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OCTOBER 27, 2015<br />
US $9<br />
CANADA $ 1 1<br />
UK £ 8<br />
EUROPE € 9<br />
AUSTRALIA $14<br />
JAPAN ¥ 1280<br />
CHINA ¥ 80<br />
HONG KONG $95<br />
RUSSIA 400<br />
INDIA 800
Political Ads TV’s Mad Dash for $$ Yahoo’s Stumble Why Originals Failed Generation Next Hollywood’s New Leaders<br />
OCT<br />
Nº4<br />
110<br />
YEARS<br />
EST. 1905<br />
AWARDS SEASON LAUNCH<br />
HOT OFF THE PRESS<br />
Director Tom McCarthy, the Boston Globe’s<br />
Robby Robinson and star Michael Keaton deliver<br />
the goods with awards contender ‘Spotlight’<br />
By James Rainey p.44
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION<br />
FOR BEST YOUR DOCUMENTARY CONSIDERATION<br />
FEATURE<br />
“Fascinating and wildly<br />
“Fascinating entertaining”<br />
and wildly<br />
entertaining”<br />
– Hollywood Reporter<br />
Hollywood Reporter<br />
BEST BEST ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY SONG – “CAME FEATURE TO WIN”<br />
BEST ORIGINAL SONG “CAME TO WIN”<br />
“One of the most unlikely stories<br />
“One ever of the captured most unlikely on film.”<br />
stories<br />
ever captured on film.”<br />
- Billboard<br />
Billboard<br />
“A truly engaging<br />
“A documentary”<br />
truly engaging<br />
documentary”<br />
– Indiewire<br />
Indiewire<br />
DIRECTED BY BEN PATTERSON,<br />
PRODUCED BY PRAS<br />
DIRECTED<br />
DIRECTED MICHEL, KARYN<br />
BY<br />
BY<br />
BEN<br />
BEN RACHTMAN<br />
PATTERSON,<br />
PATTERSON, AND BEN PATTERSON,<br />
PRODUCED<br />
PRODUCED<br />
BY<br />
BY<br />
PRAS<br />
PRAS<br />
MICHEL,<br />
MICHEL, STORY<br />
KARYN<br />
KARYN BY PRAS<br />
RACHTMAN<br />
RACHTMAN MICHEL<br />
AND<br />
AND<br />
BEN<br />
BEN<br />
PATTERSON,<br />
PATTERSON,<br />
STORY<br />
STORY<br />
BY<br />
BY<br />
PRAS<br />
PRAS<br />
MICHEL<br />
MICHEL<br />
OPENS IN THEATERS<br />
LOS ANGELES – NOVEMBER 13 – LAEMMLE OPENS<br />
MUSIC IN<br />
HALL<br />
THEATERS<br />
NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 20 – CINEMA VILLAGE<br />
LOS ANGELES NOVEMBER 13 LAEMMLE<br />
OTHER MUSIC<br />
CITIES HALL<br />
TO FOLLOW<br />
NEW YORK NOVEMBER 20 CINEMA VILLAGE<br />
OTHER CITIES TO FOLLOW
Contents | October 27, 2015<br />
ALSO<br />
IN THIS<br />
ISSUE . . .<br />
8 Plugged In<br />
What’s hot<br />
on Variety.com<br />
40 Dirt<br />
Mark David digs<br />
up the latest on<br />
H’wood movers<br />
120 Executech<br />
Gadgets for your<br />
digital life<br />
122 My First Time<br />
Norman Lear on<br />
his early days as<br />
a comedy writer<br />
22 FACETIME<br />
Timothy Murphy<br />
TOP BILLING<br />
11 What Went Wrong:<br />
Reasons why Yahoo’s<br />
foray into TV failed<br />
TV Trumped:<br />
Networks accept<br />
controversial<br />
candidate’s terms<br />
In Contention:<br />
A look at films that<br />
could get overlooked<br />
this awards season<br />
Q&A: Ian McKellen<br />
on playing the aging<br />
detective in “Mr.<br />
Holmes”<br />
20 Remembered<br />
Maureen O’Hara<br />
Marty Ingels<br />
VOICES<br />
24 Brian Lowry<br />
Tuning In<br />
Exorcism: The latest<br />
in live programing<br />
26 Peter Bart<br />
The Backlot<br />
SiriusXM’s mix of<br />
music and talk is<br />
worth a bundle<br />
COVER: GROOMING: AMY KOMOROWSKI AT ART DEPARTMENT (KEATON); ASIA GEIGER AT ART DEPARTMENT (ROBINSON AND MCCARTHY); ON SET STYLING: SETH HOWARD<br />
THIS PAGE: MURPHY: TERENCE PATRICK; ILLUSTRATION: ALEXANDER WELLS; EXPOSURE: STEPHEN LOVEKIN/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
UNCOVERED<br />
33<br />
EXPOSURE<br />
Lady Gaga and<br />
Taylor Kinney<br />
at the “Rock the<br />
Kasbah” premiere<br />
Photographer Robert<br />
Maxwell on shooting<br />
“Spotlight’s” Michael<br />
Keaton, Tom McCarthy<br />
and Walter “Robby”<br />
Robinson for this week’s<br />
Variety cover: “All three<br />
were great to work<br />
with. They seemed to<br />
be the best of friends.”<br />
110<br />
REVIEWS<br />
“Jem and the<br />
Holograms”<br />
FEATURES<br />
11<br />
Power of the Press p.44<br />
“Spotlight’s” straightforward look at how Boston Globe journalists<br />
broke the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal garners Oscar buzz<br />
By James Rainey<br />
Contenders p.51<br />
Awards season kicks off, best pic race is on<br />
Political Capital p.60<br />
Local TV stations are ready to PAC in the cash<br />
as election season gears up with no clear favorite in sight<br />
By Cynthia Littleton<br />
Fresh Titans of H’wood p.65<br />
Variety highlights next-up leaders<br />
and Creative Leadership honoree Carlton Cuse<br />
TOP BILLING<br />
Yahoo TV<br />
DATA DIVE<br />
29 In-Depth Analysis<br />
Facebook video<br />
draws big brands<br />
30 The Charts<br />
Film, TV and Legit<br />
EXPOSURE<br />
33 Parties “Rock the<br />
Kasbah” bow; “How<br />
to Dance in Ohio”<br />
preem; GLSEN gala<br />
38 WWD Report Card<br />
How hot were the<br />
“Burnt” bow looks?<br />
GLOBAL<br />
102 Nuclear Powered<br />
Iran’s local film<br />
industry hopes<br />
biz will grow as<br />
sanctions are lifted<br />
ARTISANS<br />
104 Lived-In Look<br />
Creators of CBS<br />
hospital drama<br />
“Code Black” go for<br />
gritty city ambiance<br />
FINAL CUT<br />
106 Film Reviews<br />
Spectre; Burnt; Jem<br />
and the Holograms;<br />
Paranormal<br />
Activity: The Ghost<br />
Dimension; The<br />
Last Witch Hunter<br />
TV Ash vs. Evil<br />
Dead; The Returned<br />
3
Claudia Eller<br />
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF<br />
Andrew Wallenstein<br />
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
Steven Gaydos<br />
VICE PRESIDENT,<br />
EXECUTIVE EDITOR<br />
Cynthia Littleton<br />
MANAGING EDITOR, TV<br />
Debra Birnbaum<br />
EXECUTIVE EDITOR, TV<br />
Peter Bart<br />
EDITOR-AT-LARGE<br />
Tim Gray<br />
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT,<br />
AWARDS EDITOR<br />
Andrew Barker<br />
SENIOR FEATURES WRITER<br />
Geoff Berkshire<br />
ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR<br />
Peter Caranicas<br />
MANAGING EDITOR,<br />
FEATURES<br />
Steve Chagollan<br />
SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR<br />
David S. Cohen<br />
SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR<br />
Gordon Cox<br />
LEGIT EDITOR<br />
Carmel Dagan<br />
NEWS EDITOR<br />
Mark David<br />
REAL ESTATE EDITOR<br />
Shalini Dore<br />
FEATURES NEWS EDITOR<br />
Bill Edelstein<br />
ASSOCIATE EDITOR<br />
Terry Flores<br />
SENIOR EDITOR<br />
Whitney Friedlander<br />
TV NEWS EDITOR<br />
Carole Horst<br />
MANAGING EDITOR,<br />
FEATURES<br />
Ted Johnson<br />
SENIOR EDITOR<br />
Rick Kissell<br />
SENIOR EDITOR<br />
Justin Kroll<br />
REPORTER<br />
Brent Lang<br />
SENIOR FILM<br />
& MEDIA REPORTER<br />
Dave McNary<br />
REPORTER<br />
James Rainey<br />
SENIOR FILM REPORTER<br />
Jenelle Riley<br />
DEPUTY AWARDS &<br />
FEATURES EDITOR<br />
Janko Roettgers<br />
SENIOR SILICON VALLEY<br />
CORRESPONDENT<br />
Jasmin Rosemberg<br />
STYLE EDITOR<br />
Pat Saperstein<br />
DEPUTY EDITOR<br />
Malina Saval<br />
ASSOCIATE FEATURES EDITOR<br />
Ramin Setoodeh<br />
NEW YORK<br />
FILM EDITOR<br />
Todd Spangler<br />
NEW YORK DIGITAL EDITOR<br />
Kristopher Tapley<br />
CO-AWARDS EDITOR<br />
Brian Steinberg<br />
SENIOR TV EDITOR<br />
Elizabeth Wagmeister<br />
TV REPORTER<br />
Kirstin Wilder<br />
VICE PRESIDENT,<br />
MANAGING EDITOR<br />
ONLINE<br />
CRITICS<br />
INTERNATIONAL REPORTERS<br />
ART<br />
Stuart Oldham<br />
EDITOR, VARIETY.COM<br />
Laura Prudom<br />
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Justin Chang<br />
CHIEF FILM CRITIC<br />
Leo Barraclough<br />
LONDON<br />
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR<br />
Bailey Franklin<br />
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
Janine Lew<br />
EVENTS EDITOR<br />
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Peter Debruge<br />
CHIEF INT’L FILM CRITIC<br />
Patrick Frater<br />
HONG KONG<br />
Cheyne Gateley<br />
ART DIRECTOR<br />
Michelle Hauf<br />
PHOTO EDITOR<br />
Maane Khatchatourian<br />
NEWS EDITOR<br />
Marianne Zumberge<br />
NEWS EDITOR<br />
Brian Lowry<br />
CHIEF TV CRITIC<br />
John Hopewell<br />
MADRID<br />
Chuck Kerr<br />
ART DIRECTOR<br />
Daniel Doperalski<br />
WEB PHOTO EDITOR<br />
Maureen Ryan<br />
CHIEF TV CRITIC<br />
Elsa Keslassy<br />
PARIS<br />
Vanessa Morsse<br />
DESIGNER<br />
Priscilla Rodriguez<br />
PHOTO COORDINATOR<br />
Nick Vivarelli<br />
ROME<br />
Allison Cressey<br />
DESIGNER<br />
Michael Buckner<br />
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
Millie Chiavelli<br />
VP EAST COAST SALES & PARTNERSHIPS<br />
Michelle Sobrino-Stearns<br />
PUBLISHER<br />
Donna Pennestri<br />
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
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FOUNDER, 1873-1933<br />
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CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER<br />
Dawn Allen<br />
VP OF FILM & TALENT<br />
Alberto Lopez INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR (AUS., MIDDLE EAST, U.K. FILM) Michelle Fine-Smith MANAGING DIRECTOR, CONSUMER SALES Jason Greenblatt MANAGING DIRECTOR, DIGITAL SALES<br />
Henry Deas DIRECTOR, MARKETS & FESTIVALS (N. AMERICA) Patrice Atiee DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Judi Pulver DIRECTOR, MUSIC ADVERTISING (N. AMERICA)<br />
Guy Brown WEST COAST DIRECTOR, CONSUMER & FILM Eric Legendre INTL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE (FRANCE, BENELUX, SCANDINAVIA, AUSTRIA, ISRAEL, AFRICA)<br />
Celine Rotterman ACCOUNT MANAGER (GERMANY, CENTRAL/EASTERN EUROPE, U.K. TV, RUSSIA, THE CIS) Gurjeet Chima SALES MANAGER (ASIA)<br />
Doris Longoni ACCOUNT MANAGER (ITALY, SWITZERLAND) Kaushal Shah ACCOUNT MANAGER (INDIA) Stefan Nicholl ACCOUNT MANAGER (SPAIN, PORTUGAL, LATIN AMERICA)<br />
John Ross DIRECTOR, FEATURES AND EVENTS Christie Ricci BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Shannon Fitzgerald ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Chloe Alpert SALES COORDINATOR<br />
Joseph Meehan FEATURES COORDINATOR Rosalie Fazio SALES AND MARKETING COORDINATOR Lauryn Kistner SALES AND MARKETING COORDINATOR<br />
BRAND & EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING<br />
Sharmistha Chatterjee DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA<br />
Jasmine Abghari SENIOR MANAGER, EVENT MARKETING<br />
Dayna Wolpa MANAGER, EVENT MARKETING<br />
Eleana Gudema MANAGER, EVENT MARKETING<br />
Kara Dodd EVENT MARKETING COORDINATOR<br />
CREATIVE SERVICES<br />
Tim Boyer<br />
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MANAGING DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS<br />
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Rebecca Weitman MANAGER, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS<br />
Annalisa Dominguez STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS COORDINATOR<br />
Mark Hoebich PRESIDENT Carolyn Finger SVP Jean Song VP, FILM RESEARCH Darlene Gilbertie DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Geoff Elsner DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT<br />
Rick Hong DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Andrew Park DIRECTOR, TV RESEARCH Brian DePasquale MANAGER, RESEARCH Christine Morente MANAGER, FILM RESEARCH<br />
Kim Nagaran MANAGER, TV RESEARCH Phil Obaza MANAGER, TV RESEARCH Chris Svehla MANAGER, SALES Ethan Markovitz SALES Pamela Galbraith TRACKING COORDINATOR<br />
Noah Griffith COORDINATOR, FILM RESEARCH Heather Manning TRACKING COORDINATOR, TV Ryan Pigg TRACKING COORDINATOR, TV<br />
Kara Powell SALES COORDINATOR Amanda Buckler FILM TRACKING COORDINATOR<br />
OPERATIONS<br />
Terry Rosales<br />
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR<br />
PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION<br />
Natalie Longman PRODUCTION DIRECTOR<br />
Mike Petre CIRCULATION DIRECTOR<br />
Andrea Wynnyk PRODUCTION MANAGER & GRAPHIC DESIGNER<br />
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY<br />
Matt Williamson<br />
DIRECTOR OF IT OPERATIONS<br />
& PRODUCTION<br />
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EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT,<br />
BUSINESS AFFAIRS<br />
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GENERAL COUNSEL &<br />
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PLUGGED I<br />
What’s on Variety.com this week<br />
SAY WHAT?<br />
TOP STORIES<br />
Notable quotes from<br />
this week’s stories<br />
“The 1989 film<br />
‘Back to the<br />
Future II’<br />
showed<br />
life on Oct<br />
21 2015 --<br />
Inefficient<br />
Post Offices.<br />
(Still got ’em)”<br />
Neil deGrasse Tyson<br />
@neiltyson<br />
“I don’t read<br />
(the scripts) in<br />
the evening,<br />
because the<br />
ideas and<br />
images they<br />
create (stir)<br />
an active<br />
imagination.<br />
They follow<br />
you to your<br />
dreams .”<br />
“‘AHS: Hotel’: Angela<br />
Bassett on Her<br />
Relationship With Lady<br />
Gaga’s Countess”<br />
“I’m dying to find<br />
out what this<br />
major political<br />
commitment<br />
was. Usually, it<br />
means he had to<br />
go on CNN to call<br />
someone an idiot,<br />
or something.<br />
Why did he<br />
cancel? We told<br />
him there were<br />
cameras here,<br />
right? Are Tuesday<br />
nights the night<br />
he volunteers<br />
down at the<br />
orphanage?”<br />
“Jimmy Kimmel<br />
Mocks Donald<br />
Trump Following<br />
‘Live’ Appearance<br />
Cancellation”<br />
‘Contenders Conversations’ Video<br />
Series Launches on Variety.com<br />
In the first installment of Variety’s intimate new series, Matt Damon talks about the epic<br />
journey of B.O. hit “The Martian” as it catapults into the awards discussion. Further episodes of<br />
“Contenders Conversations” will be released every Wednesday throughout the Oscar season.<br />
Brian Lowry<br />
Tuning In<br />
For AMC’s ‘The<br />
Walking Dead,’<br />
Death Is a<br />
Fact of Life<br />
“The Walking Dead” has clearly<br />
established by now that the real<br />
evil isn’t in the slavering, mindless<br />
zombies but rather the horrors that<br />
people will commit in a world turned<br />
lawless and desperate. Yet the series<br />
still occasionally needs to remind its<br />
audience of that fact.<br />
Variety.com/TWDDeath<br />
Variety.com/DamonVideo<br />
Brent Lang<br />
Box Office<br />
‘Steve Jobs’:<br />
What Went<br />
Wrong With<br />
Apple Drama<br />
When Amy Pascal allowed “Steve<br />
Jobs” to leave Sony for Universal,<br />
the studio chief fretted that she<br />
had let a modern day “Citizen Kane”<br />
slip through her fingers. After its<br />
wide debut flopped at the box office,<br />
however, her wariness appears<br />
entirely justified.<br />
Variety.com/SteveJobsFlop<br />
Controversial,<br />
newsworthy and<br />
popular online<br />
1<br />
Ricky Gervais<br />
Returns to Host<br />
73rd Golden<br />
Globes Awards<br />
• 44 COMMENTS<br />
• 379 TWEETS<br />
2<br />
Yahoo Loses<br />
$42 Million on<br />
‘Community,’ 2<br />
Other Original<br />
Series<br />
• 18 COMMENTS<br />
• 247 TWEETS<br />
3<br />
‘Empire’ Boss<br />
on Cookie’s New<br />
Man, Jamal’s<br />
Woes & Hakeem’s<br />
Dangerous<br />
Cliffhanger<br />
• 11 COMMENTS<br />
• 202 TWEETS<br />
4<br />
‘Harry Potter’<br />
Stage Play Will<br />
Be Two-Part<br />
Sequel About<br />
Harry’s Son<br />
• 6 COMMENTS<br />
• 492 TWEETS<br />
5<br />
‘Batman v<br />
Superman’: Ben<br />
Affleck, Henry<br />
Cavill Reveal<br />
Plot Details<br />
• 4 COMMENTS<br />
• 229 TWEETS<br />
TYSON: STEPHEN LOVEKIN/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; BASSETT: JIM SMEAL/BEI/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; DAMON: DAN DOPERALSKI; GERVAIS: ERIC CHARBONNEAU/REX SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
8 Plugged In
The Diary of a Teenage Girl<br />
LOS ANGELES RSVP 323-634-7040<br />
Tue., Nov. 24 4:00 PM Jimmy Stewart 23<br />
Wed., Dec. 16 4:00 PM Wilshire Screening Room<br />
NEW YORK RSVP 212-833-5752<br />
Mon., Nov. 23 2:00 PM All New York screenings<br />
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INFINITELY POLAR BEAR<br />
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Mon., Nov. 16 4:00 PM Wilshire Screening Room<br />
Thu., Dec. 10 7:00 PM Real D Theater<br />
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THE LADY THEVAN<br />
IN<br />
LOS ANGELES RSVP 323-634-7040<br />
Wed., Oct. 28 7:00 PM Ocean Screening Room<br />
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Fri., Dec. 11 4:00 PM Jimmy Stewart 23<br />
SAN FRANCISCO RSVP 415-835-8775<br />
Thu., Nov. 12 7:00 PM Delancey Street<br />
Wed., Dec. 9 7:00 PM Dolby Laboratories<br />
NEW YORK RSVP 212-833-5752<br />
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SONOFSAUL<br />
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4:00 PM<br />
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6:00 PM<br />
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LONDON RSVP +44 (0) 207-533-1187<br />
Wed., Dec. 2 6:30 PM All London screenings<br />
Sony Screening Room<br />
IRRATIONAL MAN<br />
LOS ANGELES RSVP 323-634-7040<br />
Mon., Nov. 23 7:30 PM Universal Studios-Thtr 2<br />
Tue., Dec. 15 4:00 PM Jimmy Stewart 23<br />
NEW YORK RSVP 212-833-5752<br />
Mon., Dec. 7 6:00 PM All New York screenings<br />
Sony Screening Room<br />
Truth<br />
LOS ANGELES RSVP 323-634-7040<br />
Tue., Oct. 27 4:00 PM Jimmy Stewart 23<br />
Fri., Nov. 6 4:00 PM Jimmy Stewart 23<br />
Mon., Nov. 9 7:30 PM The Cahuenga Theater<br />
Tue., Nov. 17 7:30 PM The Cahuenga Theater<br />
Wed., Nov. 18 7:00 PM Ocean Screening Room<br />
Mon., Nov. 30 7:00 PM Ocean Screening Room<br />
Tue., Dec. 1 7:00 PM Universal Studios-Thtr 3<br />
Fri., Dec. 4 4:00 PM Ocean Screening Room<br />
Wed., Dec. 9 7:00 PM The Cahuenga Theater<br />
Thu., Dec. 17 7:00 PM London Hotel<br />
Tue., Jan. 5 7:00 PM Real D Theater<br />
SAN FRANCISCO RSVP 415-835-8775<br />
Wed., Nov. 4 7:00 PM Dolby Laboratories<br />
Wed., Dec. 2 7:00 PM Delancey Street<br />
NEW YORK RSVP 212-833-5752<br />
Wed., Oct. 28 4:00 PM All New York screenings<br />
Tue., Nov. 3 6:00 PM Sony Screening Room<br />
Fri., Nov. 13<br />
8:00 PM<br />
Tue., Nov. 17<br />
6:00 PM<br />
Tue., Dec. 1<br />
4:00 PM<br />
Wed., Dec. 9<br />
6:00 PM<br />
Tue., Dec. 15<br />
4:00 PM<br />
LONDON RSVP +44 (0) 207-533-1187<br />
Mon., Nov. 16 6:30 PM All London screenings<br />
Thu., Dec. 3 6:30 PM Sony Screening Room<br />
TESTAMENT OF YOUTH<br />
LOS ANGELES RSVP 323-634-7040<br />
Fri., Nov. 13 4:00 PM Wilshire Screening Room<br />
Tue., Dec. 22 4:00 PM Jimmy Stewart 23<br />
NEW YORK RSVP 212-833-5752<br />
Thu., Nov. 19 3:30 PM All New York screenings<br />
Thu., Dec. 17 6:00 PM Sony Screening Room<br />
LOS ANGELES LOCATIONS<br />
The Cahuenga Theater<br />
1415 N. Cahuenga Blvd.,<br />
Hollywood, CA<br />
SAN FRANCISCO LOCATIONS<br />
Delancey Street Screening Room<br />
600 Embarcadero St., San Francisco, CA<br />
London Hotel<br />
1020 N. San Vicente Blvd.,<br />
West Hollywood, CA<br />
Universal Studios - Theaters 2, 3<br />
3900 Lankershim Blvd.,<br />
Los Angeles, CA<br />
Dolby Laboratories<br />
100 Potrero Ave., San Francisco, CA<br />
Ocean Screening Room<br />
1401 Ocean Ave., #110,<br />
Santa Monica, CA<br />
NEW YORK LOCATION<br />
Sony Screening Room<br />
550 Madison Ave., 7th Floor, New York, NY<br />
Wilshire Screening Room<br />
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Beverly Hills, CA<br />
Sony Studios Jimmy Stewart 23,<br />
Screening Room<br />
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Culver City, CA<br />
LONDON SCREENING LOCATION<br />
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HOTELS
INSIDE<br />
Newsfeed 12<br />
In Contention 16<br />
Remembered 20<br />
Movers & Shakers 20<br />
Facetime 22<br />
DIGITAL / VIDEO<br />
Yahoo’s TV Fail: Why<br />
Things Went Wrong<br />
TODD SPANGLER<br />
@xpangler<br />
YAHOO HAS FLUNKED OUT of<br />
Greendale Community College.<br />
Its failure to make money on<br />
the revival of Dan Harmon’s<br />
cult comedy “Community” and<br />
two other scripted series is emblematic<br />
of the once-mighty Internet company’s<br />
muddled biz strategy overall.<br />
The botched run at programming at<br />
primetime-level costs, which was supposed<br />
to draw on marketers’ TV budgets<br />
to reach Yahoo’s billion-user global base,<br />
is another black eye for CEO Marissa Mayer.<br />
While investors aren’t clamoring for<br />
her head yet, the clock is ticking for Yahoo<br />
to prove its ability to grow profitably.<br />
Mayer and chief marketing officer<br />
Kathy Savitt — the lieutenant who oversaw<br />
Yahoo’s content efforts until quitting<br />
last month to join independent studio<br />
STX Entertainment — had ballyhooed<br />
“Community” as anchoring a bold new<br />
We thought<br />
long and hard<br />
about it … we<br />
couldn’t see a way<br />
to make money<br />
over time.”<br />
Yahoo’s Ken Goldman<br />
premium-content strategy to round out<br />
its live and short-form video pillars.<br />
But viewers, and the ad bucks to support<br />
the shows, didn’t materialize the<br />
way Yahoo had hoped. On its third-quarter<br />
earnings call last week, the company<br />
revealed that it took a $42 million writedown<br />
on “Community,” basketball comedy<br />
“Sin City Saints” and “Other Space,” a scifi<br />
spoof from Paul Feig.<br />
“We thought long and hard about it,<br />
and what we concluded is … we couldn’t<br />
ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXANDER WELLS<br />
Top Billing<br />
11
see a way to make money over time,” chief<br />
financial officer Ken Goldman told analysts<br />
concerning the three series.<br />
With Yahoo’s change in strategy, it has<br />
dropped plans for twentysomething comedy<br />
“The Pursuit,” from exec producers<br />
Scott Stuber and Dylan Clark, and director-exec<br />
producer Beth McCarthy Miller.<br />
Yahoo isn’t officially calling it quits on<br />
big-budget originals. But “we are taking a<br />
pause on long-form scripted content,” said<br />
Lisa Utzschneider, Yahoo’s chief revenue<br />
officer, adding that the company has no<br />
plans to order additional content for “Community,”<br />
produced by Sony Pictures TV.<br />
Yahoo didn’t spend much to market<br />
the shows, largely counting on “Community”<br />
fans to rally after NBC axed the sitcom.<br />
Meanwhile, Yahoo fronted a relatively<br />
small lineup amid an intensely crowded<br />
market for high-caliber TV content, and it<br />
simply doesn’t have a brand people associate<br />
with lean-back entertainment. “TV<br />
is not their core competency,” said John<br />
Blackledge, senior Internet analyst at<br />
Cowen & Co. “They don’t have the budget<br />
to go after the best content against Netflix,<br />
Amazon, Hulu or the networks.”<br />
Ultimately, Yahoo couldn’t reach the<br />
scale to make ad-supported TV shows<br />
work, lacking subscription revenue or<br />
pay-TV fees the traditional ecosystem<br />
relies on.<br />
“On the one hand, Yahoo’s been the<br />
only digital-first media company to meaningfully<br />
pursue television (advertising)<br />
dollars,” said Brian Wieser, senior analyst<br />
at Pivotal Research Group. “But the reason<br />
nobody else has done it is because the<br />
economics are terrible.”<br />
If Yahoo’s entertainment woes invoke<br />
a sense of deja vu, that’s because this isn’t<br />
its first failure in that arena; when former<br />
Warner Bros. CEO Terry Semel ran the<br />
company 10 years ago, ambitions to be<br />
more like TV were similarly thwarted.<br />
And Yahoo appears to have had another<br />
pricey fumble on its hands with the<br />
free livestream of the NFL’s Oct. 25<br />
Bills-Jaguars game from London. Yahoo<br />
reportedly paid the NFL at least $15 million<br />
for streaming rights, and the companies<br />
claim to have garnered 15.2 million<br />
unique viewers worldwide.<br />
But exactly how long those users<br />
watched the game on average was unclear,<br />
given that Yahoo auto-played the livestream<br />
on several destinations. Factoring<br />
in production and streaming costs, “There<br />
was no way for them to make back” the<br />
investment, said streaming-industry<br />
expert Dan Rayburn.<br />
The $42 million charge for the<br />
three shows contributed to another<br />
disappointing quarter for Yahoo. It<br />
reported Q3 revenue of $1.23 billion and<br />
adjusted earnings per share of 15¢, vs.<br />
Wall Street expectations of $1.26 billion<br />
in sales and EPS of 17¢.<br />
Worse, the company cut its<br />
fourth-quarter revenue forecast to<br />
between $1.16 billion and $1.2 billion,<br />
compared with average analyst expectations<br />
of $1.33 billion.<br />
“The core business is decaying faster<br />
than they think,” Blackledge said.<br />
The poor results and outlook led Mayer<br />
to promise that the company will focus on<br />
fewer products in 2016. Compounding her<br />
headaches, Yahoo has seen several recent<br />
high-level exec departures. In addition to<br />
Savitt’s exit, last week Jackie Reses, formerly<br />
Yahoo’s chief development officer,<br />
left to run the business-financing group of<br />
Jack Dorsey’s Square, while product senior<br />
VP Mike Kerns joined Chernin Group.<br />
There’s urgency for Mayer to demonstrate<br />
a clear and credible path forward.<br />
Yahoo’s spinoff of the remaining<br />
15% stake it owns in Chinese e-commerce<br />
giant Alibaba Group, previously expected<br />
to close in Q4, may be delayed until<br />
January.<br />
Once that happens, investors will fully<br />
focus on Yahoo’s business metrics, and the<br />
strategy (or lack thereof) to fix them.<br />
It’s unclear just how the fast-growing<br />
digital video space will figure in to<br />
Yahoo’s business going forward. “We’ll<br />
continue to invest in short-form video<br />
content, which is strategic for us,” Utzschneider<br />
said. Yahoo earlier had hinted<br />
it might pick up another season of “Community”;<br />
sources said Sony TV still has a<br />
film adaptation in play.<br />
“They were sort of dabbling in longform<br />
originals,” said VideoNuze analyst<br />
Will Richmond of Yahoo. “They’re dabbling<br />
in news with Katie Couric, and dabbling<br />
in sports with the NFL game. But<br />
it’s hard to do any one of those things<br />
well unless you’re all-in.”<br />
Changing<br />
Video Gears<br />
Yahoo, which will<br />
now focus on<br />
short-form videos,<br />
has expanded<br />
responsibilities<br />
for global editorin-chief<br />
Martha<br />
Nelson, putting<br />
her in charge<br />
of all media<br />
including video.<br />
Newsfeed<br />
’Star Wars’ to<br />
Show on Netflix<br />
in Canada Only<br />
Netflix subscribers in<br />
the Great White North<br />
will be able to stream<br />
“Star Wars: The Force<br />
Awakens” about<br />
eight months after<br />
its release, as it’s<br />
the only territory<br />
where the company<br />
currently has secured<br />
streaming rights. The<br />
timing has to do with<br />
when Disney’s pay-<br />
TV distribution deals<br />
were up for grabs.<br />
In the U.S., premium<br />
cable channel Starz has<br />
an exclusive output<br />
deal with Disney that<br />
runs through the end<br />
of 2015; Netflix’s pact<br />
with the Mouse House<br />
commences with 2016<br />
titles. Fortuitously<br />
for Canadian subs,<br />
the company’s deal<br />
with Disney started<br />
with 2015 releases.<br />
On Netflix’s Q3 2015<br />
earnings call last week,<br />
chief content officer<br />
Ted Sarandos said the<br />
company was in talks<br />
with Disney about<br />
possibiy licensing past<br />
“Star Wars” movies.<br />
Stevens Boards<br />
Sci-Fi Movie<br />
‘Colossal’<br />
Dan Stevens will<br />
star opposite Anne<br />
Hathaway and Jason<br />
Sudeikis in the Voltage<br />
Picture sci-fi pic<br />
“Colossal,” with Nacho<br />
Vigalondo writing and<br />
directing. The story<br />
follows a woman who<br />
moves back to her<br />
hometown after losing<br />
her job and boyfriend,<br />
only to discover that<br />
she is connected to a<br />
giant creature wreaking<br />
havoc over Seoul.<br />
’From Dusk Till<br />
Dawn’ Gets Third<br />
El Rey Season<br />
El Rey Network has<br />
ordered a third season<br />
of “From Dusk Till<br />
Dawn: The Series,” the<br />
TV show inspired by<br />
Robert Rodriguez’s<br />
1996 Miramax movie.<br />
The supernatural<br />
crime saga centers<br />
on brothers played<br />
by D.J. Cotrona<br />
and Zane Holtz. It’s<br />
produced by Miramax,<br />
Rodriguez Intl. Pictures,<br />
FactoryMade Ventures<br />
and Sugarcane Ent.<br />
FORCE MAJEURE<br />
STAR WARS<br />
SPREADS SYNERGY<br />
ACROSS DISNEY<br />
“Star Wars” is Disney’s not-so-secret<br />
weapon to bolster fortunes across<br />
the conglom’s far-flung empire, as the<br />
massively popular premiere of the trailer<br />
during an ESPN telecast attests. Here’s<br />
how promotion of the franchise could<br />
help strengthen other Disney brands.<br />
GOOD MORNING AMERICA<br />
The show joined with Maker Studios<br />
to unveil a new “Star Wars” toy line.<br />
Look for a steady diet of movie tie-ins<br />
as the release nears.<br />
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE<br />
Kimmel will get into the act early with a<br />
“Star Wars”-themed Halloween episode.<br />
Expect more guests and Kimmel<br />
crossovers from the movie.<br />
DISNEY XD<br />
The boy-focused cable channel<br />
will run new episodes of “Star<br />
Wars Rebels” leading up to<br />
the movie.<br />
12 Top Billing
TV / POLITICS<br />
Trump Wields<br />
Hefty Influence<br />
on Networks<br />
TED JOHNSON<br />
@tedstew<br />
WHEN DONALD TRUMP hosts<br />
“Saturday Night Live” on<br />
Nov. 7, he’d better bring<br />
in great ratings.<br />
The network is enduring<br />
protests from some Latino groups and<br />
the vocal wrath of an Illinois congressman,<br />
not to mention the very real prospect<br />
that one or more of his rivals will<br />
request equal time.<br />
The calculation is that audience size<br />
PLAYERS<br />
After this thesp<br />
played the actordirector’s<br />
convict<br />
father in “The<br />
Town,” a reunion<br />
is on the horizon.<br />
Entertaining<br />
Arguments<br />
Republican debates<br />
have been popular.<br />
22.9m<br />
Audience for CNN’s<br />
Reagan Library<br />
debate<br />
24m<br />
Audience for Fox<br />
News’ Cleveland<br />
debate<br />
Chris Cooper is set<br />
to star in Ben Affleck’s<br />
next directorial effort,<br />
“Live by Night,” for<br />
Warner Bros.<br />
will outweigh the negatives — a bet<br />
NBC and all the other networks seem<br />
eager to make.<br />
Perhaps no other recent presidential<br />
candidate has held so much sway over<br />
network bookings, as a Trump appearance<br />
holds the promise of a ratings spike.<br />
Trump’s sit-down on “The Tonight<br />
Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Sept. 11<br />
averaged 4.46 million viewers, the largest<br />
on a Friday for Fallon in 18 months.<br />
His visit to “ The Late Show With Stephen<br />
Colbert” averaged 4.56 million, the<br />
show’s second largest to date (after its<br />
premiere), and enough to beat Fallon in<br />
total viewers.<br />
In August, Fox News chief Roger Ailes<br />
called Trump’s attack on Megyn Kelly<br />
“as unacceptable as it is disturbing,”<br />
and Trump himself has engaged in an<br />
on-again, off-again boycott of the network<br />
. But his recent interviews have<br />
drawn hefty numbers, including on “Fox<br />
News Sunday,” which drew its highest rat-<br />
Jon Hamm has joined<br />
Ansel Elgort and Jamie<br />
Foxx in Edgar Wright’s<br />
“Baby Driver ” for MRC<br />
and TriStar Pictures .<br />
Haley Bennett is in<br />
talks to co-star with<br />
Miles Teller in Dream-<br />
Works’ “Thank You for<br />
Your Service.”<br />
ings in more than six years Oct. 18, with<br />
Trump as guest.<br />
After record ratings for Fox News and<br />
CNN for coverage of the first two GOP<br />
debates, CNBC seemingly had little choice<br />
but to accede to the demands of Trump<br />
and co-frontrunner Ben Carson not to let<br />
the Republicans’ Oct. 28 gathering stretch<br />
beyond two hours. When the network initially<br />
proposed something longer, and<br />
without opening and closing statements,<br />
the pair threatened to back out.<br />
The National Hispanic Media Coalition<br />
and the National Council of La Raza<br />
are among groups that have asked NBC<br />
to rescind the “SNL” invitation<br />
, criticizing the network<br />
for giving Trump the starring<br />
role on one of its signature<br />
Relevant<br />
Radio<br />
Peter Bart<br />
appreciates<br />
SiriusXM’s mix<br />
of politics and<br />
music. p.26<br />
shows not long after severing<br />
ties with him in June<br />
over derogatory statements<br />
he made about undocumented<br />
immigrants .<br />
Rep. Luis Gutierrez<br />
(D-Ill.) sees it as a matter of degree. “Having<br />
Donald Trump as a guest on every<br />
news and entertainment program is one<br />
thing, but allowing him to host ‘Saturday<br />
Night Live’ is another,” he wrote in a letter<br />
to NBC and Comcast.<br />
Trump’s appearance also may cost affiliates,<br />
as it likely will trigger FCC equal<br />
time rules, which allow rival candidates<br />
to demand the same length of airplay.<br />
NBC may even seek to limit Trump’s overall<br />
screen time, out of caution.<br />
In 2003, when Al Sharpton hosted<br />
“SNL” as he was starting his campaign for<br />
the Democratic nomination, Joseph Lieberman<br />
demanded equal time, and was<br />
given it on some stations. “I guess the<br />
benefits outweigh some of the elements of<br />
the headache,” said James Andrew Miller,<br />
co-author of “SNL” book “Live From New<br />
York.” “This is going to be a huge thing for<br />
‘Saturday Night Live.’ If he were to brush<br />
his teeth tomorrow morning and CNN put<br />
it on, it would get a number.”<br />
Vincent D’Onofrio<br />
is on board to play<br />
the Wizard of Oz in<br />
NBC’s new drama<br />
“Emerald City.”<br />
Genesis Rodriguez<br />
is set to star opposite<br />
Kevin James in Netflix’s<br />
“True Memoirs of an<br />
International Assassin.”<br />
TRUMP: REX SHUTTERSTOCK; COOPER: ANDREW WALKER/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; HAMM, RODRIGUEZ: ROB LATOUR/REX SHUTTERSTOCK;<br />
BENNETT: JIM SMEAL/BEI/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; D’ONOFRIO: GREGORY PACE/BEI/REX SHUTTERSTOCK;<br />
14 Top Billing
For more information and our current line up please visit: www.scfilmsinternational.com<br />
SC Films International:<br />
1st Floor | 56 Brewer Street | Soho | London W1F 9TJ | UK | t +44 (0)20 7287 1900 | e info@scfilmsinternational.com | www.scfilmsinternational.com<br />
CREDITS NOT CONTRACTUAL
CONTENDERS<br />
VARIETY.COM/CONTENDERS<br />
IT’S A WINNER Ben Mendelsohn, center, is memorable in drama “Mississippi Grind.”<br />
Kristopher Tapley<br />
In Contention<br />
Actors and<br />
Movies<br />
Flying<br />
Under the<br />
Radar<br />
This week, Variety kicks<br />
off its coverage of the<br />
2015 Oscar season in<br />
style, with our annual<br />
Awards Launch issue.<br />
But as we dive headlong<br />
into a fray that is<br />
bound , as ever, to recycle familiar talking<br />
points and contenders , we would be<br />
remiss not to pause and shine a light on<br />
worthy players who may well end up getting<br />
buried in the campaign avalanche .<br />
Yann Demange’s “’71,” part of a<br />
triptych of films that introduced the<br />
world to actor Jack O’Connell, premiered<br />
at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival,<br />
but remains one of the best films of<br />
2015. (It was finally released in February.)<br />
A nail-biting cross between “Judgment<br />
Night” and “Bloody Sunday,” and set along<br />
Belfast’s tumultuous Falls Road during<br />
the height of 1971’s Catholic/Protestant<br />
strife, it’s a unique playground for O’Connell,<br />
compared with his breakout work in<br />
“Starred Up,” and his stab at gravitas in<br />
“Unbroken.” It’s worth catching up with<br />
this film for the stirring photography,<br />
razor-sharp editing and Demange’s perfectly<br />
tuned helming.<br />
Ditto Sundance bow “Mississippi<br />
Grind,” released Sept. 25. Writer-directors<br />
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck hit a<br />
speed bump with 2010’s “It’s Kind of a<br />
Funny Story,” but with penetrating dramas<br />
like “Half Nelson” and “Sugar,” they<br />
had already brought a unique vitality to<br />
the indie scene. In “Mississippi Grind,”<br />
a character study of a man with a gambling<br />
addiction, Ben Mendelsohn delivers<br />
a wonderfully layered performance that’s<br />
so palpable you can almost feel the tremors<br />
in your stomach. Still, it’s hard to see<br />
Mendelsohn competing with other thoroughly<br />
marketed big guns, even with<br />
savvy distributor A24 steering the ship<br />
— though the scrappy New York outfit<br />
is clearly coming into its own with films<br />
like “Ex Machina,” “The End of the Tour”<br />
and “Room.”<br />
Another young indie distributor serving<br />
the art house well is Broad Green Pictures,<br />
with offbeat films like Ramin Bahrani’s<br />
“99 Homes” and James Napier<br />
Robertson’s “The Dark Horse.” “Homes”<br />
has stirred deserved talk for Andrew Garfield<br />
and Michael Shannon, though Laura<br />
Dern is easy to take for granted in a lesscarved-out<br />
role. Most notable, though,<br />
might be Bahrani’s efforts on the page,<br />
creating the kind of character-focused,<br />
genre-flirtatious work that scored points<br />
for “Nightcrawler” last year.<br />
“The Dark Horse,” meanwhile, proved<br />
to be a great opportunity for character<br />
actor Cliff Curtis, who tapped into method<br />
acting for the first time in his career<br />
to portray real-life speed-chess player<br />
and teacher Genesis Potini. As with Mendelsohn,<br />
his work is less about outward<br />
affectation and more about internal drive .<br />
Elsewhere, while Blythe Danner and<br />
Lily Tomlin have rightly drawn awards<br />
chatter for their performances in “I’ll<br />
See You In My Dreams” and “Grandma,”<br />
respectively, Sam Elliott delivers breathtaking<br />
supporting performances in both<br />
films — enigmatic and slick in “Dreams,”<br />
spurned and quite complex in “Grandma”<br />
— and makes both turns look effortless .<br />
Finally, while “Love & Mercy” certainly<br />
looks to remain on the radar , staying<br />
fresh in voters’ minds thanks to intimate,<br />
once-in-a-lifetime Brian Wilson concert<br />
events — and John Cusack and<br />
Paul Dano are sure to draw continued<br />
enthusiasm for their dual depictions of<br />
the fragile artist — here’s hoping Elizabeth<br />
Banks’ beautiful, empathetic performance<br />
(the heart of the movie, really) can<br />
stay in the conversation .<br />
There’s also Bel Powley’s complex portrait<br />
in “The Diary of a Teenage Girl,”<br />
the intriguing metaphor of David Robert<br />
Mitchell’s “It Follows,” and Jason Segel’s<br />
spin on David Foster Wallace in “The End<br />
of the Tour” to consider .<br />
And these are all just the tip of the<br />
iceberg. Hopefully, voters can find time<br />
to sample the work of these worthy contenders<br />
as more robust Oscar campaigns<br />
rev their engines throughout the rest of<br />
the season.<br />
Tapley’s<br />
Predictions<br />
A weekly<br />
snapshot of the<br />
state of the race<br />
BEST PICTURE<br />
› Black Mass<br />
› Bridge of Spies<br />
› Brooklyn (1)<br />
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Eight<br />
› Inside Out<br />
› The Martian<br />
› The Revenant<br />
› Room<br />
› Spotlight<br />
› Steve Jobs<br />
BEST DIRECTOR<br />
› Steven<br />
Spielberg<br />
“Bridge<br />
of Spies”<br />
› Alejandro G.<br />
Inarritu<br />
“The Revenant”<br />
› Lenny<br />
Abrahamson<br />
“Room”<br />
› Thomas<br />
McCarthy<br />
“Spotlight”<br />
› Danny Boyle (2)<br />
“Steve Jobs”<br />
BEST ACTOR<br />
› Leonardo<br />
DiCaprio<br />
“The Revenant”<br />
› Johnny<br />
Depp (3)<br />
“Black Mass”<br />
› Michael<br />
Fassbender<br />
“Steve Jobs”<br />
› Tom Hanks<br />
“Bridge<br />
of Spies”<br />
› Eddie<br />
Redmayne<br />
“The Danish Girl”<br />
BEST ACTRESS<br />
› Cate Blanchett<br />
“Carol”<br />
› Blythe Danner<br />
“I’ll See You In<br />
My Dreams”<br />
› Brie Larson (4)<br />
“Room”<br />
› Jennifer<br />
Lawrence<br />
“Joy”<br />
› Saoirse Ronan<br />
“Brooklyn”<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
16 Top Billing
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CONTENDERS<br />
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ACTOR / Q&A<br />
Ian McKellen<br />
on Playing Old<br />
for Holmes<br />
TIM GRAY<br />
@timgray_variety<br />
IAN MCKELLEN STARS in “Mr. Holmes,”<br />
the Bill Condon-directed film that<br />
bows on DVD and Blu-ray Nov. 10.<br />
The actor worked with writer-director<br />
Condon on 1998’s “Gods and Monsters,”<br />
the first of McKellen’s two Oscar<br />
nominations (so far).<br />
What drew you to “Mr. Holmes” ?<br />
After “Gods & Monsters,” Bill and I always<br />
agreed, “Before we die, we’ve got to do<br />
another film together.” Finally, he called<br />
and said, “I think I’ve found the film.”<br />
Then when he said, “It’s about Sherlock<br />
Holmes,” it just kept getting better<br />
and better! It’s a mixture of the familiar,<br />
with Sherlock, and what’s going to happen<br />
next, but it also delves into the man’s<br />
insides. It’s about widowhood, loneliness,<br />
about the possibility of redemption —<br />
that it’s never too late to find yourself.<br />
Was it challenging to play the character<br />
from ages 60 to 93?<br />
I’m at an age when I could imagine being<br />
93. It wasn’t foreign. And I had a stepmother<br />
who lived to be 100, with a bit of<br />
dementia. We’ve all been young and had<br />
aged parents.<br />
Do you ever get tired of acting?<br />
Anything I’ve learned about life, I<br />
learned by acting out someone else’s<br />
story. When you play Macbeth or Richard<br />
III, you have to face the possibility that<br />
someday you may be so angry or so ambitious<br />
that you could kill someone. And<br />
if you can’t imagine what that’s like, you<br />
can’t play Macbeth.<br />
Prized Career<br />
Honors and awards<br />
for the veteran thesp<br />
› The Lord of<br />
