If you get HDNET, a movie I have been waiting on for a while, The War Within, is on now and again at 11pm EST.
Movies
Hollywood’s Nightmare- Mass Production
This is the kind of story that makes Hollywood movie execs cringe with fear:
In consumer electronics, as in much of life, good things happen to those who wait – good things as in plunging prices.
The cost of big-screen televisions, which have been steadily dropping by about 25 percent a year, are now expected to fall even more sharply this autumn, according to industry analysts. The coming markdowns reflect a singular confluence of business trends that will benefit consumers going into the holiday season.
“Prices are pretty much in a free fall,” said David Naranjo, who tracks the television industry for DisplaySearch, a market research firm.
The best evidence of this is the expectation of analysts that in the next few weeks the Panasonic unit of the Matsushita Electric Industrial Company will announce that it is dropping prices as much as $500 on plasma-screen TV’s that retail for around $3,500.
Panasonic officials refused this week to confirm or deny the speculation, but because it sells the most plasma screens in the United States, a potential downward adjustment would be considered a harbinger of a price war for all varieties of big-screen TV’s.
Speaking as someone with my own widescreen HDTV, complete with a decent surround sound system, this is what Hollywood should fear- home theatres popping up all over the country. The only movie I have attended recently is Star Wars, partly because it was a cultural event, partly because my inner geek refused to stay home. Other than that, every other movie I have seen lately is at home after it has been released on DVD.
Add to a dying business the slim offerings from Hollywood, and you can see the problem. Literally. They need to change their business model, and the day of direct to dvd releases is soon approaching.
In other news, as if to reinforce my point, the number one movie in the nation is “The 40 Year-Old Virgin,” which stars Comedy Central’s Steve Carell, and not, as I initially suspected, 2000 Presidential candidate Al Gore. Even though everyone ‘knows’ Al Gore is really quite enjoyable in person, of course.
Only One James Bond
More Judge Roberts memos released, including him (almost obsessively) ripping into Michael Jackson, and this statement:
“I am . . . somewhat troubled by the absence of a consistent policy governing our willingness to permit the President to participate in these private, commercial tributes. . . . I think we are seeing evidence of what we often say will happen when we deny requests for Presidential endorsements of charitable efforts: once you do one it becomes impossible to turn down countless others. I know there’s only one John Wayne — but there’s only one Bob Hope, James Bond, Bing Crosby, etc. etc. etc.”
Clearly he was talking abuot Sean Connery, and not those other posers.
Live and Let Die
Pierce Brosnan is no longer Bond:
A single, surprising phone call and it was over. That’s how Pierce Brosnan says he learned that his services as James Bond would no longer be required.
“One phone call, that’s all it took!” the 52-year-old actor tells Entertainment Weekly magazine in its Aug. 19 issue.
Brosnan starred in four Bond films. He says that before they stopped negotiations, the producers had invited him back for a fifth time.
“You know, the movie career for me really started with Bond,” says Brosnan, acknowledging that by the time GoldenEye premiered in 1995, he was already 42.
He then starred as 007 in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002).
Personally, I thought he was a great Bond. Connery was still the best, though. Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton were abominations.
No Stars for the Man-Whore
Via Gary Farber, this Roger Ebert take-down of Rob Schneider and Deuce Bigalow II.
Everything Whedon
First, the new Serenity trailer is up. Check it out.
Second, I am finished Angel Season 5, and I am furious it got cancelled.
Million Dollar Baby
Just saw Million Dollar Baby. About as heartbreaking and gut-wrenching as it gets.
On a lighter note, I have decided I could listen to Morgan Freeman recite the dictionary, I like his voice so much.