Creators vs. Corporations: Writer Gary Friedrich, who created a new version of
Ghost Rider in the early 70s, lost a lawsuit against Marvel in which he claimed rights to “non-comic derivative versions” of his work. The judge in the case ruled that Friedrich signed away those rights in 1978, which means that
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (pictured above), starring
Nicolas Cage, is free to ride into theaters in February. (
The Hollywood Reporter)
Who’s to Blame?: Filmmaker Andrew Rossi contends that a
negative review by Michael Kinsley, published in The New York Times, “probably cut ... box office in half, at least” for Rossi’s documentary
Page One: Inside The New York Times. Kinsley, who is not a film critic and does not work for the newspaper, was asked to write a guest review as an outsider observer; the film grossed $1.06 million for the year. (
JimRomenesko.com)
Mystery of the Long-Lived Chimpanzee: As our own
Mike Bracken recently reported, Tarzan’s sidekick Cheetah, aged 80, passed away last weekend. But
was that really Cheetah? Amidst skepticism that a chimpanzee could live that long, the Florida animal sanctuary that announced the animal’s death is standing by its claim that Johnny Weismuller’s co-star from the 1930s is indeed the one that died. (
New York Times)