When the strikes ended, workers in Hollywood hoped their schedules would finally fill up again. But for many people, things only got worse. - The New York Times
It was considered a blockbuster back in 1924, and its producers were pioneers in movie-related merchandising. It faded from public view after the talkies arrived, but a print was rediscovered in upstate New York in the 1940s, and a restored version has been getting centennial screenings this year. - The New York Times
Yep, it's true. The 21-minute film, The Junky's Christmas (1993), was written and narrated by Burroughs and produced by no less than Francis Ford Coppola. And it's right there on YouTube. - Open Culture
"CBS executives thought the 25-minute program was too slow, too serious and too different from the upbeat spectacles they imagined audiences wanted. A cartoon about a depressed kid seeking psychiatric advice? No laugh track? Humble, lo-fi animation? And was that a Bible verse?" - The Conversation
The songs form the basis of the highest-grossing musical in the history of Broadway. Thirty years on they remain embedded in our collective consciousness, so Lin-Manuel Miranda could be forgiven for feeling wary about being called on to provide the tunes for follow-up Mufasa: The Lion King. - The Independent
In the show's 55th season. producers are trying to re-orient it to keep it alive. Its core audience of toddlers and pre-schoolers is different than in the 1970s, there's vastly more competition today, income from DVDs has evaporated due to YouTube, and HBO has cancelled a lucrative deal. - The Washington Post (MSN)
Obviously everyone is different, but Alissa Wlkinson does have some general guidelines to offer. Among them: remember that people are more susceptible to tears at 35,000 feet. And don't assume that the films are all disposable pop stuff; there are frequently award- and festival-winners on the menu. - The New York Times
The successful roll-out of fast broadband in the UK has allowed streaming services — led by the US giants, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Apple TV+ — to demonstrate the dynamic power of subscription as a funding mechanism. - The Critic
In 2023, more than 10,000 developers lost their jobs; one-third of game-makers surveyed at the beginning of this year reported they’d been affected by layoffs in some way. - Wired
"While the 14,909 jobs lost by mid-December this year offered an improvement on the 21,417 jobs cut in 2023, it would be unwise to consider this year a 'comeback' by any stretch. Combined, the number of jobs lost between 2023-24 more than quadrupled the amount lost between 2021-22." - TheWrap (MSN)
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Wyoming federal court, Alexander Rienzie and Connor Burkesmith challenge the constitutionality of federal permit and fee requirements on First Amendment grounds. They accuse National Park Services of censoring speech by requiring advance permission to film commercial content. - The Hollywood Reporter
Volume was down 18.5% to C$9.58B ($6.68B) in the 12 months between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, according to the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA)’s ‘Profile 2024’ report. In 2019/2020, the figure was C$9.38B. - Deadline
Says one, "Please tell me the difference between the fight I saw on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills last night and The Jerry Springer Show. Money. That’s the only difference." - The Guardian
Even when they're getting excellent reviews and prizes, docs like No Other Land (about the West Bank), Union (about labor organizing at an Amazon warehouse), The Bibi Files (the corruption case against Netanyahu), and The Last Republican (former Congressman Adam Kinzinger) are getting cold shoulders from the business types. - The New York Times
Disney had three of the top five films in Inside Out 2 ($652.9M), the highest grossing R-rated movie of all-time Deadpool & Wolverine ($636.7M) and Moana 2 ($342M). - Deadline
