the Disney-Fox merger and film/TV production/exhibition hegemony in general

The Department of Justice is moving to eliminate a legal agreement that has governed the movie industry since the 1940s, Justice Department antitrust chief Makan Delrahim announced Monday.

The move by the Justice Department signals that regulators believe that certain remedies are appropriate at the time, but should be reviewed to keep up with how industries change.

Delrahim’s announcement, which would alter what is known as the Paramount consent decrees, could change how theaters distribute movies. The rules, which kept major movie studios from owning theaters where their movies were played, were originally put in place to keep studios from collaborating to control all aspects of the industry.

Speaking at an antitrust conference in Washington, Delrahim cited consumers’ ability to watch movies on streaming services as one reason why the agency was seeking to terminate the agreements, along with saying the conspiracy the government was originally trying to amend decades ago no longer exists.

jesus christ, no

christ

five-baggers for everyone

Bob Iger's erection could cut steel today

The Russo Bros. shared their own thoughts on Scorsese's comments publicly for the first time: "Nobody owns cinema. We don't own cinema. You don't own cinema. Scorsese doesn't own cinema"

Sarah Ganske
@thebasementtan

If nobody owns cinema then I guess those Fox movies should pouring onto free streaming services and into rep theaters any second now.

If nobody owns cinema then I guess those Fox movies should pouring onto free streaming services and into rep theaters any second now. https://t.co/UOnIkORn7c

— Sarah Ganske (@thebasementtan) November 17, 2019

who the fuck are the russo brothers

???

https://d1w8cc2yygc27j.cloudfront.net/3950379568584710451/6291558484197892129.jpg

Delrahim cited consumers’ ability to watch movies on streaming services as one reason why the agency was seeking to terminate the agreements

Right now streaming is where the media conglomerates are reenacting the gold rush. In about two years or so more than half the new services will be withdrawn as unprofitable or bought out and absorbed into the handful of winners, who will grapple for a while to test each others' strength, then eventually settle into a comfortable cartel.

Russo Bros. make Marvel movies and...You and Me and Dupree.

Joe and Anthony Russo have directed two of the five highest-grossing films of all time, including Avengers: Endgame, which in July passed Avatar on the all-time list.

_The Russo Bros. shared their own thoughts🕸 on Scorsese's comments publicly for the first time: "Nobody owns cinema. We don't own cinema. You don't own cinema. Scorsese doesn't own cinema"_


_Sarah Ganske
@thebasementtan

If nobody owns cinema then I guess those Fox movies should pouring onto free streaming services and into rep theaters any second now._


🐦[If nobody owns cinema then I guess those Fox movies should pouring onto free streaming services and into rep theaters any second now. https://t.co/UOnIkORn7c🕸
— Sarah Ganske (@thebasementtan) November 17, 2019🕸]🐦

I'd say it's a fair cop, but you compounded the fail by copying the whole thing, but if you hadn't then I wouldn't see this adorable li'l twoot emoji 🐦

guess I'll just fp myself as thanks

copy-pasting others' garbled posts 'compounding the error' you say...?

yeah, you’ve gotta just quote the important bit

it was so important it had to be copied and pasted to get around my blanket block of twitter

Labuza on some possible ramifications

When sizing up the major studios in the 1930s, the DOJ investigated one important question: was there fair competition in the industry? Because small independent films had almost no access to the theatrical market, and all theaters had no choice but to bow to the majors and whatever prices they set, the government decided this had little benefit for the consumer.

The end of the Paramount Decision could have a cultural effect on choice, as theaters may be forced to further limit their options. For example, A24’s success through crossover hits between arthouse theaters and the major exhibition chains will become less likely. A24 might be able to continue to get films like Moonlight, Midsommar, or Lady Bird into arthouse theaters, but would find it difficult to get space in the multiplex that was once amenable to booking smaller films next to a Disney or Paramount blockbuster.

