Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Time Warner Utilizes Digitas Boss Laura Lang to use Time Corporation.

NY - Facebook has showed up in a 20-year privacy settlement while using U.S. government, the Wall Street Journal reported.our editor recommendsFacebook IPO Could Push Social Network's Value Past $100 BillionFacebook and NHL Aboard 'Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol' Promotion Beneath the agreement, the social media might be required to request clients for permission before changing the means by which their personal data is released. Facebook will have to undergo independent privacy audits every couple of years for an additional 20 years. The settlement was seen for Facebook to appease Washington and Wall Street before a structured IPO expected for next season. STORY: Facebook Eyes $100 Billion Value in IPO by Mid-2012 The Federal trade commission elevated privacy concerns after changes for the social media's privacy designs in 12 ,. 2009. The modifications made some areas of clients' profiles, for instance title, picture, gender and pals list - public instantly. The Ftc contended this threatened the "safety and healthInch of clients, simply, by submitting "potentially sensitive organizations" for instance political sights and sexual orientation. "In my opinion that a tiny bit of high-profile mistakes... have frequently overshadowed many of the great work we've done," Facebook Boss Mark Zuckerbergwrote in the blog publish, in line with the Journal. Related Subjects Mark Zuckerberg Facebook

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Gotham Honours 2011: Honorees Charlize Theron, Gary Oldman Reveal the muse Behind Their Work

There's very good news for online retailers this year: Black Friday Internet sales hopped 26 %, while Cyber Monday trading is forecasted to attain accurate documentation $1.2 billion, according to data released Sunday by general market trends firm ComScore.our editor recommendsLos Angeles Lady Who Pepper Spread Black Friday Customers Surrenders to PoliceTV Ratings: CBS Tops Black Friday With Holiday Special deals, 'Blue Bloods' PHOTOS: Finest Hollywood Splurges Black Friday online sales were up from $648 million a year ago to $816 million this year, with 50 million Us citizens likely to retail websites tomorrow, marking a 35% increase. Most likely probably the most visited site was Amazon . com . com -- with fifty percent more site site visitors than almost every other online shop -- then Wal-Mart, Biggest Score, Target and Apple. ComScore also mentioned that stores saw large increases too, and then the internet boost wasn't in the fee for bricks-and-mortar shops. STORY: 5 Misadventures in Black Friday Shopping This year's 26 % marked a bigger year-over-year improvement in comparison to 2010, which was up 9 % from the prior year. Meanwhile, ComScore is predicting that Cyber Monday sales frequently visit a $2 million increase over a year ago's $1 billion, which might set accurate documentation for your finest online trading day of year. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery 14 Christmas Roadtrip Reads Related Subjects

