Hollywood Deep

To all Hollywood Deep and TotallyRisoli devotees, I have had to take an extended break from sharing my Deep Inside views of Hollywood. I apologize to all of you who show up here every day looking for that incredible insight, and my philosophies on life. I’ve had to put all of my attention into my Hollywood career. DEEP was consuming me and I had to take a break. Not unlike drugs and alcohol I was an addict… an addict to blogging. There I admitted it, the first step to recovery. Hopefully some day I’ll be able to handle casual blogging, I’m working on it. Once a blogger always a blogger, it’s in the blood. I hope to be back in some way shape or form, I’ll keep you all posted.
See ya in the funnypapers…
TOTALLY

Two days after the announcement that his suit against rapper Kayne West had been settled, motorcycle daredevil Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel, Jr died in his Clearwater, Florida home.

For many, like me, who grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s, Evel Knievel was a legend, despite the fact that his most famous attempted jumps were also his least successful ones. After a series of jobs that included, among other things, copper mining, hockey promoting, and insurance sales, Knievel decided in the mid-‘60s to start a motorcycle daredevils show, but he was hospitalized after the second of the team’s performances. After his recovery, he became a solo act and soon became known for jumping several cars. The length of his jumps steadily increased until New Year’s Day 1968, when he was nearly killed after jumping the fountains in front of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Although the stunt put him in a coma for a month, it also brought him national fame when ABC aired the footage on WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS.

Now we watch Britney, Lindsay, and Paris, they are the train wrecks we are waiting to see. Back in the day, when entertainment was at a premium, we had about 6 channels on TV that went off at midnight. No cable, no internet, no 150 channels to choose from. The coolest thing we watched once a month was Evel on Wide World of Sports. We all gathered around TV sets to see if he could make it. About half of the time he didn’t, so chances were good we’d see some blood. Of course any extreme sport and the X Games owe a huge debt to the man who invented their sport. This is now a billion dollar industry. They should all be headed down to Florida to kiss his feet one last time.

Knievel made it his goal to jump the Grand Canyon, though he realized that the U.S. government would never allow it. While he tried to find a way to finesse permission for the jump, he pulled off a variety of lesser stunts, many successful, some not, such as his failed attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon in 1974. Because of numerous serious crashes, Knievel had suffered at least 40 broken bones before his last jump in Hollywood, FL in 1981.

Knievel also had some success in television and movies, starring as himself in 1977’s VIVA KNIEVEL and appearing in the original BIONIC WOMAN series with Lindsay Wagner. In recent years, Knievel made most of his money from the careful marketing of his image, selling autographs, and endorsing products. He also had high hopes recently for a stage show called EVEL KNIEVEL THE ROCK OPERA. A show I saw a few months ago and liked a lot.

Knievel suffered from diabetes and pulmonary fibrosis. The day of his death, he reportedly experienced shortness of breath and died before the ambulance could arrive. He was 69 years old.
…VIVA Knievel…DEEP!

We all watched Evel Knievel in Las vegas

Technorati Tags: motorcycle daredevil Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel, Jr, Evel Knievel, motorcycle daredevils show, l New Year’s Day, Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS, Grand Canyon, Snake River Canyon, Hollywood, FL, VIVA KNIEVEL, BIONIC WOMAN, EVEL KNIEVEL THE ROCK OPERA

With the Writers Guild of America still on strike for the fourth week, just about everyone I know in the production end of the biz, has been laid off. Hollywood has turned into a production wasteland. Assistant directors, camera people, gaffers, grips, make up & hair artists, costumers, prop masters, set construction workers, caterers, production assistants, Teamsters, and anyone involved in day to day television & movie production are out of work right before the holidays. What a slap in the face to those hard working people, some of whom have to live pay check to pay check, that the two sides could not get together to negotiate until this week. Sure, Producers, Directors, and Writers are out of work also but these people make considerably more money then the rest of us. They can afford to take 4 weeks off and play around on a picket line. It seemed like the writers were having a good old time walking the line, while people were in jeopardy of losing their houses and feeding their children. So finally they have got together top talk. In a secret location without giving any details. These negotiators who take themselves way too seriously, reportedly have resumed double secret negotiations somewhere in Hollywood. Can somebody please tell them… HEY YOUR NOT CURING CANCER OVER THERE! GET THIS THING SETTLED!!! LOCK YOURSELVES IN A ROOM, PUT ON SOME COFFEE, GET A MEDIATOR. DO WHAT YOU GOT TO DO! GET IT DONE… THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH AND DEPEND ON EVERY DAY, YOUR CREWS, ARE GETTING RESTLESS AND RESENTFUL. WE DON’T THINK THE PICKET LINES ARE FUNNY OR CUTE, WE THINK IT’S STUPID THAT BOTH SIDES OF THIS ARE ACTING LIKE CHILDREN. GET IT DONE!

