Posted on 02/02/2014 11:17:40 AM PST by nickcarraway
The creators of the classic '80s comedy "Weekend at Bernie's" claim that just like their boss Bernie in the movie, they have been "stiffed" by the studios.
Writer Robert Klane and director Ted Kotcheff were behind the 1989 cult-classic, which depicts the antics of two employees parading their dead boss, Bernie Lomax, around his beach house as though he were still alive. In gleaming white sports jackets and colorful suits, actor Andrew McCarthy stars as Larry while his co-conspirator Richard, is played by actor Jonathan Silverman.
More than 25 years after the release of the film (with the slogan, "He's the life of the party...well, almost"), Klane and Kotcheff filed on Friday a lawsuit against MGM Holdings Inc. and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., claiming the party was far from over. The two claim they were "exploited" after "delivering one of the most hilarious and endearing goofball comedies of the 80's."
Scott Burroughs, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said, he and his clients will learn just how much money the film earned and how much his clients should receive during the discovery phase of the lawsuit. The plaintiffs estimate in the lawsuit that domestic theatrical gross receipts for the film and the residuals "are in excess" of $30 million and $16 million, respectively.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Hollywood studios have multiple books they use to cheat everyone. Below is an explanation. This is why actors ask for money upfront as they know they will be cheated otherwise.
Hollywood accounting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_accounting
Example is The Lord of the Rings films which made $6 billion but the studio New Line’s says the trilogy made “horrendous losses” and no profit at all!
The Star Wars films and the Harry Potter films all show losses yet the studio heads and the producers all live in nice homes and have lots of money.
“Weekend at Bernie’s” was a very funny movie.
The second time I watched it “Weekend at Bernie’s” was a very funny movie". The first time I was on the floor after. My wife was about ready to call 911 but couldn't keep her act together.
George Lucas only became what he is now by being dissed by the studio honchos for the first Star War's movie. Since he could not get them to develop it, he used his own earnings from "American Graffiti" and got Fox to do the production and distribution. He did Fox the 'favor' of keeping his director fee at the standard 150k in return for sequel rights, merchandizing and spin-offs.
All this and he is, by his own words, anti-capitalist because people are greedy. From a 2012 interview with Charlie Rose / CBS - "You got people -- you know, basically, it's all -- we got a country based on greed. And as long as you got that, then it's corrupt. And as long as it's corrupt, you're never gonna get a real meeting of the minds on what is best for --"
SIGH!
He said this after getting $4 billion from Disney? : )
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