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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: movie industry

movie industry stories: 55 news summaries

1 - 20 of 55 Stories | 1 2 3 Next >>

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 Funding for 
 Independent 
 Films Dries Up 

We need government help, say small-budget movie-makers

Nov 4, 09 5:03 PM CST
(Newser) - With no public funding and credit lines frozen, American independent filmmakers are finding it tough to make a movie these days. “I mean if Osama bin Laden gave me money to film, I’d take it,” Todd Solondz tells Bloomberg . The financial crisis has heavily curbed bank financing,... More »

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film • funding • movie industry

 Downey's 'Sherlock': 
 Less Gent, More Hero 

Movie depicts brilliant but troubled brawler

Nov 2, 09 11:11 AM CST
(Newser) - The new Sherlock Holmes, played by Robert Downey Jr, is no tweed-clad gentleman. In the latest movie remake, which opens Christmas Day, the detective is reimagined as a ripped martial arts expert "with a mind that whizzes along like a Ferrari and a penchant for falling into a disheveled... More »

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entertainment • superhero • Robert Downey Jr. • movie industry • Sherlock Holmes • Arthur Conan Doyle

 Hollywood Heads Roll 
 as DVD Sales Plunge 

New studio heads place bets on 'branded entertainment'

Oct 8, 09 8:44 AM CDT
(Newser) - In previous downturns, the corporate owners of America's movie studios would cut Hollywood some slack. Not anymore: these days, the corporate suites of LA look like the aftermath of a slasher flick, with old hands kicked out at Disney, Universal, MGM, and Paramount. With DVD sales down 25% and... More »

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entertainment • Hollywood • Disney • recession • Universal Pictures • Paramount • MGM • movie industry • firing

PROFILE

 Blogger Nikki Finke 
 Stays One Step Ahead 

Deadline Hollywood Daily is insiders' first call, for good or ill

Oct 5, 09 1:38 PM CDT
(Newser) - Nikki Finke works out of her apartment in Hollywood, surrounded by six phones, a laptop, and a cat. Although she doesn’t go out and mingle with her contacts, she certainly has them. And their desire to be on her good side—or stay out of her sights entirely—has... More »

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entertainment • Hollywood • gossip • blog • movie industry • Nikki Finke • Tad Friend • Deadline Hollywood Daily • Tinseltown

(Newser) - Movie companies aren't sure yet how big the Twitter effect is in making or breaking films—a spate of negative tweets are reputed to have killed Bruno after a strong opening over the summer—but they're leaving as little as possible to chance. It's the hot new "campaign-management tool,... More »

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marketing • buzz • movie industry • Twitter • Bruno • movie studio • District 9 • Julie & Julia

box office roundup

 Zombieland Conquers US 

Woody Harrelson vehicle dethrones Meatballs in debut weekend

Oct 4, 09 2:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - Zombieland raked in $25 million to dominate the box office in its debut weekend, easily dethroning Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, which had held the top spot the previous two weekends. The R-rated comic horror movie starring Woody Harrelson drew an overwhelmingly young audience, with 56% under 25, Variety ... More »

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entertainment • Hollywood • film • Michael Moore • box office • Drew Barrymore • movie industry • movies • Woody Harrelson • Zombieland • Capitalism: A Love Story • Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs • Surrogates • The Invention of Lying • Whip It • Toy Story

BOX OFFICE ROUNDUP

 Meatballs Rain on 
 Bruce Willis' Parade 


Sep 27, 09 3:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs dominated the box office for the second straight weekend, racking up $24.6 million in ticket sales and running 10-day total to $60 million. That represents just a 19% fall-off from its opening weekend performance, a notably strong showing in a generally weak autumn... More »

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Hollywood • film • box office • movie industry • The Informant! • I Can Do Bad All By Myself • Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs • Surrogates • Fame (film)

3-D TV Shows Promise, But Those Glasses Still a Must

You'll have stuff to watch next year—but you still need specs

Sep 26, 09 12:04 PM CDT
(Newser) - Admit it, your heart skips a beat at the prospect of a 3-D high-definition TV in your own home. And by this time next year, Sony and Panasonic will have ‘em on the market. But—and it’s a big one, even after the cost—you’re going to... More »

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entertainment • Sony • USC Trojans • Ohio State Buckeyes • Panasonic • network television • Blu-ray • movie industry • 3-D • college football • 3-D glasses • 3-D HDTV • Monsters vs Aliens • Ray-Ban

OPINION

 Read Your Script? F—, No! 

History of Violence writer tells it like it is

Sep 13, 09 11:56 AM CDT
(Newser) - Josh Olson is a professional screenwriter, and his time and experience are money. So just as the author of A History of Violence wouldn’t ask you to “represent me in fucking court, or take out my fucking gallbladder,” please, don’t ask him to give you advice... More »

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entertainment • Hollywood • film • screenwriters • movie industry • professional • screenplay • Josh Olson • A History of Violence

  New SATC2 Details: 
 Carrie's Marriage Gets Rocky 

Casting notice offers more plot details

Sep 10, 09 10:33 AM CDT
(Newser) - The plot of Sex and the City 2 includes big drama for Mr. Big and Carrie, Us Weekly reports. A casting notice reveals: "Big loses a lot of money and takes a job in London," where Carrie's hubby ends up in bed with someone else. "After... More »

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entertainment • New York City • Sex and the City • Sarah Jessica Parker • Kim Cattrall • Kristin Davis • Cynthia Nixon • movie industry • Carrie Bradshaw • Chris Noth • sequel • Sex and the City 2

 Fattening Up Was Easy: Damon 

Actor gained 30 pounds for movie role

Sep 8, 09 9:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - Beefing up for his role in The Informant was a breeze, Matt Damon says. "It was very, very easy" to gain 30 pounds, said the now-slimmed down actor, who plays FBI informant Mark Whitacre. "It was very, very fun, probably the funnest time I had working because I... More »

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entertainment • Matt Damon • weight gain • movie industry • The Informant!

