Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

[The Dark Knight]

I'm afraid we will have to disagree on this, old friend. But I hope you bear my restrictions in mind on this. I recognize that others can do things I don't enjoy. Specifically, sitting in a theater for hours on end.

With the acknowledgement that many of the people who aren't dying are going bankrupt, I must say that I have benefited greatly from the lockdown, the social distancing, etc. Right now, we live in an introvert's paradise.

Believe me, I'm an introvert, or more specifically an INTJ. If someone is talking during a movie I feel like shattering their skull with a crowbar and severing their head with a hacksaw. But nonetheless, I ask this: what makes a movie a movie? What separates them from a dime a dozen TV production?

To me it's the experience, sans the annoying public. The darkness of the room, size of the screen, the sound...the immersion. I can't help but feel something will be lost if FILM studios become streamers. It's the question one has when watching a DVD at home, after seeing it on the big screen previously. How does the experience translate? I fear something special will become mundane.   

[thecolorsblend]

Believe me, I'm an introvert, or more specifically an INTJ.

Same.

It's the question one has when watching a DVD at home, after seeing it on the big screen previously. How does the experience translate? I fear something special will become mundane.

There is a different perspective in the big screen vs. a TV. Or a computer monitor, in my case.

I suppose for me it's more of a cynical tradeoff. It's the exchange of an illusion I don't value (the specialness of a theatrical exhibition) in favor of a viewing method that plays to my preferences (not having to leave home).

It's not an issue of laziness. Rather, it's an indication of just how much I hate talking to/being around strangers.

[The Dark Knight]

I say bravo for this new poster getting the green light:



The sentiment I want to share is from an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie but I can't remember which one, but he says something along the lines of "how about a sexy woman for a change?"

This is shamelessly like a magazine glamor shot, and I say good on them, especially in this day and age. If we're going to have women in lead roles, give me this and not Rachel Dawes, or even worse Girlbusters 2016.

Gal is the product and they know that, and her film career is only getting started. I'm wanting WW3, but the spy film she's signed on for, in the lead role, has real potential conceptually.

Gal radiates charm and goodness and that's important for Wonder Woman. If the film follows suit, it could be akin to a Spider-Man 2 type experience for the character – especially based on rumored plot points. 

[Silver Nemesis]

Denis Villeneuve has written a very damning piece for Variety concerning the HBO Max situation:

I learned in the news that Warner Bros. has decided to release "Dune" on HBO Max at the same time as our theatrical release, using prominent images from our movie to promote their streaming service. With this decision AT&T has hijacked one of the most respectable and important studios in film history. There is absolutely no love for cinema, nor for the audience here. It is all about the survival of a telecom mammoth, one that is currently bearing an astronomical debt of more than $150 billion. Therefore, even though "Dune" is about cinema and audiences, AT&T is about its own survival on Wall Street. With HBO Max's launch a failure thus far, AT&T decided to sacrifice Warner Bros.' entire 2021 slate in a desperate attempt to grab the audience's attention.

Warner Bros.' sudden reversal from being a legacy home for filmmakers to the new era of complete disregard draws a clear line for me. Filmmaking is a collaboration, reliant on the mutual trust of team work and Warner Bros. has declared they are no longer on the same team.

Streaming services are a positive and powerful addition to the movie and TV ecosystems. But I want the audience to understand that streaming alone can't sustain the film industry as we knew it before COVID. Streaming can produce great content, but not movies of "Dune's" scope and scale. Warner Bros.' decision means "Dune" won't have the chance to perform financially in order to be viable and piracy will ultimately triumph. Warner Bros. might just have killed the "Dune" franchise. This one is for the fans. AT&T's John Stankey said that the streaming horse left the barn. In truth, the horse left the barn for the slaughterhouse.

Public safety comes first. Nobody argues with that. Which is why when it became apparent the winter would bring a second wave of the pandemic, I understood and supported the decision to delay "Dune's" opening by almost a year. The plan was that "Dune" would open in theaters in October 2021, when vaccinations will be advanced and, hopefully, the virus behind us. Science tells us that everything should be back to a new normal next fall.

