Judge leaves Fox a big present under the Christmas tree

[Great Rumbler]

It's Watchmen. 

LOS ANGELES — In a surprise ruling, a federal judge in Los Angeles said he intended to grant 20th Century Fox’s claim that it owns a copyright interest in the “Watchmen,” a movie shot by Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures and set for release in March.

The decision was disclosed in a five-page written order issued on Wednesday. Gary A. Feess, a judge in the United States District Court for Central California, said he would provide a more detailed order soon.

Fox has been seeking to prevent Warner from releasing the film. The superhero adventure, based on the “Watchmen” graphic novel, is being directed by Zack Snyder (who also directed “300”) and has shaped up as one of most eagerly anticipated releases for next year.

A Warner spokesman, Scott Rowe, declined to comment on the ruling and the studio’s plans.

At an earlier hearing, the judge said he believed that issues in the case could be settled only at a trial, which was scheduled for late January. On Wednesday, however, Judge Feess said he had reconsidered and concluded that Fox should prevail on crucial issues.

“Fox owns a copyright interest consisting of, at the very least, the right to distribute the ‘Watchmen’ motion picture,” the ruling said.

Fox acquired rights to the “Watchmen” graphic novel in the late 1980s for the producer Lawrence Gordon, but eventually dropped its own plan to make a movie from its story, about the underside of life for superbeings.

Mr. Gordon later pursued the project with Universal Pictures, and then with Paramount Pictures, before shooting it with Warner and Legendary under an arrangement that allows Paramount to distribute the film abroad.

In ruling on Wednesday, Judge Feess advised both Fox and Warner to look toward a settlement or an appeal.

“The parties may wish to turn their efforts from preparing for trial to negotiating a resolution of this dispute or positioning the case for review,” he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/25/business/media/25fox.html?_r=3

[Human Snorenado]

Eh, I've decided the movie was probably gonna suck anyhow.

[Eel O'Brian]

settlement for sure, with all that production money tied up

maybe they'll work some deal for the old batman tv show while they're at it

[Great Rumbler]

Maybe Fox will take it away and then distribute a 98 minute, PG-13 version.

[Guybrush Threepwood]

rorschach's voice is stupid

dr. manhattan's voice is all wrong

the cgi looks distinguished mentally-challenged (what a surprise)

[Diunx]

Maybe Fox will take it away and then distribute a 98 minute, PG-13 version.

Well to be fair to get it to 98 minutes they just need to play the movie at normal speed, Zack Snyder speed adds like 20 minutes to any movie.

[Great Rumbler]

98 + 20 does not equal 168.

[Joe Molotov]

Eh, I've decided the movie was probably gonna suck anyhow.

One day the world will look up and shout "Watchmen!", and Fox will whisper "no".

[Great Rumbler]

This is so gay. I mean, really fucking gay. WB should have been hit with a fine, now they'll probably cancel the watchmen game and will probably take a huge hit with all they marketing they've payed for.

It's not really in the best interest of either party of the movie gets shelved. WB wants to recoup their loses and Fox wants a piece of the pie, if the movie doesn't come out I don't think either will get anything.

[chronovore]

They'll kiss and make up. This is a settlement argument, move along.

[TVC15]

Don't see why Fox is so interested.  I have a feeling the movie will bomb after a strong first week.

[cool breeze]

kinda surprised this thread isn't about a judge leaving a dead fox under his christmas tree

[Tauntaun]

kinda surprised this thread isn't about a judge leaving a dead fox under his christmas tree

I thought this was gonna be about some judge giving a harsh penalty to actor Jamie Fox for DUI or something. 

[The Fake Shemp]

That's stupid, Green Man.

This is just a settlement issue.

[Joe Molotov]

That's not what Fox would do, that's what Alan Moore would do. Except he'd probably just burn all the negatives and dance around them naked while reciting passages from the Necronomicon.

[ManaByte]

Fox will remake it with Ozymandias as a giant cloud.

[ManaByte]

http://www.cracked.com/blog/fox-can-eat-several-dicks/

[chronovore]

http://www.cracked.com/blog/fox-can-eat-several-dicks/

That killed me. I am now dead of LOL.

[ManaByte]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081229/ap_en_ot/film_watchmen_suit

Fox says it will try to stop 'Watchmen'

LOS ANGELES – An attorney for 20th Century Fox says the studio will continue to seek an order delaying the release of 'Watchmen.'

U.S. District Court Judge Gary Feess last week agreed with Fox that Warner Bros. had infringed its copyright by developing and shooting the superhero flick, scheduled for release March 6.

Feess said Monday he plans to hold a trial Jan. 20 to decide remaining issues.

Fox claims it never fully relinquished story rights from its deal made in the late 1980s, and sued Warner Bros. in February. Warner Bros. contended Fox isn't entitled to distribution.

Warner Bros.' attorney said Monday he didn't know if an appeal was coming, but thinks a trial is necessary and a settlement unlikely.

FUCK YOU AND DIE FOX

[Joe Molotov]

Trial's on January 20th, they can still get this thing out without any major delays.

