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  • Archive for September 15th, 2008

    Idiots extinguish Midnight Sun


    2008 - 09.15

    A group of spoil-sports have sapped all the fun out of Midnight Sun, including the author’s own sense of fun in writing it. The novel, a follow-up to the four-novel Twilight saga as told from the perspective of vampire Edward Cullen, is a project that may never see the light of day, thanks to some idiot Internet content pirates, who somehow came into possession of several chapters of an early draft, and posted them online withou the author’s knowledge or permission.

    Said Meyer on her Web site:

    I’d rather my fans not read this version of Midnight Sun…My first feeling was that there was no way to continue. Writing isn’t like math; in math, two plus two always equals four no matter what your mood is like. With writing, the way you feel changes everything. If I tried to write Midnight Sun now, in my current frame of mind, James would probably win and all the Cullens would die, which wouldn’t dovetail too well with the original story. In any case, I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on Midnight Sun, and so it is on hold indefinitely.

    It’s too bad; with Twilight set to premiere on the silver screen in November, the novel was set to be one hot property once it was finished. Now, it’ll be years before the book gets written, if it ever does.

    Hopefully Meyer’s next project won’t experience such a security leak, and cruises to a spot atop the New York Times best-seller’s list for fiction; after penning five very successful novels, it’s time for Meyer to enjoy her success.

    CBS’ $350 million Mother?


    2008 - 09.15

    For a sitcom that was dangling between renewal and cancellation last spring, CBS’ How I Met Your Mother is set to pay off in a big way shortly. Bidding has opened up for the syndication package on the show, which starts season four a week from tonight on September 22, and some industry analysts are predicting that with a number of bidders clamoring for the rights, the show could garner as high as $350 million.

    The most high-profile bidders include Tribune Media, CBS and Fox. Twentieth TV produces the sitcom, which stars Josh Radnor, Allyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris and Cobie Smulders as four friends living in New York City, and is the tale of how Radnor’s character met the mother of his children.

    Despite the growing popularity of digital downloads that can be stored on a hard drive and DVD complete season collections, there’s still plenty of money to be found in syndication deals; the winning bidder could be announced Wednesday, and the syndication deal, once in place, could help stabilize the future of the show for the next few seasons.

    Laurie joins top-paid TV actors club


    2008 - 09.15

    Hugh Laurie won’t need to work behind a retail counter hawking auto parts any time soon, thanks to a new deal that will make him one of the highest-paid actors on television. Laurie is the star of the second-highest rated scripted drama on network TV, Fox’s House M.D.

    When the medical drama began in 2004, Laurie wasn’t even making six figures per episode; he received his first bump two seasons ago, and has been hauling in $250,00 to $300,000 per episode over the past two seasons. The new deal will net Laurie around $400,00 per episode, or about $9 million a year.

    Only William Peterson of CSI ($600,000 per epi) and Keifer Sutherland of 24 ($500,000 per epi) make significantly more than Laurie, and their shows don’t match the ratings performance of House MD, so the remuneration is well-earned. The contract extension guarantees Laurie will stick with the role of grumpy doc Gregory House for four more seasons, through 2011-2012.

    Fey, Poehler open SNL as Palin, Clinton


    2008 - 09.15

    Despite being absent for two years launching her highly successful NBC comedy, 30 Rock, Tina Fey returned to her old Saturday Night Live stomping grounds to kick off the new season with a sharp satire of GOP VP candidate and current Alaska governor Sarah Palin, along with fellow SNL alum Amy Poehler as deposed Dem presidential hopeful and current NY Senator Hillary Rodham.

    The pairing recalls the best moments of the first half of the this decade, when Fey and Poehler ruled SNL and the Weekend Update segment, and the opening sketch was as much a tribute to their on-screen comic chemistry as it was to Palin and Clinton.

    The political season always strengthens SNL’s specialty of political satire and while it’s uncertain if and how often Fey may be available to return to SNL to reprise her Palin impersonation, especially if the GOP ticket takes the White House, what is certain is there wasn’t a funnier, sharper and more enjoyable sketch in the entire SNL season debut. It’s a pairing that is sure to be more in demand than a bunch of unlocked cell phones, especially iPhones.

    Hopefully, it’s a sign of a coming resurgence for the thirty-year-old-plus sketch comedy standby.

    Lohan’s liberal lez-views


    2008 - 09.15

    Considering Lindsay Lohan has joined the pink triangle crowd, it’s unlikely she’ll be shopping with “partner” Samantha Ronson for baby strollers any time soon. But now, like so many Hollywood big-mouths, Lohan has decided to use her marginal celebrity status to weigh in on the current political campaign and – surprise surprise – she’s a leftist. Never would have guessed, wouldja?

    Lohan’s comments on McCain running mate Sarah Palin were especially venomous:

    “I find it quite interesting that a woman who now is running to be second in command of the United States, only four years ago had aspirations to be a television anchor, which is probably all she is qualified to be.”

    The fact that Lohan, whose acting skills were marginal at best even before deciding to “out” herself to regain some sort of relevance, is questioning ANYONE’s qualifications for ANYTHING is laughable and pathetic. After all, there’s not a single role she’s been in that Christina Ricci, Natalie Portman or even Amanda Bynes couldn’t have done far better at.

    Lohan, heal thyself.

    Burn After Reading tops box office


    2008 - 09.15

    The new Coen Brothers movie, Burn After Reading, lurched out a narrow victory over Tyler Perry’s The Family That Preys to take the top of box office honors this weekend, hauling in $19.4 million against a $37 million budget, compared to $18 million for Perry’s movie.

    Righteous Kill was a distant third place with $16.5 million, and in fourth place was The Women, which trailed badly with $10 million. Late summer hits like The House Bunny, Tropic Thunder and The Dark Knight all trailed in the distance with around $4 million each, showing that the movie-going public is finally ready for something – anything, really – new.

    It does not require the services of a Chicago accident attorney to figure out that few of these movies will have much staying power, save for Burn After Reading.

    However, next week’s fantastic four releases include a much better cadre of movies, including the highly anticipated Ricky Gervais comedy, Ghost Town; as well as high-profile releases like the animated Igor family film, classy Neil LaBute thriller Lakeview Terrace and the Kate Hudson romantic comedy, My Best Friend’s Girl.

    I’d place my bets on Ghost Town being the most entertaining, and Igor on being the highest-grossing.