Netflix and Warner Brothers today announced a new deal with means good and bad news. The bad first: customers seeking new Warner Brothers DVD releases will have to wait 28 days until the rentals are available. The catch? Well, Warner Bros. wants people to buy DVDs instead of rent them and other movie studios are likely to follow suit with a similar deal. Any good news here? Possibly. "Both companies would like you to know that the deal also guarantees that Warner Bros. will add more direct-to-video and streaming titles to the Netflix collection," says Mashable. That, however, doesn't guarantee all titles, just "more." more ›

At some point during the last twenty years, as Neil Young’s Archives set was pushed back another nine months on the official Warner Brother release schedule for the umpteenth time in a row, I became convinced that the whole thing was an elaborate hoax. Not the archive of unreleased songs itself, but the plans to release it. more ›

KGRL -- mentioned previously here -- is a local "...non-profit non-commercial internet radio station that plays the freshest and the best ALL QUALITY female artist / fronted acts in a wide variety of genres." Their "Top 10 Artists To Watch Out For In 2007" included local singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles (MySpace), who in 2008 experienced mainstream recognition due to "Love Song", which garnered Grammy nominations for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Song of The Year. more ›

Over the holiday week, it appears that Warner Brothers has painted over their huge Looney Tunes/Hanna-Barbera/Warner Animation mural that's been there for more than 15 years, finds animation authority, historian and author Jerry Beck on his blog, Cartoon Brew. "To give them benefit of the doubt, perhaps they are going to replace it with an even better graphic of Bugs Bunny and crew. I hope so... but who wants to bet that Harry Potter or the live action Dark Knight will soon be guiding us toward the Cahuenga Pass." more ›

Despite a critical reception that could charitably be called awful, ($5.7M). more ›

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Did John McCain have a sex scandal? Is Perez Hilton going to have a deal with Warner Brothers? Both stories come from the New York Times with uncorroborated sources, the latter today in which the facts of Hilton's story were "confirmed by several other people associated with the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because no deal has been made." more ›

In what can only be seen as a ratification of Mike Huckabee's belief that Satan actually exists, . more ›

is a tiny, unexpected gem. more ›

a writer's perspective more ›

a writer's perspective more ›

People are always there for you in the midst of crisis. But eventually they have to get back to their own lives, and on to the next crisis. Unfortunately, that is when you really need someone. more ›

a writer's perspective more ›

In its first weekend of wide release, ($9.1M/$187.7M) continue to chug along towards $200M. more ›

a writer's perspective more ›

surged unexpectedly, bringing in an even $45M, also far above original projections. Come to think of it, that may be an even more depressing statement than the one above. more ›

Heath is out of town this week, so I thought I would take up the reins covering the strike. Yesterday, I was at Heath's stomping grounds -- Warner Brothers. Though I'm hearing from below the line friends that the negotiating committee should table the reality and animation writers issue as well as the no-strike clause (which would keep us from supporting other unions when they strike), it's hard to trust that doing that would... more ›

The and wonder why James Taylor didn't become a famous actor. more ›

Day 32 of the strike was "Bring Your Dog To Work Day". Apparently, it was also day 32 of we're coincidentally performing random construction right where you are attempting to strike. "Don't Make Us Beg" bandanas and dog treats were provided for the pets. In the above picture, two volunteers use the bandanas to protect themselves from the toxic asphalt fumes. We showed you the other day how the crosswalk at Warner Brothers Gate... more ›

Nine are dead in Omaha, Nebraska today after a man opened fire in a shopping mall, and then shot himself. Police do not have a motive so far. Did you have this conversation this morning? "Sorry, boss, I can't come in to work today...a terrible cough, I, uh, flu symptoms, definitely -- what waves? Uh, I don't know what you're talking about...." Lots of SoCal surfers took a sick day and busted out on... more ›

"You see this watch? You see this watch? That watch cost more than your car. I made $970,000 last year. How much you make? You see, pal, that's who I am. And you're nothing. Nice guy? I don't give a shit. Good father? Fuck you -- go home and play with your kids! You wanna work here? Close! You think this is abuse? You think this is abuse, you cocksucker? You can't take this... more ›

a writer's perspective I’m not sure why, but there is such a difference between 5am and 6am. When I show up to picket at 6, it feels like it’s early in the morning. Today, when I pull up at Warner Brothers just before 5, it feels like it’s the middle of the night. It’s dark. It’s freezing. I drink 5 cups of coffee, not to wake up, but to stay warm. It doesn’t work... more ›

Yesterday we started our Best of 2007 list with choices from KCRW's Nic Harcourt and Tom Schnabel. But then we realized we weren't being gentlemen. The ladies of KCRW should have gone first! D'oh! So fasten your seatbelts for The Drop's host Liza Richardson's picks for 2007. Something tells us our comments will be buzzing. Will it be for the inclusion of M.I.A.? Let's hope. 1) Devendra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon... more ›

a writer's perspective On the picket lines, there’s a phenomenon I like to call Gate Pride. Most of the writers at this point have been wedged firmly into a niche, and few stray from their perennial patterns. We tend to work the same gates and the same shifts every day. Even then, we tend to break off into the same mini-clusters. Sure, there are Drifters. Displaced nomads who wander from gate to gate, studio... more ›

Today went fast. I reported to Warner Brothers Gate 2 for the “late shift”. Even though I had heard that all of the strikers were going to mobilize at Gate 2, there are writers and supporters stationed at all the gates around the studio. Unlike Gate 7, Gate 2 is bustling with activity. The sign in table here is covered with an amazing variety of snacks. Cartons of donuts from Krispy Kreme and Winchells... more ›

I “worked” the morning shift today. Reporting into Gate 2 at Warner Brothers before heading to Gate 7 on Forest Lawn. Yesterday afternoon, Gate 7 was dead, but this morning it’s bustling. Lots of traffic coming in and out of the gate. Again, lots of honking and thumbs ups from the passing cars. Again, I’m marching with a lot of writers who work on the Warner Brothers lot. They have ridiculous energy for this... more ›

a writer's perpective The first day of the strike is in the books. I marched at the Warner Brothers lot in Burbank. I was one of the only people who didn’t have a red shirt, but someone gave me a solidarity rubber wristband that says “No Justice. No Scripts.” I actually ended up walking for about five straight hours, and, even though I didn’t have tape to protect my hands from splinters (like some... more ›

In a shocking upset, Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married easily topped the box-office with a much higher than expected $21.5 million haul. Ordinarily, I'm on the side of the underdog, but Perry's movies are so aggresively mediocre that I'm not looking forward to the glut of his product that is now certain to follow. Then again, Why Did I Get Married is hardly worse than The Game Plan which finished second in... more ›

When you list the truly groundbreaking films in the history of Hollywood, would be right up near the top (if not at the top). For those who don't know, it was the first successful "talkie"--a film that has synchronized dialogue. It opened in New York on October 6th, 1927 and changed the course of cinema history. Silent films, which until then had dominated the film industry, would eventually become little more than curios. more ›

Considering its initial mixed critical reception and middling box-office performance, it's sort of amazing how is a movie that needs to be seen on the big screen and not on DVD. Tickets are on sale now. more ›