Alex Megane

   
Artist: Alex Megane

   Genre(s): 
Dance
   

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Discography:


   
 Tonight

   Year: 2007   
Tracks: 1

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SAG fact-checks AFTRA deal

Described 'some problems' with the tentative pact

SAG continued its anti-AFTRA primetime/TV contract campaign Wednesday with a Town Hall meeting in Hollywood for its members to educate them about the new deal by their rival actors union.


The meeting followed SAG's 28th day of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers.


A fact sheet was handed out to members that tells of "some problems with AFTRA's tentative deal."


The rundown focused on many issues in new media, including allegations that AFTRA gave up "significant jurisdiction" in new media, gave up residuals for new media and is not protecting actors over the use of their clips in new media.


"AFTRA's tentative deal does not secure adequate residuals for television shows that stream over the Internet on an advertiser-supported platform," SAG said. "This is a huge problem for SAG members because the new-media platform could cannibalize some existing residuals models for both motion pictures and television when product moves to the Internet."


AFTRA, which brokered a tentative deal with the AMPTP on May 28, has defended its contract. Its national board voted Friday to send the new deal to its members for ratification. The results of that member vote are expected by July 9.


AFTRA refuted SAG's claims, saying their agreement "confirms the union's jurisdiction over programs made directly for new media and establishes a payment structure for the use of traditional programs reused in new media, building upon the patters of the DGA and WGA deals."


AFTRA so far has scheduled two informational meetings for members in Los Angeles. One is set for today and the other for Monday.

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The Ruins

Author Scott Smith adapts his own popular 2006 novel in this unsettling and surprising horror yarn. In its first half hour, THE RUINS seems to be cut from the same "body-count-of-young-Americans-abroad" cloth as HOSTEL and TURISTAS, but the film has a supernatural element not present in either of those works, keeping it clear of the overpopulated slasher and torture genres. A talented young cast also ensures that Smith's tale reaches the screen with plenty of genuine chills intact. While vacationing on the Yucatan Peninsula, 20-something Americans Jeff (Jonathan Tucker), Amy (Jena Malone), Eric (Shawn Ashmore), and Stacy (Laura Ramsey), befriend German traveler Mathias (Joe Anderson), who invites them to accompany him into the jungle to meet up with his archaeologist brother at an "off the map" Mayan temple. They agree, but once they arrive, angry locals shoot one of their party and refuse to allow them to leave. The Americans and Mathias retreat to the top of the temple, only to find the archaeological camp deserted. Mathias falls into the temple and is badly injured, but that is only the beginning of their troubles, as it soon becomes apparent that the vines covering the temple are alive in a way that goes beyond normal vegetation.

It may be tempting to summarize THE RUINS by saying that it's about killer plants, but that would be undermining its strong points. The latter two thirds of the film play out like a very grim five-character stage play about survival, with large servings of death and desperation, without resorting to the fake scares that many horror films use as a crutch. The gore, while often quite nasty, is also necessary to the story, which takes on a heavy psychological component as the characters begin to fear for their lives.

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