NYPAA News

Surely, it can’t be long before we see a new addition to “The Film Critic’s Lexicon,” in the chapter devoted to such shorthand similes as “feels like a Hallmark movie,” “resembles an after-school special” and that old standby, “Tarantinoesque.” Chances are very good there will be something on the order of “good enough for lockdown” or “quarantine time-killer,” used to describe the sort of unabashedly derivative and instantly disposable genre fare that might find an audience among undemanding genre enthusiasts in search of something new — anything new — to watch while homebound.

And when that label does indeed appear, don’t be surprised to see a production still from writer-director Christian Sesma’s “Paydirt” alongside it as illustration.

A thoroughly mediocre but sporadically diverting mashup of elements cribbed from the cinemas of Guy Ritchie, Steven Soderbergh and, yes, Quentin Tarantino, “Paydirt” is a crime drama with darkly comical touches that possibly will be enjoyed best while you’re periodically distracted by other things — microwaving leftovers, feeding pets, washing face masks — and are unable to constantly focus on arrant contrivances and gaping plot holes.

Sesma helpfully introduces his main characters by splashing onto the screen their generic labels — the Brit (Luke Goss), the Brains (Mike Hatton), the Brawn (Paul Sloan), etc. — so that you can follow the plot without bothering to learn their names. Granted, Sheriff William Tucker, the resolute lawman played by Val Kilmer, doesn’t get a “the Sheriff” intro. But that’s only because, well, when we first see him, he’s wearing a uniform.

Set in and around the Coachella Valley, “Paydirt” begins as the Brit — aka Damien Brooks — is arrested by Sheriff Tucker during a drug raid that, all things considered, turns out worse for Tucker, who leaves the force in disgrace because too many people died, and only a modest amount of marijuana was seized, during the incident.

For his part, Brooks spends only six years behind bars before walking back into a world where marijuana is legal, his beautiful parole officer (Mirtha Michelle) is astonishingly lenient — so lenient, in fact, that even the most inattentive viewers will be suspicious long before Brooks catches on — and the Brit’s former partners in crime are easily reassembled for a plan to retrieve the stashed-away $33 million they stole from a Mexican drug lord (Jay Montalvo). A drug lord, of course, who wants his ill-gotten gain returned to him.

Despite some flashy editing and sporadic wisecracking, “Paydirt” proceeds at a stately pace, even during a few set pieces — like a break-in at a DEA records warehouse — that usually are much more suspenseful in heist scenarios of this sort. Even so, lengthy stretches of the movie are tolerably entertaining, largely because of the seriocomic interplay among the well-cast members of Brooks’ gang, a disreputable bunch that includes the Babe (Murielle Telio) and the Badass (Veronika Bozeman), lovers who are hugely amused when they turn on any clueless guys in their orbit. And to give him fair credit: Sesma provides a genuinely clever hide-in-plain-sight payoff to the question of where that missing $33 million has been.

Top-billed Goss saunters through the proceedings with all the self-confidence you’d expect from a character who brazenly plots double- and triple-crosses, and an actor who’s billed as one of the film’s producers. Kilmer gives “Paydirt” much more than it ever gives him, but he has some nice moments whenever Tucker interrupts his extralegal surveillance of Brooks to converse with a new district attorney who just happens to be his daughter (played, in a bold stroke of casting, by Mercedes Kilmer, Val’s real-life offspring). The only trouble is, when the scene-setting words “Salton Sea, Ca.” appear during the opening minutes, you may find yourself expecting something as substantial as D.J. Caruso’s “The Salton Sea,” the criminally under-rated 2002 drama that showcased one of Kilmer’s finest performances. It doesn’t take long, alas, for those expectations to be dashed.

https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/paydirt-review-val-kilmer-lays-down-the-law-in-derivative-crime-thriller-1234728112/

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Lionsgate is expanding two of its key franchises, with a fifth “John Wick” movie and “Dirty Dancing” reboot.

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer revealed the moves on Thursday afternoon during the company’s conference call with Wall Street analysts following the studio’s release of quarterly earnings, which came in above estimates.

