Flash Mob at Dubai International Airport

A group of dancers disguised as flight attendants surprised travelers at the Dubai International Airport last weekend. 
 

Crowds gathered as the group spontaneously burst into a synchronized dance in the Duty Free shopping area.

The Dubai airport organized the event to promote the new DXB Connect card, a pre-paid card aimed at airport passengers.

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Australian Airline Offering In-Flight iPads

The Sydney Morning Herald: Jetstar has started offering its passengers iPads to watch movies, play games and read magazines, in what it says is a world first.

The Apple tablets made their debut on a Jetstar flight from Auckland to Melbourne yesterday.

The devices will be available on flights within Australia longer than two hours as well as selected trans-Tasman and international routes, from today.

Jetstar said yesterday its long-haul passengers out of Australia and New Zealand would be able to hire the tablet from next month. They will cost between $10 and $15 to hire.

There were also plans to introduce the iPads on Jetstar Asia's services operating out of Singapore, Jetstar said.

Jetstar first tested the use of iPads on board its flights for a two-week period in June 2010.

Jetstar group chief executive Bruce Buchanan said the airline was now looking at what inflight entertainment options would be offered on its Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are due to arrive at Jetstar in 2013.

Jetstar is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas.

Utah Commemorating 'Thelma & Louise' Anniversary

USA Today: Has it really been 20 years since Thelma and Louise lit out from Arkansas and landed in a suicide plunge off the Grand Canyon in what is certainly one of the all-time great buddy/road trip movies?

Most of the location scenes were shot in Utah and a couple of locales there are marking the occasion this week. In Salt Lake City, actress Geena Davis, who co-starred with Susan Sarandon, will appear at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in a conversation with Utah Tourism director Leigh Von der Esch. After a screening of the movie, producer Mimi Polk Gitlin will participate in a discussion about the film.

On Thursday, the show moves to Moab, where many of the film's memorable red-rock scenes were shot. A free screening is set for Thursday night at Star Hall, followed by a discussion including Gitlin and Von der Esch.

A number of promotions are tied to the anniversary, including a Girlfriend Getaway at Sorrel River Ranch in Moab. (Leave your guns at home, girls.)

The movie, about two friends who become accidental outlaws after one shoots a would-be rapist, earned six Academy Award nominations. It also helped put Moab on the tourist map, though the area had previously had its share of on-screen close-ups, from John Wayne westerns to Marlboro Man commercials.

More recently, the raw landscape played a starring role in 127 Hours, the true story of hiker Aron Ralston, who was forced to amputate his own arm in May 2003 after being trapped for five days in a remote slot canyon.

Echoes of that tragedy occurred earlier this month when 64-year-old Amos Richards fell 10 feet, breaking his leg in Little Blue John Canyon, the same area in which Ralston was trapped, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The Concord, N.C., man, equipped with five liters of water and two power bars but no map, crawled through the desert for four days and three nights. National Park Service rangers began a search after spotting his abandoned campsite. They rescued him on Sept. 12 and said he's expected to make a full recovery from multiple injuries, the Tribune reported.

Like Ralston, Richards had not told anyone where he was going. That, along with failing to carry adequate water and other essentials, like first-aid supplies, is a common misstep, says Kent Green, a former search and rescue worker in Moab.

"There are so many nooks and canyon crevasses, you could get lost out there forever," he said of Little Blue John Canyon, which lies in some of the region's most remote and rugged terrain. "You'd be surprised how many people come out here and they'll spend $2,000 or $5,000 on a mountain bike, but nothing on a fanny pack full of stuff that could save their life."

Green's No. 1 piece of advice for hikers and cyclists: Always tell someone where you're going. And don't change your plans.

SeaWorld Shows Signs of Moving Past Circus Themes

Seattle Post Intelligencer: There are some positive signs emerging from SeaWorld that it is moving in new directions, trying to keep pace with a changing world. The public is increasingly turning away from circus shows, and with the hot water surrounding SeaWorld at the moment over the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau last year, SeaWorld may have to give up having trainers in the water permanently. (OSHA hearings)

Recent good news came when SeaWorld’s Orlando park chose to put both of the rescued pilot whales together – a move guaranteed to help both adjust to their lives in captivity, and the kindest choice for the animals. In previous years SeaWorld would no doubt have placed the animals in different parks to increase the attendance at each.

