Sunday, March 31, 2019

Good :Steve McQueen's Kid Sues Mogul; Better: Dumbo Crashes




  Thumbing through the Internet, or whatever the Hell they call it, I came upon the  Hollywood Reporter

This news aggregater is chock full of stuff like


  • Did "the Mattrix" Teach Hollywood the Wrong Lessons?
  • The Tiger and the Tragic Trick: Siegfried and Roy's Animal Handler Speaks
  • Big Bang Theory Writers on Mystery They Left Unsolved
All of which I know absolutely not the slightest bit about, or care whatever.  Hollywood is a nuthouse sans rubber rooms for its denizens. 

Movies are awful. 

Remakes of everything, or Marvel Comics involved in socio-political engineering.

Stars are prissy flannel mouths and Starlets are tattooed foulmouthed dimwits.

Television ,and those who populate it, only worse. 

Two items in Hollywood Reporter managed to get my attention.  Steve McQueen's son is suing clothing designer Tom Ford for his dreams and the remake of Dumbo cork screwed into the loam. 


Steve McQueen made cardigans cool and Tom Ford is trying to capitalize on the late actor's fame, according to a lawsuit filed Friday by the late actor's son.
Chadwick McQueen controls his father's rights of publicity and trademark rights, along with City National Bank, and claims Tom Ford's line of "McQueen" sweaters are infringing them.
At the height of his career, which included starring roles in 1968 films The Thomas Crown Affair and Bullitt, McQueen was among the highest paid actors in the world. He died in 1980 but, according to the complaint, commercial use of his likeness is still in demand. In addition to being known as a box office boosting bad boy, his son claims, McQueen was also known for his style.

Steve McQueen is cool.  Tom Ford ?  The fop outfitter wants to sell cardigan sweaters to tiny brains with fat wallets for $3, 500, but will get to use the late great actor and icon's name.
McQueen's son claims the companies are trading upon the actor's reputation and giving the false perception that the sweaters have been authorized by the family. He's suing for trademark infringement, false endorsement and unfair competition, among other claims.
He's seeking disgorgement of all profits plus at least $2 million in statutory damages for each registered trademark and punitive damages — plus an injunction barring the companies from using his trademark, name, persona or likeness or implying an association with the family and an order that all marketing and promotional materials bearing his name or likeness be destroyed. 

Heavens, Gertrude!   Hard to get happy after that. Steve McQueen hung out with stage hands and tradesmen.  He mocked the pretences of 1960's Hollywood and played heroism with grace and dignity.  Watch him mount a horse.

Now about the Disney Mafia's flop
Disney's Dumbo had trouble gaining altitude at the North American box office, where it opened to a disappointing $45 million from 4,259 theaters.
Tim Burton's live-action update of the classic 1941 animated film about a baby elephant with magical ears had been expected to cross $50 million in its domestic debut. Overseas, Dumbo opened to $71 million, including $10.7 million in China, for a global start of $116 million.
Dumbo still easily won the weekend ahead of holdover Us, but it's the lowest start among Disney's high-profile, live-action updates, prompting some box office analysts to question whether there is a built-in fanbase for the nearly 80-year-old property.
Poor reviews didn't help, although audiences liked it far more than critics, bestowing the film with an A- CinemaScore. In 2010, Burton and Disney's live-action Alice in Wonderland overcame a 51 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes to earn $1.02 billion at the global box office in 2010 (Dumbo's RT score is currently 50 percent).
With Easter approaching, Disney is counting on the movie having sturdy legs. "We're very encouraged. We are the middle of rolling spring breaks and we think Dumbo is a good option for families," says Disney distribution chief Cathleen Taff.

The original Dumbo was a brilliant fable for all ages and absent of PC.

Dumbo confounded prejudice without being preachy and offered witty and wholesome direction to six generations.  The animated horror show called Dumbo looks like a trainwreck. It should never have been remade - live action, or cartoon. Hollywood is fetid pool of unimaginative cowardly nodders.

Hollywood Reporter affirms just that.

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