The new sony testing 'Teacher' on iTunes, Amazon . com

'Bad Teacher'"Bad Teacher" is putting traditional distribution technique to the exam. The new sony Pictures' homevideo division silently gave a headstart towards the the R-ranked comedy's electronic sell-through offering across iTunes, Amazon . com, Xbox 360, Ps Network and Vudu two days prior to the March. 18 DVD release. The aim would be to convert even a small fraction of the customers who might otherwise rent the film to buy rather. As galleries aim to offset steep declines in DVD revenues essential to their fiscal health, they're doing whatever easy to incentivize possession, specially the launch of recent cloud-based system Ultraviolet. The development push for "Teacher" marks the very first time a significant studio has changed the distribution plan in this way for any broadly launched theatrical, though The new sony has been doing some similar experiments on more compact films previously and it is giving a brand new documentary, "Beats, Rhymes and Existence: The Travels of the Tribe Known as Mission," exactly the same early release as "Teacher." In This summer, Summit Entertainment advanced both digital rental and get choices for "Source Code" about two days prior to the DVD street date. But giving digital purchases a 2-week hop on digital and disc rental fees and disc purchases does not represent a brand new window because the early bow does not violate the 90-day gap between theatrical release and homevideo, that is simply pressed farther from theatrical. Obviously, every purchase produced in the faster EST window could siphon transactions from platforms like cable VOD, which survive positioned on rental fees. John Calkins, professional veep global digital and commercial innovation at The new sony Pictures Home Theatre, is urged enough through the preliminary sales figures on "Teacher" to point a minumum of one more title can get the first push before year-finish. "The amounts on 'Bad Teacher' look really promising, and so i imagine we'll try another things," he stated, decreasing to divulge specific figures. U.S. consumer investing on film rental fees surpassed purchases within the first quarter of 2011 the very first time since 1998, based on Morgan Stanley research, and it is forecasted to command two-thirds of investing by 2015. Migration from buying game titles is anticipated to decrease per-household profits for galleries from $130 in 2005 to $90 each in 2015. "Teacher" was selected like a guinea pig because its aud was forecasted to possess enough electronically savvy customers to rely on for early sampling. The first EST bow is not prone to increase beyond two days, stated Calkins, or risk needing the type of additional anti-piracy security that premium VOD needs. He did not eliminate making early EST standard for The new sony game titles, but stated there is no current plans to do this. "Bad Teacher" also uses incremental marketing efforts in the digital-store level. Apple and Vudu marked the title like a "digital exclusive" and gave it prominent positioning on the particular stores. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Clancy Brown Joins Cast of Dennis Quaid-Zac Efron Film

Clancy Brown, immortalized as the Kurgan in in 1980s cult classic Highlander, has joined the cast of the untitled Ramin Bahrani project starring Dennis Quaid and Zac Efron. Killer Films is producing the pic, formerly titled Heartland, which centers on a farmer and sales seemdman (Quaid), who tries to deal with his racecar-driving son who refuses to follow in his footsteps. Brown will play a rival farmer. The pic is shooting in Illinois with a cast that counts Heather Graham and Kim Dickens, among other actors. Brown, repped by ICM and Pop Art Management, most recently appeared in Cowboys & Aliens and was the voice of the Parallax in Green Lantern. Related Topics Clancy Brown Dennis Quaid Zac Efron

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Why Podcasts Are Comedy's Second Coming: Adam Carolla, Marc Maron and Greg Proops Weigh In (Q&A)

