Motion Picture Association of America wants to hack your PC, push "broadcast flag" laws

[JD's New Media Musings]

Borowitz Report. Poll: Most Americans Believe They Have Already Seen New Harrison Ford Film

High-definition digital cameras, feared by some directors, could end the careers of those unable to make the transition.

Spotting the change, a growing number of filmmakers have been testing the digital waters. From students and independent filmmakers capturing their low-budget works on digital video to established directors such as Michael Mann testing high-definition cameras in "Ali," they are curious about the new tools and fearful of being left behind.

But after nearly a century of using film, much of Hollywood's old guard is reluctant to shift gears, a reticence that speaks to a powerful culture of fear among some of the industry's most elite directors.

By P. J. Huffstutter and Jon Healey. [Los Angeles Times: Calendar Live]

The witty coming-of-age film is marred by an uneven, digitally shot look, a disservice to its first-rate cast. The uneven look of TADPOLE is a detriment to its enjoyment, even to those willing to overlook technical deficiencies for the sake of fine material and performances. Sequences distractingly alternate between those in which the color is natural and clear and those that are glary and orange/sepia-toned with instances of obvious halation around the actors. Exterior daylight scenes are especially poor, not to mention unflattering. "Tadpole" and its cast warranted better. By KEVIN THOMAS [Los Angeles Times]

Vivendi Chief Said to Weigh Overhaul of Canal Plus. As a step toward sorting out the problems facing Vivendi Universal, Jean-René Fourtou is considering an overhaul of its money-losing French pay TV unit. By Suzanne Kapner. [New York Times: International]