Now it appears as though SeaWorld is prepared to re-invent itself, albeit slowly. They want to tap into the children’s market with movies and other ‘consumer products’, and according to this article at least, will be relying heavily on material from the past.

SeaWorld, the brand wrapped around 10 marine-themed amusement parks across the US, has taken its first steps into the kids entertainment biz with its newly formed SeaWorld Pictures division.

…Helmstedter says the company is also exploring TV and animated content, which will be produced within their own divisions. At press time, he couldn’t give details on the yet-to-be-named divisions or their development slates, but says there are several projects in the pipeline in-house and with partners that will be announced in coming months. Beyond that, he says the company is very focused on the kids space and will be on the hunt for new live-action and animated projects at MIPCOM next month and Kidscreen Summit 2012.

Additionally, Helmstedter says SeaWorld has plans to expand its currently modest consumer products program and further leverage its library of music and the more than 30,000 hours of film footage amassed since the first park opened in 1964. It depicts rescues, conservation activities and SeaWorld’s menagerie of animals.

Read more: http://kidscreen.com/2011/09/16/seaworld-splashes-into-kids-content/#ixzz1YDvjgzXo

SeaWorld has a golden opportunity with this new direction to change from a corporation built in a time when circuses regularly exploited and mistreated wild animals, to a company that embraces modern attitudes of conservation and kindness.

Of course, they may attempt to indoctrinate another generation of children into the myth of Shamu, but that would be huge mistake. Today’s parents are savvy and want to expose their children to experiences that reflect the values of their own generation.

We’ll still be watching…

Focus on Las Vegas Elevator Music

Vegas Chatter: Music plays an important role in the casino. It plays in the background at a level that usually isn't intrusive (except night time at the party pit). We don't always notice the music unless we hear something that stands out, either good or bad. The one place we notice music is the elevator when we're staying at a casino. We're held captive for, hopefully, only a few seconds but there usually isn't much chatter so the music stands out.

A recent trip to Planet Hollywood (above) had us reeling a little as we heard one song over and over and over when we went to and from our room. Last year, Planet Hollywood had MidiMafia make a song for the casino called "Phamous", which went along really nicely with their branding. However, it's a year after the song came out and, after staying at Planet Hollywood a few times, they are still playing this song almost every time we're in the elevator. It's enough and we can't wait for the song to leave their rotation.


On the other hand, we've stayed at Palazzo a few times in the past year and they have had various Jersey Boys songs on their elevator playlist. Not only does that not bother us, but we'll miss it when Jersey Boys leaves Palazzo. More than anything, this is why we're curious to see what Palazzo replaces the show with.

Next Generation Airline Tray Tables

MSNBC: That ugly, and often dirty, airplane tray table may soon be getting a makeover.

The TrayVu, created by Skycast Solutions, combines an in-flight entertainment system with a see-through tray.

The TrayVu, displayed this week at the 2011 Aircraft Interiors Expo in Seattle, includes an Android tablet with an 8.9-inch screen that can be viewed through a clear section of the table when the tray is in the upright position.

When the tray is lowered, the tablet stays connected but flips up to allow full use of the space on the tray.

“You can multi-task, maybe eat or work on your own laptop while having a movie running on the tablet,” said Greg Latimer, Skycast Solutions' chief marketing officer. “And you won’t have that ‘head-tap’ thing going on that happens when the person behind you starts playing with traditional seatback systems.”

TrayVu hasn’t been picked up by any airlines yet, but when it does, passengers will be able to watch movies (and ads), play games with others in the cabin (and see them on the built-in camera), use the credit card reader to order food and drinks, and even run up a tab for items purchased for other passengers, such as their children — or that cute guy across the aisle.

It sounds promising, but won’t that see-through section of the tray-table get dirty?

“Our plan is to provide complimentary headphones and a screen wipe in each seat,” said Latimer. “Customers will wipe off their screens and then probably use it to wipe off their tray tables. The cleaning crews will love us.”