This piece appears in the new issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Clickhereto see the cover.our editor recommendsMelissa McCarthy Working on Comedy with 'The Help' Director; How 'SNL' Made Her CryModern Film & Television ComediansThe Comedy Roundtable Podcasts have been compared to television in the 1940s, and for good reason: The medium is entering uncharted territory but has the potential to rival terrestrial radio. PHOTOS: Modern Film & Television Comedians During the past two years, while the radio industry has obsessed over formats and a flawed ratings system that often fails to accurately gauge audience numbers or demographics, podcasts of the comedic variety have flourished. Adam Carolla and Marc Maron lead the pack, following the pioneering path cleared by Kevin Smith, Ricky Gervais and Jimmy Pardo. The numbers tell the story: Carolla, who bid farewell to 15 markets when his syndicated CBS Radio morning show was canceled in 2009, has amassed an audience 10 times as big with his daily podcast. The Adam Carolla Show has logged more than 50 million downloads in a year; Maron's twice-weekly WTF is at 20 million and counting. Both are offered for free, while archived episodes (like Maron's intense 2010 interview with Robin Williams) cost $1.99 at iTunes (no money changes hands between the programs and Apple, but server space is the responsibility of show producers and can get pricey at about $10,000 a month). Cash starts flowing when listenership hits certain benchmarks and advertisers come calling, which, according to Carolla, they have -- big time. VIDEOS: The Comedy Roundtable "A lot of it is performance-based, and our audience performs," says Carolla, the former Man Show and Loveline host who spent about $125,000 of his own money in the podcast's nascent days and whose advertisers include ProFlowers.com and Nissan. "It's more accurate than radio, where there's so much BS about cumes, time spent listening, people filling out Arbitron diaries with golf pencils. ... With podcasts, you can tell how many shows have been listened to, down to the click. That's better for the sponsors and for us." The beauty of the podcast is its simplicity: Anyone can purchase a microphone and mixer, and the cost is nominal compared to a traditional radio program. "With an investment of $700 to $1,000, you can make a show," says Maron, whose podcast regularly charts in the iTunes Top 10 and charges $1,000 to $15,000 per sponsor. The comedian conducts interviews from the garage of his Los Angeles home, but he's rarely there these days as demand for his stand-up shows (which often double as podcast-recording opportunities) has jumped by 50 percent. "I'm now performing in rooms," cracks Maron. "When I started WTF, I was a marginal character who couldn't get booked -- a respected but acquired taste, not a seller of tickets. Now, I can sell pretty good." STORY: AOL Launching Late Night Block With Kevin Smith, Adam Carolla and Kevin Pollak "As a singular business, a podcast might not be profitable, but if you look at other revenue streams that can grow from it, it definitely is," says Judi Brown-Marmel, partner at Levity Entertainment Group, which manages such comedians as Jim Breuer and Hal Sparks. "Who it serves best are the people that don't fit a traditional broadcast model. Like, if George Carlin were 22 today, what would he be doing? Probably a podcast." Beyond the spoken word, the ripple effect can bring revenue from merchandising, book deals (Carolla's NY Times best-seller In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks was released in 2010, and Maron is working on his first book for Spiegel & Grau), iPhone apps (after Apple and Google take 10 percent, revenue is split 50-50 with the developer) and sales of comedy albums. Maron, in an ironic twist after being told in 2009 to ride out his contract at the now defunct Air America, has returned to terrestrial radio through NPR, which pays to air edited versions of WTF.Currently, 13 public radio affiliates carry the PRX version. Of course, not all podcasts are created equal. Greg Proops, who hosts cult favorite The Smartest Man in the World, says what he makes from his Proopscast "is not even gas money. I do it because a couple hundred thousand people will hear me, which is more than all my gigs combined." Maron says his initial goal was to "make an honest buck" and pay his mortgage. And now? "I'm making a living because I've been able to book more work, but it's still just me and a guy in my garage." In contrast, Carolla also works from his garage -- "He's got a bunker!" mocks Maron -- but he employs 18 people, from "$10-an-hour guys" to those "making six figures." "It's a business," he says. "Madison Avenue and corporate America are already involved. I don't know how to define success, but I can tell you that 18 months ago, companies like Nissan or LegalZoom didn't exist in our podcast world. Now they're in it in a big way, and other companies are coming on board." ReadThe Hollywood Reporter's Q&A with Maron, Carolla and Proops after the jump. Related Topics Adam Carolla Marc Maron Greg Proops 1 2 next last

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AMC Launches Walking Dead Webisodes

Walking Dead Ever desired to begin to see the evolution of the zombie? Prior to the second season from the Walking Dead premieres, you'll get the opportunity to discover. On Monday, AMC will launch a number of six webisodes that explore the rear story of Hannah (Lilli Birdsell), also known as "Bicycle Girl," whom Ron Grimes (Andrew Lincoln subsequently) wiped out from whim within the series' first episode. Walking Dead's New Boss: I am not Frank Darabont and that i should not play the role of Directed through the Walking Dead's Greg Nicotero, the webisodes will illustrate Hannah's existence prior to the zombie apocalypse, her tries to survive and her eventual evolution right into a zombie. The 2nd season from the Walking Dead premieres Sunday, March. 16 at 9/8c on AMC.

