The Film Industry Thread

[Binky]

I, too, am totally behind the strike, even though I'm really going to miss The Office. Apparently the studios aren't even genuinely negotiating yet. When do films start being affected? TV is first, but I imagine there were some movies that this should also be impacted immediately.

Oh - and an unscripted Globes with drunken stars sounds awesome. But I need my awards season, dammit.

[Deleted]

If this messes with the Oscars I wil be so very pissed off. It's like Christmas and the Superbowl mixed together for me!

I think the strike would have to go on for a very very long time for film productions to be seriously effected. Scripts are often mostly if not entirely completed before pre-production starts. Unless actors or crew members refuse to work in solidarity, if the strike only lasts a few months then I don't think movies will suffer at all.

[huntergrayson]

The city is going to collapse and be beset by work-hungry freelancers and writers, I Am Legend-style.

Axium, one of the largest payroll providers, declared emergency bankruptcy and is on the run from the IRS. They're in charge of WB's entire payroll - a company that just announced 1000 potential lay-offs (because of the strike, but I think this had *something* to do with it). My freelance editor friend hasn't seen a paycheck since December 14th.

And the cancellation of the Globes is costing the city a pretty penny as well.

Please get your heads out of your asses, AMPTP.

I know he's not perfect, but since this is devastating to the CA economy *and* he's a SAG-member, can't the Governator do something?

[iClaudia]

Looks like star salaries are going down

None too surprising - some actors were making huge sums for movies that were flops. I figure 2nd tier actors are the big beneficiaries which is probably a good thing. Julia Roberts still thinking she's worth $20 million per film is ridiculous. Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen these days. At any rate, Sandra Bullock was a much better choice for "The Proposal"

[heyalice]

I read the NYT review of 'Julie and Julia' and one of the sentences that struck me was, "...Ms. Streep eats young actresses for breakfast." My question is after Meryl, Helen, Dame Jude, who's next?

[huntergrayson]

Firstly, I think they're all over-rated now to a degree. But, secondly, while Meryl has always been successful & acclaimed, Helen & Judi's recognition, state-side, didn't come until their 40s/50s even though they had been working actresses forever. So I don't know which talented, perhaps slightly underappreciated actress is going to blossom into full-on awesomeness late in her career.

[Deleted]

She's already awesome, IMO, but I think Cate Blanchett will be filling that role. I'd watch her read the phone book.

It's too bad Nora Ephron directed Julie & Julia. I would love to see Meryl as Julia Child, but I HATE Nora Ephron's movies.

[heyalice]

I nominate Julianne Moore, I adore her.
I just found my very worn copy of EASY RIDERS, RAGING BULLS. I'm handing it over to my budding filmaker son. Such a great book. Such great characters. I love the behind the scenes drama behind Hollywood, sometimes it's more entertaining than the celebrity gossip. At least it used to be, I haven't read anything really interesting since J K left Disney and sued. Good times.

[ldiggitydawg]

Not only does Streep eat younger actresses for breakfast, she has managed to sustain a career in cinema while many of her contemporaries are working in television (Glenn Close, Sally Field) or have drifted off into retirement or irrelevance, relatively speaking of course (Jessica Lange, Faye Dunaway). I can't think of another actress of her generation, besides the aforementioned Helen Mirren, who has managed to maintain both critical and commercial credibility at this stage of her career.

[MrsOldManBalls]

I can't think of another actress of her generation, besides the aforementioned Helen Mirren, who has managed to maintain both critical and commercial credibility at this stage of her career.

Helen Mirren is the one who rocked the bikini, correct?

Meryl Streep seems like she'd be fun to have over for game night or a BBQ.