The 'SCENE" by Seymore Flix

In this 'SCENE'

- Uncle Vlad Goes To H'wood
- Burt Reynolds Goes Broke
- Dolby Takes It Home
- Chicago Parks Group Sues Over Star Wars Museum


Vlad Putin Rescues Hollywood

3 Cheers for Uncle Vlad

Uncle Vlad put the kibosh on the Russian Parliament's effort to curb the number of Hollywood movies allowed into Russian cinemas.   Putin asked government bigwigs (nicely) to cancel debate on a bill that would have introduced quotas on foreign films. He stated, "It would be wrong to deny our consumers those goods they would like to have. It is applicable to the motion picture industry too. It would be unwise to turn down what is profitable. The Americans are talented and successful people and there is a lot we can learn from them."

Uncle Vlad's comments were warmly received by the Motion Picture Association of America, the representative body of the studios, as a spokesperson for the MPAA noted, "We welcome the remarks by President Putin. We have long enjoyed close relations with Russian film makers and have a shared interest in a healthy local market in Russia."

Hollywood films are very popular in Russia. Only two of the top 20 grossing films exhibited in Russia this year have been non-Hollywood productions, and the proposed cap of 50% on foreign films would have cost the Hollywood studios hundreds of millions.

In contract, China currently has a quota of allowing only 34 foreign films to be exhibited each year. In addition, there are delays for debuts of blockbuster in order to favor locally produced features. So, we have to give credit where credit is due and Uncle Vlad deserves lots of credit.  Three cheers for Vlad.

Reynolds Goes Bust

Recent photo of Reynolds

Burt Reynolds, the once biggest star in Hollywood, is auctioning off over 600 personal items to raise money to stave off foreclosure on his home.  On December 11 and 12 Reynolds will be selling his life-long stash of personal memorabilia at The Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. Born in 1936, Reynolds had a very successful movie and TV career and was considered a very good actor who also did live performances.

The items to be auctioned include: two Golden Globes, cowboy boots he wore in the film Striptease, signed items from Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretsky, Jack Nicklaus, gifts from Elizabeth Taylor, Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda, James Cagney and hundreds of other movie related items.

Divorces, failed business ventures, and bad investment decisions have taken their toll on Reynolds' fortune, and the Bank of America is foreclosing on his Florida home for back mortgage payments - he hasn't made any payments since 2010.

Burt is putting a positive spin on the auction saying, "I've collected so many things that I truly adore but at this stage in my life I find it very difficult to manage them all.  The fact of the matter is that it truly is the time to downsize and for these items that I have loved over the years find new homes where they can be cared for and appreciated."

So, here's your chance to pick up a bit of real Hollywood.  A quick trip to Vegas and you never know what a couple of hundred bucks might bring you.  A Golden Globe, you say, hmmm. that empty spot on the mantle?

Dolby Takes Atmos Home

Atmos home speaker

The Atmos sound system, Dolby's latest fully immersive sound system for cinemas will now be available for home use.  Using Dolby Atmos endowed home AV receivers which will provide the 'height' effect without overhead-positioned speakers (as are used in cinemas), Dolby claims the effect will be near to the cinema sound experience.

5.1 channel home systems need only to have two additional speakers placed at front left and front right to gain the Atmos experience. AV product manufacturers which have already announced sign-on to Atmos include: Denon, Marantz, Pioneer, and Yamaha to name several.

To date there have been 150 films mixed in Dolby Atmos for cinemas and Atmos enhanced Blu-rays are appearing in stores for the holiday season.  Although the going is slow for cinemas to convert to Atmos given its cost, the home invasion by Dolby appears to be a wise move and gets Atmos exposure to the consumer - it's all a matter of educating the public.  

Lucas Star Wars Museum is Sued

Proposed Lucas Museum

A parks preservation group has sued the City of Chicago from moving ahead with the proposed construction of a Star War Museum stating that the site is on a lakefront spot that cannot be handed over to a private entity.  The Friends of the Park said, in a federal lawsuit, that the proposed, "Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, violated the law". 

The Lucas Museum's proposed location is on the same lakefront area as the Chicago Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium.  Answering the suit, city spokesperson Adam Collins stated that, "The museum will be treated like others on the lakefront museum campus and comply with all laws. This museum is a generous gift that will expand the rich cultural and educational opportunities for children and families in every neighborhood, and visitors from around the world."

The museum will feature George Lucas' collection of painting, illustrations, and digital art, including works by Norman Rockwell, John Tenniel, and Maxfield Parrish. Lucas first wanted the museum to be built in San Francisco, but then opted for Chicago where is wife, Mellody is from.

The museum site was selected to be near Chicago's Soldiers Field because of its accessibility to public transportation and its central location. A white, fluid, modernistic design is proposed for the building.


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