by Shane “Year In Review” Hnetka
I wrote about the box office a lot this year. The business behind the films suddenly seemed very interesting to me. I have no idea why. Anyway, it looks like 2013 will be another record year for Hollywood profits. As of this writing, they’re over $10 billion. A couple more days and it might hit $11 billion. $11 billion! Damn! Looks like the movie theatre experience won’t be going away anytime soon, despite the growth of online streaming.
And as always, I ranted about the evil antics of Harvey Weinstein, whose inability to differentiate between artistry and cinematic mutilation continues. This guy keeps cutting movies, badly, for the North American market. All he seems to want is to make a quick buck (or maybe get a tax write-off or two). Things don’t look good for, for example, the theatrical release of Joon-ho Bong’s well-reviewed science fiction adventure Snowpiercer, which Weinstein (unfortunately) has the English rights to. But at least you’ll be able to buy an uncut version of the film from South Korea. Eventually.
NATIONAL FILM REGISTRY REGISTERS
The U.S. National Film Registry has released the annual 25 films they’re going to preserve because they’re “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” This year’s list includes Forbidden Planet (1956), The Magnificent Seven (1960), Mary Poppins (1964), The Quiet Man (1952), The Right Stuff (1983), Roger & Me (1989), and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966).
There isn’t anything too outrageous — like last year, when The Matrix made the list ahead of scads of worthier films — although the inclusion of Pulp Fiction (1994), while awesome, makes me feel old. Overall it’s an impressive and varied roster, featuring everything from A Virtuous Vamp (1919), which sent up clichés about women, to 2002’s Decasia, a meditation on old, decaying silent films.
You can read the full list at the Library of Congress’ website: www.loc.gov.
MORE WHINESTEINING
Last Hnetflix I wrote about Harvey Weinstein’s evil plan to make TV shows out of movies he’s produced — like Flirting with Disaster, a forgettable 1994 Ben Stiller flick. I made a joke that he might make a sequel to Shakespeare in Love. It’s funny because it’s a stupid idea. Well, apparently the joke’s on me — no sooner had I submitted my column than I read that Weinstein is planning a Shakespeare in Love sequel.
I guess what seems like a joke to some is a money-making idea to Harvey.
Shane Hnetka will never, ever own enough movies. Look for his weekly column Sunday Matinee on Dog Blog.