[The Fake Shemp]

It's just posturing.  Warner Bros. has this movie practically in the can and there's a good amount of anticipation in the geek community, delaying it will only dissipate what little market value the brand has.

[TVC15]

If the movie ends up going into legal limbo and does not release for a long ass time, will you stop mocking Alan Moore's SNAKE GOD?  He probably practiced some thelemic sex magick to jinx the movie.  Man, just thinking about Alan Moore naked and humping his bitch gives me the urge to yak.

[The Fake Shemp]

Why would it go into limbo?  This is a money grab by Fox, pure and simple.  They have nothing to gain if it's not released!

[TVC15]

Why would it go into limbo?  This is a money grab by Fox, pure and simple.  They have nothing to gain if it's not released!

By the time Alan Moore is done sexcrafting, the film will be locked up in the Raiders of the Lost Ark warehouse. 

[TVC15]

Also, check out The Mindscape of Alan Moore if you haven't.  They basically put a camera in front of him and let him rant for 80 minutes, and it turned out to actually be a pretty entertaining and informative movie.

[The Fake Shemp]

Yeah, you were telling me about that awhile back, methinks.  I've read enough of his off the cuff remarks to know he's a total loon.

[TVC15]

He sounds like a loon as well.  He's pretty damned creepy.  I'd almost believe he could use magick.

[The Fake Shemp]

We should start a cult praising Alan Moore as the reincarnation of Aleister Crowley and we can use Snuggies - the blanket with sleeves! - as our menacing, yet cozy uniforms!

[TVC15]

Not sure if I ever mentioned it, but have you heard of the Crowley-Hubbard connection?  From Wiki:

After the war, Hubbard met Jack Parsons, an aeronautics professor at Caltech and an associate of the British Intelligence occultist[49] Aleister Crowley.[50][51] Hubbard and Parsons were allegedly engaged in the practice of ritual magick in 1946, including an extended set of sex magic rituals called the Babalon Working, intended to summon a goddess or "moonchild."[52] The Church says Hubbard was working as an ONI agent on a mission to end Parsons' supposed magical activities and to "rescue" a girl Parsons was "using" for supposedly magical purposes. In a 1952 lecture series, Hubbard recommended a book of Crowley's and referred to him as "Mad Old Boy"[53][54] and as "my very good friend".[55] Hubbard later married the girl he said that he rescued from Parsons, Sara Northrup.[56] Hubbard also described Parsons as his friend in his Scientology lectures rather than a person he was investigating. Crowley recorded in his notes that he considered Hubbard a "lout" who made off with Parsons' money and girlfriend in an "ordinary confidence trick."[11][8]

Sara Northrup became Hubbard's second wife in August 1946.[57] It was an act of bigamy, as Hubbard had abandoned, but not divorced, his first wife and children as soon as he left the Navy (he divorced his first wife more than a year after he had remarried).[8] Both women allege Hubbard physically abused them.

Jack Parsons was basically the Aleister Crowley of the US.  I dunno how well known he is.  He has an impressive resume himself:

John Whiteside Parsons (born Marvel Whiteside Parsons on October 2, 1914 – died June 17, 1952), was an American rocket propulsion researcher at the California Institute of Technology and co-founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Aerojet Corp.. He was also an enthusiastic occultist, and one of the earliest American devotees of Aleister Crowley.

His formal education was limited, but Parsons demonstrated tremendous scientific aptitude, particularly in chemistry. His rocket research was some of the earliest in the United States, and his pioneering work in the development of solid fuel and the invention of JATO units for aircraft was of great importance. The noted engineer Theodore von Kármán, Parsons's friend and benefactor, declared that the work of Parsons and his peers helped usher in the age of space travel.[1]

[Robo]

We should start a cult praising Alan Moore as the reincarnation of Aleister Crowley and we can use Snuggies - the blanket with sleeves! - as our menacing, yet cozy uniforms!

(Image removed from quote.)

I just saw this crap on TV like five minutes ago.  Your post confirms that it was not a fever dream after all.

[The Fake Shemp]

Not sure if I ever mentioned it, but have you heard of the Crowley-Hubbard connection? 

It's been known for awhile.  His actual son refers to him as a Satanist.

And yeah, RoboJ, they've been overloading the airwaves with Snuggies commercias as of late.  It's a sign!

[drozmight]

That'd be kinda funny if the movie was canned forever.

[Mr. Gundam]

Isn't Fox doing this to get the rights to release the old Batman TV series on DVD?

[Eel O'Brian]

i would be happy with that outcome

[Mr. Gundam]

Isn't Fox doing this to get the rights to release the old Batman TV series on DVD?

This would be a huge waste of time then.

Not really. They own the show, but don't own the characters, so they can't release it on DVD. Old TV shows on DVD tend to sell pretty well in the states, and I've heard it mentioned in various articles that Fox is positioning themselves to get Warner to settle this out of court, granting them the rights to the old Batman show with Watchmen being released unscathed.

[BlackMage]

all I know is I want a snuggie

[Brehvolution]

all I know is I want a snuggie

Neo-monks.