Meanwhile, Disney’s “Enchanted” captivated audiences over the Thanksgiving holiday, debuting on top of the North American box office with $35.3 million over the weekend and $50 million since debuting Wednesday. Starring Amy Adams as an animated fairy princess who comes to life, is now the second biggest Thanksgiving opener ever, behind “Toy Story 2″, which grossed $80.1 million in a five-day period in 1999. Among other new wide releases, the family dramedy “This Christmas”, starring Loretta Devine, Delroy Lindo and Chris Brown, opened in second place with $18.6 million and $27.1 million since Wednesday, while the video-game adaptation “Hitman”, starring Timothy Olyphant, debuted in fourth with $13 million over the weekend and $21 million since Wednesday. Overall, the box office numbers went up after being in a slump. “”That’s good for an industry that’s been in a downtrend for almost two months,”" Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers told The Associated Press. “”Thanksgiving sets the tone for the rest of the year and the holiday season in general. This was a key weekend, and it delivered.”
So it seems like there are still plenty of millions to go around.

I personally have been able to keep busy. I’ve scratched together a little work, and I’ve been developing some future projects with directors I work with. So I have been out of the Hollywood scene for a few weeks. Here’s what’s been going on.

Hulk Hogan’s wife is divorcing him; Britney is still crazy, but maybe getting her kids for the holidays as long as she doesn’t drive; Kim Kardashian had an expensive amount of jewelry and other items stolen from her bag at JFK airport; Angelina Jolie’s “Beowulf” was the #1 movie last week; Boy George was ordered to stand trial for false imprisonment, he handcuffed his boy toy to a bed and threatened him with sex toys back in April. George, could face life in prison if he’s found guilty; and [tag]Oprah has proven to be more and more stupid every day.

I don’t feel like I missed much, but I’ll keep you posted.
…DEEP!

Technorati Tags: Writers Guild of America, Teamsters, Disney’s “Enchanted”, Thanksgiving, North American box office, Amy Adams, “Toy Story 2″, “This Christmas”, Loretta Devine, Delroy Lindo, Chris Brown, “Hitman”, Timothy Olyphant, Paul Dergarabedian, Media By Numbers, The Associated Press, Hulk Hogan, Britney, Kim Kardashian, JFK airport, Angelina Jolie’s “Beowulf”, was the #1 movie last week; Boy George was ordered to stand trial for false imprisonment, he handcuffed his boy toy to a bed and threatened him with sex toys back in April. George, could face life in prison if he’s found guilty; and [tag]Oprah

OJ back in Vegas

In a Las Vegas courtroom yesterday, O.J. Simpson’s lawyer, Yale Galanter, accused a key prosecution witness of being a liar, leading to a heated exchange in the third day of a preliminary hearing in the armed robbery case. Simpson’s one-time golfing pal, Walter Alexander, glared at him across a courtroom and said the former football star wanted him to bring “heat” to a confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers in a hotel room. Simpson’s lawyer then took Alexander to task, saying he was lying.

“After he asked me if I could watch his back, he leaned forward and it was kind of like, ‘Hey, do you think you can get some heat?”‘ Alexander said. “‘Just in case things go wrong, can you bring some heat?”

Alexander depicted Simpson as the mastermind of the plan to recover his possessions by setting up a sting operation in which the two dealers would think they were meeting with a potential buyer. The three were in town for a mutual friend’s wedding Sept. 13. Michael McClinton, also OJ’s co-defendant, volunteered to supply guns and Simpson said they probably would be needed only to show dealers Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley “we mean business,” Alexander said. Alexander said he accepted a .22-caliber pistol from McClinton that he tucked into his waistband while McClinton strapped on a shoulder holster containing a .45.

Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure will decide after the hearing whether there is enough evidence for Simpson and two other men to stand trial. Alexander and Michael McClinton, who also testified against Simpson on Tuesday, struck deals with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to lesser charges, as did Charles Cashmore, who testified last week.

I think there’s enough evidence, this baby’s going to trial. AWWWWWWRIGHT!!!…Another OJ trial! If the Justice does decide there’s enough evidence, and it seems like there’s more than enough, there will be months of OJ entertainment in store. This time it seems like they set him up right. No stupid Los Angeles DA to screw this one up, no racist Brad Furman, and most important (but it does hurt the entertainment value of the whole thing) no Johnny Cochran. With all the ducks in a row, and without Johnny, it looks like OJ going away this time.

So come on Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure, let the games begin. The OJ circus is going to Vegas.
…DEEP!!!

Looking For OJ - The OJ Circus set to hit Las Vegas

Technorati Tags: Las Vegas, O.J. Simpson, Yale Galanter, Simpson, Walter Alexander, sports memorabilia, Michael McClinton, Bruce Fromong, Alfred Beardsley, Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure, Charles Cashmore, OJ, Los Angeles DA, Brad Furman, Johnny Cochran, Justice of the Peace, Joe M. Bonaventure, OJ circus, Looking For OJ

Friday’s WGA rally drew more than 3,000 picketers to Avenue of the Stars in Century City

Friday off because of the strike, Eva shopping at Sunset Plaza

We entered week two of the Writer’s Guild of America strike today. So it took a week to find out that Ellen DeGeneres is full of sh*t. The WGA East Friday came out swinging against the talk-show host Friday, who is alone among the comedy/variety topliners to return to work during the week-old walkout, proclaiming that she wasn’t welcome in New York for her planned Thanksgiving-week tapings in the Big Apple. I distinctly remember last week reading that Ellen along with most other talk show hosts were first to honor the WGA strike, and shut down production of their shows. Hmmmmm… maybe someone just assumed that she would, and wrote it down. Or more likely, Ellen was vague enough about what side she was on, for anyone to draw a real conclusions. Now we know, and the whole industry knows, ELLEN IS A SCAB.

Meanwhile, Jay Leno’s refusal to cross the picket lines is leading his show’s producers to consider using guest hosts and other alternatives. WOW… can they do that? Find scab hosts and do the show without Jay. I thought Jay had a little more clout and control of his show. These are times when you see just who are really pulling the strings in Hollywood. I guess it’s like the when the Football players went on strike and the NFL used replacement players. I suppose you can always find someone ,who will do anything to get their big chance. So look for the networks to start pulling comedians off the street to fill in for hosts who won’t cross the line. Carrot Top hosting the Tonight Show? I can hear Johnny’s bones rattling just at the thought.

In other strike developments, Warner Bros. TV became the latest studio Friday to send out suspension letters to its writers, informing them that their pay is being put on hold because of the strike. All the studios and networks will follow suit in sending out these letters. Even the crews who are not on strike, have to be officially laid off without pay. The crews especially are now available to go find other work, on movies and commercials that are not effected. There will be no guarantee that these crafts people, and technicians will be available to the shows once the strike is over.

Here’s an update of what’s left of your TV shows new episodes.

“House“ with six episodes left, will be fresh through November, with the last few airing in January — one of them following Fox’s broadcast of the Super Bowl.

“Samantha Who?”, ABC’s new hit comedy, has eight episodes in the can.

The “Crime Scene Investigation” trio, “NCIS,” “Criminal Minds,” “Without a Trace” and “Cold Case” each have three to six more episodes to run on CBS.

CBS’ comedies (“How I Met Your Mother,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Two And a Half Men,” “Rules of Engagement”) will run dry by month’s end.

ABC’s “Ugly Betty,” “Pushing Daisies” and “Grey’s Anatomy” each have four new episodes to go.

“Desperate Housewives” airs the last of its current stock of new episodes December 2.

The final new episode of NBC’s “Heroes” airs December 3.

“The Office” will head into rerun mode on NBC after next week’s episode. Among other things, shooting has stopped because star Steve Carell won’t cross picket lines.

