The Morning Fix: What’s ‘Paranormal’ director’s next movie worth? Ex-Letterman writer speaks out! Microsoft’s ‘Family Guy’ mess. Haggis vs. Scientology
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After the coffee. Before figuring out if Steve Carell is free to host the Oscars.
Next time, watch the show before buying it. Microsoft pulled out as sole sponsor of ‘Seth and Alex’s Almost Live Comedy Show,’ Fox’s upcoming special from ‘Family Guy’ creator Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein, one of his partners in crime. Apparently the folks in Redmond didn’t know that sometimes the humor on ‘Family Guy’ can get pretty tasteless. Lets see, how long has the show been on the air? News from Variety, snark from me.
An insider’s account. Former David Letterman writer Nell Scovell spills the beans to Vanity Fair on what it was like behind the scenes of Letterman’s show when she was there, and it’s not a pretty picture. Her telling not only shines a light on how office relationships hit everyone but on the challenges women still face breaking into the writing room.
Divide the box office by the cost and ... ‘Paranormal Activity’ is a hit, no doubt about that. The question is what does that make director Oren Peli’s next effort, ‘Area 51,’ worth? The New York Times looks at who is kicking the tires on the movie and whether a huge payday may be headed Peli’s way.
Child care. The Hollywood Reporter on the challenges child stars face breaking away from that image and how tricky the industry can be to navigate once you’ve made it.
Lose the name, keep the plane. As part of the spinoff of America Online from Time Warner Inc., AOL’s corporate jets will stay with TW. AOL’s new board was also announced, and it includes former William Morris topper Jim Wiatt and retired CBS CFO Fred Reynolds. More dirt from the New York Post.
Crash II. The very public exit of director Paul Haggis from Scientology has provided has thrust the, uh, organization into the spotlight once again. The Daily Beast looks at the organization’s embattled spokesman.
Avoiding Uncle Sam. Tax credits are becoming a bigger factor in determining where a movie will be shot. Producer Ingo Vollkammer changed locales of his movie ‘Velocity’ four times in search of a better deal. The Wall Street Journal on how tax incentives are changing the way movies are made.
Inside the Los Angeles Times: Patrick Goldstein on the Golden Globes’ hiring of Ricky Gervais as host. Adults may be fleeing TV, but kids are watching more TV than they have in eight years.
-- Joe Flint
