tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post7804146946401341703..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: My tips for saving the entertainment industryBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15678936642064993022009-01-11T10:50:00.000-08:002009-01-11T10:50:00.000-08:00Having been in film development at the middle tier...Having been in film development at the middle tier for almost 20 years I have to say that, in part, I agree. Most creative executives are glorified assistants who cobble together a generic set of "notes" from a variety of sources. Since everybody is reading massive amounts of material on a weekly basis this is considered a flawed but valuable service. So it's doubtful they'll do away with it.<BR/><BR/>What top level execs are doing now is eliminating the C.E.s and putting their names on another set of homogenized notes based on the story analyst's work and meetings with their 2-3 man team. <BR/><BR/>At the same time, in defense of story analysts (many of whom have advanced degrees and decades of experience) they are often able to pinpoint production issues the writer can't see because of access to the development slate and the general mindset of the company. <BR/><BR/>Streamlining the process is a great idea and, except in the case of Disney - which is heavily into in-house development - will most likely result in more development being done at the production house level not the studios.<BR/><BR/>Really enjoy your blog Ken. Congratulations on your recent nomination as Sportscaster!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33714634284788722312009-01-09T12:06:00.000-08:002009-01-09T12:06:00.000-08:00I think I now see why one would choose to be anony...I think I now see why one would choose to be anonymous or use a phony name when posting comments on this blogsite...shortly after posting my opinions on Al Franken here some assbucket started signing me up for all kinds of crap using my email address..<BR/><BR/>Was that you, Al?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30499560754551101942009-01-08T13:30:00.000-08:002009-01-08T13:30:00.000-08:00Forgot to add....that'll be a billion x zero..Forgot to add....that'll be a billion x zero..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52279991820653392612009-01-08T13:28:00.000-08:002009-01-08T13:28:00.000-08:00I hear that Al Franken has offered to give a refun...I hear that Al Franken has offered to give a refund to anyone who didn't like his SNL material..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62742096922071591192009-01-07T00:16:00.000-08:002009-01-07T00:16:00.000-08:00"There are other subjects for motion pictures besi..."There are other subjects for motion pictures besides Superheroes. The only one left is the Teeny Little Super Guy." -- as in charlie chaplin's tramp fighting the goliaths of the 20s and 30s?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54274604303776571842009-01-06T21:27:00.000-08:002009-01-06T21:27:00.000-08:00"Another anonymous wrote: A billion times zero is ..."Another anonymous wrote: A billion times zero is still zero."<BR/><BR/>True, but Bush, idiot though he is, can speak in disjointed sentence fragments, tie his own shoes, steal the presidency, bankrupt the United States, and convince Yale to give him a diploma. Plus he can read well enough to read simple books to small children while America is under attack. so small as his intellect is, it's not quite zero.<BR/><BR/>And 1,000,000,000 x 1 = 1,000,000,000.<BR/><BR/>But you did make me chuckle. And no studio has ever taken me, for all I'm worth, or even for less, although Spielberg did get the price of an admission to HOOK out of me, and I want it back!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72573675683031081172009-01-06T20:36:00.000-08:002009-01-06T20:36:00.000-08:00Another brilliant correspondent wrote "Al is rough...Another brilliant correspondent wrote <I>"Al is roughly a billion times more intelligent and informed than President Bush"</I>...<BR/><BR/>It's no wonder studios take you for all you're worth if you can't do basic math.<BR/><BR/>A billion times zero is still zero.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51803709240484706272009-01-06T20:32:00.000-08:002009-01-06T20:32:00.000-08:00Ah, what it must be like to be in a state puts a s...Ah, what it must be like to be in a state puts a smart guy like Franken in office. <BR/><BR/>My state's contributions to the hot 100? The senile HOF pitcher Jim Bunning, and the man we liberals love to hate, Mitch McConnell. <BR/><BR/>But hey, we got all the bourbon we can stand.Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08923161793979910495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41876236289487187492009-01-06T20:21:00.000-08:002009-01-06T20:21:00.000-08:00Crutnacker, there is indeed a CBS On Demand servic...Crutnacker, there is indeed a CBS On Demand service available through some cable systems (mine is the otherwise dreadful Comcast). No commercials, or maybe one or two. So look around. Also I think NBC makes some shows available online.