The planned January return of Fox’s “24″ has been postponed indefinitely. Since only some of the series’ 24 episodes have been shot, Fox didn’t want to risk beginning a new season that might be interrupted.

One thing I know right now, is all these shows are done, and all these people are out of work. This strike is effecting thousands of hard working people. Not just TV stars, actors, and writers, who might be able to afford to be out for a while. People with kids to feed and mortgages are not working, and last I heard no one was talking. No negotiations have officially taken place since the strike was announced. At this point the Producers will put off negotiations until next month as companies use “force majeure” clauses to negate term deals and reduce actors’ paychecks. Because force majeure clauses usually require six weeks after a strike has started to kick in, there’s a lurking suspicion that the companies won’t push for a quick return to the bargaining table.
…That Ain’t Right DEEP!

WGA adjusted Picket Line hours to start at 5:45 am this week, to stop Teamsters

Technorati Tags: WGA rally, Writer’s Guild of America, Ellen DeGeneres, WGA East, Thanksgiving, Jay Leno, Hollywood, NFL, Carrot Top, Tonight Show, , Warner Bros. TV, House, Fox, Super Bowl, “Samantha Who?”, ABC, “Crime Scene Investigation”, CBS, “How I Met Your Mother, ” “The Big Bang Theory, ” “Two And a Half Men, ” “Rules of Engagement”, “Ugly Betty, ” “Pushing Daisies” and “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Desperate Housewives”, NBC, “Heroes”, “The Office”, Steve Carell, “24″

Jerry Seinfeld’s “Bee Movie” buzzed to the top of the box office, overtaking last weeks #1, “American Gangster,” starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. The DreamWorks/ Paramount animated comedy flick, packed in family crowds to pull in $26 million, raising its total to $72.2 million, in two weeks.

“Our bee has legs,” said Anne Globe, head of worldwide marketing for DreamWorks Animation. “This weekend really shows that the ‘Bee Movie’ is a must-see show this holiday season.”

For the first time since July 2005, a movie climbed from a lower opening spot to No. 1 at the box office. “Bee Movie,” a silly animated film written and voiced by Seinfeld about a bee that sues the human race for stealing honey. I guess all that shameless promoting and plugging by Seinfeld on every talk show and during every commercial break for every TV show on every network paid off. My God… the movie cost $150 million to make, I imagine the advertising budget is approaching the same. I’m tired of hearing about it, but it does look like it will do good business through the holidays.

“American Gangster,” was a strong No. 2 with $24.3 million in sales, lifting its total to $80.7 million. Last week’s impressive numbers made Ridley Scott’s film, which stars Washington as a 1970s Harlem drug lord and Crowe as the cop trying to take him down, this fall’s top opener so far, and marked the biggest opening for both actors.

Adult audiences had put “American Gangster” ahead on Friday, but weekend matinee crowds lifted “Bee Movie” to the top spot. “Bee Movie” is positioned well for Thanksgiving next week, when children will be out of school. The Warner Bros. family comedy “Fred Claus,” with Vince Vaughn as the black-sheep brother of Santa (Paul Giamatti), opened at No. 3 with $19.2 million. MGM and Tom Cruise’s United Artists released the Robert Redford directed, “Lions for Lambs,” co-starring Cruise, Redford and Meryl Streep in a drama interlocking three stories in the war on terror, premiered at No. 4 with $6.7 million.

So with 2 family movies out and hot as we go into the holidays, the adult themed movies will continue to have to take a backseat at the box office. Look for “Bee” and “Claus” to clean up through the holiday season.
…Totally Deep!

Weekend Box Office

1. “Bee Movie,” $26 million.
2. “American Gangster,” $24.3 million.
3. “Fred Claus,” $19.2 million.
4. “Lions for Lambs,” $6.7 million.
5. “Dan in Real Life,” $5.9 million.

