Moron FOXNews writer fired for reviewing pirated movie

[Darth Wong]

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2009/ ... n-fox.html

Fox News columnist departs after review of leaked Wolverine movie
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 | 8:36 AM ET
The Associated Press

Fox News columnist Roger Friedman is out after posting a review of a leaked, full-length work print of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Fox News said Monday that the company's representatives and Friedman "mutually agreed to part ways immediately."

Friedman had been an entertainment writer who has contributed to FoxNews.com for 10 years. He wrote in his Fox 411 column Thursday that downloading the 20th Century Fox superhero prequel was "so much easier than going out in the rain" and that the movie "exceeds expectations at every turn."

The early review of the film, which 20th Century Fox described as a "stolen, incomplete and early version," was later removed from the website Friday.

The movie, which focuses on the beginnings of Hugh Jackman's clawed Marvel superhero Wolverine, is not scheduled for release until May 1, but the leaked version began appearing online last week. 20th Century Fox promised that the source of the film would be prosecuted and said the FBI and Motion Picture Association of America are investigating the leak.

Seriously, what was he thinking? He works for FOX and he actually encourages people to pirate a movie made by 20th Century FOX?

[Kanastrous]

Tells you something about the caliber of the hires over at Fox.

Nothing you didn't already know, though.

[Darth Wong]

I like the part where they said that they "mutually agreed to part ways". I have to imagine the meeting went something like this: "You're fired. But if you want to leave with some shred of dignity, I suggest you say that you agreed to be fired."

[Phantasee]

I wonder what the quality of that leaked copy is. I also wonder if he mentioned that in his review: "A:10 V:10 good job uploader!"

[Minischoles]

I wonder what the quality of that leaked copy is. I also wonder if he mentioned that in his review: "A:10 V:10 good job uploader!"

As far as i've read from the news about this, its basically the finished movie just without the CGI in some places and without things like wires edited out.

[CaptainChewbacca]

I wonder what the quality of that leaked copy is. I also wonder if he mentioned that in his review: "A:10 V:10 good job uploader!"

It's just about as close as you can get to being done without BEING done. I've seen clips.

[Flagg]

The quality is pretty much spot on, but there have been reshoots and the FX aren't complete, so it may not be the finale cut of the movie. Yes, I'll be seeing it in theaters regardless of its suck or lack thereof, so no, I didn't get anything for free.

[Vendetta]

I wonder what the quality of that leaked copy is. I also wonder if he mentioned that in his review: "A:10 V:10 good job uploader!"

It's just about as close as you can get to being done without BEING done. I've seen clips.

Some bits are. Some bits are just blank textured wireframes of what's going to be happening when the CG's done. (Actually quite interesting to see and would make a good DVD special feature).

[bilateralrope]

I like the part where they said that they "mutually agreed to part ways". I have to imagine the meeting went something like this: "You're fired. But if you want to leave with some shred of dignity, I suggest you say that you agreed to be fired."

So what would someone have to do for Fox to fire him without using this BS ?

[neoolong]

Seriously, what was he thinking? He works for FOX and he actually encourages people to pirate a movie made by 20th Century FOX?

He probably wasn't thinking. But, if he did, he probably thought that his position as a FOX contributor and the fact that he was praising the movie would save him.

Obviously he was wrong.

You'd think people, especially media conglomerate employees, would have figured out that piracy is still a big issue in Hollywood. There's an unspoken acknowledgement that most likely a bunch of them have done it in the past, but this is on a whole other level.

[Kuja]

He's actually misquoted in the article, and it's actually something even dumber than what they present.

This guy not only yanked the work-print of Wolverine and reviewed it, but also bragged about how he got the current top 10 movies in theaters and was gonna go home to watch "I Love You Man" because it would be "so much easier than going out in the rain."

Fox had him out of there faster than a bullet from a barrel.

[Kuja]

I wonder what the quality of that leaked copy is. I also wonder if he mentioned that in his review: "A:10 V:10 good job uploader!"

It's just about as close as you can get to being done without BEING done. I've seen clips.

Not quite. What was actually pirated was the work-print of the movie, which means although it looks good in parts, it's not actually finished and entire scenes are chopped up or missing. The biggest irony of this entire fiasco is that this dumb slob is getting fired for bragging about pirating something that won't even be the actual, finished movie.

[bilateralrope]

He's actually misquoted in the article, and it's actually something even dumber than what they present.

This guy not only yanked the work-print of Wolverine and reviewed it, but also bragged about how he got the current top 10 movies in theaters and was gonna go home to watch "I Love You Man" because it would be "so much easier than going out in the rain."

Fox had him out of there faster than a bullet from a barrel.

Is there anywhere where I can view the full thing, just to see how bad it really is ?

[General Zod]

He's actually misquoted in the article, and it's actually something even dumber than what they present.

This guy not only yanked the work-print of Wolverine and reviewed it, but also bragged about how he got the current top 10 movies in theaters and was gonna go home to watch "I Love You Man" because it would be "so much easier than going out in the rain."

Fox had him out of there faster than a bullet from a barrel.

Is there anywhere where I can view the full thing, just to see how bad it really is ?

You could always go try going to a theater. Or Google.

[Terralthra]

Is there anywhere where I can view the full thing, just to see how bad it really is ?

You could always go try going to a theater. Or Google.

I think he meant the article by the ex-movie reviewer.

[General Zod]

Oh. Well, strike the first part of my quote if that's the case.

However I did manage to find this hilarious snippet.

Mr. Friedman posted a minireview, adding, “It took really less than seconds to start playing it all right onto my computer.”

[neoolong]

1.3 MB cap of the "review."

[bilateralrope]

True, I should of checked google. Here is one forum that appears to of quoted the review.