Rovio's 'Angry Birds' Valued at $1.2 Billion

The Telegraph: Angry Birds creator Rovio Entertainment is in talks to receive a major funding injection that would value the Finland-based technology group at around $1.2bn (£740m).

Although no names have officially been put on the table, likely partners include Fifa developer Electronic Arts, Farmville creator Zynga, and media giants News Corp and Disney, according to Bloomberg.

“I can see how Disney would take ‘Angry Birds’ and turn them into a theme-park ride and a movie,” said Michael Pachter, managing director of research at Wedbush Securities. “Zynga could take ‘Angry Birds’ and make it into ‘FarmVille.’”

Angry Birds, in which gamers fire a range of birds at green pigs who have stolen their eggs, has been downloaded more than 300m times since its launch in 2009, and is one of the most successful smartphone apps of all time.

Originally released for the iPhone, Rovio has added versions for Android and Nokia, as well PCs and Macs. The famous birds and their porcine rivals have also been turned into a range of toys, fridge magnets and even a clothing range.

In March, Rovio received a $42m funding injection from investors including Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström's Atomico, as well as Facebook backer Accel Partners. Rovio chief Mikael Hed has also said that he wanted to take his company public in "the next few years".

"We probably want to be in a marketplace that is as liquid as possible, which would probably mean Nasdaq is our stock exchange of choice," Mr Hed said in March.

Angry Birds made its Google+ debut this week, alongside other social games including Bejeweled and Zynga Poker. Users will now be able to "share game updates with friends, participate in leaderboards, and brag about their achievements", Rovio said.

Virgin America Adding NFL to Inflight Entertainment

USA Today: To beef up its sports content in time for the football season, Virgin America is adding more network channels to its in-flight entertainment system.


The California-based airline, which is one of the few carriers to offer seatback TV for domestic flights, says the NFL, college football and other sports games televised on NBC and FOX in the New York area will be broadcast live starting this month, adding to its current broadcast of ESPN and CBS content.

The channels are part a new lineup of satellite TV and movie programming being rolled out in its Red in-flight entertainment system. "In addition to more eclectic content, our travelers have been asking for more live sports and news," says Virgin America CEO David Cush.

In adding four new stations - NBC-NY/WNBC (live), FOX News (live), TBS (live) and FOX-NY/WNYW (live) - it'll broadcast 24 channels.

The Red system also provides more than 35 on-demand films, 3,000 audio files and video games.

Tourists Flock to 'Planet of the Apes' Park

Visitors are flocking to California's Muir Woods to glimpse backgrounds used in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes."

The movie starring Palo Alto's James Franco, features a scene where apes run across the Golden Gate Bridge and escape to Muir Woods. While none of the CGI filled movie was actually filmed in the park, the movie's producers took pictures of Muir Woods' famed redwood trees and replicated them on screen.

The park has seen an uptake in visitors this summer. For the first time since Sept. 11, 2001, Muir Woods has at times drawn 5,000 people a day.

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4 Killed and 40 Injured at Belgium Concert

New York Post: A violent storm struck an outdoor rock festival in northern Belgium Thursday, collapsing two stages and killing at least four people and injuring 40. One of the stages fell on concert-goers, AFP reported. Screens also collapsed, trees were uprooted and a tower with technical equipment fell onto trucks, according to the RTBF public television website.

There were conflicting reports about whether Chicago-based indie rock band Smith Westerns was playing at the time but they later tweeted they all were fine.

Jared Leto, actor-turned-frontman of 30 Seconds to Mars, was due to headline the program with his band later, along with the Foo Fighters. Eminem was listed as the main act in the line-up for Friday. Hasselt Mayor Hilde Claes said four persons were killed and 40 injured, according to RTBF. Tens of thousands had reportedly flocked to the site for the annual Pukkelpop festival.

"Stage collapsed max almost got crushed by the tress (sic). I hope pukkelpop has insurance bc all our sh*t is broke," the Smith Westerns tweeted. "Praying no one got hurt."