the Rings:<br />
The Fellowship<br />
of the Ring<br />
(Oscar supporting<br />
actor nom;<br />
SAG supporting<br />
actor winner)<br />
2002<br />
› Gods and<br />
Monsters<br />
(Oscar actor nom;<br />
Golden Globe actor<br />
nom; SAG nom)<br />
1999<br />
› Rasputin<br />
(Golden Globe<br />
winner, supporting<br />
actor, TV movie)<br />
1997<br />
› Richard III<br />
(Golden Globe<br />
actor nom )<br />
1996<br />
You do a lot of scenes in “Mr. Holmes”<br />
with Milo Parker. Is working with<br />
child actors different?<br />
A child actor is not a fully fledged<br />
professional with the cunning of experience<br />
behind him. But what you’re<br />
getting, if you’re lucky, is something genuine.<br />
And that’s very precious. If they’re<br />
in touch with it, they don’t have to work<br />
at it. And Milo had no apprehension .<br />
It was his first film, and he was very<br />
comfortable.<br />
Had you worked with children before?<br />
I have the distinction of not giving Eddie<br />
Redmayne his first film role. He auditioned<br />
for one of the boys in “Richard III”<br />
(1996), and he didn’t get the part. Every<br />
time I see him, he teases, “You’re the guy<br />
who didn’t give me my first job!”<br />
What’s your biggest surprise<br />
about “Mr. Holmes”?<br />
It’s not just older people who like it;<br />
kids like it too. That’s gratifying .<br />
OSCAR ODDS<br />
SUPPORTING ACTOR RACE: GOING FOR THE GOLD<br />
Awards experts provide analysis for more categories on GoldDerby.com<br />
20%<br />
4:1<br />
Idris Elba<br />
“Beasts of No Nation”<br />
18%<br />
9:2<br />
Michael Keaton<br />
“Spotlight”<br />
13%<br />
13:2<br />
Mark Rylance<br />
“Bridge of Spies”<br />
12%<br />
15:2<br />
Mark Ruffalo<br />
“Spotlight”<br />
9%<br />
10:1<br />
Tom Hardy<br />
“The Revenant”<br />
7%<br />
12:1<br />
Paul Dano<br />
“Love & Mercy”<br />
5%<br />
20:1<br />
Joel Edgerton<br />
“Black Mass”<br />
MCKELLEN: DAVID VINTINER<br />
18 Top Billing
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ED SHEERAN<br />
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AND OUR COLLEAGUE<br />
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MOVERS & SHAKERS<br />
QUEEN OF TECHNICOLOR Maureen O’Hara’s Irish look was a good match for the era’s movies.<br />
REMEMBERED<br />
Fiery O’Hara Thrived<br />
During Golden Era<br />
Maureen O’Hara, the Irish<br />
actress who starred in a<br />
slew of American films<br />
including “Miracle on<br />
34th Street,” “The Quiet<br />
Man” and “The Parent Trap” and one of<br />
the last surviving stars of Hollywood’s<br />
golden age, died on Oct. 24 at home in<br />
Boise, Idaho. She was 95.<br />
With her faint Irish accent, bright red<br />
hair and air of independence, she was often<br />
described as “fiery,” but that implies she<br />
was a one-note personality; in truth, she<br />
was a real actress who displayed her versatility<br />
in such works as “How Green Was My<br />
Valley” and Carol Reed’s “Our Man in Havana.”<br />
She worked with directors ranging<br />
from Alfred Hitchcock to Chris Columbus,<br />
but is best remembered for her works with<br />
John Ford, particularly in her pairings with<br />
John Wayne, such as “Quiet Man.”<br />
In 2014, the Academy of Motion Picture<br />
Arts & Sciences presented her with an<br />
Honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards.<br />
O’Hara, looking frail in her wheelchair,<br />
read a statement of thanks, but when her<br />
onstage escort started to take the microphone,<br />
it was clear she had not lost her<br />
“fiery” streak: She held onto the mike and<br />
continued talking with the unspoken subtext,<br />
“This is my moment, and I don’t care<br />
about time constraints.”<br />
Among her other roles were film noir<br />
“A Woman’s Secret” in 1949, Western “Rio<br />
Grande,” “The Long Gray Line,” “The<br />
Wings of Eagles,” “McLintock!” and 1971<br />
Western “Big Jake.”<br />
She also starred in a version of “Mrs.<br />
Miniver” on CBS in 1960 and made other<br />
television appearances.<br />
MARTY INGELS<br />
1936-2015<br />
Marty Ingels, an actor, talent agent<br />
and industry raconteur who was married<br />
to Shirley Jones for nearly 40 years, died<br />
Oct. 21 at Tarzana Medical Center following<br />
a massive stroke. He was 79.<br />
Ingels made his mark as a comic actor<br />
in the 1960s with his zany style and rapid-fire,<br />
raspy-voiced delivery. In later years,<br />
he worked as an agent and as a voice artist<br />
in cartoons, in addition to producing.<br />
“He often drove me crazy, but there’s<br />
not a day I won’t miss him and love him<br />
to my core,” Jones said.<br />
Ingels co-starred with John Astin in<br />
the 1962 sitcom “I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster,”<br />
and logged numerous TV guest<br />
shots, notably playing Rob Petrie’s Army<br />
buddy on “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” He<br />
also appeared on “Bewitched,” “The Ann<br />
Sothern Show” and “The Addams Family.”<br />
He was seen on the big screen in supporting<br />
roles in “Armored Command” (1961)<br />
and “For Singles Only” (1968).<br />
Matt Alvarez<br />
In-House<br />
Producer<br />
Broad Green<br />
Exec VP,<br />
Production<br />
and President,<br />
Multicultural<br />
Division<br />
Relativity Media<br />
Lucilla D’Agostino<br />
Exec VP,<br />
Current<br />
Programming<br />
& Development<br />
Senior VP,<br />
Current<br />
Programming<br />
Sirens Media (NY)<br />
Brian Dale<br />
VP, Digital<br />
Development<br />
Development<br />
Producer<br />
Thinkfactory<br />
Media<br />
Grady Gamble<br />
COO, CFO<br />
Adaptive Studios<br />
Exec Director,<br />
Strategic<br />
Planning<br />
& Business<br />
Development<br />
Paramount<br />
Pictures<br />
Chris Goble<br />
Sr. VP, TV<br />
Production &<br />
Development<br />
Automatik<br />
Manager,<br />
Literary<br />
Grandview<br />
David Haddad<br />
President<br />
Exec VP, G.M.<br />
WB Interactive<br />
Rowan Riley<br />
VP,<br />
Development &<br />
Production<br />
Burn Later Prods.<br />
Producer<br />
Anonymous<br />
Content<br />
Scott Veltri<br />
VP, Intl. Sales<br />
Director, Intl.<br />
Sales<br />
Magnolia Pictures<br />
(NY)<br />
Ross Weiner<br />
Agent, Theater<br />
ICM Partners (NY)<br />
Agent, Theater<br />
Literary<br />
Paradigm (NY)<br />
Sergio Alfaro<br />
CEO<br />
Eclipse TV<br />
Sr. VP<br />
Pink Sneakers<br />
Prods.<br />
Gayle Gilman<br />
Co-Founder, CEO<br />
Ripple Ent.<br />
Exec VP,<br />
Digital Content<br />
FremantleMedia<br />
North America<br />
Saul Goldberg<br />
VP, Head,<br />
Unscripted TV<br />
Covert Media<br />
Development Exec<br />
Electus<br />
Karen Leever<br />
Exec VP, G.M., Digital<br />
Media<br />
Discovery (NY)<br />
Sr. VP, Digital & Direct<br />
Sales<br />
DirecTV (NY)<br />
Adam Lewinson<br />
Sr. VP, Programming,<br />
Marketing &<br />
Operations<br />
Crackle<br />
Sr. VP, Programming &<br />
Production<br />
FX Networks<br />
Andrew Marcus<br />
President<br />
Managing Director<br />
Relativity TV<br />
Amy Reisenbach<br />
Sr. VP, Current<br />
Programs<br />
VP, Current Programs<br />
CBS Ent./CBS TV Studios<br />
Ella Robinson<br />
VP, East Coast<br />
Publicity<br />
Broad Green (NY)<br />
Senior VP<br />
DKC Public Relations (NY)<br />
Kim Roth<br />
President of<br />
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Macro<br />
President of<br />
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Imagine Entertainment<br />
Bridget Wiley<br />
Exec VP,<br />
Current Programs<br />
Senior VP,<br />
Current Programs<br />
CBS Ent./CBS TV Studios<br />
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O’HARA: PHOTOFEST<br />
20 Top Billing
AVA DUVERNAY<br />
UCLA ’90 – ’95<br />
1st Black Female Director<br />
Golden Globe Nominee,<br />
Inspiration<br />
RANDALL PARK<br />
Class of ’97<br />
Actor, Writer, Director<br />
MAYIM BIALIK<br />
Class of ’00, ’07<br />
Actress, Role Model,<br />
PhD in Neuroscience<br />
Optimists look at the world differently. We strive to find new angles.<br />
And we focus on widening perspectives to provide a view that demands<br />
attention. Because in a world where most people tune in to tune out,<br />
the only way to ignite change is by thinking outside the box office.<br />
How will you spark new trends?<br />
ucla.edu/optimists
FACETIME<br />
‘I Thought, Well if That’s Acting,<br />
I’m Going to Get Into That’<br />
As evidenced by his roles in “Sons<br />
of Anarchy” and “True Detective,”<br />
Timothy Murphy has built a career<br />
playing the villain. But in person, the<br />
actor’s charming smile, steely eyes and<br />
Irish accent couldn’t be less threatening.<br />
In fact, they’re a better fit for Father<br />
Ruskin, the at-least-sort-of good guy Murphy<br />
gets to play in FX’s new series “The<br />
Bastard Executioner.” SETH KELLEY<br />
How does Father<br />
Ruskin compare<br />
to your prior roles?<br />
Initially it didn’t<br />
seem like it was<br />
similar at all,<br />
because he is a<br />
priest. But there<br />
are no good guys.<br />
This guy is a priest,<br />
but he’s a priest<br />
with a past.<br />
Timothy Murphy<br />
What was your<br />
first acting job?<br />
I was living in<br />
Florida and<br />
dating this girl<br />
who worked at a<br />
casting agency. But<br />
I wasn’t an actor<br />
— I was working<br />
in construction.<br />
She told me they<br />
were looking for<br />
a James Dean-like<br />
character for a<br />
beer commercial.<br />
And I, at the time,<br />
looked like James<br />
Dean. It was so<br />
hot in South Beach<br />
that I had to take<br />
a break every 10<br />
minutes just to get<br />
the sweat off. But<br />
three beautiful girls<br />
started powdering<br />
me down. I thought,<br />
well if that’s acting,<br />
I’m going to get into<br />
that.<br />
You got to do<br />
something a little<br />
different in “Grace<br />
and Frankie.”<br />
I was amazed they<br />
would cast me in a<br />
comedy, and then<br />
as a love interest for<br />
Jane Fonda. But in<br />
real life, that’s more<br />
like me. I don’t take<br />
life too seriously.<br />
You’re not actually<br />
a badass villain?<br />
I worked as a<br />
bouncer in Dublin<br />
while I studied<br />
acting, but I’m<br />
not a badass.<br />
22 Top Billing PHOTOGRAPH BY TERENCE PATRICK
Brian Lowry Tuning In<br />
For TV Networks, Exorcism<br />
Stunt Is the New (Para)Normal<br />
Halloween show goes live, but how long before viewers no longer see such tricks as treats?<br />
Presumably,<br />
if done right,<br />
broadcasting<br />
live can bring<br />
some of the<br />
unpredictability<br />
of a sporting<br />
event to more<br />
conventional<br />
genres.”<br />
@blowryontv<br />
Destination America, one of the<br />
less-shiny objects in Discovery’s<br />
portfolio of channels, will try to<br />
put itself on the TV map by airing<br />
a live exorcism. And while<br />
the Devil in such an exercise<br />
is in the details, it’s less Satan<br />
than the basic desire to tickle jaded nerve endings<br />
that is inspiring the network (and a lot of others) to<br />
try such stunts.<br />
“Exorcism: Live!,” scheduled to air the night<br />
before Halloween, is set at the St. Louis home that<br />
inspired the movie “The Exorcist,” where a young<br />
boy was allegedly possessed 66 (get it?) years ago.<br />
According to producer Jodi Tovay, the main event<br />
won’t involve trying to save a possessed person, but<br />
rather will encompass an attempt to cleanse spirits<br />
from the house itself — which supposedly remains<br />
“hot” — in a ritual she describes as “a hybrid of an<br />
exorcism and a blessing.”<br />
There’s no mystery why live events are all the<br />
rage these days, from sitcoms to variety shows,<br />
musicals to specials and stunts, including this<br />
one, as well as National Geographic’s “Brain Surgery<br />
Live” and A&E’s “Fear: Buried Alive,” all scheduled<br />
for this month alone. Not only does removing<br />
the tape delay offer a hoped-for hedge against<br />
time-shifted viewing and ad-skipping, but presumably,<br />
if done right, broadcasting live can bring some<br />
of the unpredictability of a sporting event to more<br />
conventional genres.<br />
Yet while the live element more often than not<br />
merely creates the illusion of a death-defying leap<br />
without a safety net, the pressure to raise the stakes<br />
inevitably keeps opening new (and in the case of<br />
“Exorcism,” dark and foreboding) doors. Notably,<br />
while Discovery garnered spectacular ratings when<br />
Nik Wallenda made his first live high-wire walk in<br />
2013, the audience dropped substantially the second<br />
time around, suggesting that a mere 16 months<br />
later, a lot of viewers felt as if they’d been there,<br />
seen that. Ditto for NBC’s “Peter Pan,” which headed<br />
earthward after the network’s maiden musical event<br />
“The Sound of Music” soared.<br />
Discovery group president Henry Schleiff, who<br />
counts Destination America among the networks<br />
he oversees, along with the higher-profile Investigation<br />
Discovery, has a bit of P.T. Barnum in him, but<br />
he’s much too polite to ever suggest that those people<br />
tuning in expecting to see glasses fly around the<br />
room might be suckers.<br />
As for the likelihood that “Exorcism Live!”<br />
will deliver anything dramatic enough to require<br />
steam-cleaning the carpet, he says, “I don’t think<br />
we will have Geraldo Rivera and the empty vaults,”<br />
referring to the much lampooned but highly rat-<br />
ed 1986 special devoted to opening Al Capone’s<br />
“secret” vault, which spurred a wave of copycats<br />
before the trend cooled. “The people we’re working<br />
with really believe in this,” Schleiff adds, noting<br />
that much of the public does as well.<br />
Still, it’s pretty clear the ultimate goal — beyond<br />
motivating people to actually locate Destination<br />
America on their channel guides — is to capitalize<br />
on the live component in order to generate interest<br />
and turn some heads, albeit not all the way around.<br />
The larger question, not just for Discovery but for<br />
the entire industry, is when (as opposed to if) heading<br />
down this proverbial slippery slope results in<br />
somebody tumbling over a cliff, and how soon it<br />
yields diminishing returns.<br />
For Destination America, which is seeking to<br />
carve out a niche as a home for programming<br />
related to the paranormal, a live exorcism surely<br />
represents a cheeky way to get in on the action.<br />
But as these sorts of stunts proliferate, one<br />
needn’t be a cynic to wonder whether TV’s latest<br />
infatuation with being “live” is going to exact a<br />
price by once too often crying wolf — or maybe, in<br />
this case, werewolf.<br />
CLASSIC SPIN<br />
Destination<br />
America’s<br />
“Exorcism: Live!”<br />
returns to the<br />
St. Louis home<br />
where the events<br />
that inspired<br />
horror film<br />
“The Exorcist”<br />
occurred.<br />
24<br />
Voices
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Peter Bart The Backlot<br />
It May Be Hip to Cut TV Cord,<br />
but in Radio, the Bundle Is Boss<br />
With a captive listenership, SiriusXM drives a bargain with its mix of politics, music and talk<br />
Some seven of<br />
every 10 new<br />
vehicles come<br />
equipped with a<br />
trial SiriusXM<br />
subscription,<br />
and roughly<br />
40% of the<br />
buyers pay $15<br />
to $18 a month<br />
to maintain<br />
the service.”<br />
@mrpeterbart<br />
It’s become abundantly clear to me lately<br />
that my tastes are veering away from the<br />
mainstream (wherever that is). For example,<br />
I still peer at my TV screen, even<br />
though 57% of the young demo now disdains<br />
that device as a source of entertainment.<br />
I still use my smart phone to call<br />
people, but the 18-24 set absorbs 40 plus hours a<br />
month of entertainment on their phones, making<br />
chats irrelevant. I still watch sports on ESPN, but 3<br />
million subscribers dumped it this year alone. And<br />
while every media pundit is predicting the end of<br />
TV bundling, I have not only renewed my TV bundle,<br />
but even added a radio one.<br />
Yes, radio. I signed up for SiriusXM last<br />
week, thus inflicting upon myself a 150-channel<br />
blast of music, politics, comedy and random<br />
noise, again realizing that my interest in radio<br />
was counter-cultural. Further, I did so mindful<br />
that Howard Stern, the king of all yakkers, who’d<br />
signed a widely heralded $500 million deal with<br />
SiriusXM a decade ago, had not yet renewed (a<br />
silent Stern?). On the other hand, a range of new<br />
talkers like Andy Cohen, Jenny McCarthy and Sandra<br />
Bernhard are now holding forth at the Sirius<br />
stable, and it’s also about to add a real-time radio<br />
news service, updated at 10- minute intervals (news<br />
also is said to be out of the mainstream for the<br />
young demo).<br />
The savvy talent impresario energizing this<br />
radio bundle is Scott Greenstein, who once ran<br />
indie film companies like October and USA Films.<br />
At any given moment, the corridors of SiriusXM<br />
rumble with the shouts and murmurs of sports<br />
gurus like Stephen A. Smith, preachers like Joel<br />
Osteen and a range of vintage disc jockeys like<br />
Downtown Julie Brown and Cousin Brucie, who<br />
curates ’60s music and prattles about his John Lennon<br />
interviews. Also holding forth is a full spectrum<br />
of political advocates ranging from far left<br />
to far right, from Progressive to Patriot (the list<br />
includes Variety’s Ted Johnson).<br />
Greenstein’s mission is to generate more<br />
energy and controversy than commercial radio<br />
does , and thus satisfy the cravings of his 29 million<br />
subscribers, most of whom are locked in their cars<br />
during traffic jams. His major advantage:<br />
Some seven of every 10 new vehicles come equipped<br />
with a trial SiriusXM subscription, and roughly<br />
40% of the buyers pay $15 to $18 a month to<br />
maintain the service. The upshot of this , according<br />
to analytical firm Gabelli Research, is consistent<br />
growth of 10% annually , yielding revenues of<br />
$4.5 billion last year. By subscribing, listeners can<br />
side-step much of the blizzard of advertising on<br />
commercial radio, as well as the narrow ideological<br />
cacophony of Limbaugh land.<br />
All of this has fueled my proclivity toward bundles,<br />
both of radio and TV networks. While I don’t<br />
like the cost, I like the choice. And the chaos. But<br />
then I also prefer to phone people rather than texting<br />
them. And there’s that damn TV habit.<br />
BRATISLAV MILENKOVIC<br />
26<br />
Voices
Opening Night second line<br />
2015 Jury Award Winners<br />
NARRATIVE FEATURE<br />
EMBERS<br />
Director: Claire Carré<br />
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE<br />
HOTEL NUEVA ISLA<br />
Director: Irene Gutierrez<br />
LOUISIANA FEATURE<br />
CONSEQUENCE<br />
Directors: Jonathan Nguyen, Ashley George<br />
NARRATIVE SHORT<br />
WORLD WIDE WOVEN BODIES (Verdensvevde kropper)<br />
Director: Truls Krane Meby<br />
Create Louisiana Recipients Nailah Jefferson + Jon Wood<br />
with Scott Niemeyer + Sian McArthur (Deep South Studios)<br />
DOCUMENTARY SHORT<br />
INVISIBLE (Niewidzialne)<br />
Director: Zofia Pregowska<br />
LOUISIANA SHORT<br />
RITE<br />
Director: Morgan Roberts<br />
Win Butler of Arcade Fire<br />
Narrative Features jury with winner Embers Director<br />
Claire Carré<br />
Photos above © Craig Mulcahy<br />
ANIMATED SHORT<br />
THE SUN LIKE A BIG DARK ANIMAL (El sol como un gran<br />
animal oscuro)<br />
Director: Christina Felisgrau and Ronnie Rivera<br />
EXPERIMENTAL SHORT<br />
SOMETHING ABOUT WHICH NOTHING CAN BE SAID<br />
Director: Ted Kennedy<br />
2015<br />
FILMMAKERS GRANT RECIPIENT<br />
PLAQUEMINES<br />
Director: Nailah Jefferson | Producer: Jon Wood<br />
Photo © Michelle Sucich<br />
Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy<br />
THE NEWO LEANS<br />
ADVOCATE
Presented by<br />
BAFTA LOS ANGELES CONGRATULATES<br />
OUR 2015 BRITISH ACADEMY<br />
BRITANNIA AWARD HONOREES<br />
MERYL STREEP<br />
Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award<br />
for Excellence in Film<br />
SAM MENDES<br />
John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing<br />
Presented by the GREAT Britain campaign<br />
JAMES CORDEN<br />
Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year<br />
Presented by Burberry<br />
AMY SCHUMER<br />
Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy<br />
Presented by Kodak<br />
ORLANDO BLOOM<br />
Britannia Humanitarian Award<br />
Presented by the Beazley Group<br />
HARRISON FORD<br />
Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award for<br />
Worldwide Contribution to Entertainment<br />
Hosted by JACK WHITEHALL<br />
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2015<br />
The Beverly Hilton<br />
Beverly Hills, California<br />
Watch Exclusively<br />
Friday, November 6, 9PM, ET/PT<br />
TITLE SPONSOR<br />
Information: MTA Events<br />
818-906-0240<br />
britannias@mtaevents.com<br />
britannias.org<br />
@baftala #britannias<br />
PRESENTED BY
B.O. SNAPSHOT<br />
Pre-Halloween<br />
Fare Frightful<br />
Studios tried to get a jump<br />
on Halloween, but the plan<br />
backfired as all four new<br />
releases bombed .<br />
$105.2m<br />
Total Weekend B.O.<br />
-14.2%<br />
vs. Previous Weekend<br />
-9.3%<br />
vs. Same Frame 2014<br />
Year-to-Date<br />
Box Office<br />
$9 billion<br />
6<br />
3<br />
0<br />
2014 $8.4b 2015 $8.8b<br />
VSCORE BUZZ<br />
Top Male<br />
Leads in Fall<br />
Cable Series<br />
Data Dive<br />
Oct. 27<br />
Video Views<br />
Facebook’s TV Brands<br />
With its nascent video efforts, the social giant is starting to see<br />
the emergence of big franchises like NBC’s ‘The Tonight Show’<br />
The business of video is just beginning at Facebook, but September provided<br />
an early sign of maturation: A mainstream entertainment brand, NBC latenight<br />
franchise “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon,” cracked the site’s top<br />
25 creators for the first time, according to research firm Tubular Labs. There<br />
are also more major news outlets in the ranking than ever, though there’s one<br />
digital news brand that’s conspicuously absent: Vice Media, which does sit<br />
within the top 25 creator channels on YouTube, along with one of its sibling<br />
brands, Vice News. As Facebook’s position in video continues to strengthen,<br />
Vice and other entertainment and news brands may move more aggressively<br />
to counter Buzzfeed’s growing dominance of the platform. SUSANNE AULT<br />
WEEKEND B.O.<br />
Top 5 Domestic<br />
1. The Martian<br />
$15.7m<br />
2. Goosebumps<br />
$15.5m<br />
3. Bridge of Spies<br />
$11.4m<br />
4. The Last Witch<br />
Hunter<br />
$10.8m<br />
Vin Diesel’s hopes for a new<br />
action franchise faded as<br />
the film flopped .<br />
5. Hotel Transylvania 2<br />
$8.9m<br />
Top 5 Overseas<br />
YEUN: PICTURE PERFECT/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; CAMPBELL, THEROUX: MEDIAPUNCH/REX SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
74<br />
Steven Yeun<br />
“The Walking Dead”<br />
With his high VScore in<br />
decline, could he be a<br />
‘Dead’ man walking?<br />
71<br />
Bruce Campbell<br />
“Ash vs. the Evil Dead”<br />
“Ash’s” crossover to the<br />
small screen could provide<br />
the boost the actor needs.<br />
66<br />
Justin Theroux<br />
“The Leftovers”<br />
With the second season<br />
of the show begun, his<br />
VScore has started to rise.<br />
Vscore, powered by Variety Insight,<br />
guides entertainment professionals<br />
as to which actors have the greatest<br />
reach across social platforms, film,<br />
TV and beyond. For more info visit<br />
VarietyInsight.com/vscore.<br />
Most Watched<br />
Facebook Creators<br />
Name September Views<br />
BuzzFeed Video 562m<br />
BuzzFeed Food 517m<br />
Tasty (Buzzfeed) 387m<br />
NowThis News 364m<br />
Story of My Life (Buzzfeed) 253m<br />
AJ+ 235m<br />
The Tonight Show ... Fallon 203m<br />
The Eh Bee Family 159m<br />
Tech Insider 155m<br />
Tastemade 155m<br />
Logan Paul 122m<br />
Piques 118m<br />
Huffington Post 116m<br />
King Bach 89m<br />
Facebook 87m<br />
BBC News 75m<br />
Business Insider 74m<br />
King Keraun 67m<br />
Rugby World Cup 65m<br />
Fox News 64m<br />
CNN 64m<br />
Arron Crascall 62m<br />
Bleacher Report 61m<br />
CBS News 61m<br />
Doug the Pug 58m<br />
Most Watched YouTube<br />
News Channels<br />
Clevver News<br />
The Young Turks<br />
JustKiddingNews<br />
ABC News<br />
TomoNews US<br />
TMZ<br />
Complex<br />
CNN<br />
Last Week Tonight<br />
Vice<br />
Univision Noticias<br />
ThinkTank<br />
Alex Jones Channel<br />
Vice News<br />
Primer Impacto<br />
Raw Leak<br />
USA Today<br />
Associated Press<br />
Sodere Tube<br />
HLN<br />
SourceFed<br />
Secular Talk<br />
Wall Street Journal<br />
BBC News<br />
NJ.com<br />
Name September Views<br />
70m<br />
59m<br />
57m<br />
54m<br />
53m<br />
50m<br />
38m<br />
34m<br />
31m<br />
24m<br />
23m<br />
16m<br />
14m<br />
14m<br />
13m<br />
12m<br />
11m<br />
11m<br />
10m<br />
8m<br />
8m<br />
8m<br />
8m<br />
8m<br />
7m<br />
SOURCE: TUBULAR<br />
1. The Martian<br />
$29.9m<br />
The pic is Ridley Scott’s third<br />
highest grossing globally.<br />
2. Hotel Transylvania 2<br />
$28.7m<br />
3. Ant-Man<br />
$22.0m<br />
4. Paranormal Activity:<br />
The Ghost Dimension<br />
$18.0m<br />
5. The Last Witch<br />
Hunter<br />
$13.4m<br />
Top 3 Per<br />
Engagement<br />
1. Suffragette<br />
$19,056<br />
2. Heart of a Dog<br />
$13,893<br />
3. Room<br />
$10,856<br />
Data Dive 29
FILM BOX OFFICE GROSSES<br />
(Oct. 23-25, 2015)<br />
REPORTED<br />
# OF<br />
ENGAGEMENTS<br />
PER<br />
ENGAGEMENT<br />
CUMULATIVE<br />
DOMESTIC WEEKEND B.O.<br />
THIS WEEK<br />
AVERAGE<br />
REPORTED B.O.<br />
ADULTS 18-49<br />
TV RATINGS<br />
Finals for Week 4 with 3-day DVR playback<br />
(Oct. 12-18, 2015)<br />
LIVE<br />
+ SAME DAY<br />
LIVE<br />
+ 3-DAY<br />
1 The Martian/Fox $15,732,907 3,504 $4,490 $166,188,055<br />
2 Goosebumps/Sony 15,525,901 3,501 4,435 43,738,043<br />
3 Bridge of Spies/Disney 11,374,203 2,811 4,046 32,590,400<br />
4 The Last Witch Hunter/Lionsgate 10,812,861 3,082 3,508 10,812,861<br />
5 Hotel Transylvania 2/Sony 8,883,348 3,154 2,817 148,175,889<br />
6 Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension/Par 8,070,493 1,656 4,873 8,070,493<br />
7 Steve Jobs/U 7,105,735 2,493 2,850 9,818,543<br />
8 Crimson Peak/U 5,666,525 2,991 1,895 22,557,300<br />
9 The Intern/WB 3,787,039 2,061 1,837 64,634,921<br />
10 Sicario/Lionsgate 2,844,854 1,448 1,965 39,280,401<br />
11 Pan/WB 2,628,197 1,944 1,352 29,909,891<br />
12 Woodlawn/Pure Flix 2,575,337 1,475 1,746 7,949,985<br />
13 Rock the Kasbah/Open Road 1,470,592 2,012 731 1,470,592<br />
14 Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials/Fox 1,417,404 1,008 1,406 77,697,363<br />
15 Jem and the Holograms/U 1,375,320 2,413 570 1,375,320<br />
16 Black Mass/WB 579,437 458 1,265 61,318,273<br />
17 Everest/U 554,190 400 1,385 41,780,170<br />
18 The Visit/U 535,725 508 1,055 63,874,445<br />
19 War Room/Sony 495,934 449 1,105 66,287,144<br />
20 Shaandaar/Fox Intl. 384,685 136 2,829 433,541<br />
21 Inside Out/Disney 278,105 256 1,086 355,323,775<br />
22 The Perfect Guy/Sony 273,918 248 1,105 56,270,042<br />
23 Room/A24 249,695 23 10,856 404,589<br />
24 Ant-Man/Disney 237,347 192 1,236 179,017,481<br />
25 Ladrones/Lionsgate 224,269 221 1,015 2,815,023<br />
26 The Walk/Sony 212,340 261 814 9,878,767<br />
27 Minions/U 197,505 231 855 334,798,960<br />
28 Jurassic World/U 194,360 175 1,111 651,713,685<br />
29 He Named Me Malala/Fox Searchlight 164,228 140 1,173 1,978,146<br />
30 Meet the Patels/Alchemy 116,696 86 1,357 1,313,263<br />
31 Truth/Sony Classics 108,630 18 6,035 204,116<br />
32 Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation/Par 103,728 151 687 195,000,874<br />
33 Pixels/Sony 102,389 139 737 78,604,981<br />
34 Grandma/Sony Classics 97,509 102 956 6,651,814<br />
35 Labyrinth of Lies/Sony Classics 95,336 65 1,467 329,374<br />
36 Suffragette/Focus 76,224 4 19,056 76,224<br />
37 Freeheld/Lionsgate 61,684 101 611 453,337<br />
38 A Walk in the Woods/Broad Green 58,810 91 646 29,124,653<br />
39 No Escape/Weinstein 50,217 78 644 27,129,724<br />
40 The Green Inferno/High Top 49,362 62 796 7,154,957<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
1 The Martian/Fox $29,854,373 73 $218,466,400 $384,654,455<br />
2 Hotel Transylvania 2/Sony 28,700,000 80 167,500,000 315,792,541<br />
3 Ant-Man/Disney 22,000,000 3 314,800,000 493,810,134<br />
4 Paranormal Activity ... Ghost Dimension/Par 18,000,000 34 18,000,000 26,200,000<br />
5 The Last Witch Hunter/Various 13,400,000 54 13,400,000 24,225,000<br />
6 Pan/WB 12,100,000 62 63,800,000 93,709,891<br />
7 The Intern/WB 8,400,000 67 91,700,000 155,802,882<br />
8 Les Nouvelles aventures d’Aladin/Pathe 8,000,000 1 21,000,000 21,000,000<br />
9 Shaandaar/Fox 7,762,198 8 7,762,198 7,762,198<br />
10 Crimson Peak/U 7,500,000 63 26,064,355 48,621,655<br />
STUDIO<br />
SCORECARD<br />
PROJECTIONS ON WHETHER<br />
CURRENT FILMS WILL HIT OR<br />
MISS; RATING CAN CHANGE<br />
Paramount<br />
... Rogue Nation<br />
Paranormal ... Dimension<br />
Terminator Genisys<br />
Disney<br />
Ant-Man<br />
Avengers: Age of Ultron<br />
Inside Out<br />
Sony<br />
Goosebumps<br />
Hotel Transylvania 2<br />
The Walk<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
WEEKEND CUME<br />
# OF<br />
TERRITORIES<br />
Fox<br />
Hitman Agent 47<br />
The Martian<br />
Maze Runner: Scorch ...<br />
Universal<br />
Crimson Peak<br />
Jem and the Holograms<br />
Steve Jobs<br />
INTERNATIONAL CUME<br />
Lionsgate<br />
The Last Witch Hunter<br />
Shaun the Sheep<br />
Sicario<br />
Warner Bros.<br />
Black Mass<br />
The Intern<br />
Pan<br />
WORLDWIDE<br />
CUME<br />
‘Suffragette’<br />
Suffers in<br />
Limited Debut<br />
The historical<br />
drama barely<br />
registered in limited<br />
release, posting a<br />
disappointing $19,056<br />
per-screen average.<br />
Donald<br />
Trump is now<br />
saying that his<br />
immigration<br />
policies<br />
would have<br />
prevented<br />
9/11. Trump is<br />
also claiming<br />
his hair would<br />
have kept the<br />
Titanic afloat.”<br />
Conan O’Brien<br />
1 The Walking Dead/AMC 6.2 8.7<br />
2 Sun. Night Football: NE-Indy/NBC 8.2 8.3<br />
3 Empire/Fox 4.7 6.6<br />
4 The Big Bang Theory/CBS 3.9 5.5<br />
5 Thu. Night Football: Atl.-NO/CBS* 4.9 4.9<br />
6 Mon. Night Foot.: Pitt.-S.D./ESPN 4.5 4.5<br />
7 Modern Family/ABC 2.7 4.2<br />
8 The Voice-Monday/NBC 3.3 3.9<br />
8 American Horror Story/FX 2.2 3.9<br />
10 Blindspot/NBC 2.5 3.8<br />
10 Scandal/ABC 2.4 3.8<br />
12 Nevada Democratic Debate/CNN 3.6 3.7<br />
13 Grey’s Anatomy/ABC 2.3 3.5<br />
14 How to Get Away With Murder/ABC 2.0 3.4<br />
15 The Voice-Tuesday/NBC 2.6 3.3<br />
16 Quantico/ABC 1.6 2.9<br />
17 Survivor/CBS 2.2 2.8<br />
18 NCIS/CBS 2.1 2.7<br />
18 The Goldbergs/ABC 2.0 2.7<br />
18 Chicago Fire/NBC 1.8 2.7<br />
TOTAL VIEWERS<br />
1 Sun. Night Football: NE-Indy/NBC 22.82 22.92<br />
2 The Big Bang Theory/CBS 14.96 19.03<br />
3 NCIS/CBS 16.04 18.80<br />
4 The Walking Dead/AMC 12.18 17.08<br />
5 Empire/Fox 12.22 16.33<br />
6 Nevada Democratic Debate/CNN 15.79 16.26<br />
7 Thu. Night Football: Atl.-NO/CBS* 14.78 14.87<br />
8 NCIS: New Orleans/CBS 12.47 14.77<br />
9 60 Minutes/CBS 13.79 14.16<br />
10 The Voice-Monday/NBC 11.96 13.99<br />
11 Blue Bloods/CBS 10.61 13.89<br />
12 Dancing With the Stars/ABC 11.65 12.98<br />
13 Blindspot/NBC 8.45 12.58<br />
14 Scorpion/CBS 9.41 12.31<br />
15 The Voice-Tuesday/NBC 10.13 12.28<br />
16 Mon. Night Foot.: Pitt.-S.D./ESPN 12.18 12.27<br />
17 Criminal Minds/CBS 9.08 11.82<br />
18 Scandal/ABC 8.06 11.57<br />
19 Hawaii Five-0/CBS 9.08 11.54<br />
20 Madam Secretary/CBS 9.61 11.31<br />
LATENIGHT TOP 10<br />
LIVE<br />
+ SAME DAY<br />
Finals for Week 4 (Oct. 12-18, 2015)<br />
ADULTS<br />
18-49<br />
LIVE<br />
+ 3-DAY<br />
TOTAL<br />
VIEWERS<br />
1 Tonight Show ... Fallon/NBC 1.16m 3.41m<br />
2 Late Show ... Colbert/CBS 0.75m 2.63m<br />
3 Jimmy Kimmel Live/ABC 0.66m 2.22m<br />
4 Late Night ... Meyers/NBC 0.59m 1.57m<br />
5 Nightline/ABC 0.44m 1.44m<br />
6 Late Late Show ... Corden/CBS 0.42m 1.23m<br />
7 Daily Show ... Noah/Comedy 0.37m 0.77m<br />
8 Last Call With Carson Daly/NBC 0.34m 0.91m<br />
9 Conan/TBS 0.32m 0.50m<br />
10 Watch What Happens Live/Bravo 0.23m 0.53m<br />
Source: Nielsen<br />
30<br />
Data Dive
TV RATINGS<br />
Projected Top Primetime Broadcasts for Week 5<br />
(Oct. 19-25, 2015)<br />
ADULTS 18-49<br />
RATING/<br />
SHARE<br />
WEEK’S GROSS<br />
RECEIPTS/<br />
SHOW<br />
POTENTIAL<br />
THEATER (PROD. CATEGORY) (SEATS) GROSS RECEIPTS<br />
LEGIT GROSSES<br />
Final Numbers for Week 22 (Oct. 19-25, 2015)<br />
$ CHG./<br />
AVG. TICKET<br />
ATTENDANCE<br />
CAPACITY<br />
ATTENDANCE<br />
%<br />
PERFS TO<br />
DATE/TOP<br />
TIX PRICE<br />
GROSS TO DATE/<br />
OPENING DATE<br />
1 Sunday Night Football: Phil.-Caro./NBC 7.9/23<br />
2 Thursday Night Football: Sea.-SF/CBS* 5.9/20<br />
3 Empire/NBC 4.8/15<br />
4 The Big Bang Theory/CBS 3.9/13<br />
5 The Voice-Monday/NBC 3.0/09<br />
6 The Simpsons/Fox 2.8/08<br />
7 Modern Family/ABC 2.7/09<br />
7 The Voice-Tuesday/NBC 2.7/08<br />
9 Scandal/ABC 2.5/08<br />
10 Grey’s Anatomy/ABC 2.4/08<br />
TOTAL VIEWERS<br />
1 Sunday Night Football: Phil.-Caro./NBC 21.69m<br />
2 NCIS/CBS 17.21m<br />
3 Thursday Night Football: Sea.-SF/CBS* 17.12m<br />
4 The Big Bang Theory/CBS 14.68m<br />
5 NCIS: New Orleans/CBS 12.99m<br />
6 Dancing With the Stars/ABC 12.50m<br />
7 Empire/Fox 12.28m<br />
8 The Voice-Monday/NBC 11.40m<br />
9 The Voice-Tuesday/NBC 11.28m<br />
10 Madam Secretary/CBS 10.89m<br />
Weekday Syndication Leaders<br />
for Week of Oct. 5-9, 2015<br />
(Title/Distrib)<br />
HOUSEHOLDS<br />
WOMEN 25-54<br />
RATING<br />
VIEWERS<br />
1 Judge Judy/CBS 6.8 9.44m<br />
2 Wheel of Fortune/CBS 6.4 10.07m<br />
3 Jeopardy/CBS 6.1 9.37m<br />
4 Modern Family/20th 6.0 8.96m<br />
5 The Big Bang Theory/WB 5.7 8.79m<br />
6 Modern Family/20th 3.4 5.02m<br />
7 Entertainment Tonight/CBS 3.0 4.45m<br />
7 Dr. Phil/CBS 3.0 4.11m<br />
9 Inside Edition/CBS 2.9 4.28m<br />
10 Live With Kelly & Michael/Disney 2.6 3.49m<br />
RATING<br />
1 The Big Bang Theory/WB 4.0<br />
2 Family Feud/Debmar-Mercury 3.0<br />
3 Judge Judy/CBS 2.9<br />
4 Modern Family/20th 2.7<br />
‘Simpsons’<br />
Scares Up<br />
Season High<br />
The Treehouse of Horror<br />
episodes continue<br />
to be a big draw,<br />
even in the animated<br />
show’s 27th season.<br />
The Lion King $1,901,907 -$30,225 13,569 100.0% 7,467 $1,208,613,672<br />
(New Amsterdam)(M)(1723) $1,792,088 $140.17 13,568 $199 11/13/1997<br />
Wicked $1,621,057 -$99,651 13,860 95.9% 4,997 $969,661,374<br />
(Gershwin)(M)(1807) $1,779,845 $116.96 14,456 $145 10/30/2003<br />
Aladdin $1,500,799 -$57,295 13,537 98.0% 674 $129,734,839<br />
(New Amsterdam)(M)(1727) $1,639,080 $110.87 13,816 $168 3/20/2014<br />
Hamilton $1,489,233 $10,356 10,708 101.3% 92 $22,300,801<br />
(Richard Rodgers)(M)(1321) $1,334,960 $139.08 10,568 $165 8/6/2015<br />
The Book of Mormon $1,483,464 -$14,209 8,726 102.3% 1,920 $383,242,897<br />
(Eugene O’Neill)(M)(1066) $1,376,656 $170.01 8,528 $179 3/24/2011<br />
An American in Paris $1,416,288 $13,464 12,535 93.3% 225 $41,002,926<br />
(Palace)(M)(1679) $1,471,280 $112.99 13,432 $145 4/12/2015<br />
Beautiful $1,075,201 $11,956 8,124 99.0% 747 $111,218,125<br />
(Stephen Sondheim)(M)(1026) $1,237,116 $132.35 8,208 $169 1/12/2014<br />
Something Rotten! $986,138 $38,467 10,711 80.3% 216 $29,216,822<br />
(St. James)(M)(1667) $1,437,800 $92.07 13,336 $152 4/22/2015<br />
Kinky Boots $981,435 -$39,680 9,453 83.0% 1,067 $176,444,835<br />
(Hirschfeld)(M)(1424) $1,373,832 $103.82 11,392 $167 4/4/2013<br />
The Phantom of the Opera $882,925 -$88,066 10,324 80.4% 11,559 $1,029,501,353<br />
(Majestic)(M)(1605) $1,514,575 $85.52 12,840 $140 1/26/1988<br />
The King and I $875,907 -$7,666 6,670 79.6% 221 $32,043,146<br />
(Vivian Beaumont)(MR)(1047) $1,218,380 $131.32 8,376 $160 4/16/2015<br />
Finding Neverland $849,283 $7,621 9,760 81.1% 223 $33,100,136<br />
(Lunt-Fontanne)(M)(1504) $1,476,000 $87.02 12,032 $145 4/15/2015<br />
Matilda $768,398 -$26,873 9,377 81.9% 1,060 $150,476,567<br />
(Shubert)(MR)(1432) $1,327,753 $81.94 11,456 $145 4/11/2013<br />
Fun Home $745,661 $32,308 5,841 98.7% 217 $20,249,864<br />
(Circle in the Square)(M)(740) $794,880 $127.66 5,920 $150 4/19/2015<br />
Les Miserables $744,129 -$15,368 8,673 76.9% 666 $75,737,886<br />
(Imperial)(MR)(1409) $1,180,842 $85.80 11,272 $145 3/23/2014<br />
The Curious Incident … $701,819 -$35,929 6,873 84.4% 434 $46,327,579<br />
(Ethel Barrymore)(P)(1018) $926,568 $102.11 8,144 $153 10/5/2014<br />
Jersey Boys $698,868 -$979 7,290 74.2% 4,132 $516,661,683<br />
(August Wilson)(M)(1228) $1,151,143 $95.87 9,824 $162 11/6/2005<br />
Chicago $667,269 -$3,500 7,803 90.3% 7,868 $539,094,520<br />
(Ambassador)(M)(1080) $938,372 $85.51 8,640 $137 11/14/1996<br />
A Gentleman’s Guide … $529,853 -$4,405 6,375 87.9% 809 $71,077,095<br />
(Walter Kerr)(M)(907) $958,928 $83.11 7,256 $147 11/17/2013<br />
The Gin Game $446,983 $102,219 4,494 80.0% 14 $1,806,506<br />
(Golden)(P)(802) (7 perf) $680,218 $99.46 5,614 $139 10/14/2015<br />
Spring Awakening $440,948 -$13,058 5,135 62.6% 40 $3,069,207<br />
(Brooks Atkinson)(M)(1026) $1,003,600 $85.87 8,208 $147 9/27/2015<br />
Old Times $415,176 -$11,526 4,946 83.5% 24 $2,134,625<br />
(American Airlines)(P)(740) $629,680 $83.94 5,920 $139 10/6/2015<br />
Fool for Love $371,345 $8,230 4,673 91.4% 24 $1,651,700<br />
(Friedman)(P)(639) $666,576 $79.47 5,112 $150 10/8/2015<br />
Dames at Sea $215,450 $11,619 4,156 89.1% 8 $988,671<br />
(Helen Hayes)(M)(583) $513,415 $51.84 4,664 $143 10/22/2015<br />
Hand to God $208,655 -$5,390 2,805 45.4% 231 $9,896,563<br />
(Booth)(P)(772) $627,360 $74.39 6,176 $145 4/7/2015<br />
CLOSING<br />
Amazing Grace $476,631 $68,063 6,359 68.4% 116 $5,540,125<br />
(Nederlander)(M)(1162) $1,097,840 $74.95 9,296 $137 7/16-10/25/2015<br />
PREVIEWING<br />
PACINO: RICHARD YOUNG/REX SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
5 Jeopardy/CBS 2.0<br />
5 Wheel of Fortune/CBS 2.0<br />
7 Dr. Phil/CBS 1.6<br />
7 Entertainment Tonight/CBS 1.6<br />
9 Inside Edition/CBS 1.3<br />
9 Live With Kelly & Michael/Disney 1.3<br />
SYNDICATED TALKSHOWS<br />
HH<br />
RATING<br />
W 25-54<br />
RATING<br />
1 Judge Judy/CBS 6.8 2.9<br />
2 Wheel of Fortune/CBS 6.4 2.0<br />
3 Jeopardy/CBS 6.1 1.9<br />
4 Family Feud/Debmar-Mercury 6.0 3.0<br />
5 The Big Bang Theory/WB 5.7 4.0<br />
6 Modern Family/20th 3.4 2.7<br />
7 Dr. Phil/CBS 3.0 1.6<br />
7 Entertainment Tonight/CBS 3.0 1.6<br />
9 Inside Edition/CBS 2.9 1.3<br />
10 Live With Kelly & Michael/Disney 2.6 1.3<br />
Guy and ‘Doll’<br />
Al Pacino’s latest outing<br />
wowed, with<br />
“China Doll” topping<br />
$1 million on<br />
just six preview<br />
performances.<br />
On Your Feet! $1,096,202 $192,265 11,825 90.2% 21 $2,970,153<br />
(Marquis)(M)(1638) $1,732,464 $92.70 13,104 $147 11/5/2015<br />
China Doll $1,072,111 $1,072,111 6,444 100.5% 6 $1,072,111<br />
(Schoenfeld)(P)(1069)(6pr) $957,167 $166.37 6,414 $165 11/19/2015<br />
Misery $622,939 $622,939 4,627 97.9% 4 $622,939<br />
(Broadhurst)(P)(1182) $599,088 $134.63 4,728 $145 11/15/2015<br />
King Charles III $551,921 $81,391 6,866 87.8% 15 $1,107,530<br />
(Music Box)(P)(977) $985,880 $80.38 7,816 $145 11/1/2015<br />
Allegiance $454,318 -$13,794 6,151 83.1% 22 $1,530,669<br />
(Longacre)(M)(1057) $827,657 $73.86 7,399 $147 11/8/2015<br />
Therese Raquin $413,925 $12,628 6,479 79.5% 20 $1,364,331<br />
(Studio 54)(P)(1019) $845,144 $63.89 8,152 $139 10/29/2015<br />
Sylvia $411,079 $46,826 6,861 80.1% 20 $1,298,282<br />
(Cort)(P)(1071) $919,260 $59.92 8,568 $145 10/27/2015<br />
A View From … $274,654 $274,654 4,224 79.9% 5 $274,654<br />
(Lyceum)(P)(1057) $483,085 $65.02 5,285 $133 11/12/2015<br />
PMC publishes film data compiled by Rentrak, which collects studio reported data as well as box-office figures from North America and international theater<br />
locations. Any information provided by Rentrak has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, Rentrak does not make any warranties as to<br />
the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of this information and data. the user of this data agrees Rentrak, its officers and employees will have no liability<br />
arising from the use of disclosure of this information and data. To submit any questions to Rentrak, please email: boxofficeinfo@rentrak.com.*re-release only<br />
Send corrections to boxoffice@variety.com<br />
Reported box office receipts are followed by the week’s paid attendance (including standees) and percentage of the week’s total capacity represented. the<br />
theatrical week runs Monday through the following Sunday. Unless otherwise specified, the week consists of eight performances. Abbreviations and<br />
designations are (P) play, (M) musical, (R) revival, (perf) performances, (pr) previews, (PW) previous week, (LW) last week. ©2015 Variety Inc. All rights reserved.<br />
Reproduction or distribution strictly prohibited. Compiled by Jacob Bryant. Source: The Broadway League<br />
Data Dive 31
Honorees<br />
Honorees<br />
The Other Side<br />
shot by DANIEL COTRONEO<br />
Lullaby<br />
shot by DAVID KRUTA<br />
“Launching Careers”<br />
Fish Friend<br />
shot by DEVIN DOYLE<br />
Dust<br />
shot by MICHAEL NIE<br />
Special Award Recipients<br />
CANON AWARD<br />
Steven Tiffen<br />
President/CEO, The Tiffen Co.<br />
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD<br />
Bruce C. Doering<br />
Natl. Executive Director Local 600, IATSE<br />
Deliá<br />
shot by JOHN GARRETT<br />
KODAK MENTORSHIP AWARD<br />
Mandy Walker, ASC, ACS<br />
Director of Photography<br />
Thirst<br />
shot by TOBIN OLDACH<br />
NAT TIFFEN AWARD<br />
Bruce Sheridan<br />
Columbia College Chicago<br />
TECHNICOLOR “William A. Fraker” AWARD<br />
David Heuring<br />
Writer/Journalist<br />
GUEST SPEAKER<br />
Lindsay Wagner<br />
Actress/Author/Advocate<br />
www.ecawards.net<br />
Incident On Highway 73<br />
shot by JASON HAFER<br />
Impresario Sponsor<br />
Color TV, No Vacancy<br />
shot by T.J. WILLIAMS, JR.
