Dirty dishes, neglected yard work, unpaid bills. A man and a woman sitting on the couch, mesmerized by whatever they’re watching on TV as an unseen baby cries in the background.
A voiceover explains, “Each year, millions of HBO subscribers allow their favorite shows to prevent them from leading responsible and healthy lives.”
The camera then takes us on a succession of case studies to prove that assertion. The first is Mr. and Mrs. Johnson who refuse to answer their phone while watching HBO. We hear the caller on the answering machine. “Mom, dad–come on pick up. I know you’re there. Pick up.”
We then see who the caller is–a teenager–and where he’s calling from, a police station/jailhouse pay phone. A voiceover says of the police, “I’m sure they’ll let Tommy make another phone call tomorrow.”
Next we’re taken to another HBO household, where Jennifer and her friends are watching TV. Jennifer likes it quiet while her favorite show is on. A male guest makes the mistake of coughing during the show, prompting Jennifer to explode. “Get the hell out of my house, Bill.” A voiceover notes, “These days most of her friends seem to prefer watching from home.”
Then there’s wheelchair-bound Mrs. Bernstein who’s caught in an escalator track trying to get to the upstairs of her house. She calls out for help. Unfortunately her son in the next room is oblivious, his eyes transfixed on an HBO show.
Next, we see Michael driving a car, with the passenger being his wife Alice. They’re returning home from a relaxing dinner. Maybe not so relaxing as Michael is driving recklessly through traffic, nearly causing an accident. Alice understandably appears nervous. Just when you think she’s going to admonish her husband, she instead blurts out, “Hurry up, we’re going to miss it.” Clearly the “it” is an HBO program.
And finally, we see a slice of Americana–a father pushing a bicycle on which his young daughter is seated. “Don’t let me go,” urges the helmet-wearing girl. However, they pass a house in which an HBO show is being watched. The dad stops in his tracks to peer through the window as his terrified daughter is left solo on the bike, pedaling down the sidewalk.
A concluding voiceover relates, “At the end of a long day, who doesn’t like to kick back with some HBO and take the edge off a little. It’s only when it begins to affect the rest of your life that it becomes a problem.”
A supered end tag reads, “HBO. Please watch responsibly.”
Michael Downing of harvest, Santa Monica, directed this one-minute-and-39-second promo for HBO’s in-house agency. The HBO creative ensemble consisted of creative director Karen Sands, VP of brand image Marc Rosenberg, senior line producer Louis Tancredi, and writer/producer Daniel Zibulsky.
Bonnie Goldfarb and Scott Howard executive produced for harvest, with Francie Moore serving as producer. The DP was John Schwartzman. Editor was Jim Hutchins of HutchCo, Los Angeles.
Alec Baldwin Urges Judge To Stand By Dismissal Of Involuntary Manslaughter Case In “Rust” Shooting
Alec Baldwin urged a New Mexico judge on Friday to stand by her decision to skuttle his trial and dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.
State District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer dismissed the case against Baldwin halfway through a trial in July based on the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors from the defense in the 2021 shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust."
The charge against Baldwin was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can't be revived once any appeals of the decision are exhausted.
Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey recently asked the judge to reconsider, arguing that there were insufficient facts and that Baldwin's due process rights had not been violated.
Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on "Rust," was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer — but not the trigger — and the revolver fired.
The case-ending evidence was ammunition that was brought into the sheriff's office in March by a man who said it could be related to Hutchins' killing. Prosecutors said they deemed the ammunition unrelated and unimportant, while Baldwin's lawyers alleged that they "buried" it and filed a successful motion to dismiss the case.
In her decision to dismiss the Baldwin case, Marlowe Sommer described "egregious discovery violations constituting misconduct" by law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as false testimony about physical evidence by a witness during the trial.
Defense counsel says that prosecutors tried to establish a link... Read More