Sunday, November 18, 2007
God Bless the Writers Strike
I wasn’t sure what I think about the writers strike--mostly because it hadn’t really poked its head into my life in any noticeable way--and I’m not prepared to take sides in the money grab that is going on. I figure it will work itself out without my help.
Now, though, I’m rooting for a long, long strike that paralyzes the Hollywood money machine for years to come. That would be awesome.
Why?
A follow-up to The Da Vinci Code has become the first big-screen casualty of the Hollywood writers’ strike.
Angels & Demons, a prequel to the movie adaptation of Dan Brown’s novel, is being delayed by Columbia Pictures because its script needs more work.It had been due for release around Christmas 2008, but has now been pencilled in for May 2009.
Writers walked off the job nearly two weeks ago in a row over royalties for their work on DVDs and the internet.
Anything that can keep us from idiocy of more Dan Brown-related films makes me feel all tingly inside. Actually, come to think of it, we’d all be better off if Hollywood managed to lose a few like Stealth, Norbit, and Boat Trip. Instead, the strike will probably be over soon and we consumers will be faced with another weekend of Dumb and Dumberer-esque “entertainment.”
Update: Thanks to Shawn for linking this from American Spectator blog.
Another update: The conversation continues here.
Comments & Trackbacks
I *heart* you Zombyboy. This blog, and your writing, just rocks.
Good Lord, I’m all sorts of blushing.
Thank you.
I agree, whole-heartedly, except....my boys LOVE that DaVinci code. And I am kind of a templar junkie. Mix the two, and you have a whole new open discussion in my house. For that, I’ll take the Dan Brown movies. I’d rather talk about religious mythology than YuGiOh! anyday.
But, honestly, I am dreading the Angels & Demons movie. I enjoyed that book, and they’re going to ruin it. Have you read The Rule of Four? It’s like the Dan Brown books, but really super good.
I missed seeing The DaVinci Code. I never read the book, either. I suspect that I’d rather have seen a well-done version of Eco’s “Focault’s Pendulum,” but there isn’t one, and isn’t likely to be one - writer’s strike or no.
My favorite commentary on the writer’s strike was a photo (possibly a photoshop - I don’t remember where I saw it, unfortunately) showing a bunch of striking writers marching with blank picket signs.
Dick Wilson died today. You know him as Mr. Whipple of the Charmin commercials. He gave an apropos quote in a 1985 AP interview: “The kind of pictures they’re making today, I’ll stick with toilet paper.” Got a laugh out of that one.
I’m amazed by the whole “Hollywood will run out of material” line. Don’t we hear, constantly, about great scripts--and no doubt some terrible ones as well--that languish for years, optioned yet gathering dust in some studio office?
Hey, good point. There should be more than enough crappy scripts that have already been optioned sitting somewhere in a file cabinet just waiting to make Keanu Reeves look less talented than ever.
Going through the comments, I find that I’m a little saddened by the loss of Mr. Whipple.
I’m going to go squeeze some Charmin.