Keith Pincher: Film

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 07:31:32 GMT

Michael Moore rebuts CNN on Sicko, calls for apology. Cory Doctorow: Last week, Michael Moore appeared on Wolf Blitzer's CNN show, The Situation Room, to talk about his stirring new movie, Sicko. Blitzer opened the segment with a taped "debunking" that purported to show that Moore "fudged the facts" in the movie. Moore has posted a point-by-point rebuttal to the debunking, showing that CNN was just shilling for the HMOs (a significant advertiser to the network). He's calling on fans of the movie to write to CNN and demand an apology.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN: "(Moore says) the United States slipped to number 37 in the world's health care systems. It's true. ... Moore brings a group of patients, including 9/11 workers, to Cuba and marvels at their free treatment and quality of care. But hold on - that WHO list puts Cuba's health care system even lower than the United States, coming in at #39."
THE TRUTH:
* "But hold on?" 'SiCKO' clearly shows the WHO list, with the United States at number #37, and Cuba at #39. Right up on the screen in big five-foot letters. It's even in the trailer! CNN should have its reporter see his eye doctor. The movie isn't hiding from this fact. Just the opposite.
* The fact that the healthcare system in an impoverished nation crippled by our decades-old blockade (including medical supplies and drugs) ranks so closely to ours is more an indictment of the American system than the Cuban system.
* Although Cuba ranks lower overall than the United States, it still has a lower infant mortality rate and longer life span.

Link

[Boing Boing]

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 07:07:15 GMT

'They were heroes that history forgot'. A film about north Africans fighting the Nazis has reopened old wounds about France's attitude to its former colony, Algeria. [Guardian Unlimited]

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:39:14 GMT

ILM animators take home the Oscar. Video: ILM animators take home the Oscar. From the Letterman Digital Arts Center in San Francisco: Industrial Light & Magic's Hal Hickel and John Knoll took home an Oscar for Visual Effects Sunday night, and their peers awaited their arrival for a surprise bash. CNET.com's Veronica Belmont was on hand to check out the scene and talk with the winners.
[CNET News.com]

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 06:52:23 GMT

‘The Departed’ Wins Best Picture, Scorsese Best Director. Seven snubs after his first Oscar nomination, Martin Scorsese was named best director and his murderous mob thriller “The Departed” was named best picture. By DAVID M. HALBFINGER and SHARON WAXMAN. [NYT > Arts]

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 06:45:45 GMT

Scorsese, Mirren take Academy Awards. · Director finally honoured· Departed takes 4 awards· Mirren wins best actress [Guardian Unlimited]

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 08:04:45 GMT

BFI archives to be free to public. The British Film Institute archives are to be opened up to the public, who will be able to watch items for free. [BBC News | UK | UK Edition]

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 09:53:05 GMT

Maltese Falcon swiped. David Pescovitz: An official replica of the Maltese Falcon used in promo photos for the 1941 film has been stolen from John's Grill in San Francisco. The statue was nabbed out of a locked cabinet where it was on display with signed Dashiell Hammett books and other rarities. John's Grill proprietor John Konstin has put up a $25,000 reward for its return. From the San Francisco Chronicle:

The black statue was signed by actor Elisha Cook Jr., a San Franciscan who played the role of Wilmer the Gunsel in the movie. He presented it to the restaurant after Konstin and San Francisco private investigator Jack Immendorf failed in their attempt to buy the original bird that was used in the movie.

Link (Thanks, Dave Gill!)

[Boing Boing]

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 12:04:14 GMT

PirateBay's OscarTorrents - download the Oscars. Cory Doctorow: OscarTorrents is an audacious new site from The Pirate Bay: a search-engine for torrents of this year's Oscar nominees:

To those worried about downloading in case they get sued: by our calculations, your chances of getting nailed are way less than your chances of winning the lottery. Don't think twice about it.
To all intellectual property landlords: we are aware that OscarTorrents might annoy you -- but contain your righteous indignation for a while, and think: we're only linking to torrents that already exist. Face it: your membrane has burst, and it wasn't us who burst it. Your precious bodily fluids are escaping.
You haven't beaten us, so why not join us? Think of a new business model that doesn't involve overpriced pieces of plastic and skanky cinemas hawking cheap carbohydrates while relying on $6/hr projectionists who can't keep a film in focus -- not to mention insulting your audiences by (to pick a few examples) surveilling us with nightvision glasses, searching bags, 30 minutes of commercials and bombarding us with ridiculous anti-piracy propaganda. Take a look at yourselves. Is it really any wonder we're winning?