IMDB Box Office Chart

Technorati Tags: Jerry Seinfeld’s “Bee Movie”, “American Gangster, ”, Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, DreamWorks, Paramount, Anne Globe, worldwide marketing for DreamWorks, ‘Bee Movie’, Bee Movie, Seinfeld, Ridley Scott, Washington, Crowe, Thanksgiving, “Fred Claus, ”, Vince Vaughn, Santa, Paul Giamatti, MGM, Tom Cruise, United Artists, Robert Redford, “Lions for Lambs, ”, Meryl Streep, “Dan in Real Life, ”

Mickey Rourke Busted For DUI on Vespa, in Miami

Mickey Rourke, star of “Barfly” and “Rumble Fish,” was arrested last Thursday for allegedly driving under the influence after being stopped while riding a Vespa motor scooter in Miami Beach, Florida. Rourke, a one-time professional boxer who attended high school not far from the scene of his arrest, was weaving from lane to lane on the green 2007 scooter and failed a sobriety test administered on the street, the arrest report said. He was stopped in the city’s South Beach entertainment district around 4 a.m. He was booked into the Miami-Dade Pre-trial Detention Center around 9:30 AM and was held on $1,000 bond.

According to the police report, the cop says to him: ‘You swerved right in front of me.’ And Mickey answered: ‘No, no, dude, I’m all right.’, Rourke then asked the cop, “What the f*** did I do?!” Cops say the actor’s “face” was flushed, his eyes were bloodshot and watery and his speech was slurred. “I’m not drunk, I didn’t even drink that much,” Rourke said, according to the report.

Old Mick was begging for trouble, riding around Miami’s South Beach on a Vespa drunk at 4AM, with red eyes and a chick on the back. I have always found calling the cop DUDE, isn’t the best way to get out of a DUI. Also asking him ‘what the F*ck did I do?’ usually doesn’t help either.
It is a great mug shot though, right up there with the classic Nick Nolte.
…Drunk DEEP!

The Nick Nolte Classic

Technorati Tags: Mickey Rourke Busted, Mickey Rourke, “Barfly”, “Rumble Fish, ”, Vespa motor scooter, Miami Beach, Florida, Rourke, green 2007 scooter, South Beach, Miami-Dade, Miami’s South Beach, Nick Nolte

Clooney flips off Fabio in Beverly Hills

I could hardly let the week go by without commenting one of my favorite people in Hollywood, George Clooney, and his encounter with super male model, Fabio. First of all just saying George Clooney and Fabio in the same sentence is funny, so I had to take the opportunity.

George Clooney and romance icon Fabio stunned diners at Hollywood’s (actually Beverly Hills) swanky Madeo restaurant on Friday, when they exchanged fighting words over a photo session at Fabio’s table. Actor Fabio was dining with friends when one stood to take photos close to a table Clooney was sharing with his girlfriend Sarah Larson. Sources inside tell me however, that several women who had won a dinner with Fabio were sitting at his table snapping photos of the hunk. Georgie thought the woman was trying to take shots of him and asked her to stop, a request that annoyed his fellow diner. Fabio went over to Clooney’s table to explain, but the conversation became heated, and the long-haired actor was overheard telling the “Ocean’s Eleven” star, “I thought you were a nice guy. Stop being a diva!” The encounter reportedly prompted angry Clooney to stand up and approach Fabio.

An eyewitness said, “The waiters broke it up before it got out of hand.”George looked annoyed. … George was drinking but he wasn’t drunk.”

Clooney reportedly skipped the rest of his meal, asked for his bill and left.

Fabio’s manager has refused to comment about the incident, but says, “George is lucky he didn’t end up in the ER.”

Fabio and Clooney weren’t the only celebrities dining at the restaurant on the night of the scuffle – Dame Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci were also guests of Madeo that night.

Come on… This is too surreal. I mean imagine being out to dinner in Beverly Hills and George Clooney and Fabio get into a shoving match, and the waiters have to break it up?! This is comedy my friends. There is no writer walking the line right now, that could have come up with something like this. I have to say, I know and love George, I understand he was being protective of his lady and his privacy, but it seems like Georgie was a little out of line. I mean he has to consider that Fabio although D or E list to George’s A, is a celebrity in his own right. Those poor ladies who won the date with Fabio, just wanted to get couple of pictures to remember the experience. So God forbid if one of the ladies got a shot of George as a bonus. Was it really going to kill George to let it slide? It seems to me, maybe George did have a lemoncello or three and got a bit rambunctious, and was dissing Fabio.

