Cinematical

So... Let 'em strike. Its the good old fashioned American way to make more money.

Maybe Hollywood can actually buy scripts that aren't derivative, remakes or sequels and actually tell tell a story for a change. I can't think of the last great movie in the last few years.

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You show an ignorance of the paychecks of a majority of members of the entertainment unions. The AMPTP is the one where everyone is rich. Studios and producers do not want to appease the logical demands of working professionals, it is their fault. The possible strike is not entirely about film, it never will be and never was. It is ethic for someone who is well paid in an union to respect the lesser paid or those of a different kin in this union. Did we forget that the movie theaters, not anyone mentioned above, is exclusively responsible for the concession business? No one wants a strike and hopefully the powers-that-be will adhere to rationalism.

Also, you are talking about The Brothers Solomon in some irrational light as if it was going to somehow be a good film. Your argument is like that album by The Roots, Things Fall Apart.

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Go on strike please. Then Maybe Aol will stop allowing rumors and lies on the blog.

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I agree with you man, fuck the high prices the shitty flicks and whinny bitches who ONLY have a house worth more than my damn town!
Except I say we strike before they do I say we strike in May and get the advantage!

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Best. Post. Ever.

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Wow. I recognize (or at least am hoping) that you're exaggerating a bit here, but sadly this kind of rant does keep people completely in the dark about the realities of people working as writers, actors, what have you. If you think most actors and writers are multimillionaires living in large houses with pools, or maybe that they live some kind of priveledged lives and are just whining about not having more money, then you are very misled and are misleading your readers at the same time. Most actors and most writers DO live paycheck to paycheck. And I assure you, a strike is gonna destroy the lives of many, many people who cannot financially survive such an event. I agree that most movies to come out of Hollywood are not very good. I also agree that movie ticket prices are criminally high, but you're taking your anger and disappointment out on the wrong group of folks and in the process doing writers, actors and your readership a great disservice.

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I agree with both Erik and those disagreeing with him, lol. The strike is sadly most likely going to happen, I haven't heard any recent news on the "negotiations" yet. Maybe if we all end up reading a book (including those on strike), Hollywood just might start pumping out some good shit.

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I just don't see why you're calling more attention to something you're sick of hearing and writing about by writing about it yet again. It's business. It's what's going on in the entertainment industry right now. Get over it.

As far as you admitting you don't know the specifics and could care less, once again stop writing. And the fact that you don't know the specifics should stop you from criticizing the system for negotiations and those involved in them. If you think they're doing such a bad job then write something other than this complaint, get yourself in a guild and deal with it yourself.

I like to read news and reviews of movies...not reviews of news.

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Tongue->Cheek

I get it. What Hollywood needs more than any of this is an utter collapse. Hollywood needs to rebuild it's archaic non functioning system where the simple process of writing takes twenty drafts by twenty different writers all bringing something different to the table only to have a studio exec over turn every one of those ideas in order to put sharks with frickin lasers attached to their heads in the script! Whew!
No more strikes! No more current Hollywood! Get rid of our bankable stars or make them realize the value of the little man! The broke ass writers, actors, and directors all need it this way. One sacrifices a great deal of creative integrity in order to make a steady poaycheck. If they want the big bucks, they gotta wait, wait, strike, wait, and then maybe, a writer will become the next Shane Black. But if someone wants steady realiable work, we need a new version of the old system, where people work, work, get paid, and work.
Neither direction is a perfect solution and there are definite pros and cons to both.

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Can anyone explain to me what "Could care less" means? It's "Couldn't care less"... otherwise you could couldn't you? Now that I've finished the English vs American rant, I know many writers who won't be affected either way because although they're working, their income is so negligible that it's not going to make a difference either way. Some political muscle is being flexed - mark my words, union leaders have another agenda.

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What we need to strike/boycott is the endless remakes and re-imaginings of films that were good or great to begin with. We need to force Hollywood to get back into doing more original content, and stop thinking in 'blockbusters' terms. Some of the best films are the little films. Stop paying overrated overblown 'star' actors/actresses millions for one film. Spread the wealth around the background players.

And yeah I'm sick of losing 25 bucks for an afternoon matinee. I never see a movie after 6 I'd have to go without groceries for the week. When will we all say enough already to that too?

I will go read a book right now.

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While I understand someone's angst in all of this, I feel for the writer. They are the lowest rung on the ladder here. They write something that gets passed to a producer, "star" or director who likes it enough to buy it for a small price (considering what goes into making a film). They then fire the original writer and make changes themselves to make it "better." Imagine that - Tom Cruise and his production company buy your script and HE changes elements of the story, dialogue, etc. ARRGGGHHH! Or some fucking MBA who knows nothing of how to be creative (well, only when cooking the books). I understand the writers' frustration. They get little or no license to have anything remotely original or interesting filmed. They get tossed away like a used feminine napkin after the sale of their script. They don't get paid residuals on their script, but Tom Cruise still gets paid each time fucking Top Gun gets played on TBS (which is every damn week). WITH NO STORY/SCRIPT, THERE IS NO FILM. Nothing. Someone has the write for Tom Cruise to fuck up. It's that simple.

As for the other unions, f them. They get the lion's share and have so little to complain about. When actors are getting $30 million/movie and directors are getting nearly if not more than that in their fees and points participation, I have little sympathy for them.

