PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: S. Ill. Univ. Press at 800/346-2680 Rivas Canyon Press 310/454-6525 Author at 310/477-6842 FILM INDUSTRY CRITIC TARGETS MAJOR HOLLYWOOD STUDIO BUSINESS PRACTICES Los Angeles--The fourth book in a series by Los Angeles securities/entertainment attorney John W. Cones on the Hollywood- based U.S. film industry has been published by Southern Illinois University Press (SIUP). Cones' fourth book is entitled THE FEATURE FILM DISTRIBUTION DEAL--A Critical Analysis of the Single Most Important Film Industry Agreement. His earlier book titles include Film Finance and Distribution--A Dictionary of Terms (Silman-James Press), Film Industry Contracts (Rivas Canyon Press) and 43 Ways to Finance Your Feature Film (SIUP). Each of Cones' books about the film industry have been progressively more critical of the manner in which the major studio film distributors conduct their business. It is the primary contention of this fourth book that the pervasive market power of the major studio/distributors in the United States (their films generate about 92% of the domestic theatrical box office gross each year) has been gained and is maintained by engaging in numerous questionable, unethical, unfair, unconscionable, anti-competitive, predatory and/or illegal business practices. Cones states that the feature film distribution deal is one of the major vehicles for the implementation of the shared business strategies of these major studio/distributors (i.e., Paramount, Warner Bros., MCA/Universal, Disney, Columbia/TriStar, MGM/UA and 20th Century Fox), whose operations form an anti-competitive oligopoly. A companion volume How the Movie Wars Were Won, explains the many other business practices, also regularly used by these same major studio/distributors to keep a small narrowly-defined group of Hollywood insiders in control of the U.S. film industry for its nearly 90-year history. In addition to his specialized law practice and his book writing, Cones actively lectures about film finance and related topics for such sponsoring organizations as the USC School of Cinema & TV, the UCLA graduate level Producer's Program, American University (in Washington, D.C.), UCLA Extension, the USC Cinema & TV Alumni Association, IFP/West, Women in Film, the California Lawyers for the Arts, California State University, the Charleston and Houston International Film Festivals and others. He also has a World Wide Web site that includes an online question and answer session relating to Investor Financing of Entertainment Projects (http://hollywoodnetwork.com/Cones). His E-mail address is [log in to unmask] Cones ultimately hopes his research, analysis, writing and lectures about Hollywood will serve as a catalyst for helping to bring about long-term and lasting film industry reforms that will permit greater diversity in film. Other titles in his book series include Patterns of Bias in Motion Picture Content; Motion Picture Biographies--The Hollywood Spin on Historical Figures; A Study in Motion Picture Propaganda; Who Really Controls Hollywood; Legacy of the Hollywood Empire; Politics, Movies and the Role of Government; Hollywood Corruption and Motion Picture Industry Reform. These latter titles are currently available in manuscript format direct from Rivas Canyon Press at 310/454-6525. The Truth About Hollywood by John W. Cones "The most incredible series of books ever written about the Hollywood-based U.S. film industry!" BOOK DESCRIPTIONS, PRICE LIST AND ORDER FORM Books Available Through Publishers, Local Bookstores or Online at Amazon.com: FILM FINANCE & DISTRIBUTION--A DICTIONARY OF TERMS--Definitions of some 3,600 terms used in the film industry in the finance and distribution of feature films. In addition, to the definitions, examples of usage and commentary are provided for some terms. ISBN # 1-879505-12-6 Published by Silman-James Press; Distributed by Samuel French Trade; phone 213/876-0570 566 pages--$24.95 43 WAYS TO FINANCE YOUR FEATURE FILM--A comprehensive overview of film finance with a discussion of advantages and disadvantages of forty-three different ways to finance feature films and other entertainment projects. ISBN # 0-8093-1968-3 Published by Southern Illinois University Press; phone 800/346-2680 or 618/453-6619 207 pages--$14.95 THE FEATURE FILM DISTRIBUTION DEAL--A provision-by-provision critical analysis of the single most important film industry agreement. The book clearly demonstrates why it is highly unlikely that anyone will ever get a "good" feature film distribution deal. The book also provides samples of five different film distribution agreements in its appendix. ISBN # 0-8093-2082-7 Published by Southern Illinois University Press; phone 800/346-2680 or 618/453-6619 380 pages--$34.95 Books Available in Manuscript Format Through Rivas Canyon Press at 310/454-6525: FILM INDUSTRY CONTRACTS--A collection of 100 sample film industry agreements relating to acquisition, development, packaging, employment, lender financing, investor financing, production documentation, distribution, exhibition, merchandising and licensing. Also available on computer diskettes (in Word Perfect and Mac). 640 pages--$89.95 HOW THE MOVIE WARS WERE WON--A comprehensive analysis and discussion of hundreds of the specific business practices used during the nearly 90-year span of control of the Hollywood-based U.S. film industry by the so-called Hollywood control group (or traditional Hollywood management). 305 pages--$22.95 PATTERNS OF BIAS IN MOTION PICTURE CONTENT--A survey of the reviews of thousands of Hollywood films, which shows that in addition to the Hollywood preferences for graphic sex, gratuitous violence, offensive language and anti-authority themes identified by others, Hollywood films also consistently portray whole populations of our diverse society in a negative and/or stereotypical manner. The book also argues that such portrayals have an anti-social effect on our society. 