3-D NEEDS TO DIE!!!

I try to refrain from rant-like posts, but it's becoming harder and harder to watch a movie in 2D. I'm an avid movie goer. I try to see at least one movie a week at the theater, especially during the summer. Among my social circles, I'm known as the "movie guy." My friends usually ask me my thought on a movie before seeing it themselves. To be honest, not having an exorbitant cash flow is really the only thing limiting how many movies I watch at the theater. With that being said, I have noticed a trend this summer that I didn't in previous years. I'm not sure who to blame for this trend, studio heads, the producers, the theater chains, or the managers. The trend that I'm alluding to is disproportionate showtimes between 2D and 3D. 

For an example, these stats are based off my local theater (AMC Showplace 12). The premiere opening on Thursday night for Suicide Squad has two showtimes for the 2D viewing and two showing for the 3D viewing, not bad 50/50 split on the showtimes. Friday and Saturday it gets worst. Suicide Squad has five showtimes all day, one matinee showtime in 2D and four showtimes in 3D, on of which is a matinee. Based on the law of averages, the average person is done working around five in the evening, because of this the pique time for theaters is just slightly after dinner, which for the average person is right after they get off work. Therefore the evening showtimes have more weight because there are more people available to watch a movie. So the 20/80 (2D/3D) split, reflected from Friday and Saturday's showtimes, becomes a 10/90 split. On Sunday, Suicide Squad's showtimes have a 0/100 split. Meaning 100% of the showtimes are 3D. That very annoying. This isn't the first time this has happened.  All summer I have seen at least 25/75 split on almost every major movie released, including family movies like Finding Dory. 

With those numbers, the average family of four is paying at least fifteen more dollars at the box office. I'm not necessarily mad at 3D movie pricing. I'm irritated that someone is forcing the average movie going audience to buy the "premium priced" ticket, even though they don't want to. It seems like there are only three options at the theater: watch a 3D movie, don't watch a movie, or watch the latest crapfest that has twice as many showings.

I'm not caught up on the latest facts, but the last time I checked 75% of movie goer disliked 3D movies. If I remember correctly that percentage increased with the age of the demographic. Which make sense. Out of the twelve "Real 3D"  movies made in 2016 only three of them are live-action, one of which is The Jungle Book, a primarily CGI film. On the "Fake 3D" side of things, every movie was live action. A third of the "Real 3D" movies made last year, 2015, were live action, and none of the "Fake 3D" movies made last year were animated. Even looking through the history of 3D films, they seem to be heavily marketed towards family films, which are typically animated.

I personally don't enjoy 3D movies in general. For me, the 3D effect doesn't add anything to the film. From my experience, the 3D shots are usually forced and are fairly cheesy. Now, I may be more inclined to watch a film in 3D if it was made as a "Real 3D" film.  I'm the same way with IMAX. I rather watch a movie filmed with an IMAX camera, than a film that is just projected on a larger screen. When available, I watch movies in the format that it was attended to be viewed. The Hobbit films were created to be viewed at 48fps. My local theater doesn't have the capabilities to show a film at that frame rate. The close theater that did wasn't within a reasonable driving distance. Therefore, I had to view the film in 24fps, but that wasn't a deal breaker. When my local theater has all digital projectors with the capabilities to either show 2D or 3D prints, I should have equal opportunities to view it in my preferred way.

To the studio heads and producers, if you want me to watch your movie maybe make a few more 2D versions. To movie theater chains, and managers, if you want me to spend dollars at your theater how about you schedule showtimes where I have choices. Right now, my choices are to spend money, don't to spend money, or spend money on crap. I like watching movies at the theater, so please STOP forcing me to watch 3D versions.              

Should Conventions Provide A Virtual Ticket?

I personally like going to conventions, especially if I have the extra time and money. Let's face it conventions are a giant meet and greet, that allows a person to geek out with other geeks and potentially meet celebrities. The thing I hate the most about going to conventions is the cost. If the ticket to get into the doors doesn't burn a hole in your wallet, the traveling expenses will. Maybe for some the financial burden isn't a problem, but getting the time off work. Maybe neither off these things are and issue but you're an unlucky person and the convention sells out before you could get a ticket. What I'm trying to say is there is a limited amount of people who can go. I personally would like conventions to expand their business model and find an online space.

