Mischer/Rattner To Produce 84th Oscars

[Big Magilla]

An Open Letter to the Entertainment Industry from Brett Ratner

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last few days, I’ve gotten a well-deserved earful from many of the people I admire most
in this industry expressing their outrage and disappointment over the hurtful and stupid things I
said in a number of recent media appearances. To them, and to everyone I’ve hurt and
offended, I’d like to apologize publicly and unreservedly.

As difficult as the last few days have been for me, they cannot compare to the experience of any
young man or woman who has been the target of offensive slurs or derogatory comments. And
they pale in comparison to what any gay, lesbian, or transgender individual must deal with as
they confront the many inequalities that continue to plague our world.

So many artists and craftspeople in our business are members of the LGBT community, and it
pains me deeply that I may have hurt them. I should have known this all along, but at least I
know it now: words do matter. Having love in your heart doesn’t count for much if what comes
out of your mouth is ugly and bigoted. With this in mind, and to all those who understandably
feel that apologies are not enough, please know that I will be taking real action over the coming
weeks and months in an effort to do everything I can both professionally and personally to help
stamp out the kind of thoughtless bigotry I’ve so foolishly perpetuated.

As a first step, I called Tom Sherak this morning and resigned as a producer of the 84th
Academy Awards telecast. Being asked to help put on the Oscar show was the proudest
moment of my career. But as painful as this may be for me, it would be worse if my association
with the show were to be a distraction from the Academy and the high ideals it represents.

I am grateful to GLAAD for engaging me in a dialogue about what we can do together to
increase awareness of the important and troubling issues this episode has raised and I look
forward to working with them. I am incredibly lucky to have a career in this business that I love
with all of my heart and to be able to work alongside so many of my heroes. I deeply regret my
actions and I am determined to learn from this experience.

Sincerely,
Brett Ratner

[Damien]

Sweet! And I will say that this is one of the most sincere-sounding celebrity apologies I've heard.

[Big Magilla]

It's over

Brett Ratner is calling it quits.

In a stunning turn of events, the controversial director has resigned from producing the Academy Awards telecast...

READ: Movie Academy Scolds Brett Ratner for Gay Slur: "It Will Not Happen Again"

The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report Ratner's resignation.

"He did the right thing for the Academy and for himself," Academy president Tom Sherak said in a statement. "Words have meaning, and they have consequences. Brett is a good person, but his comments were unacceptable. We all hope this will be an opportunity to raise awareness about the harm that is caused by reckless and insensitive remarks, regardless of the intent."

Ratner came under fire from GLAAD this week for using a gay slur during a Tower Heist Q&A over the weekend. He's also been blasted for a sexually crass chat he had during an appearance yesterday on Howard Stern's radio show.

It's still unclear if Eddie Murphy will stay on as host. His rep didn't not immediately comment for this story.


Read more: http://www.eonline.com/news/marc_malkin ... z1dAI6Dp6m

[ksrymy]

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A ... _64m6HHfhA

[Bog]

Oh I know...plus no Cliff Lee this year before the series either...and what Burnett may lack in non-batshit craziness, Nova in experience, and Garcia and Colon in youth...its likely better th this year an what's behind Verlander and Wilson...in other words a potentially scary but likely trip to the ALCS.

Exactly what we 48 states were hoping for was the seemingly every other year decision of which evil can we stand more going for a chance at winning it all this year...

[Mister Tee]

Damien!...are you back now to discuss movies since our respective baseball teams across the board seem to be lacklustre down the stretch (read: choking).

Yes I know the Yankees will make the playoffs but in the playoffs a team needs pitching

For the record -- and contrary to popular perception -- the Yankee team ERA as of this morning is 3.66, barely second in the league to Tampa's 3.61. Which is to say, better than any other AL team that's likely to make the post-season.

I realize the general take is "CC and who else?", but somehow the castoffs and rookies have been outpitching some vaunted pitching staffs this season.

[Bog]

Damien!...are you back now to discuss movies since our respective baseball teams across the board seem to be lacklustre down the stretch (read: choking).

Yes I know the Yankees will make the playoffs but in the playoffs a team needs pitching

[Damien]

I love Brett Ratner's biography on IMDB, which I suspect he wrote himself. It says it all. (Actually, I always get Ratner mixed up with Bryan Singer.)
=========================================================================================================================
Ratner grew up in Miami Beach, the only child of a famous Jewish socialite mother. He attended Miami Beach Senior High and was President of the Leo Club in 1986. He was also a member of the "fraternity" Royal Palm. He attended NYU film school and currently lives in a $3.6 M house in Beverly Hills. Ratner is also a good friend of Def Jam mogul Russell Simmons,

[Big Magilla]

I knew once Tom Sherak was re-elected President we'd be in for more of the same. Neither he nor Misher nor Ratner have serious resumes. None of them should have anything to do with the Oscars. Someone exhume Gregory Peck, please.

[OscarGuy]

You know, back during Gil Cates' reign, I remember how frequently he was bashed for his telecasts. That people are looking back on those years fondly wishing for a return either suggests the Academy has lost its way or that they just don't know what the hell they're doing anymore.

[anonymous1980]

As long as they don't get Chris Tucker to host, I don't see how this can be any worse than an Adam Shankman produced Oscar telecast.

Although it does make me miss Gilbert Cates.

[Mister Tee]

Step One: Rehire the guy who produced last year's widely panned edition.

Step Two: Team him up with a hack director.

Oy, in advance.


Brett Ratner & Don Mischer producing 84th Oscars
By Ryan Adams | August 4, 2011 | 84th Academy Awards | 5 Comments Academy press release:

Beverly Hills, CA—Brett Ratner and Don Mischer will produce the 84th Academy Awards telecast, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak announced today. This will be Ratner’s first involvement with the Oscar show; Mischer will for the second year in a row serve as a producer and as the telecast director.

“I was so impressed with Brett when I met with him to discuss the Oscar show,” said Sherak. “He has an incredible love of film and its history and is a true student of the business of movies. He’s unbelievably creative and knows how to take risks that are both interesting and inspiring. Together with Don Mischer – who, by the way, just earned an Emmy nomination for his work on the 83rd Academy Awards – I think these two will give us a fantastic Oscar show that you won’t want to miss.”


Don Mischer“I’m thrilled that Don will again bring his tremendous expertise to the Oscar telecast,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “And Brett has a really smart and fresh take for the show. They have great chemistry, and their vision meshed so well with ours.”

“Making movies has been my dream since childhood, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have made several, but the Oscar show is in a league of its own,” said Ratner. “It will be fantastic to work with a live television master like Don to meld the glamour of legendary Hollywood with the enormous talents who thrill moviegoers today.”

“The Academy Awards are in a class by themselves, and I’m elated that the Academy has asked me to return,” said Mischer. “I hope to take the wealth of knowledge I now have about the Oscars, which is a completely unique kind of show, and work with Brett to create an evening that is fast-paced, fun, and memorable to movie fans and Oscar fans everywhere.”

Ratner’s work spans movies, including eight features; numerous television series; over 100 music videos; and a multitude of commercials. A native of Miami Beach, he is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he now serves on the Dean’s Council. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Simon Wiesenthal Center. Ratner’s next directorial release is “Tower Heist,” due out in November, and he will soon begin directing “39 Clues” for DreamWorks, based on the popular young-adult book series published by Scholastic, as well as “Hercules: The Thracian Wars” for MGM. Ratner’s film producing credits include “Horrible Bosses,” currently in release, as well as an upcoming adaptation of “Snow White,” in which Julia Roberts will play the Queen. Additionally, Ratner has produced documentaries about the legendary photographer Helmut Newton and the actor John Cazale, and he executive produced the documentary “Catfish” as well as the upcoming “Seriously Funny – The Comic Art of Woody Allen,” which will debut on PBS in November as a two-part installment of the “American Masters” series.