The stage collapse and deaths followed a similar incident last Sunday in Indianapolis, Ind., where a huge storm caused the collapse of a towering outdoor stage at the Indiana State Fair, killing five and sending at least 40 to hospitals.

It also marked the second straight year of deaths at the Pukkelpop festival. In 2010, a sound engineer died of a heart attack and a rock singer, Charles Haddon, committed suicide by jumping from the top of a transmission tower after his group performed.

Stage Collapse Kills 4 in Indiana

Indy Star: The Indiana State Fair has been canceled today following a stage collapse that killed at least four people at a Sugarland concert.  It was not immediately known whether a day of the fair has ever been canceled.

The fair was expected to resume Monday with a public prayer service, said Indiana State Police Sgt. Dave Bursten in a press conference at 1:45 a.m.

Today would have been the 10th day of the 17-day fair. A special parade was scheduled to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the fair's Pioneer Village, and contemporary Christian music concerts were set at the Energy Armor Free Stage. Livestock shows featuring dairy cattle, dairy goats, pygmy goats and horses also were scheduled today.

Bursten said people with animals at the fair will be allowed to tend to them, and a skeleton work crew would be on hand on Sunday.

The outdoor stage rigging collapsed Saturday night during a gust of wind of at least 60 mph just minutes before Sugarland was set to go on stage. The rigging at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand collapsed onto a portion of the crowd on the track in front of the stage. People were warned just a moment earlier of the coming storm, but told the show would begin shortly.

Sugarland was scheduled to perform tonight at the Iowa State Fair.

Beatlemania (Finally) Reaches Cuba

Daily Mail: Their songs are as famous now as they were 45 years ago.

But while Beatles fans may have flocked to the Cavern Club in Liverpool, crossed the zebra crossing outside Abbey Road and played every album hundreds of times, one country missed out on the fun.

Now, though, Cuba is catching up, albeit a little bit late. In the capital city Havana, a new club has opened, named the Yellow Submarine ('Submarino Amarillo'), to celebrate everything to do with the band.

Such an act during the band's heyday may have led to countless arrests as dictator Fidel Castro cracked down on anything English, claiming it was therefore American. The Beatles look and music did not sit well with the authorities and countless people recall stories of snatching a listen to whatever songs they could lay their hands on.

But with the opening of the Yellow Submarine, fans have a chance to listen to their favorite songs being played live.

Last weekend, queues formed outside the club to hear the house band play hits including Dear Prudence and Let It Be. And as the music plays, there are guitars and Beatles lyrics on the walls of the bright yellow and blue interior.

There were also mass sing-along’s during the biggest hits as fans of all ages turned up at the door - with some experiencing something they missed out on their youth. One fan told local newspaper the Havana Journal: 'You don’t understand. This music, it used to be banned.'

Despite the fan's happiness at the venue's opening, it does still have elements of the dictatorship hanging over it. The club is owned by the Cultural Ministry, who charge $2.50 for entry, while all the images of John, Paul, Ringo and George are used without official licensing.

The bar staff also have to wear black vests.

The government was partly behind the project as they try to reopen closed spaces and broaden the city's nightlife.

Cooling Off At a Dive-In Movie

Innisbrook Resort's Pool

MSNBC: When it comes to cooling down after a sweltering summer day, some travelers like to take in a movie; others would rather take a dip.

Who says you have to choose? This summer, plenty of hotels are offering poolside movies that invite guests to dive in and enjoy the show.

“For generations, watching a movie together has been a traditional family activity,” said Arica Haro, recreation director for the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Fla. “But attending a dive-in movie turns the everyday into something unusual and exciting.”

Ready to take the plunge? Depending on where your travels take you this summer, here are four places where the aquatic and cinematic come together:

The Beverly Hilton: Think of it as “to live and dive in L.A.” and the chance to enjoy movies in the same pool where “Hollywood Mermaid” Esther Williams once taught swim lessons. These days, the hotel shows free movies on a 60-foot screen on Wednesday and Thursday nights overlooking the Aqua Star Pool. The movies are open to guests and non-guests, with a percentage of concession revenue benefiting the Beverly Hills Education Foundation.