Follow me here. There are many live streaming sites that could easily sponsor a convention and broadcast the event worldwide. The convention could go the free route and limit the broadcast to the "main stage" and maybe a few other things. If the convention wants to make a little bit more money, they can charge a reasonable amount (I suggest half the price of a physical ticket) and show nearly everything. There could still even be room for exclusive content for those who are lucky enough to be at the actual convention.

The only convention I can think of that use this model is BlizzCon. BlizzCon, for those of you out of the loop, is Blizzard Entertainment's convention they throw for fans of their games. Blizzard usually announces their newest games including expectations to they're already popular games (World of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo). Blizzard knows their fan base is very large, so large that not everyone could fit under one roof. Blizzard fixed this problem with the Virtual Ticket. I believe their Virtual Ticket is sponsored by DirectTV and cost roughly 40 US dollars. With this 40 dollars, you get access to the majority of the conventions, which includes all the panels, eSports stages, and high-quality trailer. There are also some in-game incentives for buying the Virtual Ticket.

Let's imagine for a moment the SDCC (San Diego Comic-Con) used the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket model. One: people like myself who can't make it out to the conventions, for one reason or another, could experience those events as well. I'm positive I'm not the only one who would like to see the content released in Hall H. Usually, low res version of the panels are placed online, then taken down shortly there after. Two, this could be a way to release a non-pirated version of a trailer, and true market to their fans. This beats a journalist, blogger, or Youtuber's synopsis any day. There still could be exclusive content with this model. At this year's SSCC, Lucasfilm gave all the attendees of the Force Awaken's panel, a free Star Wars concert. Those who have the "virtual ticket" don't get to see that content, period. Maybe there are more incentives for those in the crowd, so the "virtual ticket" doesn't take out the point of going to the convention in the first place.

What I'm trying to say is I would love an opportunity to experience the major conventions like SDCC when life doesn't allow me too. How about you?           

A Series of Genres: Comic Book Movies

We are about one month away from the opening of Marvel’s Avengers Age of Ultron and the beginning of the summer blockbuster movie season. What a perfect way to get excited about the latest comic book movie, by dedicating this post, which is a part of my genre series, to comic book movies. My original plan was to save this genre to the end, so I could save the best for last. The last post in this series, animated film for those of you keeping track, through that plan out the window. There were a few other factors to focusing on this genre now, rather than later. One of those factors was a buddy of mine’s podcast title, Informal Talks. This podcast should sound somewhat familiar because this series was inspired by a post on their site. Anyways, in this past week’s episode Devon and friends began by talking about the latest movie news, which consisted primarily of comic book movies. Comments during the podcast were mostly about the new X-men, Batman, and Superman films and how they are “shit”. These comments got me heated, and jump started this post. 

I personally disagree with their comments, sort of. My disagreements are with the premise that those films are “shit” in general. I typically reserve that declaration for the worst of the worst, since that jargon is referring to defecation. I may be a little more empathic to the notion that the films didn’t do the characters justice. This area of expertise is where I have to tip my hat to Devon and the guests of Informal Talks, because they know WAY more about comic books than I do. Rightfully so, they have more creditably to how well the filmmaker adapted the various comic characters. With that being said I think a problem has arisen. In the sweaty nerd culture this problem is called the “Um, Actually” syndrome. This is the constant correction of people who spout the wrong information about the subject matters popular in the geek / nerd culture. These corrections are almost always prefaced by the phrase “um, actually.”  