Link (Thanks Hoag!)

[Boing Boing]

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 11:57:37 GMT

Mirren adds Bafta to awards haul. Dame Helen Mirren adds the best actress Bafta to her awards for The Queen, also named best film. [BBC News | UK | UK Edition]

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 08:13:14 GMT

Loss of picture. Film classics were all over TV back in 1987. But where can the budding movie buff get a film education in 2007? [Guardian Unlimited]

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 17:33:52 GMT

1938 Disney cartoon tryout book. Mark Frauenfelder: Stephen Worth says:

The family of Clair Weeks (Marc Davis' assistant on Bambi and Peter Pan) brought an amazing booklet to us at the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive for digitization. It's an illustrated "tryout book" from 1938, given to artists interested in applying to work for the Disney Studios.
It outlines the various job functions of the production process as they existed when Disney was at its creative peak. Those in the animation business will instantly spot the differences between then and now...
• STORY MEN must be able to draw. The stories are not written but are visualized in sketch form.
• THE DIRECTOR must have complete knowledge of every phase of animation, have executive ability and outstanding dramatic talent. He must be familiar with practically all of the Arts.
• All inking and painting of celluloids... is perfomed exclusively by a large staff of girls known as Inkers and Painters... This is the only department in the Disney Studio open to women artists.

This comment is amazingly far-sighted for 1938:
• TELEVISION, although in its infancy opens up a vast field of entertainment. Tests already made prove that of all subjects capable of projection, none can equal in clarity of transmission, the Disney Cartoons.

The book concludes with a drawn exercise the artist was supposed to complete and mail in to the studio for review. This is a real time capsule!

Link

[Boing Boing]

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 06:43:24 GMT

Mark Lawson: Un-American acting. Mark Lawson: From Robin Hood to Brian Clough, British accents have become the talk of Hollywood. [Guardian Unlimited]

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 09:35:39 GMT

Muslims get angry at 'bad guy' film images. Popular films depict 'crude and exaggerated' stereotypes of Muslims and perpetuate Islamophobia, says study. [Guardian Unlimited]

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 07:15:16 GMT

State of the Art: A Stream of Movies, Sort of Free. Netflix has rewritten the rules — this time, of the online movie-rental game.

[New York Times: Technology]

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 07:05:26 GMT

For Queen and country, the Britons are coming - again. From Mirren to Frears, homegrown talents target the Oscars. [Guardian Unlimited]

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 07:18:10 GMT

Britons win big at Golden Globes. Helen Mirren wins two acting awards while Jeremy Irons, Hugh Laurie and Sacha Baron Cohen also win Golden Globes. [BBC News | UK | UK Edition]

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 10:30:54 GMT

Boomtime for British film industry thanks to Austen, Mr Bean - and Gordon Brown. Film-makers lured from Hollywood by tax breaks. [Guardian Unlimited]

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 06:53:49 GMT

RIP, Lily Munster. Cory Doctorow: RIP, Lily Munster. I always had the hots for you.

Yvonne De Carlo, the beautiful star who played Moses' wife in "The Ten Commandments" but achieved her greatest popularity on TV's "The Munsters," has died. She was 84.
De Carlo died of natural causes Monday at the Motion Picture & Television facility in suburban Los Angeles, longtime friend and television producer Kevin Burns said Wednesday.

Link

[Boing Boing]

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 06:53:01 GMT

$3000 Spider Man comic spotted in old Episode of Naked City. Mark Frauenfelder: Dan Meth was watching a DVD of Naked City and noticed a copy of the comic, Amazing Fantasy #15, on a newsstand in one of the scenes. It sold for 12 cents when it was published in August 1962. Today it's worth at least $3000 in mint condition.

