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Archive for September, 2008

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Dubai’s Dubious Debut

In Movies, celebrity, entertainment on September 28, 2008 at 8:24 pm

Over the past several years, many of the studio blockbusters have been financed with Wall Street and hedge fund money. With the current financial mess we’re in, Hollywood found itself in the position of having to look elsewhere for film budget assistance.

It turns out it didn’t have to look for very long. The oil rich government of Abu Dhabi has committed a $1-billion-plus fund to make movies and digital content via Abu Dhabi Media Co., a government controlled entity.

Using a newly formed subsidiary called Imagenation, Abu Dhabi made its first deal with Participant Media, a U.S. company well known in the Middle East for producing the Islamic terrorist friendly flick, “Syriana.” Two-hundred-fifty-million dollars has been set aside for 18 movies to be made over the next five years. Participant’s head Jim Berk told the New York Times that the films will “entertain” but will “also raise awareness of issues and inspire social change.”

Founded in 2004 by former eBay exec Jeff Skoll, Participant has specialized in “message” movies including “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Good Night, and Good Luck” along with “Syriana.” According to the Khaleej Times, Dubai seeks to establish “a strong regional and global media presence through successful implementation of public diplomacy.”

Wonder how many ways they can come up with to make a “Syriana” sequel.

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‘Commander in Chief’ Creator Rod Lurie Seeks Veep Candidate Credit

In Celebrities, Culture, Hollywood, Politics on September 2, 2008 at 8:03 am

Rod Lurie, creator of ABC’s 2005 television series, “Commander in Chief,” attended the Democratic National Convention and cheered for his candidate of choice, Barack Obama.

The producer then gave his assessment of John McCain’s pick for vice president.

“People who understand politics know anything is possible,” Lurie told the Hollywood Reporter.

“Picking a woman is an absolute strategic idea from McCain’s point of view. He’s not talking about governing right now. The idea of this woman [Palin] actually facing down Putin and negotiating with Medvedev is idiotic,” he added.

In the pilot for Lurie’s cancelled TV show, an experienced GOP presidential candidate chose a young unknown woman to be his running mate.

“It’s unbelievable isn’t it?” Lurie asked. “I think that Geena [Davis] and I need to be paid royalties by the Republicans.”

After Davis’ character succeeded to the White House, she was criticized for lack of experience. But the TV prez proved her detractors wrong.

The dismissal of Palin’s experience by the Dems and many in the mainstream media is unseemly, especially in the light of Obama’s thin resume and the media’s lack of perusal.

Palin definitely has defenders such as America’s mayor Rudy Giuliani, who while appearing on “Face the Nation” praised the former two term mayor, conservation commission chair and current governor of Alaska, and pointed out that when talking about the readiness issue, Obama is the one who has “never run a city, he’s never run a state, he’s never run a business, he’s never administered a payroll, he’s never led people in crisis.”

Giuliani also noted that Obama “had to put all that emphasis on somebody [Biden] helping him because he’s never had a record of executive experience.”