Selling 'Shame;' The State and Fate of Movie Theaters

The new movie, Shame, starring Michael Fassbender and directed by British filmmaker/visual artist Steve McQueen, is about a man addicted to sex. And what he does is so shameful that it's garnered the dreaded NC-17 rating in the US. That's a risky business proposition given that NC-17 rated films have never done well at the box office. We talk with the people who helped secure financing for Shame back when it was just a screenplay and who strategically sold the distribution rights to Fox Searchlight for the American market.

Plus, when you go to the movies do you think you're getting your money's worth? We sit down with John Fithian, head of the National Association of Theater Owners, to talk about everything from the price of 3-D tickets to the quality of the theater-going experience and the continued squabbles with Hollywood studios over efforts to close the window between when a movie is released in theaters and when it's available to watch in your living room.

Today's Banter Topics:

- The Artist gains awards momentum and Harvey Weinstein is back in his element

- Hollywood v. Silicon Valley and the Stop Online Piracy Act (aka SOPA)

- Paramount Pictures sued by Investment group saying they're owed money of the studio's big hits

Banner image:

hryckowian/flickr