<BR/><BR/>I believe Joel and Ethan Coen are also Minnesotans. I wonder if you can get decent delicatessen in the Land of 1000 Lakes.Buttermilk Skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07430011403223875192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60804149660428889912009-01-06T16:22:00.000-08:002009-01-06T16:22:00.000-08:00Being from New Hampshire, where we always have Rep...Being from New Hampshire, where we always have Republican Senators (I know, I know, but trust me, Shaheen is really a moderate Republican which, in NH, is like a Democrat) I have to find my heroes elsewhere. I never really liked Al's SNL stuff and found Stuart Smalley appalling, but I love his books, I love his attitude, I love his wife (GREAT lady!), and I look forward to having him in the Senate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76517055667105119632009-01-06T15:36:00.000-08:002009-01-06T15:36:00.000-08:00So now "The Smothers Brothers" have join...So now "The Smothers Brothers" have joined "Pat Paulson" is espousing views the real men do not hold. Why are whoever you are maligning these men? Why not just use your own name? You're allowed to not like Al Franken you know.<BR/><BR/>Myself, I like Al. I have always found him funny. I have read all of his books, which are whip smart, informed, incisive, and very funny. I have met him a few times, and like him personally as well.<BR/><BR/>30 years ago I took a date to see Franken & Davis do a live stage show, which was hilarious. A heavy prop fell off the stage and hit my date in the leg. (We were in the front row.) She wasn't seriously injured; just a slight bruise.<BR/><BR/>Al came out to talk with us. He was very concerned, kind, and apologetic, even though it was an unforseeable accident and certainly not his fault. He went out of his way to make things right, refunding our admissions and givnig us free passes to a future performance to use or share. (We came back. It was a very funny show.)<BR/><BR/>Al is roughly a billion times more intelligent and informed than President Bush, and he will make a fine Senator. A hack he isn't.<BR/><BR/>That is MY name up top.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-61905525846663688692009-01-06T06:32:00.000-08:002009-01-06T06:32:00.000-08:00Al Franken is a hack. So if he ever does get to si...Al Franken is a hack. So if he ever does get to sit in his highly contested Senate seat, he'll feel right at home.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32370480053643621382009-01-06T06:30:00.000-08:002009-01-06T06:30:00.000-08:00Just what has Al Franken ever done that was funny?...Just what has Al Franken ever done that was funny? Actually, what has Al Franken ever done? If it had been GARY Coleman running against him....<BR/><BR/>Until Franken is shot out of a cannon to celebrate his victory, it's not over till it's over.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37943929018010439202009-01-06T05:58:00.000-08:002009-01-06T05:58:00.000-08:00Oh, I like commercials before the movie starts...g...Oh, I <I>like</I> commercials before the movie starts...gives me more time to get my silo of popcorn and water tower of Coke.<BR/><BR/>-J.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-439763518187232212009-01-06T01:04:00.000-08:002009-01-06T01:04:00.000-08:00WV: harenits -- a condition for which rabbits wear...WV: harenits -- a condition for which rabbits wear hairnets.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52345079470173850592009-01-06T01:02:00.000-08:002009-01-06T01:02:00.000-08:00Captain Bob: Coincidentally enough, I just watched...Captain Bob: Coincidentally enough, I just watched The Lonely Guy on cable tonight, and Charles Grodin and Steve Martin have a little debate about whether or not balding guys should get cheaper haircuts than, say, Michael Landon. Grodin, of course, thinks they should, but Martin points out that the payment is not related to the amount of hair involved, but rather to what the stylist does with it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-18574881279113421692009-01-06T00:40:00.000-08:002009-01-06T00:40:00.000-08:00@SkiThe cast of British children's series "Rainbow...@Ski<BR/><BR/>The cast of British children's series "Rainbow" used to write the scripts too until one day an order came down from on high that this was not to happen. Stanley Bates who played Bungle, a giant teddy bear, decided that he would rather be a writer, so hung up his fur, which was then filled by the actor who had been playing the role of the shy Hippo, The bear being, I guess, a far meatier role. Read his full story here http://www.btinternet.com/~acbarrett/malc.htm<BR/><BR/>There's lots more gossip behind the Rod, Freddy and Jane story if anyone wants to take a little dig.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60294527090700729952009-01-06T00:10:00.000-08:002009-01-06T00:10:00.000-08:00Will Rogers, that was very funny.As it happened, m...Will Rogers, that was very funny.<BR/><BR/>As it happened, my grandfatehr was a friend of the real Will Rogers back in the 1920s. Grandpa worked on Will's silent movies with him. According to Grandpa, Will was lying. There were definitly people he didn't like, just not publically.