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the night watchman · Posted: 10.16.2003 8:52 pm Post subject: Jack Valenti: Piratebuster

You must have heard by now about Jack Valenti's plan to stop film piracy in its tracks by banning screeners. Critics (natch) and small independent film companies are up in arms, since screeners are very nearly the only way independents can guarantee their smaller movies will receive consideration by Academy members come awards time. What makes the situation worse is, like racial profiling, it focuses attention in an irrelevant direction, allowing perpetrators to slide under the radar while the innocent are unduly harrassed. There's even the suggestion that this has less to do with eliminating piracy, and more to do with restricting Oscar nominations to studio pictures.

Click here for Roger Ebert's reaction, and here for Chris Parry's salient dismantling of Valenti's reasoning at HollywoodBitchslap.com.

So, is Valenti finally revealing himself as an errand boy for Hollywood?
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"If you're talking about censorship, and what things should be shown and what things shouldn't be shown, I've said that as an artist you have no social responsibility whatsoever."

-David Cronenberg

beltmann · Posted: 10.16.2003 9:19 pm Post subject: Re: Jack Valenti: Piratebuster

beltmann · Posted: 10.16.2003 9:30 pm Post subject: Re: Jack Valenti: Piratebuster

the night watchman · Posted: 10.16.2003 9:31 pm Post subject: Re: Jack Valenti: Piratebuster

the night watchman · Posted: 10.16.2003 9:45 pm Post subject:

On the other hand, I recall a story Frank Henelotter relates on the commentary track for Brain Damage: After he submitted the movie to the ratings board he received a call from a women who told him, "Congratulations. Yours in the first movie to get a rating of 'S.'" "For "sex?" he asked, thinking of the infamous "head scene." "No," she responds. "For 'shit.'"

Is this the behavior of an unbiased organization?
_________________
"If you're talking about censorship, and what things should be shown and what things shouldn't be shown, I've said that as an artist you have no social responsibility whatsoever."

-David Cronenberg

Michael Scrutchin · Posted: 10.16.2003 9:53 pm Post subject:

Valenti is insane, no doubt about that, but the screener ban idea actually originated from Warner Bros. exec Barry Meyer. Warner doesn't currently have an indie division like the other major studios, so it obviously doesn't affect them the same way it does the others. The screener ban will definitely hurt the chances of many limited-release films to gain recognition in the upcoming awards season from all of the awards-giving organizations, not just the Academy Awards. In a perfect world, all the voters of such groups would be able to easily see all the potential awards contenders in a movie theater, without the aid of screeners, but that's simply not gonna happen. Some possible awards contenders will only be playing in a city or two (NY and/or LA) before the end of the year.

And if this is really about preventing piracy, why does it include movies that are already available on video/DVD?
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the night watchman · Posted: 10.16.2003 10:17 pm Post subject:

So Valenti's just championing the cause. Still, he really ought to listen to reason, especially when people are offering much better ideas for dealing screener-based piracy. And, yeah, Michael, the fact that this ban also extends to films on DVD is mighty suspicious.
_________________
"If you're talking about censorship, and what things should be shown and what things shouldn't be shown, I've said that as an artist you have no social responsibility whatsoever."

-David Cronenberg

Michael Scrutchin · Posted: 10.21.2003 12:46 am Post subject:

LA Film Critics Association won't give out awards this year unless ban is lifted:

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/ap/20031019/106661424000.html

Will other groups follow their lead? Will this have any impact whatsoever?
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Flipside Movie Emporium
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beltmann · Posted: 10.21.2003 12:58 am Post subject:

I read about the LA Critics' decision earlier today. Unfortunately, they may be playing directly into Valenti's hands--wouldn't the majors love to even further marginalize critics and others who love movies for art rather than commerce?

If the screener ban does indeed limit the exposure of independent pictures, doesn't that leave critics as one of their few remaining champions? More than ever, the LA Critics ought to clamor to be heard, not silence themselves.

Eric

Danny Baldwin · Posted: 10.21.2003 1:08 am Post subject:

I've got the now popular anti-Valenti graphic that's going around on my site. It's good to hear that some are finally taking a stand, even if it isn't in the best way possible.
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beltmann · Posted: 10.21.2003 1:25 am Post subject:

beltmann · Posted: 10.22.2003 2:38 am Post subject:

Latest as reported today by IMDb:

"The members of the Motion Picture Association of America have reached a compromise agreement on screeners and will permit them to be sent out on videocassette only to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with an embedded security feature that would identify the recipient if a cassette falls into the hands of bootleggers, Daily Variety reported today (Tuesday). The trade publication said that the new policy, expected to be announced this week, will bar screeners for other groups, including members of the press and the unions and guilds which also hold awards screenings (presumably including the Golden Globes.) Variety indicated that the compromise is unlikely to satisfy independent filmmakers who, it said, plan to proceed with antitrust lawsuits against the film studios unless the ban is lifted. "

beltmann · Posted: 11.18.2003 4:00 am Post subject:

More news from IMDb:

"MPAA chief Jack Valenti is likely to share the job of running the MPAA with another individual -- most likely Billy Tauzin, currently the powerful Louisiana Congressman who heads the House Energy and Commerce Committee -- beginning in January, the Los Angeles Times reported today (Friday). The newspaper, citing unnamed sources, said that Valenti, 82, is likely to turn over the job of CEO to Tauzin (who would also receive the title of president), while retaining the chairman's title and continuing to oversee the movie ratings system. The Times also observed that under the law, if Tauzin is in fact hired by the MPAA, he would be unable to lobby Congress for one year. Presumably Valenti would continue to do so in his place in the interim. "

The end is within sight.

the night watchman · Posted: 11.18.2003 6:37 am Post subject:

Out of the frying pan and into the fire?
_________________
"If you're talking about censorship, and what things should be shown and what things shouldn't be shown, I've said that as an artist you have no social responsibility whatsoever."

-David Cronenberg

Danny Baldwin · Posted: 11.18.2003 5:09 pm Post subject:

Well, now since he's given them to the Academy, I'm not "offically" mad at him...but I'm still pretty pissed off.
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Danny Baldwin

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