Wednesday 3 February 2010

Hollywood Babble On & On #447: Mini Musings...

Welcome to the show folks...

MACGRUBER/MACGYVER

Lee D. Zlotoff, the creator of MacGyver, wants to put the kibosh on the upcoming parody movie MacGruber. In keeping with the spirit of the show he will stop the movie with an airplane made from paperclips, chewing gum, a lawnmower, and a bed sheet.

But seriously folks, he claims the parody hurts his plans to develop a MacGyver big screen adventure, and that it violates his rights as the owner of any big-screen MacGyver movie.

Sorry Lee, but I have to call bullshit on your little parade, and here's why:

1.
MacGruber is a PARODY. Parodies are protected under freedom of speech and do not constitute any violation of copyright. Any lawsuit brought against it will only serve to cost Senor Zlotoff money and lots of it.

2. The only thing keeping the memory of
MacGyver alive is this movie, and the occasional episode of Mythbusters where they usually debunk the TV hero's antics. Come on, it's not like MacGyver was I, Claudius, it's essentially a bit of 80s camp, appreciated only on an ironic level by the folks who made MacGruber. It's the best commercial for the show than the show ever was.

So why is Herr Zlotoff trying to sink
MacGruber if he doesn't have a chance. Well, methinks he's trying to get his movie out of the development sinkhole by raising a ruckus.

MIRAMAX GOING WEINSTEIN AGAIN?

There's a report going around the Weinstein Bros. have somehow talked two hedge funds into backing their bid to buy the now defunctified Miramax back from Disney.

I never thought it would happen, but I actually had a glimmer of pity for a hedge fund.

If this report is true I'm guessing the hedge fund managers were impressed by getting to shake Gwyneth Paltrow's hand at a party in the Hamptons, that Harvey's got Hillary Clinton on his speed-dial, and the Bros. Weinstein's seemingly unending capacity to woo someone until they get what they want.

Because once they get what they want, things will get ugly.

Really ugly.

Don't just take my word for it, just ask
every single person who ever did business with the Weinstein Bros.

If you look at it from another angle it's a perfect hedge fund investment. It's got all the chaos and uncertainty of mortgage backed securities, and derivatives, with all the glamor of having obscenities hurled at you by someone who is supposed to be busy making you money.

RUPERT WANTS AVATAR 2 & FAST

News Corp/Fox honcho is so happy with all the money Avatar is making that he is pushing for a sequel. However since it took Cameron 14+ years to make the first
Avatar, it might come too late, too late being about 5 minutes after people stop being wowed by the visuals and start looking for a story with actual characters.

Personally, I see this as an opportunity for Hollywood's only working screenwriters Robert Orci and Alexander Kurtzman. Personally, I see it as a vehicle for Jim Carrey!

Come folks, you know it's inevitable.

1 comment:

  1. The mind boggles. Assuming Cameron follows the standard sequel formula of "much more of the same thing", the humans will come back with an army and reinact Custer's last stand in space. More machines, more blowing things up, crazier commanders, heavier guilt trips.

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