Innisbrook Resort: Located just north of Tampa-St. Petersburg, this resort is home to the Loch Ness Pool, a 127,000-gallon, Nessie-shaped behemoth with a sandy entry, waterfall and two water slides. On Saturday nights, guests show up 30 minutes before sunset for face painting, trivia contests and “minute to win it” games and then settle in or around the pool for family-friendly movies on a 16’ x 9’ inflatable screen.

The Fairmont Dallas: By day, the outdoor pool on the third floor of this high-rise hotel offers panoramic views of the Dallas skyline. At 8:30 on Friday nights, though, the center of attention is the poolside movie screen where guests and non-guests can watch free movies with monthly themes. Alas, “Blue Crush” on July 29 is the last of this summer’s Beach Movies, with August moving on to the entertaining, but vaguely dispiriting theme of Back to School.

The Boise Hotel & Conference Center: With its indoor pool and 25-foot movies screen, this Idaho hotel can show movies year-round, which it does on Friday and Saturday nights. It also offers one of the best deals in the dive-in movie business: A four-person room, plus four movie tickets, four movie-sized candy bars and sodas, a large popcorn and a disposable underwater camera. At $99 per room, it’s probably cheaper than going to the local multiplex.

The Exclusive Club No One Wants to Join

Janis Joplin

RadarOnline: When Amy Winehouse died Saturday, she instantly became a member of the bizarre '27 Club.' That's an extraordinary group of famed musicians who all died at the young age of 27.

The most famous member of the 'club', which is also referred to as 'Forever 27', is Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain who committed suicide on April 5, 1994 by shooting himself in the head following a heroin and Valium binge.

Kurt was married to Hole rocker Courtney Love at the time and the pair had a 2-year-old daughter, Frances Bean. Love's own band-member Kristen Pfaff died several months later, on June 16, 1994, from an opiate overdose. She was also 27.

Guitar legend Jimi Hendrix choked to death on his own vomit after overdosing on sleeping pills and red wine on September 18, 1970 and just weeks later, on October 4, singer/songwriter Janis Joplin died from a heroin overdose. They were both 27.

The Doors front man Jim Morrison was found dead at 27. He was discovered in a bathtub in his Paris apartment on July 3, 1971 and was listed as having died from congestive heart failure, although no autopsy was carried out and Jim had a history of heroin abuse.

Brian Jones, one of the founding members of The Rolling Stones, drowned at age 27 in a swimming poll on July 3,1967.

Robert Johnson is widely believed to be the original member of the '27 Club' after he was poisoned with strychnine and died on August 16, 1938.

The legendary guitarist is said to have influenced scores of other musicians since his death including Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and even Brian Jones.

Time to Get Your French On

Budget Travel: You don't necessarily have to board a transatlantic flight to get your Francophile fix for Bastille Day.

July 14, France's Independence Day, has become just as much of an excuse for us to indulge in all things French — baguettes and brie, champagne and wine, Serge Gainsbourg and Edith Piaf, anyone? — on this side of the pond as it has in France.

In fact, the French government is encouraging it with the launch this year of Destination France Day, a new annual tradition aimed at positioning Bastille Day as a worldwide event to celebrate France as a travel destination. For its kick-off year, parties are being hosted in Paris, New York and Shanghai, with guests in New York encouraged to wear something blue, those in Paris wearing white and in Shanghai, red (in honor of the French flag).

The soirée bleue in New York will feature a blue-themed fashion show and live musical performances at the Hudson Terrace. The soirée blanche in Paris will take place at a private apartment with views of the Eiffel Tower and the Bastille Day fireworks. And, in Shanghai at the House of Roosevelt, the soirée rouge will feature a French-themed photo exhibit and performances. For more information about Desination France Day, contact the French Government Tourist Office.

But there are other ways to celebrate your inner monsieur or mademoiselle closer to home. Bastille Daye has become an annual custom in many cities across the U.S. There is the Bastille Day Los Angeles Festival on July 17, and Bastille Day on 60th Street in New York on July 10. Chicagoans celebrate with a Bastille Day 5K & 8K Run, Walk and Block Party.

