The DOJ announced today that they would be reviewing the 1948 antitrust decision regarding Hollywood studios' exclusivity rights to films. We discuss the implications. We also dive into Governor Brown's phone tax solution for a new, statewide 911 system; review the latest film releases on FilmWeek; and more.
Paramount Decrees: The Sequel. Could movie studios once again own their own theaters?
The Department of Justice announced today that they are reexamining the Paramount Decision, a landmark antitrust case from 1948 that resulted in Hollywood studios losing exclusivity rights on which theatres showed their films.
Before 1948, many major studios also owned their own theaters, creating a monopoly on which films could be shown where. In addition to this, the studios held exclusive contracts with the writers, directors and actors who made their films, as well as the processing labs which developed the films. As a result, the government sued the “Big Five,” (Paramount, MGM, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox and RKO Pictures), arguing that industry competition had been reduced due to the companies being vertically integrated. The case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which voted against the studios and required that they pull out from all theater ownership.
The DOJ’s announcement comes in the wake of the department’s review of historic antitrust cases. It cited that the film industry and theater industry have changed since the initial ruling, and that these changes could possibly make the Paramount regulations too stringent.
We discuss today’s announcement and the implications it may have on future Hollywood productions.
Guests:
Ryan Faughnder, entertainment business reporter for the Los Angeles Times who’s been following the story;
Jason E. Squire, editor of “The Movie Business Book” (Routledge, 2016); professor of cinema practice at USC
Gov Brown proposes a tax increase on phone lines to overhaul the 911 emergency system
California Gov. Jerry Brown has introduced a plan that would impose a flat fee on all phone lines capable of contacting 911. The move is meant to generate money that would be used to upgrade the 911 emergency services system as well as fund the current system.
The Brown administration wants to eliminate an existing tax on in-state communication devices in exchange for a higher tax that is estimated to start at a monthly rate of 34 cents per line. The plan is expected to generate $175.4 million in its first year, which is more than double the revenues that come from the current tax.
Upgrades would include an analog to digital conversion of the California Public Safety Microwave Network, which is the primary microwave communications network used to support first responder voice and radio communication in California. Under the proposed digital system, called Next Gen 911, dispatchers would be able to accept calls, texts and videos. The system would offer more paths for calls to reach 911 operators if cables are damaged by fires or earthquakes, an issue that has proven critical to public safety. Still, some lawmakers are hesitant to support a proposal that involves a tax increase. Meanwhile, opponents question why the state won’t use funds from its budget to pay for the upgrade.
The Brown administration says that a fee on lines would provide a more reliable source to fund the system than the budget. The governor’s proposal would require the support of two-thirds of the members of the state Legislature in order for it to pass.
We reached out to Governor Brown’s office and received this statement:
"This bill is about saving lives. Enacting this legislation now is critical to sustaining and modernizing our 911 system which Californians expect to work without fail during emergencies."
Guests:
Michael McLaughlin, legislative director for the California Fire Chiefs Association; fire chief at Cosumnes Community Service District Fire Department in Elk Grove
Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
With Trump rally this week, conspiracy theory QAnon gains mainstream attention
The anonymous (and obscure) internet persona, dubbed “Q,” came to the forefront on Tuesday as attendees of a Trump rally in Tampa held signs reading “We Are Q” and “#QAnon.”
The so-called “followers of Q” incited a series of questions, mainly: who, or what, is Q?
The New York Times describes Q as a self-proclaimed government insider who has incited a community of conspiracy theorists who view Trump as a man attempting to expel “anti-American saboteurs who have taken over government, industry, media and various other institutions of public life.”
A multitude of figures, including Roseanne Barr, have come out in favor of the group. Members look for any and all clues of their leader Q’s existence, and serve as actors to the theories that Q regularly drops regarding possible anti-Trump governmental activities.
Like the Tampa rally, the existence of Q and its followers have recently become more public. In June, an armed man driving an armored truck blocked all traffic on a highway near the Hoover Dam and demanded that the DOJ release its internal report on the Hillary Clinton email probe. The incident appeared to be a result of QAnon-led conspiracy theories.
Larry speaks with guests about the group’s origins, whether they are having an effect on the public and where they fall within the conspiracy theory community.
Guests:
Alex Goldman, co-host of “Reply All,” a Gimlet Media podcast about the internet
Kathryn Olmsted, professor of history at UC Davis whose areas of expertise include the study of conspiracy theories
FilmWeek: ‘Christopher Robin,’ ‘The Spy Who Dumped Me,’ ‘The Darkest Minds’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig, Tim Cogshell and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.
"Christopher Robin" in wide release
"The Spy Who Dumped Me" in wide release
"The Darkest Minds" in wide release
"Like Father" streaming on Netflix
"Nico, 1988" at the Nuart Theatre
"Night Comes On" at Laemmle’s Noho
"Never Goin' Back" at ArcLight Hollywood
Listen to The Frame's interview with writer/director Augustine Frizzell here.
"Flavors of Youth" at streaming on Netflix
"What Will People Say" at Laemmle's Music Hall & Laemmle's Playhouse
CRITICS' HITS
Claudia: "The Spy Who Dumped Me" & "What Will People Say"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXkUaaVrB_s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sZsuFjeFAE
Tim: "Never Goin' Back" & "The Darkest Minds"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q7g4zz20Kc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN8o_E_f9FQ
MIXED FEELINGS
Claudia: "Like Father"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bfqsNh6U7c&t=74s
Charles: "Flavors of Youth"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKdOr976h3Y
MISSES
Claudia, Charles & Tim: "Christopher Robin"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0URpDxIjZrQ
Guests:
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association; she tweets
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com; he tweets
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
Critic roundtable: FilmWeek weighs in on lack of diversity in film journalism
In the wake of #OscarsSoWhite and the larger conversation about diversity and inclusion in Hollywood, much of the focus has been on those on opposite sides of the camera -- actors, directors, writers, crew members and others. And up until recently, you’d have been hard pressed to find anything looking at inclusion and diversity among film journalists and critics.
Last month, the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at USC published a first-of-its-kind study looking at diversity among film critics that came to a decidedly unstartling conclusion: most film critics are white guys. The study looked at nearly 20,000 reviews of the 100 top-grossing movies of 2017 according to Rotten Tomatoes and found that white men wrote 63.9 percent of those reviews compared to 18.1 percent written by white women, 13.8 percent by men of color, and 4.1 percent written by women of color.
Two days after the study’s release, actress Brie Larson took time to address the issue as she was being honored at the Women in Film’s Crystal + Lucy Awards, calling for more diversity among film journalists and arguing for the importance of female critics and critics of color to have their voices heard when it comes to reviewing movies that star or focus on women and people of color. “It really sucks that reviews matter, but reviews matter,” Larson said, alluding to the fact that small films like “Room,” for which she won the Oscar for Best Actress, often get the chance to be bought and seen by a larger audience because of good reviews coming out of festivals where they’re first shown.
Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Times asked 14 film critics of diverse background for their take on the matter and some ideas about what could be done to increase diversity among film critics. Three of those critics were FilmWeek critics Tim Cogshell, Claudia Puig, and Justin Chang, who went on to write his own analysis for the paper. The trio joins Larry for FilmWeek along with Charles Solomon to talk about what can be done to improve diversity and inclusion among female critics and critics of color.
Guests:
Justin Chang, film critic for KPCC and the Los Angeles Times; he tweets
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association; she tweets
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC, Alt-Film Guide and CineGods.com; he tweets
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine