Stage vs Screen: Time to Swap Bodies?

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

Hollywood is experiencing a “Freaky Friday” that’s lasting all summer — and perhaps beyond.

In the 1976 movie “Freaky Friday,” a mother and daughter magically swap bodies. After a series of icky moments milked for laughs, they predictably come to understand and respect each other.

Now, unpredictably, the entire movie industry is experiencing a similar switcheroo.

Going Out with a Really Big Bang: Celebrities Planning Even Grander Finales

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

The following is a satirical work of fiction. Those easily offended should surf to safer territory now…

"You ain't seen nothin' yet..."

In the wake of Michael Jackson’s massive, media-saturated funeral, several Hollywood celebrities are reportedly looking into how they can make sure their own forthcoming funerals are as sensational.

Vintage Coppola? Product Placement Gone Wild

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

So here I was flipping through the Calendar section of the L.A. Times. (Only in Hollywood is the entertainment section of the major newspaper called the “Calendar.” No, we don’t do anything else in this town but entertain or be entertained.) My eye caught the full-page ad for new movie Tetro. The ad brims over with critical raves, with the first quote proclaiming “Francis Ford Coppola, 70, has returned to his roots…”

That must be referring to his grape vine roots.

Like Tears in Rain: How Sci-Fi Series Go All to Hell

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

"A TV series based on 'Blade Runner.' Really, is that too much to ask? But no, you give us 'Real Housewives of Orange County' instead... Time to die!"

When “Battlestar Galactica” concluded, its fans lamented that the series had to end, but were thrilled that it departed on a good note. Compare that to the fans of “Lost,” who are saying “WTF?!” after its later episodes. Then there are the still-hurting fans of “Firefly,” who saw Joss Whedon’s brilliant series nipped in the bud by a network that seemed intent on destroying it. (The subsequent “Firefly”-based movie, “Serenity,” helped alleviate the pain. A little.) Whedon’s next experience with “Dollhouse” drove him from TV for good. And, of course, there’s “Star Trek,” that short-lived 60s series that’s been born again in movie theaters thanks to the man behind “Lost”…

Move Aside, Kids: Will YouTube Become TheirTube?

Just like in the interactive zombie film The Outbreak, you keep running from the creatures, and just when you think you’ve found a new sanctuary, they sniff you out and keep coming and coming and coming…

The creatures I’m talking about here are Hollywood stars and studios, and the “you” is the independent movie producer or fan looking for a place to call their own…

Better Off Undead? The Mysterious Popularity of Zombie Movies

And so it began...

To prep for a video I’m producing, I watched Undead or Alive, the 2007 comedy-horror flick about zombies in the old west. It’s moderately entertaining, with Chris Kattan as a cowboy wannabe and Navi Rawat as the intellectual kung-fu fighting Native-American babe. The hitch in this giddyap? The zombies themselves. Although they have more dialogue than most zombies (better agents, perhaps?), they’re still just another iteration of the lumbering brain eaters who have populated every zombie flick since Night of the Living Dead. Not exactly scary. I’d be more terrified to find a stray pitbull approaching me on a city street. Or Ann Coulter.

And yet…

The World Has Lost A Voice: Don LaFontaine 1940-2008

You might not recognize his face, but you certainly know his voice…

Hollywood The Horrible Has Arrived: Why The UGC Era Is Over

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

So I’m thoroughly digging on Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog — the surreal webisodic series by Joss Whedon — and I’m thinking that Hollywood’s foray into online video might not be a bad thing…

This Way To The Egress: The Pros and Con Artists of Marketing

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.” — Abraham Lincoln

“There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.” — George W. Bush

“Beware of geeks bearing grifts.” — Cool Rules Pronto

Phineas Taylor Barnum was the consummate 19th Century showman and one deceptive bastard…

American Apparel Sports a Woody: Madness is the Method

American Apparel CEO Dov Charney acts like he’s missing his calling. The controversial and flamboyant entrepreneur could parlay his promotional genius and predilection for the prurient to become one hell of a porn producer. (The San Fernando Valley, the porn capital of the world, is just over the hill from American Apparel’s headquarters.) It would certainly suit his notorious lifestyle…

What’s It Worth? The Media Biz in Perspective

Just thought I’d dash off a quick note to put a few recent media-business items in perspective. The first one you’ve heard about extensively; you might find these others somewhat amusing…

Microsoft’s offer for Yahoo!: $44.6 billion
Oil company Exxon’s profit for just the 4th quarter of 2007: $11.7 billion
State of California’s budget deficit: $14.6 billion
Purchase price of HotOrNot, the online dating & rating service, as reported by TechCrunch: $20 million
HotOrNot’s annual revenue: $5 million
Budget for the movie “Cloverfield”: $25 million
“Cloverfield” box office gross for just its first four weeks: $76 million
Total investment received by video site Revver.com: $12.7 million
Debt currently owed by Revver.com: $1 million
Asking price to purchase all of Revver.com (and to assume its debt): $300,000-$500,000

And you thought the real estate market was irrational?

Now THIS is What It’s All About: The Making of the Atomic Tango Trailer

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
- Steve Jobs

There’s nothing I love more than creative projects with talented people. I don’t even need a major role. In my first play in L.A., all my character did was glare at people and laugh. I didn’t get paid, nor did I have much stage time, but I had a complete blast…