PARTIES | EVENTS | FASHION | SOCIAL MEDIA | REAL ESTATE<br />
Sarah Silverman and<br />
Shayne Coleman at the<br />
“I Smile Back” party<br />
SILVERMAN: MICHAEL BUCKNER/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; MCENROE: KEN MCKAY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
PARTIES<br />
Bill Murray Rocks<br />
The “Rock the Kasbah” star<br />
crashes the after-party stage.<br />
p.34<br />
PARTIES<br />
They’re In Sync<br />
Timberlake & Biel have a date<br />
night at GLSEN Respect Awards.<br />
p.35<br />
WWD<br />
Scorching Style<br />
Sienna Miller and Uma Thurman<br />
heat up the “Burnt” premiere.<br />
p.38<br />
DIRT<br />
Home Court<br />
John McEnroe buys another<br />
home in Malibu’s Paradise Cove.<br />
p.40<br />
Exposure<br />
33
‘Rock the Kasbah’<br />
N.Y. Premiere<br />
HUDSON NEW YORK, GOTHAM, OCT. 19<br />
Writer Mitch Glazer said he was inspired to write a comedy for Bill Murray<br />
after the actor’s recent string of serious-minded projects. “To me, it felt<br />
like a gunslinger who wasn’t pulling out his guns. He’s the funniest man<br />
alive, but he just decided not to be funny for a while.” Murray is notoriously<br />
free-spirited so when he and Bruce Willis crashed the stage to join<br />
the cover band Chevy Chevis Entertainment at the after-party, it was one<br />
of those moments everyone who attended will talk about forever.<br />
Steve Bing, Mitch Glazer, Taylor Kinney and Lady Gaga<br />
Open Road’s Tom Ortenberg<br />
and Mustafa Haidari<br />
a<br />
, s<br />
p<br />
Scott Caan, Zooey Deschanel,<br />
Kate Hudson and Barry Levinson<br />
Bill Murray joined the band for a rendition of<br />
Young Rascals’ “Good Lovin’.”<br />
Jennifer<br />
Lopez<br />
STEPHEN LOVEKIN/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK (5), MARION CURTIS/STARTRAKS PHOTO<br />
34 Exposure
GLSEN Respect<br />
Awards<br />
BEVERLY WILSHIRE, BEVHILLS, OCT. 23<br />
Honorees and new parents Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel donned<br />
baseball caps in a nod to Student Advocate of the Year recipient Mars<br />
Hallman. “Take them off. We look like another boy band,” Timberlake<br />
quipped. He thanked the Gay Lesbian & Straight Education Network for<br />
“allowing mommy and daddy to have a rare date night” and thanked the<br />
org for promoting change. “Thank you GLSEN for everything that you do<br />
to ensure individuality of every kid that is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,<br />
is respected, protected and treasured in our schools,” said Biel.<br />
Jeffrey Katzenberg,<br />
Marilyn Katzenberg, Katie McGrath<br />
and J.J. Abrams<br />
Bob Greenblatt and<br />
GLSEN’s Eliza Byard<br />
Todrick Hall<br />
Justin Timberlake<br />
and Jessica Biel<br />
GLSEN: MICHAEL BUCKNER/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; OHIO: ANDREW H. WALKER/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK (4), MARION CURTIS/STARTRAKS PHOTO<br />
‘How to Dance in<br />
Ohio’ Premiere<br />
TIME WARNER CENTER, GOTHAM, OCT. 19<br />
The documentary chronicles the coaching and preparations that a<br />
group of young people on the autism spectrum undergo for months<br />
leading up to a formal dance. “I hope everyone feels like they’re walking<br />
with them into that dance,” said filmmaker Alexandra Shiva. “I was really<br />
curious about what coming of age looked like for (autistic) youth,”<br />
she said. “I’ve always been attracted to stories of people who are<br />
searching for a sense of belonging. I love stories of human resilience.”<br />
David Remnick, Alexandra<br />
Shiva and Paul Rudd<br />
Sheila Nevins and<br />
Jason Blum<br />
Barry Diller with Cindy<br />
Adams and Barbara<br />
Walters<br />
Paul Dano and<br />
Zoe Kazan<br />
Allison Williams and<br />
Ricky Van Veen<br />
Exposure<br />
35
Amy Schumer and<br />
Stacey Snider<br />
Elle Women in<br />
Hollywood<br />
FOUR SEASONS BEVERLY HILLS, OCT. 19<br />
Honorees Ava DuVernay, Salma Hayek, Dakota Johnson, Carey Mulligan,<br />
Amy Schumer, Alicia Vikander and Kate Winslet were toasted for their<br />
contributions. “I found that women working in Hollywood demonstrate<br />
epic bravery. A bravery that has created a foundation for us to begin<br />
to change the course of history, and the ways women in Hollywood are<br />
treated,” said Johnson. DuVernay entreated the room to “fight for change<br />
on the outside, but recognize that an equal part of that fight is keeping<br />
ourselves strong and joyous and sane in a really insane industry.”<br />
Sue Kroll and Jim Berkus<br />
“Scandal’s” Tony Goldwyn, Katie Lowes, Darby Stanchfield,<br />
Bellamy Young and Betsy Beers<br />
Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo of Icona Pop<br />
flank Alicia Vikander.<br />
Catherine Hardwicke<br />
and Nikki Reed<br />
Melanie Griffith and Dakota Johnson,<br />
who received the Calvin Klein spotlight award.<br />
Jeff Hephner<br />
and Olga Fonda<br />
‘Agent X’ Premiere<br />
THE LONDON, WEST HOLLYWOOD, OCT. 20<br />
Sharon Stone and Jeff Hephner play the vice president and her top s<br />
ecret agent in the TNT series. Hephner and Olga Fonda, his Russian<br />
enemy, perform almost all of their own stunts. “I was going to go out<br />
bleeding if I had to,” Hephner said. Stone also praised her leading<br />
man, “He’s a wonderful action hero.” Looking to the upcoming<br />
election, Stone emphasized Washington needs someone who,<br />
regardless of gender, will help our country. “We have to have people<br />
who are listening, talking, considering and responding,” Stone said.<br />
Producer Mark Pennell,<br />
Jess Lawson and Kevin Reilly<br />
John Shea<br />
Carolyn Stotesbery, Sadie Bernstein, exec producer<br />
Armyan Bernstein and Nathan Fillion<br />
Sharon Stone and son Laird<br />
ELLE: MICHAEL BUCKNER/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; AGENT X: MICHAEL BUCKNER/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; EMAS: JOE KOHEN/VAREITY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK, MICHAEL<br />
BUCKNER/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; SMILE: MICHAEL BUCKNER/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; SUFFRAGETTE: ROB LATOUR/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
36 Exposure
Environmental<br />
Media Awards<br />
WARNER BROS. LOT, BURBANK, OCT. 24<br />
Gwyneth Paltrow was presented the EMA Green Parent Award by<br />
her mom and “radical environmentalist” mother Blythe Danner.<br />
“I really realize what (Danner) meant by having responsibility to<br />
the next generation and we’re at a critical point,” Paltrow said.<br />
“The decisions that are being made imminently are literally going<br />
to determine our fate, and it’s up to us to do what we can to do.”<br />
Blythe Danner and<br />
Gwyneth Paltrow<br />
Lifetime achievement award<br />
winner George Miller<br />
OCT.<br />
27<br />
OCT.<br />
29<br />
TUESDAY<br />
PREMIERE<br />
Bryan Cranston stars opposite Helen Mirren as a screenwriter<br />
who gets blacklisted for his political beliefs in “Trumbo,”<br />
premiering at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.<br />
THURSDAY<br />
BENEFIT<br />
This year’s AmfAR Inspiration Gala Los Angeles,<br />
the Foundation for AIDS Research’s sixth annual<br />
event, will recognize “American Horror Story”<br />
and “Scream Queens” creator Ryan Murphy.<br />
A slew of celebrity supporters, including Julia<br />
Roberts, Emma Roberts, Angela Bassett, Kathy<br />
Bates, Cheyenne Jackson, Courtney B. Vance,<br />
Cuba Gooding Jr. and host Gwyneth Paltrow,<br />
will don black tie for the ritzy affair at Milk<br />
Studios in Hollywood. In addition to a cocktail<br />
hour, dinner and live auction, the night —<br />
sponsored by Harry Winston and MAC<br />
Viva Glam — will include a special musical<br />
performance by Lady Gaga.<br />
MURPHY: ROB LATOUR/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; BLOOM: ROB LATOUR/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; WITHERSPOON: CARLOS TISCHLER/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; EALY: MICHAEL BUCKNER/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK;<br />
COOPER: ERIK PENDZICH/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW: MOVIESTORE/REX SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
‘I Smile Back’ Party<br />
WOOD & VINE, HOLLYWOOD, OCT. 21<br />
“Thank you so much for coming. You might not enjoy it, but have a<br />
good experience? Uh, I hope it’s your cup of tea,” said Sarah Silverman<br />
before the theater went dark. Silverman was open about her history<br />
with depression before taking on the role of a depressed suburban<br />
wife and mother struggling with addiction. “I hope that more of<br />
the attention is being brought to some of the issues that the movie<br />
is about — things like mental illness, addiction — stuff that’s not<br />
often in movies in the mainstream,” said director Adam Salky.<br />
Broad Green’s Daniel Hammond,<br />
Sarah Silverman and Adam Salky<br />
‘Suffragette’ Premiere<br />
MOTION PICTURE ACADEMY, BEVHILLS, OCT. 21<br />
Director Sarah Gavron believes that the film industry — and the world as<br />
a whole — is finally ready for a change when it comes to sexism and<br />
gender inequalities. “I feel very strongly we’re at a tipping point,” Gavron<br />
said. “I can’t ever remember there being this much momentum<br />
behind and this many people being vocal about the issue of inequality<br />
in the film industry and in other areas. There has been a resurgence<br />
of women challenging repression, it really feels like a great moment.”<br />
Sarah Gavron, Focus Features’ Peter Schlessel<br />
and Alison Owen<br />
OCT.<br />
29<br />
OCT.<br />
30<br />
OCT.<br />
30<br />
OCT.<br />
31<br />
NOV.<br />
1<br />
NOV.<br />
2<br />
THURSDAY<br />
PREMIERE<br />
Dennis Quaid, Cary Elwes and Kate Bosworth – who star<br />
in Crackle’s “The Art of More” — will celebrate the series<br />
premiere at Sony Pictures Studios’ William Holden Theatre.<br />
FRIDAY<br />
AWARDS<br />
Host Jack Whitehall and honorees including Orlando Bloom,<br />
James Corden, Harrison Ford and Meryl Streep will gather at<br />
the Beverly Hilton for BAFTA/LA’s Britannia Awards.<br />
FRIDAY<br />
AWARDS<br />
Reese Witherspoon will be honored at the American<br />
Cinematheque’s 2015 black-tie affiar at the Hyatt Regency<br />
Century Plaza. Matthew McConaughey will present to her.<br />
SATURDAY<br />
SCREENING<br />
Spend Halloween night at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery,<br />
where costumes are required for Cinespia’s 40th anniversary<br />
screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”<br />
SUNDAY<br />
AWARDS<br />
Honorees Bob Balaban, Michael Ealy and CCH Pounder will<br />
gather at the Paley Center for Media for the inaugural Carney<br />
Awards, created to celebrate character actors.<br />
MONDAY<br />
BENEFIT<br />
Anderson Cooper will host and KC and the Sunshine Band will<br />
perform at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 14th Annual “An<br />
Enduring Vision” gala at Cipriani Wall Street.<br />
Exposure<br />
37
Sizzling Looks From<br />
the ‘Burnt’ Premiere<br />
StyleFile<br />
The cross section<br />
of Hollywood<br />
and Fashion on<br />
Social Media<br />
<br />
Sienna has<br />
carved out<br />
a signature<br />
style: ’60s/’70s<br />
boho, but<br />
still refined.<br />
She’s like a<br />
chic bohemian<br />
fairy.<br />
<br />
The shape of<br />
the fringed<br />
Rodarte dress<br />
is relaxed and<br />
flattering,<br />
while the<br />
fabrication is<br />
totally luxe<br />
and intricate.<br />
<br />
Also, the<br />
tousled hair<br />
and “no<br />
makeup”<br />
makeup is<br />
on point.<br />
<br />
Uma has seen<br />
many a red<br />
carpet, and<br />
this look —<br />
down to the<br />
pose, which<br />
highlights<br />
her biceps —<br />
proves she<br />
knows what<br />
works for her.<br />
<br />
From the<br />
emerald green<br />
hue to the<br />
body-hugging<br />
bodice, this<br />
dress is totally<br />
flattering.<br />
<br />
While there’s<br />
nothing wrong<br />
with looking hot,<br />
we can’t say this<br />
is the most novel<br />
of concepts.<br />
<br />
Ponchos can<br />
be tricky, and<br />
layering a notparticularlyluxe<br />
one over a<br />
leather jacket<br />
is not a good<br />
look.<br />
<br />
We will say<br />
the tones<br />
are a nice<br />
choice for her<br />
coloring.<br />
<br />
Also, she<br />
should have<br />
gone with<br />
a different<br />
clutch —<br />
something<br />
with some<br />
hardware, to<br />
contrast the<br />
softness of<br />
the leather.<br />
Lea Michele<br />
@msleamichele<br />
Loved yesterday’s<br />
look so much!<br />
@mrbradgoreski<br />
NYC<br />
#ScreamQueens<br />
88.3k likes<br />
Pharrell<br />
@pharrell<br />
Greetings Milano!<br />
But first ...<br />
CHANEL<br />
89.7k likes<br />
A -<br />
Sienna Miller<br />
Alan Cumming<br />
<br />
Cumming<br />
always flirts<br />
with the notion<br />
of the British<br />
dandy. The<br />
windowpane<br />
suit fits him well<br />
and has that<br />
old Englishman<br />
sensibility.<br />
<br />
A white T-shirt<br />
would have<br />
been perfect.<br />
Instead, the blue<br />
houndstooth<br />
sweater adds an<br />
unnecessary ’50s<br />
retro touch.<br />
<br />
Simple dress<br />
shoes would<br />
have been<br />
better than<br />
these black<br />
workman boots.<br />
Uma Thurman<br />
<br />
Bradley Cooper<br />
loves a threepiece<br />
suit, and<br />
can usually<br />
pull them off.<br />
However, the<br />
traditional style<br />
with the modern<br />
polka dot shirt<br />
and skinny,<br />
patterned tie are<br />
too many things<br />
at once.<br />
<br />
His hair looks<br />
dry rather than<br />
the beachy<br />
look he was<br />
going for.<br />
<br />
The clean pant<br />
breaks look<br />
great with the<br />
sleek lace-up<br />
shoes.<br />
C + B +<br />
B -<br />
Bradley Cooper<br />
C<br />
Grace Hightower<br />
Nico Tortorella<br />
<br />
Judging by<br />
the black<br />
leather jacket,<br />
statement belt<br />
and skintight<br />
jeans, Mr.<br />
Tortorella is<br />
clearly not<br />
afraid of<br />
fashion.<br />
<br />
The ’80s<br />
hipster<br />
haircut works<br />
well with<br />
his chiseled<br />
features.<br />
<br />
His legs are<br />
too skinny<br />
to wear tight<br />
“jeggings.” A<br />
pair of black<br />
jeans would<br />
be a better<br />
choice.<br />
B<br />
Katie Holmes<br />
@katieholmes212<br />
Hat by Posen....<br />
@zac_posen<br />
#happybirthday<br />
6,554 likes<br />
Diane Kruger<br />
@dianekruger<br />
perso<br />
Love this guy !<br />
And may I say,<br />
your sweater is<br />
on fleek<br />
@zacharyquinto<br />
4,991 likes<br />
Reese<br />
Witherspoon<br />
@reese<br />
witherspoon<br />
#Singapore!! For<br />
@tiffanyandco<br />
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38 Exposure
A MERICAN BALLET THEATRE<br />
Co-Chairs<br />
Avery & Andy Barth, Rochelle Gores Fredston, Eloisa Maturén,<br />
Michael Moser, Catharine Soros, Sutton Stracke, Liane Weintraub<br />
and<br />
A MERICAN BALLET THEATRE<br />
in honor of<br />
ABT’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY<br />
Holida<br />
Invite you<br />
Beneit<br />
to a<br />
Featuring a performance by ABT’s incredible dancers, including newly promoted Principal Dancers<br />
Stella Abrera and Misty Copeland<br />
with generous support from<br />
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7<br />
The Beverly Hilton<br />
6:30 pm<br />
For tickets call (310) 201-5033 ext. 3 or Lauran@LPAEvents.com<br />
www.abt.org/holidaybenefit
Kerkorian<br />
Estate Is<br />
Listed<br />
for $22m<br />
Thanks to<br />
vigilant<br />
informant Lucy<br />
Spillerguts, we<br />
learned that<br />
the Beverly<br />
Hills estate of<br />
the recently<br />
deceased selfmade<br />
multibillionaire<br />
Kirk Kerkorian<br />
popped up<br />
for sale at $22<br />
million. He<br />
purchased<br />
the 1.28-acre<br />
estate in August<br />
1998 for an<br />
undisclosed<br />
amount. The<br />
9,732-squarefoot<br />
home<br />
features four<br />
guest bedrooms,<br />
two master<br />
suites and 6.25<br />
bathrooms.<br />
Tucked behind<br />
a towering<br />
hedge and just<br />
half a mile up<br />
Benedict Canyon<br />
from the Beverly<br />
Hills Hotel,<br />
Kerkorian’s<br />
former residence<br />
features a<br />
double-height<br />
foyer and formal<br />
living and dining<br />
rooms that<br />
open to the<br />
backyard.<br />
Carefully<br />
manicured<br />
grounds offer a<br />
parking lot sized<br />
motor court<br />
and a tennis<br />
court. What<br />
the estate does<br />
not have is a<br />
swimming pool.<br />
But, of course,<br />
a buyer who<br />
can shell out<br />
$20 million-plus<br />
for a house can<br />
certainly afford<br />
another half<br />
million to install<br />
a pool.<br />
MARK DAVID<br />
THE<br />
REAL<br />
ESTALKER<br />
BY<br />
MARK<br />
DAVID<br />
Even though retired professional tennis<br />
cynosure John McEnroe and ’80s era rock<br />
star Patty Smyth (no relation to author and<br />
punk rocker Patti Smith) already own two<br />
multimillion dollar homes in Malibu, we hear<br />
from implacable real estate yenta Yolanda<br />
Yakketyyak that it was they who secretly and<br />
via otherwise impenetrable trust splashed out a<br />
knee-buckling $21 million for a striking, 1990s<br />
contemporary manse set right on the sand in<br />
an inconspicuous gated enclave in the coveted<br />
Paradise Cove area.<br />
Listing details show the towering residence,<br />
designed by architect Steven Ehrlich, has four<br />
ocean-view bedrooms and four full and three<br />
half bathrooms in a smidgen under 6,500<br />
square feet. Soaring ceilings and vast expanses<br />
of angled and tinted glass define the meandering,<br />
multilevel main living space, which provides<br />
a variety of lounging and dining areas as<br />
well as a surprisingly compact but lavishly outfitted<br />
kitchen. The elevator-equipped beach<br />
house also offers a library/office, walk-in wine<br />
cellar, and large family room on the lowest level,<br />
with built-in bar and glass sliders that open<br />
to a beachside dining terrace.<br />
Other residences in the gated enclave are<br />
owned by country music superstars Garth<br />
Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, game developer<br />
$21m<br />
PARADISE COVE<br />
6,500 sq. ft.<br />
4 bedrooms<br />
4 full baths<br />
John McEnroe<br />
Is on a Malibu<br />
Buying Spree<br />
and “The Lego Movie” producer Jon Burton,<br />
international financier Vivi Nevo and — as it<br />
turns out — the McEnroe-Smyths themselves,<br />
who shelled out a hair more than $3.35 million<br />
in early 2013 for a low-slung, 1960s<br />
ranch-style house on a landlocked 1.5-acre<br />
parcel located just up the private lane from<br />
their new abode.<br />
The hot-tempered three-time Wimbledon<br />
and four-time U.S. Open champ is hardly<br />
a stranger to the Malibu real estate scene.<br />
He once owned a house on Malibu’s Carbon<br />
Beach that he picked up from Johnny Carson,<br />
before he bought an oceanfront residence in<br />
the guard-gated Colony enclave that he shared<br />
with first wife, Tatum O’Neal, and still owns.<br />
On the East Coast, the McEnroe-Smyths sold<br />
a one-bedroom apartment a couple of years<br />
ago in the venerable Beresford building in New<br />
York City for $3.1 million, but continue to own<br />
a 2-plus-acre estate in the swanky Hamptons<br />
community of Southampton acquired in 1999<br />
for $4.2 million.<br />
Wasserman<br />
lists in BevHills<br />
We have Our Fairy Godmother in Beverly<br />
Hills to thank for pointing out a carefully<br />
restored and updated 1920s Mediterranean<br />
manse in the increasingly popular and pricey<br />
Flats of Beverly Hills that’s listed at $12.5<br />
million, and owned, per property records, by<br />
Casey Wasserman, head of sports marketing<br />
and talent management company Wasserman<br />
Media Group. The grandson of late and<br />
famously bespectacled Hollywood power player<br />
Lew Wasserman purchased the property in<br />
late 2000 for slightly more than $4.4 million,<br />
and current listing details suggest there are<br />
a total of seven bedrooms and 8.5 bathrooms<br />
between the main house and a detached, multipurpose<br />
structure that combined encompass<br />
about 7,300 square feet.<br />
Set behind a high hedge and secured gates<br />
on a nearly half-acre lot, the main house has<br />
a double-height foyer that retains its original<br />
wrought-iron stair railing and octagonal terra-cotta<br />
floor tiles. A combination living/dining<br />
room stretches grandly to 30 feet with a<br />
wide bank of French doors to an entertainment<br />
terrace, and a commodious center-island<br />
kitchen adjoins a family room and informal<br />
dining area that opens through more<br />
French doors to a flat and grassy yard with<br />
swimming pool and oversized guesthouse<br />
that accommodates a gym, media room, office<br />
and a guest/staff bedroom.<br />
The Tinseltown scion and his wife, Laura,<br />
would like to lease the house back from the<br />
next owner until next May, per listing details,<br />
and this property gossip presumes that’s when<br />
the family is scheduled to move into the big<br />
house going up on a plum, 3.25-acre Beverly<br />
Hills site where — amid some flabbergast by<br />
architectural preservationists — the younger<br />
Wasserman razed his grandfather’s Hal<br />
Leavitt-designed midcentury modern mansion<br />
to make way for his own dream house.<br />
WASSERMAN HOUSE: LEE MANNING; CHAZZ PALMINTERI RISTORANTE ITALIANO: FITO PEREZ;<br />
LAURA AND CASEY WASSERMAN: BYRON PURVIS/ADMEDIA/NEWSCOM; MCENROE: KEN MCKAY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
40 Exposure
All That<br />
Chazz<br />
“Every Italian<br />
wants to have a<br />
restaurant,” says<br />
actor Chazz<br />
Palminteri,<br />
whose 140-seat<br />
eponymous<br />
dining<br />
destination<br />
in Midtown<br />
Manhattan —<br />
a collaboration<br />
with the Sinanaj<br />
brothers,<br />
who are also<br />
behind Empire<br />
Steak House<br />
— opened its<br />
doors last week.<br />
Chazz<br />
Palminteri<br />
Ristorante<br />
Italiano evokes<br />
a traditional<br />
Roman trattoria<br />
with custom<br />
designed fullwall<br />
murals,<br />
leather details,<br />
$12.5m<br />
BEVERLY HILLS<br />
7,300 sq. ft.<br />
7 bedrooms<br />
8.5 baths<br />
David Foster<br />
Sells His Malibu<br />
Manse for $19m<br />
It was real estate uber-insider Peter Propertyseller<br />
who first snitched, and property records<br />
now confirm, that 16-time Grammy-winning<br />
composer, producer, and songwriter David Foster<br />
and “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”<br />
cast member Yolanda Foster have sold their<br />
Malibu mansion for $19.45 million. Last listed<br />
at $23.5 million, the 3.25-acre estate was<br />
first floated off market by the couple in the fall<br />
of 2013, before it was officially hoisted on the<br />
open market in early 2014, with an in-hindsight<br />
chimerical $27.5 million price tag.<br />
The custom-built Mediterranean mansion,<br />
at the end of a long gated drive with indisputably<br />
dazzling ocean and coastline views, was<br />
described in marketing materials as “reminiscent<br />
of a romantic European villa,” spanning<br />
more than 11,600 square feet over three<br />
floors, with six bedrooms and nine bathrooms.<br />
Extra-wide plank reclaimed Bavarian walnut<br />
floors run throughout the casually sumptuous<br />
main floor living spaces that include a combination<br />
living/dining room, paneled library/<br />
office and family room — all three with fireplaces,<br />
and a colossal kitchen that features a<br />
glass-fronted and marble-lined walk-in refrigerator.<br />
The sprawling master suite opens to a terrace<br />
with panoramic views and includes a fireplace,<br />
semicircular office nook, two bathrooms<br />
and a pair of enormous dressing rooms kitted<br />
out like high-end boutiques. A subterranean<br />
level offers a screening room with tiered seating<br />
on plush couches, recording studio, game<br />
room with wet bar, and an exercise suite with<br />
lounge, sauna and massage room, while the<br />
grounds offer a photogenic infinity-edge swimming<br />
pool, broad sweeps of flat and well-watered<br />
lawns, a built-in firepit, extensive gardens<br />
and a citrus orchard planted on a<br />
terraced hillside above the house.<br />
$19.5m<br />
MALIBU<br />
11,600 sq. ft.<br />
6 bedrooms<br />
9 baths<br />
classic white<br />
tablecloths and<br />
an authentic<br />
red, gold and<br />
black color<br />
scheme. A<br />
wooden sevenseat<br />
bar space<br />
bisects two<br />
upscale dining<br />
areas, and<br />
boasts a wine<br />
list of more<br />
than 250 global<br />
offerings.<br />
“I’ve always<br />
been fascinated<br />
with the idea<br />
of Frank<br />
Sinatra and<br />
the Rat Pack,<br />
old Manhattan,<br />
going out on the<br />
town,” explains<br />
the Bronx native<br />
and “A Bronx<br />
Tale” actor, who<br />
ventured to<br />
Naples as part<br />
of his culinary<br />
research. “I<br />
wanted to<br />
duplicate that<br />
sensation<br />
today.”<br />
JASMIN<br />
ROSEMBERG<br />
Exposure<br />
41
Australians in Film<br />
are proud to honor<br />
Foxtel Breakthrough Award<br />
Elizabeth Debicki<br />
Actor<br />
Virgin Australia Orry-Kelly<br />
International Award<br />
Bruna Papandrea<br />
Producer<br />
Ausfilm International Award<br />
Bill Mechanic<br />
Producer<br />
Fox Studios Australia<br />
International Award<br />
Dion Beebe<br />
Cinematographer<br />
(The Great Gatsby, Everest,<br />
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)<br />
(Milk, Wild, Gone Girl)<br />
(Hacksaw Ridge, The<br />
Moon and The Sun)<br />
(Into the Woods, Edge<br />
of Tomorrow)<br />
and would like to thank our event sponsors<br />
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Features |<br />
Kids’ lives,<br />
their welfare,<br />
are still very<br />
much at stake.<br />
This problem is<br />
not going away.<br />
You do not get<br />
over a problem<br />
that has existed<br />
for hundreds<br />
of years in just<br />
10 years.”<br />
Tom McCarthy<br />
on tackling the story<br />
of sex abuse by priests<br />
in “Spotlight”<br />
Paper Trail / 44 . . . . CONTENDERS: Awards Season Launch / 51 . . . .<br />
Political Ad Bounty / 60 . . . . Hollywood’s New Leaders / 65 . . . .<br />
ACHIEVEMENT: Britannia Awards / 87 . . . . American Cinematheque<br />
Award / 95 . . . . Snoopy’s Hollywood Walk of Fame Honor / 99<br />
PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT MAXWELL<br />
Features<br />
43
RIPPED<br />
FROM THE<br />
HEADLINES<br />
‘Spotlight’ recounts how<br />
heroic reporters broke the<br />
story of the Catholic Church’s<br />
cover-up of child molestation<br />
— the kind of investigative<br />
journalism that’s in short<br />
supply today as newspapers<br />
struggle to survive<br />
Story by<br />
James Rainey<br />
Photographs by<br />
Robert Maxwell<br />
44 Features
Tom McCarthy,<br />
Walter “Robby”<br />
Robinson and<br />
Michael Keaton
For more<br />
than a decade,<br />
America’s daily<br />
newspapers<br />
have faced their<br />
own mortality.<br />
Print circulation has plummeted nearly<br />
50%. Ad revenue has plunged to less than<br />
half its one-time high. Two in five newsroom<br />
employees have been handed pink<br />
slips, forcing many to seek work in precincts<br />
outside the Fourth Estate.<br />
That doesn’t exactly make a newspaper<br />
an obvious backdrop for a movie<br />
— or a ripe setting for praiseworthy<br />
endeavors. Yet “Spotlight” places journalists<br />
and the printed word shamelessly<br />
front and center, celebrating a quiet<br />
kind of heroism. No wonder preview<br />
and festival audiences are chock-full of<br />
ink-stained wretches swelling with pride<br />
and affirmation.<br />
But it’s not mere nostalgia that has put<br />
director Tom McCarthy’s fifth film prominently<br />
in the conversation for best picture<br />
and multiple other potential honors<br />
this awards season. What’s making<br />
“Spotlight” the “it” movie of the moment,<br />
even prior to its Nov. 6 theatrical debut, is<br />
that it has pre-release audiences talking<br />
not just about journalism and freedom of<br />
the press, but about the Catholic Church,<br />
Pope Francis’ stance on the plague of sexual<br />
abuse by priests and even about the<br />
bounds of faith.<br />
With an ensemble cast led by Michael<br />
Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams<br />
and Liev Schreiber, the movie tells<br />
the real-life story of the Boston Globe’s<br />
four-member investigative reporting team<br />
(aka Spotlight) which uncovered the scandal<br />
and massive cover-up of child molestation<br />
within the local Catholic Archdiocese<br />
beginning in 2001.<br />
A throwback in more than just its<br />
setting (the Globe newsroom), the Open<br />
Road Films production evokes filmmaking<br />
of another era. The story is notable<br />
for eschewing the building blocks of<br />
today’s most popular movies — CGI pyrotechnics,<br />
comic-book superheroes, sex<br />
and violence.<br />
Instead, the script, co-written by<br />
McCarthy and Josh Singer, advances character<br />
and plot gradually and assuredly.<br />
“Spotlight” is a slow burn. The investigation<br />
gets sidetracked. The journalists<br />
are flawed. But they are the only ones in<br />
a position to hold a powerful institution<br />
accountable for its greatest failing. With a<br />
monolithic adversary and children as the<br />
victims, the filmmakers establish a powerful<br />
rooting interest among the audience.<br />
“Ultimately, we decided we didn’t<br />
have the time or real estate” to focus on<br />
the struggles of newspapers, McCarthy<br />
says. “It would have been too editorial.<br />
We really wanted the story to play on its<br />
own merits.”<br />
Adds Singer: “The best way to show the<br />
continuing importance of journalism is<br />
to just show great local journalism. And,<br />
by the way, both this story and Watergate<br />
started as great local journalism.”<br />
“Spotlight’s” realistic evocation of highstakes<br />
investigative reporting has drawn<br />
comparisons to “All the President’s Men.”<br />
Director Alan J. Pakula’s 1976 award-winning<br />
classic about the Watergate scandal<br />
celebrated how two young reporters<br />
from the Washington Post, Bob Woodward<br />
(played by Robert Redford) and Carl<br />
Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman), helped bring<br />
down a corrupt president.<br />
In the four decades that have followed,<br />
journalists have often been portrayed<br />
as ethically or morally challenged,<br />
as in 1987’s “Broadcast News” and 2014’s<br />
“Nightcrawler.” The profession has fared<br />
better when it has been pitted against<br />
powerful, and powerfully corrupt,<br />
institutions. Michael Mann’s “The<br />
Insider” (1999) embraced a television<br />
producer’s expose on Big Tobacco, while<br />
George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good<br />
Luck” (2005) celebrated Edward R. Murrow’s<br />
take-down of red-baiting Sen.<br />
Joseph McCarthy.<br />
Yet, with few exceptions, journalism<br />
films have failed to break out at the<br />
box office. Nearly four decades after its<br />
release, “All the President’s Men” remains<br />
the leader in the genre, with a $70 mil-<br />
PREVIOUS SPREAD: GROOMING: AMY KOMOROWSKI AT ART DEPARTMENT (KEATON); ASIA<br />
GEIGER AT ART DEPARTMENT (ROBINSON AND MCCARTHY); ON SET STYLING: SETH HOWARD<br />
46 Features
START<br />
THE<br />
PRESSES<br />
“Spotlight” isn’t<br />
the first film about<br />
newspapers to earn<br />
awards buzz.<br />
All the<br />
President’s Men<br />
(1976)<br />
$70.6m<br />
JOURNALISM CHIC Rachel McAdams,<br />
Tom McCarthy, Michael Keaton and Mark<br />
Ruffalo work amid a re-creation of the<br />
Boston Globe newsroom in “Spotlight.”<br />
Robert Redford and<br />
Dustin Hoffman<br />
play Bob Woodward<br />
and Carl Bernstein<br />
in this story of the<br />
reporting behind<br />
the Watergate scandal.<br />
Nominated for<br />
eight Oscars, it won<br />
four, including supporting<br />
actor (Jason<br />
Robards) and adapted<br />
screenplay (William<br />
Goldman).<br />
ABSENCE OF MALICE: SNAP STILLS/REX SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
lion domestic take, which 1981’s “Broadcast<br />
News” ($51 million) and 1994’s<br />
“The Paper” ($39 million) couldn’t<br />
come close to matching. Despite critical<br />
acclaim, “The Insider” limped to $29 million<br />
in the U.S. on a production budget of<br />
$90 million.<br />
“Spotlight’s” subject matter could<br />
have been off-putting. But the journalist-sleuths<br />
create an avenue for audiences<br />
to understand an unsettling subculture<br />
of rape and abused authority. More<br />
than a dozen years after the Globe’s<br />
revelations, the public has come to<br />
understand that higher-ups in the Catholic<br />
Church condoned, and even enabled,<br />
the wrongdoing.<br />
Coincidentally, the film will land three<br />
weeks after “Truth,” another much-anticipated<br />
journalism procedural built around<br />
a big news story. But that picture, starring<br />
Cate Blanchett as CBS producer Mary<br />
Mapes and Robert Redford as anchorman<br />
Dan Rather, has the additional challenge<br />
of treading on a decade-old story that still<br />
remains raw. The CBS duo gets a highly<br />
sympathetic hearing in “Truth” (based<br />
on Mapes’ book) while asking moviegoers<br />
to forgive, or at least understand, how the<br />
pair used unverified documents to challenge<br />
then-President George W. Bush’s<br />
service in the Air National Guard. Blowback<br />
is inevitable.<br />
“Spotlight’s” McCarthy, 49, who has<br />
earned acclaim for directing films like<br />
“The Station Agent” and “The Visitor,”<br />
got a taste of the rich possibilities in journalism<br />
as subject matter when he played<br />
a corrupt reporter in the fifth season<br />
of HBO crime series “The Wire.” McCarthy<br />
says that the show’s creator, David<br />
Simon, a former Baltimore Sun reporter,<br />
“imbued me with a feeling for the importance<br />
of that kind of blue-collar approach,<br />
that roll-up-your-sleeves quality, that insatiable<br />
desire to get to the truth that great<br />
The best way to show the continuing importance of journalism<br />
is to just show great local journalism. And both this story<br />
and Watergate started as great local journalism.” Josh Singer<br />
journalists have.”<br />
Novelist and freelance journalist David<br />
Mizner pitched the Spotlight concept to<br />
producers Nicole Rocklin and Blye Faust<br />
in 2011. They then teamed with Michael<br />
Sugar and Steve Golin of Anonymous<br />
Content, and the group hired McCarthy<br />
who, in turn, brought on fellow writer<br />
Singer (who penned the Julian Assange<br />
biopic “The Fifth Estate”).<br />
The filmmakers took the lead for “Spotlight’s”<br />
narrative structure from their subjects.<br />
There would be no star, but rather<br />
an ensemble — reporters Mike Rezendes<br />
(Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (McAdams) and<br />
Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James), led by<br />
Spotlight editor Walter “Robby” Robinson<br />
(Keaton). They would be set on their<br />
path, and inspired, by a new editor, Martin<br />
“Marty” Baron (Schreiber), who from<br />
his first day on the job asked a simple<br />
question: Why hadn’t the Globe focused<br />
its full attention on years of reports about<br />
sexually abusive priests?<br />
“After sitting with all of these really<br />
interesting people,” McCarthy recalls,<br />
“Josh and I committed: ‘Let’s just trust<br />
the story’— how layered, how compelling<br />
and how textured it was.”<br />
The filmmakers morphed into something<br />
like their subjects in the months<br />
preceding the shoot. They pored over<br />
accounts about troubles in the newspaper<br />
business, reviewed the more than<br />
Absence of Malice<br />
(1981)<br />
$40.7m<br />
Paul Newman and<br />
Sally Field topline<br />
Sydney Pollack’s<br />
thriller about a<br />
reporter who<br />
helps a businessman<br />
prove his innocence.<br />
Newman,<br />
supporting actress<br />
Melinda Dillon and<br />
scribe Kurt Luedtke<br />
earned Oscar noms.<br />
The Paper<br />
(1994)<br />
$38.8m<br />
“Spotlight’s” Michael<br />
Keaton stars as an<br />
editor who battles<br />
with his boss (Glenn<br />
Close) to stop publication<br />
of an inaccurate<br />
story in Ron<br />
Howard’s dramedy.<br />
Randy Newman’s<br />
song “Make Up Your<br />
Mind” was nommed.<br />
DOMESTIC GROSSES
600 Globe stories on the abuse scandal,<br />
and plowed into court files and<br />
correspondence.<br />
Two weeks prior to shooting, Mc-<br />
Carthy and Singer sat down with journalists<br />
Robinson and Rezendes, and spent<br />
more than six hours dissecting every line<br />
in the script to purge any false notes.<br />
When McCarthy felt the journalists were<br />
agreeing to some language to be polite,<br />
he pressed them to give him the actual<br />
words they would have used.<br />
Journalists will recognize much of<br />
their world in “Spotlight”: reporters scarfing<br />
down junk food on the run, massaging<br />
sources who cringe at even the sight of a<br />
notebook, fighting with an editor about<br />
when a story needs to run. The narrative<br />
is the rare journalism story that shows<br />
reporters actually caring about their subjects.<br />
And it may be one of the first films<br />
to feature scribes doing the tedious work<br />
of inputting information into a computer<br />
to build a data base. Who knew that kind<br />
of work could be cinematic?<br />
The actors spent hours with their subjects<br />
— Keaton picking up Robinson’s<br />
fleeting Boston accent; McAdams finding<br />
a certain way that reporter Pfeiffer held<br />
her hands; Ruffalo mastering the halfcough<br />
tick of the kinetic Rezendes. Veteran<br />
data journalist Carroll was tickled<br />
that the production designers, led by Stephen<br />
H. Carter, nailed down every kitschy<br />
detail of the scruffy Spotlight newsroom,<br />
right down to the paper Dunkin’ Donuts<br />
cup ever perched on his desk.<br />
For Keaton, the part of stalwart but<br />
low-key newshound Robinson could<br />
have been a comedown a year after his<br />
turn as the tormented, over-the-hill movie<br />
star in “Birdman,” which earned him<br />
a best actor Oscar nomination. “What I<br />
was fearful about after doing ‘Birdman’<br />
— which was a tightrope walk every day,<br />
and nerve-wracking and unbelievably<br />
exciting every minute — was that I would<br />
find more traditional moviemaking dull,”<br />
Keaton says. “The good news is that that<br />
didn’t happen at all.”<br />
Keaton — who had played a New York<br />
City tabloid editor in Ron Howard’s “The<br />
Paper” — became close with Robinson,<br />
the two a pair of lapsed Catholics (like<br />
McCarthy and other members of the reallife<br />
Spotlight team), who had a passion<br />
for sports, politics and brisk conversation.<br />
The actor’s Robby is all good cheer and<br />
gentle cajoling, until his adversaries need<br />
to see he will not bend.<br />
“He’s the guy who is easygoing, and<br />
gives everybody in the room a lot of space<br />
to do what they need to do,” Keaton says.<br />
“But when he needs to drop the hammer,<br />
he doesn’t hesitate to say: ‘I am not asking<br />
you. I am telling you.’ ”<br />
Keaton’s steel-fist-in-a-velvet-glove performance<br />
is receiving supporting actor<br />
HARD TO BE EASY<br />
Says Keaton of<br />
Walter “Robby”<br />
Robinson, right,<br />
the Spotlight team<br />
editor the actor<br />
portays: “He’s …<br />
easygoing. But<br />
when he needs to<br />
drop the hammer,<br />
he doesn’t<br />
hesitate.”<br />
attention. But awards recognition is also<br />
likely for Schreiber, as the powerful but<br />
relentlessly understated Baron, and Ruffalo,<br />
who personifies “Spotlight’s” moral<br />
outrage as the tightly wound, workaholic<br />
Rezendes.<br />
A decade ago, Showtime took a swing<br />
at the same story, with the TV movie “Our<br />
Fathers.” But that effort was panned as<br />
superficial and emotionally hollow. The<br />
Globe journalists recall being so disappointed<br />
by the made-for in 2005 that a<br />
viewing party they held folded early.<br />
“You have a lot of reservations when<br />
you give somebody license to fictionalize<br />
your life,” says Pfeiffer, a Globe journalist<br />
again after an absence to work at NPR.<br />
“But, for the most part, our lives aren’t<br />
really even fictionalized. And our work is<br />
not fictionalized. They just captured what<br />
it was really like.”<br />
Baron, now one of the most celebrat-<br />
ed editors in America as leader of the<br />
Washington Post, says he is “thrilled” with<br />
“Spotlight.” “I think it’s a love letter to<br />
investigative journalism and to local journalism,”<br />
he notes. “It speaks to the impact<br />
we can have if we devote the energy and<br />
resources to difficult work. It’s kind of a<br />
reminder of our highest and most important<br />
mission.”<br />
The larger journalistic community<br />
seems to agree. At a the end of a<br />
screening at the inaugural Investigative<br />
Film Festival in Washington, D.C., late<br />
last month, 300 journalists stood and<br />
cheered. At a panel discussion afterward,<br />
acclaimed showrunner Simon said the<br />
film was like “nostalgic porn” for an old<br />
newspaperman.<br />
“It’s the kind of film that doesn’t get<br />
told enough, because it lacks all the<br />
things that the entertainment industry<br />
thinks is currency,” Simon, whose most<br />
48 Features
ecent project was “Show Me a Hero” for<br />
HBO, told the gathering. “There’s not a<br />
lot of sex in it, not a lot of violence, but<br />
there’s a lot of paper, and there are a lot<br />
of ideas and a lot of humanity.”<br />
Despite the Globe’s expose — and<br />
investigations that followed at other<br />
newspapers around the country — the<br />
“Spotlight” filmmakers and their journalistic<br />
muses all believe that the Catholic<br />
Church has not adequately confronted<br />
sexual abuse by clergy. They were troubled<br />
that, during his recent visit to America,<br />
Pope Francis initially praised bishops<br />
for their response to the scandal.<br />
“I think (those comments) make a<br />
majority of people think, ‘Well, the church<br />
is changing and we can lower our vigilance,’<br />
” McCarthy says. “And what does<br />
that mean, in reality? Kids lives, their welfare,<br />
are still very much at stake. This<br />
problem is not going away. You do not get<br />
What I was fearful about after doing ‘Birdman’ was that<br />
I would find more traditional moviemaking dull. The good<br />
news is that that didn’t happen at all.” Michael Keaton<br />
over a problem that has existed for hundreds<br />
of years in just 10 years.”<br />
While the movie holds the church primarily<br />
culpable, part of the elegance of<br />
the “Spotlight” story is that no individual<br />
or institution shoulders all the blame.<br />
McCarthy and Silver’s script reveals<br />
how inertia and deference to authority<br />
allowed countless children to be abused,<br />
even though many people had at least an<br />
inkling of what was going on. A subtext in<br />
the film follows who, inside the newspaper,<br />
could have done more.<br />
“This was going on in every archdiocese<br />
in the country,” says Robinson, now<br />
editor at large at the Globe. “And in every<br />
archdiocese, there was a major newspaper.<br />
And everybody missed it, partly<br />
because the church is the most iconic<br />
institution in any city. To think that the<br />
Church around the world is covering up<br />
the sexual crimes of thousands of priests,<br />
I mean, that’s just unimaginable.”<br />
Or, as the lawyer Mitchell Garabedian,<br />
played by Stanley Tucci, says in the<br />
film: “If it takes a village to raise a child,<br />
it takes a village to abuse one.”<br />
Robinson, a Boston native like his<br />
Spotlight comrades, has had a long<br />
and celebrated career, covering everything<br />
from politics to crime, and leading<br />
the Globe’s metro desk in the 1990s. He<br />
once drove a Massachusetts gubernatorial<br />
candidate out of the race by exposing<br />
resume fraud. Another project revealed<br />
how museums possessed art stolen by the<br />
Nazis. But Robinson calls the priest sex<br />
expose “far and away the most important<br />
story the Globe has ever done.” An<br />
untold number of incidents of potential<br />
child abuse were undoubtedly prevented<br />
by forcing the church to drum out problem<br />
priests.<br />
Even as the real-life Spotlight members<br />
make the festival and screening circuit<br />
with their screen doubles, all is not<br />
well back at the Globe newsroom. A new<br />
round of job cuts will bring the staff to<br />
something just over 300, down from a<br />
peak of more than 500. Insiders describe<br />
themselves as heartsick at more packing<br />
and sheet-cake farewells, even as a movie<br />
will be touting the Globe’s power.<br />
But journalists at the paper and in other<br />
newsrooms hope that “Spotlight” has<br />
an impact not unlike that of “All the President’s<br />
Men” 39 years ago. Maybe it will<br />
sell a few newspapers, or at least some<br />
online subscriptions. Journalism schools<br />
will doubtless be lining up to show students<br />
how a handful of people with passion<br />
can make a difference.<br />
“To me, this film shows that there<br />
are so many injustices in the world that<br />
nobody knows about,” Robinson says.<br />
“And young journalists out there can find<br />
them and expose them and cause change<br />
for the better.”<br />
Zodiac<br />
(2007)<br />
$33.1m<br />
David Fincher’s critical<br />
favorite centers<br />
on a team of<br />
reporters and investigators<br />
(including<br />
“Spotlight’s” Mark<br />
Ruffalo) as they<br />
obsess over San<br />
Francisco’s Zodiac<br />
killer. The film got no<br />
Oscar love, but competed<br />
in Cannes.<br />
“Nightcrawler”<br />
(2014)<br />
$32.4m<br />
Jake Gyllenhaal plays<br />
a tabloid photojournalist<br />
who goes<br />
to corrupt lengths<br />
for stories. Writer-director<br />
Dan Gilroy’s<br />
script was<br />
nominated.<br />
“It Happened<br />
One Night”<br />
(1934)<br />
$2.5m<br />
Frank Capra’s comedy<br />
follows Clark<br />
Gable’s reporter<br />
as he blackmails a<br />
socialite (Claudette<br />
Colbert) for a scoop.<br />
It was the first film<br />
to win all five major<br />
Academy Awards<br />
(best picture, director,<br />
actor, actress<br />
and screenplay).<br />
Citizen Kane<br />
(1941)<br />
$1.6m<br />
Orson Welles’ film<br />
about the life of a<br />
megalomaniacal<br />
newspaper tycoon<br />
was loosely based<br />
on William Randolph<br />
Hearst, who blocked<br />
mention of the<br />
movie in his publications.<br />
An Oscar<br />
for screenplay was<br />
its only win among<br />
nine noms.<br />
Features<br />
49
CONTENDERS<br />
AWARDS SEASON LAUNCH<br />
51<br />
Maestros<br />
en Masse<br />
Fresh and established<br />
artists pack lively race<br />
By Steve Chagollan<br />
As the awards season gathers<br />
momentum like an impending<br />
tsunami, the continuing<br />
refrain around the Variety<br />
offices — whether talking<br />
about movies or the individual talents<br />
behind them —quality films are so abundant<br />
it’s almost overwhelming.<br />
Whether it’s voters in the Academy or the<br />
Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. or the guilds<br />
or a critics organization, there’s something<br />
for every taste, and consensus appears<br />
almost inconceivable at this juncture.<br />
The mix might be more multi-generational<br />
than ever: There are the old masters like<br />
Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott; the Sundance<br />
generation of David O. Russell and<br />
Todd Haynes; bad boys-turned-seasoned<br />
vets like Quentin Tarantino and Danny<br />
Boyle; trailblazers like Alejandro G. Inarritu<br />
and Charlie Kaufman; and rising stars like<br />
Denis Villeneuve and John Crowley.<br />
Among the actors, new-generation stars<br />
such as Rooney Mara and Carrie Mulligan<br />
hold their own when paired with film royalty<br />
like Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep,<br />
respectively. And talents little known 10<br />
years ago, from Michael Fassbender and<br />
Tom Hardy to Brie Larson, are maturing<br />
with startling magnitude.<br />
As film gives way to digital, and 3D<br />
extends beyond gimmickry, tech innovations<br />
abound and below-the-liners have<br />
stepped up their game as a result.<br />
That’s not to say everyone has jumped on<br />
the high-tech bandwagon: Tarantino’s “The<br />
Hateful Eight” was shot on 70 mm and will<br />
be released in the old roadshow fashion;<br />
while last year’s Oscar winners Inarritu and<br />
his “Birdman” d.p. Emmanuel Lubezki clung<br />
exclusively to natural light to film their latest,<br />
“The Revenant.”<br />
But whether you favor old-school vs.<br />
up-to-the-minute production methods, linear<br />
vs. free-form narrative, or traditional vs.<br />
synthetic instrumentation, there’s an embarrassment<br />
of riches from which to choose.<br />
ILLUSTRATION BY SAM BREWSTER
52 CONTENDERS AWARDS SEASON LAUNCH<br />
CLOSET ROMANCE<br />
Cate Blanchett leads a<br />
double life in Todd Haynes’<br />
“Carol,” set in the 1950s.<br />
Dramatizing<br />
the Body Politic<br />
Pics that deal with selfexpression,<br />
gender rights<br />
pervade awards landscape<br />
By John Anderson<br />
Life, liberty and the pursuit of statuettes<br />
are among the inalienable<br />
rights of those who toil in Hollywood.<br />
But it wouldn’t be entirely<br />
alien if certain other freedoms<br />
— to determine one’s destiny, or assert one’s<br />
identity — wind up center stage during the<br />
current awards season.<br />
The subjects of rights and selves are certainly<br />
circulating in the zeitgeist. Transgender<br />
actress Laverne Cox (“Orange Is<br />
the New Black”) graced the cover of Time;<br />
Kardashian-by-association Caitlin Jenner<br />
adorned the July issue of Vanity Fair. Jeffrey<br />
Tambor earned multiple awards this year<br />
for his transsexual turn in “Transparent.” E!<br />
has “I am Cait,” TLC has “I am Jazz.”<br />
Given the inseparable nature of gender<br />
issues and civil rights, there’s been a flurry of<br />
films that deal with the feminist and LGBT<br />
experience: Roland Emmerich’s “Stonewall,”<br />
for instance, which presents a perhaps<br />
bowdlerized version of the birth of the gay<br />
rights movement, and “Freeheld,” about a<br />
New Jersey policewoman battling for samesex<br />
partner benefits.<br />
Almost uniformly, the way filmmakers<br />
get at the issues involved is by looking backward.<br />
The historical prism does, on one<br />
hand, offer a patina of escape for the viewer.<br />
On the other, it often provides a reassuring<br />
hug — that these are sins of the past, not<br />
of today.<br />
“I do think that sometimes a look to the<br />
past can be a pat on the back to the present,”<br />
says Todd Haynes, whose “Carol” —<br />
written by Phyllis Nagy, from the Patricia<br />
Highsmith novel “The Price of Salt” — stars<br />
Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as lesbian<br />
lovers in 1952 New York.<br />
“Setting the story in a period allows us<br />
to do things in a more delicate way,” says<br />
Nagy. “Today, we want to blurt out a 24-hour<br />
expression of ourselves, but there was a different<br />
cultural protocol then, a different<br />
etiquette.”<br />
Much more deliberately political is<br />
“Suffragette,” which, like “Carol,” has two<br />
awards-friendly performances at its center<br />
(Carey Mulligan and Helena Bonham<br />
Carter), as well as a cameo of sorts by Meryl<br />
Streep as the incendiary suffrage movement<br />
leader Emmeline Pankhurst. A dramatized<br />
account of the women’s fight for the<br />
vote in early 20th Century Britain, “Suffragette”<br />
is directed by Sarah Gavron, who says<br />
the movie is intended to remind audiences<br />
of the sacrifices their great-grandmothers’<br />
generation made. And how the fight for<br />
rights crossed boundaries, especially those<br />
of class.<br />
“We researched the historical events of<br />
1912-13, went through the archives, read the<br />
diaries and drew on the stories of a few working<br />
women; Maud is a composite,” Gavron<br />
says, referring to Mulligan’s character, Maud<br />
Watts, who seems to suffer every indignity<br />
imaginable in a place and time when women<br />
were viewed, legally, as property.<br />
“The idea wasn’t to tell the story of wellknown<br />
figures like Mrs. Pankhurst or her two<br />
daughters,” adds Gavron. “If we went that<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
Topical turns<br />
Civil rights and gender<br />
identity play a role in<br />
the following pics:<br />
› “Suffragette” (1)<br />
(Focus)<br />
› “The Danish<br />
Girl” (2)<br />
(Focus)<br />
› “Freeheld” (3)<br />
(Lionsgate)
CONTENDERS AWARDS SEASON LAUNCH<br />
53<br />
route, it would have been an examination<br />
of power rather than contending with problems<br />
relevant to today,” which include the<br />
continued denial of women’s right to vote in<br />
certain countries, economic disparity and<br />
sexual harassment.<br />
Also among the topical issues touched<br />
upon by “Suffragette,” says its director,<br />
was the existence of a surveillance state:<br />
Archives that were opened only in 2003<br />
showed what are probably the earliest U.K.<br />
spy photographs: clandestine pictures of<br />
members of the suffrage movement, and<br />
one of the original cases of government<br />
surveillance. (In the film, Brendan Gleeson<br />
plays a detective with covert photography<br />
being one of his principal investigative<br />
tools). Photographs — of a more salacious<br />
nature — play a part in “Carol,” which is<br />
based on the work of the same writer who<br />
gave us “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”<br />
“The only agenda I had when writing ‘Carol’<br />
was to be faithful to the tone of the book<br />
and to allow every character to inhabit a<br />
real world,” Nagy says.<br />
Highsmith wrote much about the criminal<br />
mind, and both Nagy and Haynes say people<br />
in love think the same way.<br />
“The characters may behave in ways you<br />
wish they wouldn’t, but they are human and<br />
it’s understandable, as long as you create<br />
three-dimensional humans,” Nagy says.<br />
Regarding the historical aspects of “Carol,”<br />
she says, “It doesn’t matter that the film<br />
is set in 1952; the actual fight for recognition<br />
is still going on.”<br />
Director Tom Hooper, whose “The Danish<br />
Girl” stars Eddie Redmayne as Lili Elbe, one<br />
of the earliest recipients of gender reassignment<br />
surgery, says, “History recently tends<br />
to be written from the viewpoint of existing<br />
prejudices.”<br />
In 2008 when he first read the Lucinda<br />
Coxon script (which was based on David<br />
Ebershoff’s novel), Hooper says he was woefully<br />
ignorant of the story. What he could<br />
find to read about it turned out to be, for the<br />
most part, inaccurate.<br />
“It’s as if this story was erased from the<br />
record and I thought maybe the fact this<br />
kind of story was pushed out of history was<br />
a reflection of the closed-mindedness to<br />
trans people and trans history,” he says.<br />
Part of Hooper’s attraction to “The Danish<br />
Girl’ lay partly in its love story, which<br />
he describes as “the portrait of a marriage<br />
going through profound transformation and<br />
how it’s negotiating with such kindness and<br />
unconditional love.”<br />
But he also hopes the film can play at<br />
least a small role in opening people’s minds<br />
up, since transgender people are “actively<br />
negotiating pretty tough territory right now.”<br />
And the record has yet to be written about<br />
how they will be viewed by posterity.<br />
“One of the things we do with these stories<br />
is correct the biases and prejudices in<br />
how history is made,” says Hooper.<br />
Against<br />
All Odds<br />
In a handful of high-profile<br />
films, characters struggle to<br />
survive in extreme conditions<br />
By Kristopher Tapley<br />
It’s ingrained<br />
in us, who we<br />
are as human<br />
beings, the<br />
desire, the will,<br />
to survive.”<br />
MARY PARENT,<br />
PRODUCER ON<br />
‘THE REVENANT’<br />
Just as it was in 2013 when films like<br />
“12 Years a Slave,” “Gravity” and “All<br />
Is Lost” found themselves in the<br />
thick of the Oscar race, survival<br />
against seemingly insurmountable<br />
odds pops up once again as a theme this<br />
season. Whether it’s staying alive in an<br />
extraterrestrial world (Ridley Scott’s “The<br />
Martian”), weathering unforgiving elements<br />
(Baltasar Kormakur’s “Everest”), maintaining<br />
a pulse in a hostile environment (Alejandro<br />
G. Inarritu’s “The Revenant”) or keeping<br />
the human spirit alive while held prisoner<br />
(Lenny Abrahamson’s “Room”), it remains a<br />
compelling framework on which to attach<br />
drama.<br />
“I think it’s one of the recurring archetypical<br />
stories, and it’s always going to be told in<br />
various ways,” Abrahamson says about that<br />
most instinctive of human traits that often<br />
results in the most extraordinary actions.<br />
“It can be told in a very operatic, large-scale<br />
way or it can be told in tiny stories.”<br />
Each situation is marked by specific, character-defining<br />
survival mechanisms as well.<br />
In “Room,” for instance, the imprisoned lead<br />
character Joy (Brie Larson) must make a life<br />
for the 5-year-old son she had while held<br />
captive in a small shed.<br />
“My working assumption was that having<br />
this kid was the best thing that could have<br />
happened to this woman,” says novelist and<br />
screenwriter Emma Donoghue.<br />
Adds Abrahamson, “She says, ‘When Jack<br />
came, everything changed.’ He’s her project<br />
and her salvation, both in that he’s instrumental<br />
in getting them both out, but also he<br />
becomes a way that she can make sense of<br />
her days. It’s this incredible imperative.”<br />
In “The Martian,” screenwriter Drew Goddard<br />
felt it important to reflect the novel’s<br />
lighthearted quality as astronaut Mark Watney<br />
(Matt Damon) maintains his composure<br />
with good humor after being marooned on<br />
Mars. “It has this optimistic soul to it, which<br />
is not something you see a lot in science fiction,”<br />
Goddard says.<br />
Goddard approached the material almost<br />
as a religious film, only the religion happens<br />
to be science and problem-solving. “It’s the<br />
same idea of being lost alone and you have<br />
nothing but faith to get you through it,” he<br />
says. “In this case, the faith was in science.”<br />
The climbers of “Everest” also find themselves<br />
stranded amid life-threatening conditions,<br />
albeit on this planet. Kormakur recognizes<br />
the existential ramifications of such<br />
material.<br />
“Novels are a very good way of explaining<br />
things like that,” says Kormakur, who used<br />
alpine locations in Nepal and Italy, “but in<br />
cinema, you have an opportunity to just live<br />
it. There’s no other medium that can actually<br />
take you through the elements.”<br />
Even still, the quality he was after is one<br />
he’s felt is missing in most Hollywood films.<br />
“Everything is so manicured, even the sets<br />
and the environment,” he says. “You have a<br />
hard time feeling the reality of the situation.<br />
So I wanted to just hook you on a line with<br />
a bunch of guys and take you up the mountain<br />
and make you understand what these<br />
people are doing.”<br />
Indeed, such material allows actors to<br />
reach a more realistic place with their performances<br />
as well. That was important for<br />
Kormakur, and for Inarritu, who shot most<br />
of “The Revenant” in the frigid conditions of<br />
Alberta, Canada, with natural light and precious<br />
few creature comforts.<br />
“It kind of strips you down in a great way,”<br />
says Mary Parent, a producer on the film.<br />
“There were times on set when we looked<br />
at each other and you felt like you were<br />
dropped into another world.”<br />
So why, beyond the obvious archetypal<br />
notions, does this framework pop up so<br />
much in storytelling?<br />
“I think it’s primal,” Parent says. “It’s<br />
ingrained in us, who we are as human<br />
beings, the desire, the will, to survive.”<br />
But Scott says it might say something<br />
about the metaphysical ticking clock of<br />
humanity’s precious time on earth.<br />
“I think it’s driven by the fact that, deep<br />
down, we are concerned about ‘What if?’” he<br />
says. “And indirectly, global politics always<br />
have a bearing on what’s on the mind of<br />
filmmakers. Like the Chinese talking about<br />
reducing their emissions by 30% by the year<br />
2027. You go, ‘What?! Are you f***ing crazy?<br />
That’s another 14 years! We can’t do this!.’ I<br />
think it’s in everybody’s psyche, this definitive<br />
anxiety.”<br />
HARSH CONDITIONS<br />
”The Revenant” was shot<br />
in the frigid conditions<br />
of Alberta, Canada.