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30587578222181275032009-01-05T20:48:00.000-08:002009-01-05T20:48:00.000-08:00Some more: Extend the window from big screen to DV...Some more: <BR/><BR/>Extend the window from big screen to DVD beyond 48 hours. I'm not going to pay $40 for my wife,daughter, and I to see the movie if I can buy it two months later for $20. <BR/><BR/>Work out something so we can see our favorite network shows "on demand". I'd be willing to watch new shows if I didn't have to worry about clogging my TIVO up with them. <BR/><BR/>Find Judd Apatow an editor. <BR/><BR/>Refuse to hire Nicole Kidman until her face is capable of making an expression. <BR/><BR/>Quit starting your shows at odd times. That one minute over isn't going to make me stay with your network, it's just going to piss me off. <BR/><BR/>Learn from the cable networks and make shorter season runs of more shows.Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08923161793979910495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-11966484315929112952009-01-05T20:01:00.000-08:002009-01-05T20:01:00.000-08:00Regarding the misappropriation of a dead celebrity...<I>Regarding the misappropriation of a dead celebrity's name to espouse a point of view that would be the real person's polar opposite</I><BR/><B> . . . . I never liked Norm Coleman.</B>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29665725753857637512009-01-05T19:45:00.000-08:002009-01-05T19:45:00.000-08:00I'm not even in the business, but your arguments a...I'm not even in the business, but your arguments are so well articulated that all I can say is: Amen to that, sir.<BR/><BR/>Several clarifications on the Minnesota Senate race:<BR/><BR/>1. Norm Coleman is not a Minnesotan. He grew up in Brooklyn and only went to the Midwest after law school. Senator Franken (kaynahora), whatever his virtues and faults, grew up in Minnesota. <BR/><BR/><BR/>2. A. B. Short wrote above, "Minnesota hasn't had a Non-Jewish senator since the Ford administration" - the intended meaning, I think, is "Minnesota has always had at least <I>one</I> Jewish senator since Ford"; not both at the same time, as was implied. And it's always been the currently contested seat: Franken succeeded Coleman, who in turn succeeded - sadly - Wellstone, who had defeated Rudy Boschwitz in 1990. So Rudy (elected in 1978) was the first of the line.<BR/><BR/>3. Coleman is vilified - and he <I>should</I> be - because he's been a Bush supporter who moreover had once been a Democrat (i.e., DFL mayor of St. Paul - he switched while in office).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-47448142522311804512009-01-05T18:44:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:44:00.000-08:00I have a Friday Question about M*A*S*H.In the movi...I have a Friday Question about M*A*S*H.<BR/><BR/>In the movie, The Swamp had 4 residents, who were the primary characters: Hawkeye, Trapper, Frank Burns, and Duke Forrest, played by Tom Skerritt. Duke was as important a character as Hawkeye & Trapper John.<BR/><BR/>So why was Duke conspicious by his utter absence from the TV series? I've been curious about this for over 30 years.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-81943681415335181782009-01-05T18:28:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:28:00.000-08:00"Nat G said... Oooh, and the verification wor..."Nat G said... <BR/>Oooh, and the verification word is "Fansia" It's the CleanFilms version of Disney's Fantasia, with the T & A removed."<BR/><BR/>GENIUS! If that had been a contest finalist, I'd have voted for it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-24697024235667051302009-01-05T18:24:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:24:00.000-08:00"Pat Paulsen said... Perhaps Al Franken can leave ..."Pat Paulsen said... <BR/>Perhaps Al Franken can leave Minnesota now to save the movie studios...since he won't be saving Minnesota now...<BR/><BR/>By the way, who of you in Minnesota voted early and voted often for Al Franken? Al Franken? Even Elmer Fudd would be a cut above Al Franken..<BR/><BR/>Can we lump Al Franken in with Jim Carey from now on?"<BR/><BR/>The irony here is that the REAL Pat Paulson would be solidly supporting Al Franken, despite the fact that Al's Senatorial campaign was more successful than Pat's presidential runs. <BR/><BR/>Something is truely wrong with appropriating the name of a dead celebrity and then using it to espouse a point-of-view that would be the real person's polar opposite.<BR/><BR/>An I think Al will make a fine Senator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-59487686472894842612009-01-05T18:12:00.000-08:002009-01-05T18:12:00.000-08:00In the place I see many movies, the trailers start...In the place I see many movies, the trailers start at the scheduled start of the movie. All the commercials are before the start time of the movie. If you time it carefully, you never have to see the pre-movie commercials.Alan Coilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09049940361953267636noreply@blogger.com