For the well read this problem manifest in the form of, “The book was better” which is usually followed by a laundry list of inaccuracies. Simply, this is a bad argument when talking about movies, because movies are a different medium from books / comics. There may be a strong case to be had when talking about movies adapted from other materials, especially if major plot points or character were changed significantly. There is a debate waiting to be had on what constitutes as a significant change. Mr. Pedantic will get caught up on every little change and call them significant, whereas Mr. Apathetic is willing to let some details slide, as long as the core attributes are intact. I really don’t want this post to focus primarily on this subject, but I do want to showcase my line of thinking, when determining the best comic book movies. I attempt to measure all the attributes of a film, include the truthfulness to its source material, to get a better picture of their strengths and weakness, therefore receiving a more accurate analysis of the films. 

Hopefully this will give you a better idea on how I look at movies adapted from other materials. So, when I reveal my list, you know the metric of my measuring stick. Before I share with you my favorite comic book movies let’s explore this genre's history. A history that is the epitome of a roller coaster ride. A history that showcases a fight between DC Comics and Marvel Comic, as they race to the top of the box office. A history that start back in the 1940’s. 

In the 1940’s there were a number of Serial Films being produced featuring DC Comics two main superheroes, Superman and Batman. Batman made his first appearance in the 1943 in a Serial Films title Batman, staring Lewis Wilson as Bruce Wanye / Batman. Superman followed in 1948 in its own Serial titled, Superman, staring Kirk Alyn as Clark Kent / Superman. Other superheroes serials from the 1940’s included Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941), The Phantom (1943) and Captain America (1944). 

The 1950’s was the decade for Superman with the TV series, Adventures of Superman, staring George Reeves, which spawn a movie titled Superman and the Mole Men. The following decade, the 1960’s, Batman took the spotlight with the TV Series, Batman, staring Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin. The cast of this television show would reprise their roles in 1966 with a full length feature titled, Batman: The Movie. DC Comics rode Superman and Batman to the bank throughout the 60’s and 70’s. Marvel tried to interject with their TV-made movies: Spider-Man (1977), Dr. Strange (1978), and Captain America and its sequel (1979). Marvel’s efforts were crushed in 1978 when Richard Donner released Superman (Superman: The Movie), starring Christopher Reeve. I would say this film kick started the comic book movie craze, which lead right into the 80’s 

Four, Superman related films came out during the 1980’s: Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983), Supergirl (1984), and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). Unfortunately the Superman films progressively worsen both in popularity and financially. Superman made a little over 300 million, while Superman IV made about 15.5 million. Marvel had success with their television show / TV made movies, during this time. Marvel only had one feature length film produced during the 80’s, that wasn’t TV made or direct to video, and that film was Howard the Duck. As the 80’s were coming to a close Tim Burton released a dark toned Batman film starring, Michael Keaton. The film's tone was heavily influenced by Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke and Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. It was this version of Batman that we as fans wanted, so much so, a film franchise was built upon it. 

The 90’s was a dark time for comic book movies, even for Batman, who had three films released in this decade: Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995), and Batman & Robin (1997). Batman & Robin is arguably the worst Batman movie ever made. George Clooney has been known for giving fans back their money for that film. DC Comics also produced Steel starring Shaquille O'Neal as John Henry Irons / Steel. Steel made less than 2 million at the box office. Marvel for the most part made their first major dent into the film world with Blade in 1998 which made about 131 million at the box office. It would take another two or so years before they revitalized the comic book movie genre. 

During The summer of the new millennium Bryan Singer gave us X-Men. X-Men made just shy of 300 million at the box office, with those numbers Marvel produced three more sequels / prequels: X2: X-Men United (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). Marvel continued to steamroll through the competition, producing at least one film every year. Primarily under the 20th Century Fox banner Marvel attempt to bring to alive many of their properties: Daredevil, Hulk, The Punisher, Elektra, Fantastic Four, and Ghost Rider. Some of these films were fairly successful, while the majority of them were not. Marvel had their most success over at Sony, with their Spider-Man franchise, starring Tobey Maguire. 

