June 5, 2018

Tim O’Reilly on How to Do Things You Thought Were Impossible at SXSW 2018 [Video]

At SXSW 2018, Founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media, Tim O’Reilly discusses machine learning, humanity, and the future of tech. In his Featured Session, “Do More. Do Things That Were Previously Impossible” O’Reilly poses an important question to the audience.

“What’s keeping us from working on the stuff that matters?”

O’Reilly believes we are at a crossroad as we confront the technological future. A crossroad that could determine the future of humanity and what it means to work. How we use technology should not only be a business decision – but a moral decision. According to O’Reilly, right now, we are about 80 years into a 100-year cycle of growth and have only begun to recognize the capabilities of the technology available. First and foremost, we must recognize how human values and morals fit into the picture.

Technology is limited only by the creativity of its developers – the same drone technology is used in a startup that delivers Starbucks orders at conferences as is used in a startup called Zipline that delivers on-demand blood and medicines in countries without developed roads or infrastructure. Within 15 minutes, Zipline is able to deliver blood to a person in need and save a life.

According to O’Reilly, technology should be used to augment humans so that we can focus on real issues and dedicate more resources to building a better world. Startups like Zipline are “showing what the future could be for all of us if we start working on the right things with today’s technology.” Machines are amazing at making a better world. Without machines, we wouldn’t be able to feed 7 billion people. But, we need to shift our focus towards solving the real issues affecting our world.

“There’s plenty for humans to do…dealing with climate change, rebuilding our infrastructure, feeding the world, ending disease, resettling refugees, caring for each other, educating the next generation, and best of all if we could put all these machines to work we could together as a world, enjoy the fruits of shared prosperity.”

Learn more about O’Reilly’s vision for the future of technology and the human race in the full Featured Session at the 2018 SXSW Conference. Browse more 2018 Keynotes, Featured Sessions, Red Carpets, and Q&A’s on our YouTube Channel.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SXSW News for the latest SXSW coverage and 2019 updates.

Watch Now

SXSW 2018 Session Do More. Do Things That Were Previously Impossible – Photo by Debra Reyes

The post Tim O’Reilly on How to Do Things You Thought Were Impossible at SXSW 2018 [Video] appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

June 5, 2018

A Conversation with Ready Player One Author Ernest Cline at SXSW 2018 [Video]

“I tell everybody, everything you could ever want writing your first novel has happened to me.”

The day after the World Premiere of Ready Player One, David Baszucki of Roblox interviewed best-selling novelist, screenwriter, and full-time geek Ernest Cline about the buzzed-about premiere, how Steven Spielberg got involved with the adaptation, Cline’s inspirations and influences, and last but not least, his DeLorean.

“It’s an honor for me to be here. I’ve been coming to SXSW for twenty years, I’ve seen a lot of film premieres and attended a lot of panels here. In the back of mind, I’ve always dreamed of getting to do this myself someday, but never at this level. It’s great to be here in Austin and celebrate this experience with you guys.

Ready Player One is a love letter to video games and pop culture. Cline claims he grew up at the right time to make this universe possible. “I was born in 1972, which looking back is the perfect time to be writing this story,” said Cline. I was born the year Pong came out and the same year coin-operated video games were created, and as such I got to be a part of the very first generation to have video games.”

Cline never imagined that one of the world’s most renowned directors would be interested in adapting his beloved book for the big screen. After he sold the book to Random House, a bidding war for the rights ensued. In the end Warner Bros won, and according to Cline, a miracle happened which led Spielberg to read Cline’s script, then his novel, and decide to take on the film!

Ready Player One will be available to own on DVD/Blue-Ray on July 24, 2018.

Watch the video above for the full Conversation with Ernest Cline Featured Session. Browse more 2018 Keynotes, Featured Sessions, Red Carpets, and Q&A’s on our YouTube Channel.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SXSW News for the latest SXSW coverage and 2019 updates.

