A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via radiocitta.it)

In: iTunes. Variety weighs in on the growing iTunes phenomenon. iTunes is like the prettiest girl in the school, everyone wants to date her. According to Rafat Ali at Paidcontent:

"Everyone and their peacock wants to be distributing their video through iTunes...and the wheeling-dealings on which TV network gets most content out faster is fascinating to watch and read. This one in Variety is about NBC, which played the catch-up game to Disney fast...

"Just a month after launching, NBC Universal programming now dominates the service, all but erasing Disney's early advantage as the first network to tie-up with Apple, says Variety, though I'm not sure that's very true. But as the story says, NBC is promoting the iTunes download option on its TV network and website much more than Disney. Visitors to Universal theme parks are also bombarded with messages touting the availability of NBC shows for download. 'In the next 12 months, our intention is to heavily increase the content you see there today,' said Frederick Huntsberry, who as president of NBC U Television Distribution is heading up NBC's platform push."

Update: Disney's Bob Iger was just seen frenchkissing iTunes in the Chattering Class cafeteria during third period, wheras NBC Universal only got to 1st base during homecoming. More here.



(image via foxuk)

Out: Fox Searchlight. After the success of Napoleon Dynamite, Sideways and acquiring the industry sobriquet "The new Miramax," you would think the gang at Fox Searchlight could easily continue the momentum. Quite the contrary. Sequels are always dodgy. It was, as they say, and "erratic year for indie films." According to the gang at Cinematical:

"Despite the fact that its parent company ended the year on top of the studio heap, Fox Searchlight had not a single hit for the year. Even with late-2004 release Sideways adding to the coffers, by the end of the year the indie arm found itself $70 million down from the year before. This is in huge contrast to fellow studio/indies Warner Independent and Focus Features, who both had stunning years. with WIP grossing over $100 million more in 2005 than in the year before."

Ouch.



Texas, carved up, DeLay style. (image via comdig2)

In: The Texas Redistricting Case. Once again Texas redistricting is in play. According to our favorite Dickensian villain, Robert Novak:

"The biggest Republican concern about future control of the House rests with the Supreme Court's decision in the Texas congressional redistricting case.

"Republican leaders were stunned when the court agreed to a review. They had thought the issue was settled when the justices, by 5-4, refused to consider a similar case in Pennsylvania. But Justice Anthony Kennedy, who cast the decisive vote on the Pennsylvania case, is a swing vote who could go the other way on Texas.

"Even if the Supreme Court rules against the redistricting orchestrated by Rep. Tom DeLay, it might come too late to affect the 2006 election. Republicans gained six House seats from Texas after the redistricting."

As if DeLay didn't have enough to worry about.



(image via skreb.co.uk)

Out: Fleet Street. What the fuck is up with these clowns in the British press? First, there was that spurrious report that Catherine Zeta-Jones was nearly kidnapped by banditos in Mexico (she wasn't), and now the false report that Matthew McConoughey broke his collarbone. What the fuck?

Do they have standards in the UK? Anyway, that's my way of a correction. (Thank you Rush and Molloy)

In: Blind Items. These Blind Items are almost impenetrable. Almost. They are from the British papers, so, take it with a grain of salt (and vinegar!):

"1.WHICH young Hollywood starlet is so desperate for cash she's propositioned several LA-based Brit actors asking if they could stage a relationship? The fruity girl in question wanted to share the proceeds of any set-up pictures to pay off her debts.

"2.WHICH down and out drug addict is giving up smoking for the new year? The guy in question is back to his old needle-using ways so no longer needs his pipe.

"3.WHICH stick-thin socialite was caught unawares by a waiter, er, powdering her nose by the emergency exit at a showbiz bash? Next thing, she grabbed her boyfriend and legged it without a word to her friends.

"4.WHO's the Hollywood star who's so paranoid about his wife cheating on him he's hired a private investigator to keep an eye on her? 5.WHICH fashionista is wearing a full-time weave after her years of drug abuse have left her almost bald? The friend of the stars is now considering a hair transplant on top of the nearly �50,000 she's already spent on surgery."

More here.