While Marvel was focusing on cranking out many films a year, DC focused on putting out “quality” films. In 2005, Christopher Nolan rebooted the Batman franchise. Then three years later, in 2008, Nolan gave us a sequel titled, The Dark Knight, which is arguably the best Batman film, if not the best comic book movie. During that same year Marvel launched their first two movies in what will later become the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) these two films were Iron Man, and The Incredible Hulk, which was more of a reboot of Ang Lee’s Hulk from 2003. Also right around that same time we got our first taste of Zack Snyder’s style with the films 300 (2007), and Watchmen (2009). Zack Snyder could one of the main driving forces behind The DC Cinematic Universe as we enter the 2010’s. 

Well, we have made it to present time and comic book movie are a staple of the summer movie season. Right now, Marvel rules the box office with their films in the MCU, which is being led by The Avengers (2012), with 1.5 billion dollars at the box office. The 2010’s have also brought with it a great deal of reboots. Sony rebooted Spider-Man starring Andrew Garfield called The Amazing Spider-Man. 20th Century Fox “rebooted” the X-Men franchise, using a younger cast, titled X-Men: First Class. Zack Snyder and Warner Bros. rebooted Superman, as the Man of Steel, starring Henry Cavill. The reboots don’t end there, Fox plans on releasing a rebooted Fantastic Four film this summer. Also Marvel has a legal hand shake to use Spider-Man in the MCU which will lead to a reboot of the reboot. As far as the future goes, Marvel has a rough outline of movies to be released from now until 2019. DC has a similar plan, but focusing on establishing a cinematic universe themselves. 

There has been a fair amount of comic book movies throughout history, but which ones hold up as the best of the best. I’m going to give you my favorite comic book franchise. Before I do I want to warn you all, I’m a bit Marvel bias, so you may not see as much love for DC on this list. 

1. Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU) 
2. Christopher's Nolan's Batman Trilogy 
3. Sam Raimi’s Spider-man Trilogy 
4. X-Men Franchise 
5. Superman Franchise

At first I didn’t want to include the whole MCU because there are a lot of films included in that list. As I began to think of the films in the MCU only Iron Man has a full trilogy, so I decided to include all the films in the MCU. I will give you my top five films in the MCU: 

1. Marvel's The Avengers 
2. Guardians of the Galaxy 
3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier 
4. Iron Man 
5. Thor

Christopher Nolan raised the bar of what it means to be a comic book movie. The Dark Knight alone tops most people’s lists as one of the best comic book movies ever. I personally think the series ended on a weak note with The Dark Knight Rises. The Dark Knight Rises is one of those films that is good overall, but has enough issues that it doesn't rise to greatness like its predecessors.

Sam Raimi has given me the better set of Spider-man films. The second Spider-man film in this trilogy is by far the best Spider-man movie, period. I believe Tobey Maguire gave us a better Peter Parker than Andrew Garfield. I’m not saying Garfield did a bad job, but he was too much of a “Chic Geek” or “Hipster”. Let’s be realistic here, the success of the Spider-man and X-men’s franchise had to be a big confidence boost for Marvel to create a cohesive cinematic universe. 

Do you remember the 90’s X-men cartoon opening theme? I’m not sure how much of that show influenced Bryan Singer, but from my perspective, most of the mutants showcased in that opening were placed in the first X-Men film. Then a few years later an even better X-Men movie came out. I can safely say X2: X-Men United is in my top ten favorite comic book movies. Then Bryan Singer left to direct Superman Returns, which lead to a major downgrade in quality. Matthew Vaughn was going to replace Singer at the helm, but left early on into production for personal reasons, his replacement was Brett Ratner. Ratner turned out a bad X-men film. Fox’s plans after X-Men: The Last Stand was to make a few origin stories, including Wolverine, Magneto, and “The First Class” (Cyclopes, Jean Grey, Beast, Angel, and Iceman). X-Men Origins: Wolverine more or less tanked. So, Fox brought back Matthew Vaughn as a director and allowed him to make his X-men film. He combined the Magneto origin story with his First Class story to create a prequel / “reboot” to the first X-men film. This film was going to take place in the 60’s and focus on a younger Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr. The film had success and revitalized the franchise. A sequel titled, X-Men: Days of Future Past, was made with Bryan Singer at the helm. I thought DOFP was one of the best movies of this past summer, one word, Quicksilver. 