Yes, Ive seen "X Men Origins: Wolverine." It wasnt at a screening, either. I found a work in progress print of it, 95 percent completed, on the internet last night. Lets hope by now its gone.

But the cat is out of the bag, as they say, and the genie is out of the bottle. Theres no turning back. But no, I will not tell you the big twist/surprise toward the end. Not now, a whole month away from release. That wouldnt be nice.

Right now, my "cousins" at 20th Century Fox are probably having apoplexy. I doubt anyone else has seen this film. But everyone can relax. I am, in fact, amazed about how great "Wolverine" turned out. It exceeds expectations at every turn. I was completely riveted to my desk chair in front of my computer.

I dont know what the really big headline is here: the fact that "Wolverine" is so good, or that I also found the current top 10 movies in theaters, as well as a turgid domestic drama called "Fireflies in the Garden" with Ryan Reynolds and Julia Roberts the latter in a minor role while her husband, Danny Moder, is credited as director of photography.

I did find the whole top 10, plus TV shows, commercials, videos, everything, all streaming away. It took really less than seconds to start playing it all right onto my computer. I could have downloaded all of it but really, who has the time or the room? Later tonight I may finally catch up with Paul Rudd in "I Love You, Man." Its so much easier than going out in the rain!

But back to "Wolverine": this is the prequel to the first "X Men" movie. Directed by Gavin Hood, the film is as cutting edge as it is old fashioned. This may be the big blockbuster film of 2009, and one we really need right now. Its miles easier to understand than "The Dark Knight," and tremendously more emotional. Hood simply did an excellent job bringing Wolverines early life to the screen.

Hugh Jackman is Wolverine, of course, and he is more a movie star in this movie than ever before. It doesnt hurt that hes spent every waking minute in the gym. Hood doesnt hide that. Jackman fans will get their fill of their hero. Hes joined by a phenomenal cast, too Liev Schreiber as his evil but equally clawed brother, Victor, aka Sabretooth; Ryan Reynolds (he gets a lot of work, thats for sure) as Deadpool; Dominic Monagan as Beak; Kevin Durand as the Blob; and the sensational sort of Han Solo-ish Taylor Kitsch as Gambit. Theres also sultry Lynn Collins as Wolverines love interest, and Danny Huston as the villainous Colonel Stryker.

I do think the film works so beautifully because the screenplay is so streamlined. David Benioff (whose real name, I read, is David Friedman hes married to Amanda Peet) carefully delineated these characters and did a smashing job. I had less trouble following this story than the one in "Fireflies in the Garden." Hes made "Wolverine" just the right kind of summer entertainment a thrill ride with lots of emotional investment and a hero simply bigger than life. Thats all you can ask for.

Now, I did see "Wolverine" on a large, wide computer screen, and not in a movie theater, but it could not have played better. Still, this was a workprint and there were about a dozen things not finished. A couple of times it was possible to see the harnesses on the actors. It didnt take away from the film at all. But obviously someone who had access to a print uploaded the film onto this website. This begs several questions about security. Time to round up the usual suspects!

[TheKwas]

I have to say that this could just be the guy's way of leaving a job he didn't like in a bang.

[bilateralrope]

I have to say that this could just be the guy's way of leaving a job he didn't like in a bang.

Except for what being fired like this will do to his chance of getting a job elsewhere.

[Covenant]

Knowing a little how reviewers tend to work, I'd almost wonder if this wasn't an attempt to "get out in front" of a movie that was getting really sour reviews from the people there, and attempt to say "hey guys, I saw it, and it was great!" instead of letting the peanut gallery have their say before the professional reviewers do. I don't think someone would be as foolish as to think it's okay to say "Hey, I downloaded this, I hope it's gone by now, but man, so good!" Maybe that's just giving him too much credit. There had to be some kind of an angle.

[Count Chocula]

I'll approach this from a manufacturer's point of view, and ask for confirmation from those of you who are in the movie business. Typically, new product releases are carefully choreographed prior to production, and may include pre-production prototypes, "coming soon" press releases, and contact with select reviewers leading up to the actual product launch. More often, preproduction products are functionally sound but may not have all the bells and whistles that the final product will. As a consequence, early samples are released to a limited pool of reviewers, if at all. The actual product release is when the widespread press releases, advertising, review sample distribution, and so on are done.

Feature films are among the most expensive products made in the US; if I were a studio, I'd want to keep a tight lid on a film before the release, with the trailers tightly controlled and any early screenings limited to select reviewers, with a theater-ready copy. I'd take a dim view of a reviewer finding, then reviewing, a pirated unreleased cut of my feature film. I'd be really pissed if he also talked about how easy it was to find and download 12 pre-release movies at the same time as he reviewed mine.

It seems that this film critic got caught up in the "excitement" of pirating movies and, as previously mentioned, saw a chance to get a "scoop" review before the official launch. If instead of reviewing Wolverine he had written a column about how easy it was to download pre-release movies and how this could be a huge problem for studios, he'd probably still be employed.

[Kanastrous]

Sure, studios make huge investments in headliner projects and want as much control as possible over when, where and how information regarding those projects is distributed.

As much as anything, what this guy did was a breach of professional standards and practices.

To whatever degree he's properly labeled as a professional.

[Phantasee]

Well, for my own review, it looks pretty sweet. It would make for an excellent DVD feature, showing a little of what goes on behind the flashy CGI and special effects. Story was alright, I suppose. Nothing special, you'd think a Hugh Jackman film made by Marvel about Wolverine would leave me with a different feeling than watching John Cena ruin people's shit in 12 Rounds.

I want to see this in the theatres now, though. Just to see what it looks like finished. Before I'd have waited for DVD or for it to come on TV (like I waited for X3).

[neoolong]

It's a FOX movie. It's not from Marvel directly, so it's not like Marvel Studios got to call the shots.