Classic Conversation Thread

[cannastop]

 

Nice.

[Eric Duncan]

1 hour ago, Thanos Legion said:

Not sure about right thread.  
 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-department-to-terminate-longstanding-legal-rules-for-movie-distribution-11574110393

 

IANAL, is this kind of a nothingburger or maybe a big deal?

Might get a couple things wrong here, so bear with me.

 

It is a pretty big deal, and not a very good one. Before those antitrust laws, in the 1940s, this meant studios could own movie theaters, and can force theaters to play several movies, or none at all, as well as how and when these movies get played. Imagine if Disney forced movie theaters to play Dumbo or Ad Astra for months and months, despite barely making any money, just so they can get Endgame and Frozen II. Obviously, that has a lot of drawbacks for independent theaters who don't have the funds for those demands or smaller studios like Neon trying to get their movie put into theaters, and essentially creates an actual monopoly in the industry.

[Plain Old Tele]

3 hours ago, Thanos Legion said:

Not sure about right thread.  
 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-department-to-terminate-longstanding-legal-rules-for-movie-distribution-11574110393

 

IANAL, is this kind of a nothingburger or maybe a big deal?

It’s about the worst possible news imaginable. 

[TMP]

@Jake Gittes

[filmlover]

It's only November 18 and I've already heard "All I Want For Christmas Is You" four times in just the past week alone. This really is the year that song finally ascends to #1 isn't it?

[Webslinger]

3 hours ago, Eric Plus said:

Might get a couple things wrong here, so bear with me.

 

It is a pretty big deal, and not a very good one. Before those antitrust laws, in the 1940s, this meant studios could own movie theaters, and can force theaters to play several movies, or none at all, as well as how and when these movies get played. Imagine if Disney forced movie theaters to play Dumbo or Ad Astra for months and months, despite barely making any money, just so they can get Endgame and Frozen II. Obviously, that has a lot of drawbacks for independent theaters who don't have the funds for those demands or smaller studios like Neon trying to get their movie put into theaters, and essentially creates an actual monopoly in the industry.

Yeah, your Disney comparison was my first thought as well.

[BoxOfficeZ]

1 hour ago, Plain Old Tele said:

It’s about the worst possible news imaginable. 

 

Don't worry Tele, everything will be fine. This line especially fills me with confidence.

 

Quote

Mr. Delrahim said the decrees were no longer needed because the conspiracy among movie-industry giants from the 1940s no longer exists. If modern practices arise in the movie industry that harm consumers, “antitrust enforcers remain ready to act,” he said.

 

Not that anyone buys that horseshit.

 

This is absolutely terrifying. The consent decrees are pretty much theater chains the most important line of defense against massive film studios ( AKA Disney), and effectively the only significant antitrust restriction left in this industry that would stop them. Small theaters are already under enormous pressure not to show smaller films. 

 

I guess if you think about it there won't be a conspiracy of movie-industry giants, just one company by itself.

 

Yay.... fuck

[filmlover]

Speaking of smaller theaters the indie theaters around me must be loving the traffic that they're getting from showing The Irishman. It's been selling out every show around here since it opened Friday, even if the auditoriums it's showing in aren't very big with 80 or so seats at most (I'm waiting to watch it on Netflix over Thanksgiving weekend regardless).

[MrGamer]

5 hours ago, Thanos Legion said:

Not sure about right thread.  
 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-department-to-terminate-longstanding-legal-rules-for-movie-distribution-11574110393

 

IANAL, is this kind of a nothingburger or maybe a big deal?

Thisisfine.jpg

[dxmatrixdt]

.

Edited June 25, 2020 by abusive brainwashed Christ

[lorddemaxus]

Disney isn't part of the Paramount Decrees and have participated in block-booking before so I guess there should be no change in the way they act?

Edited November 19, 2019 by lorddemaxus

[TMP]

Three of the four actors who won an Oscar in February had episodes of TV drop over the weekend (Watchmen, Mr. Robot, The Crown). Pretty cool!