230 pages--$18.95 A STUDY IN MOTION PICTURE PROPAGANDA: Hollywood's Preferred Movie Messages--A re-examination of the ways in which Hollywood movies clearly were used during World War II as propaganda vehicles, and a demonstration that such techniques have merely been modified slightly for use in contemporary movies for less blatant but similar civilian purposes. This study also provides a description of the populations that are consistently portrayed in Hollywood movies in a more favorable light and argues that such portrayals actually rise to the level of movie propaganda. 390 pages--$28.95 MOTION PICTURE BIOGRAPHIES--The Hollywood Spin on Historical Figures--A study that shows how Hollywood has selectively provided positive and negative portrayals of historical figures through motion picture biographies throughout the history of the Hollywood-based U.S. film industry right up through the '90s. 283 pages--$21.95 POLITICS, MOVIES AND THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT--This book provides an historical look at how the Hollywood-based U.S. film industry has manipulated and influenced the U.S. government throughout much of the industry's nearly 90-year history, and shows how that abuse of influence continues today. It therefore annihilates the notion put forth by some that there is no role for government in legislating or regulating the conduct of the U.S. film industry. This book also examines the nearly 90-year relationship between the development of U.S. antitrust laws and the movie industry. In addition, it raises serious questions about whether the famous Paramount consent decrees accomplished their purpose, and whether the federal government has now been captured by the powerful film industry, at least with respect to the enforcement, or the lack thereof, of the U.S. antitrust and employment discrimination laws in the film industry. 298 pages--$21.95 WHO REALLY CONTROLS HOLLYWOOD--A re-examination of the question raised earlier (but not completely or accurately answered) by Neal Gabler, Michael Medved, Pierce O'Donnell, Joel Kotkin and others with respect to who really controls the Hollywood-based U.S. film industry, and is therefore primarily responsible for the decisions made with respect to which movies are produced and released, who gets to work on those movies and the actual content of such films. 211 pages--$17.95 LEGACY OF THE HOLLYWOOD EMPIRE--A review of the long-term effects of allowing excessive power to be held by a small narrowly- defined group in the Hollywood-based U.S. film industry. The author points to a deterioration in the quality of films as well as significant economic and human losses. He goes further to speculate about the motivation of the Hollywood control group. This book also makes the argument that a motion picture is much more than merely entertainment, (a claim commonly made by film industry executives). It demonstrates that the motion picture is, as stated by the U.S. Supreme Court, a significant medium for the communication of ideas, and goes further to point out with pure logic, that since ideas influence human behavior, all movies therefore have the potential for influencing human conduct. 335 pages--$24.95 HOLLYWOOD CORRUPTION--A revealing study of various forms of corruption that have permeated the environment of the Hollywood- based U.S. film industry from its earliest days. This book goes on to point out there is really no reason why anyone should presume that even more sophisticated forms of corruption continue to be practiced at all levels of the industry today. 205 pages--$15.95 MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY REFORM--A discussion of various techniques, strategies and methods that may be useful in bringing about the long-term reform of the U.S. motion picture industry, which is considered by the author to be one of the most significant media for the communication of ideas yet devised. 208 pages--$17.50 ABOUT THE AUTHOR--John Cones is a Los Angeles-based securities/entertainment attorney who maintains a private practice advising, film, video, television and theatre producers about investor financing of entertainment projects. He lectures frequently on the subjects of film finance and distribution, and, of course, has written extensively about related topics. Mr. Cones also maintains a World Web Site that includes a Q&A session on investor financing of entertainment projects at-- http://hollywoodnetwork.com/Cones. His E-mail address is [log in to unmask] ================================================================= ORDER FORM (for books available through Rivas Canyon Press in manuscript format) ================================================================= Qty Title Price/Item Total/Item _____ Film Industry Contracts $89.90 ________ _____ How the Movie Wars Were Won $22.95 ________ _____ Patterns of Bias in Motion Picture Content $18.95 ________ _____ A Study in Motion Picture Propaganda $28.95 ________ _____ Motion Picture Biographies $21.95 ________ _____ Politics, Movies and the Role of Government $21.95 ________ _____ Who Really Controls Hollywood $17.95 ________ _____ Legacy of the Hollywood Empire $24.95 ________ _____ Hollywood Corruption $15.95 ________ _____ Motion Picture Industry Reform $17.50 ________ SUB-TOTAL ________ Discounts:20% off for the purchase of all self-published titles ________ 10% off for the purchase of 3 or more titles ________ DISCOUNTED SUB-TOTAL ________ Tax: LA County residents add 8.25% ________ Other California residents add 7.25% ________ Shipping & Handling: $2.50 for 1st book; .50 for each additional book ________ Add $15.00 for shipments outside the U.S. ________ TOTAL ENCLOSED ________ Credit Cards Not Accepted--Make Check Payable To: RIVAS CANYON PRESS Send Payment and Order Form to: 1324 Marinette Road, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 Order Will Be Shipped To (allow 2-3 weeks for delivery): Name____________________________________________________________ Company Name___________________________________________________ Street Address_________________________________________________ City/State/Zip__________________________________________________ Direct questions to Rivas Canyon Press at 310/454-6525 in Los Angeles. --o0o-- ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. 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