Lionsgate revealed in July that “Dirty Dancing” star Jennifer Grey was collaborating with the studio on an untitled dance movie in which she will star and executive produce. But it refused to say if the project was tied to the 1987 hit “Dirty Dancing.”

Feltheimer said during Thursday’s call that it was indeed a “Dirty Dancing” movie.

“And to reveal one of the worst kept secrets in Hollywood, we’re pleased to confirm that Jennifer Grey will both executive produce and star in a new ‘Dirty Dancing’ movie for Lionsgate from ‘Warm Bodies’ director Jonathan Levine,” he said. “It will be exactly the kind of romantic, nostalgic movie that the franchise’s fans have been waiting for and that have made it the biggest-selling library title in the Company’s history.”

Lionsgate had announced last year that it had scheduled “John Wick 4” for May 21, 2021, following a strong opening for “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.” Feltheimer said the studio has moved “John Wick 4” back a year and is planning to shoot it back to back with a fifth installment.

“We’re also busy preparing scripts for the next two installments of our ‘John Wick’ action franchise, with ‘John Wick 4’ slated to hit theatres Memorial Day weekend 2022,” he said. “We hope to shoot both ‘John Wick 4’ and ‘5’ back to back when Keanu becomes available early next year.”

Feltheimer also said Lionsgate has been moving to get back into production amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With the appetite for fresh content at an all-time high and options for consumers dwindling due to the global shutdown, we made it a strategic priority to be one of the first major studios back into production,” he said. “Over the past five months, we’ve put together a thoughtful strategy to restart production with protocols to best ensure the safety of cast and crew.”

“We recently began production on the thriller/horror film ‘The Devil’s Light’ in Eastern Europe, and we’re gearing up physical production to begin shooting several other films over the next two months, including ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ starring Nic Cage,” he said. “These efforts put us in a strong position to capitalize on a market short on supply.”

https://nypost.com/2020/08/06/dirty-dancing-sequel-with-jennifer-grey-confirmed-by-lionsgate-ceo/

Even during a pandemic, Malibu home prices remain high enough to shock mere financial mortals. A blufftop estate on the city’s exclusive Point Dume sold this week for about $21.8 million, and though the property includes all the amenities expected at that lofty price level — a swimming pool, full-size tennis court, and walls of glass that drink in the spectacular ocean views — it’s probably best described as a high-end fixer upper.

Built in 1980 and later renovated by the seller, video game pioneer David Rosen, the nearly 6,000 sq. ft. mansion offers an oddball mix of modern and Mediterranean design inside and out. But whatever its proper architectural heritage, the place is decidedly dated, in need of a multimillion-dollar renovation, though the materials — marble floors, polished wood trim — are all custom and expensive.

Some of the residence’s glitzier features include a resort-style entry graced by a waterfall and bridge, plus a stone courtyard and tropical landscaping. The formal dining room is surrounded with etched glass panels, an enormous great room holds a massive fireplace, and the den is equipped with a wet bar for boozy convenience. The tennis court is lighted, and the property remains fully gated, naturally, and equipped with a sophisticated surveillance system.

The savvy buyers, powerhouse attorney Stuart Liner and his wife Stephanie Hershey Liner, are assuredly well aware of the property’s design shortcomings and have likely devised a remodel-focused plan of attack; the couple have more than two dozen home renovations under their belt and plenty of name-brand credibility.

In 2014, the Liners paid $28 million for the longtime Beverly Hills estate of actors Danny Devito and Rhea Pearlman, after which they quickly subdivided the property and spent several years building two mansions on the estate, the larger of which was sold to Australian billionaire James Packer in 2018 for about $64 million, according to records.

In 2014, the couple offloaded a spec-built Holmby Hills estate for $30 million to members of the Juffali family, the multibillionaire clan of Saudi industrialists. And way back in 2005, they sold a brand-new mansion on a particularly posh Brentwood street to Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel and his then-wife Sarah Addington.

Despite their new Malibu project’s $21.8 million pricetag, the place isn’t even close to being the priciest Point Dume home ever sold. The larger estate immediately next door, long owned by the late Johnny Carson, was sold for exactly $40 million last summer to an entity associated with Riaz Valani, the first investor in e-cigarette juggernaut Juul. And this June, fashion designer James Perse inked a $34.7 million deal to sell his blufftop Point Dume estate to tech billionaire Ted Waitt.