Superman is by far the most recognizable superhero, he is beloved by many including his films. Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman (Superman: The Move) pretty much defines who Superman was climatically. Yes, there were a few actors to bring Superman to life before Christopher Reeve, but it’s his take on the character that sticks in our minds. Like most comic book movies franchises, the films had a rapid decline in quality. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace is arguably one of the worst comic movie ever made, and by far the worst Superman movie. Superman didn’t make another appearance on the big screen until 2006 with Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns. It was a decent movie, but not the greatest Superman movie. I enjoyed the cast: Brandon Routh, Kevin Spacey, and Kate Bosworth but I didn’t enjoy the story. Just a few years ago, summer 2013, we almost got a Superman film that was as good as the 1979 film. For me the Man of Steel was a good film, but the last 45 minutes gave me battle fatigue. Even with the “bad” I can’t wait for the next Superman film, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. 

What are your favorite comic book movies?

Disney Merger With Marvel

I can't be original about this story but I can pass on the news and share with you these link:

www.getthebigpicture.net
www.slashfilm.com
www.themovieblog.com

If you read these articles from the above links you will find out that Marvel merged with Disney and they payed a pretty penny (4.3 Billion dollars). So dose this mean a Disneyfied Marve? not necessarily...I am paraphrasing here but Disney said let the good people at Marvel do what they do because if its not broke then don't fix it.

2010 Movies By Studio

Disney

Alice in Wonderland
Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time
Toy Story 3
Tron Legacy

Fox

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief
The Chronicles of Narnia: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Lionsgate

Kick-Ass

Paramount / Dramworks

Iron Man 2
The Last Airbender
The Lovely Bones

Sony (Columbia) / Screen Gems

Legion
The Social Network
The Green Hornet

Summit Entertainment

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Universal

The Wolfman
Robin Hood

Warner Bros / Legendary Pictures / New Line Cinema

Book of Eli
Clash of the Titans
Inception
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Indie

Youth in Revolt
Creation

Independent Film Companies

2929 Productions
Artisan Entertainment
Davis Entertainment
Destination Films
Dimension Films
Fine Line Features
Focus Features
Fox Atomic
Fox Faith
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Gold Circle Films
HDNet Films
Hollywood Pictures
Icon Entertainment
IFC Films
Lakeshore Entertainment
Lionsgate
Lucasfilm Limited
Magnolia Pictures
Miramax Films
Newmarket Films
Overture Films
Paramount Vantage (Paramount Classics)
Picturehouse
Relativity Media
Rogue Pictures
Samuel Goldwyn Films
Screen Gems
Sony Pictures Classics
Summit Entertainment
Think Film
Triumph Films
Troublemaker Studios
Warner Independent Pictures
Working Title Films
Yari Film Group
Zeitgeist Films

Could Paramount + Sony OR Universal= Mega Studio?

Paramount Could Be Merging With Sony Or Universal

Discussion: What if Paramount Merged with Sony or Universal?

Are Studios Going to Start Consolidating?

Does Dreamworks + Disney = Gold?

Dreamworks decision to create a partnership with Disney was one of the biggest things in Studio new this week. For information on the subject, see one of the following articles, from another movie blogging site...

www.firstshowing.net

www.ropeofsilicon.com

www.slashfilm.com

themovieblog.com

2009 Studio Release

Major Film Studio (Parent Division)
Major Studio Subsidiary/Other Mainstream Subsidiaries
Arthouse/"Indie"/Genre/B movie Subsidiaries
Bold: Looking Forward To Watching

Walt Disney
A Christmas Carol
G-Force
Princess and the Frog
Race to Witch Mountain
Toy Story (Rerelease for 3-D)
Up
When in Rome

Miramax Films
Adventureland

20th Century Fox
Alvin and the Chipmunks: the Squeakuel
Avatar
Dragonball
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Jennifer's Body
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Street Fighter: the Legend of Chun Li
X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Fox Searchlight Pictures
500 Days of Summer
Amelia
My Life in Ruins
Notorious
Fox Atomic
12 Rounds
I Love You Beth Cooper
Miss February