In New Orleans, the city's historic French Quarter is abuzz with events for Bastille Day, including a Bastille Day music event and the 2nd Annual French Market Waiters Race. Brooklyn, N.Y. has an annual petanque tournament (similar to bocce ball) and street festival hosted by local restaurant Bar Tabac, which takes place on July 10 on Smith Street.

The Alliance Francaise is a non-profit organization that promotes the French language and culture with chapters across the country. Check to see if your local Alliance Francaise chapter is hosting a party or event near you.

And if you want a replica of the real thing, why not head to Paris Las Vegas? Or, perhaps pack up the car and head north to the French-speaking Canadian cities of Montreal or Quebec City. Or, if all this talk of France has inspired you, try your luck with Air France's late summer sale. Pourquoi pas?

Elvis Sightings at Myrtle Beach Airport?

The Sun News: If you saw an Elvis impersonator and a medieval knight dueling in the Myrtle Beach International Airport, would you think you were dreaming?

Maybe not. It could be sort of a new reality if a plan by airport officials works out.

Officials are trying to tap some local talent - including the host of Elvis impersonators and performers at some local theaters such as Medieval Times - to entertain passengers as they wait for their flights and give those arriving a unique first impression of Myrtle Beach.

"What we are looking at is creating some excitement within the terminal," airport spokeswoman Lauren Morris said. "Where else can you have an Elvis impersonator and a medieval knight jousting in the terminal?

"We want to make it more of a Myrtle Beach experience."

Airport officials have been encouraging passengers to arrive at the airport much earlier for their flights than they used to - as much as 90 minutes before departure - because the airport has gotten busier and there's also construction of the expanded terminal and new parking areas. That leaves a lot of down time for early arrivals that the airport is trying to spice up with entertainment near the screening or in the waiting area by the gates.

"There's not a lot to do," Morris said. "So you try to create an environment that is fun."

Tapping the many offerings around the beach - which lures 14 million tourists a year - seemed like a natural fit, Morris said. The performers can entertain passengers while also drumming up excitement for their venues, she said.

"We've got some great assets here," Morris said.

Recruiting started recently, with the airport soliciting the help of the Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association, which included a call for performers in its email newsletter that went out last week. The performers wouldn't get paid; instead it would be a chance to potentially reach new customers for their venues.

No local entertainer has stepped up yet, but airport officials are optimistic that some talent will eventually volunteer. Airport officials are gung-ho to try it as soon as they can because the complex is in the busy summer season.

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The Hotel Push for In-Room Movies

New York Times: At a dinner party in Tucson over the weekend, the subject of movies came up. The five friends there were all business travelers, all movie buffs.

One is semiretired but is still a frequent traveler and goes to movie theaters frequently. Yet, he is still unable to see a handful of the very latest and most talked-about movies. As a result of the archaic studio distribution systems, many of the cutting-edge films have not yet come to theaters outside of the major marquee cities like New York and Los Angeles.

Two of the others at the party, including myself, occasionally go to the movie theater but more often catch up on films later on DVD. The other two, very frequent international travelers, never go to theaters, and instead see movies, including current ones, on in-flight entertainment systems offered by many premium international airlines. Some of the systems offer more than 100 on-demand high-definition recent movies on big flat in-seat screens.

None of us, however, said we watched a movie in a hotel room.

That reality underscores challenges facing LodgeNet Interactive, the major supplier of hotel-room movies and television. Challenges also face the hotel industry itself, digging out of a recession, still perplexed about what guests are willing to pay for in in-room on-demand entertainment. The chains are also struggling to weigh the cost-benefit of investing in new hardware like big flat-screen high-definition screens for hundreds, or thousands, of rooms they may operate in any given hotel.

LodgeNet provides interactive video service in about 1.5 million rooms in 9,000 hotels in North America. This week, the company plans to announce a new initiative, VOD 2.0, to broaden its appeal to travelers.

Instead of selling a selection of video on-demand movies at a single price, LodgeNet has revamped its system to offer a wider range of movies at various price levels, including budget prices for older movies. But the main feature is a new-release feature that LodgeNet says will provide the earliest availability, outside of movie theaters, for a select number of movies.

