June 3, 2018

Before Harvey Weinstein’s Downfall, TWC Employees Cited ‘Sexual Harassment’ at ‘Extremely Volatile’ Company on Glassdoor

More than a year before Harvey Weinstein was first accused of sexual harassment, one employee of the Weinstein Company employee said that it was “the norm” at TWC in a Glassdoor review. The site is widely used throughout several industries to allow for current and former employees of companies to submit reviews of their experiences.

The studio — which was bought by Lantern Capital last month after declaring bankruptcy — has a 3.1 rating (out of 5) based on 33 reviews written between June 2010 and October 2017, with just 43 percent saying they would recommend TWC to a friend.

The full review: “Micromanagement hell. Assistants who become VP’s overnight was too often. Sexual harassment was the norm.” The user — listed only as Former Employee – Anonymous Employee — posted the review in May of 2016, nearly a year and a half before Weinstein was publicly accused of sexual misconduct. The former mogul has since been fired, expelled from the Academy, and indicted ahead of his upcoming rape trial.

Another wrote that “nobody really knows the chain of command–whose position is above whose. Everyone is a little scared of Harvey”; that sentiment is echoed by a user who said their job “sometimes can be stressful in the presence of Harvey or Bob; some employees with (jokingly or otherwise) tell you to avoid eye contact.”

Weinstein’s reputation as a domineering executive preceded his sexual-harassment scandal by years. Yet another review includes complaints about senior management at the company, noting that some of them are “extremely volatile (to put it mildly)” without naming names.

All employer reviews on Glassdoor are anonymous, though the site does require users to validate their accounts via email activation. It does not, however, appear to verify that they work where they say they do — possibly to ensure their anonymity.

Per its FAQs page, Glassdoor suggests that individuals “submit only one review, per employer, per year, per review type (e.g. company review, interview review, salary review, benefit review, etc.)” and only write reviews pertaining to positions held within the last five years. Every submission is reviewed before appearing on Glassdoor, a process that often takes 24 hours to ensure that certain standards are met.

Reached for comment, Glassdoor provided a statement to IndieWire:

Glassdoor strives to be the most trusted and transparent place to search for jobs and research companies. Before a review appears on Glassdoor, every review is vetted through a multi-tier moderation process to determine that it meets our Community Guidelines and conforms to our Terms of Use. Glassdoor does not investigate or confirm claims made in reviews.

“Glassdoor believes in the principles of anonymity and freedom of speech online. As part of this, we believe that everyone has a right to voice his or her opinions about their workplace, including if they believe they have experienced or witnessed behavior such as sexual harassment.”

Source: IndieWire film

June 3, 2018

MoviePass Boosts ‘American Animals’ at Specialty Box Office

Sundance debut “American Animals” (The Orchard), the twisty docudrama hybrid recreation of a high-stakes Kentucky college heist, got a boost on its way to dominating the specialty box office this weekend. It’s one of the best platform releases in recent weeks. And it was a surprise.

The Orchard partnered with MoviePass when it acquired “American Animals” for a reported $3 million. Clearly, that extra MoviePass marketing push made a significant difference.

Meanwhile two current successes, “RBG” (Magnolia) and “First Reformed” (A24), continue to impress at different stages of expansion, with the former heading toward becoming Magnolia’s biggest grosser.

Opening

American Animals (The Orchard) – Metacritic: 63; Festivals include: Sundance, South by Southwest, San Francisco, Seattle 2018

$140,633 in 4 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $35,158

That this caper film about a 2004 rare book theft had such a strong opening at four key New York/Los Angeles platform theaters comes as a surprise. The reviews weren’t that great, and it boasted no marquee draws. And The Orchard was trying to reach the trickiest audience for specialized movies: 20-something millennials similar to the film’s principals.

The secret sauce that helped The Orchard reach an opening PTA double their previous best (“Hunt for the Wilderpeople”) is their partnership with embattled MoviePass. The two companies combined to pick up the film at Sundance. The app then utilized its resources to publicize the film to its subscribers, and the result paid off with a result much bigger than the film was expected to deliver.

The Arclight Hollywood, which does not honor MoviePass, had a respectable gross, but it was the third best of the four theaters, and behind the older-audience The Landmark by some margin.

This could be a blip, an exaggerated response based on the higher reported subscriptions in these two cities. Or, as we will see as this expands this week and beyond, an indication of how MoviePass could benefit distributors and theaters and find a more receptive hearing from established movie entities.

What comes next: This will expand to multiple larger cities this Friday with further expansion planned through June and beyond.

IFC Films

A Kid Like Jake (IFC) – Metacritic: 59; Festivals include: Sundance, San Francisco, Seattle 2018

$9,063 in 1 theater; PTA: $9,063

A top line cast including Jim Parsons, Claire Danes, and Octavia Spencer head this Manhattan drama about finding the right private school for an imaginative four-year-old who likes to dress like a girl. The Sundance premiere scored a mixed critical response for its exclusive initial run at the IFC Center, where it got some sampling. This will not be  breakout for IFC.

What comes next: Los Angeles opens this Friday, the same day as streaming availability starts.

Breath (FilmRise) – Metacritic: 70; Festivals include: Toronto 2017

$5,700 in 1 theater; PTA: $5,700

Already a significant independent success in Australia, this story of two teen surfers who take a road trip across that vast country comes from veteran actor Simon Baker (TV’s “The Guardian” and “The Mentalist”). It opened at one New York location to good reviews but modest results at the Angelika.

What comes next: Los Angeles is among the June 8 openings.

Week Two

The Gospel According to Andre (Magnolia)

$82,000 in 21 theaters (+17); PTA: $4,100; Cumulative: $166,841

Andre Leon Talley, the latest larger-than-life fashionista to get his feature documentary spotlight, saw the film about him expand to multiple cities with a middling but respectable result.