Saturday, November 26, 2011

The Hollywood Reporter's Writer Roundtable

Together, the six A-list screenwriters invited to participate in "The Hollywood Reporter's" annual awards-season roundtable have received a whopping 12 Academy Award nominations (plus five wins). But not once during the lively hourlong discussion at Hemingway's Lounge in Hollywood did the subject of awards or accolades come up. Instead, the panel -- Pedro Almodovar, 62 ("The Skin I Live In"), Dustin Lance Black, 37 ("J. Edgar"), Oren Moverman, 45 ("Rampart"), Eric Roth, 66 ("Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"), Aaron Sorkin, 50 ("Moneyball") and Steven Zaillian, 58 ("The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "Moneyball") -- discussed their insecurities, how Oscar winners can collaborate and what they would do if they couldn't write. "I always thought in the worst case to raise my family I could drive a taxi," said Roth, who won his Oscar for "Forrest Gump" and was nominated for "The Insider," "Munich" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." "I didn't think that was so horrible."The Hollywood Reporter: Forget, for a moment, all your success. What has been your worst experience as a writer? Pedro Almodovar: There is one awful, awful experience. May I say it? THR: That's why we're here. Almodovar: I made a movie about someone that wants to impersonate a transvestite ["Bad Education"]. They had the makeup artist make up an actor when he was asleep. Suddenly he woke up dressed as a woman and he started to have a panic attack. (Laughter.) Can you imagine? So I completely changed the script.THR: You changed the script once you started shooting? Almodovar: Yeah. Sometimes you have to do that. I don't know if directors ever ask you to change something. But everything is alive when you are shooting. Oren Moverman: That happens all the time. THR: If a director started shooting your script and said, "You know what? Let's change it," how would you react? Aaron Sorkin: Well, it'd be troubling. Frankly, I don't want the director to have to make any decisions except to say "action" and "cut." You want the script as tight as it can possibly be before the first day of rehearsal and certainly before the first day of shooting.THR: And what's been your worst experience as a screenwriter? Sorkin: My very first movie was "A Few Good Men," which was an adaptation of my play. There was an executive on the movie who gave me a note: "If Tom Cruise and Demi Moore aren't going to sleep with each other, why is Demi Moore a woman?" I said the obvious answer: Women have purposes other than to sleep with Tom Cruise.Eric Roth: I've had a lot of fights with certain people, like Michael Mann [on "Ali" and "The Insider"], who I love. The fights were good fights. They were about the creative things you should fight about. Another [bad experience] was a movie called "Mr. Jones," which was not a good movie. I liked the director, Mike Figgis. Eventually. But my wife [Debra Greenfield] was actually a producer on that. We got a call one day from the original director [not Figgis]. I sat at a little study and she was sitting on the couch and she answered the phone and she hung up and said, "You're fired." THR: You were fired by your wife? Roth: Yeah. Well, the studio fired me. I don't know. She said, "What should I do?" I said, "Well, go make this [movie]." THR: What is the relationship like when someone rewrites your script? Steven and Aaron, you share credit on "Moneyball." Did you talk to each other? Steven Zaillian: No, we didn't.Sorkin: We talked a tiny bit. I had just turned in the script for "The Social Network" to Sony, so they were pleased with me. This very dramatic event had just happened with "Moneyball" [when director Steven Soderbergh was fired shortly before production was to begin], and they wanted me to work on it. When you're being asked to rewrite any writer, it's a tricky situation. When you're asked to rewrite Steve Zaillian, who is a hall of famer, that's not a job you leap at. So, I told them that I could only do this with Steve's blessing. I tracked down Steve -- he was on vacation in Rome with his family and well, in his voice it didn't seem like being rewritten was Christmas morning for him. He was extremely gracious and generous and very professional. I'll never forget what he said: "Listen, do me a favor, don't change the movie. Just write more of it." So I took that note to heart.Zaillian: I meant if what they're looking for is for you to add something -- and that was how it was being advertised to me -- that's different than reconstructing something. That was easier to take.THR: Have you seen the finished film? Zaillian: Yeah. Here's the thing: Most people imagine that I wrote a script and Aaron rewrote a script and then the movie came out. It wasn't quite that simple. He wrote a draft, then I came back, then he came back, and we were both at a certain point working independently of each other on the same thing. Neither one of us is accustomed to that sort of thing happening. So it was tough. But the film turned out well. I don't think anyone ever said writing was easy, but the worst experiences have turned out well. THR: Give us an example. Zaillian: A long time ago, I wrote a script ["Searching for Bobby Fischer"] that a director wanted me to change in such a way that I thought it was going to wreck it. At a certain point, I said, "I really can't do any more." He said, "Well, here's the deal. If you don't do it, I'm just going to do it myself." So, psychologically and emotionally, I just detached at that moment. [Producer] Scott Rudin, who has some kind of radar about these things, called me and said, "How would you like to direct the movie?" That's how "Searching for Bobby Fischer" came about.Almodovar: This struggle against directors asking for silly things -- in my case, I'm the director, so I ask the silly things to myself. THR: What is your writing process like? Do you have regular hours? Sorkin: I envy writers that I hear about who go to their office at 9 and write until 5. And by write I mean they're actually typing. I go to an office every day and I throw a ball against the wall and I check ESPN and I talk to my friends and I order a pizza and I take a nap. For me, I'm an on/off switch. If I'm writing well, which means writing at all, really, then I'm happy. I can handle any problem. If I'm not writing, I'm miserable.Moverman: My process is very different. I made Rampart in a way where a lot of it is improvised, where I encourage the actors to throw out the script. I like it when it's alive like that. Maybe it's because I had the privilege of directing the last two films that I wrote that I feel there's a certain danger in going in without the plan beyond the script. I like the chaos of it. Dustin Lance Black: Clint Eastwood said, "I want to make it just like this," which you would think would be music to a writer's ears. [But] I like things that continue to change. That probably comes from having done TV, where things are always changing. So then it became this weird wrestling match where I was having to go to Clint Eastwood, who I was always afraid would shoot me in the face with a .44 Magnum, and say, "I want changes. I think this can be better and this can be leaner." But he wants to stick with the script. In his gut, that's