And what do we get out of all of this - Spider-Man 3, Shrek 3, POTC 3, Rush Hour 3, etc, etc, etc, all at $10/ticket. Awesome. I can't wait to line up this weekend at the theaters.

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Jeez, I must have missed the memo where people are now being herded into cinemas against their will and forced, at gun point, to buy popcorn and a soda.

If you're being fleeced at the cinema, it's your fault, unless I missed another memo that said cinema prices are determined by directors and writers now, as your call for a strike seems to suggest.

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I suggest going here:
http://www.jmsnews.com/
And searching through all the posts that J. Michael Straczynski wrote about the impending strike, as well as what it's like to be a working writer - case in point, only a small percent of the WGA is actually making money at any given time (as in selling scripts or working on a production), the rest of the time is hand-to-mouth. Residuals are a way of making the rent while hustling the next gig.

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Know what would be nice? If someone actually went out and talked to some writers to find out what their live/work conditions are like before writing about some dreamed-up fantasy world in their heads.

BTW: Just a basic fact: The WGA strike isn't just about those big Hollywood blockbuster films, it also covers TV writer minimums. I know TV writers and ancillary monies probably would help their situation. Why don't you go talk to a couple struggling writers before writing this kind of fiction next time?

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I've worked in the industry for over 18 years. I can say, in all honesty, that the majority of people in charge of making films in Hollywood are not interested in the slightest in making quality films. In fact, most of them wouldn't recognize a good film if they DID make one. I don't mean this to seem overly bitter (though I realize it is), but this has been my experience. That said, it's not the writers, actors or directors who are wholly responsible for this. Most writers will tell you that the work on screen does not reflect what they wrote or would have liked to write. Stephen Gaghan once said something to the effect of (and I'm paraphrasing here), "Most writers spend their time trying to convince themselves that they are excited about what they're writing, when in fact they wouldn't go see the movie they're working on if someone held a gun to their heads!" As a writer myself (and a Guild member) I can tell you this is true. The alternative is to work on independent projects that don't pay much (or anything) but do fulfill your creative desires.

The execs at the studios, for the most part, are not folks who care about film. They weren't raised on it, it's not a passion for them. Business is their passion. And there's nothing wrong with that, in and of itself. But it does have a profound effect on the quality of the films that get made. As both a writer and director, I have seen my work turned into things I am ashamed to have my name attached to; work that does not in any way reflect my creative intentions; projects that could have been/should have been great. Almost were, but for the people in charge at the end of the day simply not caring enough. At least not about artistic merit. It’s always come down to the easiest way to make a buck. That’s what they’re there to do. It’s what they’re trained to do. It’s what attracted them to the business in the first place.

Sadly, this is a town where what's promised and what's delivered are not one and the same. It's the Guilds that offer us protection against these occurrences. But even the Guilds can only do so much. I am still fighting to receive 65 percent of my directing salary from the last film I directed. Two years ago! As for back-end points? I'm not holding my breath. Numbers are fudged, money is pocketed, writers, directors, actors don't get paid what they're promised. As a result, many of us work day jobs at the same time while fighting to get our next project off the ground -and TRYING to do something of quality that comes from a place of loving film itself more than the business of film- and hoping that the money we make on the next project can get us and our families through to the next paycheck. And then pay for the lawyers who have to fight the powers-that-be to pay what they owe.

Less than 90 percent of any Guild member earns a living at their craft without having to take another job on the side to supplement their income. The "star" writers, directors, and actors are not who the potential strikes are for. It's the rest of the people, the people who ARE struggling, who ARE being robbed, in a sense, of the monies they should be making, that this is all about. That said, I hope there is no strike. It's not something to be taken lightly or rushed into. And the negotiating committees need to understand that they will NOT get everything they want or even deserve. It's about making headway. Get in the door first. Then, later, continue to negotiate. Sadly, it's not about what's right, but what is possible. Hollywood is not a place where fairness and integrity have much meaning. So people truly have to fight for what they deserve and what they want. I'd love to see more writers and directors fight for creative control over their projects. Then, perhaps, we'd see a quality of cinema sorely lacking in today's mainstream theaters. THAT is something I would strike for. In the meantime, I’d hoping to keep my health insurance and pay my rent.

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Malcolm X was right: if you read the MSM long enough, you will learn to love the oppressors and hate the oppressed. Most writers and actors in Hollywood (as in 95%) don't make the big bucks which is why they are the ones who vote to go on strike. As with any labor action, you need to investigate the debate before you jump to conclusions and tar them all as insufficiently sated Tom Cruises.

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Erik, you're an idiot. And when AOL sells a collection of Cinematical blogs for 1.2 Billion and you don't see one thin dime you will understand the plight of the Writers/Directors and Producers.

The studios have less than nothing to say about the price of popcorn and soda. In fact the theaters basically nothing but themselves concession stands; the movies are only to get you in to buy the consessions.

And Tim, post #1, there were 50 great movies in the last 5 years. You didn't go to see any of them...and neither did most americans. But you all got off your asses to see The Game Plan so don't be upset when the studios give you what you seem to want.

[steps off soap box, takes deep breath and resumes normal life]

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