Summer 1993 (Oscilloscope)

$15,500 in 5 theaters (+1); PTA: $3,100; Cumulative: $50,186

Spain’s most recent Oscar submission held up well in its initial dates in its second weekend, although similar to most subtitled films, the numbers indicate niche interest ahead.

Mary Shelley (IFC)

$14,459 in 9 theaters (+7); PTA: $1,606; Cumulative: $36,505

Sui generis Saudi female director Haifaa al-Mansour’s British biopic about the “Frankenstein” author expanded to new cities without getting much added interest.

Who We Are Now (FilmRise)

$5,500 in 3 theaters (+2); PTA: $1,833; Cumulative: $12,221

This strongly reviewed drama about an ex-con mother struggling to regain custody added Los Angeles to continued modest results.

How Long Will I Love U? (Well Go USA)

$170,700 in 32 theaters (+9); PTA: $5,334; Cumulative: $502,521

This Chinese time-travel romance continues to find interest in limited theaters that draw audiences for mainland general audience films.

Ongoing/expanding (grosses over $50,000)

RGB (Magnolia) Week 5

$1,100,000 in 432 theaters (+17); Cumulative: $7,876,000

Now ahead of their equally impressive “I Am Not Your Negro,” Magnolia looks to have their biggest grosser ever with this documentary on the Supreme Court Justice. A $10 million-plus total is in view, which would put it ahead of “Woman, Thou Are Loosed” (2004) which adjusted also reached that mark.

First Reformed (A24) Week 3

$455,435 in 91 theaters (+62); Cumulative: $1,057,000

Paul Schrader’s strongly reviewed drama about theological doubt and despair continues to click with art house devotees as is expands further. This continues to suggest a future in core theaters with some crossover that should put it ahead of all other serious specialized dramas released so far this year, and could yield an eventual Best Actor Oscar nomination for Ethan Hawke or even, a first screenplay nomination for Schrader.

The Rider (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 8

$243,055 in 224 theaters (+117); Cumulative: $1,743,000

In its widest release yet, this contemporary western, though one of the most acclaimed films of the year is still not showing more than minor results.

Bleecker Street

Disobedience (Bleeck Street) Week 6

$211,271 in 158 theaters (-66); Cumulative: $3,057,000

This gay romance set in a London synagogue is heading to around a $4 million total, with stars Rachel McAdams and Rachel Weisz continuing as the main draw.

Pope Francis – A Man of His Word (Focus) Week 3

$150,000 in 273 theaters (-112); Cumulative: $1,568,000

While Ruth Bader Ginsberg continues to ride high, this documentary about another admired icon is not showing similar results despite a similar number of theaters played.

On Chesil Beach (Bleecker Street) Week 3

$142,400 in 89 theaters (+64); Cumulative: $345,606

Similar to Saoirse Ronan’s recent ensemble release “The Seagull,” this film romance (adapted from a 60s Ian McEwan romance) is not showing signs of any momentum after the big success of “Ladybird.”

Isle of Dogs (Fox Searchlight) Week 11

$135,000 in 129 theaters (-33); Cumulative: $31,400,000

Wes Anderson’s latest animated efforts is still playing after nearly three months in release.

Sony Pictures Classics

The Seagull (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 4

$130,573 in 52 theaters (+23); Cumulative: $526,526

Chekhov with a top flight ensemble cast continues to show some interest in limited specialized situations.

Beast (Roadside Attractions) Week 4

$87,610 in 92 theaters (-1); Cumulative: $629,563

This murder/romantic tale set off the British coast is getting little traction despite play at top specialized theaters.

Let the Sunshine In (IFC) Week 6; also streaming

$80,068 in 68 theaters (+1); Cumulative: $696,489

Claire Denis’ latest, with a stellar French cast and appeal to sophisticated older crowds, continues on its path to a likely $1 million gross. That’s better than most arthouse subtitled films. In this case, it comes while also having streaming availability.

2001: A Space Odyssey (Warner Bros.) (reissue)  Week 3

$69,000 in 5 theaters (+1); Cumulative: $564,000

With all the 50th anniversary commemorations of 1968, this 70mm reissue is one of the few happy ones. Its limited play continues to do very well at very select theaters.

Also noted:

Mountain (Greenwich) – $36,000 in theaters; Cumulative: $90,472

The Death of Stalin (IFC) – $29,102 in 30 theaters; Cumulative: $7,943,000

Always at the Carlyle (Good Deed) – $18,212 in 23 theaters; Cumulative: $90,613

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Source: IndieWire film

June 3, 2018

‘The Wild Pear Tree’ Teaser: Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Cannes Standout Looks Gorgeous

A few weeks after premiering at Cannes, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “The Wild Pear Tree” already has a teaser. The Turkish auteur has a storied history at the festival — his last film, “Winter Sleep,” won the Palme d’Or, and he’s previously been awarded the Grand Prix (“Once Upon a Time in Anatolia,” 2011) and Best Director (“Three Monkeys,” 2008) prizes as well — but his latest left France empty-handed despite strong reviews.

In his Cannes review, IndieWire’s Eric Kohn writes that the film is “brisk” by Ceylan’s standards despite its imposing three-hour running time and “maintains a visual sophistication unparalleled” in international cinema. Here’s the film’s very brief synopsis: “An aspiring writer returns to his native village in rural Turkey, where he becomes overwhelmed by his father’s debts.”

The minute-long teaser is wordless and gives little sense of the plot, but it does make it clear that Ceylan’s visual mastery indeed remains intact. Aydin Doğu Demirkol, Murat Cemcir, Bennu Yıldırımlar, and Hazar Ergüçlü star in “The Wild Pear Tree,” which has yet to secure stateside distribution.

Source: IndieWire film