what he liked.THR: You spent a year researching "J. Edgar" before you wrote. What do all of you do when you're not writing? Black: I do some drinking. Moverman: I took up guitar 10 years ago.Zaillian: I pay attention to my kids. Sorkin: I'm a father of a young daughter, so I'm happy to take up my time doing that. And I take a cello lesson once a week.Roth: I've got a lot of kids and grandchildren, and I like to gamble. No one judges you out there. No one gives a shit what you do. It's just you and the fates. I do write on a schedule, but I'll write during the day and then stop and go to the racetrack or play with the kids or whatever, then I'll work until 4 or 5 in the morning.Almodovar: When I'm not writing or directing, I'm promoting. This is how I summarize my life. So many of the ideas I have come when I am flying or even in a taxi when I'm in movement, going from somewhere to somewhere. Black: Airplanes are great. That's my favorite time to write -- when you're trapped.Roth: Really? I take a Percocet.Black: Putting Internet on airplanes is the worst invention ever because it was always a great time when you're isolated and feeling a little lonely.Sorkin: Do you write in hotel rooms, too?Black: Not so much, because then I want to go do something.Zaillian: Oh, I love it.Sorkin: Me, too.Zaillian: I write longhand. I'll put it into the computer once it's done. But the first draft will be longhand.Roth: I have a really old MOBI program [from the company] that went out of business. But I'm afraid to switch. I'm superstitious.Sorkin: There are certain clothes I want to write in. I wouldn't write in what I'm wearing right now. I have to get into looser clothes. I take a lot of showers during the day. It has nothing to do with germaphobia or anything like that. If I'm not writing well, I just want a new start. I take a shower, I change my clothes, I feel refreshed, I go at it again. Roth: I change the weather [in the script]. Sorkin: Speaking of the weather, the four or five days a year that it rains in Los Angeles, those are the best writing days. I declare it a holiday. "I'm writing today." There's just something very romantic and dramatic about the sight and the sound and everything having to do with rain.THR: What's the first step in your writing process? Zaillian: In the case of "Dragon Tattoo," the first step is to read the book and make notes and try to start seeing some semblance of the movie. One place that was important for me not to start was seeing the Swedish movie. I still haven't seen it.THR: Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish novelist who won a Nobel Prize, said writing is about solving problems, as opposed to pure creativity. Do you agree? Sorkin: There's a drive shaft that you have to build. That, for me, is entirely intention and obstacle. Somebody wants something, and something formidable is standing in their way of getting it. Until you've found that, you can't write. It'll just be finger-painting. You have to build a firm structure for a house before you can do the things that you want to do, the things that are fun to do, which is writing a lot of dazzling [dialogue] you know, the reason we all became writers. Any time you're in trouble, if you just go back to the poetics, just go back to Aristotle, a 64-page pamphlet that essentially gives the rules of what drama is. Chances are you have broken one of those rules.Black: That's the challenge with these real-life stories, which a lot of us have done. Lives aren't lived by Aristotle's poetics. They're not. They're not necessarily in those acts. So for me, I get all these wonderful, interesting things that I learn about people, and I put them all on note cards. And then I have this very small table in my house and I arrange them into something that fits I love the constraint of the counter because it makes it so that it will fit into a movie. If you've found that spine, hopefully at the end of the day you have a movie instead of just a timeline. THR: Is there anything you can't write? Let's throw out a test: the Oscars show. Moverman: Why would you want to write it? Sorkin: I'm going to take the opposite approach. Why don't they ask us? (Laughter.)Roth: I'm sure [producer Brian Grazer] will call you tomorrow morning. He happened to write me last night, and I said good luck. Sorkin: I hope that Brian does a really good show. It always baffles me that the greatest entertainers in the world cannot put on a show that honors movies.Roth: But the Writers Guild show, which is written by writers, is not your best evening. (Laughter.) Zaillian: If there's one thing that I think everybody would agree on is that the Oscars are too long. They don't let us make four-hour movies. If it was shorter, it would be better.Sorkin: I would look at the best of the Oscars from over the years. I think you would find that the greatest moments in the Oscars, aside from who's winning and who's not, are tributes that really say, "Hey, film is the one truly indigenous American art form. We're great at it. It moves people. It changes people. It makes you laugh. It makes you cry. It makes you do all those things and just celebrate it. Run as far as you can from cheesy."THR: Wait -- do you all agree film is the one American indigenous art form? Black: Jazz, man. Almodovar: It's a difficult question. It was not invented here. But the major industry is the American industry.THR: He said art form. Not industry. Sorkin: It's a big business too, but we still make very good movies here. So do a lot of other people, but I think we have every right to claim this as ours.THR: Chaplin, Hitchcock, Erich von Stroheim, the French new wave. There are very strong arguments against this being the American indigenous art form. Almodovar: Now I don't think it's an art form here, though there are a lot of exceptions. Sorkin: But excuse me, you named some people who were not born in America but came here to make movies. Charlie Chaplin did not stay in England and make movies, and neither did Alfred Hitchcock.Roth: But don't you think the key word is "indigenous"? Obviously, it's an art form all over the world. But indigenous is what made it unique to America. THR: Lance, did you ever want to do anything other than write? You've had success very young. Black: Oh, yeah. I was in theater for a long time. I grew up in theater as an outlet, because I was so shy. My mom thought, "Oh, maybe we'll break him of hisshyness problem and put him in theater." Instead, I met a bunch of fabulous gay people and it took me in a different direction.THR: Were you offended when then-Oscars producer Brett Ratner said, "rehearsal's for fags"? Black: Absolutely. Of course. I think a lot of people were, not just gay people. But I also read the letter he put out [to apologize] and I found it incredibly moving. So, I'll go on record: I absolutely forgave him. I hope he does the things he said he's doing in that letter. Those are learning experiences. We all mess up. It's what you do on the other side that counts."The Hollywood Reporter" continues its annual series of exclusive discussions among the year's most compelling film talents. As awards season unfolds, look for upcoming roundtables with actors, producers and animation filmmakers, and go to "The Reporter's" website to watch videos of the full discussions. The Hollywood Reporter

