The News: What's "Connecticut"?

By S.T. VanAirsdale

Some of today's movie news of note from around New York:

--A weekend report in Crain's noted that the state of New York has lost more than $400 million in revenue since a state called "Connecticut," apparently our neighbor to the northeast, began offering tax incentives to productions shooting there. Another $300 million went to the mysterious "Rhode Island" and "Massachusetts." Said a disbelieving Silvercup Studios president Stuart Match Suna: "If they can fake the Bronx in Connecticut, they can do anything." From the deep reaches of her rolling rural backlot, Connecticut Film Dutchess Cathy Moriarty was heard shrieking with delight. [H/T: Gothamist]

--The Coens are hooking back up with No Country For Old Men producer Scott Rudin for an adaptation of Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union. "Jewish settlers are about to be displaced by U.S. government's plans to turn the frozen locale of Sitka, Alaska, over to Alaskan natives," writes Michael Fleming. "Against this backdrop is a noir-style murder mystery in which a rogue cop investigates the killing of a heroin-addicted chess prodigy who might be the messiah." So basically it's Fargo with Jews. Sounds like a Connecticut film to me.

--Gwyneth Paltrow is apparently considering adopting a baby from the downtrodden third-world nation of Brooklyn. Now that's a true New Yorker: staying local when they're offering such lucrative tax credits for productions in Connecticut.

--At Pullquote, the Cinetrix alerts us to a piece about the diminishing audience for repertory cinema and featuring comments from Film Forum's very own Bruce Goldstein, who knows a thing or two about this game.

--In The NY Times, David Carr asks (and attempts to answer): "Who won the writer's strike?" Tony Gilroy claimed victory from midtown Manhattan. Take that, Connecticut! (Whatever you are.)

Posted at February 12, 2008 10:04 AM