54 CONTENDERS AWARDS SEASON LAUNCH<br />
A 26-Gun Salute<br />
From epic visions to chamber dramas, a select crop of<br />
2015 standouts packs quite a punch By Kristopher Tapley<br />
As the Oscar season gets under<br />
way, there are a handful of<br />
contenders that have yet to be<br />
unveiled. As we take stock of<br />
the cards that are already on the<br />
table, we also ponder the possibilities of some<br />
of the most highly anticipated offerings that lie<br />
on the horizon.<br />
It’s a fully loaded field to be sure, so apologies<br />
in advance for any deserving omissions.<br />
MAD MAX:<br />
FURY ROAD<br />
Elevated Genre Works<br />
Train Eyes on the Prize<br />
Back in March, shortly<br />
before the release<br />
of “Furious 7,” Vin Diesel<br />
threw out a bold prediction<br />
about his movie’s chances in the<br />
forthcoming awards season. “It<br />
will probably win best picture<br />
at the Oscars,” he told Variety,<br />
“unless the Oscars don’t want to<br />
be relevant ever.”<br />
Box office domination is a<br />
lousy measure of relevance, let<br />
alone quality, but Diesel’s comment<br />
did carry a valid point<br />
about the Academy’s historic<br />
disregard for genre movies, the<br />
occasional best-picture win for a<br />
“French Connection,” a “Silence<br />
of the Lambs” or “The Lord of<br />
the Rings” finale notwithstanding.<br />
Still, to its credit, the organization<br />
has taken some welcome<br />
steps toward acknowledging<br />
that movie greatness doesn’t<br />
always come laden with self-evidently<br />
worthy themes.<br />
As for the high-end popcorn<br />
fare the Academy might make<br />
room for this season, it’s worth<br />
remembering that genre itself<br />
is a highly elastic concept (what<br />
is “Argo” if not a spry and funny<br />
caper movie?), especially if it<br />
comes accompanied by serious<br />
filmmaking chops and the imprimatur<br />
of a respected auteur.<br />
Certainly that bodes well for<br />
“The Revenant,” whose year-end<br />
release date and Oscar-friendly<br />
pedigree shouldn’t disguise the<br />
fact that it is, at heart, a Western<br />
revenge thriller that promises<br />
to go in darker and more visceral<br />
directions than director Alejandro<br />
Gonzalez Inarritu has ever<br />
before attempted.<br />
Expectations are no less highsky<br />
for “The Hateful Eight,” the<br />
latest blood-soaked magnum<br />
opus from Quentin Tarantino,<br />
who constitutes a genre unto<br />
himself — one that has amassed<br />
five Oscar wins and 21 nominations,<br />
including two best-picture<br />
mentions for “Inglourious<br />
Basterds” and “Django<br />
Unchained.” That streak could<br />
continue with “The Hateful<br />
Eight,” which is getting the<br />
deluxe event-movie treatment,<br />
including a 70mm roadshow theatrical<br />
presentation that will run<br />
three hours total.<br />
Although less of a sure thing<br />
by dint of its sequel status,<br />
“Spectre” will surely stoke at<br />
least some awards talk, especially<br />
if Sam Mendes makes good on<br />
the promise of “Skyfall” (which<br />
racked up five nominations and<br />
two wins). While no James Bond<br />
movie has ever been nominated<br />
for best picture, Oscar might<br />
smile a wee bit more favorably<br />
on the concluding entry of<br />
the Daniel Craig cycle — a franchise-within-a-franchise<br />
that has<br />
given Agent 007 a new lease<br />
on life.<br />
Some appreciation should be<br />
duly expressed for the extravagant<br />
gothic pleasures of Guillermo<br />
del Toro’s “Crimson Peak,”<br />
even if this predictable (and<br />
predictably gorgeous) movie<br />
ultimately feels like a triumph<br />
of production design over<br />
storytelling.<br />
That leaves “Mad Max: Fury<br />
Road,” George Miller’s powerhouse<br />
return to the post-apocalyptic<br />
action franchise, which<br />
overcame its long gestation period<br />
(30 years!) and various production<br />
woes to generate strong<br />
box office and some of the year’s<br />
most ecstatic reviews. With its<br />
wall-to-wall kinetic mayhem and<br />
diabolically rococo production<br />
design, “Fury Road” could (and<br />
should) hit the Academy’s sweet<br />
spot with its shotgun marriage<br />
of highbrow and lowbrow sensibilities.<br />
— Justin Chang<br />
“THE BIG SHORT”<br />
(Dec. 11, Paramount)<br />
Adam McKay’s look at those<br />
who got rich at the expense<br />
of the masses will play right<br />
into the zeitgeist as the<br />
country continues to pull<br />
itself out of a recession. It<br />
also features Oscar players<br />
Steve Carell, Christian Bale,<br />
Brad Pitt and Marisa Tomei.<br />
“THE HATEFUL<br />
EIGHT”<br />
(Dec. 25, Weinstein)<br />
Quentin Tarantino<br />
(“Inglourious Basterds,”<br />
“Django Unchained”) offers<br />
an incentive to experience<br />
films in the theater, with a<br />
limited 70mm roadshow<br />
engagement that’s sure to<br />
seduce celluloid purists.<br />
“JOY”<br />
(Dec. 25, Fox)<br />
David O. Russell is obviously<br />
on a roll. “The Fighter,”<br />
“Silver Linings Playbook” and<br />
“American Hustle” amassed<br />
25 Oscar nominations. Here<br />
he’s working with muse-oflate<br />
Jennifer Lawrence in<br />
a story inspired by real-life<br />
entrepreneur Joy Mangano.<br />
“CONCUSSION”<br />
(Dec. 25, Sony)<br />
This whistleblower drama<br />
about Dr. Bennet Omalu,<br />
who called attention to the<br />
effects of head injuries in<br />
the NFL, will land right in the<br />
middle of pigskin season.<br />
When Will Smith is on (“Ali,”<br />
“The Pursuit of Happyness”),<br />
he’s on.<br />
“THE REVENANT”<br />
(Dec. 25, Fox)<br />
From reigning best picture<br />
champ Alejandro G. Inarritu,<br />
this epic, based on the<br />
harrowing escapades of fur<br />
trapper Hugh Glass, could<br />
make a strong case for<br />
Leonardo DiCaprio’s<br />
first Oscar.
CONTENDERS AWARDS SEASON LAUNCH<br />
55<br />
“BEASTS OF NO<br />
NATION”<br />
(Netflix)<br />
Featuring a magnetic Idris<br />
Elba and a gut-wrenching<br />
14-year-old Abraham Attah<br />
(who won a prize at Venice),<br />
Joji Fukunaga’s epic strikes<br />
a chord at a time of severe<br />
unrest on the African<br />
continent.<br />
“BLACK MASS”<br />
(Warner Bros.)<br />
Gangster films have a<br />
long legacy at the Oscars,<br />
and moreover, Scott<br />
Cooper’s film boasts a<br />
finely tuned ensemble with<br />
performances from Johnny<br />
Depp and Joel Edgerton<br />
that are drawing raves<br />
in particular.<br />
“BRIDGE OF SPIES”<br />
(Buena Vista)<br />
While the spy genre has<br />
never fully clicked for the<br />
Academy, Spielberg and<br />
Hanks certainly have. Dealing<br />
in Cold War themes of<br />
paranoia that still resonate,<br />
the film also packs a heavy<br />
below-the-line punch.<br />
“BROOKLYN”<br />
(Nov. 4, Fox Searchlight)<br />
Fox Searchlight, the reigning<br />
back-to-back best picture<br />
champ, has an interesting<br />
pair of contenders in this and<br />
Paolo Sorrentino’s “Youth.”<br />
But John Crowley’s comingof-age<br />
portrait of the<br />
immigrant experience is the<br />
warmer feel-good player.<br />
“CAROL”<br />
(Nov. 20, Weinstein)<br />
Todd Haynes’ lesbian<br />
romance could be a strong<br />
contender in a year marked<br />
by strong female-driven<br />
narratives. Performances by<br />
Cate Blanchett and Rooney<br />
Mara, who won lead actress<br />
at Cannes, could prove<br />
formidable.<br />
“THE DANISH GIRL”<br />
(Nov. 27, Focus)<br />
Tom Hooper’s “Les<br />
Misérables” follow-up is<br />
centered on timely subject<br />
matter (transgender<br />
acceptance), boasts<br />
handsome crafts and<br />
features a powerful lead<br />
from reigning Oscar champ<br />
Eddie Redmayne.<br />
“EVEREST”<br />
(Universal)<br />
In a year marked by films<br />
dealing in themes of survival,<br />
this might be the ultimate<br />
man vs. the elements<br />
drama. The fact-based film’s<br />
emotional pull, physical<br />
scale and advantageous 3D<br />
lensing add considerable<br />
weight to the proceedings.
56 CONTENDERS AWARDS SEASON LAUNCH<br />
“INSIDE OUT”<br />
(Buena Vista)<br />
It may have been five<br />
years since Pixar was able<br />
to insinuate an animated<br />
contender into the best<br />
picture field, but this highly<br />
original head trip scored the<br />
most glowing reviews for<br />
the toon powerhouse since<br />
“Ratatouille.”<br />
“LOVE & MERCY”<br />
(Roadside Attractions)<br />
Baby boomers are sure to<br />
respond to this unique spin<br />
on the music biopic, a dual<br />
examination of troubled<br />
Beach Boy Brian Wilson.<br />
It’s also about the creative<br />
process, which can be<br />
enticing for Acad members<br />
who are, after all, artists.<br />
“MAD MAX:<br />
FURY ROAD”<br />
(Warner Bros.)<br />
Older Acad members<br />
are sure to be in awe of<br />
what 70-year-old George<br />
Miller achieved with this<br />
outrageous, energetic<br />
summer blockbuster. Belowthe-liners<br />
might also marvel<br />
at all the pyrothechnics.<br />
“THE MARTIAN”<br />
(Fox)<br />
Director Ridley Scott’s latest<br />
sc-fi offering dispenses<br />
with dystopia in favor of<br />
scientific optimism, earning<br />
the director some of the<br />
best reviews of his career.<br />
As expected in a Scott<br />
production, crafts are<br />
state-of-the-art.<br />
“ROOM”<br />
(A24)<br />
First evidenced by a<br />
rapturous response in<br />
Telluride and then a People’s<br />
Choice Award in Toronto,<br />
Lenny Abrahamson’s<br />
harrowing drama may<br />
contain the year’s frontrunning<br />
actress performance<br />
from Brie Larson.<br />
“SICARIO”<br />
(Lionsgate)<br />
It’s been 15 years since<br />
“Traffic” claimed a clutch of<br />
Oscars. This Denis Villeneuve<br />
study of the failed drug<br />
war is even bleaker, but it<br />
could resonate all the same<br />
given the horror inflicted by<br />
Mexican cartels frequently<br />
in the news.<br />
“SON OF SAUL”<br />
(Dec. 18, SPC)<br />
Sony Classics has whipped<br />
foreign hopefuls into best<br />
picture players in the past.<br />
This one — a hit in Cannes<br />
where it won the Grand Jury<br />
prize — delivers a wrenching<br />
Holocaust narrative (Oscar<br />
catnip) in a unique<br />
visual way.<br />
“SPOTLIGHT”<br />
(Nov. 6, Open Road)<br />
Thomas McCarthy’s sober<br />
examination of journalists<br />
cracking the Catholic<br />
archdiocese pedophilia<br />
scandal features a welltuned<br />
ensemble that could<br />
resonate with the vast actors<br />
branch of the Academy.<br />
“STEVE JOBS”<br />
(Universal)<br />
Even though it’s a Danny<br />
Boyle film, the voice of Aaron<br />
Sorkin (“The Social Network,”<br />
“Moneyball”) could not<br />
be more conspicuous.<br />
An electrifying lead<br />
performance by Michael<br />
Fassbender might even walk<br />
away with the actor Oscar.
“STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON”<br />
(Universal)<br />
A number of Academy members have<br />
already responded to this music biopic<br />
centered on South Central rap pioneers<br />
N.W.A. Its traditional handling of the<br />
material makes it all the more palatable for<br />
members who may not be fans of the tunes<br />
or the artists.<br />
“SUFFRAGETTE”<br />
(Focus)<br />
Few films speak to the here and now as<br />
clearly as this one, an account of the fight<br />
for women’s voting rights in turn-of-the-<br />
20th-century England. Two years in a row,<br />
Academy Award-winning actresses have<br />
addressed inequality from the Oscar stage.<br />
This one does it on the screen.<br />
“TRUMBO”<br />
(Nov. 6, Bleeker Street)<br />
As we saw with films like “The Artist,”<br />
“Argo” and “Birdman” in recent years,<br />
the Academy, of late, has appreciated<br />
the spotlight being turned back on the<br />
industry. This is one of Hollywood’s darker<br />
tales but it’s told comprehensively with a<br />
performance by Bryan Cranston that could<br />
land on the lead actor list.<br />
“TRUTH”<br />
(SPC)<br />
Cate Blanchett offers a powerhouse<br />
performance in this look at CBS News’<br />
“Rathergate” saga, and that could do a lot to<br />
drag it into the fray. Journalists will certainly<br />
respond, as it is — like “Spotlight” — about<br />
them and theirs, so that continued chatter<br />
could keep it in the mix.<br />
THE BEAUTY SHOTS YOU<br />
EXPECT, WITH THE DIVERSITY<br />
OF LOCATIONS YOU DON’T.<br />
Filming in the U.S. Virgin Islands is one unbelievable shot after another.<br />
You’ll find a diversity of locations from rural farmland, lush rain forest and<br />
rolling hills to quaint European towns, cosmopolitan settings and colorful<br />
Caribbean architecture. Not to mention picturesque beaches. You’ll<br />
also find an experienced film community with English-speaking crews<br />
and the convenience of U.S. currency. For more opportunities in<br />
St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas, call 340.775.1444 ext. 2243.<br />
Plan your production at filmUSVI.com.<br />
Ask about our new incentives.<br />
Download the FilmUSVI app<br />
“THE WALK”<br />
(TriStar)<br />
Spectacle has gone over well recently in<br />
films like “Avatar,” “Life of Pi” and “Gravity.”<br />
Robert Zemeckis’ dramatization of Philippe<br />
Petit’s 1974 high-wire act between the Twin<br />
Towers of the World Trade Center has it in<br />
spades.<br />
©2015 U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
58<br />
CONTENDERS AWARDS SEASON LAUNCH<br />
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER2015<br />
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
WGA - Prelim series online<br />
voting begins<br />
PGA - Nomination polls open -<br />
TV series, specials and specialty<br />
categories<br />
AMPAS - Animated feature<br />
submission deadline<br />
BAFTA/LA - Britannia Awards<br />
Golden Globes - Deadline for<br />
submission<br />
10.25 26 27 28 29 30 31<br />
ASC - Deadline for TV entries/<br />
materials<br />
CDGA - Submission entry form<br />
mailed<br />
Annie Awards - Deadline to<br />
receive entries and materials<br />
- midnight<br />
DGA - Deadline for docus with<br />
theatrical release or broadcast<br />
during period of Oct. 1 - Dec. 31<br />
11.01 02 03 04 05 06 07<br />
BAFTA Film Awards entry<br />
deadline<br />
CAS - Entry submissions due<br />
online<br />
DGA - Deadline for first-time<br />
feature director entries with a<br />
theatrical release during Oct.<br />
1 - Dec. 31<br />
AMPAS - Governors Awards<br />
Governors Awards<br />
honorees include<br />
WGA - Deadline for theatrical,<br />
Debbie Reynolds<br />
08 09 10 11 12 documentary submissions 13 14<br />
MUAHS - Announcement of<br />
Lifetime Achievement recipient<br />
& Artisan recipient<br />
ASC - TV noms announced<br />
SAG - Noms ballots mailed<br />
MUAHS - Submissions close<br />
ACE - Noms submissions end<br />
SAG - Publicists noms<br />
credentials applications close<br />
15 16 17 18 19 20 21<br />
WGA - Deadline for<br />
submissions: videogame<br />
writing<br />
22 PGA - Noms announced 23<br />
WGA - Deadline for preliminary<br />
series online voting<br />
Spirit Awards noms<br />
announced<br />
Golden Globes - Deadline for<br />
nom ballots to be mailed to all<br />
HFPA members<br />
VES - Submission deadline<br />
29 30<br />
24 25 26 27 28<br />
DECEMBER2015<br />
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
ASC - Theatrical ballots mailed<br />
MUAHS - Voting begins<br />
PGA - Nom polls close - TV<br />
series, specials, specialty<br />
SAG - Nom ballots due<br />
WGA - Prelim screenplay online<br />
voting begins<br />
CDGA - Submission entries due<br />
Annie Awards - Noms<br />
announced<br />
PGA - Nom polls open:<br />
longform TV, theatrical<br />
features, animated features,<br />
digital series, sports programs<br />
DGA - Online voting for feature<br />
film noms opens<br />
Golden Globes - Final<br />
screening date for motion<br />
pictures<br />
WGA - TV, new media, radio,<br />
news, promo writing and<br />
graphic animation noms<br />
announced<br />
DGA - Email reservation forms<br />
for 68th annual awards dinner<br />
ACE - Noms ballots mailed<br />
Golden Globes - Final date<br />
for motion picture press<br />
conferences<br />
DGA - Deadline for submitting<br />
TV and commercial entries<br />
AMPAS - Original score, original<br />
song and general entry form<br />
01 submission deadline 02 03 04 05<br />
BAFTA Film Awards - round<br />
one voting opens<br />
SAG - Noms announced<br />
Golden Globes - Noms<br />
announced 5 a.m. PST<br />
Golden Globes - deadline for<br />
06 receipt of nom ballots 07 08 09 10 11 12<br />
DGA - Online voting for TV<br />
noms opens<br />
ADG - Online voting for noms<br />
begins<br />
CSA - Nom ballot voting begins<br />
online<br />
BAFTA - Film Awards<br />
CDGA - Nom ballot voting<br />
opens online at 6 a.m. PST<br />
13 14 15 16 17 18 19<br />
Golden Globes - Final ballots<br />
mailed to HFPA members<br />
20 21 22 23 24 25 26<br />
ACE - Nom ballots due<br />
AMPAS - Oscars noms voting<br />
opens<br />
WGA - Theatrical eligibility<br />
period ends for original,<br />
adapted and doc screenplays<br />
27 28 29 30 31<br />
REYNOLDS: ROB LATOUR/REX SHUTTERSTOCK
CONTENDERS AWARDS SEASON LAUNCH<br />
59<br />
JANUARY2016<br />
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
Palm Springs Intl. Film Fest<br />
bows; runs till Jan. 11<br />
Annie Awards - Online<br />
balloting begins<br />
01.01 02<br />
Variety’s 10 Directors to<br />
Watch/Creative Impact<br />
Awards — Palm Springs<br />
ASC - Feature ballots due<br />
BAFTA - round one closes<br />
ADG, CSA - Online voting ends<br />
CDGA - Nom voting closes<br />
ACE - Noms announced<br />
PGA - Final polls Open<br />
PGA - Noms announced<br />
ADG - Noms announced<br />
ASC - Theatrical noms<br />
announced<br />
Golden Globes - Deadline for<br />
receipt of final ballots<br />
WGA - Theatrical and doc<br />
screenplay noms announced<br />
CDGA - Official announcement<br />
of nominees<br />
WGA - Final screenplay and<br />
series online voting begins<br />
ADG - Final online voting begins<br />
ASC - Theatrical release final<br />
ballot mailed<br />
BAFTA - Film noms announced<br />
ACE - Noms announced<br />
AMPAS - Oscars noms voting<br />
closes<br />
PGA - Nom polls close<br />
03 04 05 06 07 08 09<br />
Golden Globes - 73rd annual<br />
awards<br />
DGA - Deadline to vote online<br />
for TV noms<br />
DGA - Deadline to vote online<br />
for feature noms<br />
CSA - Final noms announced<br />
DGA - First-time feature noms<br />
announced<br />
DGA - Online voting for features<br />
opens<br />
DGA - Docu noms announced<br />
DGA - TV and commercial noms<br />
announced<br />
MUAHS - Voting for noms close<br />
ASC - Spotlight Award noms<br />
announced<br />
MUAHS - Noms announced<br />
AMPAS - Oscars noms<br />
announced<br />
WGA - Videogame noms<br />
announced<br />
SAG - Final day to request<br />
DGA - Feature noms announced paper ballots<br />
MUAHS - Noms announced<br />
10 11 12 13 14 15 16<br />
MUAHS - Final ballot voting<br />
begins<br />
ACE - Final ballots close<br />
CDGA - Final ballot voting<br />
opens online<br />
PGA - Final polls close<br />
PGA Awards<br />
17 18 19 20 21 22 23<br />
24<br />
Annie Awards - Deadline to<br />
cast ballots<br />
CSA - Final voting begins online ADG - Final online voting ends WGA - Deadline for final<br />
screenplay and series online<br />
voting<br />
ACE - Awards ceremony<br />
SAG - 22nd annual awards<br />
ADG - Awards ceremony<br />
SAG - Final votes cast online or<br />
ballots received<br />
31<br />
25 26 27 28 29 30<br />
FEBRUARY2016<br />
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY<br />
VES - 14th annual awards<br />
ASC - Deadline for features<br />
ballots<br />
DGA - Deadline to vote for<br />
features online<br />
DGA - 68th annual awards<br />
Annie Awards -43rd annual<br />
ceremony<br />
ASC - 30th awards ceremony<br />
BAFTA Film Awards<br />
AMPAS - Oscars nominees<br />
luncheon<br />
02.01 02 03 04 05 06<br />
BAFTA Film<br />
Awards round<br />
two voting closes<br />
BAFTA Film Awards latest<br />
date for entered films to have<br />
general release<br />
CSA - Final online voting ends<br />
CDGA - Final ballot voting<br />
closes<br />
WGA - 68th annual awards<br />
- West<br />
WGA - 68th annual awards<br />
- East<br />
AMPAS - Oscars scientific/<br />
technical awards<br />
AMPAS - Final voting opens<br />
07 08 09 10 11 12 13<br />
Grammy Awards - 58th annual<br />
ceremony<br />
MUAHS - Final ballot voting<br />
close<br />
USC Libraries Scripter Award<br />
CSA - 52nd annual awards<br />
MUAHS - Awards ceremony<br />
Chris Rock will host<br />
14 15 16 the Oscars Feb. 28. 17 18 19 20<br />
AMPAS - Oscars final voting<br />
closes<br />
CDGA - 18th annual awards<br />
Film Independent Spirit<br />
Awards - 31st annual<br />
21 22 23 24 25 26 27<br />
ROCK: BEI/REX SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
AMPAS - 88th annual Academy<br />
Awards<br />
28<br />
ACRONYMS<br />
ACE American Cinema Editors<br />
ADG Art Directors Guild<br />
Annies Int’l Animated Film Association awards<br />
ASC American Society of Cinematographers<br />
BAFTA British Academy of Film & Television Arts<br />
CAS Cinema Audio Society<br />
CDGA Costume Designers Guild Awards<br />
CSA Casting Society of America<br />
DGA Directors Guild of America<br />
MUAHS Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild<br />
Awards Ceremony<br />
VES Visual Effects Society<br />
WGA Writers Guild of America
RACE TO<br />
RICHES<br />
Local TV stations are stepping up<br />
efforts to attract political dollars<br />
as unrestricted PAC cash floods the airwaves<br />
Story by Cynthia Littleton Ω Illustrations by Francesco Bongiorni<br />
On Oct. 15, executives from Tribune Broadcasting’s 42 TV<br />
stations around the country gathered at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel<br />
in Washington, D.C., for a day of workshops, seminars and<br />
insights from guest speakers on the biggest money-making<br />
opportunity for many local TV stations over the next 12 months:<br />
political advertising.<br />
Television’s quadrennial gold rush is on, and promises to be<br />
fiercer and richer than ever. A perfect storm of conditions is<br />
driving a leap in TV spending that is projected to hit $4.4 billion<br />
for the 2016 election cycle, encompassing federal and state<br />
races, up from $3.8 billion in 2012, according to Kantar Media’s<br />
Campaign Media Analysis Group . This political spending surge<br />
has helped drive the burst of mergers and acquisitions activity<br />
among TV station owners during the past three years.<br />
With billions of dollars up for grabs over a short period<br />
of time, broadcasters like Tribune and others are intensifying<br />
their sales efforts, and in some cases centralizing the process,<br />
in order to make the most effective pitches possible to the<br />
political class.<br />
“We determined two years ago that we needed to double<br />
the size of our political team,” says Tribune Broadcasting president<br />
Larry Wert. “We know that most of the dollars are placed<br />
out of New York and Washington, so we did a few things to<br />
address that. We created sales leadership (positions) dedicated<br />
to that role.”<br />
The 2016 race marks the first battle for the White House<br />
without an incumbent on the ballot since the Supreme Court’s<br />
landmark Citizens United decision in 2010. That ruling removed<br />
Features<br />
61
limitations on political contributions by individuals and corporations,<br />
creating a new breed of SuperPACs — political<br />
action committees with seemingly unlimited dollars to spend<br />
in support of candidates and issue advertising to influence<br />
tight races.<br />
The fact that neither party has rallied around a single<br />
choice for nominee has raised the specter of on-air brawling<br />
early in the primary season across states that might not<br />
otherwise have seen big spending. And most of the 10 states<br />
identified as hard-core battlegrounds this time around —<br />
Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, Virginia,<br />
Pennsylvania, Michigan and New Hampshire — are<br />
also expected to have hard-fought Senate or gubernatorial<br />
elections. With control of the Senate up for grabs once again,<br />
Democrats , Republicans and their affiliates will be digging<br />
deep in those fights. The only sure thing is that these<br />
factors will substantially increase the flow of ad dollars to<br />
local media.<br />
“We haven’t seen anything like this in the post- Citizens<br />
United era,” says Elizabeth Wilner, senior VP and head of<br />
Kantar’s CMAG. “All of those contested races are going to<br />
produce enormous amounts of spending.”<br />
Wilner adds that even candidates in statewide races<br />
that hadn’t previously been waged on TV, such as those for<br />
state supreme court posts, are starting to produce substantial<br />
ad dollars.<br />
Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω<br />
The maxim that all politics is local is surely underscored by<br />
campaign spending trends. According to CMAG, local broadcast<br />
TV stations are projected to haul in $3.3 billion in 2016<br />
spending, with another $800 million going to local cable, and<br />
the rest divided between national broadcast and cable networks.<br />
Digital spending will grow “exponentially” this time<br />
2016 by the<br />
Numbers<br />
115<br />
Electoral college<br />
votes up for grabs in<br />
contested states<br />
Colorado, 9; Florida, 29;<br />
Iowa, 6; Nevada, 6; New<br />
Hampshire 4; Ohio, 18;<br />
Pennsylvania, 20; Virginia,<br />
13; Wisconsin, 10<br />
5<br />
Number of highly<br />
competitive<br />
Senate races<br />
Illinois, Florida, New<br />
Hampshire, Nevada,<br />
Wisconsin<br />
5<br />
Number of highly<br />
competitive<br />
gubernatorial races<br />
Kentucky, Missouri, North<br />
Carolina, New Hampshire,<br />
West Virginia<br />
14<br />
Number of highly<br />
competitive<br />
House races<br />
Arizona, Colorado, Florida<br />
(2), Illinois, Iowa, Maine,<br />
Minnesota, Nebraska,<br />
Nevada, New Hampshire,<br />
New York, Pennsylvania,<br />
Texas<br />
SOURCE: COOK POLITICAL REPORT<br />
Small Screen<br />
Stumping<br />
Political spending on<br />
broadcast TV stations<br />
$3 BILLION<br />
2<br />
1<br />
0<br />
’08 ’10 ’12<br />
Spending on broadcast<br />
TV for presidential advertisements<br />
between the<br />
nominating conventions<br />
and Election Day<br />
$300m $500m<br />
’08 ’12<br />
SOURCE: TELEVISION<br />
BUREAU OF ADVERTISING<br />
around, Wilner says , although CMAG does not forecast a specific<br />
amount of spending in the sector.<br />
But as lucrative as the 2016 picture appears, this presidential<br />
cycle may mark the peak of television’s dominance<br />
of the field. By 2020, Wilner notes, the generation that<br />
has grown up online will be hitting the age when voter<br />
participation in state and federal elections starts to pick up.<br />
That, plus the general drift of audiences toward digital platforms<br />
throughout the day, is sure to tilt the scales on ad<br />
placement decisions.<br />
For now, however, TV stations in battleground states are<br />
poised to cash in on the campaign trail like never before.<br />
“We are easily looking at another record year,” says Mark<br />
Fratrik, senior VP and chief economist at media consulting<br />
firm BIA/Kelsey. “There are so many significantly funded<br />
Republican candidates, and surprisingly, Hillary Clinton has<br />
some competition with some money on the Democratic side.<br />
And there are many Senate races that are already being funded<br />
pretty well.”<br />
Local news is the magnet for political ads on broadcast TV.<br />
Likely voters tend to be regular viewers of such newscasts.<br />
Those are the people campaigns are eager to reach.<br />
In the final weeks of an election, “nothing is more paramount<br />
for a candidate than to put ads on the air of local television<br />
stations,” Fratrik says .<br />
The chase for political dollars has been a big driver in the<br />
recent burst of TV station mergers, as a handful of owners<br />
seek to create mega-groups with the kind of reach that gives<br />
them leverage with advertisers. Stations in traditional swing<br />
states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida are significantly<br />
more valuable than those in states that are solid red or<br />
blue, because of the promise that they will hoover up copious<br />
amounts of political dollars every few years.<br />
For months, TV and radio station owners like Tribune,<br />
Sinclair Broadcast Group, CBS and Tegna have been preparing<br />
what amount to campaigns of their own geared to political<br />
media buyers. Station groups have invested in hiring sales<br />
execs with deep roots in Washington and have taken steps to<br />
centralize their sales efforts through D.C.-based reps. There’s<br />
also been a premium on tapping new hires and consultants<br />
with expertise in handling the granular audience data analysis<br />
of vital importance to political media buyers. President<br />
Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign was notable for its effective<br />
use of digital-audience targeting tools. TV industry vets<br />
say that put everyone on notice that Big Data would be key to<br />
effective sales pitches in 2016.<br />
Just last week, Nielsen unveiled a Voter Ratings service for<br />
radio stations designed to help campaigns target Democratic,<br />
Republican and independent voters according to the stations<br />
and formats they prefer. Nielsen has a similar service for TV<br />
stations in the top 56 TV markets.<br />
Broadcasters’ willingness to invest in new people and new<br />
tools underscores the importance of the periodic political<br />
windfall to the bottom lines of station owners. The marriage<br />
of money and politics may be bad for democracy, in the view<br />
of many Americans, but it is a boon for anyone with an electronic<br />
bully pulpit to sell.<br />
“We’ve seen a lot more strategy and effort going into<br />
staffing on the (buying) and on the sales side,” Wilner says .<br />
“Everybody’s going out and hiring political experts to talk to<br />
each other. You’re seeing a whole cohort of (TV) sales people<br />
in Washington that didn’t used to exist. It’s the station groups<br />
and others doing everything they can to get that revenue<br />
bump in the near term.”<br />
The biggest bonanza comes from SuperPAC spending. By<br />
law, advertisements purchased directly by a candidate in the<br />
45-day period before a primary election and 60-day period<br />
62 Features
CROWDED FIELD<br />
The sheer number<br />
of presidential<br />
candidates,<br />
particularly among<br />
Republicans, is a<br />
contributing factor<br />
to the increase in<br />
political spending.<br />
MARIO ANZUONI/REUTERS/NEWSCOM<br />
before a general election are sold at the lowest rate that the<br />
station offers in the time period. SuperPACs do not qualify<br />
for the lowest-unit-rate discount, so they pay what the market<br />
will bear. And at a time when extremely time-sensitive ad<br />
dollars are flooding in to local markets, the price tag can be<br />
sky-high indeed.<br />
“Certainly it’s the PAC funding that is really driving the<br />
overall growth,” says Tribune’s Wert. “Races vary by state and<br />
by market, and those will ebb and flow, but the PAC dollars<br />
look like they’re just going to continue to escalate.”<br />
Will Feltus, senior VP of Arlington, Va.-based National<br />
Media Research Planning and Placement, says he’s seen situations<br />
where the cost of a 30-second spot on a local newscast<br />
in Roanoke-Lynchburg, Va., No. 69 on the list of 210 TV<br />
markets, costs as much as a spot in New York City. National<br />
Media has a long history of political campaign work, including<br />
media buying for George W. Bush’s presidential bids in<br />
2000 and 2004, and Mitt Romney’s run in 2012.<br />
“Just a few election cycles ago, the typical premium (over<br />
a campaign-purchased spot) would have been about 50%,”<br />
Feltus says. “Now it’s 200% to 300%. It’s the demand. If one<br />
SuperPAC pays that inflated rate, then the others have to<br />
pay it also.”<br />
In some cases, presidential campaigns have found it more<br />
cost effective to buy network TV spots rather than locally targeted<br />
slots. In 2012, Feltus recalls shifting to a network buy<br />
within ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” because a local spot in<br />
Wheeling<br />
and Dealing<br />
Local TV's hunger for<br />
political ad dollars has<br />
helped drive station<br />
consolidation.<br />
$12 BILLION<br />
10<br />
8<br />
6<br />
4<br />
2<br />
0<br />
’09 ’11 ’13 ’15*<br />
’10 ’12 ’14<br />
DOLLAR VALUE OF M&A<br />
AMONG TV STATIONS<br />
*THROUGH Q3<br />
SOURCE: SNL KAGAN<br />
the program on the ABC affiliate in Orlando, Fla., was going<br />
for a pricey $70,000, while a national spot with nearly 100<br />
times the reach cost $140,000.<br />
But that strategy works only for a presidential campaign,<br />
not a state-specific Senate, House or gubernatorial race.<br />
As eager as TV stations are for the windfall, they do have<br />
to exercise some restraint when it comes to peak campaign<br />
season. Stations still have to maintain good relations with<br />
endemic advertisers — meaning there are no 200% price<br />
hikes for the car dealerships, banks, retailers and packaged-good<br />
companies that are a station’s year-round bread<br />
and butter. While there’s no mandated mix of political and<br />
nonpolitical ads, station managers are mindful of turning off<br />
viewers with commercial pods that feature nothing but electioneering.<br />
And there’s potential liability if a political spot<br />
makes an out-there claim about a person or an organization.<br />
The legal vetting process of political ads was a key topic of<br />
Tribune’s daylong summit.<br />
Wilner predicts that TV spending will eventually plateau,<br />
not only because of the generational shift, but also because<br />
advertisers are intent on finding cheaper, more narrowly targeted<br />
digital alternatives. And there’s always the potential for<br />
public backlash to the spectacle of megabucks donors flooding<br />
the airwaves.<br />
“Will this be the last huge cycle for station groups?” Wilner<br />
posits. “We may well look back on 2016 and see it as the<br />
high point for presidential campaign spending.”<br />
Features<br />
63
CONGRATULATIONS<br />
CARLTON CUSE<br />
ON RECEIVING VARIETY'S<br />
CREATIVE LEADERSHIP AWARD
HOLLYWOOD’S<br />
N E W L E A D E R S<br />
CARLTON CUSE<br />
C R E A T I V E L E A D E R S H I P H O N O R E E<br />
68<br />
CREATIVES<br />
70<br />
BRAND<br />
MARKETING<br />
72<br />
AGENTS<br />
74<br />
FILM<br />
76<br />
TELEVISION<br />
78<br />
LAW<br />
& FINANCE<br />
80<br />
DIGITAL & PR<br />
82<br />
10 ASSISTANTS<br />
84<br />
F at<br />
s<br />
65
HOLLYWOOD’S<br />
N E W L E A D E R S<br />
68 Features
C R E A T I V E L E A D E R S H I P A W A R D<br />
C O L L A B O R A T I O N I S<br />
K E Y T O T H E T A L E N T<br />
O F C A R L T O N C U S E<br />
STORY BY DEBRA BIRNBAUM<br />
PHOTOGRAPHS BY TERENCE PATRICK<br />
When Carlton Cuse was starting<br />
W<br />
out in the business, his office on<br />
the Warner Bros. lot was next to<br />
that of John Sacret Young, creator<br />
of “China Beach.” He spent hours<br />
at Young’s side, not only learning<br />
the craft of writing for television and features, but also about the<br />
process of showrunning. “He was very generous with me,” recalls<br />
Cuse. “And I appreciated that.”<br />
That experience — as well as his later partnership with<br />
screenwriter Jeffrey Boam (the “Lethal Weapon” movies, “Indiana<br />
Jones and the Last Crusade”) — taught him the value of creative<br />
collaboration. As he worked his way up through the industry<br />
— from “The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.” and “Nash<br />
Bridges” to the groundbreaking “Lost” — he’s been paying it forward,<br />
again and again. The ranks of television’s top producers<br />
include many graduates of what Damon Lindelof jokingly calls<br />
the Carlton Cuse School of Showrunning: Eddy Kitsis and Adam<br />
Horowitz. Shawn Ryan. Pam Veasey. Glen Mazzara. And more.<br />
“I don’t think there’s anything that makes me happier or<br />
prouder than to see writers I have worked with go on and have<br />
their own shows and have success,” Cuse says. “It’s hard to<br />
explain how much joy I take in that. It’s the fulfillment of everything<br />
I aspire to do in my relationship with other writers.”<br />
For Cuse, mentoring others — whether producers, actors, editors<br />
or anyone else who crosses his path professionally — is a natural<br />
part of the creative process. It’s simply the way he’s always<br />
worked, and he can’t imagine doing otherwise.<br />
“We live in a society where the dominant idea is the singular<br />
accomplishment, when in fact the evidence really points in the<br />
other direction,” he says. “You could argue that the best directors<br />
working in movies today is a duo: the Coen brothers. The<br />
Emmy-winning TV show for 2015 was won by two guys (David<br />
Benioff and D.B. Weiss, for “Game of Thrones”). To me, collaboration<br />
is the essence of what makes TV successful.”<br />
Producing a complex TV series in this competitive climate<br />
CUSE’S<br />
BREWS<br />
The showrunner<br />
has written<br />
and produced<br />
crowd-pleasers and<br />
critical successes<br />
for nearly four<br />
decades.<br />
Nash Bridges<br />
Lost<br />
Bates Motel<br />
The Strain<br />
can be particularly challenging: showrunners face an overwhelming<br />
workload on a limited timeline. Television isn’t a<br />
medium where you’re in control of all of the elements — unlike,<br />
say, novel writing, where you’re sitting at your desk at home, and<br />
“you have absolute control over everything that’s happening in<br />
your artistic world,” he says.<br />
So the one lesson Cuse tries to impart: Be malleable. “You<br />
need to have a vision, but you need to also adjust and modify<br />
your vision to the circumstances you face,” he says. “You need to<br />
both hold an artistic vision in your head and be adaptive. To do<br />
both of those things at the same time is the core of the job.”<br />
If there’s indeed “too much TV,” as has been famously argued of<br />
late, Cuse himself might be partially to blame: The mega-producer<br />
now has a slate of shows spread across multiple networks,<br />
from FX’s vampire hit “The Strain” to A&E’s family psycho-drama<br />
“Bates Motel” to USA’s upcoming futuristic “Colony,” starring<br />
“Lost” alum Josh Holloway. His Jack Ryan thriller — based on<br />
the Tom Clancy novels — just landed at Amazon, after a fierce<br />
bidding war.<br />
All of those series have something in common: Cuse works<br />
closely with other creative partners. There’s Kerry Ehrin on<br />
“Bates Motel,” Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro on “The<br />
Strain,” Ryan Condal on “Colony.” With each, he says, he plays<br />
a different role, adapting to his colleague’s relative strengths to<br />
ensure the show’s success.<br />
“I love the process of being able to take an idea and work<br />
with someone who’s really creative and passionate,” he says,<br />
“and try to figure out in what ways we can make the most out of<br />
something.”<br />
Of course, not everything succeeds. He admits he’s faced challenges<br />
along the way — “nobody goes into this business who<br />
doesn’t have a healthy ego,” he says. “It’s a business with a tremendous<br />
amount of disappointment and failure. The goal is try<br />
to not to take those experiences personally, but to try to apply<br />
them as learning experiences.”<br />
And even after all his years in the business, he says he’s still<br />
learning.<br />
“It’s always weird when I see words like ‘old guard’ and ‘veteran’<br />
next to my name,” he says with a laugh. “I feel like I’m still<br />
figuring it out.”<br />
Features<br />
69
HOLLYWOOD’S<br />
N E W L E A D E R S<br />
JOHN<br />
BOYEGA, 23<br />
ACTOR<br />
Boyega, who started<br />
out in the U.K. with a<br />
background in theater<br />
rather than film, is<br />
about to become a<br />
household name on<br />
movie marquees,<br />
thanks to his starring<br />
role in the upcoming<br />
“Star Wars: The Force<br />
Awakens.” The pic will<br />
no doubt open many<br />
doors for him, and he’s<br />
thrilled with the turn<br />
of events. “I’ve had this<br />
dream for a long time<br />
and it feels great to be<br />
GODDARD<br />
C R E A T I V E S<br />
able to accomplish it<br />
and make it a reality,”<br />
he says.<br />
DAN<br />
FOGELMAN, 39<br />
SCREENWRITER,<br />
PRODUCER, DIRECTOR<br />
Known for his writing<br />
and producing<br />
successes — “Cars,”<br />
“Crazy, Stupid, Love”<br />
and “Tangled” —<br />
Fogelman made his<br />
directorial debut this<br />
year with “Danny<br />
Collins,” a comedydrama<br />
he wrote.<br />
Fogelman’s talents<br />
span the big and small<br />
screens . Last season he<br />
produced three pilots;<br />
“Grandfathered” went<br />
to series on Fox. He also<br />
worked on Sundance<br />
hit “Me and Earl and<br />
the Dying Girl,” which<br />
sold to Fox Searchlight<br />
for $12 million. He’ll<br />
continue producing<br />
ABC’s “Galavant,”<br />
recently picked up for a<br />
second season.<br />
CARY JOJI<br />
FUKUNAGA, 38<br />
DIRECTOR, PRODUCER,<br />
WRITER<br />
Fukunaga went from<br />
working on a crew for<br />
commercials to getting<br />
accepted into film<br />
school to being invited<br />
to the Sundance<br />
Screenwriters Lab. Over<br />
his career he’s written<br />
and/or directed and/or<br />
produced — and even<br />
occasionally lensed —<br />
such projects as the<br />
critically acclaimed<br />
“Sin Nombre,” HBO’s<br />
“True Detective” and<br />
the Netflix-released<br />
“Beasts of No Nation.”<br />
“We always talked<br />
about trying to make<br />
movies that were<br />
about something, but<br />
rather than making<br />
them earnest and<br />
sentimental, make<br />
them in a way that<br />
people would actually<br />
want to see them,”<br />
Fukunaga says.<br />
GRETA<br />
GERWIG, 32<br />
ACTRESS, WRITER,<br />
DIRECTOR<br />
Gerwig has emerged<br />
as one of Hollywood’s<br />
most engaging thesps<br />
after breaking out<br />
in Noah Baumbach’s<br />
“Greenberg,” reteaming<br />
with the writer-director<br />
on “Frances Ha” and<br />
the recent “Mistress<br />
America” (which she cowrote<br />
with Baumbach).<br />
Gerwig stars opposite<br />
Ethan Hawke and<br />
Julianne Moore in<br />
romantic comedy<br />
“Maggie’s Plan” from<br />
writer-director Rebecca<br />
Miller and is filming<br />
“20th Century Women”<br />
opposite Annette<br />
Bening . “I’d like to keep<br />
working with people<br />
who push me further<br />
than I thought I could<br />
go,” she says, “and to<br />
keep being scared that<br />
I’m not up to the task in<br />
front of me.”<br />
DREW<br />
GODDARD, 40<br />
WRITER, FILMMAKER<br />
It’s been a great year<br />
for Goddard, who<br />
wrote/exec-produced<br />
Ridley Scott’s “The<br />
Martian” and saw<br />
his Netflix series<br />
“Daredevil” (on which<br />
he’s creator and writer)<br />
picked up for a second<br />
season. Goddard got<br />
his start writing for<br />
television shows “Lost,”<br />
“Alias” and “Buffy the<br />
Vampire Slayer,” cowrote<br />
the feature<br />
“World War Z,” starring<br />
Brad Pitt, and penned<br />
sci-fi hit “Cloverfield.”<br />
Goddard made his<br />
directorial debut in<br />
2012 with “The Cabin<br />
in the Woods.” “I plan<br />
to keep writing and<br />
directing. I’m currently<br />
finishing a spec script I<br />
hope to direct.”<br />
TOM<br />
HARDY, 38<br />
ACTOR, DIRECTOR,<br />
PRODUCER<br />
Since making his<br />
feature debut in Ridley<br />
Scott’s 2001 war drama<br />
“Black Hawk Down,” the<br />
versatile English actor<br />
has steadily moved<br />
from supporting<br />
roles (“Layer Cake,”<br />
“RocknRolla”) to leading<br />
ones (“Warrior,” ITV’s<br />
“Wuthering Heights”)<br />
and racked up scores<br />
of film, TV and theater<br />
credits, including<br />
“Inception,” “The Dark<br />
Knight Rises” and<br />
“Band of Brothers.”<br />
Hardy helped drive the<br />
testosterone-fueled<br />
“Mad Max: Fury Road”<br />
to a stellar global box<br />
office, impressively<br />
played both Kray<br />
brothers in the U.K.<br />
gangster pic “Legend,”<br />
and stars opposite<br />
Leonardo DiCaprio<br />
in the upcoming<br />
“The Revenant” from<br />
“Birdman” Oscar winner<br />
Alejandro G. Inarritu.<br />
LILY<br />
JAMES, 26<br />
ACTRESS<br />
Known for playing<br />
Lady Rose in “Downton<br />
Abbey,” James scored<br />
a hit in Disney’s liveaction<br />
remake of<br />
“Cinderella.” With<br />
credits that include<br />
“Fast Girls” and “Clash<br />
of the Titans 2,” she will<br />
next appear opposite<br />
Bradley Cooper in<br />
“Burnt” and as lead<br />
Elizabeth Bennet in<br />
“Pride and Prejudice<br />
and Zombies.” She’s<br />
also filming “Baby<br />
Driver” opposite Ansel<br />
Elgort and “The Kaiser’s<br />