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Fall TV Report Card: How's the completely new Class Doing?

Last Guy Standing, Homeland, The X Factor Lots of new shows, insufficient time! With numerous fall TV casualties already - RIP Charlie's Angels, Playboy Club, Free Agents, How to be a Gentleman and H8R (which is not searching too ideal for Prime Suspect or Guy Up either) - you are prepared to assess what's worth keeping inside your Digital video recorder, and what you might safely skip.For the moment, we're towards the top of American Horror Story, a spooky mash-up unlike other activities on tv, and Homeland, a twisty thriller moored by two riveting performances. We're cautiously tolerant of Suburgatory, for people who miss Gilmore Women, however there is a shows we're thisclose to ditching...May be the favorite show in danger? Have a look at our report on 10 inchpercolateInch showsRead onto observe we view fall TV's newcomer class to date.2 Broke Women (CBS)The Truly Amazing: Jesse Behrs' Caroline is endearing, and Kat Dennings' Max is vulnerable, hiding behind barbs. Are both damaged together, they're great pals together with an excellent team. Their chemistry creates a fun - and funny - rapport and repartee. Plus: The show values the current economic climate, unlike nearly every other Tv program.Harmful: It is really an old Odd Couple trope as well as the males within the diner are very frequently simply borderline offensive ethnic stereotypes.Grade: B+Allen Gregory (Fox)The Truly Amazing: Sunday nights on Fox is how for prime-time animated comedy, as well as the show features some pretty funny folks, including executive producer/star Jonah Hill, Leslie Mann, French Stewart and Family Guy alum David Goodman.Unhealthy: This show isn't as funny since the other "Animation Domination" suggests that surround it. Despite the fact that we have the premise involves an uncharacteristically mature and insufferably rude 7-year-old, we don't like how a show causes us to hate somewhat kid.Grade: C-American Horror Story (Foreign exchange) The Truly Amazing: All due respect for the other bone-chilling ghost tales in the last decade (Others, The Sixth Sense) but we're really digging Ryan Murphy's hyper-sexual, revenge-bent house of problems. It's a ghoulish frightening movie mash-tabs on honours-worthy performances by cursed grand dames Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy and Connie Britton, in addition to Kate Mara just like a mistress scorned who's prepared to boil greater than bunnies.Unhealthy: Less is not more here. Nonetheless they could nix the actual-crime stuff - the killings in "Open House," Eric Stonestreet's submit "Piggy Piggy" - and not miss a beat.Grade: A-Enlightened (Cinemax)The Truly Amazing: Everyone really wants to become good people. However, if someone like Amy (Laura Dern) really tries - carrying out a workplace meltdown together with a subsequent stint inside a Modern rehab type in Hawaii- it's painful, heart-breaking, uncomfortable and advantageous all concurrently. Meaning, it's pretty funny, compelling stuff.Unhealthy: Nonetheless, her struggle is actually relatable it's also kind of a downer.Grade: A-A Gifted Guy (CBS)The Truly Amazing: The show's supernatural premise - hotshot neurosurgeon Michael is advised with the ghost of his dead ex-wife to frequently people who can't afford him - increased to become simple, even compelling sell as deftly completed by Patrick Wilson and Jennifer Ehle.Unhealthy: Michael's progress so far is much better made clear by Paula Abdul: two steps forward, two steps back. Could he become even rather less selfish before year's finish? Also, it's still virtually a medical procedural, which is difficult to stay with it when Michael's cases are a smaller amount interesting than, say, the mysteries House reaches solve.Grade: B-Grimm (NBC)The Truly Amazing: Since the amusing Large Bad Wolf Eddie Monroe, Silas Weir Mitchell steals the show from former reality star-switched-leading guy David Giuntoli. We appreciate the series' less whimsical approach to childhood favorite anecdotes.Unhealthy: There's just no avoiding the show's tired procedural format. Everyone knows the show ought to be dark tonally, nevertheless the show generally is actually dark. We now have required to strain our eyes in more than a few moments to find out what is happening.High quality: CHart of Dixie (CW)The Truly Amazing: Rachel Bilson sure is cute! And that we will always be very happy to see Friday Evening Lights alums like Scott Porter on our TV screens. Plus: The show feels as if a bit of the throwback for the days when shows with heart (get it?) ruled the airwaves at CW's predecessor The WB.Unhealthy: Summer season Roberts just like a hot-shot heart surgeon? Less. As unbelievable might be the show's nearly cartoonish Southern stereotyping: The town is called Bluebell, gators named Burt Reynolds run loose, and twangy town folk gawk within the new Yankee inside their presence.Grade: CHomeland (Showtime)The Truly Amazing: In the cast that's solid completely through, stars Claire Danes and Damian Lewis give outstanding performances as two different damaged figures. The intricate plotting is stuffed with twists and surprises that stop us engaged (and taking a chance), nevertheless the character study of Barbara and Brody is actually that some days, the show's central question - is Brody a terrorist? - doesn't even matter.Unhealthy: Hardly any, though we'd wanted the producers would resist the necessity to possess Barbara and Brody connect so soon.Grade: A+Last Guy Standing (ABC)The Truly Amazing: The show introduced Tim Allen to series television, as well as the supporting cast of girls surrounding him (Nancy Travis, Alexandra Krosney, Molly Ephraim, and Justified standout Kaitlyn Dever) are enjoyable enough.Unhealthy: Allen's a vintage dog which has not learned any new techniques. He's playing a less enjoyable version of Tim "The Tool Guy" Taylor. But it's its not all his fault: Creator Jack Burditt found the funny on 30 Rock and New Adventures of Old Christine. The problem here's everyone seems being on auto-pilot.Grade: C-New Girl (Fox)The Truly Amazing: Jess only seems like indie hipster full Zooey Deschanel. Jess can be a nerd, although an attractive one, which