New Dragon Tattoo Trailer Lands

Lisbeth speaks!While it's possible that David Fincher's version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will forever be more closely associated with that pulsing, hypnotic teaser scored with Trent Reznor and Karen O's cover of Immigrant Song, Sony was always going to need to release a more comprehensive promo to get some of the plot across. And it's now online for your viewing pleasure - take a look below. <a href='http://video. uk. msn. com/?mkt=en-gb&vid=711ed3f0-7b20-9609-c37f-de9511616b9a&src=SLPl:embed::uuids' _fcksavedurl='http://video. uk. msn. com/?mkt=en-gb&vid=711ed3f0-7b20-9609-c37f-de9511616b9a&src=SLPl:embed::uuids' target='_new' title='The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Exclusive Trailer'>Video: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Exclusive Trailer</a>For the three people who still don't know what's going on here, Daniel Craig stars as investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist, a man reeling from legal action after his latest subject sued the pants off him. He's approached by Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), patriarch of a family with some very deep and very dark secrets. Vanger wants Blomkvist to investigate the decades-old murder of young Harriet Vanger, a case that is slowly driving him nuts. Vanger recommends that Blomkvist works with ace computer hacker/researcher Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a distinctly unconventional young woman with serious issues of her own. Together the pair digs into the mystery and starts to realise that it's even more complicated than they thought...It frankly seems unfair that we have to wait until December 26 to see this, but it's true! Call it a late Christmas present.

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R.I.P. Dolores Hope

Dolores Hope, the widow of Bob Hope, died of natural causes at her La home today. She was 102. Born in Harlem in NY on May 27, 1909, Dolores DeFina will be a singer at Manhattan’s Style Club when she met Bob Hope in 1933. The happy couple married the year after after which adopted four children. She frequently supported her husband on his USO shows. At 84 she sang “White Christmas” to Operation Desert Storm troops in the rear of the truck inside the Saudi desert. Although she put her singing career on hold after her marriage that you should she labored for numerous charitable groups. From 1969 to 1976 she offered as leader in the Eisenhower Clinic in Palm Desert, Calif. Funeral services will probably be private.

Charlie Sheen, WB near dismissal of legal fight

SheenOn exactly the same evening that "2 . 5 Males" switched the page around the Charlie Sheen era, word appeared the lengthy-running dispute between your actor and "Males" studio Warner Bros. is approaching an finish. At war since Feb over Sheen's behavior -- peaking with Sheen's March 7 termination in the show -- Warner Bros. and Sheen are becoming nearer to an offer that will dismiss the pending lawsuit between your sides and can include a payment called at about $25 million. The payout would largely cover distribution gold coin from "Males" that Sheen has already been owed. The studio stopped making all obligations towards the thesp after he was fired and also the legal fight started. While Warner Bros. stated no deal have been arrived at, sources near to the situation confirmed that discussions were advancing toward an armistice that will incorporate some mixture of money owed to Sheen which have been withheld throughout the conflict, along with a lump sum payment parting-of-the-ways payment. Sheen filed a $100 million suit against Warner Bros. and "Males" professional producer Chuck Lorre over his termination and lack of earnings on March 10, in the height from the craze all around the actor, who made a number of highly promoted, bigger-than-existence rants by which he trashed nearly everybody and everything getting related to "Males." That situation has since been at the disposal of an arbitrator, after Sheen lawyers unsuccessful to convince a court to maneuver the situation to some jury trial. As opposed to his belligerent stance in last spring's "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat isn't a choiceInch live tour and the bravado about getting "tiger bloodstream," Sheen now seems to become set on attempting to rehabilitate his acting career. A week ago came a mea culpa on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," then his brief, no-joke remarks like a presenter Sunday's Primetime Emmys, forwarded to the "Males" cast and crew, that appeared a minimum of partly calculated to exhibit he was prepared to color within the lines again -- and employable. From the foot of my heart, If only you only the very best for that coming season," Sheen stated onstage in the Nokia Theater. "We spent eight wonderful years together, and that i know you will keep to create great television." Even that moment were built with a behind-the-moments debate, with Lorre's camping and Warner Bros. brass stated to become incensed that Sheen was handed the chance to airbrush his status in an event on the face dedicated to honoring excellence in television. Obviously, just like Sheen's camping is moving to place the chaos of history seven several weeks behind him, his meltdown is in the spotlight as attention turns to Ashton Kutcher's debut on "Males" as well as with Monday's "Roast of Charlie Sheen" on Comedy Central. Sheen vowed to resurrect his career separate from "Males," but to date, the outcomes happen to be mixed. He's toplining a Lionsgate-created TV adaptation from the 2003 feature comedy "Anger Management," a project that's just getting off the floor and it has not really been looked to purchasers. Around the feature side, Sheen continues to be cast opposite Jason Schwartzman within the approaching Roman Coppola film, "A Glimpse Within the Mind of Charlie Swan III" (Variety, Sept. 8) which involves a once-effective artist whose existence spirals out. Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com