A24 will survive, but the market changes will make it more difficult for new companies to find similar space in the theatrical market. It will be more and more likely that new indies can only make it into theaters through established companies, if not the giants of Netflix and Amazon. Currently, a lot of these artists are turning to streaming services to reach audiences, but if streaming companies start taking over theaters as well, indies will find they’re dealing with the same gatekeepers on all platforms. While the growing success of many arthouse theaters has in many ways depended on prioritizing community involvement and creative programming, their options may become limited. Depending on larger companies to help discover new talent seems anathemic to the successes of films like Parasite (Neon), Tangerine (Magnolia), or Brawl in Cell Block 99 (Cinestate).

https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/20/20974364/justice-department-paramount-decree-disney-netflix-monopoly

Home Alone and Die Hard christmas screenings pulled from the Sun-Ray in Jacksonville

It gives Disney a huge catalog from which to pull remakes while burying the original films. Not kidding. I know writers and directors who have been approached to “pick a project from the catalog.” For a new generation, the original will not be available for comparison. https://t.co/1UfXibNolI

— Eddie Muller (@EddieMuller) December 6, 2019

In its third week of release, Knives Out is #3 at the US box office and still building word of mouth.

Entire multiplexes in multiplex-sized markets are dropping it after this week to screen only Disney's Star Wars and Frozen.

Odeon cinemas in the UK are opening on Christmas Day just to keep that two thirds empty rolling Star Wars screen vibe going as long as possible

Little Women should also be in the mix somewhere

My closest theater has three screens dedicated at least 2/3rds of the time to Jumanji right now

hm, strangely it appears to be doing well.

If you’re wondering why you can’t see the new Terrence Malick in a halfway decent theater anywhere in NY, i’ve been told by theater managers it’s because Disney owns it now & are demanding exorbitant terms. It is unaffordable to most of the venues that would’ve happily shown it.

— MZS (@mattzollerseitz) December 18, 2019

Disney forcing the largest cinema chain in America to refund prebooked tickets for other Disney-acquired movies and show Star Wars on more screens instead.

This is depressing

The Happiest Media Oligopoly on Earth!

the amount of showings my local theater is having for star wars is why martin scorsese is right pic.twitter.com/Nca3CX2O66

— holli (@vlleneuve) December 20, 2019

For anyone bitching about this, you could perhaps just choose not to see Star Wars? It’s a small start.

Me? Not bitching, and not seeing. I'm doing my part.

Of course, I get all the movies that won't make it to most big screens on watermarked DVDs these days, which I may or may not watch over the course of the next 60 days, who cares, no big whoop.

yeah, don't see it, just watch one of the other movies, a 4:00 am showing iirc

The only time Knives Out gets going forward

I’ve seen one Star War in the last 39 years. Black Christmas has been reduced to one screening a day at 11:45pm, and both it and Knives Out are ending altogether on Tuesday. I waited for Jojo Rabbit to reach an independent theatre. My choices are not causing or supporting this behaviour by Disney.

Not gonna see the star war, will most likely continue to bitch

*34 years

Did anyone actually give a shit about Black Christmas

Women, rape survivors, Brett Kavanaugh victims, me

My local Regal theatre is showing a full slate of Star Wars, pretty bfull slate of Jumanji, and two showings of Jojo per day, 6 Bombshells, 6 Cats, four Hidden Life, and even still showing two Midway, five Knives Out, five Ford vs Ferraris, 4 Queen Nd Slim, 5 Richard Jewells...

So if you don't care about Black Christmas, you're pro-sexual assault? That's bold even for you.

Did anyone actually give a shit about Black Christmas

― Bublé in the changer, I wish I was dead (Neanderthal), Friday, December 20, 2019 9:49 PM (five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

i do! i wanna see it very badly!!!!

My comment was more directed at the fact that it's been poorly received critically and commercially, which might have something to do with its hasty exit (not directed at you Brad - report back if you see it!!)

Tbf the trailer made it look like generic nu-slasher dogshit

has a good cast, and I was curious about it, but even though it is only a loose remake, it is the second one in the last 13 years.

and the original is one I love dearly

Brad I think you will like it!


So if you don't care about Black Christmas, you're pro-sexual assault? That's bold even for you

pretty sure I said nothing of the sort tbf

even though it is only a loose remake, it is the second one in the last 13 years

it's the first one by April Wolfe! I can't imagine a closer remake would have been a better PG-13 slasher film for teenage girl audiences in 2019.

"bitching" not directed at anyone in particular.
i have tickets to see little women with the little woman on christmas, theaters even in nyc are kinda dead right now

it cold, guy

hasn’t everybody headed back to winesburg, ohio by now anyway?

ha i felt like I was missing a few good series by leaving town but can't remember what they actually were