Supple Magazine

1 Feb 2010 12:00 Africa/Lagos

Report: Despite Blockbuster 2009, Hollywood Security Officers Still in Poverty
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A new report being released today by the Service Employees International Union highlights the continued poverty wages of Hollywood’s mostly African American and Latino security officers, despite record 2009 revenues for Los Angeles wealthy film studios.
“These studios have millions coming in each and every day,” says Rogelio Garcia, employed by security firm Andrews International at Fox Studios. “And each and every day we’re out there protecting them for next to nothing.”
Entitled “Reel Profits, Real Poverty: How Major Hollywood Studios Are Leaving Security Officers Behind,” the report focuses on the economic disparity between wealthy Hollywood studios and officers employed by the studios’ security company of choice, Andrews International, owned by Boston-based private equity firm Audax. Despite economic recession, the film industry brought in a record $10.7 billion in revenue in 2009. Meanwhile Hollywood security officers are paid as little as $10 an hour and struggle to meet basic needs such as food, medicine, and shelter.
In a town known internationally for its reputed progressive values, security officers featured in the report testify to discrimination, lack of training and equipment, working up to 10 hours without breaks, and having to choose between buying food or medicine. One Andrews International officer tells of co-workers–a mother and daughter–who lost their apartment and were forced to live on the Sony film studio lot. The pair were discovered and fired. The report can be viewed at http://insecurewithandrews.org/2010/01/new-report-reel-profits-real-poverty.ht ml.
Unlike other Hollywood workers, security officers do not have a union and do not share in film industry prosperity. Andrews International officers in Hollywood are joining with Andrews International officers in six states who have been trying since 2009 to form a union with SEIU in order to raise company — and industry — standards. With more than 10,500 security personnel in the U.S. and Mexico, Andrews International is the seventh-largest contract security firm in the United States.
With 2.2 million members, SEIU is the nation’s fastest-growing labor union and represents more than 30,000 security officers nationwide. Visit insecurewithandrews.org to learn more.
Source: Service Employees International Union
CONTACT: Kevin O’Donnell, +1-312-401-7598
Web Site: http://insecurewithandrews.org/

26 Jan 2010 20:36 Africa/Lagos

Statement From the Producers of the Film ‘Midgets vs Mascots’

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ — Earlier this month, Gary Coleman made a claim that the producers of the new film “Midgets vs Mascots” used an unauthorized (albeit brief) shot of his penis in the movie.

Today, the producers reached a settlement with Mr. Coleman. In return for the producers making Mr. Coleman’s bail in Utah County, Utah, Mr. Coleman has agreed to allow the footage to be kept in the movie.

The footage in question occurred during an improvised moment in a shower scene when Mr. Coleman attempted to break up a fight between two Little People. During the scuffle, Mr. Coleman’s robe split open to reveal more than he had planned.

The producers stand behind their position that Mr. Coleman signed multiple documents allowing any and all footage, including both scripted and unscripted moments, to appear in the film. The producers simply agreed to bail out Mr. Coleman as an “olive branch” and to avoid any potential litigation.

Mr. Coleman asked the producers to make it clear to the public that while he’s not pleased with the film’s footage, he needed to get out of jail. According to Mr. Coleman: “I guess I have to recognize that the footage is actually me, as I don’t know of any such thing as a body double for Gary Coleman.”

Mr. Coleman was arrested on Sunday on a warrant for failing to appear in court.

About “Midgets vs Mascots”

“Midgets vs Mascots” won third place at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival (Heineken Audience Award). The film’s trailer and associated clips — including the shower scene featuring Mr. Coleman — currently have more than a million online views. A limited promotional offer for the DVD and “midget condoms” is available at www.midgetsvsmascots.com. The DVD will be released on February 9 at retailers and online.

CONTACT: Kevin Sullivan, 214-259-3011, kevinsullivan18@gmail.com

Source: Midgets vs Mascots

CONTACT: Kevin Sullivan, +1-214-259-3011, kevinsullivan18@gmail.com, for
Midgets vs Mascots

Web Site: http://www.midgetsvsmascots.com/

Starz Record: 3.3 Million* Total Viewers “Cheer for Blood” as “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” Debut Weekend Delivered a Strong Performance. 1.2 Million Watched the 1/22 10PM Premiere Starring Andy Whitfield as “Spartacus” (above). (PRNewsFoto/Starz Entertainment) ENGLEWOOD, CO UNITED STATES

26 Jan 2010 22:47 Africa/Lagos

Record Audience of 3.3 Million Powers Weekend Debut of New Starz Original Series, ‘Spartacus: Blood and Sand’

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ — Updated figures for the series premiere of “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” indicate that more than 3.3 million total viewers* tuned in for episode one of the new Starz Original, a record performance for a series debut on the premium pay TV network.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100126/LA44222)

Based on live plus same-day DVR viewing, the Friday night 10PM ET/PT airing on Starz drew a 2.1 HH rating (661,000 viewers) and Encore a 1.2 rating (580,000 viewers), or more than 1.2 million viewers combined. An additional 430,000 viewers (1.6 HH rating) watched at 11PM ET/PT on Starz.

The 3.3 million viewership figure includes three additional weekend airings on Starz and Encore with same-day DVR usage. Figures from other Starz channels, additional DVR usage, starz.com viewership and on-demand/online previews with affiliates are expected to grow that figure well past 4 million total viewers.

With a gross average viewing audience of more than 2.5 million for the six Starz/Encore airings, Stephan Shelanski, executive vice president, programming for Starz Entertainment commented, “This is the most successful premiere in the company’s history. We are very gratified to see that our excitement and faith in the series – already renewed for a second season – has been matched by initial demand. This show is unlike anything ever seen on television, and we are confident that passion for the series will grow as the character development and incredible story arcs unfold.”

Post-premiere episodes of “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” debut on Starz on Fridays at 10PM ET/PT with an additional airing on Sunday nights at 10PM ET/PT.

About “Spartacus: Blood and Sand”

Produced by Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Joshua Donen and Steven S. DeKnight, “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” is the most highly anticipated original series in the history of Starz. The 13-episode hour-long drama was renewed for an epic second season prior to the series premiere on January 22, 2010.

The UK-born and Australia-based Andy Whitfield portrays Spartacus, a soldier in the Roman Auxiliary who is taken prisoner. Lucy Lawless is cast as Lucretia, who along with her husband Batiatus (John Hannah), own the slave Spartacus and the gladiator camp where the former soldier learns the ways of the arena fighter. Additional cast members include: Erin Cummings as Spartacus’ Thracian wife, Sura; Peter Mensah as Doctore, Batiatus’ most loyal and trusted slave; Manu Bennett as Crixus, the top gladiator at Batiatus’ gladiator school; Antonio Te Maioha as Barca, who is Batiatus’ bodyguard and hit man; Craig Parker as Glaber, who blames Spartacus for his failed military campaign; and Nick E. Tarabay as Ashur, a former gladiator who is now the school’s resident bookie. Starz’ new “Spartacus” series was inspired by the actual slave of the Roman Republic who in 73 BC led a slave revolt that grew to more than 120,000 fighters. Defying the Roman Republic’s legions of soldiers, they campaigned for two years through much of what is now Italy before succumbing to a much larger army. The new series will tell a new set of stories rich in character, action, sex and combat.

Starz Entertainment is the exclusive subscription television and broadband provider of Starz Originals (including “Party Down,” “Crash,” “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” and “Gravity”) and feature films. First-run movies are from leading Hollywood studios including Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Overture Films, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Pixar, TriStar, Screen Gems, Sony Classics and Warren Miller Films. Starz licenses hundreds of feature films from a wide array of independent distributors including IFC, Yari Film Group, and Summit Entertainment and a vast collection of classic and favorite titles from most Hollywood studios, including Warner Bros., Universal and MGM.

Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie service provider operating in the United States. It offers 16 movie channels including the flagship Starz® and Encore® brands with approximately 17.3 million and 30.7 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs more than 1,000 movies and new original series every month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HD, Encore HD, Starz On Demand, Encore On Demand, MoviePlex On Demand, Starz HD On Demand, Encore HD On Demand, MoviePlex HD On Demand, and Starz Play. Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, and is attributed to Liberty Starz (NASDAQ:LSTZA) , a tracking stock group of Liberty Media Corporation.

*3.3 million viewers based on Live + Same Day P2+ Cume estimates across Starz and Encore channels, Nielsen NPOWER 1/22/10 – 1/24/10. All Ratings references based on Live + SD HH Coverage Area estimates for respective program telecasts. All other viewer references based on Live + Same Day P2+ Average Audience and Gross Average Audience estimates for Starz and Encore, Nielsen NPOWER 1/22/10 – 1/24/10. Subject to qualifications available upon request.

Contacts:
Eric Becker Paul Campbell
Starz Entertainment Starz Entertainment
(720) 852-4065 (212) 905-4230
eric.becker@starz.com paul.campbell@starz.com

Sheila Feren
FerenComm for Starz
(212) 983-9898
sheilaf@ferencomm.com

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100126/LA44222
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN14
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Starz Entertainment, LLC

CONTACT: Eric Becker, +1-720-852-4065, eric.becker@starz.com, or Paul
Campbell, +1-212-905-4230, paul.campbell@starz.com, both of Starz
Entertainment; or Sheila Feren of FerenComm, +1-212-983-9898,
sheilaf@ferencomm.com, for Starz Entertainment

Web Site: http://www.starz.com/

For Sandra Bullock winning the Screen Actors Guild Awards® for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side has confirmed that she deserved the coveted laurels she has been given for the film. And she seems poised to win the Oscar for the best actress.

Photo: Sandra Bullock

THE BLIND SIDE

Photo: Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side.

Complete List of Winners at 16th Annual SAG Awards‎ –

Recipients of the 16th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards presented Saturday night:
Movies:
–Cast: ”Inglourious Basterds.”
–Actor in a leading role: Jeff Bridges, ”Crazy Heart.”
–Actress in a leading role: Sandra Bullock, ”The Blind Side.”
–Supporting actor: Christoph Waltz, ”Inglorious Basterds”
–Supporting actress: Mo’Nique, ”Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
–Stunt ensemble: ”Star Trek.”
Television:
–Drama series cast: ”Mad Men.”
–Actor in a drama series: Michael C. Hall, ”Dexter.”
–Actress in a drama series: Julianna Margulies, ”The Good Wife.”
–Comedy series cast: ”Glee.”
–Actor in a comedy series: Alec Baldwin, ”30 Rock.”
–Actress in a comedy series: Tina Fey, ”30 Rock.”
–Actor in a movie or miniseries: Kevin Bacon, ”Taking Chance.”
–Actress in a movie or miniseries: Drew Barrymore, ”Grey Gardens.”
–Stunt ensemble: ”24.”
–Life Achievement: Betty White.