Welfare for Hollywood

By Michelle Malkin  •  January 21, 2009 04:08 PM

Sean Paige exposes the film industry subsidy game in Colorado and across the country.

Well, hell, Chrysler’s doing it. Why not Tinseltown, too?

Posted in: Hollyweird

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  1. Fiscal Suicide: Bi-Partisanship Rocks My Socks « JoHNBRoDiGaNDoTCoM
  2. Hollywood to be the Newest Bloodsucker Looking for American Tax Dollars « American Glob
  3. But As For Me » Welfare for Hollywood

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Comments


  1. #598672
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:17 pm, thirteen28 said:

    No wonder they’re pledging for dear leader.

  2. #598674
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:19 pm, Jeff2161 said:

    Nothing new here…Free money…Overstated benefits.

  3. #598677
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:21 pm, jrlingreenbay said:

    How does multi-millionare studio owners, producers, directors & actors asking for a government handout differ at all from multi-millionare finance / auto industry executives doing the same thing?

    I’m not in favor of any of these sniveling idiots getting tax dollars, but at least you can argue the harm to the economy if banks or automakers go under…. kinda.

    No one’s gonna cry if we don’t get to see “Indiana Jones IV – Hunt for the Hip Replacement”…..

  4. #598679
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:22 pm, Jeff2161 said:

    The only Michigan filmed movie you might recognize was Robo-cop, filmed in Detroit. Got that depressed, trashed-out look for free, they did.

  5. #598681
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:24 pm, Jeff2161 said:

    States get into bidding wars with large employers, etc… Who cares about the Small businesses cracking under the strain? Not J. Granholm. Course, she’s a canadian citizen so, she can go home.

  6. #598682
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:24 pm, frostrt said:

    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:21 pm, jrlingreenbay said:
    How does multi-millionare studio owners, producers, directors & actors asking for a government handout differ at all from multi-millionare finance / auto industry executives doing the same thing?

    No one’s gonna cry if we don’t get to see “Indiana Jones IV – Hunt for the Hip Replacement”…..

    ————————————-

    :)

  7. #598695
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:34 pm, RedDog said:

    I’m done with Crappywood. I’ll rent Indian films from now on.

  8. #598698
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:37 pm, BlameAmericaLast said:

    Well, maybe if the actors and actresses took pay cuts from their obnoxious earnings of $10 – $20 million PER film, Hollywood could actually afford to make good movies for a change.

    Better yet, get rid of all these overpaid posers and get some real actors and writers for a change. Rarely do I see any new stories with any imagination anymore…only garbage coming out of Hollywood that tends to be nothing but more remakes, sequels, prequels, and mindless “action” movies.

  9. #598700
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:37 pm, Flyoverman said:

    This isn’t the “Responsibility” I knew.

  10. #598708
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:40 pm, Flyoverman said:

    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:37 pm, BlameAmericaLast said:

    Better yet, get rid of all these overpaid posers hosers and get some real actors and writers for a change.

    Translation for our Canadian friends.

  11. #598710
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:41 pm, Elm Creek Smith said:

    I’ve got Victory at Sea on DVD. Who needs Hollywood?

    (I’m reminded of “movie” 1941 when the crewmen of the Japanese submarine see the nude blond clinging to the periscope when they surface. They point and shout, “HORRYWOOD! HORRYWOOD!” Don’t ask me why, but whenever I see or hear something designed to appeal to our baser instincts, I point and shout, “HORRYWOOD!”)

    ECS

  12. #598711
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:41 pm, babbledabble said:

    What about the millions they make every weekend for their pieces of crap movies? Maybe it’s time for someone in Hollywood to take a pay cut! After all they shouls have to “sacrifice” too. N’est pas?

  13. #598714
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:42 pm, FilmLadd said:

    It’s enormously stupid to give tax breaks for individual movies. It’s like giving a tax break for building one car. The car is designed out of state, funded out of state, and all of the money earned by the car happens out of state.

    If a state really wants to compete and reap the benefits of a local film industry, it should:

    1) Make it easier for independent filmmakers to raise money in state (individual state regulations can be a mess and make it costly for independent filmmakers to raise money. Private Placement Memorandums are expensive to have attorneys draw up);

    2) Give tax breaks on profits from investing in a local film;

    3) Give tax breaks to investors willing to build studios that will finance their own films, not just rent equipment to LA/NY productions.

    Shelling out money or doing “give backs” on state sales tax is a loser’s game.

    The big money in a film goes to above-the-line talent (producers, directors, actors) and the little money goes to below-the-line (grips, gaffers, location scouts, etc.). States should try to attract the above-the-line money.

  14. #598715
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:42 pm, Elm Creek Smith said:

    Hmmm. On reflection, I’ll have to make exceptions for Tom Selleck westerns.

