Hollywood Babble On & On #1159: Random Drippings From The Brain Pan

WEEKEND WEAKENED

Overall box-office for the 4th of July weekend is down.

Not just down, but really down.

About 45% down from LAST YEAR.

Do you think the studios will pause and take a look at what they're doing to see how such a precipitous drop could happen?

Probably not.

TRIBE GETS A DISTRIBUTOR

Drafthouse Films has acquired The Tribe, a Ukrainian film set at a school for the deaf and with a cast of all deaf amateur actors. Sadly they turned down my suggestion to retitle it "Talk To The Hand."

*pelted by rotten tomatoes*

Fine, be that way.

WEINSTEIN CO. COLLECTS LAWSUITS LIKE TRADING CARDS

The Weinstein Company is being sued over a charity fundraiser that went very wrong.

A man named Michael Trigg donated $100,000 via CharityBuzz to the La Jolla Playhouse with the understanding that it would result in him getting a small part in Scary Movie 5 with a few lines.

The suit alleges further costs because he had to change his flight and accommodation plans because of changes in the shooting schedule, the film's makers didn't know about the contest, or his role, and about a dozen different troubles and complications that left him bereft and feeling that he has to sue everyone involved for unspecified damages.

Which makes me wonder why the Weinstein Co. ever did the contest in the first place. Casting is tricky, even the small parts, and characters get edited out all the time, including major ones. If everyone involved in making the movie isn't fully in-on the thing, it's going to cause confusion, dissatisfaction, and probably lawsuits.

Maybe they should have just offered a trip to the set to meet the stars. It may not have raised as much money, but it would have saved money on lawyers.

HEIGL-ANIAN DIALECTIC

Katherine Heigl blames her string of romantic comedies for the rather weak state of her career.

Now a look at Hollywood history would reveal many actresses who made many romantic comedies, some almost exclusively so, and had pretty long and healthy careers.

Heigl's problem comes from the simple fact that too many of her romantic comedies were shit, and for some reason very few people were willing to work with her more than once.

PINK FLOYD REDUX

Legendary British rock band Pink Floyd is going to release their first album in 20 years.

It's going to be called: PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN WILL YOU SHUT THE HELL UP I'M TRYING TO SLEEP.

First single will be called GET OFF MY LAWN YOU DIRTY HIPPIES.

GAME OF WINE

Someone is coming out with a Game of Thrones themed line of wine.

Here are some slogans for this new wine:

LANNISTER WINE*: "By the second glass even your sister will look good."

*Available in a Tyrion size half-bottle

STARK WINE: "You'll lose your head over it."

TARGAERYAN WINE: "The Whitest of the White Wines."