The Screen Actors Guild officially stands opposed to the California ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage.
After weeks of being criticized for not contributing enough to defeat Proposition 8, members of the film-TV industries have recently stepped up their contributions – financial and otherwise – to fight Proposition 8, and on Tuesday a union committee voted to oppose the measure.
“No actor should have to disclose his or her sexual preference in order to get health and retirement benefits,” said SAG Chairwoman Anne-Marie Johnson. “Being legally married means everyone is treated the same. It’s important that we take a stand to protect all actors from discriminatory hiring practices and provide same-sex couples access to benefits.”
SAG said the organization does not endorse political candidates, but the actors union often takes positions on ballot initiatives. The union’s Colorado branch previously announced it is opposing Amendment 47, a right-to-work measure on the state’s November ballot which would bar unions from requiring nonunion workers to pay dues.
In the last two weeks, several SAG members have personally donated money to defeat Proposition 8, according to state fundraising records, including: “Two and a Half Men” actor Jon Cryer ($10,000); “Bones” actress Emily Deschanel ($2,000); “The New Adventures of Old Christine” actress Wanda Sykes ($3,500) and “In Plain Sight” actress Mary McCormack ($3,000).
“Se7en” Turns 30, Gets A Special Restoration From David Fincher For Its Re-Release
For David Fincher, seeing “Se7en” in 4K was an experience he can only describe as harrowing. That or a high school reunion.
“There are definitely moments that you go, ‘What was I thinking?’ Or ‘Why did I let this person have that hairdo’?” Fincher said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
He’s OK with the film being a product of its time in most respects. But some things just could not stand in high-definition resolution.
“It was a little decrepit, to be honest,” said Fincher. “We needed to resuscitate it. There are things you can see in 4K HDR that you cannot see on a film print.”
Ever the perfectionist, he and a team got to work on a new restoration of the film for its 30th anniversary re-release. This weekend the restored “Se7en” will play on IMAX screens for the first time in the U.S. and Canada, and on Jan. 7, the 4K UHD home video version will be available as well.
The dark crime thriller written by Andrew Kevin Walker and starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as a pair of detectives looking for a serial killer was somewhat of a career-reviver for Fincher, whose directorial debut “Alien 3” had not gone well. “Se7en” was not a sure thing: It was made for only $34 million (and only got that when Fincher managed to persuade studio execs to give up $3 million more). But it went on to earn more than $327 million, not accounting for inflation, and continues to influence the genre.
Fincher has over the years overseen several restorations of the film (including one for laser disc) but decided this needed to be the last. It’s why he insisted on an 8K scan that they could derive the 4K from. He wanted to ensure that it wouldn’t have to be repeated when screens get more... Read More