Chris Cortazzo of Compass and Steve Levine of Hilton & Hyland held the listing; Drew Fenton of Hilton & Hyland repped the Liners.

https://variety.com/2020/dirt/moguls/married-developers-buys-21-8-million-malibu-fixer-1234728206/

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BTS’ fourth theatrical film will, in fact, go to theaters, the group announced Thursday, notwithstanding uncertainty about how many of the world’s cinemas will be reopened by the initial release date. “Break the Silence: The Movie” is scheduled to hit more than 70 countries beginning Sept. 10, with a rollout in an additional 40-plus regions Sept. 24.

A list of which regions are expected to have “Break the Silence” on which date has gone up at www.btsincinemas.com, with the announcement inevitably cautioning that “dates vary per territory and (are) subject to change based on the status of local cinema re-openings.”

The United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, India and over 40 countries in all are listed for the later release date on Sept. 24. The list of territories getting the new film earlier, on Sept. 10, is much longer — more than 70 in all — and includes Korea, the UK, Japan, Spain, Russia, Italy, France, Thailand and dozens more.

Moreover, producers seem to be banking on BTS fans wanting to use that pent-up energy from the lockdown to return to theaters multiple times in the coming weeks, as the group’s previous feature film, “Bring the Soul: The Movie,” will also be brought back to theaters globally for three nights at the end of August.

“Break the Silence” chronicles the “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” world tour, which took place in venues from Wembley Stadium to the Rose Bowl, and will include concert and behind-the-scenes footage.

“We’re delighted to partner with Big Hit Entertainment on the release,” said Marc Allenby, CEO of Trafalgar Releasing, promising a movie that “gives fans extraordinary access to both their first international stadium tour and all seven members of BTS. We look forward to welcoming the ARMY back to cinemas for a fourth time for this must-see BTS big-screen experience.”

The company reports that last year’s “Bring the Soul: The Movie” — which will return to theaters Aug. 28-30 — sold 2.55 million tickets and did $24.3 million of box office in 112 territories in its initial run. A sneak preview of the new film will accompany the one-weekend re-release of its predecessor in theaters.

https://variety.com/2020/music/news/bts-break-silence-fourth-film-september-release-1234728144/

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Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook will give most of its workers the option to work from home until July 2021.

Facebook’s move to extend WFH through mid-2021 follows a similar announcement by Google last month. Previously, Facebook had told employees to expect to work from home, if their job functions permit, through the end of 2020. Facebook’s extension of its work from home policy was first reported by Business Insider.

“Based on guidance from health and government experts, as well as decisions drawn from our internal discussions about these matters, we are allowing employees to continue voluntarily working from home until July 2021,” Facebook spokesperson Nneka Norville said in a statement. “In addition, we are giving employees an additional $1,000 for home office needs.”

Currently, Facebook plans to reopen offices in a restricted capacity in areas where government guidance allows for it, and where there has been virus mitigation for approximately two months. However, given the infection trends in the U.S. and Latin America, the social giant is not likely to reopen many of its offices before the end of the year.

According to Facebook, most of its employees have been working remotely since mid-March, when quarantine orders in the U.S. first went into effect. As of the end of June, the company had 52,554 employees.

In May, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said many of the social giant’s employees will be allowed to work from home permanently even after the coronavirus crisis ends. He projected that around 50% of the company’s workforce could be remote in the next 5-10 years.

That same month, Twitter became one of the first companies to announce that employees will be able to work from home permanently if they choose to, if their job duties allow it.

https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/facebook-extends-work-from-home-mid-2021-1234728148/

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Most cinemas in the U.S. are closed, major summer films have been pushed back indefinitely, and studios keep selling their movies to Netflix. But Adam Aron, CEO of AMC Theatres, struck an optimistic note on a call with investors and analysts shortly after the world’s largest exhibition chain reported that it had lost more than half a billion dollars in its most recent financial quarter.

