The IATSE president "addressed one of the key issues in the negotiations — artificial intelligence — saying it should not be used to replace workers, but also that it has the potential to lighten the load." - Variety
A week ago, it was crunch time for actors, musicians, directors, writers, and PR people on the path to an Academy Award. But importantly, while trying their hardest, most (except for Robert Downey Jr.) had to walk the “Don’t be a try-hard” line. - Washington Post
"My main obsession was Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, so when Burger King released a line of light-up goblets with the visages of characters like Aragorn and Arwen etched on their sides, I knew I needed them." - The New York Times
Highland Park is yet another casualty of the pandemic, strikes, and multitude of streaming options. The theatre’s owner said, “It’s not the community’s fault or our fault. … The industry has been so bad that the theater was losing money every single week.” - Los Angeles Times
Sure, people binge-watched DVD sets (anyone remember the classic Portlandia sketch about Battlestar Galactica?), but streaming makes it extreme. "I guess I’m wondering if there might have been some good in those old days? Doesn’t sound right, but maybe something about less options and more waiting?" - The Smart Set
Yes, Oppenheimer is a WWII movie, usually a safe bet - except when a WWII movie is up against a WWII Holocaust movie. Anonymous Oscars voters are showing sudden Zone of Interest, uh, interest. - The Guardian (UK)
Today, with the budgets of the biggest films and series rivalling the G.D.P.s of small island nations, constructed languages, or conlangs, are becoming a norm, if not an implicit requirement. - The New Yorker
Twenty twenty-three was a year of downsizing, diminishment, shelving, sidelining, retrenching, retreating and bet hedging. And 2024 is the year of consequences. - The New York Times
"(It's) a catalog so synonymous with cinematic achievement that ..., over four decades, through a combination of luck, obsession and good taste, this 55-person company has become the arbiter of what makes a great movie, more so than any Hollywood studio or awards ceremony." - The New York Times Magazine
Once you've bought it, you're never going to find that the retailer has reached into your movie, CD, or record collection to remove it with no notice. You own it forever, and in the case of music, it's trivial to make copies to listen to on your phone, computer, or home media server. - Lifewire
"The program has supported thousands of Georgia jobs and the creation of several thriving studios. But it’s hugely expensive — the state is projected to give out $1.35 billion in credits this year alone. Supporters of the measure say they want to ... protect the state against a limitless liability." - AP
Fourth-quarter 2023 earnings were up more than $100 million from a year earlier, and net losses (though still big) were down by over one-third. AMC CEO Adam Aron said that "literally all" of that increase in revenue was from the hit concert films by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. - The Hollywood Reporter
Yesterday's report that the Pope of Trash is making a film adaptation of his 2022 novel Liarmouth starring Aubrey Plaza was, well, not entirely wrong, but definitely premature. - The Baltimore Banner
Artificial intelligence is already enabling stations to replicate the voices of on-air talent. Now a new Benztown product uses AI to craft “listener” audio for on-air use. - Inside Radio
