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© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013.George Clooney takes aim at Sony investor Loeb over spin-off plan
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gokai_wo_maneku
George, it's not about the movies, it is about MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MORE MONEY, MUCH MORE MONEY...
sangetsu03
Which is what George gets a lot of every time he makes a movie. He won't walk onto a movie set unless he gets at least 7 figures for the 6 or so months he has to work there.
David L Reinke
They do call it "show business" for a reason, however, that fact does not change the truth of what Clooney has said.
Frankly, I'm not surprised After Earth and White House Down failed -- indeed I'm surprised they even got green lighted for production. Of course what looks promising on the page does not always turn out to be so in film.
Star Wars was turned down by every studio in Hollywood until Alan Ladd Jr. took a risk on it, and even then 20th Century Fox was not happy with what George Lucas was doing. They have since changed their tune.
No doubt more BIG films will fail this summer and next, but we can also hope there is another Argo waiting in the wings.
That a film ever emerges from Hollywood, even a mediocre one, is miraculous. That occasionally it rises to the level of art is truly amazing. (Seven Samurai, Ran, Les Enfants du Paradis to name but a few.)
We can hope for more art among the weeds that choke our local cinemas.
globalwatcher
gokai_wo_manekuAug. 04, 2013 - 08:43AM JST
You are correct on this. Also he is interested in kicking Japanese money and influence out of Hollywood.
Bartholomew Harte
Sorry George,Stick to making movies-Just because Hollywood Owns the Whitehouse & America is Bamboozled by Schtick acting,doesn't make You qualified in such matters.
nath
Please explain what these film have to do with Hollywood. I can name many more films from the era of Seven samurai and Les Enfants du Paradis that are masterpieces. By the time Ran comes along it is considerably fewer. Sorry I'm confused by this sentence, please explain
WA4TKG
George Clooney is a Maggot, but after reading this story, I am for ONCE, inclined to agree with him.
toshiko
Sony in USA has been extremely profitable. CBS Sony since early 20th/ Then Sony Columbia, CBS Sony, Sony Picture Entertainment, Also, Sony is dominating old movie TV series every day. Why Sony should get rid of its most profitable business to dingy small company? Me TV channel has many series that display Sony Picture Entertainment after credit of series displayed. Sony sony in American channels. Sony's CBS channel on Tuesday evenings are with most watched series all over. NCIS, NCIS LA, etc.
Loeb's proposal is like someone proposes give Walmart to him and stay on only top ramen distributor. Sony had been operating on Red for a few years until Sony Entertainment began making tons of monet. MOST Most profittable Sony buswiness Loeb wants to acquire. He does not have Hollywood business experience. CBS sony was already in early 1950's/ CBS Columbia, Sony CBS, Sony sony in entertainbment field in USA. It is not snubby like Disney organization.
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Vermillion Brent
Clooney is nobody to listen to in business issues, keep in mind Clooney has never graduated from university. He had two failed attempts at higher learning but has not been able to finish; they were not top universities and his major had nothing to do with business. People often mistake good acting and confidence with an authority or expertise to speak, also just because someone co-founded a production company does not mean they actually operate it, founding can simply be putting up capital.
toshiko
Clooney isUN Messemger for Peace since 2008. He has 3 golden glove awards, 2 Academy Awards. He stared in ER He even stared on Batman and Robin. ;He had only 3 University studies with A and B nut It is nothing to compare of many past top stars. who did not go to college and became $$$$$ stars. At least he had more education than Bill Gate and Steve Job. He is in movie industry so he knows what he is talking on Hollywood business world wish.
nath
Do you have any idea how snobby this sounds? Plenty of people a lot cleverer than you never went to university.
ambrosia
The business he's talking about is the very one he's been extremely successful in.
Michael Dell, Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Mary Kay Ash, Rachael Ray, J. D. Rockefeller Sr., Steven Spielberg and Mark Zuckerberg are all very successful people who either didn't go to college or who dropped out -- so your point is?
People often make a lot of mistakes, such as assuming going to university makes one smarter than someone who didn't or assuming that a lack of higher education makes one less than able in a particular field.
SamuraiBlue
Movie making is a high risk, high return business which will turn into less then mediocre if and when fund managers start running business. You can't make a good movie without making risks although I believe more knowledge can be introduced to streamline the unfathomable cost in making movies.
Big names who demand big dollars are not the solution that is for sure and they should place a cap on salary and introduce an incentive scheme so more money can be placed on script writing and not just big names to attract audience.
toshiko
In many states, colleges and Universities are very very expensive. If you are only middle class earner, no way you can send all of your children to colleges. So, Cloony finished 3 years in 2 universities with A and B are unusual in Hollywood movie industry.
He is also writer, too.
globalwatcher
Here is a trouble of Sony supporting what I have said you may find very interesting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Corp._of_America_v._Universal_City_Studios,_Inc.
Crazedinjapan
It's a little amusing to see some posters taking shots at George Clooney's education. He's being in the acting business for years now, be very well assured that he's acquired a education through self study and self improvement in this business. His success and income obviously show he has. Your can be the most intelligent and educated person and lack common sense or be the least uneducated and have the most common sense. There are enough naturally business minded people out there who have shown everyone in the past education doesn't always "trump" instinct. I think George here is making this point now.
nemurenaijin
VermillionBrent: people who had good education from Big Universities who supposed to know the business are the same people who "messed up" the economy last 2008 and only cared about thenselves.... George Clooney is a well experienced respected guy from this industry and sold Millions of dollars of movies. experience is more important than "College Education" ... Thats the problem with educated corporate people, they think they know everything becuase they are rich!
hatsoff
Yep. And similarly, the then-Disney boss (Eisner?) complained when the first Pirates of the Caribbean was in production, saying Johnny Depp's style of playing Jack Sparrow was ruining the movie.
I'll trust George Clooney on this one.
nemurenaijin
@SAMUAIBLUE
SamuraiBlue
nemurenaijin
I understand where you are coming from BUT, there are many movies that didn't have any big names that made a block buster and many movies that flopped even with tonnes of big names in it. In other words big names are only a piece of the puzzle and does not guarantee success so they should shoulder some risk as a stake holder and not automatically gain the lion's share within the budget of any movie. That is where the cap and incentive comes to play. Each and every player would be more selective in signing up instead of rehashing sequels. This way better screen play will be considered and even endorsed by all stake holders which will be a win to all.
toshiko
Movie producers cast actors according to characters in movies. Example is Twins. There are twin girls who got minor roles in Batman movies that had an established actree as a villainess tried to destroy goyham city. Next think we noticed was them on Star Trek. Too young to be college degreed. Another one was Tall female role that need to scare male character. one 6 feet girl was employee as she had Beverly Hillbilly minor role when she was young/ cute and handsome are plus. Mean face were valued in cowboy movies. No income for a while but Sony owned entertainment s rescued them. Rerun films, Sony pictures display in TV channels and they get royalty now.. Other business, Sony has too many other Japanese competitors but Sony Columbia and CBS etc do onot have Japan Inc. competitors yet/ Clooney knows many production companies are alive because of Sony practice. since CBS sony early 1950 time. Hollywood concensus Clooney is expressing.