WB "Wanted Berney to Quit"

• email this story
• read comments (5)
• post a comment
• 
  
  

Before zotzing Picturehouse and Warner Independent, Warner Bros. management "did look at various permutations of keeping the companies in discussion," the Hollywood Reporter's Gregg Goldstein and Borys Kit wrote last night, including having Picturehouse chief Bob Berney and WI honcho Polly Cohen co-manage a merged specialty division, "something the execs agreed to do shortly after the New Line absorption was announced, Cohen said."

"The decision to cease operations was made only about a week ago, and many inside the company were caught off-guard -- including Cohen, who said she was having meetings about a merged division with Berney as recently as Friday. She said she was informed about the decision Wednesday, and she dismissed word that the decision was made earlier than then. 'I doubt they'd pull a whole Truman Show on me,' she said with a laugh. 'I've been at Warners so long they say derogatory things about me in front of my face.'

"'It was similar to what happened at New Line. Warners made both of them (Cohen and Berney) jump through hoops for weeks,' says a Berney associate.

"'They said, 'Will you streamline your staff? -- OK.' 'Will you use the Warner Bros. distribution network? -- OK.' With every obstacle they threw at them, they came back with a PowerPoint presentation on how to deal with it. It's almost like they wanted Bob to quit.'

"'Bob wasn't getting a lot of calls from other studios since the New Line announcement was made, but he was getting a lot from people with venture capital,' the colleague added. 'Now the call volume is getting really crazy.'

comment #1

Mgmax says ...

So Time Warner was a parking company that took over a shoe company that took over a movie studio that merged with a magazine company and bought some cable channels and companies and merged with an online service provider, but the one thing this Frankenglomerate can't do is run two kinds of movie studios at the same time?

comment #2

TerryKeefe says ...

Berney is one of the smartest execs in the independent film world. They couldn't make this work with him somehow?

comment #3

Arizona Joe says ...

Whether it be movies or music, the entertainment industries suffer from lack of structural integrity in the modern world. There is not enough infrastructure to nurture talent. "Just in time marketing" is the paradigm. Nobody wants the cost and time of a studio or a record label nurturing talent. The MBA suits prefer independent product coming out of nowhere with little capital expense. You'd think the suits and independent people would need each other, and could live under one roof. But apparently they need some space.

With technology that permits everybody and his brother to make product, it's easy to come up with cheap films and recordings. And it's easier now to plug the product into a marketing pipeline and distribute it. But that eliminates artists learning skills and honing their craft, and assimilating fundamentals and aesthetics and showmanship.

Everything is independent, gonzo, and people on the hustle. Little is quality and aesthetic and lasting. Market fragmentation is the order of the day. And this is true in films and politics and books, and most everything without a dubious bellwether like Oprah Winfrey.

It is a sad thing that these newspaper critics lose their jobs. But the real injury is that society now has a lower quotient of collective contemplation and reflection on what constitutes quality.

During the industrial revolution, William Morris said, " It's the shoddy age. Shoddy is king." Well, now we have a new industrial revolution to a third age born of digital electronics and the internet. Shoddy is king again, except it is more invidious and pernicious because everything is very clean, immediate, and either feel-good pleasant or a disposable roller coaster ride of cinema. "Cool beans," said Trixie.

Where are Sam Goldwyn and Ahmet Ertegun? In the cemetery.

Venture Capital may work for Bob Berney. But it ain't going to work for the rest of us.

comment #4

mjn says ...

Hey gruver1: I know this is off topic but did you see Buzz Bissinger go nuts on Costas the other night on HBO. Apparently, he's not a big fan of blogs or message boards. It was a discussion about the relationship between Media and Sports. I know this is not about movies or politics but I think you'll find his rant "interesting".

comment #5

CinemaPhreek says ...

mjn - that was over a week ago.

Post a Comment