has trouble saying "penis" and cries to Dirty Dancing. So enough with (500) Occasions of Summer season critiques already!Unhealthy: We're large fans in Nick and Schmidt, nevertheless the show doesn't appear to understand what associated with Winston (Lamorne Morris), Jess' personality-free third roommate.Grade: A-Not Such A Long Time Ago (ABC)The Truly Amazing: The ambitious designers from the show have crafted two fully recognized cell phone industry's with large story ideas. Fortunately, there's a gifted, compelling cast (Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin, Lana Parilla, Robert Carlyle) that to talk about them.Unhealthy: The show's split world might be confusing. The "real-world" versions in the mythic figures aren't as interesting their whimsical options, and you'll find moments when the fairytale world looks cheap and silly. (But as created by two veterans in the Lost writing staff, the show clearly favors queries to solutions.)Grade: B-Person of curiosity (CBS)The Truly Amazing: We'd watch Michael Emerson see the phonebook. Even though the show is a lot more procedural than we'd initially wanted, its usage of technology and vigilante heroes give a quality for the genre. Plus: The cat-and-mouse game between Caviezel's Reese and Taraji P. Henson's Detective Carter raises the most effective from the Fugitive.Unhealthy: Caviezel edges on charisma-free. Also: The dialogue might be, like the opening credits sequence, irritatingly expositional.Grade: BRevenge (ABC)The Truly Amazing: You thought one girl plotting revenge against well-to-do Hamptonites may get tedious each week? Much less! Especially avoid Tyler as well as the real Emily Thorne going to town to exhibit Amanda's master plan upside-lower.Unhealthy: Daniel (eventually) won us over, but everyone knows he'll soon disappear permanently. Will the trial for his murder be as suspenseful and surprising as precisely what introduced around itGrade: BRinger (CW)The Truly Amazing: Cheesy, soapy, murder-mystery fun with Sarah Michelle Gellar playing estranged twin brothers and sisters individually on the go - what's not to like? (Did we point out that certain in the brothers and sisters can be a former junkie stripper? As well as the other can be a murderous socialite with no qualms about ensnaring sis in their dubious plans?)Unhealthy: If you're not into cheese, and a lot of it... Grade: BThe Secret Circle (CW)The Truly Amazing: The show shares an origin-material author plus an executive producer with this particular TV obsession The Vampire Journals: But instead of blood stream-drawing, there's crazy miracle!Unhealthy: The story can frequently be considered a little slow and disconnected, only sometimes departing us ravenous for an additional episode. Plus: We're not one hundred percent devoted to certain figures (ahem, Diana), that don't seem to possess much cause of being.Grade: C+Suburgatory (ABC)The Truly Amazing: It's like the half-hour Gilmore Women, with Jeremy Sisto just like a less hyper Lorelai and Jane Levy just like a prickly (but nevertheless adorable) Rory. Yes, please!Unhealthy: Sometimes the suburbanites of Chatswin are colored a touch too stupid, just like "Charitable organization Situation," where Tessa found that her childhood friends - and guidance counselor -- have no idea what "desperate" means, as well as the best way to spell it.Grade: B+Terra Nova (Fox)The Truly Amazing: And so the villains within our story use function as folks later on who would like to strip Terra Nova of the natural assets to think about in order to save miserable, depleted 2149. Commander Taylor and Jim desire to stop them and safeguard their untouched paradise. Huh. That might be interesting...Unhealthy: However i seemed to be guaranteed dinosaur action! Sadly, there's nothing close to Jurassic Park money here -- plus it shows. Prehistoric swordfish, really? Ultimately, the dinosaurs aren't a threat, meaning there's nothing to draw attention away us within the boring Shannon family within the show's center.Grade: C-Memorable (CBS)The Truly Amazing: We now have missed Poppy Montgomery's charms owing to no Trace was canceled. She's excellent chemistry with co-star Dylan Walsh and, even though they're usually without anyone's understanding, we're large fans of supporting players Michael Gaston and Kevin Rankin.Unhealthy: It's a totally run-of-the-mill "procedural getting a twist." (Barbara recalls everything! Well, apart from who destroyed her sister.) And even though fixing crimes can be a tough job, the show could really will lighten just a little.Quality: C+Up With The Evening (NBC)The Truly Amazing: Reagan and Chris certainly are a stylish youthful couple attempting to sit around having a completely new baby. It's a welcome spin round the new parents yarn, which is mostly organized by proven funny people Christina Applegate, Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph.Unhealthy: But not one of them from this is terribly, you understand, funny. Also: The workplace antics of Rudolph's Ava, a self-obsessed talk show host who's Reagan's boss and nearest friend, feel irritatingly wedged to the misadventures of being a parent. Grade: C+Whitney (NBC)The Truly Amazing: Stars Whitney Cummings and Chris D'Elia, who result from stand-up, can artists, in addition to their chemistry is probably the show's handful of vibrant spots. And, hey, Jane Kaczmarek is Whitney's mother!Unhealthy: The show can be a bad translation of Cummings' stand-up. She's spouting punch lines rather than dialogue. A lot of the supporting figures is a-note ciphers as well as the show simply feels abnormal while using other NBC comedies surrounding it.Grade: DThe X Factor(Fox)The Truly Amazing: Simon Cowell can be as unforgiving of course. Paula Abdul's, er, erratic ways still surprise. And of all the music competition shows, X Factor's got most likely probably the most diverse quantity of participants, in the seriously good 14-year-old rapper to have an all-girl country pop group with a soulful (and good-searching) 60-year-old singer-songwriter. Unhealthy: Nicole Scherzinger might be poor people, nay, broke man's alternative for Cheryl Cole, the first fourth judge ripped so out of the blue out of your already won-over hearts earlier inside the season.Grade: B+

