The AMPTP alerted me to this ”Open Letter to the Entertainment Industry” in the form of an ad addressing the current situation with SAG and set to run in the Los Angeles Times tomorrow. I have a better idea: Why don’t the Hollywood CEOs get off their damn high horses and start negotiating directly with SAG (like they did with the WGA) and stop leaving everything up to their extremist labor lawyers and the AMPTP’s version of Dick Cheney, Carol Lombardini. This letter shows what a sham the AMPTP is and that it reps a Big Media cartel of these 8 companies. Also, it’s interesting how this letter conveniently forgets that Chernin made a favored nations deal on behalf of these CEOs with the WGA concerning New Media: if SAG gets a better New Media deal, so do the WGA and DGA:
Details Of AMPTP-IATSE Tentative Deal
EXCLUSIVE: As I suspected, there seems to be unfinished biz between IATSE and the AMPTP over exactly what’s in their so-called “deal” announced November 19th for new 3-year contract. According to my sources, this is the general overview of the tentative agreement. But … Read More »
COMEDY RULES! ‘Four Christmases’ #1 For Thanksgiving Weekend; ‘Bolt’ #2, ‘Twilight’ #3, ‘Australia’ Opens Only #5
SUNDAY AM: Waistlines expanded on Thanksgiving Day, and this 3-day weekend and 5-day holiday shaped up as big for moviegoing, too. Maybe it’s because of the grim economy that audiences wanted laughs, but the mediocre PG-13 comedy Four Christmases, helped by a short 80-minute … Read More »
CAA Loses Two Oscar Winners: Anthony Hopkins To Endeavor; Best Foreign Language Film Writer/Director To UTA
United Talent’s Jeremy Zimmer just signed away Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, writer/director of the 2007 Best Foreign Language Oscar winning The Lives Of Others (aka Germany’s Das Leben der Anderen released in 2006), from CAA’s Beth Swofford. (He’d been initially signed by CAA’s Tory Metzger who left … Read More »
SAG Issues Q-&-A Regarding Negotiations
This was released by SAG on Wednesday, November 26th:
Why should we vote to authorize a strike?
We need to show management that we are willing to fight to preserve our ability to earn a living as union performers; otherwise, management
TOLDJA! Tyler Perry Studios And WGA Reach Agreement Mediated By NAACP
Back on October 6th, I reported that the WGA and Tyler Perry were reaching a settlement in principal. Today it’s official: Tyler Perry Studios will become a signatory to the WGA contract. Sadly, the news release (below) does indicate that “some of the … Read More »
SAG Prez Alan Rosenberg To Members: “Board To Call A Strike Only If It Becomes Absolutely Necessary”; AMPTP Complains
Dueling statements today…
SAG President Alan Rosenfeld sent this message to members (also available on video here):
Dear Screen Actors Guild Member,
As your president, I want to take this opportunity to communicate directly with you about recent developments regarding our television and motion picture contract negotiations.
Last week, under the guidance
The “Secret Starry SAG Strike Meeting” That Wasn’t: WaxWord Blog Post Denied
WEDNESDAY PM UPDATE: Now the blogger says she can’t ”confirm with certainty when this meeting took place”. Nor, judging from the corrections she’s already made, the rest of the story. But she still has it online. Amazing.
WEDNESDAY 10 AM UPDATE: Wow, this is sad. Now the blogger has put the story … Read More »
Thanksgiving Wkd Predictions: ‘Four Christmases’ Hot, ‘Australia’ Not So Much; What’s The Deal With Down Under Film?
TUESDAY 4 PM UPDATE: MovieTickets.com says Twilight has sold more tickets on its site than Bolt, Quantum of Solace, Australia, and Milk combined, and still boasts over 345 upcoming sold out performances.
TUESDAY AM: This is shaping up as one of the big holiday … Read More »
Vanity Fair Going Ahead With Oscar Party
Few in Hollywood thought Vanity Fair would dare restart its annual Oscar party in this lousy economy after cancelling it last time around because of the writers strike. (We could hope, right?) But Graydon Carter just announced: ”Vanity Fair will … Read More »
CAA Not Feeling As “Super” For Big Game
It can’t come as a surprise to anyone that all the full-frills parties surrounding the Super Bowl may not be held come February in Tampa because of the economic collapse. But Sports Business Journal is reporting that one of the smaller and more private parties cancelled is by CAA’s sports division, CAA Sports, which … Read More »
Write Move? Wrong Move? Illegal Move?
Few issues divided the WGA more than the leadership’s post-strike publication on April 18th of the names of its 28 members who went fi-core during the strike. After the WGA’s solidarity during the strike itself, I was flabbergasted by the huge schism which WGA West president … Read More »
R.I.P. Irving Brecher
One of the most memorable online videos I posted during the WGA strike starred writer Irv Brecher (Meet Me In St. Louis, Bye Bye Birdie, Marx Bros’ At The Circus & Go West, creator of radio and TV’s Life of Riley) remembering residuals battles with Hollywood employers from years past, and revealing he was … Read More »
DHD Advisory: Thanksgiving Schedule
Sorry for past days’ posting delays. I’ve not discussed this before, but recently my father has been very ill and undergone many hospitalizations and surgeries. I’ve been trying to divide my time between the website and his care. I will be out of town visiting him beginning Wednesday November 26th and returning home … Read More »
SAG’s Rosenberg Hopes To Avoid Strike
Screen Actors Guild president Alan Rosenberg spoke with KTLA’s Sam Rubin this AM:
Terry Christensen Gets 3 Year Sentence; Judge Calls House Detention “Ludicrous”
It also looks as if the now disgraced uber-entertainment lawyer and convicted felon in the Pellicano scandal won’t be doing his time under house detention, either. This morning, federal judge Dale Fischer granted prosecutors’ recommendation and sentenced Terry Christensen to 36 … Read More »
AMPTP To Employers: SAG “Completely Out Of Touch With Reality”; Authorization Vote “Will Lead Inexorably To A Strike”
The AMPTP today sent the following message to its employers:
“We are disappointed to report that the federal mediation efforts between SAG and AMPTP failed in the early morning hours of Saturday, November 22nd, when mediator Juan Carlos Gonzalez ended the process.
“The mediation failed for one fundamental reason: SAG continued unrealistically
Universal Enrolls In ‘Umbrella Academy’
In terms of Marvel and DC, Dark Horse is considered just what its name implies — the dark horse in the American comics industry dominated by more well-known names. But superhero-challenged Universal is determined to try to make the most of its deal … Read More »
New Bond Now Boasts $418.5M Globally
The new Bond pic Quantum Of Solace was down 59% from its franchise record opening a week ago for a $27.4M weekend. Its new North American cume passed $100M Saturday in just 6 days time to finish with $109.4M through Sunday. Going into Friday, Daniel Craig’s 2nd turn as 007 had made $335M … Read More »