Video Game to Blame for Failure of Ben Stiller movie?
The young male audience that the studios rely upon to open their big budget boy movies each weekend has other things on its agenda, namely video games. It seems that the studios have begun to realize that they can't assume the boys will be there on opening weekend when there are other entertainments competing for their time.
The failure of the Ben Stiller's Heartbreak Kid remake (which looked to be a no-brainer since it reteamed Stiller with the Farrelly brothers who made There's Something About Mary, which made Stiller a star) is being blamed on the release of Halo 3.
What will the studios do if this keeps up? Maybe look towards women and girls? No, that would be too easy.
Bad Box Office? Blame Halo
Relationship Films Now Starring Boys
Newsweek has a web exclusive piece that talks about how buddy movies nowadays are chick flicks made by guys for guys. I don't necessarily agree with that (and the piece is all over the place talking about the women's movie and the fact that there are few women directors), but there are several good points in the piece.
As women moved behind the camera, they began telling women's stories and not just melodramas. The revival of "women's pictures," (now rechristened "chick flicks") coincided with the rise of independent film in the '80s and '90s, and featured protagonists who were allowed to live, and even laugh a little.
But lately it seems if two characters are sharing their feelings and valuing each other's company, they're more likely to be men than women.
Hollywood can be hostile territory for female directors in general, and may be becoming even less welcoming. As Meyers said recently, "the pendulum is swinging in the wrong direction," from the time a decade ago when women were able to get small, relationship-driven films produced.I've never heard Meyers say anything even remotely negative as she is basically the only female commercial director so that quote is interesting but it is undated so who knows when she said it.
Where the Boys Are (and Girls Aren't) (Newsweek)
News
The annual event honoring "Women in Hollywood" hosted by Elle magazine (taken over from the now defunct Premiere) was held last night in LA. The honorees were director Julie Taymor, actors Lauren Bacall, Diane Lane, Kate Bosworth, Jennifer Connelly, Amy Adams and Scarlett Johansson. Aside from Taymor, Bacall and Lane the rest don't seem to have had done enough to seem worthy of an honor of this sort. Since all the women are featured in the new issue of Elle, seems they just want to sell magazines and not honor the real women in Hollywood.
Elle Magazine Honors Women in Hollywood (AP via Yahoo)
"Woman In Film and General Motors have announced the five winners of their Acceleration Grant for Emerging Filmmakers. The winners are Jamie Taucher from Sedona, AZ; Julia Kots from New York; Connie M. Florez from Honolulu, and Joyce Lee and Mabel Valdiviezo, both from San Francisco. The five winners will receive a six-day broad-based immersion program on the movie industry as part of the grant. Grant is a program of the WIF/GM Alliance, whose goal is to support filmmakers from underrepresented communities." (Variety)
Sherri Shepherd, the new View co-host, has set up a sitcom at CW loosely based on her life.
View Host Plots Show (Variety)
Around the Web
Nia Vardalos is filming her follow-up to My Big Fat Greek Wedding in Greece.
Nia Vardalos Filming at Acropolis (AP via Backstage)
Actress Marsha Hunt who was blacklisted in the 50s is still working at 90 (isn't it interesting that we don't really here much about women who were effected by the blacklist?)
Actress Marsha Hunt Still Spry at 90 (AP via Yahoo)
Amy Ryan slips into the skin of another anguished character in Gone Baby Gone.
Disappearing Act (Backstage)
Jane Austen: The FanVid Mania (EW)
DVDs Out Today
A Mighty Heart - Most people missed this terrific movie in the theatres this past summer. It's not easy to watch but has a great performance from Angelina Jolie.
Roseanne - Season 9
I just put this on my netflix queue
Girl 27
"Author-screenwriter David Stenn investigates a notorious Hollywood scandal more than 65 years after it occurred, a rape case involving Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio execs and an underage dancer who refused to stay silent. Hired along with 120 other young girls to entertain MGM salesmen at a stag party in 1937, Patricia Douglas was violently raped and brought a landmark lawsuit against her attackers -- then mysteriously disappeared." (Netflix)