This move comes just weeks after DirecTV, whose satellite TV service is mostly used in homes, introduced DirecTV Cinema, which charges $29.99 for high-definition newer movies like “Just Go With It,” starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler. It was available about 60 days after opening in theaters, and will become available on usual cable on-demand menus or on DVDs and Blu-ray. LodgeNet says its VOD 2.0 for hotels has a wider selection of these earliest nontheatrical-release movies, at a price of about half what DirecTV charges.

Will people pay this much for a hotel-room movie, especially as the trend rapidly grows in travelers bringing with them more sophisticated personal mobile technologies like iPads? With free cable television choices in rooms, with the Internet and myriad other diversions already available in ever-wider options on personal mobile devices, is there a real growth market for selling hotel-room movies?

In hotels, market research shows that “the consumer profile of the guest improves with more trips made and higher affluence; that this group is huge consumers of entertainment,” said Derek White, the president of LodgeNet’s Interactive division. “In important terms, they also are very important in helping to socialize new movies.”

He is referring to the argument that some airlines also make — that the studios should be working harder to get newer releases in front of business travelers. These travelers, like my friends, are movie buffs who spread their interest via word of mouth.

In general, movie theater owners, who have been big powers in Hollywood since the silent-film era, do not like any suggestion that might keep anyone away from the box office. But as on-demand personal and in-home video grows, battles over movie distribution schedules are intensifying.
Word of mouth recommendations from people with wide social networks, like business travelers, can actually be part of a newer movie’s promotion and “help these movies take hold” in the market, said Mr. White. “It won’t really steal business away from the main theaters, which is the big issue right now with premium VOD that has the theater owners up in arms.”

It’s going to be interesting to watch, so to speak. Right now, only 16 percent of LodgeNet’s hotel-room base has the requisite big-screen, high-definition TV sets. But as the hotel industry gains better economic traction, “the transition to high-def is really back in gear,” said Mr. White, who added: “For those hotel rooms that actually have gone to the flat screens and hi-def, we’re seeing 40 percent more revenue. You’re just more likely to plunk down $15 for a movie if you can enjoy it on a big beautiful screen in your room.”

Drive-In Movies Return to New Orleans

NOLA Drive-In

NOLA.com: Decades ago in New Orleans, residents looking to catch a cheap movie could go to the drive-in and watch the latest box-office hit from their cars. As many as 10 drive-in theaters thrived from 1940 to 1980, when the phenomenon was in its heyday. But since the last theater closed in the early '80s, those eager to catch an outside flick have been out of luck.

Until now.

A few weeks ago, a new group called NOLA Drive-In screened Jim Jarmusch's "Down by Law" atop a decommissioned Schwegmann's store at 300 N. Broad Street in Mid-City. The free event, which encourages donations, repeats Saturday night, with Wes Anderson's "Bottle Rocket" rolling at 8 p.m.

The enterprise is co-sponsored by the New Orleans Film Society and Broad Community Connections, a nonprofit organization designed to revitalize the Broad Street commercial corridor. BCC's executive director, Jeff Schwartz, said the rooftop parking lot is an excellent venue for the screenings and dovetails perfectly with what his organization is trying to do.

"In our strategic planning meetings, we had envisioned using the ... parking area for something like an outdoor movie theater," said Schwartz, whose group is in negotiations to buy the building. "We just hadn't gotten that far yet."

The rooftop parking lot at the former Schwegmann's was designed to hold about a hundred cars, Bissette said. The first screening in late April was so popular, cars were turned away. But that didn't stop cyclists and pedestrians from joining the party.

"We set up a film screen -- it's 14 feet high and 20 feet wide -- and we put speakers up front," he said. "The idea is to save the room closest to the stage for pedestrians and cyclists, and they either bring folding chairs or blankets to sit on and watch."

Cars are stationed a little farther back, and occupants can tune into a radio station to pick up the film's soundtrack via an FM transmitter that Bissette uses. Moviegoers can bring their own refreshments or buy them on site from vendors who offer beer, snow-balls, popcorn, and Latin food from Glenda's Taco Truck.