A Conversation with Ernest Cline – Photo by Chris Saucedo/Getty Images for SXSW

The post A Conversation with Ready Player One Author Ernest Cline at SXSW 2018 [Video] appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

June 4, 2018

Facebook says it “disagrees” with the New York Times’ criticisms of its device-integrated APIs

Facebook has responded to a New York Times story that raises privacy concerns about the company’s device-integrated APIs, saying that it “disagree[s] with the issues they’ve raised about these APIs.”<p>Headined “Facebook Gave Device Makers Deep Access to Data on Users and Friends,” the New York Times …
Source: CW’s Flipboard Feed

June 3, 2018

‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ Drops 65 Percent at the Box Office, Breaking the Wrong Records

The weekend could have been worse for “Solo: A Star Wars Story”: It dropped 65 percent at the box office, but the projection going in was closer to 70 percent. Add to this a drop of 46 percent overseas and we’re looking a film with a shortfall in the tens of millions at a minimum.

“Solo” likely scared studios off from programming any major new openings this weekend, which was a mistake. Last year saw the first June weekend thrive with “Wonder Woman,” which turned out to be last summer’s biggest domestic hit. This weekend, total box office dropped about $80 million, or 40 percent from last year. Last week the box office was about eight percent ahead of 2017, but this week’s freefall will bring that down to about 6.5 percent. If we can sustain that through the summer, that will be terrific — but that’s a big if.

Through 10 days, “Solo” is just under $150 million domestic ($264 million worldwide, with Japan the sole major territory yet to open). That could be around two thirds of its ultimate haul, which looks headed to $225 million domestic and $400 million worldwide. That will make “Solo” one of the highest-grossing, money-losing films ever — although still below the adjusted results for 1963’s “Cleopatra,” which managed to be the biggest film released that year and a studio-crushing flop.

In 2017, $225 million for “Solo” would placed it at #13. It’s a stunning reversal after the last three Disney releases each proved to be the top films of their years, grossing between $550 million and nearly $1 billion. A trend or a fluke? Disney will have to wait with bated breath until “Chapter Nine” opens for Christmas 2019. Much sooner, we’ll see if it could be a virus infecting other franchise heavyweights like “Incredibles 2” and “The Lost World: Fallen Kingdom,” both of which open mid-June. (“Ocean’s 8” joins the fray this Friday, with decent if lesser expectations.)

Courtesy of STXfilms

From the box-office perspective, summer began in late April with “Avengers: Infinity Wars” — but the releases this week don’t reflect the season. Three combined for $18 million total, with nearly two thirds of that coming from “Adrift” with Shailene Woodley lost at sea. STX is reported to be into the film for a combined acquisition/marketing cost of under $30 million, so it could justify the investment. The performance is on par with the opening of “47 Meters Down” last June. That sleeper went on to quadruple its opening, but “Adrift” will have to fight off some strong new openers to have a chance to do that.

BH Tilt’s low-budget (including lower than usual marketing expense) “Upgrade” managed the sixth spot after getting some buzz first at South by Southwest and subsequent positive reviews. A near-future thriller with self-driving cars playing a key role, it’s unusual to see a genre film show a gross on Saturday equal to its Thursday night/Friday results. This has a shot at holding on for more than two weeks, and potentially adding theaters (it debuted at 1,457).

Playing a second week would be a gift for the latest Johnny Knoxville effort “Action Point,” a career low. His “Jackass” films once opened as high as over $50 million. With $2.3 million and ninth place, his moment seems to have passed.

“Deadpool 2” grossed nearly 80 per cent as much as “Solo” going into its third week. That’s a 46 percent drop (of course, all films this week follow the elevated comparison of the three-day Memorial weekend). That’s close to the third-week drop for the original “Deadpool,” which adjusted reached $300 million at this point; “Deadpool 2” stands at $254 million, still very good. Worldwide totals should reach around $700 million, even without China — especially impressive given its relatively modest production costs under $150 million.

