About two and a half years ago, I argued that the suits running Hollywood didn't know what they were talking about in their long-term projections on the economic development of the business. Back then, they were insisting that the industry was recession-proof and that it...
According to the IRS, filmmaking is a hobby, not a business. Or at least that is the stand the IRS has taken against filmmaker Lee Storey in its attempt to collect $300,000 in alleged back taxes concerning business deductions she attempted to take from her...
Last time I checked, the only boom profession offering employment is "Somali pirate." Unfortunately, the work conditions are horrible, the benefits are non-existent, and the Navy SEALS turn out to be pretty good shots. So it isn't a great career move. But digital piracy is a...
There are two reasons for going to any film conference. The first is networking. The second is...
Moneyball by Michael Lewis is a story of the Oakland Athletics, an under-capitalized baseball team managed by Billy Beane. Unable to afford expensive talent, Beane turns to sabermetrics, baseball statistics that measure in-game performance, to select a lineup of cheaper players with lopsided abilities. Beane's own...
Two years ago, I switched. And, to better understand my sleek, shiny, beautiful new gadget, I found myself spending more and more time at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store. I discovered Apple was attracting - employing - young people from all walks of life (even Wall...
Socrates once said, "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." Obviously, he was anticipating the current state of the indie film industry. Based on several recent articles, it would seem that there are not only two sides to every issue but also...
On the surface, Nikki Finke's Autopsy Report on the recent failure of I Don't Know How She Does It is a good hoot of a read. It offers some stinging observations on the largely stalled career of Sarah Jessica Parker while allowing Harvey Weinstein plenty...
A couple of years ago, when Moneyball was about to start filming and Sony pulled the plug on the production, I predicted that it would end up as a George Clooney flick like Leatherheads. OK, the smart-aleck who wrote that was wrong, and I will...
Sometime back, I suggested that one can learn more from a movie that has failed than from any ten flicks that were hits. At the time, I used the disastrous British opening of Motherhood as the prime example. But to be honest, that movie was...