OSCAR-NOMINATED FILMS TO GET A SECOND CHANCE

The major studios are hoping to capitalize on Oscar nominations this weekend by expanding nominated films that have not yet been released on DVD. “The Oscar spotlight could boost several contenders at the box office,” Daily Variety observed, then commented, “It better: The class of 2011 consists of some comparative underachievers.” Only one film in [...]

CORRECTION

Well, that didn’t take long! On Tuesday, we ran an item, sourcing Daily Variety, that, if and when SAG and AFTRA are combined into a single union, it will be named SAG-AFTRA United. We also observed that as time passes, the “United” in the name would probably be dropped. Later, a spokesman for SAG informed [...]

CBS FILMS: MOONVES ADMITS IT GIVES NETWORK A BLACK EYE

The strategy behind CBS Films had been simplicity itself: make a small number of quality low-budget movies and hope that a few of them would generate excitement — and ticket sales — at the box office. The problem is that after four years, the company has yet to have a hit — and its last [...]

APPLE HALTS TV RENTALS ON ITUNES

In a surprise move, Apple has stopped renting TV episodes online from its iTunes Store. Daily Variety, which reported the move, said that the company removed the rental option “quietly.” It quoted an Apple spokesman as saying, “iTunes customers have shown they overwhelmingly prefer buying TV shows.” Only two media companies had agreed to allow [...]

HARRY POTTER FINALE PREMIERES IN LONDON

Thousands of Harry Potter fans packed Trafalgar Square in London this evening for the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the final installment of the boy wizard series. The red-carpet to-do was broadcast in the U.K. and on the Internet in 3D via Sky 3D. Early trade reviews have been positive [...]

GIBSON THE TALK OF CANNES FOR BEAVER PERFORMANCE

Despite the controversy over Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic remarks following his DUI arrest in 2006 and his recorded threats to kill ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, his performance in The Beaver is receiving arguably more acclaim than any other from journalists attending the Cannes Film Festival. (The film was screened “out of competition,” making Gibson ineligible for an [...]

CONAN RULES LATE NIGHT IN TBS DEBUT

Conan O’Brien launched his “second annual first show” on TBS Monday night, drawing 4.2 million viewers, 3.3 million of them in the 18-49-year-old demographic. In a statement, Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks, said, “Conan delivered an extraordinary audience and stands out as the youngest late-night talk show on television.” Monday night’s premiere received [...]

EX-VARIETY FILM CRITIC MCCARTHY HEADS FOR HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Suggesting that the new owners of the Hollywood Reporter are committed to reviving the ailing trade publication, it was announced Wednesday that Todd McCarthy, the longtime film critic for Variety, had been brought aboard by the Reporter‘s new editorial director, Janice Min. McCarthy, who was fired by Variety after 31 years as part of a [...]

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER TO GET MAKEOVER

Ending an 80-year struggle to supplant Daily Variety as the trade paper of record for the entertainment industry, The Hollywood Reporter will become a weekly print magazine next month, featuring a mix of “analytical” and feature articles and photo spreads, accompanied by a daily digital publication in PDF format, the New York Times reported today [...]

EX-”VARIETY” CRITIC LANDS ON FEET AT INDIEWIRE

Veteran Variety film critic Todd McCarthy, who was recently laid off by the trade publication after 31 years, has signed with the website IndieWire to create a new blog called Deep Focus. In his first posting he indicated that while he had received “some intriguing proposals” after he was cut loose by Variety, none of [...]

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