOW ME THE MONEY”
Is theatre in Los Angeles merely a showcase for movie talent? A ghetto where actors toil until they get discovered by the movies or TV? Not hardly. “Local stages are a resource that the industry has been able to exploit with virtually no outlay of cash.” But the thriving LA theatre scene exists quite apart … Continue reading “STANDALONE THEATRE”
“This is a record-breaking year for Hollywood films shot in Canada, entertainment-industry figures on both sides of the border agree. In past years, U.S. producers have taken advantage of the weak dollar to shoot low-budget feature films and made-for-TV movies in Canadian cities. This year, though, the studios have brought their big projects north and … Continue reading “FLEEING NORTH”
Virtual casting for movies is catching on. “Dismissed in their early days, a mere three or four years ago, as one more way of exploiting desperate movie wannabes, Internet talent showcases are being embraced by the industry” who find them an easy way to screen talent. – San Francisco Examiner (Reuters) 06/20/00