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

NBC orders 'Munsters' pilot

NBC has bought an plane pilot from Universal Television and creator Bryan Bigger that will reinvent sixties comedy series "The Munsters" just like a one-hour drama.The very first order wasn't unforeseen thinking about the truth that the script remains buzzed about since the previous development season, if this was published. Project is mentioned to reimagine the titular number of monsters in the world getting a lighter tone like the primary one Bigger brought to existence in ABC's "Pushing Daisies," they professional produced."Munsters" marks NBC's third drama pilot order as of this still-initial phase in development season. The other day, the network clicked on up advanced hour "Beautiful People" from Universal and ABC Art galleries. Its first pickup was "Blue Tilt," a cop drama from Chris Brancato ("Law and Order: Criminal Intent") with Ethan Hawke and Vincent D'Onofrio attached (Universal TV Intl.).NBC has furthermore acquired some comedy aircraft aircraft pilots: "Isabel," an adaptation of Canadian series "Le Monde p Charlotte now now" from Universal TV, Kapital Entertainment and Sphere Media and "Save Me," of a lady which has any kind of accident and subsequently thinks they has acquired an opportunity to funnel God, in the new the new sony Pictures Television and Original Film.Universal has the intellectual property for "Munsters," which required its start just like a series on CBS in 1964, running for just two seasons. The organization has produced TV and movie spinoffs plus a series revival in 1988, "The Munsters Today." Project certifies that systems were not frightened taken off franchise reboots no matter the fast demise of "Charlie's Angels" on ABC. CBS must luck the last season while using robust revival of "Hawaii 5-."Reboots never fall an excessive amount of from favor because based on so-referred to as pre-offered game game titles produces high awareness levels among clients inside the cluttered fall season.Scripts in your mind for your 2012-13 season were filled with reimaginations of well-known game game titles of yore, within the potential CBS project based on "Bewitched" to serializations more contemporary filmic characteristics including "Source Code" (CBS) and "The Lincoln subsequently subsequently Lawyer" (ABC).NBC is not any exception for the trend. Besides "Munsters," the Peacock is mulling a revival in the 1967 cult classic "Valley in the Dolls" from Chernin Entertainment as well as the 1984 Michael Douglas-Kathleen Turner vehicle "Romancing the Stone." Bigger has proven a penchant for refreshing known amounts elsewhere. NBC has furthermore already acquired his drama pilot "Hannibal," good Hannibal Lector character, from Universal TV and Gaumont Intl. Round the feature side, he's "Pinocchio" in development with Serta Jinks at Warner Bros. Bigger is repped by WME. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Glenn Beck Talks Digital Media Revolution, Capitalism

NY - Former Fox News host Glenn Beck, that has centered on building digital media offers, stated here Tuesday that his emerging multimedia empire might be many years in front of it is time, and can prove that it's on course. The host from the Glenn Beck Program and founding father of live streaming network GBTV, that charges a regular membership fee of $9.95 per month, spoke at Ad Age's ME Conference: Media Developed in Manhattan inside a keynote interview carried out by Betsy Morgan, leader of Beck's companion news site The Blaze. GBTV had 230,000 having to pay subs if this released, Morgan outlined, stating that the Mercury Digital Network, that also includes the Blaze, GlennBeck.com and e-commerce site Markdown, overall will get a lot more than 50 % of their revenue from digital companies. "I don't consider [ourselves] an electronic company," Beck told the conference though. "I consider ourselves more a tale telling company along with a content company. The way in which we deliver it's secondary." But he stressed that concentrating on traditional media delivery might have stored him from helping pioneer new models. "We're near revolution" that's as profound because the Industrial Revolution was, and can happen considerably faster, Beck stated. "We'll discover soon whether we're too soon or otherwise.Inch His estimate was that his concentrate on a brand new kind of media empire might be 3 to 5 years in front of it is time. But carrying out a tipping point in media industry, "delivery as you would like it" will end up the conventional, he predicted. The revolution that's within the works "is about the person,Inch he added. "It's so near to the American Revolution. It's in regards to you.Inch He told his audience that consequently, later on, no media executive would reach tell customers which show is off or on. "The times of 500 sitting channels [are] over," Beck stated. "You need to know exactly what you areInch and who your audience is. In the end, people nowadays search for myriad opinions on different sites where they are fully aware what to anticipate. For the reason that context, Beck also stated he doesn't know anybody younger than 30 who watches TV, although people from the generation age 50-plus aren't using iPads. Still, Beck stressed he feels he or she must provide TV quality in the online offers. Mentioning the Today show only agreed to be at his studio, and also the Today team was impressed, he stated: "Should you're likely to pioneer this, you need to hit the conventional - that old defacto standard.Inch Nevertheless, he predicted that in in the future, "television will go completely interactive," that will permit a customized pace for complicated news. For instance, Beck stated he really wants to design something where if he mentions the term "digital," audiences can take their mouse on that word and pull-up a dumbed lower or "dumbed up" explanation from the word. Requested if all of this ongoing personalization he needs means that ESPN is going to be available a la carte later on, and therefore customers can pick to obtain or otherwise have it inside a pay TV package, Beck stated he doesn't expect much change "for some time.Inch Talking about what they are called of his online companies, Beck stated the Blaze took its title in the scriptural burning rose bush as fire sometimes safeguards and often destroys - similar to the truth. Meanwhile, GBTV can include his initials in the title, but "I didn't wish to title by using my title because what we should're building isn't about me and may't actually cover me," he stated, adding that others involved with it wanted his title onto it. Evaluating GBTV to some Netflix of knowledge, he added: "It should be larger.Inch Beck also designed a reference to the present debate concerning the condition of capitalism as elevated through the Occupy Wall Street movement yet others. "We're at a time of capitalism, not socialism," Beck contended. But capitalism is becoming "dirty" and "filled with thieves." This means that capitalism too frequently is becoming corruption, he stated. Beck also briefly pointed out a brand new studio that he's building in Texas. One idea for any feature within the studio is a huge screen that shows what individuals involved in real-time social networking conversations are curious about, he stated.Talking about his policy on advertisements, Beck stated he or she must either personally make use of a product or has his team study onto it to determine if he is able to endorse it. "I guard my credibility," Beck stated. For instance, he canceled Vehicle advertisements when the organization was bailed by the government. Stated Beck: "I'm able to't endorse you while railing against large government relief."His advice to entrepreneurs would be to not discriminate between your political right and left or any other distinctions. "Respect the consumer[s] even when you don't accept them," he stated. The Hollywood Reporter earlier within the day had solely reported that GBTV was joining up with Howard Gordon's Icebox to have an animated series. Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com Twitter: @georgszalai Related Subjects Glenn Beck