So I rented a DVD of the early 60's crime TV show "The Naked City", which is famous for being filmed on the streets of New York City. Well, in this one episode, there is a scene that takes place in front of a newstand and look what is clearly hanging from a wall in the background; Spiderman. But not just any Spiderman comic... it's THE VERY FIRST APPEARANCE of Spiderman ever. Amazing Fantasy #15.

Link (Thanks, Larry!)

[Boing Boing]

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 06:47:29 GMT

World's Most Expensives.

Who is the most expensive actor in the world?

The question should be what, not who, and the answer is a mouse. Stuart Little demanded a hefty price tag of $50,000 to $100,000 per four second shot to create.

According to Forbes from June 2004 to June 2005 Mel Gibson earned $185 million making him the most expensive actor to hire for a year. He ranked #3 of most expensive celebrities behind George Lucas and Oprah Winfrey.

In 1998 Jerry Seinfeld earned $267 million for his role in Seinfeld.

The most expensive actor in a movie can be disputed as many actors receive percentages of profits.

We believe Tom Cruise to be the most expensive actor. Although he did not receive a single penny as a salary, his 20% profit sharing for War of the Worlds (2005) will surely set the record.

Who is the most expensive movie actress in the world?

Word around Hollywood is Reese Witherspoon is now the most expensive actress in Hollywood. Reese will star in the new horror film, Our Family Trouble and gross a whopping $29,000,000. She now leads the board and puts Julia Roberts in second place for her $24,000,000 for Mona Lisa Smile.

Reese Witherspoon was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana but was raised in Tennessee. She is now 29 years old and has been acting seen the age of 15.

She does nothing but amaze us with her career and her accomplishments winning âo[ogonek]Best Actressâo? for her role as June Carter in Walk the Line on March 5, 2006.

Reese Witherspoon

What is the world's most expensive car?

Between 1927 and 1933 a total of 6 Bugatti Type 41 Royale cars were produced. MSRP at the time: about $42,000.00 USD.

In 1990 one of the Bugattis sold for $15 million USD in Japan.

Bugatti Type 41 Royale

What was the most expensive film in the world?

If you look purely at production cost King Kong (2005) edges out Superman Returns (2006) by a paltry $3 million USD.

The tab for King Kong ran $207 million while Superman Returns lightened investors wallets by only $204 million.

If you factor in inflation then War and Peace (1968) blows away the competition, costing the equivalent of $560 million 2005 dollars while Cleopatra (1963) comes in a distant second at $286 million 2005 dollars.

War and Peace took 7 years and $100 million to produce.

King Kong (2005)

What was the most expensive flower in the world?

In Guangdong, China the Shenzhen Nongke Group, involved in agricultural science research, grew an orchid in 2005.

It was quite an ugly orchid, but an anonymous buyer at an auction would probably disagree with us as he or she bid 1.68 million yuan for the ugly orchid.

SO just how much is 1.68 million yuan? It's roughly $202,000.00 USD and that's just how much the world's most expensive flower sold for.

The World's Most Expensive Flower

What is the most expensive ice cream in the world?

You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream, is a very memorable statement, but with the price of the worldâo[dot accent]s most expensive ice cream not too many people will be able to enjoy the taste.

The Grand Opulence Sundae from Serendipity of New York City has the title of the Worldâo[dot accent]s most expensive ice cream with a meal ticket of $1,000.00 per sundae.

The Grand Opulence Sundae is actually garnished with 23K edible gold. You may believe that this treat is one that can be purchased on rare occasion by only the rich and famous; however, Serendipity reports they sell one of these sundaes per month.

The Grand Opulence Sundae

What is the most expensive jeans in the world?

APO jeans are creating the most expensive and exclusive jeans in the industry. These jeans cost $1,000 for menâo[dot accent]s or ladies jeans with silver buttons and rivets, $1,500 for menâo[dot accent]s or ladies jeans with white or yellow gold button and rivets, $3,250 for menâo[dot accent]s or ladies jeans with platinum button and rivets, and of course the most expensive are $4,000 menâo[dot accent]s or ladies jeans with diamond button and rivets.

