Tuesday, May 02, 2006

MANNEQUIN 2: the untold story

Buried in Sunday’s comments was a request to hear more about MANNEQUIN 2. My partner, David Isaacs and I sheepishly share credit on that movie (damn you, IMDB!!) and Andrew W. wants us to explain ourselves.

We did an extensive rewrite on MANNEQUIN 1, working for a couple of swell guys – Bruce McNall (former owner of the LA KINGS who later was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison) and David Begelman (who as President of Columbia Pictures was caught forging bogus expense checks as Cliff Robertson).

They wanted to pay us in TV’s but our agent insisted on money. (What’s 10% of a television, the speakers?) We did the rewrite in two weeks, actually had fun with it, and did receive our payment in US currency. (It was on this rewrite that we instituted the “24 second logic clock”. We were not going to get bogged down discussing whether a mannequin would do this or that. 24 seconds of debate, we picked a course of action and just went with it.)

MANNEQUIN was a huge hit, enough to warrant MANNEQUIN 2. Again we got the call to rewrite it. “For luck” as Begelman said. We said fine but we’d like more “lucky bucks”. This time they were willing to throw in a VCR and camcorder but again we insisted on money.

This script was even worse than the first but did our best. We turned it in, ran immediately to the bank to cash our checks, and then forgot about it. Months later we received the shooting script (further revised from ours) and the proposed credits. To our horror the script was worse and the studio was giving us shared credit.

We called our agent. Did we even WANT credit on this stinkburger? Yes, he said, because we would then be entitled to royalties. Okay then.

Anytime there is more than the original writer listed on the proposed credits the matter automatically goes to a WGA arbitration. I’ve been involved on both sides of this aisle – petitioning and arbitrating. Each writer drafts a statement pleading his case. These are always long, impassioned, pleas – how the idea came from their own lives and suffering and if they lost it would be a miscarriage of justice on the scale of OJ. We certainly in good conscience couldn’t write something like that. So what we wrote instead was:

To Whom It May Concern:

According to the bylaws set forth by the WGA credits manual we believe the credit should stand as proposed.

Thank you.

*****

That’s it.

We won.

When the movie finally was released (escaped) I was announcing for the Orioles. We were in Detroit. I went to see it on opening night. Big multiplex theatre. There were six people in the audience…counting me.

The movie went on to make nothing. McNall went to the federal pen. Begelman eventually killed himself. The film aired on a major network and has been shown for years on cable channels. Our agent was right. There were royalties we were entitled to.

We never saw a penny.

We should’ve taken the TV. At least we could sell it on ebay.

9 comments :

Anonymous said...

