CINEMA BuzzFEED - 18 October 2013

Milestone in Media

Last week, Netflix entered into its first production deal with a major Hollywood studio, when it inked a deal with Sony Pictures.  The deal calls for a 13-episode series which will stream exclusively to Netflix members. 

After its huge success with "House of Cards", a political drama from a small production company led by Kevin Spacey that Netflix ran exclusively over the internet, big tech firms have been attracted to the field.

Netflix, which began as a video rental service, has morphed into a major content streaming provider and now a production company in direct competition with TV broadcast and cable operators.  Since its transition, Netflix's fortunes have soared. Its stock, which started the year at $92 per share is currently over $330. Recently it  inked deals with two European cable companies - Sweden's Com Hem and Virgin Media of England - to allow their customers access to Netflix through TiVo set-top boxes.  David Wells, Netflix's CFO told CMG, "We are willing and able to strike similar deals with U.S. cable companies. We have been in talks with Comcast and Suddenlink Communications and hope to agree to an arrangement in the future."

Cable operators, as would be expected, are very leery (scared really) of Netflix and other content streamers, but things can only get worse as the likes of Google, Amazon, and Microsoft enter the original content arena.

In a weird twist of fate, this may be good news for cinema exhibitors, as it puts pressure on the studios to continue ensuring a steady stream of good movies which provides promotion of their content for other downstream outlets, such as pay-per-view and streamers like Netflix.   



NYC Comic Con Offers Meet & Greet w/Stars for $$$

Would you pay to get the autograph of the guy who took down a helicopter with a rock?  Well, your wish has come true - you just have to attend the NYC Comic Con Show in October 2014.  For $395 Rambo (aka Sly Stallone) will be on hand to give you his autograph.  Or, for you well-heeled fans, for $495 have your photo taken with him.

Comic Con insiders tell me demand for special tickets to meet Stallone have been much higher than anticipated. Not so much cash in the budget for Rambo? You can settle for Sigourney Weaver's signature for $185.  Still to pricey? How about sub-$100 encounters being offered with William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, or David Duchovny?

Hey guys. Don't laugh. How much would you pay to meet your favorite star? And who is it?  YOLO!

Bond Books Score BIG !

Several weeks ago, I posted on the famous James Bond Lotus Esprit submarine car which recently sold for over $800k.  But what about the Bond novels?

Ian Fleming, Bond's creator died in 1964, and although he enjoyed success, since his death James Bond has become a huge mega-franchise worth billions. Pictured at right with Sean Connery (the first on-screen Bond), Fleming's original character was the model of a sophisticated English gentleman who could be relied upon to defeat bad guys, bed beautiful women, drink and eat to a standard to learn from, dress impeccably, and pretty much embody every man's dreams.  Unfortunately, over the decades, Bond changed.  The Bond movies became increasingly reliant on special effects, car chases, and unbelievable plots to the point that the current Bond, played by Daniel Craig, is very robotic.

Which bring us to the point of this post - the issue of the Bond novels, which have escalated in value each and every year since Fleming's death and occupy a special place in literary history.  First editions of Bond novels sell for tens of thousands, surpassing works by Eliot or Hemingway. For example, a first edition of Casino Royale (Fleming's first Bond novel) last sold for over $150,000.  Like Sherlock Holmes, James Bond has become more then a literary hero, he has become a symbol, and a book collector's dream come true.

Phone Use in Cinemas - Why Not

Just like receiving a call on your phone, technology exists whereby ads and movie trailers can be 'pushed' to cellphones in use at cinemas, thus forcing people to 'pocket' their phones as the same ads would be appearing on screen.

National CineMedia, the number one cinema ad sales company, is championing this idea. Kurt Hall, CEO told CMG, "That's where the real interruptions are. If you want people to turn off their phones during trailers then why not have that message come up on the phone itself."  Meanwhile, Hall says he is "very optimistic about the cinema ad business".  Auto makers increasingly use movie ads to intro' new models, and tech companies, such as Apple, are starting to use cinema ads, even the Army National Guard is back in cinemas for the first time since 2010.  Please note Madonna.

Best
Jim Lavorato