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The Old Dog really had to chuckle. The Lackey Angeles Times, oops, I mean the Los Angeles Times supplied two pages of an article parroting producer propaganda about tough economic times for the studios, tacitly backing the idea that SAG should hop aboard their rollback residual express.
Yes, the situation was bleak for the studios; they expect further layoffs. (As if the studios need any other excuse than to put an extra buck in their pockets for layoffs) Why we can expect a change in the way they fundamentally do business. It won't be business as usual, ah, except for their multi-million dollar salaries for their CEO's. Hey, executives will be cutting travel cost. (I understand several have curtailed their trips to the Bangladesh Film Festival.)
Look when you cut through all the producer bullsh*t, the movie business is flourishing—and even if it wasn't, it wouldn't have anything to do with the economy.
The following is the pertinent paragraph from the LA Times article "Article "A Bleak Picture For Big Studios!"
"If you have good movies, people tend to come even during down economic times," said John Fithian, president of the trade group National Assn. Of Theater Owners.
Fithian said that in 2005, when the economy was booming, "we had the worst year we've had in decades because the movies were terrible."
The only bleak picture for the studios is if SAG members vote for a strike authorization and put the AMPTP between a rock and a hard place.
Boys, either cut the sh*t, get rid of the rollbacks, or face the possibility of destroying your only cash cow, supplied thanks to the billions of dollars generated through your relationship with the best actors guild in the world, The Screen Actors Guild.
A.L. Miller SW Editor & Chief 
"If you stand together, you cannot lose. Actors cannot be beaten except by actors. The guild is for you, and you must be for the guild. Stand together."
Eddie Cantor, president, Screen Actors Guild, at the guild's first annual membership meeting, El Capitan Theater, Hollywood, May 13, 1934 .
Oh, just for your information, there is an upcoming meeting of the National Board where the USAN board members out of New York, and the Newly elected UFS pro 'Qualified Voting' board members are going to meet in a plenary; but they don't want to just take away the vote of "qualified" members, they want to take away the voice of every member--but their own. They want to deny a voice to SAG's entire membership to decide if they want to vote for a strike authorization.
But, not to worry, they, along with producers like Tom Hanks, George Clooney, and Danny DeVito, have already made the decision for you. Hey, that's okay with you right? Come on face it, you don't count! Pay your dues, and shut the fu*k up!
Let's all take in the shorts for Tom, George, and Danny!
But, you're going to let them get away with it, right? 
*
Here's thought! How about having this all important meeting at a venue large enough to accomodate any member who wants to watch our National Board in action.
Personally, I'd like to face those board members who don't think my voice is important, and want to take it away in this pivotal decision that will affect every one of our members for decades to come.
Ah, how about you?
AP
Report: Overseas box office record broken
Friday January 2, 3:44 pm ET
Report: Hollywood breaks record with $9.9 billion grossed at international box office
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Hollywood's six major studios say they broke overseas box office records in 2008, with an estimated $9.9 billion in tickets sold. That's a 4 percent increase from a year earlier, The Hollywood Reporter said Friday.
Each of the six majors -- Paramount, Warner Bros., Universal, 20th Century Fox, Sony and Disney -- collected more than $1 billion for the second year running.
How much each collected depends on whether films were co-financed, how international rights deals were cut and how much went to theater owners.
Paramount Pictures led the pack with international releases grossing $2 billion, up 28 percent, while Warner Bros.' movies grossed $1.8 billion.
Universal grossed $1.7 billion, up 66 percent from a year ago.
Universal Pictures is owned by NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.; Sony Pictures is a unit of Sony Corp.; Paramount Pictures is a unit of Viacom Inc.; Disney's parent is The Walt Disney Co.; 20th Century Fox is owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc.
While the LA Times article parrots AMPTP "For the first time, Universal won't send executives to the movie theater industry's biggest trade show, ShoWest, scheduled for March in Las Vegas. Sony canceled executive meetings in Latin America in December and Europe in June," International Business Times published the following.
UNIVERSAL PICTURES SURPASSES ITS ALL-TIME BEST-EVER DOMESTIC, INTERNATIONAL AND WORLDWIDE BOX-OFFICE PERFORMANCE IN 2008
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif.,
Jan. 1 /PRNewswire/
--
Universal Pictures recordedits biggest year ever for the second year in a row with global theatricalgrosses totaling $2.834 billion for 2008. Universal's domestic box-officetally of $1.12 billion outpaced the record it previously set in 2007, which was $1.099 billion. Internationally, Universal shattered last year'sbox-office mark of $1.034 billion, with a 2008 total of $1.714 billion, for anincredible year-over-year improvement of 66 percent. Celebrating the studio breaking its own records for the second year in a row, the announcement was made today by Marc Shmuger and David Linde, Chairman and Co
-
Chairman,respectively, of Universal Pictures. All numbers are estimates, and final figures will be available on Monday, January 5, 2009.