The other Marvel title, “Avengers: Infinity War,” dropped 40 per cent. It’s still #4 and made over $10 million in its sixth weekend. Domestic total is $642 million, and it will almost certainly fall a little shy of “Black Panther,” which is creeping up to $700 million.

“The Book Club” dropped less than 33 percent with $6.8 million. It should reach $60 million, about a 4.5 multiple from its opening. Its senior female four leads come in at an average age over 70. Maybe Johnny Knoxville should consider costarring with them.

Female leads also head “Life of the Party” and “Breaking In” also showed similar holds. “Overboard” with Eugenio Derbez held on to 10th spot. The English-language comedy from Pantelion will be that production company’s biggest domestic success.

The Top Ten

1. Solo: A Star Wars Story (Disney) Week 2; Last weekend #1

$29,296,000 (-65%) in 4,382 theaters (no change); PTA (per theater allowance): $6,687; Cumulative: $148,889,000

2. Deadpool 2 (20th Century Fox) Week 3; Last weekend #2

$23,325,000 (-46%) in 4,161 theaters (-188); PTA: $5,606; Cumulative: $254,652,000

3. Adrift (STX) NEW – Cinemascore: B+; Metacritic: 56; Est. budget: $35 million

$11,510,000 in 3,015 theaters; PTA: $3,818; Cumulative: $11,510,000

4. Avengers: Infinity War (Disney) Week 6; Last weekend #3

$10,371,000 (-40%) in 3,570 theaters (-198); PTA: $2,905; Cumulative: $642,870,000

5. Book Club (Paramount) Week 3; Last weekend #4

$6,800,000 (-32%) in 3,169 theaters (+169); PTA: $2,146; Cumulative: $47,317,000

6. Upgrade (BH Tilt) NEW – Metacritic: 65; Est. budget: $4 million

$4,458,000 in 1,457 theaters; PTA: $3,060; Cumulative: $4,458,000

7. Life of the Party (Warner Bros.) Week 4; Last weekend #5

$3,455,000 (-36%) in 2,511 theaters (-426); PTA: $1,376; Cumulative: $46,301,000

8. Breaking In (Universal) Week; Last weekend #6

$2,815,000 (-%) in 1,682 theaters (-303); PTA: $1,674; Cumulative: $41,346,000

9. Action Point (Paramount) NEW – Cinemascore: C+; Metacritic: 37; Est. budget: $19 million

$2,315,000 in 2,032 theaters; PTA: $1,139; Cumulative: $2,315,000

10. Overboard (Lionsgate) Week 5; Last weekend #8

$1,975,000 (-37%) in 1,228 theaters (+32); PTA: $1,608; Cumulative: $45,523,000

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Source: IndieWire film

June 3, 2018

Tom Cruise Performs His Most Dangerous Stunt Yet in ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ — Watch

Tom Cruise broke his ankle while filming “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” and the injury didn’t even occur during the most serious stunt. The 55-year-old — whose penchant for performing death-defying feats himself rather than relying on stuntmen — also performed the highly dangerous HALO (high altitude, low opening) Jump to once again make Ethan Hunt’s exploits feel as real as possible. Watch a behind-the-scenes look at the stunt below.

Said jumps usually take place at 25,000 feet, which is high enough to induce hypoxia and “the bends” — “You start losing your mind and you don’t realize it,” says one stunt coordinator in the video. Everyone else in in the featurette likewise plays up how dangerous the jump was, as there’s much that can go wrong and no room for error. Cruise himself doesn’t add much other than saying how excited he is for audiences to see this latest act of derring-do.

“Fallout” is the sixth entry in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, and like 2015’s “Rogue Nation” it was directed by Christopher McQuarrie. Michelle Monaghan, Rebecca Ferguson, Henry Cavill, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Alec Baldwin, Angela Bassett, Wes Bentley, and Vanessa Kirby co-star in the film, which Paramount will release on July 27.

Source: IndieWire film

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