Last Kiss” alongside<br />
Christopher Plummer. “I<br />
want to keep doing film<br />
and stage work, and<br />
I’d like to learn more<br />
about cinematography,<br />
directing and editing to<br />
gain more confidence<br />
and control over my<br />
work.”<br />
ZOE<br />
KRAVITZ, 26<br />
ACTRESS, SINGER<br />
Thanks to parents<br />
Lenny Kravitz and<br />
Lisa Bonet, acting<br />
and music were<br />
always in the DNA of<br />
the multi-talented<br />
star who scored her<br />
first two movies —<br />
2007’s romance “No<br />
Reservations” and<br />
thriller “The Brave<br />
One” — while still in<br />
high school. Kravitz<br />
subsequently racked<br />
up credits in global<br />
blockbusters (“Mad<br />
Max: Fury Road,”<br />
“X-Men: First Class,”<br />
the “Divergent”<br />
franchise), indies<br />
(upcoming “Viena<br />
and the Fantomes,”<br />
“Vincent-N-Roxxy”), TV<br />
(“Californication”) and<br />
music videos (for Jay<br />
70 Features
HOLLYWOOD’S<br />
N E W L E A D E R S<br />
Z, will.i.am). She also<br />
fronts band Lolawolf<br />
and is the face of<br />
Vera Wang’s Princess<br />
perfume. “I want to<br />
keep doing music and<br />
movies — and I’d love<br />
to produce projects<br />
and eventually direct.”<br />
LIN-MANUEL<br />
MIRANDA, 35<br />
ACTOR, COMPOSER,<br />
WRITER<br />
Though he already<br />
earned a Tony Award<br />
in 2008 for “In the<br />
Heights,” Miranda<br />
is the hottest thing<br />
on Broadway for his<br />
creation “Hamilton.”<br />
He not only stars in,<br />
but also wrote the<br />
music, lyrics and<br />
book to the musical<br />
that tells the story of<br />
the founding father<br />
through numbers<br />
with a rap and hiphop<br />
blend. Countless<br />
raves include<br />
Variety’s Marilyn<br />
Stasio: “Miranda’s<br />
impassioned narrative<br />
of one man’s story<br />
becomes the<br />
collective narrative of<br />
a nation, a nation built<br />
by immigrants who<br />
occasionally need to<br />
be reminded where<br />
they came from.”<br />
JORDAN<br />
PEELE, 36<br />
ACTOR, COMEDIAN,<br />
WRITER<br />
The co-star/co-creator<br />
(with comedy partner<br />
Keegan-Michael Key)<br />
of Comedy Central’s<br />
hit series “Key & Peele”<br />
had another excellent<br />
year. The edgy show’s<br />
run scored a 2014<br />
Peabody Award, 12<br />
Emmy noms and<br />
over 900 million<br />
online hits. Peele<br />
had multi-episode<br />
arcs on “Fargo” and<br />
“Bob’s Burgers,” and<br />
just shot New Line’s<br />
“Keanu” with Key.<br />
In development:<br />
Paramount’s<br />
“Substitute Teacher,”<br />
New Line’s “Police<br />
Academy” and a Fox<br />
comedy starring Vine<br />
star Andrew Bachelor.<br />
Peele wrote and<br />
will direct his debut<br />
feature “Get Out,”<br />
with Blumhouse and<br />
QC Entertainment<br />
producing. “It’s a<br />
social thriller. My<br />
dream job is to write<br />
and direct movies.”<br />
KRISTEN<br />
SCHAAL, 37<br />
ACTRESS, COMEDIAN,<br />
WRITER<br />
The versatile talent<br />
who stars in Fox’s “The<br />
Last Man on Earth”<br />
began in standup,<br />
played a stalkerfan<br />
in HBO’s “Flight<br />
of the Conchords”<br />
and has appeared in<br />
dozens of films (“A<br />
Walk in the Woods,”<br />
upcoming comedies<br />
“The Boss” and “The<br />
Runaround”), and<br />
TV shows (“30 Rock,”<br />
“Mad Men,” “The<br />
Daily Show”) . Schaal<br />
continues to host<br />
weekly stand-up show<br />
“Hot Tub” alongside<br />
comedy partner Kurt<br />
Braunohler, and coauthored<br />
“The Sexy<br />
Book of Sexy Sex”<br />
with husband Rich<br />
Blomquist. “I’d love<br />
to give you a quote<br />
about why I’m a<br />
leader, but I should<br />
probably run it by<br />
several people first.”<br />
ED<br />
SHEERAN, 24<br />
SINGER,<br />
SONGWRITER<br />
At the 57th<br />
annual Grammy<br />
Awards , Sheeran’s<br />
performance of<br />
“Thinking Out Loud”<br />
appeared to cement<br />
the notion that even<br />
in the rough-andtumble<br />
music biz,<br />
nice guys can finish<br />
first. The 24-yearold<br />
U.K. singersongwriter<br />
sensation<br />
told Variety that<br />
“the most successful<br />
artists I know have<br />
three things: they’re<br />
talented, they work<br />
very hard at their<br />
craft, and they’re<br />
nice.” Sheeran’s wellscrubbed<br />
persona<br />
certainly hasn’t<br />
hurt business, with<br />
“Thinking Out Loud”<br />
having reached more<br />
than 5 million sales<br />
in the U.S. alone, and<br />
become the first<br />
single to surpass<br />
more than 500 million<br />
streams on Spotify.<br />
SAM<br />
SMITH, 23<br />
SINGER,<br />
SONGWRITER<br />
Smith was first<br />
noticed for his vocals<br />
on Disclosure’s<br />
breakthrough single<br />
“Latch” in 2012. He<br />
has since won over<br />
music lovers across<br />
the globe with his<br />
emotional ballads.<br />
His “Stay With Me”<br />
and debut album<br />
“Lay Me Down”<br />
helped him nab four<br />
Grammys , including<br />
for new artist. The Brit<br />
recently lent his sultry<br />
falsetto to 007 with<br />
the “Spectre” theme<br />
song “Writing’s on the<br />
Wall.” Smith’s highly<br />
anticipated second<br />
album is expected to<br />
come out next year.<br />
JESSICA<br />
WILLIAMS, 26<br />
ACTRESS, WRITER,<br />
COMEDIAN<br />
The Upright Citizens<br />
Brigade performer<br />
made her TV debut as<br />
a teen in Nickelodeon’s<br />
“Just for Kicks.”<br />
Then she landed as<br />
a correspondent on<br />
Comedy Central’s “The<br />
Daily Show With Jon<br />
Stewart,” making her<br />
the first black woman<br />
in the role. Williams<br />
also recurred in the<br />
third season of HBO’s<br />
“Girls,” appeared in<br />
the Sundance comedy<br />
“People Places Things”<br />
and continued on<br />
“The Daily Show<br />
With Trevor Noah.”<br />
With comedian<br />
Phoebe Robinson she<br />
performs as 2 Dope<br />
Queens and hosts a<br />
standup/storytelling<br />
show in New York.<br />
“I’d love to write and<br />
direct movies, have<br />
my own television<br />
show, and see more<br />
funny women of color<br />
represented in all<br />
artistic media,” she<br />
says.<br />
DANIEL<br />
MARTINEZ, 37<br />
EXEC VP,<br />
ENTERTAINMENT AND<br />
BRAND MARKETING,<br />
PMK*BNC<br />
Since joining 15<br />
years ago, Martinez<br />
has become a key<br />
player in the agency’s<br />
brand/entertainment<br />
marketing business.<br />
He developed,<br />
MARTINEZ<br />
B R A N D<br />
M A R K E T I N G<br />
negotiated and<br />
executed Samsung’s<br />
music festival strategy;<br />
led the growth of<br />
Samsung Mobile’s<br />
experiential, influencer<br />
marketing and content<br />
business (more than<br />
doubling growth in<br />
that division in three<br />
years); and brought<br />
Samsung Gear VR to<br />
a consumer audience,<br />
sourcing entertainment<br />
partnerships, artists<br />
and consumer/<br />
influencer events.<br />
Among the initiatives:<br />
creating the VR<br />
Experience at<br />
SXSW and debuting<br />
live streaming of<br />
performances at<br />
Lollapalooza via<br />
Gear VR. “Whether<br />
it’s pushing the<br />
boundaries of VR<br />
technology at music<br />
events, or negotiating<br />
partnerships with<br />
iconic entertainment<br />
properties, I’m<br />
excited to continue<br />
working with clients<br />
like Samsung to<br />
create cultural<br />
moments that impact<br />
consumers’ lives,”<br />
he says.<br />
72 Features
HOLLYWOOD’S<br />
N E W L E A D E R S<br />
DEY<br />
LATT<br />
TRACEY<br />
THOMPSON<br />
NORTON<br />
TERUEL<br />
FARRELL<br />
FRONK<br />
LOFTUS<br />
PECORA<br />
BARASH<br />
MIZRAHI<br />
A G E N T S<br />
ALI<br />
BARASH, 28<br />
AGENT, DIGITAL<br />
MEDIA, UTA<br />
Since transitioning<br />
from ICM’s television<br />
lit unit to UTA’s digital<br />
department in 2012,<br />
Barash has proven<br />
her golden touch for<br />
digital media. Clients<br />
include Andrew<br />
Bachelor (known as<br />
Vine’s King Bach) and<br />
YouTube phenoms<br />
JennXPenn and Toby<br />
Turner. She’s packaged<br />
several feature films<br />
starring digital talent<br />
for distribution on<br />
digital platforms,<br />
helped negotiate<br />
deals for client Just<br />
for Laughs to move its<br />
billion-views YouTube<br />
channel “Gags” to<br />
Maker Studios, and<br />
helped land the creator<br />
of “Action Movie Kid”<br />
a film deal at Fox<br />
2000. “My goal is (to<br />
get digital talent) to<br />
stay in the ecosystem<br />
where they built their<br />
audience while still<br />
being able to make the<br />
type of money they<br />
would in film or TV.”<br />
BEN DEY, 33<br />
TELEVISION TALENT<br />
AGENT, CAA<br />
Since his 2004 start<br />
at CAA as an assistant,<br />
Dey’s stature at the<br />
agency has grown.<br />
Within the past 16<br />
months he brokered<br />
a deal for Jane Fonda<br />
in Netflix’s “Grace and<br />
Frankie” and for Paolo<br />
Sorrentino’s “Youth.”<br />
Dey solidified his role<br />
in TV by orchestrating<br />
Felicity Huffman’s<br />
return to ABC with<br />
a starring role in<br />
“American Crime” and<br />
bringing talent to Fox,<br />
including Tom Mison<br />
(“Sleepy Hollow”)<br />
and Tom Ellis<br />
(“Lucifer”) . He also<br />
signed Chloe Bennet<br />
before she became the<br />
star of ABC’s “Marvel’s<br />
Agents of SHIELD.”<br />
While his clients include<br />
A-listers, his favorite<br />
phone calls are to<br />
newbie thesps. “ I love<br />
sorting through the<br />
material, identifying<br />
what the best projects<br />
are and then figuring<br />
out how to put your<br />
clients in the best<br />
positions to get those<br />
jobs.”<br />
FRANKLIN<br />
LATT, 31<br />
TALENT AGENT, CAA<br />
Latt began at CAA in<br />
2008 assisting Jack<br />
Whigham and Kevin<br />
Huvane. In 2012 he<br />
was promoted to<br />
agent. Since then he’s<br />
signed Rosamund Pike,<br />
Boyd Holbrook, Peter<br />
Dinklage and Omar<br />
Sy. He also reps Meryl<br />
Streep, Stanley Tucci,<br />
Julia Roberts, Annette<br />
Bening, Glenn Close<br />
and Viola Davis. Latt<br />
played a key role in<br />
signing “The Fault in<br />
Our Stars” star Ansel<br />
Elgort. His client Alden<br />
Ehrenreich is the lead<br />
of Warren Beatty’s<br />
upcoming film and<br />
also stars in the Coen<br />
brothers’ “Hail, Caesar!”<br />
Most recently, Latt<br />
brokered a deal for<br />
Haley Bennett as the<br />
female lead in Antoine<br />
Fuqua’s remake of “The<br />
Magnificent Seven” and<br />
added Sarah Wright<br />
(“Mena”) to his list of<br />
leading ladies. “The<br />
goal for me is to stay<br />
curious. It’s about<br />
looking at anything<br />
and everything in all<br />
platforms.”<br />
JAMES<br />
FARRELL, 34<br />
TALENT AGENT, WME<br />
Farrell used to be an<br />
investment banker. “It<br />
was great preparation<br />
for what I do,” he says.<br />
Translation: Farrell<br />
knows how to work<br />
hard and hustle. In<br />
less than four years<br />
he helped clients land<br />
coveted roles. Case<br />
in point: “Impossible”<br />
actor Tom Holland<br />
recently wrapped<br />
Ron Howard’s “In the<br />
Heart of the Sea”<br />
and is set to play the<br />
superhero in the next<br />
“Spider-Man.” Farrell<br />
landed newcomer<br />
Ben Hardy a key role<br />
in 20th Century Fox’s<br />
“X-Men Apocalypse”<br />
and engineered<br />
roles for Jack Reynor<br />
(“Macbeth”), Riley<br />
Keough (Starz’s “The<br />
Girlfriend Experience”)<br />
and Karl Glusman<br />
(“Nocturnal Animals”).<br />
ERIC<br />
GARFINKEL, 34<br />
FEATURE LITERARY<br />
AGENT, GERSH<br />
Since joining Gersh<br />
in 2003 Garfinkel’s<br />
roster has grown to<br />
include rising stars as<br />
well as industry vets.<br />
Among his clients: “The<br />
Equalizer” and “The<br />
Lake” screenwriter<br />
Richard Wenk; “The<br />
Cola Wars” writerdirector<br />
Robert B.<br />
Weide; and Uli Edel,<br />
director of History’s<br />
“Houdini.” Additionally,<br />
Garfinkel has brokered<br />
deals for Ian Helfer<br />
(“Year of the Pigskin”)<br />
and playwright George<br />
Brant, whose 2012 play<br />
“Grounded” is being<br />
adapted into a feature<br />
with Anne Hathaway.<br />
“Telling someone that<br />
they got the job and<br />
their life is about to<br />
change — those are the<br />
top moments of the<br />
year.”<br />
DOUG<br />
FRONK, 40<br />
TV LIT AGENT,<br />
PARADIGM<br />
Fronk is having a great<br />
year, thanks to clients<br />
Opus Moreschi, the<br />
former head writer on<br />
“The Colbert Report,”<br />
now head writer on<br />
“Late Night With<br />
Stephen Colbert”; and<br />
Paris Barclay, director/<br />
exec producer of FX’s<br />
“Bastard Executioner.”<br />
He helped develop<br />
ABC comedy “Blackish,”<br />
now in its second<br />
season. “When I began<br />
as an assistant 10<br />
years ago, it seemed<br />
there were just four TV<br />
buyers. Now we deal<br />
with 40-plus. … The<br />
GROOMING: DEBORAH LARSEN/THE CRITERION GROUP<br />
74 Features
HOLLYWOOD’S<br />
N E W L E A D E R S<br />
continued expansion of<br />
TV choice is a bonus for<br />
viewers.”<br />
KYLE<br />
LOFTUS, 26<br />
LITERARY AGENT, APA<br />
Loftus has closed major<br />
deals for clients since<br />
his promotion to agent<br />
two years ago. Among<br />
them, Wesley Snipes’<br />
foray into TV, three<br />
deals for writer Alexis<br />
Jolly and the packaging<br />
of “In Cold Blood” at<br />
the Weinstein Co. .<br />
“ The biggest challenge<br />
ahead will be cutting<br />
through the clutter<br />
with fresh voices<br />
and original storytelling.<br />
Ensuring my<br />
clients embrace nontraditional<br />
platforms<br />
and business models<br />
as they evolve will be<br />
vital to their sustained<br />
success.”<br />
CRAIG<br />
MIZRAHI, 40<br />
PRODUCTION AGENT,<br />
INNOVATIVE ARTISTS<br />
In his years at IA,<br />
Mizrahi has kept<br />
adding different types<br />
of filmmakers to the<br />
roster, expanding the<br />
business to repping 10<br />
categories of clients.<br />
“We excel by using a<br />
proactive approach<br />
that crosses all agency<br />
departments to find<br />
and share the newest<br />
information, and to<br />
track and distinguish<br />
the next generation<br />
of writers and<br />
directors. This, along<br />
with creating and<br />
maintaining lasting<br />
relationships with<br />
potential buyers, yields<br />
the results needed<br />
to keep our clients at<br />
the forefront of their<br />
respective crafts.”<br />
DAN<br />
NORTON, 40<br />
TELEVISION LITERARY<br />
AGENT, ICM PARTNERS<br />
His agency career<br />
started at ICM and,<br />
after a stint at William<br />
Morris Agency, Norton<br />
re-upped in 2009<br />
following the WMA-<br />
Endeavor merger.<br />
He reps writers and<br />
showrunners of such<br />
properties as “Mr.<br />
Robot” and “Orange<br />
Is the New Black,” and<br />
made the deal for John<br />
Singleton’s upcoming<br />
“Snowfall.” “As the line<br />
between TV and film<br />
becomes less defined,<br />
and as we face new<br />
competition in a very<br />
cluttered marketplace,<br />
we must remember<br />
that great content<br />
will still rise to the top.<br />
When you believe in<br />
the content and trust<br />
your instincts, you<br />
should be able to sell<br />
anything.”<br />
AMANDA<br />
PECORA-<br />
SUTPHEN, 34<br />
AGENT, PRODUCTION,<br />
APA<br />
Pecora-Sutphen moved<br />
to APA in 2013 from<br />
Montana Artists, and<br />
helped jump-start the<br />
agency’s production<br />
division. She’s recently<br />
packaged four clients<br />
on “Black-ish” and<br />
closed high-profile<br />
deals for several<br />
costume designers,<br />
production designers<br />
and cinematographers.<br />
“With a growing<br />
number of media<br />
platforms, we’ve<br />
seen a trend where<br />
department heads<br />
of all backgrounds —<br />
television to features,<br />
high budgets to indie<br />
— seem to be fighting<br />
for the same content.<br />
Agents need to pitch<br />
smarter—and listen<br />
to their clients’ goals<br />
while matching their<br />
capabilities with<br />
opportunities.”<br />
AMBER<br />
THOMPSON, 28<br />
AGENT, FEATURES,<br />
WPA<br />
Beginning in 2012,<br />
Thompson played<br />
an integral role in<br />
expanding WPA’s<br />
TV department into<br />
a separate division.<br />
Recently, she’s<br />
focused on the global<br />
film marketplace,<br />
working with overseas<br />
production entities<br />
and clients . “We’re at<br />
a crossroads as more<br />
productions travel<br />
outside the U.S. and<br />
other countries have<br />
built infrastructure<br />
to attract large<br />
productions. The<br />
result will be stronger<br />
international<br />
communities that will<br />
create and develop<br />
content for their home<br />
markets. By embracing<br />
these new filmmakers,<br />
I believe we have the<br />
potential for a richer<br />
cinematic culture.”<br />
TIARA<br />
CAMILLE<br />
TERUEL, 29<br />
MANAGING PARTNER,<br />
TWM TALENT AGENCY<br />
Teruel began as an<br />
executive assistant at<br />
NTA in New York and<br />
was quickly promoted<br />
during a five-year<br />
tenure . In July, she<br />
co-founded TWM in<br />
Los Angeles, where<br />
she books talent on<br />
various commercial,<br />
music video, print and<br />
film projects. “Even<br />
though this industry<br />
can sometime be very<br />
ungrateful and so many<br />
are only looking to<br />
what’s next, I believe<br />
it’s just as important<br />
to look at who’s right<br />
next to you and the<br />
relationships that are<br />
keeping you going.<br />
I’m a big believer that<br />
anything is possible .”<br />
RYAN<br />
TRACEY, 35<br />
HEAD OF TV<br />
PRODUCTION, UTA<br />
In 2003 Tracey<br />
launched his career<br />
in the UTA mailroom,<br />
became an assistant to<br />
agent Pete Franciosa,<br />
then left for Paramount<br />
Vantage, only to return<br />
to UTA in 2007. He<br />
made up for lost time<br />
by swiftly establishing<br />
a TV production<br />
division. Tracey’s<br />
pairings include Victor<br />
Hsu with Jill Soloway<br />
to co-executive<br />
produce Amazon’s<br />
“Transparent” and<br />
d.p. Adam Arkapaw<br />
with helmer Cary Joji<br />
Fukunaga to shoot the<br />
first season of HBO’s<br />
“True Detective.” “I<br />
love coming up with<br />
strategies for clients<br />
and seeing it all<br />
through to the end.”<br />
HOLMES<br />
CRYSTAL<br />
BOURBEAU, 33<br />
EXEC VP, SALES<br />
AND DISTRIBUTION,<br />
LIONSGATE MOTION<br />
PICTURE GROUP<br />
Bourbeau joined<br />
Lionsgate in 2007<br />
as director of<br />
international sales,<br />
moved up the ranks,<br />
and is now a key exec<br />
leading Lionsgate’s<br />
emergence as a<br />
major international<br />
player (the company<br />
generated an average<br />
B.O. of $2 billion<br />
worldwide each of<br />
the past three years).<br />
Instrumental in the<br />
foreign sales of over<br />
100 films, she helped<br />
launch “The Hunger<br />
Games” franchise<br />
(over $2.5 billion<br />
worldwide), the<br />
“Divergent” franchise,<br />
and shepherded<br />
the international<br />
success of “The<br />
Twilight Saga:<br />
Breaking Dawn —<br />
Part 2” (over $800<br />
million worldwide).<br />
Bourbeau also helps<br />
manage third-party<br />
international sales<br />
like “12 Years a Slave.”<br />
“We moved our<br />
international sales<br />
headquarters to<br />
London, positioning<br />
us closer to key<br />
markets … (and)<br />
continue to grow our<br />
global distribution<br />
infrastructure.”<br />
MONE<br />
F I L M<br />
CHANG<br />
JEFF<br />
DEUTCHMAN,<br />
32<br />
SENIOR VP,<br />
ACQUISITIONS AND<br />
PRODUCTIONS,<br />
ALCHEMY<br />
Deutchman’s<br />
acquisitions ranged<br />
from “Boyhood”<br />
to “The Human<br />
Centipede” while<br />
working at IFC films<br />
and Paramount . Since<br />
joining Alchemy<br />
in 2014, the selfproclaimed<br />
movie<br />
buff led acquisitions<br />
of the Cannes-prized<br />
“The Lobster” and<br />
“Mia Madre.” “I’ve been<br />
fortunate enough<br />
to find myself in a<br />
position where I get to<br />
WINDERBAUM<br />
watch lots of movies.<br />
Bringing movies that<br />
I love and finding<br />
the largest possible<br />
audience for them is a<br />
challenge that I really<br />
cherish.”<br />
TARA ERER,<br />
30<br />
SENIOR VP,<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
SALES,<br />
PEED<br />
MONTEIRO<br />
FILMNATION<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
The Istanbul native<br />
rose quickly through<br />
the ranks from<br />
assistant at the<br />
Weinstein Co. to her<br />
current position, in<br />
which she’s played<br />
a significant role<br />
in the company’s<br />
GROOMING: DEBORAH LARSEN/THE CRITERION GROUP<br />
76 Features
PLISHNER<br />
WIBLE<br />
record-breaking deals<br />
(“The Imitation Game”<br />
to Weinstein for $7<br />
million, “Story of Your<br />
Life” and “Top Five” to<br />
Paramount for<br />
$20 million and<br />
$12.5 million,<br />
respectively). She’s<br />
responsible for<br />
over $50 million in<br />
international sales in<br />
the first half of 2015<br />
alone. Upcoming:<br />
Denis Villeneuve’s<br />
“Story of Your Life,”<br />
John Lee Hancock’s<br />
“The Founder” and<br />
Toronto winner “Room.”<br />
“I’m driven by the idea<br />
of great filmmaking.”<br />
Her motto: “Follow<br />
the film, follow the<br />
filmmaker.”<br />
EMMY<br />
CHANG, 40<br />
VP, PUBLICITY, BROAD<br />
GREEN PICTURES<br />
MOORE<br />
ERER<br />
HENDERSON<br />
Hired in July,<br />
publicity veteran<br />
Chang is now back<br />
with her former<br />
Relativity boss Adam<br />
Keen and couldn’t<br />
be happier: “He’s<br />
shaped so much of<br />
my career,” she says.<br />
But Chang brings her<br />
own kudos, having<br />
worked on the<br />
Oscar-winning<br />
campaigns for films<br />
like last year’s “The<br />
Imitation Game.” At<br />
Broad Green, she’s<br />
already overseen<br />
robust indie releases,<br />
including “A Walk<br />
in the Woods” and<br />
“Leaning to Drive.” “I<br />
feel strongly about<br />
letting my team<br />
grow and make their<br />
own decisions, and<br />
empower them as<br />
we learn from our<br />
mistakes.”<br />
SCHWARTZ<br />
JESSIE<br />
HENDERSON,<br />
33<br />
EXEC VP OF<br />
PRODUCTIONS,<br />
FEIGCO<br />
Who’s director Paul<br />
Feig gonna call for<br />
an assist in his<br />
production company?<br />
That would be<br />
Henderson, who came<br />
over in 2013 from<br />
Chernin Entertainment<br />
when Feig landed his<br />
first-look 20th Century<br />
Fox deal and has since<br />
scored production<br />
credits on “Spy,”<br />
“The Heat,” Yahoo<br />
series “Other Space”<br />
and the upcoming<br />
“Ghostbusters” reboot.<br />
“Paul has really inspired<br />
me in my career. He<br />
is tireless and has<br />
excellent and specific<br />
taste. And he’s a great<br />
dresser!”<br />
BOURBEAU<br />
ELISHIA<br />
HOLMES, 37<br />
PRODUCTION<br />
EXECUTIVE, MICHAEL<br />
DE LUCA PRODS.<br />
New at her job at De<br />
Luca’s shingle, former<br />
story editor Holmes<br />
comes out of Scott<br />
Free, where she worked<br />
alongside Ridley<br />
Scott for over three<br />
years. “I put a lot of<br />
blood and sweat into<br />
‘Paradise Lost,’” she<br />
says of the upcoming<br />
“Alien” franchise entry.<br />
Her greatest success<br />
of the past year, she<br />
adds, was shepherding<br />
Scott’s son Luke’s<br />
first directorial<br />
effort, the upcoming<br />
“Morgan.” “Given the<br />
responsibility to make<br />
important decisions<br />
and be accountable,<br />
people tend to rise to<br />
the occasion. The other<br />
DEUTCHMAN<br />
side is that you can give<br />
them enough rope to<br />
hang themselves.”<br />
JOEY<br />
MONTEIRO, 38<br />
SENIOR VP,<br />
MARKETING AND<br />
PUBLICITY, SIERRA/<br />
AFFINITY<br />
There’s little that’s<br />
been quiet about<br />
Monteiro’s career<br />
recently. He handled<br />
festival premieres of<br />
five films in Toronto ,<br />
two at Cannes and<br />
oversaw a slate of<br />
many more. Of late his<br />
duties have expanded<br />
to include delivery<br />
material creation for<br />
international, and<br />
he notes an uptick<br />
in the need for<br />
international-specific<br />
marketing materials.<br />
Up next: campaigns for<br />
“Triple 9” and “Pride<br />
and Prejudice and<br />
Zombies.” “Leadership<br />
is about knowing when<br />
to step forward and<br />
when to step back<br />
— and let someone<br />
else exercise their<br />
expertise.”<br />
ELIAS<br />
PLISHNER, 39<br />
EXEC VP, WORLDWIDE<br />
DIGITAL MARKETING,<br />
SONY PICTURES<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
With 17 years of digital<br />
experience, Plishner<br />
has been tapped for<br />
high honors in the past<br />
year, including election<br />
into the Advertising<br />
Hall of Achievement<br />
and membership<br />
in the Academy of<br />
Motion Picture Arts<br />
and Sciences (don’t<br />
ask him how he’ll vote<br />
in this year’s Oscars,<br />
though). With SPE<br />
since 2008, he led the<br />
charge as Sony Pictures<br />
marketing rep for the<br />
MPAA’s 2014-15 antipiracy<br />
campaign. “In<br />
the digital space we’re<br />
always trying to oneup<br />
each other. It’s in our<br />
DNA to come up with<br />
the next great idea<br />
first.”<br />
NATE<br />
MOORE, 37<br />
VP, PRODUCTION AND<br />
DEVELOPMENT<br />
JONATHAN<br />
SCHWARTZ, 36<br />
VP, PRODUCTION AND<br />
DEVELOPMENT<br />
BRAD<br />
WINDERBAUM,<br />
34<br />
VP, PRODUCTION<br />
AND DEVELOPMENT,<br />
MARVEL STUDIOS<br />
It makes sense that<br />
the studio of “The<br />
Avengers” would have<br />
a team of super-execs<br />
behind the wheel . As<br />
creative producers,<br />
each reporting to<br />
president Kevin Feige,<br />
they’ve helped keep<br />
the studio on track<br />
with recent box office<br />
hits like “Captain<br />
America: The Winter<br />
Soldier” (Moore, who<br />
started out as head<br />
of the Marvel writers<br />
program); “Guardians<br />
of the Galaxy”<br />
(Schwartz, who started<br />
out as Feige’s assistant)<br />
and “Ant-Man”<br />
(Winderbaum, who has<br />
an Emmy for his Web<br />
series “Satacracy 88”).<br />
“We have a reputation<br />
of being creatively<br />
domineering (at the<br />
studio), but these three<br />
and their personalities<br />
prove the opposite is<br />
true,” Feige says. “They<br />
become invaluable to<br />
the filmmakers with<br />
whom they work.”<br />
JACQUI<br />
MARSHALL, 39<br />
SENIOR VP, LEGAL<br />
AFFAIRS, EUROPE,<br />
SONY PICTURES<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
The London-based<br />
Marshall became<br />
interested in<br />
intellectual property<br />
while studying at<br />
Cambridge U., then<br />
found her way into<br />
film financing after<br />
graduation. Today,<br />
she oversees SPE’s<br />
legal affairs across<br />
Europe, the Middle<br />
East and Africa. In<br />
recent months, she’s<br />
been busy with the<br />
studio’s Netflix deals<br />
in Europe, as well as<br />
its acquisitions of the<br />
16-channel CSC Media<br />
Group in the U.K. and<br />
the Dutch premium<br />
movie service Film1.<br />
“My job is so broad,<br />
I have at least 30<br />
different issues coming<br />
up every day with<br />
completely different<br />
lines of legal work.<br />
Regulatory, corporate,<br />
commercial, disputes<br />
— you name it — it all<br />
comes across my desk.”<br />
JON MONE, 38<br />
EXEC VP, PRODUCTION<br />
DEVELOPMENT,<br />
UNIVERSAL PICTURES<br />
Mone broke into the<br />
business via a job in the<br />
CAA mailroom . Family<br />
friends helped get him<br />
in the door, “but from<br />
there I was on my own,”<br />
he says. He completed<br />
the CAA training<br />
program and wanted to<br />
pursue producing, later<br />
gaining experience<br />
at Mayhem Pictures<br />
and Bluegrass Films.<br />
Now at Universal,<br />
Mone most recently<br />
Features<br />
77
HOLLYWOOD’S<br />
N E W L E A D E R S<br />
worked on “Straight<br />
Outta Compton” and is<br />
helping with Universal’s<br />
Monsters Cinematic<br />
Universe and a possible<br />
reboot of “Scarface.”<br />
Wonder how he got<br />
this far? “You really<br />
have to prove your<br />
worth. Pull your<br />
weight.”<br />
BERNSTEIN<br />
BASKIN<br />
SEGNA<br />
SEPIOL<br />
PAULSON<br />
JORDAN<br />
MAKKOS<br />
JORDAN<br />
PARK<br />
PEED, 35<br />
SENIOR VP,<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
CREATIVE<br />
ADVERTISING,<br />
PARAMOUNT<br />
PICTURES<br />
Peed’s internships gave<br />
him a good sense of the<br />
ins and outs of both the<br />
creative side and the<br />
marketing side of the<br />
film business. And even<br />
before he graduated<br />
from college, one of<br />
his goals was to work<br />
internationally. “It was<br />
a little more exciting<br />
and broad and I liked<br />
the idea of being able<br />
to specialize a creative<br />
campaign based on<br />
countries and different<br />
regions.”<br />
GERSTENBLATT<br />
ZUCKERMAN<br />
PEARL<br />
WIBLE, 30<br />
DIRECTOR,<br />
DIGITAL CONTENT<br />
AND STRATEGY,<br />
LEGENDARY<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
Wible jump-started her<br />
career in 2006 when<br />
she wrote and directed<br />
Disney’s first foray into<br />
viral marketing. She<br />
ported her background<br />
to Legendary in 2014<br />
and spearheaded<br />
an initiative for<br />
“Godzilla” at YouTube<br />
Space LA. Another<br />
achievement: YouTube<br />
House of Horrors, in<br />
collaboration with<br />
helmer Guillermo del<br />
Toro, to find fresh<br />
voices for the genre.<br />
“We built haunted<br />
houses at YouTube<br />
Spaces in L.A., New<br />
York, London, Tokyo<br />
and Sao Paulo, and had<br />
over 200 filmmakers<br />
participate, producing<br />
over 200 horror shorts.<br />
Interactivity between<br />
content creators and<br />
audiences (will grow) in<br />
the future .”<br />
ALEX<br />
BASKIN, 35<br />
PARTNER, EXEC VP,<br />
EVOLUTION MEDIA<br />
Since joining<br />
Evolution in 2006,<br />
Baskin has executiveproduced<br />
over 20<br />
series, specials and<br />
pilots, including ABC<br />
Family’s “Beverly Hills<br />
Nannies,” WE’s “High<br />
School Confidential”<br />
and Disney’s hiddencamera<br />
comedy<br />
“Code: 9.” He oversees<br />
a development team<br />
of six. With his eye for<br />
spinoff potential, he’s<br />
produced nine seasons<br />
of “Real Housewives<br />
of Orange County,”<br />
six seasons of “Real<br />
Housewives of Beverly<br />
Hills,” four seasons<br />
of “Vanderpump<br />
Rules” (all for Bravo)<br />
and three seasons of<br />
“Botched” for E! The<br />
secret of his success:<br />
“I’m also a huge fan of<br />
these kinds of shows .”<br />
T E L E V I S I O N<br />
NICK<br />
BERNSTEIN,<br />
38<br />
VP, LATE NIGHT<br />
PROGRAMMING,<br />
WEST COAST, CBS<br />
Landing in late night<br />
was a lifelong dream<br />
for Bernstein, who<br />
grew up captivated<br />
by “Saturday Night<br />
Live” and “Late Night<br />
With Conan O’Brien”<br />
and now oversees<br />
the blossoming “The<br />
Late Late Show With<br />
James Corden” for<br />
CBS. Earning a newly<br />
created West Coast<br />
title last December,<br />
Bernstein has helped<br />
the effervescent<br />
Corden establish<br />
himself in a field that’s<br />
more crowded than<br />
ever, and break out<br />
with the requisite<br />
viral bits like “Carpool<br />
Karaoke.” Bernstein’s<br />
first gig as an NBC<br />
page led to a meteoric<br />
rise at the Peacock<br />
before he shifted<br />
to the Eye. And he<br />
still monitors the<br />
competition. “I’m a fan<br />
of the genre, period,”<br />
he says. “I love to see<br />
what the other shows<br />
are up to.”<br />
JENNIFER<br />
GERSTEN-<br />
BLATT, 37<br />
VP CURRENT<br />
PROGRAMMING,<br />
ABC FAMILY<br />
Joining the network<br />
soon-to-be-named<br />
Freeform in 2006<br />
as an assistant,<br />
Gerstenblatt is now at<br />
the top of the cabler’s<br />
current programming<br />
department, after<br />
being promoted last<br />
summer. “We are now<br />
not only responsible<br />
for keeping these<br />
series on air and<br />
moving forward,<br />
but also evolving<br />
within a new brand,”<br />
Gerstenblatt says,<br />
referring to the net’s<br />
imminent rebrand.<br />
The exec has overseen<br />
long-running comedies<br />
and dramas “Baby<br />
Daddy,” “Switched<br />
at Birth” and “Pretty<br />
Little Liars,” which will<br />
see a five-year time<br />
jump to cater to a<br />
“more sophisticated<br />
story arc” when it<br />
returns in January,<br />
coinciding with<br />
Freeform’s launch. “I<br />
recently gave the note<br />
‘be sexier’ to ‘PLL’ —<br />
we’re aging them up<br />
after all!”<br />
ROBERT<br />
JORDAN, 28<br />
MUSIC SUPERVISOR,<br />
FOX SPORTS<br />
MARKETING<br />
When Jordan was<br />
growing up his mother<br />
used to tell his brother<br />
and him they “would<br />
always be athletes<br />
and musicians.” After<br />
pursuing a career in<br />
lacrosse and studying<br />
at Berklee College of<br />
Music, Jordan<br />
has managed to<br />
combine those two<br />
strands as music<br />
supervisor for Fox<br />
Sports Marketing.<br />
After leaving school,<br />
Jordan apprenticed<br />
under music<br />
supervisor John<br />
Houlihan, logged a<br />
subsequent stint at<br />
Warner Bros., and<br />
joined Fox Sports in<br />
2014. “It’s important<br />
not to be stuck in a<br />
lane” when selecting<br />
typical sports music,<br />
Jordan says. “When I<br />
first got here, we used<br />
‘Das Rheingold’ for<br />
a soccer promo . For<br />
college basketball,<br />
we’ve used ‘Super<br />
Stupid’ by Funkadelic,<br />
but we’ve also used a<br />
composed piece that’s<br />
real dubsteppy. You<br />
have to try to mix it up<br />
all the time.”<br />
TARA LONG, 31<br />
EXEC VP, U.S.<br />
ALTERNATIVE<br />
TELEVISION<br />
PROGRAMMING,<br />
ENTERTAINMENT ONE<br />
TELEVISION<br />
Launching the<br />
company’s alternative<br />
division five years<br />
ago, Long has had<br />
seven straight-toseries<br />
orders under<br />
her purview and<br />
no cancellations.<br />
Promoted this past<br />
year, the young exec<br />
wants to double<br />
eOne’s unscripted<br />
content and create<br />
more international<br />
programming. “Right<br />
now, we have 11 series<br />
on the air. By this<br />
time next year, my<br />
goal is to have 20!”<br />
she exclaims. With<br />
TruTV’s David Spade<br />
prank show “Fameless”<br />
recently landing 10<br />
more episodes, “Mary<br />
Mary” getting a<br />
season five renewal at<br />
GROOMING: DEBORAH LARSEN/THE CRITERION GROUP<br />
78 Features
WeTV and the cabler<br />
greenlighting “Growing<br />
Up Hip Hop,” which<br />
bows in early 2016,<br />
Long’s goal isn’t out of<br />
the question.<br />
SUZANNA<br />
MAKKOS, 40<br />
EXEC VP, COMEDY<br />
DEVELOPMENT AND<br />
PROGRAMMING, FOX<br />
With a track record<br />
of some of network<br />
television’s most<br />
critically acclaimed<br />
half-hours under<br />
her belt — including<br />
“New Girl,” “Brooklyn<br />
Nine-Nine” and “The<br />
Last Man on Earth”<br />
— Makkos continues<br />
to prove there’s still<br />
room to innovate in<br />
broadcast. This year<br />
Fox launched a comedy<br />
block, bringing TV<br />
stars John Stamos<br />
(“Grandfathered”),<br />
Rob Lowe and Fred<br />
Savage (“The Grinder”)<br />
back to the genre in<br />
unexpected roles. The<br />
self-professed “true<br />
sitcom nerd” notes,<br />
“When I came to the<br />
department we were<br />
really struggling to<br />
find our footing in<br />
comedy. Brick by brick<br />
we have programmed<br />
seven shows with<br />
incredibly specific<br />
comedic identity<br />
that make millions of<br />
people laugh.”<br />
TIM<br />
PASTORE, 37<br />
PRESIDENT, ORIGINAL<br />
PROGRAMMING<br />
AND PRODUCTION,<br />
NATIONAL<br />
GEOGRAPHIC<br />
Pastore has overseen<br />
bold projects since he<br />
took over as Nat Geo’s<br />
president of original<br />
programming in 2014,<br />
including November’s<br />
meticulously<br />
researched miniseries<br />
“Saints and Strangers”<br />
about early settlers<br />
in Plymouth, Mass. “A<br />
good leader creates<br />
a culture that allows<br />
people to feel like<br />
they’re working on<br />
dream projects. You<br />
need to create an<br />
environment that<br />
exudes passion, and<br />
passion will transform<br />
into commitment.”<br />
For this, Pastore adds,<br />
you need good hires.<br />
“Television is a team<br />
sport. The hard part<br />
is finding those folks<br />
who want to be in the<br />
foxhole with you.”<br />
LIZ<br />
PAULSON, 39<br />
VP, CASTING AND<br />
TALENT, 20TH<br />
CENTURY FOX TV<br />
Paulson, whose credits<br />
include Fox’s “Empire”<br />
and CBS’ “Life in<br />
Pieces,” says, “a good<br />
casting director has<br />
to be a connector and<br />
can take what’s on the<br />
page and see what<br />
that would be like to<br />
bring to life. We are<br />
in such a saturated<br />
climate and today’s<br />
world of television<br />
is a beast. Casting<br />
needs to get ahead<br />
of it and understand<br />
the creative product<br />
… it’s not as simple as<br />
putting someone in a<br />
role anymore. It’s more<br />
of a fight, but in a fun,<br />
creative way.”<br />
KEN<br />
SEGNA, 34<br />
SENIOR VP, ORIGINAL<br />
PROGRAMMING,<br />
STARZ<br />
His parents restricted<br />
the young Segna’s TV<br />
viewing to one hour a<br />
week. Now he oversees<br />
more than half a dozen<br />
original hours at any<br />
given time at premium<br />
cabler Starz, including<br />
its most-watched series<br />
to date, NYC nightclub<br />
drama “Power.” Inspired<br />
by HBO’s gamechanging<br />
programming<br />
(including “The<br />
Sopranos” and “The<br />
Wire”) during his time<br />
as a USC film student,<br />
Segna landed an<br />
assistant gig at CAA,<br />
where he was privy<br />
to the explosion of<br />
prestige dramas at<br />
outlets like FX and<br />
AMC. At Starz, he’s<br />
rubbing elbows<br />
with A-list talent like<br />
Alejandro Gonzalez<br />
Inarritu (“The One<br />
Percent”), Steven<br />
Soderbergh (“The<br />
Girlfriend Experience”)<br />
and Morten Tyldum<br />
(“Counterpart”). “We’re<br />
looking to find content<br />
for underserved<br />
audiences and find<br />
worlds that haven’t<br />
been explored in the<br />
premium category.”<br />
ALEX<br />
SEPIOL, 38<br />
SENIOR VP,<br />
ORIGINAL SCRIPTED<br />
PROGRAMMING,<br />
USA NETWORK<br />
In 2005, Sepiol brought<br />
“Burn Notice” to the<br />
cabler; it lasted seven<br />
seasons. A decade later<br />
he helped develop the<br />
critically acclaimed<br />
“Mr. Robot,” which<br />
has been crucial to<br />
USA’s new slate of<br />
hard-hitting dramas.<br />
“As soon as I read the<br />
script, I was just a<br />
straight-up fan,” Sepiol<br />
says of the Rami Malek<br />
starrer. “As the show<br />
came together with its<br />
amazing cast, beautiful<br />
and effective visuals,<br />
and flawless cool, it<br />
became something<br />
magical,” he says. Sepiol<br />
also brought in longrunning<br />
hits “White<br />
Collar” and “Suits,”<br />
which will enter its sixth<br />
season in 2016.<br />
MARIA<br />
ZUCKERMAN,<br />
38<br />
VP, DEVELOPMENT<br />
AND PRODUCTION,<br />
HBO FILMS<br />
Zuckerman has<br />
overseen development<br />
and production<br />
of HBO’s slate of<br />
original movies since<br />
2007. With projects<br />
ranging from Dee<br />
Rees’ recent Emmy<br />
champ “Bessie” to<br />
Spike Lee’s “Mike<br />
Tyson: Undisputed<br />
Champ” and early<br />
Tom Hooper effort<br />
“Longford,” she’s<br />
built a reputation of<br />
working with both<br />
established veterans<br />
and filmmakers on<br />
the rise, forging a<br />
special relationship<br />
with talent across<br />
the pond on multiple<br />
British co-productions<br />
(including Peter<br />
Morgan’s “The Special<br />
Relationship”). “It’s so<br />
exciting now because<br />
everybody’s talking<br />
about the barrier<br />
between film and TV<br />
coming down. I feel<br />
at HBO Films we were<br />
pioneers in helping to<br />
migrate feature talent<br />
to TV.”<br />
O’Melveny & Myers LLP<br />
warmly congratulates our partner<br />
Molly Lens<br />
on being named one of Variety’s top new leaders in Hollywood<br />
www.omm.com<br />
Beijing Brussels Century City Hong Kong London Los Angeles New York<br />
Newport Beach San Francisco Seoul Shanghai Silicon Valley Singapore Tokyo Washington, DC<br />
Features<br />
79
HOLLYWOOD’S<br />
N E W L E A D E R S<br />
L A W &<br />
F I N A N C E<br />
FITZGERALD<br />
DEUTSCH<br />
KEN<br />
DEUTSCH, 37<br />
PARTNER,<br />
LATHAM & WATKINS<br />
When he was at<br />
O’Melveny & Myers,<br />
Deutsch did deals<br />
for DreamWorks<br />
Animation, MGM,<br />
Miramax, Revolution<br />
Studios, Univision,<br />
Bank of America and<br />
others. In November ,<br />
he and four co-workers<br />
left O’Melveny to<br />
open the Century City<br />
office of Latham &<br />
Watkins, specializing<br />
in entertainment,<br />
sports and media.<br />
Some of his most<br />
satisfying work has<br />
been for newer players<br />
such as Participant<br />
Media, Legendary and<br />
Cross Creek Pictures.<br />
“Turning those kind<br />
of companies into<br />
industry powerhouses<br />
is always a nice result<br />
for lawyers.”<br />
CHAD<br />
FITZGERALD,<br />
39<br />
PARTNER, KINSELLA<br />
WEITZMAN ISER KUMP<br />
& ALDISERT<br />
Fitzgerald litigates<br />
cases on behalf of<br />
the creators, writers<br />
and producers of<br />
such shows as “Family<br />
Guy,” “King of the Hill”<br />
and “Smallville” in<br />
disputes with studios.<br />
He’s repping Frank<br />
Darabont and CAA<br />
in their dispute with<br />
AMC over profits from<br />
“The Walking Dead,”<br />
scheduled to go to trial<br />
next year. “The<br />
typical argument<br />
we get from every<br />
entertainment<br />
company is basically,<br />
‘How dare you. We<br />
made you rich.’ I really<br />
do feel like I’m on the<br />
side of justice.”<br />
JUSTIN<br />
HAMILL, 37<br />
PARTNER, PAUL,<br />
WEISS, RIFKIND,<br />
HARTON & GARRISON<br />
Hamill joined Paul,<br />
Weiss directly after<br />
earning his J.D. at<br />
Boston College and<br />
rose to become deputy<br />
chair of the media and<br />
entertainment group<br />
and a member of the<br />
firm’s M&A group. In<br />
recent months, he’s<br />
played a lead role in<br />
WME’s acquisition<br />
of IMG Worldwide<br />
and Vice Media’s<br />
partnership with A&E<br />
Networks. “I help<br />
clients price risk. We<br />
have a good feel for<br />
how things will play out<br />
in the real world .”<br />
MOLLY<br />
LENS, 37<br />
PARTNER,<br />
O’MELVENY & MYERS<br />
Lens has become<br />
one of her firm’s<br />
key entertainment<br />
litigators, helping<br />
Disney beat a longrunning<br />
profit<br />
participation lawsuit<br />
brought by the<br />
creators of “Home<br />
Improvement,” repping<br />
Fox in a trademark<br />
infringement suit<br />
LENS<br />
We congratulate all of the honorees<br />
recognized by Variety as<br />
Hollywood’s New Leaders<br />
including our very own<br />
Michael Maizner.<br />
Michael, we salute your dedication to our clients and<br />
your commitment to facilitating positive labor relations<br />
throughout the entertainment industry.<br />
Los Angeles New York Chicago Nashville Washington, DC Beijing Hong Kong www.loeb.com<br />
GROOMING: DEBORAH LARSEN/THE CRITERION GROUP<br />
80 Features
WOODRUFF<br />
TOMLINSON<br />
regarding “Empire”<br />
and defending Warner<br />
Bros.’ rights to exploit<br />
the J.R.R. Tolkien<br />
franchises “The Lord of<br />
the Rings” and<br />
“The Hobbit.”<br />
“Ultimately, you’ve<br />
got to like litigating<br />
and you’ve got to like<br />
the people that you’re<br />
working with, both<br />
inside the firm and your<br />
clients.”<br />
MICHAEL<br />
MAIZNER, 37<br />
SENIOR COUNSEL,<br />
LOEB & LOEB<br />
Maizner has become<br />
a go-to attorney for<br />
entertainment union<br />
and guild issues, with<br />
special expertise in<br />
child labor laws and<br />
reality-competition<br />
shows. Lately, an<br />
increasing amount of<br />
his time has been spent<br />
helping clients navigate<br />
the uncharted waters<br />
of the digital world.<br />
“When the industry<br />
first thought to address<br />
new media in the<br />
collective bargaining<br />
agreements, they were<br />
looking at short-form<br />
programming. They<br />
didn’t expect full-on<br />
hourlong dramas with<br />
Kevin Spacey.”<br />
CHRISTOPHER<br />
PEREZ, 32<br />
PARTNER,<br />
DONALDSON + CALLIF<br />
Perez has helped<br />
everyone from<br />
independent TV and<br />
film producers to<br />
YouTube creators<br />
take full advantage<br />
of their First<br />
Amendment rights.<br />
He’s secured insurance<br />
covering fair use,<br />
copyright, trademark<br />
infringement and<br />
personal rights issues<br />
for more than 400<br />
narrative films and<br />
documentaries,<br />
including “Escape From<br />
Tomorrow,” which was<br />
shot surreptitiously<br />
at Disney World and<br />
considered by many<br />
to be unreleasable.<br />
“People know that fair<br />
use exists, but they<br />
don’t realize it’s as<br />
usable as it really is .”<br />
JOHN<br />
TOMLINSON,<br />
37<br />