Paramount Pictures
Case 39
Dance Flick
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra
Imagine That
Lovely Bones
Shutter Island
The Soloist
Star Trek

Dreamworks SKG
Hotel for Dogs
I Love You, Man
She's Out of My League
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Uninvited

Paramount Vantage (Paramount Classics)
Defiance
Goods: the Don Ready Story
Revolutionary Road

Sony Picture
2012

Columbia Picture
Angels & Demons
International
Pink Panther 2
Ugly Truth
Year One
Zombieland

Screen Gems
Armored
District 9
Fired Up
Mardi Gras
Obsessed
The Stepfather
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

MGM
Perfect Getaway
Poughkeepsie Tapes
Youth in Revolt

Weinstein Company
Fanboys
Nine
The Road
Shanghai

Warner Bros

The Box
Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince
Informant
Ninja Assassin
Sherlock Holmes
Shorts
Terminator Salvation
Under the Sea 3D
Watchmen
Where the Wild Things Are

New Line Cinema
17 Again
Friday the 13th
He's Just Not That into You
Inkheart

Universal Pictures
Duplicity
Fast and Furious
Funny People
Inglorious Bastards
Land of the Lost
New in Town
State of Play
Wild Child

Focus Features
9
Away We Go
Coraline
Taking Woodstock

Independent Films

Lionsgate
Crank: High Voltage
Daybreakers
Game
Haunting in Connecticut
Horsemen
My Bloody Valentine 3D
Saw VI
Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail

IFC Films

Medicine for Melancholy

Summit Entertainment
Astro Boy
Bandslam
The Brothers Bloom
Knowing
New Moon
Next Day Air
Push
Sorority Row

Dreamworks News

One of the blogs I follow The Movie Blog has share with us Film Fan news from Dreamworks. The news cover primarily what Dreamworks will be putting out in the next couple years. Read the complete article at The Movie Blog.

STUDIOS: Comic Book Movies

Marvel Studios

Location:

Beverly Hills California USA

Founder: Avi Arad (Wiki) Stan Lee (Wiki)

Parent Company: Marvel Entertainment (Wiki)

History (Wiki)

Filmography

D.C. Comics

Location:

New York City, New York

Founder: Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson (Wiki)

Parent Company: Warner Bros. Entertainment (Wiki)

History (Wiki)

Filmography

STUDIOS: Others

Lucasfilm Limited

Location:

Presidio of San Francisco,
California, USA

Founder: George Lucas (Wiki)

Subsidiary: Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (Wiki), Skywalker Sound (Wiki), THX (Wiki)
Animation Studio: Lucasfilm Animation (Wiki), Pixar Animation Studios (Wiki)

History (Wiki)

Filmography

Lionsgate

Location:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Santa Monica, California, USA

Founder: Frank Giustra (Wiki)

Subsidiary: Artisan Entertainment (Wiki)

History (Wiki)

Filmography

STUDIOS: Universal

General Electric

Location:

Hollywood, Los Angeles,
California, USA

Founder: Carl Laemmle (Wiki)

Major Film Studio (Parent Division): NBC Universal(Wiki)
Major Studio Subsidiary: Universal Pictures (Wiki)
Animation Studio: NONE
Independent Film Companies: Working Title Films (Wiki)
Arthouse/"Indie" Subsidiaries: Focus Features (Wiki), Rogue Pictures (Wiki)

History (Wiki)

Filmography

STUDIOS: WB

Time Warner INC.

Location:

Hollywood, Los Angeles,
California, USA

Founder: The Four Warner Brothers: Harry Warner, Albert Warner, Sam Warner, and Jack L. Warner

Major Film Studio (Parent Division): Warner Bros. Entertainment (WB) (Wiki)
Major Studio Subsidiary: Castle Rock Entertainment (Wiki), Legendary Pictures (Wiki)
Animation Studio: Warner Bros. Animation (Wiki): Looney Tunes (Wiki)
Independent Film Companies: Warner Independent Pictures (Wiki)
Arthouse/"Indie" Subsidiaries: New Line Cinema (Wiki), Picturehouse (Wiki)

History (Wiki)

Filmography

STUDIO NEWS: The Weinstein Company

MGM and Weinstein Co. Call It Quits!

