Robot Unicorn Attack = WIN

Jump into the steel hooves of a robot unicorn, prancing freely amongst the lush purple grasses and rainbow-strewn backdrops of your wildest fantasies.

http://games.adultswim.com/robot-unicorn-attack-twitchy-online-game.html

Starbucks in NY is definitely about free wifi and free toilets.

China already has a Taiwanese Starbucks-ripoff chain 'Ecoffee' spreading throughout, so they are stuffed there. Link to an old article here: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2005/02/26/2003224678
Check the 2nd photo, a total logo rip.

The Starbucks in Three Lamps was definitely farting against thunder. Free wifi though. If they'd done that when they set up shop in NZ, then who knows.

Death Threats Fly

Gee - probably not that surprsing really. More spin though - Robyn Malcolm was-mid way shifting to Aus before this thing blew up - so they are obviously gonna make out it's 'because of all this'. Note too that John Barnett (someone who would normally be totally pissed about a debacle like this) has only come out in support of Robyn because 'Outrageous Fortune' has a couple of weeks to run - and hey - he cares about ratings eh.

I do feel a little sorry for the actors. They've been played, and they deserve a better deal in terms of contracts... it will no doubt come -- but not with these MEAA nonces attached.

Wikipedia page for 'Australian Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance' -- is worth a read. Seems to have been that way since 21st Oct.

;-)

Hmm - I think you'll find Downlow and Damon from Goodfellas are well on the NZOA / NZFC radar already... Downlow have got a couple of chunks totalling almost a million from NZOA in the last few months, are developing a feature, and are the guys behind '7 Days'.

Damon has made quite a bit for TV, made NZFC shorts, has a feature in development with NZFC and I believe is currently directing the Jonno Project funded by NZOA.

As ever - the good stuff floats to the top - and I think both these 48hr teams have been well on the radar for many years.

A few things I might add surrounding Taika, 48hrs, shorts, learning the ropes and 'talent'.

Firstly - yes, Taika is a grand-ninja-master of 48hrs, but none of his 48hr gems would've led him to the top grossing NZ film BOY.

A punt was taken to let him make one of those expensive NZFC shorts by one of the EP groups. It was a punt, a calculated risk - as he'd not made a film before. The result, TWO CARS ONE NIGHT got an Academy Award Nomination, and that then got him noticed stateside and into the Sundance lab where he worked on EAGLE VS. SHARK. And it was this short that he later adapted into BOY.

I think when PJ and NZFC are talking 'talent' they are talking about backing dudes like Taika to the hilt. And why not - who's gonna begrudge the guy. In European terms he has only made 2 feature films and is still very much 'emerging' and 'learning the ropes'. What filmmakers need to realise though (and i'm sure that when they use the word 'talent' they include themselves) is that they will also have get an Oscar nom or a Cannes Palm to also be considered 'talent' and get the same level of support.

Filmmaking is a global business - not macrame.
Wheedling about whether you're shooting digital or not, or whether 48hrs or shorts are important is missing the point surely.

Was it 'the entertainer' or the judge who made a gagging order?