"Dune" is by far the best movie I've ever made. My team and I devoted more than three years of our lives to make it a unique big screen experience. Our movie's image and sound were meticulously designed to be seen in theaters.

I'm speaking on my own behalf, though I stand in solidarity with the sixteen other filmmakers who now face the same fate. Please know I am with you and that together we are strong. The artists are the ones who create movies and series.

I strongly believe the future of cinema will be on the big screen, no matter what any Wall Street dilettante says. Since the dawn of time, humans have deeply needed communal storytelling experiences. Cinema on the big screen is more than a business, it is an art form that brings people together, celebrating humanity, enhancing our empathy for one another — it's one of the very last artistic, in-person collective experiences we share as human beings.

Once the pandemic is over, theaters will be filled again with film lovers.

That is my strong belief.  Not because the movie industry needs it, but because we humans need cinema, as a collective experience.

So, just as I have both a fiduciary and creative responsibility to fulfill as the filmmaker, I call on AT&T to act swiftly with the same responsibility, respect and regard to protect this vital cultural medium. Economic impact to stakeholders is only one aspect of corporate social responsibility. Finding ways to enhance culture is another. The moviegoing experience is like no other. In those darkened theaters films capture our history, educate us, fuel our imagination and lift and inspire our collective spirit. It is our legacy.

Long live theatrical cinema!

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/dune-denis-villeneuve-blasts-warner-bros-1234851270/

[thecolorsblend]

Denis Villeneuve has written a very damning piece for Variety concerning the HBO Max situation:

I learned in the news that Warner Bros. has decided to release "Dune" on HBO Max at the same time as our theatrical release, using prominent images from our movie to promote their streaming service. With this decision AT&T has hijacked one of the most respectable and important studios in film history. There is absolutely no love for cinema, nor for the audience here. It is all about the survival of a telecom mammoth, one that is currently bearing an astronomical debt of more than $150 billion. Therefore, even though "Dune" is about cinema and audiences, AT&T is about its own survival on Wall Street. With HBO Max's launch a failure thus far, AT&T decided to sacrifice Warner Bros.' entire 2021 slate in a desperate attempt to grab the audience's attention.

Warner Bros.' sudden reversal from being a legacy home for filmmakers to the new era of complete disregard draws a clear line for me. Filmmaking is a collaboration, reliant on the mutual trust of team work and Warner Bros. has declared they are no longer on the same team.

Streaming services are a positive and powerful addition to the movie and TV ecosystems. But I want the audience to understand that streaming alone can't sustain the film industry as we knew it before COVID. Streaming can produce great content, but not movies of "Dune's" scope and scale. Warner Bros.' decision means "Dune" won't have the chance to perform financially in order to be viable and piracy will ultimately triumph. Warner Bros. might just have killed the "Dune" franchise. This one is for the fans. AT&T's John Stankey said that the streaming horse left the barn. In truth, the horse left the barn for the slaughterhouse.

Public safety comes first. Nobody argues with that. Which is why when it became apparent the winter would bring a second wave of the pandemic, I understood and supported the decision to delay "Dune's" opening by almost a year. The plan was that "Dune" would open in theaters in October 2021, when vaccinations will be advanced and, hopefully, the virus behind us. Science tells us that everything should be back to a new normal next fall.

"Dune" is by far the best movie I've ever made. My team and I devoted more than three years of our lives to make it a unique big screen experience. Our movie's image and sound were meticulously designed to be seen in theaters.

I'm speaking on my own behalf, though I stand in solidarity with the sixteen other filmmakers who now face the same fate. Please know I am with you and that together we are strong. The artists are the ones who create movies and series.

I strongly believe the future of cinema will be on the big screen, no matter what any Wall Street dilettante says. Since the dawn of time, humans have deeply needed communal storytelling experiences. Cinema on the big screen is more than a business, it is an art form that brings people together, celebrating humanity, enhancing our empathy for one another — it's one of the very last artistic, in-person collective experiences we share as human beings.

Once the pandemic is over, theaters will be filled again with film lovers.