HEAD OF<br />
ENTERTAINMENT,<br />
LOCKTON COS.<br />
Tomlinson wanted<br />
to be a professional<br />
drummer, but when<br />
his college band<br />
broke up, he decided<br />
to go to work with his<br />
father, who helped<br />
pioneer the business of<br />
insuring touring bands.<br />
He designed antiviolence<br />
and terrorism<br />
policies for artists<br />
touring dangerous<br />
territories and devised<br />
event-cancellation<br />
and nonappearance<br />
coverage for EDM acts.<br />
He stepped in to help<br />
an act navigate around<br />
some political violence<br />
to make it to a concert.<br />
“Had we not been able<br />
to find a way to make<br />
that happen, the show<br />
would’ve had a big nonappearance<br />
claim.”<br />
CROCKETT<br />
WOODRUFF, 38<br />
SENIOR VP/SENIOR<br />
RELATIONSHIP<br />
MANAGER,<br />
ENTERTAINMENT ,<br />
CITY NATIONAL BANK<br />
Woodruff has spent<br />
most of his banking<br />
career at City National .<br />
In the past year,<br />
he’s helped close<br />
10-single picture<br />
transactions totaling<br />
over $150 million and<br />
six participations in<br />
various syndicated<br />
credit facilities totaling<br />
over $130 million “You<br />
see a lot of struggling<br />
producers who just<br />
need some direction.<br />
It’s great to see<br />
people’s dreams<br />
come true.”<br />
Evolution Media congratulates<br />
ALEX BASKIN<br />
and all the honorees of<br />
Features<br />
81
HOLLYWOOD’S<br />
N E W L E A D E R S<br />
CHRIS<br />
BRUSS, 32<br />
PRESIDENT,<br />
DIGITAL CONTENT,<br />
FUNNY OR DIE<br />
Bruss’ job is to make<br />
the Funny or Die<br />
creative team stand<br />
apart with smart<br />
and timely material<br />
— not cheap laughs.<br />
“We’re not just looking<br />
for clicks,” he says.<br />
One of FOD’s first<br />
video producers<br />
back in 2009 working<br />
with co-founder Will<br />
Ferrell, Bruss ran the<br />
company’s brandedentertainment<br />
group<br />
before moving into<br />
his current role<br />
overseeing all digital<br />
content . He previously<br />
worked in the biz<br />
dev group at CAA, a<br />
founding partner in<br />
D I G I T A L<br />
& P R<br />
Funny or Die. “While<br />
comedy and creativity<br />
need chaos to thrive,<br />
there is such a thing as<br />
organized chaos,” he<br />
says.<br />
MATTHEW<br />
DYSART, 33<br />
HEAD OF BUSINESS<br />
AFFAIRS,<br />
AWESOMENESSTV<br />
AND BIG FRAME<br />
Dysart was an associate<br />
at law firm Sheppard<br />
Mullin before joining<br />
AwesomenessTV in<br />
2014. He’s now helping<br />
to usher the company<br />
through a transition<br />
from YouTube-based<br />
network to Generation<br />
Z studio and talent<br />
management company.<br />
Dysart led negotiations<br />
for YouTube’s<br />
first feature-film<br />
partnership, which<br />
created six original<br />
films to premiere on<br />
YouTube through 2017,<br />
and made a Verizon<br />
deal that created three<br />
channels totaling over<br />
200 hours of original<br />
programming for<br />
Verizon’s new Go90<br />
platform. Career<br />
goal: “Provide business<br />
leadership for our<br />
innovative media<br />
brands by developing<br />
new forms of content<br />
creation, marketing<br />
and distribution.”<br />
JORDYN<br />
PALOS, 30<br />
FOUNDER,<br />
PERSONA PR<br />
At 25, Palos, then a<br />
Cheesecake Factory<br />
employee, started<br />
her firm from her<br />
apartment. Within five<br />
years, Persona PR had<br />
offices in L.A., New<br />
York and Chicago with<br />
15 employees<br />
and 200 clients,<br />
including “Walking<br />
Dead’s” Josh<br />
McDermitt, “Blood &<br />
Oil’s” Scott Michael<br />
Foster, “Casual’s”<br />
Tara Lynne Barr and<br />
Disney star Debby<br />
Ryan. “I Jerry-Maguired<br />
it,” Palos says with a<br />
laugh, explaining that<br />
her company has a<br />
knack for pushing<br />
out next-gen talent.<br />
“We’re very aggressive<br />
in pitching our clients<br />
because they’re<br />
building their careers.”<br />
Her top goal is to<br />
avoid turnover when<br />
those clients reach<br />
A-list status and that<br />
SPRINGBORN<br />
PALOS<br />
GROOMING: DEBORAH LARSEN/THE CRITERION GROUP<br />
82 Features
BRUSS<br />
RANTA<br />
DYSART<br />
means no down time.<br />
Case in point: Palos<br />
showed up at Variety’s<br />
New Leaders photo<br />
shoot more than eight<br />
months’ pregnant.<br />
PHIL<br />
RANTA, 33<br />
COO, COLLECTIVE<br />
DIGITAL STUDIO<br />
The digital-content<br />
boom is raw fuel for<br />
companies like CDS,<br />
which operates a<br />
network of 1,000-<br />
plus channels. But for<br />
Ranta, the fast-evolving<br />
environment and<br />
emergence of video<br />
platforms beyond<br />
YouTube makes<br />
figuring out<br />
how to get the<br />
maximum reach for<br />
Collective’s creator<br />
base a hugely complex<br />
task. The exec, who<br />
moonlights as a<br />
standup comedian,<br />
previously spent three<br />
years building up the<br />
audience at Fullscreen<br />
— an eon in the<br />
multichannel-network<br />
world. “It’s a delicate<br />
balance that’s only<br />
going to get harder,<br />
as more investment<br />
dollars funnel through<br />
companies focused<br />
on reaching millennial<br />
audiences,” Ranta says.<br />
BEATRICE<br />
SPRINGBORN,<br />
40<br />
HEAD OF ORIGINALS,<br />
HULU<br />
The former film and<br />
TV development exec<br />
is bringing must-see<br />
exclusives to Hulu,<br />
once viewed as a<br />
repository for last<br />
night’s shows. Since<br />
joining in mid-2014,<br />
Springborn has<br />
greenlit a notable<br />
slate, including thriller<br />
“11/22/63,” based on<br />
Stephen King’s timetravel<br />
fantasy about<br />
the JFK assassination,<br />
and comedies like Amy<br />
Poehler’s “Difficult<br />
People,” Jason<br />
Reitman’s “Casual” and<br />
season four of “The<br />
Mindy Project.” Her<br />
biggest challenge?<br />
Staying the course<br />
amid the dealmaking<br />
barrage by rivals Netflix<br />
and Amazon. “It’s<br />
really hard to not pivot<br />
or have major fomo<br />
(fear of missing out),”<br />
Springborn says. “But<br />
even with that noise, I<br />
am excited that Hulu<br />
is a part of that same<br />
conversation.”<br />
Profiles by Hillary<br />
Atkin, Andrew Barker,<br />
Geoff Berkshire, Iain<br />
Blair, Jacob Bryant,<br />
Peter Caranicas, Steve<br />
Chagollan, Randee<br />
Dawn, Whitney<br />
Friedlander, Mannie<br />
Holmes, Margaret<br />
Lenker, Todd Longwell,<br />
Addie Morfoot,<br />
Jenelle Riley, Todd<br />
Spangler and Elizabeth<br />
Wagmeister<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Features<br />
83
HOLLYWOOD’S<br />
N E W L E A D E R S<br />
MOANA<br />
CASANOVA, 29<br />
EXECUTIVE<br />
ASSISTANT, WEST<br />
COAST PRODUCTION,<br />
HBO<br />
Casanova joined HBO<br />
in New York straight<br />
out of college in<br />
2009, then moved to<br />
the company’s L.A.<br />
office in 2012. She<br />
works with senior VP<br />
Jeremy Smith. “Our<br />
department oversees<br />
the production of<br />
original films and<br />
TV series, including<br />
seasons one and two<br />
of ‘True Detective,’<br />
Martin Scorsese’s new<br />
show ‘Vinyl,’ and we<br />
did ‘Boardwalk Empire,’<br />
‘Treme’ and some<br />
pilots,” she reports.<br />
Next up: David Simon<br />
pilot “The Deuce.”<br />
“I want to stay in<br />
production and move<br />
up to production<br />
executive.”<br />
GUETTERMAN<br />
FAVILLE<br />
GETTS<br />
MOHEBBI<br />
JENNA<br />
FAVILLE, 23<br />
FEATURES<br />
COORDINATOR,<br />
WORLDWIDE<br />
PRODUCTION AGENCY<br />
(WPA)<br />
Faville began her<br />
career interning at<br />
the Skouras Agency,<br />
then landed at WPA<br />
as coordinator in the<br />
features department.<br />
In 18 months, she’s<br />
become an integral<br />
part of WPA’s booking<br />
machine, working with<br />
partner Richard Caleel<br />
and agent Louiza Vick<br />
with such clients as<br />
producers Michael<br />
Fottrell (“Furious 7”),<br />
Ralph Winter (“The<br />
Promise”) and d.p.s<br />
Larry Fong and Simon<br />
Duggan. “Realizing<br />
how much planning,<br />
dedication and<br />
manpower it takes to<br />
create a quality film<br />
sparked my desire to<br />
learn everything about<br />
the industry,” she says.<br />
HANNAH<br />
GETTS, 23<br />
ASSISTANT TO BEN<br />
BROWNING, CO-<br />
PRESIDENT OF<br />
PRODUCTION AND<br />
ACQUISITIONS,<br />
FILMNATION<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
Since joining the<br />
company in early 2015,<br />
Getts has assisted<br />
in the production of<br />
Denis Villeneuve’s scifi<br />
thriller “Story of<br />
Your Life”; Ray Kroc<br />
biopic “The Founder,”<br />
directed by John Lee<br />
Hancock; and Marc<br />
Webb’s “Gifted” for<br />
Fox Searchlight. She’s<br />
also involved in finding<br />
projects to finance<br />
and distribute, and<br />
1 0 A S S I S T A N T S<br />
in the development<br />
of the upcoming<br />
“Miss Sloane” and<br />
Paul Greengrass’ “The<br />
Tunnels.” “Indies are my<br />
passion and I love the<br />
acquisition side,” she<br />
says. “That’s where I<br />
see myself going.”<br />
DANIELLE<br />
GILBERT, 28<br />
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT<br />
TO JOSH GREENSTEIN,<br />
PRESIDENT OF<br />
WORLDWIDE<br />
MARKETING AND<br />
DISTRIBUTION,<br />
SONY PICTURES<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
After stints at Fox<br />
and Leverage<br />
Management, Gilbert<br />
co-founded OK<br />
Done, a personal<br />
assistant staffing<br />
company, before<br />
joining Paramount<br />
in 2013 to work for<br />
Greenstein, who was<br />
chief marketing officer.<br />
In late 2014, she moved<br />
with Greenstein to<br />
Sony. “I started the<br />
day before the big<br />
hack, so it was pretty<br />
crazy,” she says. Gilbert<br />
acts as Greenstein’s<br />
primary point person.<br />
“I love all aspects of<br />
marketing, from PR to<br />
creative content<br />
and international<br />
tracking, and I want<br />
to work in global<br />
operations.”<br />
CRYSTAL<br />
GUETTERMAN,<br />
29<br />
ASSISTANT, LINK<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
Guetterman started<br />
as an intern, worked<br />
at Principato-Young<br />
Entertainment, and<br />
five months ago moved<br />
from there to Link. In<br />
addition to working<br />
with such clients<br />
as David Marciano<br />
(“Homeland”), Ryan<br />
Newman (“See Dad<br />
Run”), Ayla Kell (“Make<br />
It or Break It”) and<br />
Jake T. Austin (“The<br />
Fosters”), she’s been<br />
instrumental in booking<br />
major guest star and<br />
series regular roles<br />
on ABC’s “Agents of<br />
SHIELD,” “Blood & Oil”<br />
and “Wicked City,” and<br />
Syfy’s “12 Monkeys.”<br />
“One of my goals is to<br />
produce a series that<br />
stars one of my clients.”<br />
GROOMING: DEBORAH LARSEN/THE CRITERION GROUP<br />
84 Features
GILBERT<br />
LANZ<br />
JOHNSON<br />
Mohebbi collaborated<br />
on deals such as the resale<br />
of “Medieval” to<br />
Sony. He was promoted<br />
to motion picture<br />
coordinator on his 25th<br />
birthday. “My goal is to<br />
become an agent here.”<br />
SAENZ<br />
CASANOVA<br />
PHIL<br />
QUIST, 27<br />
AGENT TRAINEE,<br />
MUSIC DEPARTMENT,<br />
CAA<br />
The former Wall Street<br />
investment banker<br />
joined CAA in 2012 to<br />
pursue his passion for<br />
music. After working<br />
for Tom Worcester,<br />
head of music brand<br />
partnerships at the<br />
agency, he assisted<br />
touring agent Cara<br />
Lewis. Quist was<br />
promoted into<br />
CAA’s agent training<br />
program this year<br />
and, as assistant to<br />
Alex Becket, helped<br />
sign such emerging<br />
EDM artists as the<br />
Chainsmokers,<br />
Elephante, Jenaux,<br />
Prince Fox, Kungs,<br />
GRMM and Speaker<br />
of the House.<br />
Recently promoted<br />
to coordinator, Quist<br />
aspires “to be an<br />
agent … creating<br />
unique, out-of-thebox<br />
opportunities for<br />
clients.”<br />
LARISSA<br />
SAENZ, 27<br />
ACCOUNT<br />
COORDINATOR,<br />
BWR PUBLIC<br />
RELATIONS<br />
After stints in<br />
international<br />
marketing and<br />
publicity at Sierra/<br />
Affinity, and assisting<br />
Nancy Kirkpatrick,<br />
president of worldwide<br />
marketing at Summit<br />
Entertainment, Saenz<br />
joined BWR in summer<br />
2014 and works directly<br />
under exec VP of talent<br />
Nicole Perna. She<br />
coordinates press tours<br />
and awards campaigns,<br />
and manages client<br />
logistics. “I love PR —<br />
especially personal PR,<br />
and the ultimate perk is<br />
being given the careerchanging<br />
opportunity<br />
to have Nicole as my<br />
mentor,” Saenz says.<br />
ASHLEY<br />
JOHNSON, 27<br />
EXECUTIVE<br />
ASSISTANT TO CHIEF<br />
CREATIVE OFFICER<br />
DANA GOLDBERG,<br />
SKYDANCE MEDIA<br />
For the past two years,<br />
Johnson has assisted<br />
on such releases as<br />
“Mission: Impossible<br />
— Rogue Nation” and<br />
“Terminator Genisys,”<br />
which have collectively<br />
grossed over $1 billion<br />
T O W A T C H<br />
worldwide. Her diverse<br />
responsibilities include<br />
jobs for the television,<br />
publishing, licensing<br />
and interactive units.<br />
Johnson started as a<br />
trainee at UTA, then<br />
assistant to the senior<br />
VP of production at<br />
Columbia Pictures,<br />
where she worked<br />
on “Men in Black<br />
III” and both “Jump<br />
Street” films. “I’d love<br />
to become a creative<br />
executive here, like<br />
Dana, and grow with<br />
Skydance,” Johnson<br />
says.<br />
ALYSSA<br />
LANZ, 25<br />
ASSISTANT TO<br />
PARTNER AND TV<br />
LITERARY AGENT DAN<br />
ERLIJ, UTA<br />
Lanz began in the<br />
mailroom in 2012,<br />
quickly moved through<br />
the ranks to the digital<br />
and TV lit departments,<br />
working for partner<br />
Mickey Berman and TV<br />
literary agent James<br />
Kearney. Now at Erlij’s<br />
desk, Lanz works with<br />
creators, showrunners<br />
and writers, including<br />
Jennie Snyder Urman,<br />
Nick Stoller and Diane<br />
Ruggiero-Wright.<br />
“UTA’s taught me how<br />
to navigate the TV<br />
business. It’s exciting<br />
with so many more<br />
places for creators<br />
outside traditional TV,<br />
such as Hulu, Amazon,<br />
self-publishing<br />
platforms like YouTube<br />
or Vimeo.”<br />
NICKY<br />
MOHEBBI, 25<br />
COORDINATOR,<br />
MOTION PICTURE<br />
LITERARY, VERVE<br />
Talk about an<br />
unconventional<br />
Hollywood start. The<br />
small-town West<br />
Virginian graduated<br />
with a degree in<br />
biochemistry but “took<br />
a huge risk” and moved<br />
to L.A. to pursue his<br />
passion for film. He<br />
began as an intern at<br />
Verve in 2013, “green<br />
and not quite knowing<br />
what I wanted to<br />
do,” but rapidly rose<br />
through the ranks. As<br />
founding partner Adam<br />
Levine’s assistant,<br />
Features<br />
85
LOS ANGELES<br />
10.28 WED 7:00PM<br />
11.17 TUE 7:00PM<br />
ROOM<br />
A24<br />
Q&A<br />
BRIE LARSON<br />
Actor<br />
SUFFRAGETTE<br />
Focus Features<br />
Q&A<br />
CAREY MULLIGAN<br />
Actor<br />
SARAH GAVRON<br />
Director<br />
ABI MORGAN<br />
Screenwriter<br />
11.18 WED 7:00PM<br />
THE DANISH GIRL<br />
Focus Features<br />
Q&A<br />
ALICIA VIKANDER<br />
Actor<br />
TOM HOOPER<br />
Director<br />
WATCH AS THE<br />
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ACHIEVEMENT: BRITANNIA AWARDS<br />
Mendes Shakes, Stirs Franchise<br />
Helmer enlivens, deepens Ian<br />
Fleming’s treasured series By Peter Debruge<br />
HERE’S A THEORY: If not for<br />
Sam Mendes, Universal<br />
never would’ve entrusted an<br />
indie greenhorn like Colin<br />
Trevorrow to direct “Jurassic<br />
World,” nor would George Lucas have<br />
dreamed of handing the reins of his “Star<br />
Wars” franchise to the likes of Rian Johnson<br />
(“Brick”).<br />
While hardly your typical indie director<br />
by origin, British-born Mendes, who is<br />
receiving the John Schlesinger Britannia<br />
Award for Excellence in Directing, was a<br />
bold choice to tackle “Skyfall,” the 23rd<br />
film in the Eon-produced James Bond<br />
franchise — and one of the few to be overseen<br />
by a helmer selected on the strength<br />
of his dramatic directing chops — resulting<br />
in $1.1 billion worldwide box office,<br />
the Bond series’ highest-grossing film.<br />
The tendency with such franchise<br />
assignments — from Bond to “Star Wars”<br />
to the “Jurassic Park” series — has long<br />
been to pick journeymen helmers, favoring<br />
those lacking an authorial imprimatur<br />
who excel at the technical side of things:<br />
specifically, experience working with<br />
huge crews, while juggling both action<br />
and effects — guys like Roger Spottiswoode<br />
(who’d edited two Sam Peckinpah<br />
pics) and John Glen (promoted from second-unit<br />
duty).<br />
Mendes is hardly the first director<br />
to be given such an opportunity. (Chris<br />
Nolan demonstrated such an aptitude<br />
on “Batman Begins,” even if that film’s<br />
fight sequences reveal the limits of his<br />
action-blocking abilities.) But to borrow a<br />
Bond-ism: Nobody does it better.<br />
Beginning in theater, where Mendes<br />
developed his skills directing actors<br />
(reimagining such classics as “Cabaret”<br />
and “The Glass Menagerie”) and a necessary<br />
appreciation for the written word<br />
(onstage, the “book” serves as both blueprint<br />
and bible, and no one dreams<br />
of launching a production without a<br />
rock-solid script in place first). With such<br />
legit experience under his belt, he made<br />
the switch to the big screen with 1999’s<br />
“American Beauty,” a debut that demonstrated<br />
his mastery of both disciplines,<br />
pairing an Oscar-recognized cast with a<br />
killer screenplay by Alan Ball.<br />
Debuting at the Toronto film festival<br />
before going on to win five Academy<br />
Awards, “American Beauty” effectively<br />
crowned a decade every bit as important<br />
to the evolution of Hollywood as the<br />
hallowed 1970s — that post-“Easy Riders”<br />
stretch in which studios took wild<br />
gambles on a new generation of relatively<br />
unproven directors. The ’90s showed<br />
a similar panic among the majors, as<br />
blockbuster formulas stumbled and execs<br />
turned to an emerging class of fest-blessed<br />
indie darlings to reinvigorate their<br />
mainstream fare.<br />
It was thus, following the emergence<br />
of such auteurs as Kevin Smith, the Coen<br />
brothers and the two Andersons (anything-but-brothers<br />
P.T. and Wes), that<br />
someone in Mendes’ position found it<br />
possible to leverage a suburban midlife-crisis<br />
drama such as “American Beauty”<br />
into such ambitious projects as Jake<br />
Gyllenhaal starrer “Jarhead” and the luxuriantly<br />
dark graphic-novel adaptation<br />
“Road to Perdition.”<br />
Logistically speaking, those two movies<br />
may have hinted at Mendes’ potential<br />
to handle something as ambitious<br />
BRILLIANT<br />
BRIT Sam<br />
Mendes, seen<br />
here on the set<br />
of “Spectre,”<br />
will receive<br />
BAFTA/<br />
LA’s John<br />
Schlesinger<br />
award.<br />
Mendes<br />
developed<br />
his skills<br />
in theater<br />
directing<br />
actors and<br />
reimagining<br />
classics.”<br />
as a 007 mega-blockbuster, and yet the<br />
helmer next veered the other way, delivering<br />
two intimate couple-oriented dramas,<br />
“Revolutionary Road” and “Away We<br />
Go.” No question “Skyfall” was a leap from<br />
“Away We Go,” albeit one Mendes was<br />
more than equipped to handle, combining<br />
the best-ever Bond script with dramatic<br />
opportunities the series had never before<br />
afforded either Craig (who got to explore<br />
Bond’s emotionally damaged backstory)<br />
or onscreen boss Judi Dench, with meaty<br />
roles for Javier Bardem and Albert Finney<br />
as well. Meanwhile, when it came to<br />
action, Mendes knew where to trust his<br />
team, leaving on second-unit and action<br />
collaborators to elevate the stakes he was<br />
establishing on the character side.<br />
“Spectre,” which will be released Nov.<br />
6 in the U.S., should prove an interesting<br />
test, considering that last December’s<br />
Sony hack coincided with the start of production.<br />
When the film’s script leaked,<br />
the production was forced to adjust late<br />
in the game. But like his nimble onscreen<br />
hero, Mendes thinks fast on his feet,<br />
and the world will soon see how well he<br />
adapted to such a terrorist threat.<br />
87
ACHIEVEMENT: BRITANNIA AWARDS<br />
BUDDING TALENT<br />
Washington<br />
Prep students<br />
visit New York<br />
Film Academy<br />
with BAFTA/LA<br />
volunteers.<br />
Locally Engaged New leadership<br />
changing awards ceremony as well<br />
as pushing org toward widening<br />
outreach programs By Shalini Dore<br />
THIS YEAR’S BRITANNIA AWARDS show<br />
gets a new face thanks to the production<br />
efforts of Done and Dusted,<br />
host Jack Whitehall and a new outlet,<br />
Pop TV. But there are also a couple of<br />
fresh faces at the top of BAFTA/LA, the<br />
org that’s behind the awards: incoming<br />
CEO Chantal Rickards and Kieran Breen,<br />
Tipsheet<br />
WHAT:<br />
2015 BAFTA/<br />
LA Britannia<br />
Awards<br />
WHEN:<br />
Oct. 30<br />
WHERE:<br />
Beverly<br />
Hilton<br />
WEB:<br />
bafta.org/<br />
los-angeles<br />
chairman of the board of<br />
directors.<br />
“One of the great things<br />
that the Britannias have<br />
always been able to bring<br />
is top-level talent,” Breen<br />
says. “This year you can tell<br />
from the honorees (Orlando<br />
Bloom , Meryl Streep , Harrison<br />
Ford , Sam Mendes ,<br />
James Corden and Amy<br />
Schumer ) that once again we’ve a stellar<br />
lineup. But this year we’re also going to<br />
bring a more polished, progressive, sort of<br />
cool Britannia thing that (Done and Dusted)<br />
do so well.”<br />
Throughout the year, BAFTA/LA hosts<br />
a series of programs to help find the next<br />
generation of filmmakers. “It starts with<br />
grassroots work like screenings in parks<br />
with families, work with film schools to<br />
find young talent,” chief operating officer<br />
Matthew Wiseman says. These include<br />
scholarships, mentorships, student film<br />
competitions and professional programs<br />
like master classes.<br />
For the past four years, BAFTA/LA has<br />
been at Washington Prep High School in<br />
the Westmont area of Los Angeles. “It’s<br />
in a tough part of town,” Rickards says.<br />
“We put in a lot of manhours, going down<br />
there to help with their education programming.<br />
We also open those children’s<br />
eyes to the opportunities of all the other<br />
jobs in the industry that they can get. ”<br />
The Britannias are more than a way to<br />
honor people in showbiz, they also help<br />
BAFTA/LA fundraise for its various efforts<br />
from industry screenings to inner-city<br />
philanthropy and student mentoring and<br />
competitions.<br />
“I think it’s important that we try and<br />
pay it back in some small way to the community<br />
here that has welcomed us,” Breen<br />
says. “And it also helps this British organization<br />
be relevant in this town.”<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
Honoree<br />
Quartet<br />
Trans-Atlantic mix<br />
› Orlando Bloom (1)<br />
Humanitarian<br />
Award<br />
› James Corden (2)<br />
British Artist of<br />
the Year<br />
› Harrison Ford (3)<br />
Albert R. Broccoli<br />
Award for Worldwide<br />
Contribution<br />
› Meryl Streep (4)<br />
Stanley Kubrick<br />
Excellence in Film<br />
STEPPING UP THE<br />
LAUGH-O-METER<br />
Shenanigans surely in store with Schumer<br />
Expect Chaplin<br />
Award recipient<br />
Amy Schumer<br />
to embrace the<br />
cheeky humor —<br />
and sometimes<br />
raunchy speeches<br />
— that peppers the<br />
Britannias .<br />
“Brits have<br />
successfully pushed<br />
the boundaries of<br />
comedy for many<br />
years, so fittingly<br />
the recipients of<br />
the Chaplin Award<br />
have pushed the<br />
boundaries of what<br />
can happen at an<br />
award show,” says<br />
Matthew Wiseman,<br />
COO of BAFTA/LA.<br />
Sacha Baron<br />
Cohen’s 2013 homage<br />
to Chaplin imitated<br />
the icon’s walk<br />
with a cane before<br />
he stumbled and<br />
pushed offstage an<br />
old woman who had<br />
presented him with<br />
the cane. The gasps<br />
turned to laughs<br />
when the audience<br />
realized that she was<br />
really a stunt woman.<br />
“Chaplin himself<br />
was a performer<br />
known for classic<br />
moments of surprise,<br />
and our Britannia<br />
honorees over the<br />
years have certainly<br />
channeled that same<br />
spirit onstage,”<br />
Wi<br />
sa s.<br />
BAFTA/LA board<br />
chairman Kieran<br />
Breen says, “Amy<br />
Schumer’s humor<br />
is known to light up<br />
the room, and even<br />
though she it seems<br />
like she arrived on<br />
the scene in the last<br />
few years, she’s really<br />
broken through in a<br />
huge way. Excellence<br />
is not the prerogative<br />
of the older<br />
generation.”<br />
Adds the org’s CEO<br />
Chantal Rickards:<br />
“And the Brits love<br />
her. She came and<br />
accepted an award in<br />
the U.K. and again the<br />
acceptance speech<br />
was funny, cheeky,<br />
irreverent. She had<br />
the Brits eating out<br />
of her hands. So<br />
she’s sort of really<br />
hit home for us. And<br />
I think it’s a speech<br />
that we’ll all be sitting<br />
there going, ‘OK, here<br />
we go, lock in for the<br />
ride.’ ”<br />
Whatever occurs at<br />
this year’s ceremony,<br />
Mike Berkowitz,<br />
exec producer of<br />
“Amy Schumer Live<br />
at the Apollo,” says<br />
she will continue<br />
to showcase her<br />
unfiltered honesty.<br />
“She is just, at her<br />
core, a real human<br />
being and when she<br />
h thi t<br />
h ’<br />
i ”<br />
i<br />
l s<br />
BLOOM: ROB LATOUR/VARIETY/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; CORDEN: HENRY LAMB/PHOTOWIRE/BEIMAGE/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; FORD: BEIMAGES/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; STREEP: JIM SMEAL/BEI/REX SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
88
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EVENT: AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL<br />
Texas Toast to Scribe Tribe<br />
Screenwriter-centric event grows<br />
city’s rep as key spot for industryites<br />
and cinema buffs By Andrew Barker<br />
DRESSED TO KILL Austin audiences get peeks at award season titles such as Brian Helgeland’s mob yarn “Legend,” with Tom Hardy, right, and Taron Egerton, left.<br />
The cool<br />
kids to me<br />
are the<br />
screenwriters.”<br />
Barbara Morgan<br />
WHEN BARBARA MORGAN launched the Austin Film<br />
Festival & Conference back in 1993, she had an<br />
inkling she’d created a strange beast. After all,<br />
hers was a festival centered entirely around<br />
screenwriting, that pointedly eschewed any<br />
sort of VIP treatment or market elements, taking place in a city<br />
whose film culture was still very much in gestation.<br />
But perhaps she didn’t know how strange. Not only had she<br />
never organized a film festival before, but she’d never even been<br />
to one. “I wasn’t even sure we were going to do a second festival,<br />
to be blunt,” remembers Morgan, now the AFF’s executive director.<br />
But at the behest of early festival supporter and then-Texas<br />
Gov. Ann Richards, Columbia Pictures prexy Barry Josephson<br />
attended that inaugural year, and in the process, helped define<br />
its mission.<br />
“That first year, Barry said, ‘Next time you’re in L.A., come<br />
see me.’ So I did, and when I was walking out of his office, he<br />
asked me, ‘Have you ever been to film festival before?’ I thought<br />
it would be a bad time to lie, so I said, ‘No.’ And he said, ‘Well<br />
don’t go. Because you just did everything you’re not supposed to<br />
do, and you should keep doing that.’ ”<br />
Now in its 22nd year, this year’s AFF certainly has the appearance<br />
of a festival that’s doing what it’s supposed to do. Taking<br />
place Oct. 29 to Nov. 4, the fest will be the first place Texas audi-<br />
91
EVENT: AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL<br />
AUSTIN<br />
FESTIVAL<br />
AT A<br />
GLANCE<br />
HONOREES<br />
Outstanding<br />
Television Writer<br />
› Norman Lear (1)<br />
Distinguished<br />
Screenwriter<br />
› Brian Helgeland (2)<br />
Extraordinary<br />
Contribution to<br />
Film and Acting<br />
› John Singleton (3)<br />
› Chris Cooper (4)<br />
FILM HIGHLIGHTS<br />
Opening night<br />
› “Legend”<br />
Closing night<br />
› “The Program”<br />
Centerpiece<br />
› “Burning Bodhi”<br />
HOT TICKET The Austin Film Festival will host the world premiere of “Burning Bodhi,” with Kaley Cuoco, left, as its centerpiece film.<br />
ences can get a glimpse of festival favorites<br />
like Todd Haynes’ “Carol,” Brian Helgeland’s<br />
“Legend” and Paolo Sorrentino’s<br />
“Youth,” as well as the world premiere<br />
of Matthew McDuffie’s “Burning Bodhi.”<br />
The likes of Norman Lear, John Singleton,<br />
Helgeland and Chris Cooper will be<br />
on hand to receive honors, as well as to<br />
conduct some of the 175 panels that will<br />
be presented during the first four days of<br />
the fest. Over eight days, the festival will<br />
Tipsheet<br />
WHAT:<br />
22nd Austin<br />
Film Festival<br />
WHEN:<br />
Oct. 29-<br />
Nov. 5<br />
WHERE:<br />
Austin,<br />
Texas<br />
WEB:<br />
austinfilm<br />
festival.com<br />
screen 180 films.<br />
Morgan emphasizes that<br />
keeping Austin weird is still<br />
very much part of the guiding<br />
philosophy, with the<br />
screenwriting-oriented panels<br />
driving the festival programming,<br />
rather than the<br />
other way around.<br />
“We have an interesting<br />
audience compared to a lot of other festivals,”<br />
she says. “We fill out 30-some-thousand<br />
movie seats, but the conference is<br />
a huge draw. And there are a lot of people<br />
who come to the festival for the conference<br />
who may not go to a single film.<br />
Because they’re in panels, networking,<br />
trying to get their next job. And that’s<br />
really what drives us. We don’t have a<br />
market. We’re nothing like Cannes or<br />
Toronto. We’re not at all like Sundance.<br />
We’re very much a place where the capital<br />
is people.”<br />
And appropriately for Austin, these<br />
events aren’t exactly black-tie affairs.<br />
“There’s a bar” — namely, the one in<br />
the Driskell Hotel lobby — “that tends to<br />
be a big hangout after the panels. Everybody<br />
goes to the bar, whether it’s the<br />
Coen brothers or Oliver Stone. You never<br />
know who you’re standing next to,<br />
because there isn’t another place to go.<br />
And that’s what people are really here to<br />
do, to meet like-minded people who can<br />
give them a leg up.”<br />
When Morgan started the festival, Austin<br />
still might as well have been the Wild<br />
West for many on the coastal industry<br />
hubs; SXSW had yet to add a film component,<br />
Fantastic Fest was a decade away,<br />
and as she remembers, “in California particularly,<br />
there was still the idea that Texans<br />
were all just crazy people with guns.”<br />
Focusing on screenwriting gave AFF an<br />
early identity, and Morgan was impressed<br />
at how well the experiment took.<br />
“We took a group of people who<br />
weren’t used to being invited to the party,<br />
which is the screenwriter, and we threw<br />
them all into a room together,” she says.<br />
“And you know, even all being members<br />
of the Writers Guild, none of them really<br />
knew each other, because they’re not<br />
bumping into each other all the time.<br />
They’re rewriting each other, but they’re<br />
not necessarily bumping into each other.”<br />
Key to maintaining that focus is the<br />
festival’s annual screenwriting competition,<br />
which drew 9,000 submissions this<br />
year. Recent years’ winners have parlayed<br />
the attention into jobs on the writing<br />
staffs of “Empire,” “Silicon Valley,” “Justified”<br />
and “Halt and Catch Fire.” Predictably,<br />
Morgan cites the explosion of aspiring<br />
TV writers as the biggest shift she’s<br />
seen in her years of reading submissions.<br />
The AFF recently added a TV pilot competition,<br />
and just this year, they’re bowing a<br />
scripted digital series competition.<br />
New this year: Global specialist insurer<br />
Hiscox is not only a fest sponsor but<br />
launching the Hiscox Courage Award,<br />
which recognizes the festival film and<br />
filmmaker that best represents courage,<br />
voted on by the audience.<br />
Considering the festival’s continued<br />
success and the preponderance of screenwriter-driven<br />
new media, Morgan says<br />
she’s surprised that no other festival has<br />
followed its lead.<br />
“If you want to hang out with the cool<br />
kids, the cool kids to me are the screenwriters,”<br />
she says. “And I just can’t imagine<br />
why anyone else hasn’t done it. But I<br />
hope they don’t. I hope we keep it ours.”<br />
PANELISTS<br />
Screenwriters<br />
Conference<br />
› Michael Arndt,<br />
Charles Burnett,<br />
John Ridley, Gary<br />
Ross, Shane Black,<br />
Jack Burditt, Peter<br />
Craig, Chad and<br />
Carey Hayes, Mark<br />
Heyman, Angela<br />
Kang, David Wain,<br />
Todd Kessler,<br />
Simon Kinberg,<br />
Jenny Lumet, Kelly<br />
Marcel, Jonathan<br />
Nolan, Nicole<br />
Perlman, Jason<br />
Reitman, Phil<br />
Rosenthal, Terry<br />
Rossio, Liz Tigelaar<br />
1<br />
2<br />
3<br />
4<br />
LEAR: ROB LATOUR/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; HELGELAND: JAMES SHAW/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; SINGLETON: MATT BARON/BEI/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; COOPER: GREGORY PACE/BEI/REX SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
92
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In movies, television, theater, advertising, and media, our holistic approach to<br />
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Hiscox is proud to sponsor the<br />
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sa u es ou c e t<br />
REESE WITHERSPOON<br />
2015 American Cinematheque Award Honoree<br />
Photo by Jean François Campos
ACHIEVEMENT: AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE AWARD<br />
GLOBAL FAN BASE<br />
Reese Witherspoon<br />
signs autographs<br />
at the Bafta<br />
awards in London<br />
earlier this year.<br />
RICHARD YOUNG/REX SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
Standard Bearer Reese Witherspoon<br />
tackles new challenges with onscreen roles,<br />
behind scenes biz leadership By Thelma Adams<br />
WITH THE RISING buzz<br />
about female superheroes,<br />
let’s praise the plain<br />
old Hollywood heroics<br />
of Reese Witherspoon,<br />
who’s being honored Oct. 30 by the American<br />
Cinematheque. The brainy blonde<br />
was ahead of the gender equality curve,<br />
founding her own movie company, Pacific<br />
Standard, and developing female-driven<br />
projects with partner<br />
Tipsheet Bruna Papandrea. Given<br />
WHAT:<br />
American the New Orleans native’s<br />
Cinematheque Type-A personality, it’s<br />
Award<br />
no surprise that her<br />
WHEN:<br />
Oct. 30 company’s first two films,<br />
WHERE: “Wild” (in which she<br />
Hyatt Regency starred) and “Gone Girl,”<br />
Century Plaza,<br />
Los Angeles earned three Oscar nominations<br />
— with Wither-<br />
WEB:<br />
Americancinematheque.comspoon<br />
nabbing one for<br />
ball<br />
actress.<br />
With these two films,<br />
Witherspoon, an avid reader, solidified<br />
the bridge between chick lit and chick<br />
films that had already been established<br />
by YA super-hits “The Twilight Saga” and<br />
“The Hunger Games.” And, like the heroines<br />
in these post-feminist movies, Witherspoon<br />
wasn’t going to go all damsel-in-distress:<br />
if there weren’t enough<br />
challenging female roles, she would build<br />
them herself.<br />
It’s an action that would please Tracy<br />
Flick, the overachiever stereotype of<br />
a future D.C. player in Alexander Payne’s<br />
1999 classic, “Election.” In this literate,<br />
dark comedy about the rough road to student<br />
body president as political metaphor,<br />
Witherspoon planted the seeds for a<br />
thoroughbred career: intelligent, literate,<br />
beautiful — and not afraid to bust balls.<br />
Another Witherspoon touchstone was<br />
the beloved “Legally Blonde” movies. Her<br />
Elle Woods is underestimated by almost<br />
everyone she encounters — the fools can’t<br />
see beyond her curtain of golden locks<br />
and girly wardrobe. But Woods owns her<br />
beauty and fashion obsession. Woods<br />
turns that combination into something<br />
powerful and takes it all the way to court.<br />
Dumb blonde? Hardly! RIP stereotype.<br />
She could also “Walk the Line” in a<br />
different direction. Preppy mama Witherspoon<br />
and method monster Joaquin<br />
Phoenix make a moving duet as June Car-<br />
1<br />
2<br />
Reese’s Pieces<br />
Actress has turned in<br />
many enduring characters<br />
.<br />
› “Walk the Line” (1)<br />
(2005)<br />
$186 million worldwide<br />
B.O., plus Oscar<br />
for Witherspoon<br />
› “Legally Blonde”<br />
(2001)<br />
$141 million worldwide<br />
B.O. and cultural<br />
touchstone<br />
› “Election” (2)<br />
(2000)<br />
Iconic comedy<br />
performance<br />
ter Cash and Johnny Cash. She nabbed an<br />
actress Oscar (he got an actor nom) as a<br />
Southern singer etching out a career in a<br />
chokingly male-dominated business while<br />
married to a musical genius who also<br />
happens to be substance abuser.<br />
Witherspoon takes surprising leaps<br />
— and always sticks that landing. Take<br />
“Wild,” in which she played sex-and-drug<br />
addict Cheryl Strayed on her 1,100-mile<br />
trek to recovery. This was dark territory<br />
for Witherspoon, but that mood chimed<br />
with the malevolent mystery she produced<br />
that same year: “Gone Girl.” Gillian Flynn’s<br />
bestseller became a Ben Affleck-Rosamund<br />
Pike hit, grossing $368 million<br />
worldwide, and $168 million domestically.<br />
(But though Witherspoon has the sunny<br />
looks of an ad-ready Breck girl, early roles<br />
included edgy indies such as “Freeway,”<br />
and memorable turns in cult classics “Cruel<br />
Intentions” and “American Psycho.”)<br />
In “Wild” and “Gone Girl,” the first two<br />
films produced by Pacific Standard, Witherspoon<br />
loosened up (a bit — she’ll always<br />
be Type A), revealing her struggle and her<br />
triumph by seizing the means of film production<br />
and making a path for her talent,<br />
and that of female authors like Flynn and<br />
Strayed.<br />
The canny powerhouse is rising as a<br />
key player at 39, just when old Hollywood<br />
would have been calculating her sell-by<br />
date. Like Tracy Flick, she is taking no<br />
prisoners — and gathering well-deserved<br />
kudos.<br />
95
EVENT: FESTIVAL LUCCA COMICS AND GAMES<br />
COSPLAY TIME<br />
Lucca becomes<br />
even more<br />
picturesque<br />
during Comics<br />
and Games.<br />
Get Me to the Geeks Tuscan<br />
confab draws Hollywood majors<br />
to medieval mecca By Nick Vivarelli<br />
WELCOME TO THE Western<br />
world’s biggest geek<br />
meet.<br />
Some 254,000 ticket-buying<br />
fans descended<br />
last year upon Lucca Comics & Games,<br />
for comics fans with a European twist<br />
held within the medieval<br />
Tipsheet<br />
WHAT:<br />
walls of the Tuscan town<br />
Lucca Intl. of Lucca, which Henry<br />
James once described<br />
Festival of<br />
Comics,<br />
Animation, as “overflowing with<br />
Illustration and everything.”<br />
Games<br />
Numerically the fourday<br />
Lucca fest/con-<br />
WHEN:<br />
Oct. 29-Nov. 1<br />
WHERE: vention dedicated to<br />
Lucca, Italy fandom, cosplay, role-<br />
WEB:<br />
luccacomics playing games, and the<br />
andgames.com whole cross-media universe<br />
of comics — comprising movies,<br />
TV and music — is the second-largest<br />
geek culture event after Tokyo’s Comiket,<br />
which boasts 550,000 fans. That’s almost<br />
twice as many as Comic-Com in San<br />
Diego, though access to both is limited.<br />
Just like Comic-Con, Lucca Comics<br />
started decades ago as a comic book convention.<br />
And somewhat similarly it’s now<br />
become an integral part of the Hollywood<br />
studios’ promotional push in Europe,<br />
including Disney’s “Star Wars: The Force<br />
Awakens,” Fox’s “The Peanuts Movie” and<br />
Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay<br />
— Part 2,” which Universal Pictures<br />
Intl. Italy is distribbing in the country.<br />
“Five years ago we approached Lucca<br />
to start the film section and from the start<br />
the Hollywood majors have been very<br />
responsive, bringing strong content,” says<br />
Giovanni Cova, topper of Milan-based<br />
entertainment marketing company QMI.<br />
Italian distributors and TV broadcasters<br />
also attend in full force.<br />
That said, Japanese manga mania<br />
dominates in the Renaissance-era gem, a<br />
town known for its pink-hued churches<br />
and 16th-century walls, where a dedicated<br />
quarter turns into Japan Town during the<br />
shindig. But aside from the various geek<br />
cultures at play, what really defines Lucca<br />
Comics is the venue.<br />
“Lucca has a soul,” says Renato Genovese,<br />
the event’s topper. “It’s a unique pop<br />
universe where everyone comes to share<br />
an experience in the streets, the gardens<br />
and piazzas, the cafes, the pizzerias, all<br />
within the walls of a medieval city which<br />
is like an island.”<br />
Among its plethora of events and initiatives<br />
Genovese is particularly proud<br />
of the fact that Lucca Comics recently<br />
launched a crowdfunding portal for<br />
projects with comic world ties and that<br />
spawned standout Italian content such as<br />
“Getalive” a Web series spoofing role-playing<br />
gamers.<br />
Highlights<br />
A major exhibition titled<br />
“The Fantastic World<br />
of Peanuts” will celebrate<br />
the 65th anniversary<br />
of Charlie Brown,<br />
Snoopy and other<br />
Charles Schultz characters.<br />
Besides original<br />
drawings and strips,<br />
grouped both chronologically<br />
and thematically,<br />
it will have a multimedia<br />
component.<br />
Oct. 29<br />
2 p.m. Japan Town<br />
stage: Filmmaker<br />
Mamoru Oshii and his<br />
producer Mitsuhisa Ishikawa<br />
will meet fans<br />
during an onstage conversation<br />
and also a<br />
master class.<br />
Oct. 30<br />
6:30 p.m. Astra Movie<br />
Theatre: “Doctor Who”<br />
showrunner Steven Moffat<br />
and scribe Jamie<br />
Mathieson will be on<br />
hand for a Q&A following<br />
the Italo preem of<br />
the show’s “The Magician’s<br />
Apprentice” episode<br />
that opens the<br />
ninth series.<br />
ITALY’S GENRE FEAST MIXES IN ASIAN FLAVOR<br />
Though<br />
Hollywood<br />
content plays<br />
prominently at Lucca<br />
Comics & Games, Asian<br />
pop culture is a deeply<br />
entrenched aspect of<br />
the unique immersive<br />
experience sought by<br />
the thousands of fans<br />
who flock to the event.<br />
Accordingly,<br />
Japanese anime<br />
and manga director<br />
Mamoru Oshii will<br />
make the trek to<br />
Lucca to screen his<br />
live action/CG effects<br />
hybrid “Garm Wars:<br />
The Last Druid,” hold<br />
a master class and<br />
receive a prize, with his<br />
producer and longtime<br />
collaborator Mitsuhisa<br />
Ishikawa in tow.<br />
Ishikawa is cofounder<br />
and CEO<br />
of Tokyo-based<br />
anime production<br />
powerhouse<br />
Production I.G., which,<br />
like Lucca Comics,<br />
is also involved in<br />
television series, video<br />
games and music.<br />
Known for<br />
philosophical<br />
storytelling, Oshii is<br />
among the world’s<br />
most respected animeauteurs.<br />
He is the only<br />
one to have made the<br />
cut for competition<br />
at Cannes with<br />
“Ghost in the Shell 2:<br />
Innocence,” his sequel<br />
of sorts to seminal<br />
cyberpunk pic “Ghost<br />
in the Shell,” about a<br />
cyborg desperately<br />
seeking the meaning<br />
of existence.<br />
The search for<br />
meaning is also a<br />
theme in Oshii’s “Garm<br />
Wars,” about a war<br />
fought by three tribes<br />
of clones (“Garms”)<br />
during which a<br />
female clone leaves<br />
the battlefield<br />
to undertake an<br />
existential journey.<br />
— Nick Vivarelli<br />
96
ACHIEVEMENT: WALK OF FAME HONOR: SNOOPY<br />
Pup in the Air Charlie Brown’s<br />
beloved beagle has proven timeless<br />
pal for young and old By Seth Kelley<br />
PF1 WENN PHOTOS/NEWSCOM<br />
HIS LIFE HE TRIED to be<br />
a good person,” begins the<br />
famous quote by Charles M.<br />
“ALL<br />
Schulz. “Many times, however,<br />
he failed. For after all, he<br />
was only human. He wasn’t a dog.”<br />
Snoopy, the beloved cartoon beagle<br />
based on Schulz’s own family dog Spike,<br />
first appeared in the Peanuts comic strip<br />
on Oct. 4, 1950. And now, 65 years later,<br />
the dog’s legacy will be cemented, alongside<br />
