Its 'Official' MGM/Spyglass Merger a Done Deal!

The MGM/Spyglass Merger went ahead as planned; which enables a shared financial load that now sees the company in a much stronger position to capitalize on its strategic planning and global business interests.

The news comes on the heels of a Movie deal brokered in New Zealand. MGM who co-holds rights with Warner Bros; were paid Millions by the New Zealand Government, to keep production of The Hobbit in New Zealand. This together with a deal that saw the New Zealand Government kow tow to Warner Bros and pass an urgent Law; virtually overnight.

This Bill was hurriedly undertaken and fast tracked into Law; to ensure the New Zealand Government honoured its promise to Warner bros, to stop all industrial actions over pay claims; taken by Actors Equity and The Council of Trade Unions. To stop any further actions that would delay any shooting of the Hobbit and/or see the movie bogged down in legal wrangling for months.

Most importantly, this Law was a deal specifically to appease Warner Bros; who due to industrial actions taken by Actors equity in New Zealand, had threatened to take the movie elsewhere and offshore, to any of several other interested countries, who had already offered huge Tax breaks and guaranteed the Movie would proceed devoid of any Union presence.

Furthermore; the MGM/Spyglass merger has thrown somewhat of a cloud of uncertainty over plans for future James Bond productions. At the time of writing these are still up in the air.
NZPA 2010

Ron Howard; In spite of Heavy Criticism is Adamant ‘gay’ joke will stay in Movie ‘The Dilemma’.

Ron Howard is taking a lot of flak and is in a verbal firefight with Gay rights and Lesbian Alliance groups. He told the LA Times and writer Patrick Goldstein he was not going to remove a joke that used the word gay from the script of the Vince Vaughn comedy 'Dilemma.' In his written response; Howard explained that clearly; the line needs to be understood in the context of the Movie and its main character Vaughn.

He went on to say; that he was taking additional heat off the back of past TV shows and Movies that had much more volatile content and provocative reference to gays. I tend to agree with him. That the view portrayed in the Movie is not that of Ron Howard personally; nor of anyone associated with the making of the comedy. Meanwhile; the Gay and Lesbian Alliance is demanding its removal.

George Hickenlooper Documantary Filmmaker dies at age 47

George Hickenlooper has died at 47. Famous amongst other things; for his documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse filmed in 1991, which documented the making of Apocalypse Now. The Denver Post reported Hickenlooper seemingly died of natural causes. He was in Denver, planning the premiere of his latest film Casino Jack. The film was scheduled to premiere at the Denver Film Festival. Kevin Spacey stars in the lead role as Jack Abramoff a disgraced and fallen Washington lobbyist.

The late filmmake Hickenlooper is survived his wife and son and Cousin Mayor John Hickenlooper, who is the source of this news report to the Denver post.

George Hickenlooper directed a number of documentary films; the 2006 Edie Sedgwick biopic Factory Girl. He directed the 2003 documentary of the Sunset Strip. George Hickenlooper was also well known for the drama he directed in 2001; The Man From Elysian Fields.