That is my strong belief.  Not because the movie industry needs it, but because we humans need cinema, as a collective experience.

So, just as I have both a fiduciary and creative responsibility to fulfill as the filmmaker, I call on AT&T to act swiftly with the same responsibility, respect and regard to protect this vital cultural medium. Economic impact to stakeholders is only one aspect of corporate social responsibility. Finding ways to enhance culture is another. The moviegoing experience is like no other. In those darkened theaters films capture our history, educate us, fuel our imagination and lift and inspire our collective spirit. It is our legacy.

Long live theatrical cinema!

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/dune-denis-villeneuve-blasts-warner-bros-1234851270/

It's hard to know where to start with sorting out the politics here. In the business world (or "Wall Street" as per the above indictment), people who speak out of turn, as Villeneuve has, are considered a-holes who may find themselves hobbled at the knees in the future.

Same for anybody who helps them, as Variety has.

[The Laughing Fish]

It's hard to know where to start with sorting out the politics here. In the business world (or "Wall Street" as per the above indictment), people who speak out of turn, as Villeneuve has, are considered a-holes who may find themselves hobbled at the knees in the future.

Same for anybody who helps them, as Variety has.

I wonder if Villeneuve and all these other Hollywood people have the same level of disgust over Disney for moving its own share of new releases onto its streaming platform? I doubt it since it doesn't affect their pockets. And hey, I don't necessarily blame them for that. If I were a director and found out my film was going to be released digitally and theatrically without being notified beforehand, and potentially lose additional income because of it, I'd be pissed off too. But don't bullsh*t us about the "theatrical experience" when other studios will slowly look to do the same. Especially during a time where most of these venues are forced to close and hit by a limited capacity for admissions. His claim that scientists predict things will regain some normalcy next year is looking rather grim at the moment in the Northern Hemisphere. You'd hope so, but who knows where things may end up?

Besides, Dune might even benefit if it's released via streaming for a wider audience. Let's face it, as great as Blade Runner 2049 was, it wasn't exactly a box office success. In hindsight, one can say Villeneuve is privileged to get another chance at a big-budget project after his previous work was such a financial flop. For all we know, a more accessible platform in HBO Max could bring his films towards greater success than they might never have gotten in the traditional cinema market. We'll see.

[thecolorsblend]

I wonder if Villeneuve and all these other Hollywood people have the same level of disgust over Disney for moving its own share of new releases onto its streaming platform? I doubt it since it doesn't affect their pockets. And hey, I don't necessarily blame them for that. If I were a director and found out my film was going to be released digitally and theatrically without being notified beforehand, and potentially lose additional income because of it, I'd be pissed off too. But don't bullsh*t us about the "theatrical experience" when other studios will slowly look to do the same. Especially during a time where most of these venues are forced to close and hit by a limited capacity for admissions. His claim that scientists predict things will regain some normalcy next year is looking rather grim at the moment in the Northern Hemisphere. You'd hope so, but who knows where things may end up?

Besides, Dune might even benefit if it's released via streaming for a wider audience. Let's face it, as great as Blade Runner 2049 was, it wasn't exactly a box office success. In hindsight, one can say Villeneuve is privileged to get another chance at a big-budget project after his previous work was such a financial flop. For all we know, a more accessible platform in HBO Max could bring his films towards greater success than they might never have gotten in the traditional cinema market. We'll see.

I think the celebrities who have spoken out against this are using WB as their line in the sand. They're fighting back because if they can stop WB right now, other studios might be reluctant to dump their entire 2021 slate onto streaming. But if they "lose" with WB, they'll lose with everybody else too. I'm starting to think this isn't WB for most of them (Nolan is an obvious exception) so much as it is about sustaining the business model they know and understand.

The fact is that without theatrical distribution, mega budget blockbusters are a thing of the past. If they lose this battle now, they lose. I think that's probably the real driver here.

For me, I'm fed up with a gigantic blockbusters anyway. I'd much rather watch stuff like Mank, The Irishman, The Highwaymen, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood or something else based on true stories, are period pieces and which can be done for fairly cheap. That's just more interesting to me right now... and it's very doable in our coof-infected, streaming-dependent world.