"If 2007 was a turnaround year for Universal, 2008 proved our studio'sability to consistently deliver the highest quality commercial hits," statedShmuger and Linde. "To have two successive years of record-breaking successis an incredible achievement, and we thank our teams from around the worldthat produced, marketed and distributed a slate of films that, again, set anew standard for our studio.
This year, we created new franchises, extendedothers, released the most successful movie musical in history and continuedour tradition of turning modestly budgeted comedies into solid hits. Ourstrength of success comes from this diversity. We worked with some of themost interesting and inspiring filmmakers and talent working anywhere andreleased some of the years most critically acclaimed and rewarded films. Weare proud to close out another year with historic success."
(International Business Times)
Holiday brings box office boost
'Marley' continues to lead the pack
By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK
The Christmas box office has turned into a cash cow for a diverse litter of titles, guaranteeing that ticket sales for 2008 will match or exceed last year's record-breaking haul of $9.62 billion.
Twentieth Century Fox's breakout holiday hit "Marley & Me" continues to lead, fetching a cume of $72.5 million through Wednesday -- in only its seventh day in release.
"Marley," produced by Fox 2000 and New Regency, was one of five titles opening nationwide on Christmas Day. All but one -- "The Spirit" -- are collecting plenty of coin and seeing the sort of midweek grosses that can make the week between Christmas and New Year's the most lucrative stretch of the year. Disney's Adam Sandler family comedy "Bedtime Stories" has chalked up a cume of $56.7 million through Wednesday.
"Benjamin Button," directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, has exceeded expectations, considering its running time of two hours and 47 minutes and its appeal to an older aud. Film's cume through Wednesday was $52.7 million.
United Artists' Tom Cruise starrer "Valkyrie," the fifth wide release opening Dec. 25, also has found its footing, cuming $41 million through New Year's Eve. "Marley," "Bedtime," "Button" and "Valkyrie" take up the four top spots on the box office chart.
Through Wednesday, total domestic B.O. revenues for 2008 were north of $9.56 billion, and should eclipse $9.62 billion once New Year's Day weekend receipts are tallied.
Admissions, however, are down 4% to 5% from last year. Still, that's far less of a decline than other sectors of the economy are suffering. One report issued this week predicts that retail holiday sales would drop 16%.
Soft spots at the holiday box office include Lionsgate and Odd Lot Entertainment's "The Spirit," directed by Frank Miller. "Spirit's" cume through Tuesday was $12.5 million.
While Sony's Will Smith starrer "Seven Pounds" won't necessarily be a financial loss, it ends Smith's boffo box office run of recent years. Drama's cume through Wednesday was $46 million.
Another film released on Dec. 19 along with "Seven Pounds" has had better luck: Warner Bros.' Jim Carrey laffer "Yes Man" has grossed $60 million through Wednesday
For the most part, weekday numbers have been boffo. "Marley" earned $7.5 million on Monday, $7.3 million on Tuesday and $6.9 million on Wednesday (theater traffic usually always slows down on New Year's Eve). That compares to $14 million last Friday, $12.7 million on Saturday and $9.7 million on Sunday for an opening weekend kitty of $36.4 million.
"What it proves is that ‘Marley' is a true crowd pleaser and an all-audience movie," Fox senior VP of distribution Chris Aronson said.
Because of such strong midweek numbers during Christmas, films can do far more business than usual, even summer. Generally speaking, a successful title will cume three times its opening gross. (Tentpoles nabbing huge numbers on opening weekend can see more rapid declines).
That means "Marley," based on the best-selling book, could cume ultimately north of $150 million at the domestic box office. "Button," "Bedtime" and "Valkyrie" likewise could sport impressive cumes by the end of their theatrical runs.
Strength of "Marley's" bark has caught Hollywood by surprise, since "Bedtime Stories" was considered the front-runner, being a broad family film.
"Marley," however, quickly emerged as the favorite, playing to families and non-families alike. Pic was directed by David Frankel, who also helmed Fox 2000 hit "The Devil Wears Prada."
Success of "Marley" is a much-needed victory for Fox, which has suffered a difficult year at the domestic box office.
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http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117997906.html
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But, but, but...don't believe your lying eyes. You have to give away your residuals, decades old protections and union mandate because of the bad economy. You have to trust me and my USAN/UFS pals. There is no need to have your voice heard in a strike authorization vote. Hey you trust Tom Hanks to make a good deal for you...don't you?
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