Schulz’s, when he receives a star on<br />
the Walk of Fame on Nov. 2.<br />
Snoopy’s range of characters over the<br />
years — World War I flying ace, famous<br />
writer, lawyer, astronaut, hockey player<br />
among them — rivals many Hollywood<br />
legends. And with a career spanning nearly<br />
five decades in the strip and more in<br />
TV and film, Snoopy’s career is a model<br />
for longevity. He even coined a signature<br />
move — the “happy dance” — in which<br />
he points his nose to the sky, curves his<br />
mouth into a “U” shape and scampers<br />
about, feet radiating with energy.<br />
But Snoopy wasn’t always the adventurous,<br />
character actor that we know<br />
him as today. In the beginning, Snoopy’s<br />
anthropomorphic tendencies were more<br />
subtle than in later years, says Jean<br />
Schulz, Charles’ widow, who now sits as<br />
board president at the Charles Schulz<br />
Museum and Research Center in Santa<br />
Rosa, Calif. In fact, Snoopy did not speak<br />
until 1952. But even in those first years,<br />
Charles Schulz found creative ways for<br />
A BOY AND HIS<br />
DOG Over the<br />
years, Snoopy<br />
would play<br />
a variety of<br />
characters,<br />
including a WWI<br />
Flying Ace.<br />
Snoopy to communicate.<br />
“Snoopy was doing some very clever<br />
things and Sparky was using him for visual<br />
humor,” Jean Schulz says, referring to<br />
her late husband by his nickname. For<br />
example, in one strip that depicts a baseball<br />
game, Snoopy puts his ears out to<br />
call safe. In another, the kids play hideand-seek.<br />
“Someone runs past him and<br />
he points that ear out,” she laughs. But<br />
Snoopy’s humor is no mystery, considering<br />
his inspiration, Spike, was apparently<br />
a pretty intelligent model. Jean Schulz<br />
says her husband used to say Spike understood<br />
50 words. “He would say ‘Spike, go<br />
down to the cellar and get a potato,’ and<br />
he’d come back with a potato,” she says.<br />
But despite Snoopy’s immediate ten-<br />
99
ACHIEVEMENT: WALK OF FAME HONOR: SNOOPY<br />
dency toward humor and intelligence,<br />
Schulz says her late husband knew he had<br />
truly tapped into the beagle’s potential<br />
when he allowed the pup to stand on its<br />
hind legs and sit atop the doghouse. “He<br />
[said] that changed the whole strip.”<br />
From that point on, Charles Schulz<br />
helped Snoopy discover his fantasy<br />
life that rocketed his career forward to<br />
become the famous and beloved character<br />
that he is today. Not only did the<br />
pup and his bird pals gain popularity in<br />
the strip, they also became<br />
Tipsheet<br />
a sort of marketing national<br />
treasure. In the world of<br />
WHAT:<br />
Snoopy<br />
receives a flight, Snoopy became a symbol<br />
for exploration with ties<br />
star on the<br />
Hollywood<br />
Walk of to NASA, the Air Force communications<br />
and MetLife<br />
Fame.<br />
WHEN:<br />
to provide aerial coverage<br />
11:30 a.m.<br />
Nov. 2 during sporting events. He<br />
WHERE: has also made his way into<br />
7201 Hollywood<br />
Blvd.<br />
two of the most prized positions<br />
in American culture as<br />
WEB:<br />
walkoffame.com<br />
both a stamp and a temporary<br />
part of the Google logo.<br />
Snoopy will take another step forward<br />
when he stars in the upcoming “The Peanuts<br />
Movie” feature film, hitting theaters<br />
Nov. 6. Though it centers around Charlie<br />
Brown and his quest to find love with the<br />
Little Red-Haired Girl, Snoopy still gets<br />
plenty of attention. The film uses a unique<br />
style of animation that attempts to reconcile<br />
a current, three-dimensional look<br />
with the strip’s two-dimensional integrity.<br />
In “The Peanuts Movie” Snoopy is<br />
voiced using archival recordings by Bill<br />
Melendez who has historically been the<br />
voice of Snoopy in addition to directing<br />
many of the Charlie Brown TV specials.<br />
Steve Martino, who directed “ The Peanuts<br />
Movie,” says there was no point in<br />
trying to replicate Melendez’s original<br />
voiceover work. “As we listened to (the<br />
archived recordings) and I started to cut<br />
those into our story reels, we couldn’t<br />
create anything other than that,” Martino<br />
says. “Bill is so funny and Snoopy is so<br />
hilarious in his voice, so he is Snoopy and<br />
Woodstock.”<br />
In terms of design, Martino says the<br />
Snoopy in the movie is close to Schulz’s<br />
drawings from the 1980s, something that<br />
was a joint decision with the film’s writer<br />
and producer, Craig Schulz, who also happens<br />
to be the artist’s son. But he is quick<br />
to add that there are others thrown in, for<br />
example, some poses from the ’60s that<br />
the director finds particularly hilarious.<br />
“As Snoopy acts in such a big way,he’ll<br />
strike poses from different generations.”<br />
Paul Feig, one of the film’s producers,<br />
posits that one reason Snoopy resonates<br />
so deeply with readers across generations<br />
is that the dog’s adventures mirror<br />
the process of an artist. “(As an artist) you<br />
start to look both beyond your world, and<br />
then also into yourself to find things that<br />
aren’t part of your life at the moment,”<br />
Feig says. “What could I be today? I could<br />
be an astronaut. I could be a World War I<br />
flying ace. I could be anything, really.”<br />
It seems long overdue that Snoopy be<br />
recognized for spreading so much puppy<br />
love. “Honestly, Snoopy has probably<br />
entertained people for longer than most<br />
people on the Walk of Fame,” Feig says.<br />
“He’s been making people laugh for 65<br />
years.” Cue the happy dance.<br />
A STAR IS<br />
BORN Snoopy<br />
plays a large<br />
part in the<br />
upcoming<br />
“The Peanuts<br />
Movie.”<br />
As Snoopy<br />
acts in such<br />
a big way, he’ll<br />
strike poses<br />
from different<br />
generations.”<br />
Steve Martino<br />
SNOOPY TIMELINE:<br />
HIS LIFE AS A DOG<br />
1934<br />
The Schulz family<br />
acquires Spike,<br />
the inspiration for<br />
Snoopy.<br />
1952<br />
Snoopy’s<br />
thoughts are<br />
verbalized for<br />
the first time.<br />
1965<br />
Snoopy adapt<br />
the persona of<br />
the World Wa<br />
Flying Ace for<br />
the first time.<br />
2001<br />
A series of stamps<br />
showing Snoopy<br />
as the World War<br />
I Flying Ace are<br />
released.<br />
1950<br />
Snoopy appears<br />
in the “Peanuts”<br />
comic strip for<br />
the first time.<br />
1957<br />
Snoopy learns<br />
how to walk on<br />
two legs.<br />
1969<br />
The astronauts<br />
on Apollo X carry<br />
Charlie Brown<br />
and Snoopy<br />
into space.<br />
2009<br />
Google features<br />
Snoopy and<br />
Woodstock in<br />
its logo.<br />
THE PEANUTS MOVIE: 20TH CENTURY FOX/PEANUTS WORLDWIDE LLC.; 1934, 1952, 1957, 1965, 2001: COURTESY OF THE CHARLES M. SCHULZ MUSEUM AND RESEARCH CENTER, SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA; 1950, 2009: 2015 PEANUTS WORLDWIDE LLC.; 1969: NASA/COURTESY OF THE CHARLES M. SCHULZ MUSEUM AND RESEARCH CENTER, SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA<br />
100
GLOBAL<br />
NEW ERA<br />
In Tehran, a<br />
woman celebrates<br />
the nuclear pact<br />
between Iran and<br />
an international<br />
coalition on<br />
July 14.<br />
Iran Biz May Power Up on<br />
NUCLEAR DEAL<br />
Local film industry hopes that economic sanctions may be lifted, giving pics a boost<br />
BY NICK VIVARELLI<br />
Will the Iran<br />
nuclear deal<br />
energize the<br />
country’s<br />
filmmakers<br />
and open up<br />
the Iranian<br />
film industry internationally?<br />
Now that the landmark accord<br />
between Iran and the U.S., Britain,<br />
France, Germany, China and Russia has<br />
In time,<br />
I would like<br />
to bring a<br />
Western<br />
production<br />
here.”<br />
Barry Navidi<br />
been officially adopted, it’s likely that<br />
economic sanctions against Iran will<br />
be lifted. That may even open roads for<br />
foreign film companies, including the<br />
Hollywood studios, into a country where<br />
more than half of the 81 million citizens<br />
are under 30.<br />
For the U.S. film industry, it was never<br />
illegal for an Iranian national to acquire<br />
an American movie and show it, but U.S.<br />
distributors nevertheless have been subject<br />
to restrictions on doing business in<br />
the Middle Eastern nation.<br />
“We are not allowed to invest in distribution<br />
or promotion on a film, which you<br />
would normally do, which makes (such an<br />
investment) not a very interesting proposition,”<br />
says Chris Marcich, president of<br />
international for the Motion Picture Assn.<br />
of America.<br />
But, he adds, “If sanctions are lifted,<br />
there would be no more stumbling<br />
NAZANIN TABATABAEE YAZDI/POLARIS/NEWSCOM<br />
102 Global
MAJIDI: MICHELE TANTUSSI/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; WRITING ON THE CITY: SAJAD VASIRESH/AP<br />
blocks on the U.S. side for Hollywood to<br />
seek opportunities in Iran .” According to<br />
Marcich, it would be up to the studios<br />
to decide whether they think the time is<br />
right to develop the market.<br />
Several Hollywood majors did not<br />
return requests for comment .<br />
In early June, as the accord was being<br />
assessed by the international community,<br />
and its adoption seemed imminent,<br />
producer Barry Navidi (who works closely<br />
with Al Pacino) returned to his native<br />
Tehran after 15 years to hold a master<br />
class at the Intl. Urban Film Festival.<br />
“In time, with the right circumstances, I<br />
would like to bring a Western production<br />
here,” Navidi told Variety. “It would be<br />
nice to bring the two cultures together,<br />
and make something international.”<br />
That’s not likely to happen soon, but<br />
lifting sanctions could boost the local film<br />
industry, says Iranian director Shahram<br />
Mokri. “First, because filmmakers can<br />
hope that people will have more leisure<br />
time to go see movies (when the economy<br />
picks up).” Second , because a more competitive<br />
atmosphere will prompt more Iranian<br />
filmmakers to want to make themselves<br />
known abroad, he says. Mokri’s<br />
single-take slasher “Fish & Cat” made an<br />
international splash after launching at<br />
Venice, and it’s also a hit locally.<br />
Harry Amies, who runs London-based<br />
company Harry/Amir, which aims to<br />
bring Western productions into Iran in<br />
partnership with Iranian producer Amir<br />
Rezazadeh , also is optimistic, while taking<br />
a wait-and-see approach. “It won’t mean<br />
that everything will open up immediately,<br />
but it will definitely make international<br />
collaboration and distribution easier,”<br />
he says, adding that a degree of fear<br />
remains as well. Hardliners, who gave<br />
ground to reach the nuclear agreement,<br />
may now put more pressure on the arts<br />
and culture sector .<br />
A possible sign of that backlash: In<br />
mid-October Iranian filmmaker Keywan<br />
Karimi was sentenced to six years in jail<br />
and 223 lashes for his film “Writing on<br />
the City,” about political graffiti spanning<br />
the period from the 1979 Islamic Revolution<br />
through Iran’s contested 2009 election.<br />
Though sentenced, Karimi remains<br />
free pending appeal.<br />
Director Reza Dormishian — whose<br />
“I’m Not Angry,” about a student expelled<br />
from his university for his politics, is<br />
banned in Iran but traveled widely on<br />
the fest circuit — sees a linkage between<br />
economics and freedom. “Naturally, when<br />
the economic situation improves, we will<br />
face (the issue) of having more cultural<br />
tolerance,” he says.<br />
There is already more willingness by<br />
the government to allow international<br />
broadcasters back into Iran — BBC News<br />
recently sent a reporter to the country<br />
for the first time since the disputed 2009<br />
‘Muhammad’<br />
Stirs Protests,<br />
and Big B.O.<br />
Since the 1979 Iranian<br />
revolution, the local<br />
film industry has not<br />
been known for trying<br />
to make blockbusters.<br />
But there is one exception,<br />
“Muhammad: The<br />
Messenger of God,” an<br />
epic directed by Majid<br />
Majidi, the first Iranian<br />
to be nominated<br />
for a foreign-language<br />
Oscar (1997’s “Children<br />
of Heaven”) .<br />
An almost threehour<br />
reconstruction<br />
of the childhood of<br />
the prophet Muhammad<br />
through age 12,<br />
“Messenger of God”<br />
is considered to be<br />
Iran’s most expensive<br />
movie, at an estimated<br />
$40 million , and one<br />
intended for release<br />
around the world.<br />
“Muhammad”<br />
reportedly grossed<br />
more than 70 billion<br />
rials (roughly $2 million)<br />
in its first two<br />
weeks, after opening<br />
in late August on more<br />
than half of Iran’s 330<br />
screens. That’s a nice<br />
haul, if it’s accurate.<br />
The film has met<br />
with controversy outside<br />
Iran, where some<br />
Sunni Muslims believe<br />
that any representation<br />
of the prophet<br />
is blasphemous. ( For<br />
Iran’s predominantly<br />
Shiite community,<br />
that’s less of an issue.)<br />
In September, a<br />
Sunni group in India<br />
issued a fatwa against<br />
Majidi and Indian composer<br />
A.R. Rahman,<br />
who scored the film.<br />
Other Sunni groups<br />
have called for a ban.<br />
Nevertheless, Iran<br />
has submitted the<br />
film in the foreign-language<br />
Oscar race.<br />
presidential election, and authorities have<br />
let journalists from American-Jewish<br />
magazine the Forward into the nation to<br />
do a wide-ranging report about Iran.<br />
But earlier this month, after being<br />
held for months without being officially<br />
charged, Washington Post reporter Jason<br />
Rezaian, was convicted of espionage , a<br />
charge the reporter denies.<br />
Rezazadeh says the Iranian government<br />
believes it has been misrepresented<br />
by the international media. “ They hope<br />
that by allowing more international<br />
media in, that image will gradually<br />
change,” he says. Still, the main problem<br />
with the Iranian film industry is that it is<br />
severely underscreened.<br />
“We just have 330 screens for a country<br />
of 81 million people. That’s nothing ,” says<br />
Mohammad Attebbai, topper of global<br />
sales shingle Iranian Independents.<br />
Moreover, 99% of those locations show<br />
local films exclusively . Out of 75 movies<br />
screened in Iran in 2013, the only foreign<br />
title was “Caesar Must Die” by Paolo and<br />
Vittorio Taviani. Worse, the number of<br />
moviegoers in Iran is gradually decreasing<br />
, notes Iranian film journalist Hossein<br />
Eidi Zadeh . “Screening foreign films<br />
would be a good way to encourage people<br />
to go see more movies,” he says, but adds<br />
that distributors would have to find a way<br />
to show films with minimal or no censorship<br />
— a difficult task .<br />
Further alienating the studios, piracy<br />
of Hollywood titles is rampant, and not<br />
just on the Internet. In June, during<br />
the Urban Fest, a bookstore at Tehran’s<br />
Mellat multiplex was selling censored<br />
bootlegs of Hollywood titles, including<br />
“Kill Bill: Vol. 2,” “Collateral Damage” and<br />
“Babylon A.D.”<br />
Yet, a willingness to let bygones be<br />
bygones exists within cultural circles in<br />
both the U.S. and Iran. “I’m just hoping<br />
that in two or three years, the sanctions<br />
will get lifted, and we will be able to<br />
really get things going here,” says Amir<br />
Esfandiari, head of international affairs<br />
at the Farabi Cinema Foundation, which<br />
reps Iranian cinema at festivals and markets<br />
around the world.<br />
On July 14, when the agreement was<br />
initially signed, many Iranians, tired of<br />
sanctions and isolation, danced in the<br />
streets and celebrated on social media,<br />
where #IranDeal trended on Twitter<br />
and #IranWinsPeace was tweeted 2.8<br />
million times.<br />
The MPAA’s Marcich understands<br />
the country’s depth of creativity. “Politics<br />
aside, they are a nation with a film<br />
tradition, with pride in their films and an<br />
interest in what Hollywood does,” he says .<br />
“There was always a dialogue, but<br />
we couldn’t take it any further because<br />
the situation prevented it. It was always<br />
sort of an expression of ‘Let’s hope that<br />
soon we will be able to take this further.’<br />
I think now we are on the verge of being<br />
able to do that, and I think that would be<br />
good for both countries.”<br />
REEL LIFE Shahram Mokri’s genre film “Fish & Cat,” clockwise from top left, is a local hit;<br />
pirated movies for sale on the streets of Tehran; director Keywan Karimi, above left, films<br />
“Writing on the City,” for which he was sentenced to six years in prison.<br />
Global<br />
103
Getting Trauma<br />
Center Up to ‘Code’<br />
TODD LONGWELL<br />
@toddlongwell1<br />
On CBS’ “Code Black,” the hallways and<br />
operating rooms of Angels Memorial<br />
Hospital don’t have the gleaming white<br />
surfaces seen on the typical medical show.<br />
The space is gritty and lived-in, with<br />
layers of wear reflecting the building’s<br />
80-plus-year history, as well as its status<br />
as a chaotic, overtaxed trauma center.<br />
“We wanted a world that felt made<br />
for humans, by humans,” explains creator<br />
and showrunner Michael Seitzman.<br />
“It had to be as analog as we could make<br />
it. We leave tape and Post-its everywhere<br />
to show a world that’s very lived in, even<br />
misspell signs on the walls — anything<br />
that will remind us of the humans that<br />
inhabit this place.”<br />
Inspired by the 2013 documentary<br />
of the same name directed by Dr. Ryan<br />
McGarry (an executive producer on the<br />
show), “Code Black” captures the waning<br />
days of the original Los Angeles County<br />
General Hospital. Built in 1928, it housed<br />
the busiest trauma center in the U.S. The<br />
pilot was shot on location at the now disused<br />
original facility.<br />
For that initial episode, production<br />
designer Richard Toyon took lots of photos<br />
of the hospital . When the show went<br />
to series, he used them to re-create the<br />
facility on the Disney lot in Burbank.<br />
Most of the sets are covered by a corkboard<br />
drop ceiling, which means no<br />
overhead lighting. Thanks to the broader<br />
exposure range of digital cameras, the<br />
crew can make do with practical lights.<br />
“We come in, turn the lights on and<br />
we’re ready to go,” says L.J. Houdyshell,<br />
who was promoted from art director to<br />
production designer when Toyon left to<br />
resume work on HBO’s “Silicon Valley.”<br />
For the show’s trauma room, known<br />
as Center Stage, Toyon found four vintage<br />
overhead operating room lights on eBay<br />
for $1,200. Together, they had enough<br />
usable parts to make one light .<br />
A large portion of the set dressing —<br />
including gurneys, beds, lights, X-ray<br />
holders, clipboards and textbooks from<br />
different eras — were bought as surplus<br />
from L.A. County General , but the slightly<br />
out-of-date health ad posters that paper<br />
the walls were produced in-house.<br />
Toyon and team also built a wallmounted<br />
box that they dubbed the<br />
Code-Black-ometer. It lights up with progressively<br />
urgent status codes, from green<br />
to yellow to red to black. Made with surplus<br />
Chevy taillights and ’60s push-button<br />
consoles, it looks convincingly vintage, but<br />
it’s a fictional device created by Seitzman,<br />
Toyon and exec producer David Semel to<br />
illustrate the codes to the audience.<br />
No detail was spared. “We even spilled<br />
fake blood” on the off-white tile that covers<br />
the floor of the soundstages , says Toyon,<br />
“and wiped it up so the color was<br />
in-between the tiles, and it had that heavily<br />
used sense.”<br />
TRAUMA DRAMA<br />
“Code Black”<br />
designers created<br />
a gritty big-city<br />
ER that reflects<br />
the chaos and<br />
distress of urban<br />
hospitals.<br />
We wanted<br />
a world that<br />
felt made for<br />
humans, by<br />
humans.”<br />
Michael Seitzman<br />
SEITZMAN: ROB LATOUR/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; CODE BLACK: RICHARD CARTWRIGHT/CBS<br />
104 Artisans
VOICE: JASMINE SAFAEIAN; IRELAND: SHUTTERSTOCK<br />
Costumes Find<br />
Their ‘Voice’<br />
No material is off limits for “The Voice” head<br />
costume designer Erin Hirsh — including<br />
the bullet casings and NASA-developed<br />
lightning technology she once worked<br />
into Kanye West’s illuminated jacket and<br />
sunglasses.<br />
Having worked on eight of the show’s<br />
nine seasons, Hirsh always begins her<br />
process by sending contestants style<br />
sheets a few weeks ahead of their first<br />
appearance to learn about color and fashion<br />
preferences.<br />
Once the season of live shows gets<br />
under way, her timeline doesn’t always<br />
allow her to build each individual costume.<br />
Instead, she’ll embellish found<br />
items with fun fabric or objects.<br />
In addition to avoiding cloth such as<br />
nylon and linen that display poorly on<br />
camera, she eschews materials that affect<br />
sound quality — always checking in with<br />
sound engineers before adding embellishments<br />
or jewelry.<br />
“I like to take things out of context,”<br />
says Hirsh, “like going into Home Depot<br />
PRODUCTION CHART<br />
TITLE/DISTRIB PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CAST SHOOT START LOCATION<br />
Before I Fall<br />
The Bye Bye Man<br />
Emerald City<br />
(series) NBC<br />
The Girl on the Train<br />
Touchstone Pictures<br />
Overanalyzers<br />
(pilot)<br />
INCENTIVES<br />
The<br />
Green I$le<br />
For the discerning producer,<br />
Ireland offers a plethora of<br />
shooting possibilities: rolling<br />
hills, rocky bluffs, sparkling<br />
lakes, charming hamlets and<br />
rustic farmhouses. The nation’s<br />
film commission maintains<br />
offices not only in Ireland<br />
but also in North America<br />
to facilitate the production<br />
process for Hollywood execs.<br />
Another sweetener: a recently<br />
raised, hefty tax credit perproject<br />
cap of €70 million<br />
($78 million).<br />
Awesomeness Films,<br />
Jon Shestack Prods.<br />
Intrepid Pictures,<br />
Los Angeles Media Fund<br />
Universal Television<br />
DreamWorks Studios,<br />
Marc Platt Prods.<br />
DRESSED TO SING<br />
Costume<br />
designer Erin<br />
Hirsh, left,<br />
preps season<br />
seven contestant<br />
Reagan James<br />
on “The Voice.”<br />
Ry Russo-Young Zoey Deutch 11/16 Vancouver<br />
Stacy Title Douglas Smith, Doug Jones 11/2 Cleveland<br />
Tarsem Singh<br />
Vincent D’Onofrio,<br />
Adria Arjona<br />
11/16 Budapest<br />
Tate Taylor Emily Blunt, Chris Evans 11/11 New York<br />
Comedy Central Bryan Poyser Echo Kellum 11/9 Atlanta<br />
Data provided by Variety Insight. For a complete list of films in production, visit varietyinsight.com<br />
IRELAND<br />
and grabbing material I can work into<br />
a design.”<br />
She particularly enjoys creating costumes<br />
for those individuals who may not<br />
easily find stage-worthy clothing.<br />
“I love working with plus size contestants<br />
to create things they feel great in,”<br />
she says.<br />
— Marj Galas<br />
“Miss Julie”<br />
“The Tudors”<br />
“Leap Year”<br />
32%<br />
Tax incentive<br />
for eligible Irish<br />
expenditures,<br />
including cost<br />
of cast and crew<br />
working in Ireland,<br />
plus goods and<br />
services purchased<br />
there<br />
€139k<br />
Minimum eligible<br />
spend, or:<br />
€278k<br />
Minimum<br />
project total<br />
$78m<br />
Per-project<br />
cap<br />
Kodak<br />
Campus<br />
Goes Digital<br />
DAVE McNARY<br />
@variety_dmcnary<br />
Perhaps nothing better symbolizes Hollywood’s<br />
digital migration than the conversion<br />
of the historic Eastman Kodak<br />
complex on Santa Monica Boulevard — a<br />
longtime bastion of film technology —<br />
into a digital campus.<br />
The center opened in 1929. It’s where<br />
Kodak scientists developed the first<br />
motion picture film specifically designed<br />
for movies with audio. Cinematographers<br />
watched dailies in its screening room.<br />
But, as everyone knows, the growing<br />
use of digital-imaging technologies began<br />
to drive down film sales in the late 1990s<br />
— and Kodak struggled. The company<br />
filed for bankruptcy in 2012, and the main<br />
building was shuttered.<br />
Fast-forward to the present day. The<br />
SIM Group has announced the signing of<br />
a long-term lease for the 65,000-squarefoot<br />
facility. Following a multimillion-dollar<br />
buildout, per the company, the space<br />
is scheduled to reopen in April as a onestop<br />
shop for camera packages, workflow<br />
design and editing, housing three SIM<br />
units: equipment rental house SIM Digital,<br />
post-production shop Chainsaw, and<br />
Bling Digital, which provides workflow<br />
services and processing of dailies.<br />
“We are well aware of the irony of<br />
being an all-digital enterprise in the<br />
Kodak headquarters,” says James Martin,<br />
SIM Group’s chief strategy officer.<br />
“But with the expanded tax credit program<br />
in California and the digital business<br />
expanding, we see Los Angeles as the<br />
ideal location for our services.”<br />
Adds Chainsaw founder Bill DeRonde:<br />
“The history is what attracted us. Since<br />
we announced our lease agreement last<br />
month, we’ve been hearing from lots<br />
of d.p.’s who say, ‘You can’t believe how<br />
much history there is in that building.’ ”<br />
DIGITAL CONVERSION The SIM Group is<br />
taking over Hollywood’s old Kodak building.<br />
INFORMATION COURTESY OF EP FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, A PRODUCTION<br />
INCENTIVE CONSULTING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY.<br />
Artisans<br />
105
FINALCUT<br />
French Twists<br />
“The Returned” continues<br />
to unfold its mystery<br />
in richly atmospheric<br />
fashion. p.116<br />
Executech<br />
GorillaPod, GoPro Hero 4<br />
and other small cameras<br />
suit your fall photography<br />
needs. p.120<br />
My First Time<br />
Norman Lear was part of<br />
a wave of L.A. comedy<br />
writers who moved East<br />
in 1950. p.122<br />
‘Burnt’ Sienna<br />
The Steven Knightscripted<br />
chef drama<br />
doesn’t whip up<br />
anything new. p.108<br />
FILM REVIEW<br />
GUY LODGE<br />
Spectre<br />
DIRECTOR: Sam Mendes<br />
STARRING: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz,<br />
Lea Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes<br />
dead are alive” are<br />
the very first words<br />
printed onscreen in<br />
“The<br />
“Spectre,” the 24th<br />
and far-from-last<br />
James Bond adventure. It’s a statement<br />
that could be viewed as a preemptive<br />
spoiler, a sly double-bluff or a swaggering<br />
boast from a death-defying franchise<br />
that, following the soaring success of<br />
“Skyfall,” couldn’t be in better health.<br />
Sam Mendes’ second consecutive Bond<br />
outing passes its physical with flying<br />
colors: Ricocheting from London to<br />
Rome to Morocco across action sequences<br />
of deliriously daft extravagance, the<br />
pic accumulates a veritable Pompeii of<br />
mighty, crumbling structures. What’s<br />
missing is the unexpected emotional<br />
urgency of “Skyfall,” as the film sustains<br />
its predecessor’s nostalgia kick with<br />
a less sentimental bent. A wealth of<br />
iconography from the series’ founding<br />
chapters is revived here, making “Spectre”<br />
a particular treat for 007 nerds, and<br />
a businesslike blast for everyone else.<br />
Spectre-cular B.O. awaits, though it<br />
remains to be seen whether “Skyfall” is<br />
the limit.<br />
The crossover success of that previous<br />
movie places “Spectre” in a tricky<br />
returning position three years later. The<br />
franchise may have been a consistent<br />
performer over 53 years, but never before<br />
has it been saddled with the prestigepic<br />
aura the new film is now expected<br />
to meet. With Mendes’ tony cachet once<br />
more in place , and a hefty if not entirely<br />
justified runtime of 148 minutes, “Spectre”<br />
outwardly appears to be shooting for<br />
GLASS<br />
WARFARE<br />
Daniel Craig<br />
plays James<br />
Bond for the<br />
fourth time<br />
in “Spectre.”<br />
Never before<br />
has the<br />
franchise been<br />
saddled with<br />
the prestigepic<br />
aura<br />
‘Spectre’ is<br />
now expected<br />
to meet.”<br />
106 Final Cut
REVIEWS IN BRIEF<br />
equivalently grandiose status.<br />
Yet even before the opening credits<br />
are cued up , one senses that Mendes and<br />
producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara<br />
Broccoli have, somewhat paradoxically,<br />
set out to surprise by resetting the status<br />
quo — albeit with a few administrative<br />
complications, after the death of Judi<br />
Dench’s M at the climax of “Skyfall.” The<br />
indefatigable agent’s solution, and in turn<br />
the film’s, is to get stoically back to work<br />
almost as if nothing had happened, and<br />
let the baggage emerge where it may. And<br />
while Daniel Craig’s reputation as the<br />
series’ sternest Bond stands intact when<br />
the ride — rumored to be his last — is<br />
over, his half-smile count is higher than<br />
usual. A handful of wily quips point to<br />
the addition of rough-and-tumble Brit<br />
playwright Jez Butterworth to the sturdy<br />
“Skyfall” writing team of John Logan,<br />
Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.<br />
The tone is set by an enthrallingly<br />
ludicrous and expensively extraneous<br />
opening sequence, set in Mexico City on<br />
the Day of the Dead, that ranks among<br />
the great 007 intros. Weaving through<br />
the jubilant masses, Hoyte van Hoytema’s<br />
dust-veiled camera alights on Bond in<br />
masked skeleton costume, luring a local<br />
bombshell ( Stephanie Sigman) back to his<br />
hotel room before the quickest of quick<br />
changes finds him suited, booted and<br />
planting a hit on venal Italian mafioso<br />
Sciarra (Alessandro Cremona) from the<br />
rooftop. Cue explosions, architectural<br />
carnage and vertigo-inducing combat in<br />
a helicopter buzzing perilously over the<br />
city’s crowded Zocalo square.<br />
In winning the fistfight, Bond secures<br />
his opponent’s ring, engraved with a<br />
telling insignia. It’s a typically circuitous<br />
outcome in a film that, certainly in its<br />
MacGuffin-stacked opening hour, feels<br />
somewhat underplotted: Large expanses<br />
of “Spectre” play as diverting action<br />
travelogue, as one transitory character in<br />
an exotic locale leads our hero to another,<br />
in pursuit of opponents who don’t get to<br />
bare their teeth until the halfway mark.<br />
Back in London, Bond is grounded<br />
for his unauthorized Mexican hijinks by<br />
Ralph Fiennes’ exasperated replacement<br />
M. The new boss’s crankiness is<br />
forgivable, given other professional<br />
worries on his plate — most of them<br />
involving Brylcreem-slick new MI5 boss<br />
Max Denbigh (a splendid Andrew Scott),<br />
code-named C, who is spearheading<br />
a reorganization that could see the<br />
entire 00 program shut down. Bond<br />
considerately stays out of his hair by<br />
flagrantly disregarding his orders, jetting<br />
off to Rome and promptly seducing<br />
Sciarra’s not-so-grieving widow (an<br />
underused Monica Bellucci). While there,<br />
he also gains access to a secret meeting of<br />
a shady global cooperative, presided over<br />
with lethal authority by the mysterious<br />
Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz).<br />
With the assistance of his authorityflouting<br />
MI6 underlings Moneypenny<br />
(Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw),<br />
and via a brief catch-up with “Casino<br />
Royale” and “Quantum of Solace”<br />
antagonist White (Jesper Christensen),<br />
Bond ultimately makes contact in Austria<br />
with Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), a<br />
young doctor who identifies Oberhauser’s<br />
operation as the powerful, terrorisminclined<br />
SPECTRE. That confirms<br />
the title’s promised resurrection of a<br />
collective enemy that has been featured<br />
in six previous 007 romps, though none<br />
since 1971’s “Diamonds Are Forever.”<br />
The unveiling of SPECTRE cues a<br />
modern-day rewrite of classic Bond<br />
mythos, teasing the audience with wry<br />
winks to series-affiliated imagery and<br />
gimmickry dating back to the Sean<br />
Connery era . The film finally hits fifth<br />
gear when Waltz’s louche villain emerges<br />
from the shadows, though he’s not as<br />
eerily vivid or playful a presence as Javier<br />
Bardem’s Silva in “Skyfall.” Like much else<br />
in “Spectre,” Waltz is working to match<br />
comforting series archetypes rather than<br />
transcend them.<br />
Relieved by the script of any impulse<br />
to reinvent, the ensemble appears to<br />
be having a good time — enjoyment<br />
infectious enough to make auds overlook<br />
the relative workaday nature of Bond’s<br />
final quest. (Bond’s working days are<br />
more exciting than most of ours, granted.)<br />
Given notably expanded duties this time<br />
is Whishaw’s Q , who gets to venture<br />
beyond the equipment room with plucky<br />
good humor . With Harris and Fiennes<br />
also settling amiably into their new MI6<br />
positions, the office seems in safe hands<br />
with or without Craig’s anchoring steel.<br />
CREDITS:(U•K•-U•S•) A Sony<br />
Pictures Entertainment<br />
release of an Albert R•<br />
Broccoli’s Eon Prods•<br />
presentation of an<br />
MGM, Columbia Pictures<br />
production. PRODUCED BY<br />
Michael G• Wilson, Barbara<br />
Broccoli. EXECUTIVE<br />
PRODUCERS, Callum<br />
McDougall. CO-PRODUCERS,<br />
Daniel Craig, Andrew Noakes,<br />
David Pope.<br />
DIRECTED BY Sam Mendes.<br />
SCREENPLAY, John Logan,<br />
Neal Purvis, Robert Wade,<br />
Jez Butterworth. CAMERA<br />
(COLOR, WIDESCREEN, 35MM),<br />
Hoyte Van Hoytema; EDITOR,<br />
Lee Smith; MUSIC, Thomas<br />
Newman; PRODUCTION<br />
DESIGNER, Dennis Gassner;<br />
SUPERVISING ART DIRECTOR,<br />
Chris Lowe; SET DECORATOR,<br />
Anna Pinnock; COSTUME<br />
DESIGNER, Jany Temime;<br />
SOUND (DOLBY DIGITAL),<br />
Stuart Wilson; SUPERVISING<br />
SOUND EDITORS, Per<br />
Hallberg, Karen Baker<br />
Landers; RE-RECORDING<br />
MIXERS, Scott Millan, Gregg<br />
Rudloff; VISUAL EFFECTS<br />
SUPERVISOR, Steve Begg;<br />
VISUAL EFFECTS, Industrial<br />
Light & Magic, Double<br />
Negative, MPC, Cinesite,<br />
Peerless, Bluebolt; STUNT<br />
COORDINATOR, Gary Powell;<br />
LINE PRODUCERS, Roberto<br />
Malerba, Wolfgang Ramml,<br />
Zak Alaoui; CASTING, Debbie<br />
McWilliams. REVIEWED AT<br />
Odeon Leicester Square,<br />
London, Oct. 21, 2015. MPAA<br />
RATING: PG-13. RUNNING TIME:<br />
148 MIN.<br />
CAST: Daniel Craig,<br />
Christoph Waltz, Lea<br />
Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes,<br />
Monica Bellucci, Ben<br />
Whishaw, Naomie Harris,<br />
Dave Bautista, Andrew<br />
Scott, Rory Kinnear, Jesper<br />
Christensen, Alessandro<br />
Cremona, Stephanie Sigman<br />
FILM<br />
ROCK THE KASBAH<br />
Mere weeks after the horrific<br />
bombing of an Afghan hospital and<br />
President Obama’s announcement<br />
of extended U.S. military presence<br />
in the region, last weekend might<br />
have been an ideal moment to<br />
release a film that treats the slowmotion<br />
tragedy of Afghanistan’s<br />
recent history as an exotic backdrop<br />
for broad fish-out-of-water comedy.<br />
Then again, there will probably<br />
never be a good time to release a<br />
project as fundamentally misjudged<br />
and disjointed as “Rock the Kasbah.”<br />
Extremely loosely inspired by the<br />
true story of Setara Hussainzada, an<br />
Afghan woman who braved death<br />
threats after appearing on the<br />
country’s version of “American Idol,”<br />
this Bill Murray starrer utterly fails<br />
to connect as a Muslim-world farce,<br />
a cynical skewering of American<br />
foreign policy, or a cuddly ode to<br />
the unifying power of music — and<br />
to the film’s dubious credit, it does<br />
attempt all three.<br />
— Andrew Barker<br />
DIRECTOR: Barry Levinson<br />
CAST: Bill Murray, Arian Moayed, Kate<br />
Hudson, Leem Lubany, Bruce Willis, Scott<br />
Caan, Danny McBride, Zooey Deschanel,<br />
Fahim Fazil<br />
FILM<br />
INDIA’S DAUGHTER<br />
The 2012 gang rape and murder of<br />
Jyoti Singh, a 23-year-old medical<br />
student in Delhi, India, sparked a<br />
massive nationwide outcry against<br />
an entire culture’s systemic abuse<br />
and dehumanization of women.<br />
Delving into the horrific particulars<br />
of that case, “India’s Daughter”<br />
makes for grim, infuriating and<br />
sadly necessary viewing, its despair<br />
tinged with a sliver of hope that the<br />
protesters’ call for gender equality<br />
may yet be reignited. If Leslee<br />
Udwin’s dramatic reconstruction<br />
of events at times veers from<br />
sensitive toward sensationalist, her<br />
unflinching access to the convicted<br />
rapists offers chilling insight into<br />
the minds of men who are taught to<br />
view women with a matter-of-fact<br />
contempt that can escalate all too<br />
easily into lethal aggression.<br />
— Justin Chang<br />
DIRECTOR: Leslee Udwin<br />
FILM<br />
FAMILIES<br />
An old family estate reveals a<br />
fresh family scandal when a<br />
globe trotter decides to revisit<br />
the house where he grew up in<br />
Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s “Families.”<br />
Featuring Mathieu Amalric as a<br />
loosely fictionalized version of the<br />
fastidious “Cyrano de Bergerac”<br />
director, this tony character drama<br />
is Rappeneau’s most personal film<br />
to date — a picture that could easily<br />
be dismissed as a light after-dinner<br />
trifle, but actually proves to be as<br />
rich and layered as a mille-feuille.<br />
The contemporary setting will make<br />
this elegantly crafted romance<br />
trickier to export than much of<br />
Rappeneau’s other work, though<br />
it should be warmly adopted by<br />
fans of Olivier Assayas’ thematically<br />
similar “Summer Hours.”<br />
— Peter Debruge<br />
DIRECTOR: Jean-Paul Rappeneau<br />
CAST: Mathieu Amalric, Marine Vacth,<br />
Gilles Lellouche, Nicole Garcia, Karin<br />
Viard, Guillaume de Tonquedec, Andre<br />
Dussollier, Gemma Chan, Claude Perron,<br />
Jean-Marie Winling, Yves Jacques<br />
FILM / LONDON<br />
DON’T GROW UP<br />
Nursing aspirations to the seamless<br />
mix of likable teen drama and<br />
Carpenter-esque horror achieved<br />
by the superior chiller “It Follows,”<br />
French helmer Thierry Poiraud’s<br />
“Don’t Grow Up” is a well-meaning<br />
coming-of-ager that perpetually<br />
threatens more full-throttle<br />
entertainment than it finally<br />
manages. Flashes of acute genre<br />
instinct leaven this sporadically<br />
atmospheric hybrid, but its<br />
characters are too often bogged<br />
down in unpersuasive angst. In his<br />
first feature without a co-director,<br />
Poiraud demonstrates a genuine<br />
talent for realizing action and horror<br />
elements; if only his tale of kids vs.<br />
grown-ups were prepared to fully<br />
exploit its promising adulthood-asevil<br />
subtext.<br />
— Catherine Bray<br />
DIRECTOR: Thierry Poiraud<br />
CAST: Fergus Riordan, Madeleine Kelly,<br />
Natifa Mai, McKell David, Darren Evans,<br />
Diego Mendez<br />
Full reviews available<br />
on Variety.com<br />
Final Cut<br />
107
FILM REVIEW<br />
JUSTIN CHANG<br />
Burnt<br />
DIRECTOR: John Wells<br />
STARRING: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller<br />
During the worst of his many<br />
plate-smashing tantrums,<br />
Adam Jones (Bradley<br />
Cooper), self-styled bad<br />
boy of the London culinary<br />
world, scolds his fellow chefs for not<br />
meeting his brutally exacting standards:<br />
“If it’s not perfect, you throw it away!”<br />
Applying that logic, we would have to<br />
dispense entirely with “Burnt,” a moodyfoodie<br />
therapy session that follows an<br />
increasingly tidy narrative recipe as it<br />
sets this one-man kitchen nightmare on a<br />
long road to redemption. Although John<br />
Wells’ dramedy is energized by its mouthwatering<br />
montages and an unsurprisingly<br />
fierce turn from Cooper, Steven Knight’s<br />
script pours on the acid but holds the<br />
depth, forcing its fine supporting actors<br />
(including Sienna Miller and Daniel<br />
Bruhl) to function less as an ensemble<br />
than as a motley sort of intervention<br />
group. Unlikely to capitalize on its oncerumored<br />
awards prospects, the Weinstein<br />
Co.’s Oct. 30 release might still stir up a<br />
favorable arthouse and VOD response.<br />
Working from a story by Michael<br />
Kalesniko (“Iron Sky”), Knight brings a<br />
brisk professionalism to his latest movie<br />
about a man’s quest for three Michelin<br />
stars (following last year’s “The Hundred-<br />
Foot Journey”). Still, there’s something<br />
a bit too slick and breezy about the way<br />
we’re introduced to Adam, an American<br />
expat who became one of the world’s<br />
greatest chefs by toiling in one of Paris’<br />
greatest kitchens, and is now one of<br />
cinema’s greatest a-holes, seeking to<br />
redeem himself and his career after<br />
the skirt-chasing, substance-abusing<br />
meltdown that led to the restaurant’s<br />
permanent closure. Years later, Adam has<br />
dried out and done his penance in a New<br />
Orleans oyster bar, though he still acts<br />
like a guy who doesn’t give a shuck as he<br />
swaggers into London, determined to take<br />
the city’s restaurant scene by storm.<br />
But first, he’ll need the help of his<br />
trusty old maitre d’, Tony (Bruhl), who<br />
reluctantly hands over his present finedining<br />
establishment to Adam, though<br />
their rocky past still looms over them.<br />
As he builds up his kitchen dream team,<br />
Adam keeps running into old friends<br />
and enemies who make annoyingly<br />
cryptic references to “what happened in<br />
Paris” without ever spelling out exactly<br />
what happened in Paris. The returning<br />
old-timers include Michel (Omar Sy), a<br />
sous chef who’s willing to let bygones<br />
be bygones if he can get in on Adam’s<br />
new venture, and Italian ex-con Max<br />
(Riccardo Scamarcio), whose ill-tempered<br />
perfectionism rivals the boss’s own.<br />
Adam taps a few new recruits as well,<br />
including Helene (Miller), a strong-willed<br />
chef de partie who gets a Gordon Ramsayworthy<br />
tirade from Adam on the night of<br />
the restaurant’s not-so-grand reopening.<br />
STIRRED,<br />
NOT SHAKEN<br />
Bradley Cooper<br />
and Sienna<br />
Miller get cookin’<br />
in “Burnt.”<br />
CREDITS: A Weinstein<br />
Co• release and<br />
presentation of a<br />
Shiny Penny Prods./3<br />
Arts Entertainment/<br />
Battle Mountain Films<br />
production. PRODUCED<br />
BY Stacey Sher, Erwin<br />
Stoff, John Wells.<br />
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS,<br />
Bob Weinstein, Harvey<br />
Weinstein, Michael<br />
Shamberg, Kris Thykier,<br />
David Glasser, Claire<br />
Rudnick Polstein, Dylan<br />
Sellers, Negeen Yazdi.<br />
CO-PRODUCER, Caroline<br />
Hewitt.<br />
DIRECTED BY John<br />
Wells. SCREENPLAY,<br />
Steven Knight; STORY,<br />
Michael Kalesniko.<br />
CAMERA (TECHNICOLOR,<br />
WIDESCREEN), Adriano<br />
Goldman; EDITOR,<br />
Nick Moore; MUSIC,<br />
Rob Simonsen; MUSIC<br />
SUPERVISORS, Dana<br />
Sano; PRODUCTION<br />
DESIGNER, David<br />
Gropman; SUPERVISING<br />
ART DIRECTORS, Karen<br />
Gropman, John Frankish.<br />
REVIEWED AT Rodeo<br />
screening room, Beverly<br />
Hills, Oct. 15, 2015. MPAA<br />
RATING: R. RUNNING TIME:<br />
100 MIN.<br />
CAST: Bradley Cooper,<br />
Sienna Miller, Omar Sy,<br />
Daniel Bruhl, Riccardo<br />
Scamarcio, Sam Keeley,<br />
Alicia Vikander, Matthew<br />
Rhys, Uma Thurman,<br />
Emma Thompson, Lily<br />
James, Sarah Greene<br />
Naturally, it’s only a matter of time before<br />
they kiss and make up, and soon their<br />
colleagues are placing bets on how long<br />
it will take Adam to bed his one and<br />
only female hire. If that quasi-romantic<br />
thread and the tough-customer kitchen<br />
dynamics seem to nod in the direction<br />
of “Ratatouille” — there’s even an allpowerful<br />
restaurant critic (Uma Thurman<br />
in a two-scene cameo) — the comparisons<br />
end there. Far from being a glorious<br />
portrait of the artist as a young cook,<br />
“Burnt” devolves into an angst-ridden<br />
melodrama of relapse and recovery,<br />
where no amount of gastronomical<br />
window dressing can disguise the familiar<br />
spectacle of one very gifted man behaving<br />
very badly.<br />
Not that there’s anything wrong with<br />
gastronomical window dressing, and<br />
what we see here is certainly choice: a<br />
casual breakfast of tea-smoked mackerel<br />