Monday, November 14, 2011

Director Sam Levinson on Another Happy Day, Learning from Dad, and Ellen Barkin's 'F*cking Genius' Twitter Account

comments: 2 || add yours In his debut feature Another Happy Day, director Sam Levinson (yep, Barry’s son) worked with a cast including actors who’ve been legends since before he was born in 1985: Ellen Barkin, Ellen Burstyn, George Kennedy, Demi Moore, Thomas Haden Church, and newcomer Ezra Miller play stubborn, dysfunctional family members who bicker, spar, and essentially fail to communicate at a tumultuous wedding. Levinson garnered the 2011 Sundance Film Festival Waldo Salt screenwriting award for penning Another Happy Day, and — like Barkin on Twitter — is proving himself to be a fearsome, perceptive, and honest voice. We phoned Levinson to discuss his father’s influence, why he screened Carnal Knowledge for his cast and crew, and Ellen Barkin’s amazing candor. How are you today, Sam? I’m doing OK considering I’m in Los Angeles! I have a hard time acclimating to L.A. Going to get a bite to eat is so fucking difficult. It’s like a four-hour journey. I mean, driving! Then parking! You can’t just walk to the deli — it kills me! It literally kills me. I swear to God, if I lived here — I mean, I now understand anorexia. Because it is so fucking inconvenient, you just starve to death. I understand why the girls are terribly skinny here. We need you on AMA panels. Yes! I would love to argue with a good psychologist about my thoughts on anorexia. What was your experience like with movies and moviemaking growing up? Did you have to discover a love for film independently of your father’s influence, or were you so familiar with his job that becoming a director was a natural step? I didn’t grow up on movie sets. My father went away to work like most people’s parents do, except he’d go away to work for two or three months instead of nine to five or six. Maybe we’d visit him for two or three days, but that’s just like “Take Your Kid to Work Day.” It wasn’t like I was on set and he was saying, “So now we’re going to be shooting this on a 35mm lens, and we’ll be doing a tracking shot.” There was never any of that. I didn’t grow up in that environment, but I grew up with two artist parents who were storytellers. My father is a director, and my mother is an abstract expressionist painter. In terms of how I discovered films, I can’t remember an age when I wasn’t watching as many films per day as I could. It was literally anything from a very early age. I remember sneaking downstairs to watch HBO and Cinemax and Showtime. I was five, six years old and watching zombie films, softcore porn, and classic films. It was just a bizarre mixture, and then I’d go upstairs and go to sleep. As I got older, I continued to watch film and pretty much dropped out of high school in ninth grade when I was 14. I did a form of home-schooling which was called, “Read the newspaper every day.” I went to this little art school for three hours where I studied printmaking and photography and painting. But anyway, I became informed about cinema, and then I’d talk to my father about it. We’d actually have discussions about film, this and that. I don’t think I was encouraged to go into this deal, but I do remember my mother saying to me, “I hope this works out because if it doesn’t, you’re fucked. You’re not particularly good at anything else.” It’s what I always wanted to do, make film. I don’t remember when I didn’t. I credit both of them for saying to me, directly or indirectly, “It’s OK to be an artist.” I think that was a really beautiful gift that they gave me. It’s OK to be an artist, but you need to earn a living. “We’re not gonna support any bullshit.” I worked in advertising and architecture as I went to school — method acting. I did rewrites on other films so I could earn a living. I think that answers your question. Actually, I know that answers your question and more! In Another Happy Day, you chronicle a family’s dysfunction. I’ve read that you sat at your parents’ kitchen table and just spat out the script in no time. Where did this idea come from? I actually didn’t really invent the characters — I invented the character of Lynn (Barkin), but I had no idea where the story was going to go; I didn’t invent the rest of the cast. As each scene would progress, I would say, I might say, “I’ll have this character here.” I would sort of figure out who they were as I followed this journey. It was a visceral writing experience, and not all writing experiences are like that. I wrote this in three weeks. It just poured out of me. I did two days worth of revisions. But in reality, that’s rare. The script I’m almost finished with at the moment has taken me about a year to write. It’s also a very different type of film. With this, I’d just write a scene and see what comes next. If I know what comes next, I know that the scene before it works. If I don’t know what comes next, I know I’ve written something that doesn’t quite work, so I would tweak until I could figure out which scene comes next. Writing this script was a really beautiful experience, which was nice because writing is usually a fucking horrible experience. As much as I love it, writing is just painful. I wanted the characters to find their own way. The only thing I begin with when I write is a certain theme, or a certain idea. I have shots in my head. But I don’t know how I’m going to get to this idea — how I’m going to work underneath this theme, or how I’m going to get this specific shot. I want to find it organically. I wanted to deal with a group of people who have to figure out how to communicate — or not! I wanted to deal it in a very nonjudgmental way. I mean, we have 2,000 years of writing that deals with family. Hamlet is a dysfunctional family. But I wanted to talk about things I was feeling at the time; there were a lot of judgmental films being made [when I wrote the film], and how those actions reverberate — and once they reverberate, how other characters react to them. Are they able to take a step back and try to understand the motivation behind the action before they just respond? That was very important to me. That was a theme I really wanted to deal with. I feel like this is reactive way of communicating is what is truly eroding our country and this world. There is no real discourse anymore. There is just reaction and judgment. We’re slowly kind of crumbling because of it. This family is nothing but a microcosm for the country we live in. We’re fucking stuck with our family and we’re fucking stuck with our country. We have to find way some to communicate or we’re just going to float off into the sea. Sounds like you’re talking specifically about the media, to a certain degree. It’s the internet, it’s also the reflection of — I mean, there’s a specific reason why there’s a different news channel in each of the parents’ and grandparents’ bedroom [in Another Happy Day]. Cable news has created this idea that there’s no such thing as a fact. Or just truth. There’s always “two sides” to it. There’s always an argument that can be had over a fact, which doesn’t make any fucking sense whatsoever. I mean, everyone gets an equal box. You can have a fucking lunatic like Pat Robertson who has no credibility whatsoever — I mean, whoever sold him his suit should be taken out — of the suit-making business [laughs]. I’m glad I said that. Pat’s up there with Richard Dawkins, who’s an evolutionary biologist. These two people do not exist on the same plane; they do not exist in two equal-sized boxes. One is a credible human being and the other is not. There’s no argument here. It becomes like a soap opera. You just wonder, “What would happen if suddenly Pat Robertson had a moment of rationality for the first time in his life and said, ‘Richard Dawkins, I never thought of it that way. I think you’re right.’” Chris Matthews would just melt. It would just all come to an end. It would be stunning. You’re waiting for the anti-Network! A triumphant moment of reason. Well, I’m never waiting for the ‘Anti-Network.’ I mean, Network is my savior — to put it lightly. You can’t get any better than Paddy Chayefsky in any realm in any film. What’s great about that movie is the only way you actually understand this culture is through literally the kind of — and he did the same with healthcare in The Hospital — the health of our citizens is through screwball comedy. Same thing with The Americanization of Emily. Same thing with Preston Sturges in Hail the Conquering Hero. And the same thing with Network — it’s just too fucking absurd. Or Margin Call — which just came to mind. I really liked it. I watched that and wondered, “I wonder what the screwball version of this would be — of the banking crisis.” The flipside of it. I read that you really had Mike Nichols and Woody Allen on the brain when you were directing this. Did you recall specific scenes from Carnal Knowledge or Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? when you were working? Yes. In fact, I screened Carnal Knowledge for a lot of the cast and key crew. I screened Carnal Knowledge and They Shoot Horses, Don’t They — which is mind-blowing. Only the best movie ever! The direction is mind-boggling. Michael Sarrazin? Just heartbreaking. Such an amazing, amazing film in every way. We look at it now, and we think, “That’s where we’re about to go as a country.” Dance ‘til you drop. That movie really, really destroys me. But Mike Nichols for sure, especially when you look at Carnal Knowledge and how effortless that film feels in the way in which it’s shot and edited — it just seems so clean and simple and beautiful. And yet, you realize the amount of preparation that a film like that takes. And in Hannah and Her Sisters, with Carlo de Palma and Woody Allen, those gorgeous shots, that fluidity is what I personally want to strive for, in filmmaking. With Virginia Woolf too, there’s never a scene in these movies where the director says, “I’m sorry to everyone who’s watching the film — take a two-minute pause and check out this amazing shot. Then we’ll get back to the story.” It’s like a commercial break for the director. There’s no commercial break for the director. It’s just integrated into the characters in order to push the story forward. You just don’t even notice it until you watch it over and over again. You keep realizing all these new things. What’s it like as basically a first-time director to direct actors who’ve been veterans since before you were born. George Kennedy? Ellen Burstyn? Even Ellen Barkin was in your dad’s Diner before you were born. I’m not basically a first-time director — I am a first-time director! My chief job with any actor is to make sure the environment they’re working in is one that is protected — err, protective. Let me get my grammar together! But truly, it’s about creating a place where every actor feels like as much time as they need in order to flourish and fail and make mistakes and find their way. I studied method acting for four years, and not because I ever wanted to be an actor, but because it helped me to be a better writer and director. It helped me communicate in their language. Once you create that protective environment, and once the actors feel safe and like they won’t be judged, you will always get the best out of them. You’re dealing with something mysterious and intangible, that moment when an actor moves from who they are in real life into this character. That leap that none of us quite comprehend, you want to make sure that when they take that leap, everyone around them is ready to catch them. Let’s talk about Ellen Barkin’s Twitter account. Did you help inspire her decision to tweet? To be honest, no! Not really. I think she somewhat inspired me, as I think she has a lot of people. I joined Twitter a couple months ago and never really understood it. Now I think it’s a great way to read the news. I follow print journalists I like, and their articles get posted immediately. I’m able to read The Times and Mother Jones, etc. etc. In terms of Ellen’s Twitter, it’s just fucking hysterical. I don’t know! It is who she is in many ways. Having worked with her, I know when she’s being somewhat playful. I also know when she’s disturbed about things that are going on. But as a human being, she’s got a certain tough exterior, but at the same time she wears her heart on her sleeve. It’s sort of a great insight. She’s also maybe the wittiest person I’ve ever met. It’s funny to see some of these tweets. I just saw that she was on CBS’s The Talk, and she took a picture that they have backstage, and it says, “Please tweet about The Talk.” Then it said, “@cbs” or whatever. So she tweeted, “Don’t tell me what to do, motherfuckers!” It’s pure, unbridled, unfiltered genius. Another Happy Day opens in NY and L.A. November 18. Follow Louis Virtel on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter. Tagged: another happy day, demi moore, ellen barkin, ellen burstyn, george kennedy, sam levinson

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Big Media 3Q Corporate Earnings Roundup: Are CEOs Really Worried About Recession? Or Just Looking For Convenient Excuse?