As far as George taking on Fabio, I’m not sure about that either. I mean George is a hard working guy. He is athletic and he works out, but he is always very busy acting and going on meetings, nights out drinking. Also George is a bit banged up, he has a bad neck from doing his own stunts, he has a bum ankle he hurt playing basketball, he always seems to have broken fingers and he just got into a motorcylce accident about a month ago.

Fabio is a pretty big guy and he’s in shape. I mean, really, what the hell does Fabio do all day? He sits around resting and working out, he’s at beauty and hair salons all day, tanning by the pool, he seems to be very well rested. He even withstood a bird flying into his face while he was riding a roller coaster a few years ago. The bird got the worst of it, Fabio only sustained a one inch cut above his nose, the bird was killed. Bird Story

I would love to see the two go at it, in a celebrity death match, or pay per view fighting event. Sorry to George, but I think Fabio might be able to take him. I think George would get some shots in for sure, but Fabio ultimately is a little to big and well rested for George. Maybe if George recruited Joe Pesci to be on his side in a celebrity tag team match, and Fabio would have got Helen Mirren on his side. Maybe that would have made it more fair. The pity is, we’ll never know.
… Diva DEEP!

George out and about with girlfriend Sarah Larson

Report on Fabio getting hit by a bird

Technorati Tags: Hollywood, George Clooney, Fabio, Beverly Hills, Madeo restaurant, Clooney, Sarah Larson, Ocean’s Eleven, ER, Fabio and Clooney, Dame Helen Mirren, Joe Pesci, roller coaster

So after three days of the Writers Guild of America strike, it seems that it is effecting just about every aspect of the entertainment world. I didn’t really think either side would be stupid enough to let this happen. Although I can see the writers main points, residuals on DVD sales and New Media consideration, I found it hard to feel bad for either side, on Monday. In the three days since then the writers are certainly making their point.

The Producers have all the money, and they pull the strings. They are in charge of the creative accounting that goes on, cheating people out of money every day. My own union the Director’s Guild of America, over the years has had many issues with the Producers over residuals and the creative accounting that goes on with the studios. The Producer’s certainly are the EVIL EMPIRE in this one. They have all the money and would rather shoot their mothers then give any more of it up than they have to. The studios and production companies love these guys, for being ruthless negotiators. Part of the overall problem for the WGA, was that many Producers and Directors are also members of the WGA. I always thought this conflict of interest would be the downfall of the WGA in this fight. The Showrunners, who create the shows, and see the episodes through in production, are mostly all WGA members. Also, especially on comedy shows, many of the cast and stars of the shows, are also writers. This conflict of interest is what has turned the weight of the scales in favor of the WGA. One after another these Showrunners and high profile stars have refused to cross the picket lines of their WGA brothers and sisters. Now the primetime TV shows that are in production are dropping like flies. I have to think that the Producer’s never thought the WGA production people and stars would stick together like they have. Within a couple of weeks, it looks like every network primetime TV show, will have to shut down production.

First it was the talk shows, Leno, Letterman, Kimmel, Jon Stewart, Conan, Ellen, all went down. That made sense, talk shows rely on it’s writers on a daily basis for, the show’s structure. Jay Leno even went out on the picket line over at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, where his show shoots, and handed out doughnuts to the strikers. We all chuckled and thought that was cute, but we expected the talk shows to shut down. Then Eva Longoria, ordered pizzas for the strikers at Universal Studios, where Desperate Housewives shoots. We all thought that was funny and that she was cute. Then the snowball started to get bigger, Steve Carrell, a WGA member and the funniest guy on TV, informed his Producers that he would not cross the picket line, and “The Office” shut down production. CBS then said, production on its comedy “The New Adventures of Old Christine” was halted, and ABC said it was delaying the premiere of the series “Cashmere Mafia.” In front of Paramount Pictures, “Dirty Sexy Money” actor William Baldwin served coffee and joined the picket lines. In New York, “Saturday Night Live” comedian Amy Poehler joined a large contingent of writers and actors from the show on the picket line in front of the Rockefeller Center offices of NBC.