 Script Slip 
 Allows Peek at 
 Sex and the City 2 

Page carried by Kim Cattrall photographed

Sep 8, 09 9:02 AM CDT
(Newser) - The stars of Sex and the City 2 aren't the only things being ambushed: The Mirror managed to zoom in on a page from the script Kim Cattrall was carrying in New York, MSNBC reports, and it looks like Samantha Jones' ex, Smith Jerrod, might be back, at least in... More »

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entertainment • Sex and the City • Kim Cattrall • movie industry • sequel • script

 With 10 Slots to Fill, 
 Oscar Debate 
 Starts Early 

Some execs remain opposed to expanded Best Picture nominee list

Sep 4, 09 11:28 AM CDT
(Newser) - The point of doubling the number of Academy Award best picture nominees this year was to draw more viewers to the show. The pitfall: Hardly anything Oscar worthy has emerged, writes Kim Masters for the Daily Beast. And while most nominees hit theaters later in the year, 30% fewer films... More »

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Academy Awards • film • nomination • movie industry • movies • Oscars • Best Picture • The Hurt Locker • Up (film)

(Newser) - Harvey Weinstein can breathe a sigh of relief. Inglourious Basterds mowed down the competition at the box office yesterday with an estimated haul of $14.3 million, reports Variety. That makes it Tarantino’s best opening ever, and the second-highest R-rated opener August has ever seen—behind More »

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box office • The Weinstein Company • movie industry • Inglourious Basterds • District 9

(Newser) - Legendary Hollywood screenwriter Budd Schulberg has died, the New York Times reports. He was 95. Schulberg, who won an Oscar for On the Waterfront in 1955, was the son of a movie mogul and grew up as a Hollywood insider. His 1941 novel What Makes Sammy Run?, a scathing look... More »

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Hollywood • Communist Party • author • Joe Louis • screenwriters • movie industry • Spike Lee • blacklist • Budd Schulberg • On the Waterfront • House Un-American Activities Committee • Red scare • John Wayne • Max Schmeling

(Newser) - Studios used to spending August releasing movies from slightly out in left field, free from the pressure of early summer blockbusters, are finding this year more stressful than usual, the New York Times reports. A soft four weeks has put releases such as Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds under pressure to... More »

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Sony • box office • Warner Brothers • Paramount • movie industry • Hollywood studios • summer movies • Inglourious Basterds

 Hollywood Focuses on 
 Post-Apocalyptic Future 

Escapism, real fears fuel new crop of movies, TV shows

Jul 31, 09 11:16 AM CDT
(Newser) - In one, the Earth's destruction fulfills an ancient prophesy. In another, mechanical dolls take over where humans left off. From serious to humorous, reality shows to documentaries, Hollywood is obsessed with the theme of a post-apocalyptic future, the Wall Street Journal reports. Some attribute the trend to escapism: “... More »

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entertainment • Hollywood • film • apocalypse • movie industry • movies • disaster • trend • Zombieland • Ruben Fleischer

 Streep: Move Oscars 
 Before Other Awards 

Late scheduling takes the punch out of iconic awards, actor says

Jul 23, 09 4:17 PM CDT
(Newser) - Two-time Oscar winner (and 15-time nominee) Meryl Streep has a suggestion for the Academy—the ceremony should be earlier, she tells USA Today. “The Oscars should be Jan. 2,” Streep said, “before the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, the Broadcast Film Critics.” Winners are so tired of awards... More »

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Academy Awards • film • Meryl Streep • BAFTA • movie industry • acting • Oscars

(Newser) - Though movie stars are the most publicized of Hollywood's Twitterati, fans can get some real insider dirt from directors and producers using the site, too. Mashable runs down 20 who Tweet often, and honestly:
  • @Jon_Favreau is ... Jon Favreau: The Iron Man director's "Tweets don’t reek of continual
... More »

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social networking • Internet • film director • Fred Durst • Jason Reitman • movie industry • Twitter • Kevin Smith • Jon Favreau • tweet • David Lynch • Adam McKay

Finke Has Hollywood Running Scared


Jul 17, 09 10:16 AM CDT
(Newser) - Few people in Hollywood have ever seen the hermit-like Nikki Finke, but they fear her anyway, David Carr reports in the New York Times. Finke’s Deadline Hollywood Daily blog has become essential reading for tinseltown players, a source of scoops and gossip that afflict the powerful. "In... More »

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Hollywood • blog • entertainment industry • TV industry • new media • movie industry • Nikki Finke

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