and bouillabaisse, a child’s birthday<br />
cake dappled with pink rosettes, an<br />
unidentifiable green amuse-bouche that<br />
has “too much tarragon” and looks no<br />
less slurpable for it. Wells captures the<br />
culinary milieu as well as its underlying<br />
energy: The dishes are shot in tantalizing<br />
closeups by d.p. Adriano Goldman and<br />
spliced into fluid, delectable sequences<br />
by editor Nick Moore, whose cutting<br />
mimics the swift, furious movements of<br />
an expertly wielded blade.<br />
Knight’s script, too, supplies sharp,<br />
glancing insights into this ultracompetitive<br />
environment and the killer<br />
instinct it takes to succeed, even turning<br />
the Michelin quest into a sort of heist<br />
caper that continually places Adam<br />
and his team (which he models on the<br />
warriors from “Seven Samurai”) on high<br />
alert. Unfortunately, “Burnt” never rises<br />
to the level of its characters’ ambition,<br />
and with the exception of one smart,<br />
unpredictable twist, the story increasingly<br />
bogs down in perfunctory subplots,<br />
including a brief run-in with a mysterious<br />
ex-lover (a lovely, fleeting Alicia Vikander)<br />
and the thugs who routinely turn up to<br />
shake Adam down for drug money.<br />
All the supporting players, in the end,<br />
are forced to serve a basically therapeutic<br />
purpose, trying to show Adam that his<br />
extreme perfectionism is destroying<br />
his capacity for functional human<br />
relationships — which makes even the<br />
never-unwelcome Emma Thompson<br />
seem pretty redundant in the role of an<br />
actual therapist. Cooper combines a deft<br />
physicality in the kitchen with a tightly<br />
wound verbal dexterity: He knows exactly<br />
how to sell an acerbic one-liner like<br />
“Apologize to the turbot, because it died<br />
in vain,” but also a dreamy sentiment like<br />
“I want to make food that makes people<br />
stop eating.” You believe him, and much of<br />
the frantic activity swirling around him,<br />
without ever quite believing the movie<br />
that Wells and Knight have cooked up.<br />
108 Final Cut
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The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce invites you to watch our<br />
Walk of Fame ceremonies LIVE from anywhere in the world exclusively<br />
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TV<br />
WICKED CITY<br />
There is a mystery at the heart of<br />
“Wicked City,” but it’s not captured<br />
by anything that happens on<br />
screen. The question is, why did<br />
anyone think this dour, superficial<br />
serial-killer drama would be a good<br />
fit for ABC’s aspirational brand?<br />
“Wicked City” is, at its core, a police<br />
procedural, one in which a cynical<br />
cop, Jack Roth (Jeremy Sisto), tracks<br />
a murderer who is a charismatic<br />
lady-killer operating on the Sunset<br />
Strip of the ’80s. Both sides of the<br />
cop/criminal equation are lacking<br />
in this tepid drama, however, and<br />
the drama’s actors, who include Ed<br />
Westwick, Erika Christensen, Jeremy<br />
Sisto and Taissa Farmiga, are mostly<br />
miscast or misused.<br />
— Maureen Ryan<br />
EXEC PRODUCERS: Steven Baigelman,<br />
Amy B. Harris, Jon Cassar, Todd<br />
Lieberman, David Hoberman, Laurie Zaks<br />
CAST: Ed Westwick, Erika Christensen,<br />
Jeremy Sisto, Taissa Farmiga, Gabriel Luna,<br />
Karolina Wydra, Evan Ross, Anne Winters,<br />
Jaime Ray Newman, W. Earl Brown, Kirk<br />
Baltz, Sara Mornell, Doug Simpson<br />
TV<br />
THE LEISURE CLASS<br />
For all the high-minded talk from<br />
its high-profile producers around<br />
“Project Greenlight,” the TV show<br />
has never been about the movies<br />
being made at its center; nor has<br />
it produced a successful one. That<br />
streak continues with “The Leisure<br />
Class,” although this latest film<br />
has been spared any commercial<br />
pressures by premiering on HBO,<br />
which needn’t worry about anyone<br />
specifically paying to see it. As the<br />
series chronicled, contest-winning<br />
director Jason Mann fought to make<br />
this script, and there’s obviously<br />
some talent on display here. That<br />
said, it’s put to use in the service of<br />
such a small, unexceptional story as<br />
to make Mann’s conspicuous handwringing<br />
over the details seem<br />
irrelevant in hindsight.<br />
— Brian Lowry<br />
EXEC PRODUCERS: Matt Damon, Ben<br />
Affleck, Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly,<br />
Jennifer Todd, TJ Barrack, Perrin Chiles,<br />
Marshall Lewy<br />
CAST: Ed Weeks, Tom Bell, Bridget Regan,<br />
Scottie Thompson, Melanie Zanetti,<br />
Christine Lakin, Rory Knox Johnston,<br />
Brenda Strong, Bruce Davison<br />
REVIEWS IN BRIEF<br />
LEGIT / BROADWAY<br />
DAMES AT SEA<br />
How cruel, to make comparisons<br />
with a legendary star! How<br />
unkind! How unfair! Well, tough<br />
luck, because here it comes: The<br />
new leading lady of “Dames at<br />
Sea,” an affectionate and smartly<br />
constructed sendup of Hollywood’s<br />
fantasies about how Broadway<br />
stage shows were built, is no<br />
Bernadette Peters. There’s nothing<br />
wrong with this revival that Peters,<br />
who played the role of Ruby in the<br />
original 1968 production, couldn’t<br />
fix. But musical theater stars of her<br />
caliber don’t grow on trees, and<br />
although newcomer Eloise Kropp<br />
is a power tapper par excellence,<br />
she hasn’t the saucy charm of a<br />
Broadway Baby like Ruby — or the<br />
magnetic appeal of a star like Peters.<br />
— Marilyn Stasio<br />
DIRECTOR: Randy Skinner<br />
CAST: John Bolton, Mara Davi, Danny<br />
Gardner, Eloise Kropp, Lesli Margherita,<br />
Cary Tedder<br />
LEGIT / OFF BROADWAY<br />
RIPCORD<br />
The Manhattan Theater Club<br />
presumably commissioned<br />
“Ripcord” from playwright David<br />
Lindsay-Abaire to give their<br />
faithful subscription audience a<br />
subject dear to their own hearts.<br />
The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer<br />
(for “Rabbit Hole”) has come<br />
up with an amiable if simplistic<br />
crowdpleaser, in the form of a<br />
duel of wits between “odd couple”<br />
roommates in an assisted living<br />
facility. Although smartly directed<br />
by David Hyde Pierce, the slender<br />
sitcom hangs for dear life on<br />
the appeal of its engaging stars,<br />
Marylouise Burke and Holland<br />
Taylor. And unfortunately, the major<br />
miscalculation rests in the onedimensional<br />
depiction of the two<br />
major characters, who are clearly<br />
intended to charm the audience,<br />
not alienate a huge swath of it.<br />
— Marilyn Stasio<br />
PLAYWRIGHT: David Lindsay-Abaire<br />
CAST: Marylouise Burke, Rachel Dratch,<br />
Glenn Fitzgerald, Daoud Heidami, Nate<br />
Miller, Holland Taylor<br />
Full reviews available<br />
on Variety.com<br />
FILM REVIEW<br />
GEOFF BERKSHIRE<br />
Jem<br />
and the<br />
Holograms<br />
DIRECTOR: Jon M. Chu<br />
STARRING: Aubrey Peeples, Juliette Lewis,<br />
Ryan Guzman<br />
Acampy cartoon<br />
encapsulating ’80s excess<br />
transforms into an earnest<br />
live-action ode to the<br />
navel-gazing YouTube<br />
generation in “Jem and the Holograms.”<br />
Considerably less fun than any paper-thin<br />
“A Star Is Born” ripoff has any right to be,<br />
this low-budget collaboration between<br />
“Step Up” sequel director Jon M. Chu,<br />
horror producer Jason Blum and Justin<br />
Bieber manager Scooter Braun exists only<br />
because of nostalgia for the animated<br />
source material. And yet the film seems<br />
inexplicably embarrassed by its roots,<br />
instead serving up half-baked and selfconsciously<br />
contemporary drama that no<br />
one in the sure-to-be minimal theatrical<br />
audience will remember quite so fondly<br />
some 30 years on.<br />
Similarities between the live-action<br />
and animated “Jem” pretty much begin<br />
and end with character names, but both<br />
revolve around talented young singer<br />
Jerrica Benton (played here by Aubrey<br />
Peeples), who becomes a pop superstar<br />
under the stage name Jem. In the film,<br />
YouTube is her ticket to success when<br />
social media-savvy younger sister Kimber<br />
(Stefanie Scott) secretly uploads an<br />
acoustic performance Jerrica/Jem filmed<br />
in her bedroom, and the clip immediately<br />
goes viral.<br />
Jem’s debut performance attracts the<br />
attention of powerful music mogul Erica<br />
Raymond (Juliette Lewis), who whisks<br />
Jerrica away from her hard-working Aunt<br />
Bailey (Molly Ringwald) and promises her<br />
the world. Jerrica insists on bringing along<br />
Kimber and their interchangeable foster<br />
sisters, Shana (Aurora Perrineau) and Aja<br />
(Hayley Kiyoko), as her backing band, and<br />
Erica places them all under the watchful<br />
eye of her son, Rio (Ryan Guzman).<br />
As Erica schemes to extract Jerrica<br />
from her sisters so Jem can become a<br />
proper solo star, Jerrica falls for Rio and<br />
tries to ensure that Aunt Bailey won’t<br />
lose her house or her business. She also<br />
slowly pieces together a puzzle left behind<br />
by her late father, in the form of a pintsized<br />
robot called Synergy. That’s about<br />
all the film offers in terms of plot, even<br />
as the running time pushes toward an<br />
excruciating two hours.<br />
Perhaps a few killer musical numbers<br />
would’ve helped move things along, but<br />
even Jem’s performances are limited to<br />
just a handful of scenes. And whether<br />
due to budgetary limitations or simple<br />
failure of imagination, they’re remarkably<br />
low-energy affairs staged in front of what<br />
seems like dozens of extras (standing in<br />
for Jem’s supposed thousands of fans).<br />
Against all odds, “Nashville” series<br />
regular Peeples keeps the film watchable,<br />
delivering a capable star turn with<br />
enough flashes of soul to belie the script’s<br />
artifice and credible pop vocals to boot.<br />
CREDITS: A Universal release,<br />
presented with AllSpark<br />
Pictures, of a Blumhouse/<br />
Chu Studios production, in<br />
association with SB Projects.<br />
PRODUCED BY Jason Blum,<br />
Jon M• Chu, Scooter Braun,<br />
Brian Goldner, Stephen<br />
Davis, Bennett Schneir.<br />
DIRECTED BY Jon M• Chu.<br />
SCREENPLAY, Ryan Landels,<br />
SPARKLE-FREE Aubrey Peeples stars in the live-action “Jem and the Holograms.”<br />
based on Hasbro’s “Jem and<br />
the Holograms.” . REVIEWED<br />
AT Arclight Cinemas,<br />
Hollywood, Oct. 21, 2015.<br />
MPAA RATING: PG. RUNNING<br />
TIME: 118 MIN.<br />
CAST: Aubrey Peeples,<br />
Juliette Lewis, Ryan Guzman,<br />
Stefanie Scott, Aurora<br />
Perrineau, Hayley Kiyoko,<br />
Molly Ringwald, Kesha<br />
DAMES AT SEA: JEREMY DANIEL; RIPCORD: JOAN MARCUS<br />
110 Final Cut
REGISTER TODAY AT CESWEB.ORG
DIM ‘DIMENSION’<br />
Ivy George and<br />
Chris J. Murray<br />
star in the latest<br />
“Paranormal<br />
Activity” movie.<br />
FILM REVIEW<br />
ANDREW BARKER<br />
Paranormal<br />
Activity: The<br />
Ghost Dimension<br />
DIRECTOR: Gregory Plotkin<br />
STARRING: Chris J. Murray, Brit Shaw, Ivy George<br />
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION<br />
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE<br />
THE ACCLAIMED FILM FROM OSCAR ® WINNING DIRECTOR RUBY YANG<br />
“Hong Kong’s 5 Most Essential Films of 2014”<br />
- The Wall Street Journal<br />
So this is the way a franchise<br />
ends. The sixth and allegedly<br />
final installment of the<br />
massively money-minting<br />
found-footage horror series,<br />
“Paranormal Activity: The Ghost<br />
Dimension” offers little more than a<br />
distant, whimpering echo of a film<br />
property that once made such a bang.<br />
Distinguished mostly by the addition of<br />
3D and an unusual distribution window,<br />
the film is scheduled to hit VOD less than<br />
three weeks after leaving cinemas, to the<br />
chagrin of a few theater chains. It will<br />
be interesting to see if the experimental<br />
release strategy pays off in the long<br />
run, and it’s not hard to imagine the<br />
“Paranormal” series living on thanks to<br />
the multiplicity of new digital content<br />
platforms. For all the memorable scares<br />
it manages to cook up, “The Ghost<br />
Dimension” might have actually worked<br />
better as a series of GIFs.<br />
While it does answer some lingering<br />
questions about the franchise’s<br />
overarching mythology, the film spends<br />
most of its running time dully retracing<br />
old steps, introducing yet another<br />
suburban family — father Ryan Fleege<br />
(Chris J. Murray), mother Emily Fleege<br />
(Brit Shaw), and 7-year-old daughter<br />
Leila (Ivy George) — as they prepare<br />
for Christmas in their enormous new<br />
Santa Rosa, Calif., house. Joining them<br />
for a few weeks is Ryan’s brother Mike<br />
(Dan Gill), a commodiously mustached<br />
hipster recovering from a breakup, and<br />
Skylar (Olivia Taylor Dudley), a young<br />
blonde woman in town for some sort of<br />
yoga retreat that allows her to abruptly<br />
disappear from the film for long stretches.<br />
Like all “Paranormal” subjects, the<br />
Fleeges are chronic videographers, and<br />
Ryan gets to flex some new photographic<br />
muscles when he finds a old-school<br />
camcorder stashed in the garage, along<br />
with a collection of family videos. At first,<br />
the camera shows only Rorschach-like<br />
blobs of debris floating through the air,<br />
but it’s not long before everything starts<br />
to go haywire. Young Leila develops a<br />
sudden allergy to Christian iconography<br />
and begins talking to an imaginary<br />
friend; Ryan and Mike pop in the videos<br />
only to discover footage of a strange cult<br />
and two telepathic children; and since<br />
even malevolent demons have a soft spot<br />
for vintage arcade games, the pinball<br />
machine starts turning on by itself.<br />
Without much spark to the jump<br />
scares, the film turns to hoary exorcism<br />
tropes and CGI fantasias, undoing much<br />
of the low-key believability essential to<br />
“Paranormal’s” appeal. Youngster George<br />
makes for a very effective creepy kid,<br />
though her adult counterparts fail to<br />
leave much of an impression. And the<br />
environs are as bland as can be; one<br />
would have to trawl through the deepest<br />
recesses of Romanian art cinema to find<br />
a film with as many static, silent shots of<br />
empty rooms and unfurnished hallways.<br />
“Oscar® winner Ruby Yang<br />
comes home, finds her ‘Voice’”<br />
- Variety<br />
www.myvoicemylifemovie.com<br />
“Critics’ Pick”<br />
- The New York Times<br />
RETURNING TO THEATERS ON OCTOBER 31<br />
LAEMMLE PASADENA PLAYHOUSE . 673 E. COLORADO BLVD., PASADENA,CA 91101<br />
WEEKENDS – OCT 31/ NOV 1; NOV 7/8 and NOV 14/15 11:00 AM MATINEES ONLY<br />
CREDITS: A Paramount<br />
release and presentation<br />
of a Blumhouse, Solana<br />
Films, Room 101 production.<br />
PRODUCED BY Jason Blum,<br />
Oren Peli; EXECUTIVE<br />
PRODUCERS, Steven R•<br />
Molsen, Steven Schneider.<br />
DIRECTED BY Gregory<br />
Plotkin. SCREENPLAY, Jason<br />
Harry Pagan, Andrew<br />
Deutschman, Adam<br />
Rabitel, Gavin Heffernan,<br />
from a story by Brantley<br />
Aufill, Pagan, Deutschman.<br />
CAMERA (COLOR), John<br />
Rutland; EDITOR, Michel<br />
Aller; PRODUCTION DESIGNER,<br />
Nathan Amondson;<br />
COSTUME DESIGNER, Lisa<br />
Lovaas; ART DIRECTOR, Nick<br />
Ralbovsky; SOUND, Walter<br />
Anderson; RE-RECORDING<br />
MIXERS, Onnalee Black, Matt<br />
Waters, Marc Fishman,<br />
Adam Jenkins, Julian Slater;<br />
VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR,<br />
Eddie Pasquarello; VISUAL<br />
EFFECTS, Industrial Light<br />
and Magic; SPECIAL<br />
EFFECTS COORDINATOR,<br />
Larz Anderson; STUNT<br />
COORDINATORS, James<br />
Armstrong, Dennis<br />
Fitzgerald; ASSISTANT<br />
DIRECTOR, Brian F• Relyea;<br />
CASTING, John McAlary, Terri<br />
Taylor. REVIEWED AT AMC<br />
Century City, Los Angeles,<br />
Oct. 22, 2015. MPAA RATING: R.<br />
RUNNING TIME: 88 MIN.<br />
CAST: Chris J• Murray, Brit<br />
Shaw, Ivy George, Dan Gill,<br />
Olivia Taylor Dudley<br />
112 Final Cut
FILM REVIEW<br />
GUY LODGE<br />
The Last<br />
Witch<br />
Hunter<br />
DIRECTOR: Breck Eisner<br />
STARRING: Vin Diesel, Elijah Wood, Rose Leslie<br />
PETER FETTERMAN<br />
GALLERY<br />
One of the trickier tasks<br />
Vin Diesel’s eponymous<br />
hero faces in “The Last<br />
Witch Hunter” is tracking<br />
a villain by his signature<br />
scent of “moldering crabapples” — a<br />
distinctive enough fragrance in its own<br />
right, but hard to separate from the<br />
generally funky aroma of decomposition<br />
that permeates Breck Eisner’s limp,<br />
lame-brained occult thriller. Too drab<br />
to succeed even as defiantly unvirtuous<br />
trash, this era-stradding tale of an<br />
immortal medieval warrior protecting<br />
modern-day New York from a Black<br />
Death reboot stifles Diesel’s rough-hewn<br />
charisma via a sludgy, impermeable<br />
oil spill of CGI effects. Despite a pre-<br />
Halloween release date, the pic is more<br />
gung-ho than gooseflesh-inclined in<br />
genre; either way, it’s unlikely to mint<br />
the franchise threatened by its eminently<br />
welcome ending.<br />
Commercially, given the extraordinary<br />
cultural impact of the “Fast and Furious”<br />
series, “The Last Witch Hunter” might<br />
expect to ride on Diesel fumes to an<br />
extent. Yet if its aim is to reposition him<br />
as a solo action star, this new vehicle<br />
doesn’t really play to his strengths,<br />
despite having been developed and coproduced<br />
by the actor himself. There’s<br />
little room here for Diesel’s lunkish, selfparodic<br />
streak of humor, and if it’s hard<br />
to buy the star as a 14th-century soldier of<br />
the Catholic Church, slaying sorceresses<br />
for 700 years without a wrinkle to show<br />
for it, the screenplay doesn’t make much<br />
of an effort to sell the idea.<br />
For starters, it’s uncertain where our<br />
noble witch-hunter, Kaulder, actually<br />
comes from: Based on scant evidence<br />
in the pre-credit prologue, let’s say it’s<br />
the little-remembered European land of<br />
Snowsylvania, though eight centuries<br />
has been long enough for him to adopt<br />
Diesel’s signature gravelly drawl. It’s<br />
probably unwise to demand more detailed<br />
a milieu from a film that claims the<br />
Black Death plague of 1346-53 was in fact<br />
foisted upon humanity by a vindictive<br />
FLAMING OUT Vin Diesel raises a sword in<br />
“The Last Witch Hunter.”<br />
Witch Queen (Julie Engelbrecht, or what’s<br />
left of her beneath a maggoty digital<br />
mask) bent on total human eradication.<br />
Luckily, Kaulder has our backs, wasting<br />
the Queen in a murky introductory battle.<br />
Not before she afflicts him with the curse<br />
of immortality, however, thus consigning<br />
him to a lonely life of winnowing out her<br />
mangy kind, haunted by the memory of<br />
his long-perished wife and daughter.<br />
In present-day Manhattan, he lives in<br />
relatively comfortable torment, accepting<br />
international witch-hunting assignments<br />
from a succession of priestly advisers<br />
known as Dolans. The latest of these,<br />
Dolan 36th, takes the jovial form of<br />
Michael Caine, who’s soon dispatched to<br />
his coffin in mysterious circumstances.<br />
The investigation plays out not unlike<br />
a super-sized episode of “Murder, She<br />
Wrote,” only with more shape-shifting<br />
ghouls and fire-strewn showdowns<br />
between good and evil.<br />
Diesel trudges dourly through the<br />
proceedings, practically expectorating<br />
dialogue that is, in fairness, pretty hard<br />
to play with. There are certainly enough<br />
dopey diversions for “The Last Witch<br />
Hunter” to be considerably more fun than<br />
it is, but even its most extravagant bouts<br />
of silliness are hampered by desultory<br />
plotting and Eisner’s oppressively<br />
synthetic mise-en-scene.<br />
CREDITS: A Summit<br />
Entertainment (in U•S•)/<br />
Entertainment One (in U•K•)<br />
release of a Mark Canton,<br />
One Race Films, Goldmann<br />
Pictures production in<br />
association with Tik Films.<br />
PRODUCED BY Mark Canton,<br />
Vin Diesel, Bernie Goldmann.<br />
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS,<br />
Adam Goldworm, Samantha<br />
Vincent, Ric Kidney, Qiyun<br />
Long. CO-PRODUCERS, Jon<br />
Hoeber, Erich Hoeber.<br />
DIRECTED BY Breck Eisner.<br />
SCREENPLAY, Cory Goodman,<br />
Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless.<br />
REVIEWED AT Dolby Screening<br />
Room, London, Oct. 19, 2015.<br />
MPAA RATING: PG-13. RUNNING<br />
TIME: 106 MIN.<br />
CAST: Vin Diesel, Elijah<br />
Wood, Rose Leslie, Julie<br />
Engelbrecht, Michael Caine,<br />
Olafur Darri Olafsson, Isaach<br />
De Bankole, Rena Owen,<br />
Joseph Gilgun, Dawn Oliveri,<br />
Lotte Verbeek<br />
Herman Leonard. Frank Sinatra, Monte Carlo. 1958.<br />
©Estate of Herman Leonard<br />
FRANK SINATRA<br />
AUDREY HEPBURN<br />
A LIFE IN PICTURES<br />
November 1 - February 6<br />
Dennis Stock. Audrey Hepburn. 1954.<br />
©Estate of Dennis Stock/Magnum Photos<br />
Special Gala Opening<br />
Sunday, November 1 from 2 - 6pm<br />
RSVP Essential: info@peterfetterman.com<br />
www.PeterFetterman.com<br />
2525 Michigan Ave. #A1 | Santa Monica, CA 90404<br />
310.453.6463 | info@peterfetterman.com<br />
Final Cut<br />
113
TV REVIEW<br />
BRIAN LOWRY<br />
Ash vs.<br />
Evil Dead<br />
SERIES: Starz, Sat. Oct. 31, 9 p.m.<br />
WRITERS: Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, Tom Spezialy<br />
STARRING: Bruce Campbell, Ray Santiago<br />
With apologies to “Jerry<br />
Maguire,” in the<br />
case of “Ash vs. Evil<br />
Dead,” Starz probably<br />
had the intended<br />
audience at hello. The simple kick of<br />
seeing Bruce Campbell back in zombieslayer<br />
mode, hip-deep in buckets of gore,<br />
is tasty enough that the particular merits<br />
of this revival are almost beside the point.<br />
Wisely packaged in half-hour intervals<br />
after a slightly longer premiere, the series<br />
exhibits a kind of numbing repetition<br />
(forget binge viewing) but should bring in<br />
viewers who aren’t watching “Outlander.”<br />
In terms of Starz vs. Waffling Subscribers,<br />
that sounds like a victory.<br />
Yes, it really has been 34 years since<br />
director Sam Raimi, producer Robert<br />
Tapert and Campbell (an exec producer<br />
too) teamed up on the original movie,<br />
which spawned sequels and helped guide<br />
everyone toward bigger and better things.<br />
So there’s an initial thrill in Campbell<br />
‘DEAD’ REBORN<br />
Bruce Campbell<br />
and Dana<br />
DeLorenzo star<br />
in “Ash vs.<br />
Evil Dead.”<br />
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION<br />
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE<br />
A NEW FILM FROM OSCAR®-NOMINATED DIRECTOR HANNA POLAK<br />
14 YEARS IN THE MAKING<br />
WINNER OF 23 FILM<br />
AWARDS FROM AROUND<br />
THE WORLD!<br />
BACK IN THEATERS<br />
BEGINNING OCTOBER 24<br />
AT THE LAEMMLE ROYAL THEATER<br />
11523 SANTA MONICA BLVD,<br />
LOS ANGELES, CA 90025<br />
WEEKENDS - OCT 24/25; OCT 31/NOV 1;<br />
NOV 7/8 - 11 AM MATINEES ONLY<br />
WWW.SOMETHINGBETTERTOCOME.COM<br />
DANISH DOCUMENTARY HANNA POLAK FILMS HBO EUROPE<br />
reinhabiting the character of Ash, now<br />
billed as the world’s oldest one-handed<br />
box boy, who has spent three decades<br />
seeking to avoid the storm he unleashed<br />
by opening the wrong book in the woods.<br />
Naturally, Ash’s stupidity and<br />
questionable judgment lead to his<br />
potential undoing. Drunk and stoned,<br />
he reads from the Book of the Dead to<br />
impress a woman, allowing the monsters<br />
he’s successfully evaded all these years<br />
to zero in on him. With the Deadites<br />
back, he receives assistance from his<br />
understandably dazed co-workers<br />
Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Kelly (Dana<br />
DeLorenzo), with some interpersonal<br />
tension coming from Pablo’s unrequited<br />
crush on Kelly.<br />
As a parallel plot, there’s also Det.<br />
Amanda Fisher (Jill Marie Jones), whose<br />
encounter with the Evil Dead leaves her<br />
on shaky ground professionally, and on<br />
a likely collision course with Ash and<br />
his pals. And just to make the show<br />
— directed by Raimi, who wrote the<br />
premiere with his brother Ivan and Tom<br />
Spezialy — even more of a family affair,<br />
Tapert’s wife and onetime “Xena” star,<br />
Lucy Lawless, appears as a mysterious<br />
woman who seems to know more than<br />
she’s letting on.<br />
Granted, there are a lot of guts strewn<br />
about in cable these days, but few TV<br />
programs dabble in gore quite so gleefully,<br />
leaving characters drenched in cartoonish<br />
sprays of blood, much of it oozing out of<br />
creatures that scale walls like a big spider.<br />
Campbell, meanwhile, saunters through it<br />
all with his trademark swagger, and when<br />
Pablo complains about being soaked in<br />
muck, Ash helpfully hands him a small,<br />
packaged towelette.<br />
Admittedly, the series is basically an<br />
extended one-note joke, which makes the<br />
half-hour format particularly welcome,<br />
inching the story along as Ash — armed<br />
with a snap-on chainsaw and traveling<br />
via motor home — tries to overcome the<br />
forces pursuing him and lay the Dead to<br />
rest, once and for all.<br />
With our hero having already sacrificed<br />
a hand to the cause, nobody should be<br />
surprised if the series doesn’t possess<br />
long legs. But as a short-term lark, it’s<br />
goofy, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and<br />
certainly feels well calibrated to a very<br />
particular appetite that’s uniquely suited<br />
to pay cable. So for now, Ash, his rather<br />
motley crew and anyone who dares sit too<br />
close to the TV would be well advised to<br />
keep those moist towelettes handy.<br />
CREDITS: Filmed in New<br />
Zealand by Renaissance<br />
Pictures. EXECUTIVE<br />
PRODUCERS, Robert<br />
Tapert, Sam Raimi, Bruce<br />
Campbell, Craig DiGregorio;<br />
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS,<br />
Rob Wright, Ivan Raimi;<br />
PRODUCERS, Chloe Smith,<br />
Aaron Lam, Rick Jacobson,<br />
Sean Clements, Dominic<br />
Dierkes; DIRECTOR, Sam<br />
Raimi; WRITERS, Sam Raimi,<br />
Ivan Raimi, Tom Spezialy;<br />
CAMERA, Dave Garbett;<br />
PRODUCTION DESIGNER,<br />
Nick Bassett; EDITOR, Bob<br />
Murawski; CASTING, Lauren<br />
Grey. 40 MIN.<br />
CAST: Bruce Campbell, Ray<br />
Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo,<br />
Jill Marie Jones, Lucy Lawless<br />
114 Final Cut
WE WARMLY<br />
CONGRATULATE<br />
CARLTON CUSE<br />
&<br />
OUR CLASS OF 2015<br />
HOLLYWOOD’S<br />
NEW LEADERS &<br />
10 ASSISTANTS<br />
TO WATCH<br />
#NEWLEADERS
TV REVIEW<br />
MAUREEN RYAN<br />
The<br />
Returned<br />
SERIES: Sundance TV, Sat. Oct. 31 10 p.m.<br />
WRITERS: Fabrice Gobert, Audrey Fouche,<br />
Coline Abert, Fabien Adda<br />
STARRING: Anne Consigny, Clotilde Hesme<br />
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION<br />
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE<br />
THE ACCLAIMED FILM FROM DIRECTOR GIANNI BOZZACCHI; NARRATED BY CARLO LIZZANI<br />
“Charming”<br />
– Los Angeles Times<br />
“Critic’s Pick”<br />
– Village Voice<br />
Neorealism was a time that changed<br />
global cinema forever, and these<br />
filmmakers were so much more than<br />
just “bicycle thieves.”<br />
The word “atmospheric”<br />
gets used a lot in television<br />
and film reviews, but few<br />
dramas deserve the adjective<br />
more than “The Returned.”<br />
Dialogue and set design are minimal, and<br />
those hoping for lots of factual exposition<br />
should look elsewhere. People stare out<br />
windows quite a bit; given that this is a<br />
French drama, it’s not unusual for them<br />
to smoke more than they speak. And<br />
yet “The Returned’s” willingness to be<br />
quietly observant as its characters try<br />
to understand the calamities that have<br />
befallen them creates a consistent mood<br />
that manages to be romantic, foreboding<br />
and creepy all at once.<br />
BACK IN THEATERS BEGINNING NOVEMBER 7<br />
LAEMMLE PASADENA PLAYHOUSE. 673 E. COLORADO BLVD., PASADENA,CA 91101<br />
WEEKENDS - NOVEMBER 7/8 and NOVEMBER 14/15 - 11:00 AM MATINEES ONLY<br />
WWW.TRIWORLDCINEMA.COM<br />
VIVE LA FRANCE<br />
Lost loved ones<br />
are back from<br />
the dead in<br />
“The Returned.”<br />
CREDITS: Filmed in Haute-<br />
Savoie, France by Haut<br />
et Court TV for Canal+<br />
Creation Originale, Cine+,<br />
Cofinova 11, B Media<br />
2013, Backup Media,<br />
Zodiak Rights and<br />
Studiocanal. EXECUTIVE<br />
PRODUCER, Fabrice<br />
Gobert; PRODUCERS,<br />
Caroline Benjo, Jimmy<br />
Desmarais, Barbara<br />
Letellier; DIRECTORS,<br />
Gobert, Frederic Goupil;<br />
WRITERS, Gobert,<br />
Audrey Fouche, Coline<br />
Abert, Fabien Adda;<br />
CAMERA, Patrick Blossier;<br />
PRODUCTION DESIGNERS,<br />
Frederique Lapierre,<br />
Frederic Lapierre;<br />
COSTUME DESIGNER,<br />
Bethsabee Dreyfus;<br />
EDITOR, Bertrand Nail;<br />
MUSIC, Mogwai; CASTING,<br />
Emmanuelle Prevost.<br />
60MIN.<br />
CAST: Anne Consigny,<br />
Clotilde Hesme, Celine<br />
Sallette, Frederic Pierrot,<br />
Laurent Lucas, Gregory<br />
Gadebois, Guillaume<br />
Goiux, Aurelien Recoing,<br />
Pierre Perrier, Ana<br />
Girardot, Yara Pilartz,<br />
Jenna Thiam, Swann<br />
Nambotin, Michael<br />
Abiteboul, Jean-Francois<br />
Sivadier<br />
The first season can be summed up<br />
rather succinctly: People who had been<br />
dead and buried began turning up —<br />
apparently healthy and with no memory<br />
of their demises — in a remote town in<br />
a mountainous region of France. Earlier<br />
this year, A&E aired an Americanized<br />
version of the tale, but it was more<br />
concerned with incident than mood.<br />
It didn’t work, because the plots in the<br />
original aren’t exactly dense.<br />
And yet the French version of the show<br />
does succeed because it puts the audience<br />
in the same existentially challenging<br />
position as the townsfolk and the “dead”<br />
themselves. As it deepens various stories<br />
and introduces new characters with<br />
typical restraint and delicacy, “The<br />
Returned” continues to be wonderfully<br />
effective at exploring the difficult<br />
emotional terrain around grief, longing,<br />
anger and love.<br />
The sturdiest of the new storylines<br />
involves a government inspector who<br />
arrives to figure out why large swathes<br />
of the town were flooded. There’s a large<br />
dam nearby, and that structure had some<br />
problems in season one, but the first two<br />
episodes of the second go-round don’t<br />
get close to delivering any answers about<br />
the flood, nor does the show spend much<br />
time explaining the arrival of those long<br />
thought dead — who keep showing up.<br />
By this point, some of the town’s<br />
residents have theories about the<br />
not-quite-alive status of their former<br />
neighbors, but don’t quite know what to<br />
do about any of it. After the flood, another<br />
town faction has taken up residence in<br />
the Helping Hands shelter, and most of<br />
those people appear to be very much<br />
alive, but there’s an unsettling sense of<br />
menace about the place regardless. That<br />
mood, like everything else, is captured<br />
perfectly by the brooding soundtrack by<br />
the band Mogwai.<br />
Like “Rectify,” another sterling<br />
Sundance TV drama, and HBO’s “The<br />
Leftovers,” “The Returned” seeks to put<br />
the audience in a particular state of<br />
mind, and leave lingering questions. Such<br />
dramas can be frustrating if they build<br />
up complicated mythologies that demand<br />
at least a few answers, but this one can<br />
get away with relying on mood and tone,<br />
because its poetic intentions have been<br />
clear from the start.<br />
Though it is deliberate in pace and<br />
often low-key, the show does supply<br />
what a drama returning on Halloween<br />
absolutely must have: scares. The objects<br />
people stumble across in the woods, the<br />
hard stares of the town’s resident creepy<br />
child, Victor; those moments linger<br />
in the memory. What “The Returned”<br />
understands is that explaining too much<br />
about Victor would undercut his mystery<br />
— and his ability to send chills through<br />
grown adults with a look steeped in the<br />
series’ peerless ambiguity.<br />
116 Final Cut
NOVEMBER 5, 2015 | DOROTHY CHANDLER PAVILION | LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA<br />
Asia Society Southern California’s Sixth Annual U.S.-China Film Summit<br />
The premier event on the U.S.-Chinese entertainment business, the Film Summit<br />
offers a full-day program of high level speakers on topics including:<br />
China Wave: Outlook for Chinese investment in Hollywood<br />
Take Two: How to avoid legal and production potholes<br />
Frontiers in Content: New players, new models of collaboration<br />
Insights from the Corner Office: U.S. and Chinese studio chiefs open up<br />
Thursday, November 5, 2015<br />
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion<br />
Los Angeles, California<br />
Summit: 8:30am – 5:30pm<br />
VIP Reception & Gala Dinner: 6:00pm<br />
For complete information and<br />
to register visit:<br />
asiasociety.org/us-china-film-summit<br />
or call 213.788.4700<br />
FEATURING SPEAKERS FROM<br />
Universal Pictures<br />
Bona Film Group<br />
20th Century Fox<br />
iQIYI<br />
Motion Picture Association<br />
Dragongate Entertainment<br />
Celadon Films<br />
Variety<br />
HONOREES<br />
Director Zhang Yimou<br />
Zhang Zhao, CEO, Le Vision Pictures<br />
Beijing Film Academy<br />
<br />
A W A R D S G A L A 2015<br />
Thank you to our honorees, committee members,<br />
talent, guests, sponsors, volunteers, and donors<br />
for your important part in making the Arthritis<br />
Foundation’s 2015 Champions for a Cure Awards<br />
Gala a HUGE SUCCESS!<br />
Jimmy Rollins<br />
Joel M. Matta, MD<br />
Gala Co-Chairs<br />
CO-CHAIRS<br />
Eleda Cohen and Christine Lindsay, PharmD<br />
HONORARY CO-CHAIRS<br />
Adrienne & Stanford K. Rubin, Esq.<br />
and Kim & Samuel Lee<br />
Diana Bianchini<br />
Dahlia Carr, MD<br />
Mimi Chen<br />
Celeste & Wesley Coller<br />
David Hallegua, MD<br />
Delly Harris, RN & E. Robert Harris, MD<br />
Dan Hurley<br />
Amy Hathaway & Naveen Jeereddi<br />
Emilia Kuehne & Jonas Kuehne, MD<br />
Committee Members<br />
Mary MacKinney & Paul Lusby<br />
Peter Mainstain, CPA<br />
Renee Rinaldi, MD<br />
Deborah & Zack Snyder<br />
Susan Steen<br />
Cammie West<br />
RJ Williams<br />
Grant Withers<br />
John Waite<br />
Arthritis Foundation | 800 W. 6th Street, Suite 1250 | Los Angeles, CA 90017 | 800.954.CURE | www.arthritis.org<br />
117
THEATER ROUNDUP STEVEN OXMAN<br />
Original Plays Promise<br />
to ‘Charm’ Chicago Auds<br />
Every year, Chicago theater<br />
heats up as the weather<br />
begins to cool, but this<br />
autumn has quickly turned<br />
especially hot with high -<br />
quality work, most all of it original. The<br />
likes of David Rabe, Mary Zimmerman<br />
and Broadway producer Kevin McCollum<br />
are all involved in the robust crop, and<br />
notably, the most significant work is<br />
emerging from the theaters’ second, and<br />
even third, spaces.<br />
Take, for instance, Chicago<br />
Shakespeare, where five flights up<br />
from its sold-out, illusion-infused “The<br />
Tempest,” co-directed by magician Teller,<br />
the company’s second stage hosts a little<br />
musical called “Ride the Cyclone” that<br />
seems likely to make a major impact.<br />
The show, by writer-composers Jacob<br />
Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, has<br />
producer McCollum already attached,<br />
and it surprises with just how unusual,<br />
and unusually good, it is. Six teenagers<br />
die in a freak roller -coaster accident<br />
and now exist in a sort of purgatory; by<br />
the end, one will be given the chance<br />
to return to the living. The exquisite<br />
score ranges wildly, from a high-energy<br />
pop dance number that recalls Michael<br />
GENDER BLENDER<br />
Dexter Zollicoffer,<br />
center, teaches<br />
an etiquette<br />
class in Philip<br />
Dawkins’ play<br />
“Charm.”<br />
Notably, the<br />
most significant<br />
new work in<br />
Chicago is<br />
emerging from<br />
the theaters’<br />
second, and even<br />
third, spaces.<br />
Jackson to a Marlene Dietrich-ish cabaret<br />
piece. Despite the familiar types the<br />
teens represent, the writers and Chicago<br />
director Rachel Rockwell ensure that each<br />
character has an opportunity to develop<br />
into someone rich and real.<br />
Meanwhile, at the venerable<br />
Steppenwolf’s black-box Garage space, is<br />
the single biggest surprise of the season,<br />
the phenomenal new play “Charm” from<br />
Northlight Theater. Inspired by a true<br />
story, the work, by prolific Chicago writer<br />
Philip Dawkins, is about a 61-year-old<br />
transgender African-American woman<br />
who starts an etiquette class for a<br />
varied and troubled collection of teens<br />
(and adults) at the city’s support center<br />
for LGBT youth. Dexter Zollicoffer, as<br />
the teacher Miss Darleena, delivers a<br />
complex portrait of someone committed<br />
to helping her community. Dawkins<br />
shows just how fluid “gender” can be as<br />
stereotypes, which impact the characters<br />
as much as they inform our initial<br />
impressions, peel away.<br />
Other new works include Zimmerman’s<br />
adaptation of “Treasure Island” at<br />
Lookingglass Theater — which tells the<br />
pirate tale intelligently but doesn’t yet<br />
surprise us with Zimmerman’s usual<br />
imagination — and the recently closed<br />
“Feathers and Teeth,” a horror comedy by<br />
Charise Castro Smith, which is smart, well<br />
constructed and entertaining, but could<br />
use just a few more genuine thrills.<br />
But it’s the Gift Theater that has<br />
what must be considered the coup of the<br />
season: snagging the rights to produce a<br />
world premiere by 75-year-old Rabe. And<br />
if anyone is worried the playwright might<br />
be rusty, such concerns dissipate quickly<br />
in “Good for Otto.” Focusing on a mental<br />
health clinic where two noble, overworked<br />
therapists seek to assist a range of<br />
troubled characters, the play is long, dark<br />
and deep, but also thoroughly compelling<br />
and beautifully performed. With a cast<br />
of 15 in a theater seating about 50, it<br />
feels like a true old-school, quintessential<br />
Chicago theatrical experience.<br />
AMPAS<br />
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NAME<br />
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Or fill out this form and mail it to us. Include a copy of your current<br />
AMPAS® or Guild membership card. Please reply by November 17, 2015.<br />
Variety Awards Office<br />
11175 Santa Monica Boulevard<br />
Los Angeles, CA 90025<br />
MICHAEL BROSILOW<br />
118 Final Cut
Celebrating 30 years of giving back to the artists of our industry<br />
with an evening of performances and awards.<br />
To Purchase Tickets:<br />
sagfoundation.org/30years<br />
PRESENTING SPONSOR GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS<br />
EXCLUSIVE AIRLINE<br />
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Fall is one of the best times to embrace your inner photographer and capture nature’s beauty.<br />
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This is one of the best accessories an<br />
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Combining the professional quality of<br />
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Apple’s iPhone has always taken great<br />
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which makes it easy to swap them and use<br />
them with multiple devices. Android users<br />
aren’t left out: The company also makes<br />
lenses for some Samsung handsets.<br />
GoPro Hero 4<br />
GoPro.com | $300<br />
GoPro’s latest action camera is just a<br />
little bigger than an ice cube, but it packs<br />
some serious punch: The tiny camcorde<br />
can shoot 1080p HD video at up to 60<br />
frames per second, perfect for those action-filled<br />
moments when you don’t wa<br />
to skip a beat. It sadly doesn’t support<br />
4K video, but does double as a still-shot<br />
camera capable of recording 8 megapix<br />
pictures. And like most GoPro’s, it come<br />
with built-in Wi-Fi to directly connect to<br />
mobile devices for control and editing.<br />
The Nopo Pinhole proves there’s still a<br />
place for analog photography in the age<br />
of Snapchat and Instagram. The device<br />
uses pinhole technology — common before<br />
cameras were equipped with lenses<br />
— to capture photos with a magic that<br />
can’t be simulated with any Instagram<br />
filter. And they’re made of beautiful<br />
cherry, birch and walnut wood, making<br />
each camera a piece of art. Nopo is running<br />
a campaign on Kickstarter, and aims<br />
to ship the first cameras by December.<br />
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120<br />
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121
MY FIRST TIME IN VARIETY<br />
November 15, 1950<br />
“Lure of the East Thins H’wood<br />
Ranks of TV Comedy Writers”<br />
If anyone deserves to write a memoir, it’s<br />
Norman Lear, who reinvented television<br />
comedy in the 1970s with “All in the Family,”<br />
and whose “Even This I Get to Experience,” a<br />
how-to book about understanding the TV business,<br />
comes out in paperback Oct. 27. Lear was<br />
first mentioned in Variety on Nov. 15, 1950, as<br />
part of a story about an exodus of L.A. writers<br />
moving to New York for TV jobs. TIM GRAY<br />
Norman Lear<br />
“Suddenly Simmons & Lear were major comedy writers. All<br />
those other writers came out of radio, but we were the TV<br />
writers . But the joke was that we didn’t have any experience.”<br />
How did you get the<br />
New York gig ?<br />
Ed Simmons and I had written<br />
a routine for Danny<br />
Thomas’ nightclub act, which<br />
led to New York and Jack<br />
Haley’s “Ford Star Review.”<br />
Jerry Lewis saw a sketch that<br />
he knew he could do better,<br />
so he wanted us. MCA handled<br />
both shows, so it was<br />
easy to move over to Martin<br />
& Lewis. Within three weeks,<br />
we were writing for “ The<br />
Colgate Comedy Hour.” Suddenly<br />
Simmons & Lear were<br />
major comedy writers. All<br />
those other writers came out<br />
of radio, but we were the TV<br />
writers . But the joke of jokes<br />
was that we didn’t have any<br />
experience.<br />
Did you watch TV?<br />
We didn’t own a set. We<br />
used to go to my uncle’s<br />
house to watch Milton Berle.<br />
You hadn’t been in L.A. long.<br />
We moved there at the end<br />
of ’48. I was a kid of the<br />
Depression, and I had one<br />
uncle who was a press agent;<br />
as the family said, “He was<br />
a good provider.” He would<br />
slip me a quarter. I wanted<br />
to be an uncle who could<br />
slip a quarter to his nephew,<br />
so I wanted to be a press<br />
agent, too. I didn’t even<br />
know what that was. I didn’t<br />
want to be a star, I wanted<br />
to be the guy with the star.<br />
What were cross-country<br />
flights like?<br />
I was the only one in the<br />
family who had done that.<br />
I took a TWA red-eye at 11<br />
p.m., and they had sleepers.<br />
I think we arrived at 8<br />
in the morning. And the 747<br />
had an upstairs lounge for<br />
first-class. You could go up<br />
and smoke a cigar, and they<br />
served caviar.<br />
Did you have any key teachers?<br />
There were two. Roland Kibbee<br />
was head writer on “The<br />
Tennessee Ernie Ford Show”<br />
(Bud Yorkin was producer-director).<br />
I would sometimes<br />
do the opening monologue.<br />
Roland taught me<br />
that even a simple thing like<br />
that has to have a throughline<br />
— a beginning, middle<br />
and end. It had to have<br />
a story, and had to be taken<br />
seriously. And then Nat Hiken,<br />
who later created (“The<br />
Phil Silvers Show”).<br />
What did you learn from him?<br />
He taught me funny.<br />
Variety, VOL. 329, NO. 16 (USPS 146-820, ISSN 0011-5509) is published weekly, except the first week in July, the fourth week in November, and the fourth and fifth weeks in December, with 40 special issues: Jan (8), Feb (8), June (7), Aug (6), Nov (5) and Dec (6) by Variety Media LLC, 11175 Santa Monica<br />
Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025, a division of Penske Business Media. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA and at other mailing offices. Postmaster send address changes to: Variety, P.O. Box 15759, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5759. Canada Post International Publications Mail Product (Canadian<br />
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PHOTO: BEI/REX SHUTTERSTOCK; ILLUSTRATION: CAROLINE ANDRIEU<br />
122<br />
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