“All the writers are asking for is to be fairly compensated for all this new media,” she said, noting that the strike may force the cancellation of this coming week’s show with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Poehler, like many “SNL” cast members, contributes material for the program but is not listed as a writer. She said actors felt torn about the labor impasse. “I think a lot of actors are being made to make some really hard choices,” she said

Today, the highest profile show so far, Fox’s “24″, has not only shut down production, but announced that airing the show at all this season is in jeopardy. Television is feeling an immediate effect of the strike. The networks have enough shows shot already to get them through until January. That’s when people at home will start to notice that their favorite shows aren’t on anymore, or in reruns. That’s when the public outcry will become overwhelming and the Producers will have to settle. As TV shows feel the brunt of this in the immediate future, the movie business would not be affected for a long while. TV, or the lack of it, is what is going to get this thing settled.

At first I thought the WGA was stupid for actually going on strike, and that the public outcry would be against them. They have proved to have some muscle, and have stuck together so far. As a member of a entertainment guild myself, I applaud what they have accomplished in three days. The DGA and SAG also will be facing these same Producers as contracts expire in the near future. We have some of the same issues, so they need to be addressed. From my experience the impression of the WGA to the other guilds and unions in the industry, has been that they are a bunch of whiners. I personally have a whole new respect for them. I say, keep up the good work. Hit em fast… and hit em hard, and end this thing quickly.
…Hats Off DEEP!

Jimmy Kimmel, ON STRIKE!

“The Office” Writers and Cast walk the line in this funny video

Technorati Tags: Writers Guild of America strike, DVD sales, New Media, Director’s Guild of America, EVIL EMPIRE, WGA, Showrunners, primetime TV shows, primetime TV, Leno, , Letterman, Kimmel, Jon Stewart, , Conan, Ellen, Jay Leno, Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, Eva Longoria, Universal Studios, Desperate Housewives, Steve Carrell, “The Office”, CBS, “The New Adventures of Old Christine”, ABC, Paramount Pictures, New York, “Saturday Night Live”, Amy Poehler, Rockefeller Center, NBC, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “SNL”, Fox, “24″, DGA, SAG, Jimmy Kimmel

Ridley Scott’s gritty ’70s drug-dealer epic, “American Gangster,” was number one in last weekends box office tally. Gangster handily out gunned Jerry Seinfeld’s “Bee Movie”, by 7 million dollars, appearing on 1000 less screens. The two movies were successful in breaking the post-summer doldrums and announcing that the winter holiday hits are on the way.

American Gangster hauled in a generous $46 million to take the number one spot on the weekend. Meanwhile, Jerry Seinfeld’s Bee Movie, which weighed in with a hefty budget of $150 million (just $10 million shy of animated budget record holder Shrek The Third), held its own at second place with $39 million, and the promise of long legs through the holidays.

While moviegoers have seemingly been turned off by the endless parade of serious-minded, adult themed movies this fall, “American Gangster” provides the right combination of entertainment and drama. The film tells the real-life story of Harlem drug kingpin Frank Lucas, who ruled the heroin trade in 1970s New York, and the cop who brought him down. The script was adapted by Steven Zaillian from a New York Magazine article by Mark Jacobson. Scott’s very stylized filmmaking, with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in the leads, this one seems on it’s way to to the awards circuit.

The Bee Movie on the other hand, has been unmercifully promoted and publicized by Jerry Seinfeld in the weeks leading up to it’s release. It should do OK at the box office, but don’t expect many awards. In what seems to be a bit of self indulgence by Seinfeld, the budget and genre seems to tell Hollywood, ‘I’m Jerry Seinfeld… I created one of the most popular TV shows of all time! Don’t you all remember who I AM? I can do anything I want. Even if it’s an animated movie about a bee suing honey companies, with a budget of $150 million, that took 4 years to make… I’m SEINFELD Damn it!
Thank God the movie came out, I was tired of seeing old Jerry on every TV talk show, talking about how he totally micro managed the making of the movie. Now we can all go back to watching him on reruns of Seinfeld, where he is still good. Hopefully the next time he wakes up, it will be worth it.
…DEEP!

Weekend Box Office
1. American Gangster, $46.3 million
2. Bee Movie, $39.1 million
3. Saw IV, $11 million
4. Dan in Real Life, $8.1 million
5. 30 Days of Night, $4 million

Full Box Office Chart at IMDB

American Gangster trailer

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