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE OPERAH WINFREY SHOW THAT CHANGED THE LIVES AND CAUSED MASSIVE WEALTH AMONGST COMMON INTERNET USERS READ THIS NOW AND BE A PART OF THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD MAKING A FORTUNE AND LIVING THE LIFE OF LUXURY FOR A MERE $6.00 INVESTMENT(no selling) HOW TO MAKE THOUSANDS DOING NOTHING AT ALL Keep in mind that everything stated below is 100% legal as stated by the U.S. Post Office (1-800-725-2161). A little while back, I was browsing through newsgroups, and came across an article similar to this that said you could make thousands of dollars within weeks with only an initial investment of $6.00! : So I thought,' Yeah, right, this must be a scam', but like most of us, I was curious, so I kept reading. Anway it said that you have to send $1.00 to each of the following names on the list, stated at the end of this article using Paypal (our new form of transferring money safely and securely). You dont have to be preferred or verified to transfer and recieve money, so you lose no money through transfers. Now honestly, what is six dollars, especially out of a Paypal account. In exchange you will make thousands in the first few months. You then place your own name and email address (registered for Paypal transfers) in the bottom of the list at #6, and post the article in at least 200 newsgroups. (There are thousands of newsgroups) No catch, that was it. So after thinking it over, and talking to a few people first, I thought about trying it. I sent out my measly 6.00 to the six people on the list. Well GUESS WHAT!!... Within 7 days, I started: getting $$$$$ in my account! I was shocked! I figured it would end soon, but the CASH just kept coming in. In my first week, I made about $10.00. By the end of the second week I had made a total of over $500.00! In the third week I had over $1000.00 and it's still growing. This is now my fourth week and I have made a total of just over $5,000.00 and it's still coming in rapidly. It's certainly worth $6.00 and 6 minutes to send it out. This program WORKS, all you have to do is try it, and waste some pocket change. You could find six dollars laying around the house. There is absolutely nothing you could lose. Just follow the 4 basic steps below to make thousands in just a few days, weeks, or months, it all depends on how many posts of this letter you put in message boards. Heres how it works: When you post 200 messages all over the internet, it is estimated that at least 15 people will respond and send you a $1.00. ($15.00) Those 15 will Post 200 Posts each and 225 people send you $1.00 ($225.00) Those 225 people Post 200 Posts each and 3,375 people send you $1.00 ($3,375.00) Those 3,375 post 200 posts each and 759,375 people send you $1.00 ($759,375.00) At this point your name drops off the list, but so far you have received $813,615.00. Note: I'm not saying this is going to make everyone 800 grand, but lets say even 1 person out of 200 tries this program, you are still going to make 50,000 dollars in anywhere from 1 month to 6 months max!!!!! ..You dont have to post in 200 message boards but the more you post in the Greater your income will be SO SAVE THIS MESSAGE NOW IF YOUR INTERESTED IN CHANGING YOUR LIFE!!! And go to the instructions below to get started immediately. You must send out 6 dollars to the people at the end of the letter before swapping your name in, or else those 6 people will not add you to there list, therefore you will not make any money. INSTRUCTIONS: Sign up for a FREE PAYPAL ACCOUNT @ www.paypal.com <<1>>. Immediately send $1.00 to each of the six people on the list using Paypal, and in the comment section type "Please add me to your list". <<2>>. Now Copy this letter. All you have to do is save this whole article along with instructions, etc in a word file/note pad on your computer,or Highlight All the text on this page..and copy paste it to Notepad <<3>>. After sending the money to the first 6 people on the list, you can remove the name next to the #1 on the list and move the rest of the names up one position (#2 becomes #1, #3 becomes #2, ect... Then place your name in the #6 position. Then save it. <<4>>. When you have completed the instructions, take this letter and then go to (Google, Yahoo,...) and type in (Making Money Message board, Money Message Board, Money Forum, Free money Forum, or anything along those lines that are forums) and start posting your copy of this message at least 200 times, to as many unique message boards as you can, or more. The more times you post this at a unique board, the more money you will make. The more copies you send the better the results. Keep a copy of this letter so you can use it a second time. Post it out again in six months, but Post it with the addresses you receive with each dollar. It will work better the second time. NOTE: This service is 100% legal - (Refer to title 18 section 1302 of the U.S. Postal & lottery laws) P.S. There is no possible way to cheat this program. If you do not follow the instructions exactly, you will not make any money, GUARANTEED. Paypal accounts to send 1 dollar to : <<<1>>> StvHgg@aol.com <<<2>>> roy81471@charter.net <<<3>>> petermclure@hotmail.com <<<4>>> ecf_real@hotmail.com <<<5>>> mrsair28@yahoo.com <<<6>>>Markit95@yahoo.com REMEMBER AGAIN- After you've mailed 1 dollar to each of these people, then you can add your paypal name to the 6th position, and move the rest up one spot. Amazingly Enuff this was featured OPERAH WINFREY...20/20 and also Headlined in the Wall Street Journal So What are you waiting for..Small Investment for Big Returns..Yours for the Taking.... Dont Pass this one up then ponder WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN Have fun

Anonymous said...

Damn, the Oprah guy beat me.

Actually, I saw Mannequin 2 in the theater on opening night too. I was one of five people. Some mother brought her two upset kids after shopping. They didn't get it, the whole mannequin to person thing....

Anonymous said...

Speaking of the IMDB, according to it, you were a location manager on "Jurrasic Park". Are they mixing you up with another Ken Levine or did you actually work on it?

Emily Blake said...

Any movie about dead or plastic people being manipulated to behave like live humans needs to include Andrew McCarthy. I was so in love with him when I was a wee girl. If he'd been in the sequel the theater would have been packed. That man is box-office platinum.

Anonymous said...

ouch, anonymous drive by comment spam got through on the first one, Ken - you have my sympathies - it's a bitch -

What I'd like to know is, why haven't you received cable / television royolties for M2, electric boogaloo? They're there, right? Why can't you get them?

I caught Volunteers on cable a couple months back and I assume you got some dollars for that? Why not with M2, isn't that what the union is for?

If I recall correctly(I don't have imdb close) Nicolous Meyer directed Volunteers - he's a U of I grad like meself . . .

Kelly J. Crawford said...

I thoroughly enjoyed Mannequin when it came out in 1987. I had just been hired for my very first (paying) job as a teenager, working the concession stand at a movie theatre, and Mannequin was the movie I started with. It was a sleeper hit and played for about 6 or 7 weeks. I've seen (and heard) the film about 80 times and, to this day, still recall fond memories of it when I sing the end credit theme music from Starship "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now".

Anonymous said...

It’s debatable who has more emotional range: Andrew McCarthy, the mannequin, or Bernie.

Why even defile the cinematic Mona Lisa that is ‘Mannequin’ with a sequel? That is the real untold story of Mannequin II.

But, because you had a hand in creating some of the best sitcoms in the last thirty-five years (MASH, Cheers, Wings) (yes I said Wings dammit- great underrated show), you are entitled to a free pass or two.

Anonymous said...

Nice Blog. I will keep reading. Please take the time and visit my blog about: Internet Marketing and Making Money Online

MajorEnterprise

Anonymous said...

Nice Blog. I will continue reading. Feel free to visit:

The source for information on internet classified advertising and the cheapest advertising method to boost "ANY" business online or off! Think targeted classified ads. Make Money Online using unique state-of-the-art classified advertising strategies.Carael Knight


The Internet Marketing Genius, Carael Knight