“I think we’ve survived the corona crisis and now we’ve just got to get back to running the company really well,” Aron said of a public health catastrophe that has brought the theater business to its knees, while raising questions about AMC’s liquidity.

Aron was in an expansive and magnanimous frame of mind during the hour-long question and answer session. He trumpeted the fact that AMC, which has been seen as bankruptcy risk, has renegotiated its debt and added cash to its balance sheet, while noting that the company had put stringent cleaning measures in place so it will be able to safely welcome guests back this month. And he was particularly eager to take a victory lap when it came to AMC’s recent deal with Universal, which will allow the studio to release movies in the home as early as 17 days after they open in theaters. Under the pact, Universal can rent its films for a 48-hour period for at least $20 a pop. In return, AMC gets a cut of the revenue that Universal makes.

“I’m expecting that this is going to become an industry standard,” said Aron. “I expect that some of our competitors will do this, if not all.”

Publicly, AMC’s rivals have struck a different posture. Cineworld, Regal’s parent company, called the pact the “wrong move at the wrong time,” and Cinemark expressed doubts about its viability.

“I do realize that some of our competitors are anxious about this change,” said Aron. “Change is always difficult for some to cope with.”

He added: “We’ve researched it, we’ve modeled it, we’ve thought about it, we’ve argued about it, we’ve debated it, and we’re sure that we’re coming out ahead.”

Aron did not disclose how the deal with Universal was structured. However, he said the company would be compensated for every rental, not just the ones that happen in zip codes where AMC has theaters. Aron also clarified that Universal won’t be allowed to disclose when a film is going to be released on other distribution channels, meaning premium video-on-demand platforms, until after it has been in theaters for 10 days. Aron pushed back at suggestions that making Universal titles available to rent earlier will discourage movie fans from going to cinemas.

“There are certain advantages to watching a film on a 40-foot screen to watching it on a 40-inch screen,” said Aron. “If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that people will do anything to get out of their house or their apartment. If you told me right now I could go spend three hours at a hardware store, I would tell you that’s an exciting afternoon.”

The Walt Disney Company recently roiled some movie theater owners when it announced that rather than release “Mulan” in theaters, it was going to make it available to rent on Disney Plus. Aron declined to criticize Disney, arguing that the studio’s decision illustrated the wisdom of AMC’s pact with Universal.

“Just like AMC is under duress, Disney’s under pressure too, and at some point they’ve got to monetize their movie product,” said Aron.

He said he hoped that Disney would think about adopting a model similar to Universal, in which it had the flexibility to show movies in theaters for a shorter run before launching them on streaming. Aron’s attitude is markedly different from his stance on early VOD last March. When COVID-19 closed theaters and Universal opted to release “Trolls World Tour” on-demand, AMC threatened to stop showing the studio’s films. Now, Aron is a full-on convert to the idea of smashing windows, the industry term for the amount of time a movie shows exclusively in theaters.

“We would not have signed on to an economic program that we thought was a negative,” Aron said. He went on to argue that because AMC was the first major exhibitor to agree to early on-demand, its deal would be richer.

“You should assume that we got a first mover advantage,” said Aron.

Aron also praised Warner Bros. for committing to releasing “Tenet” in theaters this fall. The Christopher Nolan thriller was initially slated for July and was later moved to August, but its premiere was postponed when coronavirus cases in the U.S. surged last month. The film is now expected to open in select domestic cities over Labor Day weekend.

“I think Warner Bros. is doing something heroic for the exhibition industry by releasing ‘Tenet’ in a few weeks,” he said. “Assuming it doesn’t slip.”

Aron did drop one interesting item. He noted that AMC’s new safety and cleaning procedures will be expensive and that the costs will be “passed on to the consumers.” That could mean higher ticket prices or that popcorn gets to be more of a luxury snack food.

Ultimately, Aron closed a brutal quarter, one that he had labelled one of the hardest in AMC’s 100-year history, by predicting that the marquee lights will soon flicker back on and that moviegoers will return to cinemas.

“We are very close to theaters opening soon in the United States,” said Aron. “See you at the movies. See you at AMC.”

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/amc-theaters-coronavirus-crisis-1234728092/