Bissette has been told he may need to have two screenings a night to accommodate the crowds, if the first screening is any indication of the event's popularity.

"We really don't know exactly how many people were there, but my guess is about 80 cars and 50 bicycles." said Bissette, who will open the roof tonight at 6 p.m. "It's a good idea to get there early."

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Michigan Firms Suffer From Lost Movie Business

Detroit News: The uncertainty over funding Michigan's film incentives — sparked by a proposed $25 million annual cap — is hurting local businesses from hotels and restaurants to security firms that benefited from movie and television productions over the past three years.

The four-star Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit has booked more than $1 million in overnight room sales since Michigan's film incentive program began in April 2008, said Amanda Toy, the Westin's group sales manager. Earlier this year, it lost $280,000 in business when Marvel Studios chose to shoot a major production in another state, Toy said.

Likewise, Homewood Suites by Hilton-Detroit/Troy learned March 15 that it was losing $124,000 in planned business this year when film crews for the romantic comedy "My Beautiful Mistake" canceled a booking of up to 30 hotel rooms, said hotel sales director Robert McCullough. The production asked the state for a $6.8 million cash rebate based on a projected $17.3 million in spending in Michigan.

"The tax incentive (proposal) pretty much scared them, so they're moving the entire project out of Michigan," McCullough said, adding that film business last year generated revenue for the hotel of nearly $96,000.

Representatives of "My Beautiful Mistake," a mob comedy, could not be reached for comment. But producer Warren Ostergard of Vitamin A Films told The Detroit News in late March that if his film doesn't get a state incentive, he will go to a state that gives one.

McCullough said business from the film industry helped save some of the Troy hotel's 35 jobs during the recession, when corporate business dwindled. "It came at a really good time. The automotive industry around 2008 and 2009 started drying up," he said. "At that same time, we started picking up film business from films 'Gran Torino' and 'Red Dawn' and few other smaller films."

But continuing those levels of sales — which also have aided caterers, car rental companies and restaurants — is in doubt after Gov. Rick Snyder on Feb. 17 announced plans to change the state's uncapped incentive program to a $25 million annual limit in fiscal 2012 and 2013.

Many firms this year got bookings or expected to land business from Marvel's "The Avengers," but it was among the first films to leave the state following Snyder's proposal. "The Avengers" planned to spend $33.67 million in Michigan, including nearly $2.2 million in lodging, more than $453,000 in contracted services such as security and $950,000 in food expenses, according to its incentive application.

RSIG Security lost four work deals when four productions pulled out of the state after Snyder's announcement, said Michael Whittaker, president and CEO of the Southfield-based company that did about $1.2 million in film business last year. The movie work would have brought in about $750,000, he said.

RSIG Security's Whittaker, like other film rebate supporters, is lobbying state lawmakers and hoping for a compromise. "I'm trying to stay positive," he said, "but knowing what we've already lost, you sort of have a hopeless feeling."

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“Boston Rob” Mariano to Co-Host Reality Travel Show

Entertainment Weekly: After he finishes holding court with the ladies on Survivor, Robert “Boston Rob” Mariano will turn his focus to the History Channel to co-host in his own reality show.

Together with Dennis Anderson (creator of the monster truck Gravedigger) the duo will host the upcoming series Around the World in 80 Ways, a 10-part series that’ll bow later this year. Their goal: Circumnavigate the globe using 80 different modes of travel without repeating any vehicle.

“This series captures History’s commitment to highly compelling entertainment within a historical framework,” said Dirk Hoogstra, History’s senior VP of development, in a statement. “The dynamic between our two hosts will make for great television, while viewers can journey around the world with them to explore the ingenuity of travel in every era, throughout all stages of technological advances.”

Apparently, Mariano and Anderson will “employ every conceivable means of transportation – blimp and fighter jet, ostrich and canoe, chariot and hitchhiking” to complete their trip. Mariano is a four-time Survivor contestant and a two-time competitor, along with his wife Amber Brkich, on The Amazing Race. Besides Gravedigger, Anderson has appeared on America’s Toughest Jobs and Monster Jam.

Around the World in 80 Ways is from Original Prods.