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The MPAA proves, once again, they are the devil. They are urging the FCC to undercut theaters and allow first-run movies to head directly to millions of homes across America, because the movie-going experience to many is too constrictive (I kid you not):
“Many of us love movies, but we just can’t make it to the theater as often as we’d like. That is especially true for parents of young children, rural Americans who live far from the multiplex and people with disabilities that keep them close to home,” MPAA Chairman and CEO Dan Glickman said. “Having the added option to enjoy movies in a more timely fashion at home would be a liberating new choice.”
Wow, the philosophical, economic and political mire this schmuck just jumped into unintentionally makes my head spin. Over the past three and a half decades, incomes have fallen during a time when media consolidation was accelerating. Thus, both spouses have been forced to take up additional work as they’ve lost income. Chances are the pay is not enough to keep up, in part, since good jobs covered by unions were taken overseas. Media consolidation helps to close up theaters as does home video, so you have arthouses, grindhouses and drive-ins decimated. During this same time, you have urban sprawl sending movie theaters to the suburbs where they sit inside or beside malls generally accessible only to those driving. Disabled folks who can’t drive, tough shit. Not many people are interested in funding public transportation out there, because hey, I’m not poor. I live in the suburbs. Those city folks do drugs and have different skin. I’ve got an SUV and I want my God-given freedom for Chinese made crap that will wear out in a couple of years anyway, sending me back here again.
To get those first-runs of Bride Wars and Couples Retreat out to you asap (because we know you’re just shitting your drawers in anticipation of these spectaculars), Big Media is going to use the fantastic technology of SOC:
“SOC, or selectable output control technology, would allow televisions with digitally secure interfaces to receive first-run, high-definition content from a cable or satellite provider. Using SOC protects content because it essentially disables non-secure, analog outputs to avoid illegal circumvention and distribution of copyrighted material. These outputs would be disabled ONLY with respect to the proposed new content, and this technology would NOT have any impact whatsoever on the ability of existing devices to receive all of the content that they get today. Consumers will continue to have access to everything they have today, including DVDs, Netflix, etc.”
So assuming you don’t try pirating this stuff (uh huh), you can’t record it and it comes to you from your cable provider. As one astute commenter wrote: “What is the difference between what this will do and a ’straight to DVD’ release?”
If you go to the article, reading some of the comments high-fiving this idea is a wonderment. I’m pretty selective in watching movies in a theater, but I’ve attended sold-out shows before. I can say honestly, I’ve not had an incident where I’ve had to contact a manager or ask anyone to shush in probably about 20 years. And those who know me, know I attend many movies a year or try to. The last time I was really annoyed by someone near me in the theater was during the action film The Replacement Killers. A couple brought their five-year-old son to watch and he, as I figured, became fidgety and agitated from boredom.
To those irritated by people texting and phone chatting during a movie, guess what? Either don’t go to the movies in Los Angeles (where this seems to be a given, I suppose) or don’t go to movies that look like shit stains in the previews. Honest to God, do you think after watching the horrendous trailer for Couples Retreat that the movie would be anything other than a catastrophe? I’d be doing anything, ANYTHING, to keep my attention away from this movie. As of this writing, I’ve only seen the poster for Jim Carrey’s Christmas Carol and I’m already smelling the landfill.
I know a lot of people who absolutely love movies and a great deal of them I admire and respect. When these people give me an opinion about a movie, I may disagree, but I listen intently because I know he or she has the passion for it. Not one of these people have a huge “home theater” system. The closest I’ve been to a private one that could double as a true “theater” was the video projection system at the great North and Western split level pad once occupied by Darnell and Calvin in Chicago. Odd Obsession has a great monitor too. But really, no private home theater system could have the sound dynamics of a movie theater, or else they would most likely be breaking noise ordinances. As much as I like movies, I probably would not like my neighbor cranking up a home theater to deafening levels every single day, especially if he signed up to get his movies via the SOC system.
I’m also wondering how much these privileged individuals are going to pay for these special screenings? If you’re one of those people cheering this on, don’t complain about any high prices for this luxury when you’re got to shit money to pay for it.
Finally, if you’re complaining about the lack of quality for your movies, you’ve got to tell your theater manager about it or else, go to an indie movie theater and support them, go to an indie video store in person (if you’re lucky enough to be in a big city) or online and get your movies mailed to you. Get your classics cheaply through a public library also.
You just won yourself a ticket to boycott city! What, you think gays and lesbians are going to vacation and travel to your state after you voted out equality for gay marriage? You think a great many straight friends and allies are going to do the same? Do you think this was probably the dumbest move you could have made during a recession and increase in unemployment?
Since many of you who voted to stop the queers or “keep God’s word,” or whatever the hell you might be thinking, statistically are older Americans, let’s see how Maine’s ability to provide services to you older folks are affected by the decrease in tax base from any future boycotts.
Have fun suffering financially. Kalamazoo, MI and Washington State learned and are now officially more progressive than you. Wise up next time.
You know, the first thing that comes to mind whenever I see Pat Robertson on the air is “Is this guy dead yet?” Why? Because his crazy, right-wing ideas are certainly one foot in the grave.
If you or I tried to get on a non-Fox News TV show and present an editorial without having even read the legislation you’re railing against, we’d get the hook faster than a tone-deaf singer on Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night. But I guess batshit craziness is somehow a prerequisite to starting and owning a network. Forget the Jesus loves unconditionally crap, we have to protect the gay haters, right Pat?
I will have to say, Agnostics and Atheists are probably loving him right now, since every single day we get such nonsense from such an asshole, we’ll all be seeing more of these headlines.
Yes, that’s right. Here in America. In case you had not seen Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story (one of the year’s best films), you missed this. A government run detention center in Pennsylvania was taken over by a private corporation and faster than you can say ‘fill ‘er up’, severe juvenile incarcerations for the most ridiculous of charges (a MySpace page that criticized an administrator) skyrocketed. The two major figures in the scheme had the brass balls to try and plea bargain, but a federal judge clanged their shifty skulls with an official “fuck you.”
Still think everything should be for sale?
Yes, it’s true, I still hate the movie Crash, but boy did director Paul Haggis do a great and brave thing in renouncing Scientology after 35 years, in large part because of the San Diego branch’s inaction against Prop 8. Read this article containing his letter to the higher ups. He not only throws the “religion” under the bus, he backs up and runs over it a few more times for good measure. Wow.
Sales was unique in kids’ show hosts. Appealing to kids at the same time as Captain Kangaroo, both had different approaches for entertainment. While Captain Kangaroo’s Bob Keeshan had a witty and gentle nature, Soupy Sales was completely off-the-wall like a wiseguy young kid from the streets you couldn’t help but laugh at because he was genuinely funny. Both men had older viewers but Sales got the college kids. This was even true when he revamped his show in the 1970’s. I remember some of my high school classmates being fans. Watch how masterful he is in front of the camera as he’s waiting for a song to be cued. What a natural he was.
The type of trailer I detest the most is the “audience reaction” ones, where the screams and flinches of people who look like they stand in line for every Carrot Top theatrical release are supposed to convince me to watch the next “great” horror film. Seriously, this is an audience in Hollywood. It’s already pre-fucked up.
RIP Vic Mizzy (aged 93), one of the least known of incredibly strange lounge music composers. He was best known for the themes of The Addams Family and Green Acres, but also created great movie soundtracks for a number of Don Knotts films in the 1960’s. Here’s one of his best works, the theme to The Pruitts of Southampton, a song which is not only catchy but brilliantly lays out the premise to those who’ve never seen it (including me, but I’m working on that).