Along with each pair of jeans comes an authenticity number and an appraisal sheet from a top jeweler from the New York diamond district.

Wonder what every woman will want for Christmas this year - designer jeans with gemstones.

APO Jeans

Who has the most expensive legs in the world?

Just one toe and you could retire. Michael Flatley, star of Riverdance had his legs insured in 1999 for 40 million USD.

If you came here looking for legs of the feminine variety, Heidi Klum of Germany holds the record for the most expensive legs. Her legs are worth just under 4 million USD, but due to a recent scar, their value has gone down significantly.

Heidi Klum

What is the world's most expensive letter?

In 1991 a Beverly Hills company purchased a letter written by Abraham Lincoln on January 08 1863 for $748,000.00

The letter was written to Major General John Alexander McClernand defending the Emancipation Proclamation.

Here's the letter:

Abraham Lincoln
January 8, 1863

Executive Mansion,

Washington, January 8. 1863.

Major General McClernand

My dear Sir Your interesting communication by the hand of Major Scates is received. I never did ask more, nor ever was willing to accept less, than for all the States, and the people thereof, to take and hold their places, and their rights, in the Union, under the Constitution of the United States. For this alone have I felt authorized to struggle; and I seek neither more nor less now. Still, to use a coarse, but an expressive figure, broken eggs can not be mended. I have issued the emancipation proclamation, and I can not retract it.

After the commencement of hostilities I struggled nearly a year and a half to get along without touching the "institution"; and when finally I conditionally determined to touch it, I gave a hundred days fair notice of my purpose, to all the States and people, within which time they could have turned it wholly aside, by simply again becoming good citizens of the United States. They chose to disregard it, and I made the peremptory proclamation on what appeared to me to be a military necessity. And being made, it must stand. As to the States not included in it, of course they can have their rights in the Union as of old. Even the people of the states included, if they choose, need not to be hurt by it. Let them adopt systems of apprenticeship for the colored people, conforming substantially to the most approved plans of gradual emancipation; and, with the aid they can have from the general government, they may be nearly as well off, in this respect, as if the present trouble had not occurred, and much better off than they can possibly be if the contest continues persistently.

As to any dread of my having a "purpose to enslave, or exterminate, the whites of the South," I can scarcely believe that such dread exists. It is too absurd. I believe you can be my personal witness that no man is less to be dreaded for undue severity, in any case.

If the friends you mention really wish to have peace upon the old terms, they should act at once. Every day makes the case more difficult. They can so act, with entire safety, so far as I am concerned.

I think you would better not make this letter public; but you may rely confidently on my standing by whatever I have said in it. Please write me if any thing more comes to light. Yours very truly

A. LINCOLN.

By roos kit. [TOXIC]

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 06:33:45 GMT

Murdermouse tee: Mickey's torn-off arm. Cory Doctorow: The Murdermouse shirt from Young Lovers features a delightful image of the wrenched-off, bandaged arm of a familiar cartoon mouse. Link ( via Preshrunk)
[Boing Boing]

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 09:51:07 GMT

'Gromit' filmmaker gets animated about IT. Living large is part of the daily grind for Aardman Animations as it shunts movie image data from England to California, especially in HD. [CNET News.com]

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 07:15:24 GMT

Aging Films Get Digital Face Lift. A wall of 700 Mac G5s is responsible for salvaging some of Hollywood's most precious films, like Star Wars and, er, Miami Vice. By Evan Shamon from Wired Test. [Wired News: Top Stories]

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 07:13:08 GMT

Short Films From a Long Life. He's well into his 80s now, but the work continues for avant-garde filmmaker Jonas Mekas. His latest project: Producing one film each day in 2007, blending new footage with his enormous archive of film shot during the heyday of the underground New York art scene. A Wired News interview by Jason Silverman. [Wired News: Top Stories]

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 07:16:39 GMT

Joe Barbera, RIP. David Pescovitz: Animator Joe Barbera, co-creator with Bill Hanna of Yogi Bear, the Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby-Doo, and Tom and Jerry, died today. He was 95.
Link

[Boing Boing]