[thecolorsblend]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/christopher-nolan-rips-hbo-max-as-worst-streaming-service-denounces-warner-bros-plan

Many in Hollywood think WarnerMedia opted for this drastic move to play to streaming-infatuated Wall Street and redo the botched launch of HBO Max, which has netted a dismal 8.6 million "activated" subscribers so far. But one prominent agent notes that the top executives at WarnerMedia and its parent — AT&T CEO John Stankey, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar and, of course, Sarnoff — "don't understand the movie business, and they don't understand talent relations."

While Kilar pays what is seen as lip service to movies, industry veterans say Warners is sacrificing the huge profit that comes from selling movies in multiple formats and on multiple platforms around the world.

Even before Warners made its play, there was grumbling among agents that Sarnoff, who has been on the job for more than a year, had yet to get acquainted with key players on the film side or make much of an impression at all. That's why many are focusing their wrath on Emmerich. "Toby's passion is only about managing up," says one agent who represents major Warners talent.

I'm coming back to this.

I've made a pain in the ass of myself around here by constantly repeating that AT&T is in business. Specifically, the business of making money. And Hollywood -- in spite of anything you may have ever believed to the contrary -- is not.

AT&T isn't part of the Hollywood cult and they don't want to be. They want to make obscene amounts of money and they bought a media empire to make it happen.

The filmmaking community in Hollywood is not a business in the traditional sense of the world. They're more like a cartel, a loose confederation of theoretically separate agencies, studios, production houses, etc. all dedicated to making movies on certain terms. The reason people say "There's no business like show business" is because it's not really a business at all, in many ways.

The Hollywood community is pushing back against AT&T because they're introducing some dangerous variables into this equation. If just one other studio breaks ranks and releases their 2021 slate to streaming, it's curtains for Hollywood as we knew it.

Obviously, Hollywood doesn't want that. And they're fighting back. Their way.

Word 'round the campfire is that Hollywood unions and guilds will begin boycotting WB. If that happens, it truly is war.

And since we're going out on a limb here already, I think it's a war AT&T can win. Not easily but it is winnable.

If the guilds blacklist AT&T, AT&T should blacklist the guilds. Anybody with memberships in the guilds is invited not to work at WB. Rather, WB will recruit talent from the independent world. Don't kid yourself, that's entirely possible. The Hollywood guilds have the best people locked up already. Right now. But the future belongs to whoever gets there first. The independent world was already a feeder into Hollywood.

And Hollywood is pretty exclusive.

Might the independents be inclined to work for a non-union AT&T? They might if WB offers better money than Hollywood currently offers. And since Hollywood has a self-imposed distribution problem, I think it's reasonable to suggest that working for WB (and, thus, AT&T) might be very attractive to independents. At least WB has a pipeline for releasing content.

Can Sony Pictures say the same?

If established talent want to come work for WB, of course they're welcome to. But the price they must pay is cancelling all Hollywood union and/or guild memberships.

Will it work? Maybe, maybe not. But without question, this is the biggest and most dangerous threat that the Hollywood cartel has ever faced.

Whoever wins, survives. That's it.

[Kamdan]

I say bravo for this new poster getting the green light:



The sentiment I want to share is from an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie but I can't remember which one, but he says something along the lines of "how about a sexy woman for a change?"

This is shamelessly like a magazine glamor shot, and I say good on them, especially in this day and age. If we're going to have women in lead roles, give me this and not Rachel Dawes, or even worse Girlbusters 2016.

Gal is the product and they know that, and her film career is only getting started. I'm wanting WW3, but the spy film she's signed on for, in the lead role, has real potential conceptually.

Gal radiates charm and goodness and that's important for Wonder Woman. If the film follows suit, it could be akin to a Spider-Man 2 type experience for the character – especially based on rumored plot points.

She makes a great picture, but that's about it. Her accent is a detriment to her acting. Schwarzenegger tried for years to shake off his accent but never could and it resulted in mostly doing comedic work. Gadot is headed down the same path.

[Travesty]

Sooooo, yeah, this movie was bad.