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the 250
Demi Moore and Robert Scoble's moment of mutual unrecognition
Just how isolated are tech pundits like Robert Scoble from the real world? In a telling moment at a "VIP" party for TechCrunch50, Michael Arrington's startup conference taking place this week in San Francisco, an attendee tried to explain Scoble's notoriety to fading film star Demi Moore. Moore was on hand to promote her hubby Ashton Kutcher's new Web show Blah Girls. The actress, like most of America, had never heard of the ruddy, flaxen-haired Fast Company videoblogger. More surprising was Scoble's confession that he hadn't recognized Moore, either. Which makes me think of a new motto for the 250, Valleywag's term for the Valley's self-appointed, self-obsessed inside crowd: "You don't know us, and we don't know you." (Photos by AP/Evan Agostini and Shannon Clark)
clips
Sony to make movie from "Christian the Lion" YouTube weeper
It was sweet when Bree and Dan posted corresponding "Boy Problems" and "Girl Problems" videos during the first LonelyGirl15 run. Yeah, it's heart-rending when crows mother kittens. But YouTube's biggest tearjerker has to be the story of Christian the Lion — coming to a theater near you, courtesy of Sony. More »
hollywood
Facebook movie to be based on Ben Mezrich's controversial tell-all
Aaron Sorkin is indeed working on a Facebook movie — which Valleywag readers think should star Superbad's Michael Cera — but not with Facebook's permission, says a company flack. "We are routinely approached by writers and filmmakers interested in telling the Facebook story. We are certainly flattered by the attention and interest, but at this point, have not agreed to cooperate with any film project." Probably the main reason Facebook wants no part of Sorkin's movie is because he's basing his screenplay on author Ben Mezrich's forthcoming book, which according to published excerpts, seems to be about as sympathetic to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg as Thunderball was to Adolpho Celi. (Photo by Getty Images) More »
online video
The Red camera shall rule them all in Hollywood, shortly
To say that I've been earnestly optimistic about the possibilities of the Red One camera is a gross understatement. Sure, Lord of the Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson was given an early test kit and Steven Soderbergh has already produced and shot two films with a Red digital camera rig, meeting and exceeding any film snob's requirements. But neither effort spoke to the body electric the way a pair of short clips from Magnum Opus Productions do. More »
hollywood
Is West Wing writer Aaron Sorkin making "The Facebook Movie" ?
Aaron Sorkin — the guy who wrote films A Few Good Men, The American President andCharlie Wilson's War as well as TV shows West Wing, Sports Night and Studio 60 — is working with Sony and the producer of No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood to write The Facebook Movie. Either that, or there's a very dedicated Fake Aaron Sorkin out there, who's created a detailed Facebook page — going so far as to respond each wall post — in order to fool us all. Writes Sorkin — or his imposter: More »
online video
Timothy Dalton appears in first look at StrikeTV's programming
Finally, an online video outfit from Hollywood professionals that looks like it might produce more than one hit! Harry Shearer's MyDamnChannel has "You Suck at Photoshop", FunnyOrDie is still resting on the laurel's of "The Landlord", IBeatYou can't beat anyone without Jessica Alba staring into the camera, and IFC's best semi-pro production, "Young American Bodies," just happens to have lots of nudity. Enter StrikeTV, an idea that came together on the picket lines during the writers' strike and has more professional writer-producer-directors (AKA "multihyphenates") on board than the lot of them. Add name-brand draws like former James Bond Timothy Dalton, übercute Mindy Kaling from The Office and none other than Bob Newhart and they may just have something.
movies
Razorfish Landshark afloat amidst 2001's dot-bomb. Androgynous rock legend David Bowie even has a cameo as an investor trying to wrest control of the company from the founders. Never have term sheets and board meetings been so exciting! More surprising? Andre Royo, best known for his gritty portrayal of the junkie with a heart of gold Bubbles on HBO's The Wire has a supporting role. And that, more than than the action-packed, fast-paced trailer, actually makes me want to see it.
Josh Hartnett stars as dot-com entrepreneur in "August"
Hollywood's taking a stab at bringing sexy back to the world of the Valley in August, which posits Tom Sterling (Josh Hartnett) and brother Joshua (Adam Scott) as founders trying to keep their fictional Silicon Alley startup
online video
Obscene iTunes profit margins finally win Hollywood's heart
Steve Jobs has finally wooed all the major studios, including Fox, Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount and Universal, to sell movie downloads on the day DVDs are released. On Friday, you'll be able to wait a while as American Gangster downloads over your crappy American broadband connection for $14.99. And it will be delivered in lower quality than standard DVDs, without any of those annoying extra features. But it will have Apple's DRM installed with every copy! What finally brought Hollywood to the table? More »
online video
Hollywood talent leery of stock-option deals, but agencies enthusiastic
Cash money, not equity, is what powers the entertainment industry. Especially when it comes to talent. In a possibly apocryphal but illustrative anecdote, legendary bluesman Albert King reportedly refused to leave the stage until he had cash in hand from the concert promoter, presumably because he'd been cheated out of so many deals in the past. Studio accounting has an only slightly better reputation than that of the music industry when it comes to being, ahem, creative. Hence it's no surprise that when negotiating venture funding for Funny Or Die, Will Ferrell reportedly wanted to know what his upfront payout would be, according to Sequoia Capital's Mark Kvamme in comments to the New York Times. Which is one reason why private equity efforts to fund traditional film and television production have yet to pan out. Better to get your money upfront and walk away in case the project is a disaster. So how is Valley money changing Hollywood business models? More »
5:00 PM on Wed Apr 16 2008
By Jackson West
2,009 views,
9 comments
Latest by FiveStarEggRoll: @bbucy: A la Ben Stiller? Well, I guess he still directs (a lot of crap)...Sandler too. Seeing a big SNL trend here. Is Chase directing these days? Harry "wonders what Ackroyd is up to" Wang more »