[Napoleon]

I don't know what's the difference. If they had already committed to 2 seasons, what does this renewal even mean?

 

Also, when they said Amazon would be spending $1 billion in this show they were saying that was the cost of the planned 5 seasons. I thought they had already committed to 5 seasons. So the $1 billion cost was just PR, they are not committed to spend that much money, that's only the estimated IF the show is successful and get to the 5th season.

 

 

[MrGlass2]

2 hours ago, Napoleon said:

I don't know what's the difference. If they had already committed to 2 seasons, what does this renewal even mean?

 

Also, when they said Amazon would be spending $1 billion in this show they were saying that was the cost of the planned 5 seasons. I thought they had already committed to 5 seasons. So the $1 billion cost was just PR, they are not committed to spend that much money, that's only the estimated IF the show is successful and get to the 5th season.

They paid $250 million just for the rights to LOTR, it wasn't PR at all. The renewal means that the writers, directors, actors... are already locked (or can be hired) for the second season whenever it is scheduled to shoot.

 

With the amount of cash they have spent on this before shooting one episode, it is almost guaranteed that they will carry it 5+ seasons - even if it isn't all that successful. It is designed to be their flagship drama regardless of quality.

Edited November 19, 2019 by MrGlass2

[redfirebird2008]

8 hours ago, lorddemaxus said:

Disney isn't part of the Paramount Decrees and have participated in block-booking before so I guess there should be no change in the way they act?

 

Now that they own FOX, I would think they take FOX's spot in the old court case (at least on FOX content). Not sure if it impacts other Disney content. Regardless, it looks like they will be free to go on a monopoly rampage if they want. 

Edited November 19, 2019 by redfirebird2008

[Jonwo]

2 minutes ago, MrGlass2 said:

They paid $250 million just for the rights to LOTR, it wasn't PR at all. The renewal means that the writers, directors, actors... are already locked for the second season whenever it is scheduled to shoot.

 

With the amount of cash they have spent on this before shooting one episode, it is almost guaranteed that they will carry it 5+ seasons - even if it isn't all that successful. It is designed to be their flagship drama regardless of quality.

The BBC and HBO renewed His Dark Materials even before the first series was finished, I imagine given how expensive these dramas are, they likely need a minimum amount of episodes so they can recoup their investment. Although saying that, HBO have been known to cancel a show that's been given early renewal like Luck or Vinyl.

 

 

[lorddemaxus]

2 minutes ago, redfirebird2008 said:

 

Now that they own FOX, I would think they take FOX's spot in the old court case (at least on FOX content). Not sure if it impacts other Disney content. Regardless, it looks like they will be free to go on a monopoly rampage if they want. 

It only affects distributors, not production companies. Disney only bought Fox as a production company so there is no change. On the other hand MGM/UA is still affected eventhough they were seperate studios back when the decrees were created.

[redfirebird2008]

8 minutes ago, lorddemaxus said:

It only affects distributors, not production companies. Disney only bought Fox as a production company so there is no change. On the other hand MGM/UA is still affected eventhough they were seperate studios back when the decrees were created.

 

What do you mean they only bought it as a production company? Dark Phoenix was distributed by FOX (which is owned by Disney). Ford vs Ferrari is in theaters right now as a FOX distribution (not Disney). So it sure looks like they bought the distribution arm of FOX as well, not just the production element. 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2019 by redfirebird2008

[lorddemaxus]

6 minutes ago, redfirebird2008 said:

What do you mean they only bought it as a production company? Dark Phoenix was distributed by FOX (which is owned by Disney). Ford vs Ferrari is in theaters right now as a FOX distribution (not Disney). So it sure looks like they bought the distribution arm of FOX as well, not just the production element. 

It's only 20th Century Fox in name though. Fox doesn't operate as a seperate entity. 

[filmlover]