    ECS

  15. #598717
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:44 pm, Flyoverman said:

    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:41 pm, Elm Creek Smith said:

    I’ve got Victory at Sea on DVD. Who needs Hollywood?

    The Pacific Boils Over
    Rings around Rabaul

    SWEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!

  16. #598722
    On January 21st, 2009 at 4:48 pm, FamilyMan said:

    This is old news. The film industry has been getting perks in some form for as long as I can remember. There’s hundreds of ways of rewarding companies doing business in a desired city or state. Just the act of shutting down a part of town for a “shoot”, is a form of a reward. The small financial gains for a government entity are small. It must have something to do with prestige.

  17. #598771
    On January 21st, 2009 at 5:47 pm, Bachbone said:

    MI is subsidizing movie makers, too. And idiotic citizens here think getting to stare at Drew Barrymore for a couple of days is worth paying higher taxes. Of course, citizens didn’t get to vote on whether they wanted to provide this subsidy. It was shoved down their throats by a leftist governor who said it would bring “millions” to the state, a promise which has never been tested or proven.

  18. #598772
    On January 21st, 2009 at 5:49 pm, oldbuckaroo said:

    Ditzes who “dress up” and “play” for a living, with no particularly redeeming intellectual qualities and espousing absolutely nothing original, but rather parroting dialog created by a team of writers, should either make-it or break-it on their own merits, whether it be “looks” (98% of the time), or “talent” (2% of the time).

    Bail out??

    “You talkin’ to ME?”

    HA HA HA (insert “laugh track” here)

  19. #598801
    On January 21st, 2009 at 6:21 pm, John Deaux said:

    On January 21st, 2009 at 5:49 pm, oldbuckaroo said:
    Ditzes who “dress up” and “play” for a living…

    Ha! That’s the phrase I use regarding celebrity endorsements. Why should I listen to someone who plays dress up for a living?

  20. #598824
    On January 21st, 2009 at 6:44 pm, oldbuckaroo said:

    Precisely John Deaux. Well said!

  21. #598905
    On January 21st, 2009 at 7:53 pm, WarTip said:

    Why should I watch the movie when I can read the book? The price of the tickets is too high (As it is in professional sports anymore either) and out of the range of “reasonable” for common people, the soda pop is watered down with all the ice before you can even start to drink it and you cannot even get coconut oil on the popcorn anymore.

    I can stay home, read the book, enjoy a beer at the same time and not have to deal with these people or support their deviant “horrywood” lifestyles.

    Just my opinion though.

  22. #598914
    On January 21st, 2009 at 8:01 pm, Tennessee Dave said:

    On January 21st, 2009 at 6:21 pm, John Deaux said:
    On January 21st, 2009 at 5:49 pm, oldbuckaroo said:

    Ditzes who “dress up” and “play” for a living…

    Ha! That’s the phrase I use regarding celebrity endorsements. Why should I listen to someone who plays dress up for a living?

    There are a few actors who actually have a college education and can spout political theory quite nicely. Right now I can’t really think of any.
    The majority, however, may have a high school diploma or even be drop-outs. They have no clue how governments or different political systems work. All they do is make themselves look stupid when they talk without a script.

  23. #598969
    On January 21st, 2009 at 9:01 pm, CantCureStupid said:

    They have no clue how governments or different political systems work. All they do is make themselves look stupid when they talk without a script.

    This goes for a fair few politicians as well.

  24. #599104
    On January 22nd, 2009 at 12:08 am, ErinF said:

    If anybody deserves to fizzle and die out, it’s hollyweird. The reason they can’t make back the money they spend is their work sucks! They can’t make a movie anymore without stuffing it with so much CGI it ruthlessly permeates all your senses.

    They suck, suck suck!

    The Soup Nazi says:
    “No bailouts for you!”

  25. #599134
    On January 22nd, 2009 at 2:13 am, Jet Jaguar said:

    snore. zzzzz…

  26. #599144
    On January 22nd, 2009 at 4:29 am, graysonret said:

    My wife and I haven’t been to a theatre in years. There isn’t anything out there worthwhile to see anymore. Many are nothing more than a rehash of an older film, which was much better, or some sort of political propaganda film to “sway the masses”. Besides, there are few actors anymore, that we like. Too many think that reading a script qualifies them as political experts, or rehab residents. I don’t need to spend money to watch politics on the screen. I see too much on it on TV now anyway.

  27. #600216
    On January 22nd, 2009 at 10:19 pm, Charly Martel said:

    When every other movie made is an anti-American propaganda piece that loses BIG at the box office, they need subsidies to recoup those losses. Too damm bad. The movies they made that people wanted to see did ok, but if they can’t learn from their mistakes they will keep failing, and I can’t wait to see them bankrupt.

    It’s not like the auto industries failing. If the auto makers go away, who will build our tanks, humvees, and other battlefield equipment? Toyota? BMW?

    Foreign films are so beloved by the liberals, they won’t even miss Hollywierd.

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