film

Eastman Kodak: This Stock Is Probably Going to Zero

In the wake of Eastman Kodak's bankruptcy filing, some speculators will be tempted in the coming days to nibble on the company's battered shares. But if you know what's good for your portfolio, you'll stay away.

Jobs of the Future: Film Offers a Bleakly Funny Outlook

Nobody knows what the next 30 years will look like, but Canadian filmmaker Jim Munroe offers some disturbingly possible speculations in his upcoming mockumentary, Ghosts With Shit Jobs. Will 2040 be a time when over-educated Americans scurry after the few jobs that Chinese and Indian workers refuse to do?

The Frugal Auteur: How Roger Corman Makes Cheap Great

What's the cheapest thing B-movie maestro Roger Corman ever did in the movie biz? Find out in our interview with the penny-pinching master of the low-budget film, who's in Cannes to promote a documentary about himself, Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel.

Rookie Director's Guide to Budgeting: Cut!

Film director Spencer Susser's personal finance philosophy is one you might have heard before: Stop caring so much about the money, and perhaps the money will come. If it doesn't, at least you're doing what you want to do. It worked for him: Susser got his first movie, the low-budget Hesher, made in the middle of the recession.

In This Corner, Netflix. In the Other Corner. . .Amazon?

Netflix, whose DVD-by-mail service hastened the demise of several video rental chains, may soon find itself under siege from Amazon. The world's largest online retailer appears to be on the verge of launching its own unlimited movie and TV-show streaming service.

3-D Honeymoon's Over: Box-Office Sales Fall

At least one analyst is predicting that fourth-quarter box-office sales are set to fall 12% as most 3-D movies have failed to attract big audiences this year. Even worse: The trend extends beyond movie theaters to the living room.

That's a Wrap: Miramax Films Sale Finally Closes

After months of delays, the deal is done: An investment group called Filmyard Holdings is the proud new owner of the storied Miramax Films. The sale was announced back in June, but concerns about bank financing pushed the closing date back until now.

Original Darth Vader Costume Fails to Sell at Christie's Auction

Bidding for an original Darth Vader costume from the "Star Wars" movie series failed to reach the undisclosed reserve at a Christie's auction Thursday. Auctioneers had expected the costume to sell for between 160,000 pounds and 230,000 pounds ($250,000 to $365,000). The top bid was 150,000 British pounds (roughly $236,000).

Lions Gate's Out: MGM to Merge with Spyglass

After its drama with shareholder Carl Icahn, Lions Gate is apparently out of the bidding for MGM. Creditors of the storied studio -- which owns the James Bond franchise and half of the rights to "The Hobbit" films -- approved a merger with Spyglass Entertainment on Friday.

Lions Gate Sues Billionaire Icahn Over MGM Drama

The movie studio has sued activist investor Carl Icahn for opposing a merger with MGM. But the internal bickering doesn't look good for the company. Will the lawsuit end up sinking its bid?

Book Publisher Macmillan Launches New Film and TV Division

Macmillan isn't the first major publishing house to jump into the film and TV waters, but with today's launch of Macmillan Films, it is the latest. Brendan Deneen, a former development executive and literary agent, will run the venture to take Macmillan's books to both the big and small screens.

A Midnight Boost for Big-Budget Movie Openings

Cult classics used to rule in midnight screenings. But in recent years, blockbuster films like Eclipse, The Dark Knight and Avatar, have proven that it's a strategy that can supercharge both ticket sales and buzz.

The Justin Bieber Effect Reaches Books and Film

No matter how you feel about the YouTube-launched sixteen-year-old pop sensation, there's no denying that he's an entertainment industry juggernaut. News of not one, but two major Bieber deals came just this past Monday.

Disney Sells Miramax for $660 Million to Private Investors

The Walt Disney Co. has reached an agreement to sell storied arthouse-film company Miramax to a consortium of private investors for $660 million. The deal follows years of speculation over Miramax's fate after the 2005 departure of founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein.

The Company Men: Will Anyone Sympathize WIth Laid-Off Executives?

The Weinstein Company's soon-to-be-released drama The Company Men is the story of three corporate executives who are downsized as victims of the beaten-down economy. It has a top-flight cast and director, but is America ready to show cinematic sympathy to the villains of the Great Recession?

Facebook, the Movie:
The Geek as Arch-Villain

Leave it to Hollywood to portray a college-age computer geek as a Hannibal Lecter type. But that seems to be how the newly released trailer for The Social Network, which tells the story of Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, plays it.

Why Netflix Sees DVDs Facing a Quick Death

Netflix has released a controversial presentation that charts the end of the physical DVD rental industry by 2030. That would make the next few years tumultuous for the content distribution and entertainment businesses.

The Hurt Locker Producers Wage War Against Pirates

The Hurt Locker won an Oscar but lost at the box office. Its producers now plan to sue thousands of suspected pirates for downloading the film illegally on BitTorrent, where the movie was downloaded more than 10 million times.

Why 5-Year-Olds Will Love Movies Made in Florida

Florida's state legislature is preparing to pass a "family-friendly" bill that would deny tax credits to movie and TV productions lacking "family-friendly" themes -- defined as material suitable for a five-year-old.