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	<title>Observer &#187; The Story of Moneyball Helps Prove That Hollywood Has Gone Over the Edge</title>
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		<title>Observer &#187; The Story of Moneyball Helps Prove That Hollywood Has Gone Over the Edge</title>
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		<title>The Story of Moneyball Helps Prove That Hollywood Has Gone Over the Edge</title>

		<comments>http://observer.com/2009/07/the-story-of-imoneyballi-helps-prove-that-hollywood-has-gone-over-the-edge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:17:37 -0400</pubDate>
					<link>http://observer.com/2009/07/the-story-of-imoneyballi-helps-prove-that-hollywood-has-gone-over-the-edge/</link>
			<dc:creator>Christopher Rosen</dc:creator>
				
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		<description><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft" src="http://nyoobserver.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/bradpitt1.jpg?w=300&h=216" /><!--StartFragment--></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes watching how Hollywood studios operate is more entertaining than the movies they produce. Case in point: <em>Moneyball</em>. For those of you haven&rsquo;t been following the chaos surrounding the now-dead adaptation of Michael Lewis&rsquo;s nonfiction baseball best seller: Steven Soderbergh and Brad Pitt were all set to make this film for Sony Pictures&mdash;with a budget of around $57 million&mdash;when, just days before shooting started, company co-chair Amy Pascal pulled the plug because of issues with Mr. Soderbegh&rsquo;s revised script. <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/06/sonys-amy-pascal-speaks-out-about-moneyball.html">Ms. Pascal says that the revisions made the film too much like a &ldquo;dramatic reenactment&rdquo; and not like the baseball comedy with Brad Pitt that they agreed to</a>, a statement we&rsquo;re pretty sure is code for, &ldquo;We wanted to make something more crappy!&rdquo; We&rsquo;re tempted to get out the pitchforks and torches for Ms. Pascal, but, considering Warner Brothers, Paramount and Fox all <em>passed</em> on <em>Moneyball</em> as well&mdash;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/business/media/02moneyball.html?_r=2&amp;ref=media">Sony was kind enough to let Messrs. Pitt and Soderbergh shop the script around to see if another studio wanted in</a>&mdash;it appears that she is far from alone in her poor decision making. If Hollywood doesn&rsquo;t think it can make money on a moderately budgeted film with international superstar Brad Pitt and directed by an Oscar winner, what <em>can</em> they make money on? Take a look at some of the ridiculous projects being tossed around this week!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em>Mother&rsquo;s Curse: </em></strong>Because you didn&rsquo;t ask for it, <a href="http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-motion-captured/posts/2009-6-30-could-seth-rogen-be-taking-a-road-trip-with-barbra-streisand">here comes Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand playing a son and mother on a road trip</a>. True story! While, admittedly, this proposed film isn&rsquo;t actually that close to happening&mdash;to quote Mr. Rogen, it&rsquo;s &ldquo;one of the many projects I may or may not do in the next fifteen years&rdquo;&mdash;just the simple idea that it <em>could</em> happen strikes us as both hilarious and scary.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em>Asteroids: </em></strong>We were about to sit here and scoff at the idea of <a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/07/01/universal-to-make-asteroids-movie/">Universal going forward with a big-screen adaptation of the &rsquo;80s arcade game</a> that is sure to be light on story and heavy on special effects. Then we remembered that <em>Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen</em> not only exists, but it has already grossed a katrillion billion dollars.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em>Cloudburst: </em></strong>What is it with Hollywood and road trip comedies? In <em><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/filmNews/idUSTRE56016720090701">Cloudburst</a></em> (terrible title, p.s.), Oscar winners Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker star as a couple who break out of their nursing home and travel to Canada to get married. Think <em>Thelma and Louise</em> but with old ladies making out. This gets past &ldquo;Go,&rdquo; but <em>Moneyball</em> doesn&rsquo;t? Nice industry.</p>
<p><!--EndFragment--></p>
]]></description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft" src="http://nyoobserver.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/bradpitt1.jpg?w=300&h=216" /><!--StartFragment--></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes watching how Hollywood studios operate is more entertaining than the movies they produce. Case in point: <em>Moneyball</em>. For those of you haven&rsquo;t been following the chaos surrounding the now-dead adaptation of Michael Lewis&rsquo;s nonfiction baseball best seller: Steven Soderbergh and Brad Pitt were all set to make this film for Sony Pictures&mdash;with a budget of around $57 million&mdash;when, just days before shooting started, company co-chair Amy Pascal pulled the plug because of issues with Mr. Soderbegh&rsquo;s revised script. <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/06/sonys-amy-pascal-speaks-out-about-moneyball.html">Ms. Pascal says that the revisions made the film too much like a &ldquo;dramatic reenactment&rdquo; and not like the baseball comedy with Brad Pitt that they agreed to</a>, a statement we&rsquo;re pretty sure is code for, &ldquo;We wanted to make something more crappy!&rdquo; We&rsquo;re tempted to get out the pitchforks and torches for Ms. Pascal, but, considering Warner Brothers, Paramount and Fox all <em>passed</em> on <em>Moneyball</em> as well&mdash;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/business/media/02moneyball.html?_r=2&amp;ref=media">Sony was kind enough to let Messrs. Pitt and Soderbergh shop the script around to see if another studio wanted in</a>&mdash;it appears that she is far from alone in her poor decision making. If Hollywood doesn&rsquo;t think it can make money on a moderately budgeted film with international superstar Brad Pitt and directed by an Oscar winner, what <em>can</em> they make money on? Take a look at some of the ridiculous projects being tossed around this week!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em>Mother&rsquo;s Curse: </em></strong>Because you didn&rsquo;t ask for it, <a href="http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-motion-captured/posts/2009-6-30-could-seth-rogen-be-taking-a-road-trip-with-barbra-streisand">here comes Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand playing a son and mother on a road trip</a>. True story! While, admittedly, this proposed film isn&rsquo;t actually that close to happening&mdash;to quote Mr. Rogen, it&rsquo;s &ldquo;one of the many projects I may or may not do in the next fifteen years&rdquo;&mdash;just the simple idea that it <em>could</em> happen strikes us as both hilarious and scary.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em>Asteroids: </em></strong>We were about to sit here and scoff at the idea of <a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/07/01/universal-to-make-asteroids-movie/">Universal going forward with a big-screen adaptation of the &rsquo;80s arcade game</a> that is sure to be light on story and heavy on special effects. Then we remembered that <em>Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen</em> not only exists, but it has already grossed a katrillion billion dollars.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em>Cloudburst: </em></strong>What is it with Hollywood and road trip comedies? In <em><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/filmNews/idUSTRE56016720090701">Cloudburst</a></em> (terrible title, p.s.), Oscar winners Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker star as a couple who break out of their nursing home and travel to Canada to get married. Think <em>Thelma and Louise</em> but with old ladies making out. This gets past &ldquo;Go,&rdquo; but <em>Moneyball</em> doesn&rsquo;t? Nice industry.</p>
<p><!--EndFragment--></p>
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