Less than a week since DreamWorks announced that they would be going it on their own without their distribution partner Paramount, The Weinstein Co. and MGM have cut short their distribution deal three months earlier than the original three-year contract, which was scheduled to expire on December 31. Harvey and Bob Weinstein's company will take back seven movies to release between now and the end of the year including Kevin Smith's upcoming Zack and Miri Make a Porno (October 31) and the anticipated adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road (November 14). MGM will still distribute the two planned Dimension Films releases, the comedy Soul Men (November 7) with Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mac and Forest Whitaker's sports drama Hurricane Season (December 25).

The two companies decided to exit the distribution agreement after The Weinstein Company (TWC) signed its own TV deal with Showtime, bypassing MGM's Showtime deal, which was the main reason for the pairing initially. Under the distribution deal, TWC paid for marketing and prints, with MGM taking a distribution fee for booking theaters.

The two companies made the following statements:

The Weinstein Company: "This transition was always anticipated and now it has been amicably executed."

MGM: "When it became clear that the deal wouldn't be re-upped, TWC asked for its films back, minus the two Dimension titles, and we agreed."

Original Source: Variety

STUDIOS: Sony

Sony Corporation

Location:

Culver City
California, USA

Founder: Harry Cohn

Major Film Studio (Parent Division): Sony Pictures (Wiki)
Major Studio Subsidiary: Columbia Tristar Motion Picture Group (Wiki), Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) (Wiki)
Animation Studio: Sony Pictures Animation (Wiki), Imageworks (Wiki)
Independent Film Companies: Sony Pictures Classics (Wiki)
Arthouse/"Indie" Subsidiaries: Destination Films (Wiki), Screen Gems (Wiki), Triumph Films (Wiki)

History (Wiki)

Filmography

STUDIOS: MGM

Metro-Goldwyn Mayer

Location:

Los Angeles, California, USA
& London, England

Founder: Marcus Loew

Major Film Studio (Parent Division): Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM)
Major Studio Subsidiary: United Artists Films (Wiki)
Animation Studio: NONE
Independent Film Companies: Samuel Goldwyn Films (Wiki), The Weinstein Company (Wiki)
Arthouse/"Indie" Subsidiaries: Orion Pictures (Wiki)

History

Filmography

STUDIO NEWS: Dreamworks SKG

DreamWorks Considers Indie Future

DreamWorks Deals Are Fluid

DreamWorks Moves Forward

DreamWorks Signs Universal Distribution Deal

STUDIOS: Paramount Pictures

Viacom

Location:

Hollywood, Los Angeles,
California, USA

Founder: Adolf Zukor (Adolph Cukor) (Wiki)

Major Film Studio (Parent Division): Paramount Motion Pictures Group (Wiki),
Major Studio Subsidiary: Paramount Pictures (Wiki), Dreamworks SKG (Wiki)
Animation Studio: Dreamworks Animation (Wiki)
Independent Film Companies: Republic Pictures (Wiki)
Arthouse/"Indie" Subsidiaries: Paramount Vantage (Paramount Classics) (Wiki)

History (Wiki)

Filmography

STUDIOS: 20th Century Fox

News Corporation

Location:

Century City, Los Angeles,
California, United States

Founder: William Fox (Wiki)

Major Film Studio (Parent Division): Fox Filmed Entertainment (Wiki)
Major Studio Subsidiary: 20th Century Fox (Wiki)
Animation Studio: 20th Century Fox Animation (Wiki), Blue Sky Studios (Wiki)
Independent Film Companies: Lucasfilm Limited (Wiki)
Arthouse/"Indie" Subsidiaries: Fox Searchlight Pictures (Wiki), Fox Atomic (Wiki)

History (Wiki)

Filmography