Three months ago,when Big Media CEOs wrapped up their 2Q earnings,they were still relentlessly upbeat about the business. Any worries about the economy? Not then. But the messages they delivered over the past few weeks, as they discussed 3Q, were different. Although they’re still optimistic — remember, they’re paid to be salesmen — now and then you could hear expressions of concern about where things are headed. It stood out when Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman noted thatad sales growth will face some headwinds. Other CEOs who are known for speaking bluntlywarned that other shocks may bedevil the business.For example, Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen said that his satellite company — and others in pay TV — have to fight harder against rising programming costs because theres a limit to the price increases that could be passed on to consumers. Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt warned that premium channels such as HBO, Showtime and Starz are clearly impacted by the economy as consumers try to cut back. Either they’re genuinely worried, or they want a scapegoat to blame for things that are going bad, or may soon do so. Whatever the case, we can expect to hear a lot more about the economy when it’s time for the post-mortem on the all-important 4Q earnings. As for industry performance matters,parents of movie studios had their usual mixed results to brag about or explain away: Time Warner benefitted from Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2. Viacom was up on Transformers: Dark Of The Moon. And News Corp beat its chest about Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes and X-Men: First Class. But Disneys Cars 2 was no match for last years Toy Story 3. Comcasts Universal Pictures had nothing to compare to last years Despicable Me. Lionsgate suffered from Conan The Barbarian and Warrior. And DreamWorks Animations Kung Fu Panda 2 didnt contribute as much in the quarter as Shrek Forever After did in the same period last year. Over at the TV networks, Comcasts NBC underperformed the Streets already modest expectations. Execs at almost all the companies were eager to talk about the cash they expect to collect soon from political ads — as well as their favorite new ATM machines: retransmission consent deals and digital streamers including Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix. Speaking of Netflix, CEO Reed Hastings once again tried to reassure investors that hes focused on building back our reputation and brand strength after his decision in July to slap a 60% price increase on customers who wanted to continue to rent DVDs and stream videos. In 3Q Netflix lost 57.7% of its market value and 800,000 subscribers. And since that customer loss was bigger than projected, Netflix shares continued to fall — they’renowdown 67.3% since July 1. Here are some other themes from the latest earnings reports: Ad sales: They’s good, but for how long? Most television networks report that scatter prices are comfortably above the upfront market from this past summer. CBS chief Les Moonves says prices in 4Q are up by mid-teens on a percentage basis, while Discovery says it sees least high single digit percentages. But Disneys Bob Iger noted that scatter prices have slowed slightly these last few weeks. Kurt Hall of National CineMedia — the leading seller of ads in movie theaters — was far more direct when he spoke to analysts after ratcheting down his companys financial forecasts. “I’m sure that the broadcast and cable guys are sitting there now counting their lucky stars they got their upfront done before August, he told analysts. There’s a lot of uncertainty. Pay TV: Little evidence in 3Q for the argument that masses of cable, satellite and telco TV subscribers are ready to cut the pay TV cord. Traditional pay TV companiescollectively lost 31,000 subs — an improvement from the 464,000 lost in 2Q — Wells Fargo analyst Marci Ryvicker calculates. But pay TV has become a zero-sum game, Bernstein Research analyst Craig Moffett notes, and as video programming margins are relentlessly compressing, subscriber growth is critical to the story. Whats more, there was a striking slowdown in sales of cable-provided phone services — possibly because many consumers are dropping landlines and relying on cell phones. That has some analysts wondering whether the industry can continue to drum up business by offering discounted Triple Play packages for TV, broadband, and phone. Stock Buybacks: They were more popular in 3Q than they were in 2Q. Sumner Redstones companies, Viacom and CBS, increased their authorizations. Time Warner, Comcast, and Disney accelerated their buys during the quarter while News Corp and Comcast kept on pace with their previous plans. This is what you do when you can’t persuade stockholders you havesmarter ways to invest their cash. Movies: Not as much talk about the merits or liabilities of 3D this time around as theater owners mostly exceeded expectations:Potter and Transformers 3 helped to boost attendance in 3Q with people paying higher prices for tickets and popcorn. Cinemark called 3Q a record quarter. And exhibitors are optimistic about the next six weeks. Regal CEO Amy Miles noted that last year’s holiday box office season was disappointing, which provides a relatively easy comparison for 4Q. Most said that theyd be glad to talk to studios about plans for premium VOD or to change the payment schemes for 3D glasses — as long as theaters dont have to suffer. But RealD, the company that supplies most of the glasses as well as other 3D technology, is feeling some pain. Its market value declined 12.2% since it announced that Samsung pulled out of deal to make screens for 3D televisions using RealDs technology.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Cheers & Jeers: two and a half Men's New Good-Time Charlie

Jon Cryer Cheers to Jon Cryer for pointing Charlie's spirit on two and a half Males. Want more Cheers & Jeers? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now! Inside the hit CBS sitcom's funniest episode since Ashton Kutcher's debut, his Emmy-winning costar paid out an properly irreverent tribute to his greatly departed TV brother. "I don't miss the give an impression of vomit and lubricant every morning,In . Cryer's Alan mentioned of Charlie Sheen - er, Harper. "However do miss him." Our prime jinks really got crazy when Alan experienced a psychotic break and adopted Charlie's identity, wearing a bowling shirt and experiencing a concept of cigars, cocktails - together with a voluptuous neighbor (The Event's Taylor Cole). Still, Kutcher got the episode's best line: After Alan found written music, panties, drug paraphernalia together with a vibrator in Charlie's old piano bench, he known as them "tunes, thongs, bongs and schlongs." If poking fun at this line is wrong, I don't wanna be right. Perhaps you have think two and a half Men's homage to Charlie was "winning"? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

AFM: Woody Allen Doc Foreign Rights

Submarine Entertainment and HanWay Films are promoting Robert B. Weide’s Woody Allen: A Documentary to international buyers at the American Film Market this week in Santa Monica. Various North American rights have already sold. It will air in two parts November 20-21 on PBS’ American Masters. The documentary features clips of Allen’s movies including his most commercially successful Midnight in Paris. Emmy-winning and Oscar nominated Weide examines Allen’s life and creative process, from his childhood and early career to the present. Weide had extensive access to observe Allen’s writing habits, casting, directing, editing and relationship with his actors. Interviews of actors too numerous to list cover his whole career from Louise Lasser, Tony Roberts, Dianne Wiest, Diane Keaton all the way to Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, Naomi Watts and Owen Wilson. Writing collaborators Marshall Brickman, Mickey Rose and Doug McGrath weigh in along with cinematographers Gordon Willis and Vilmos Zsigmond along with producing partner Letty Aronson, producers Robert Greenhut and Stephen Tenenbaum and longtime managers Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe plus Martin Scorsese among many others.