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Burning Q's: The IMAX Bump & No-Name Gossip

Wed., Jul. 30, 2008 1:14 PM PDT by Leslie Gornstein

FAME

How have The Dark Knight's record-setting profits been influenced by people seeing it in IMAX theaters, which might charge more?
—Megan, San Fernando Valley, Calif.

Let's put it this way: IMAX allowed the movie to reach its $300 million record, like, a day earlier than it would have otherwise.

Of the movie's estimated 10-day, $314 million gross, IMAX counts for about $16.3 million, according to Paul Dergerabedian of Media By Numbers. "It's not that IMAX is fueling all this," he tells me, "but it's icing on the cake."

Tell us a bit more about Christopher Ciccone's tell-all Madonna book.
—Joshua

Yawn. Let's see: Per Ciccone, Madonna, at one point in her life, routinely dragged her brother into grueling six-mile jogs. During her 1993 tour, she lived by a rigid schedule in which every hour of her day, right up to her 11 p.m. bedtime, was planned. Maintained her voice with salt-water gargles and—can I stop now?

What's the deal with blind items? Why not just name names?
—Chad, Atlanta

Because even though the reporter generally believes the item to be true, the elements within the story—usually drugs, homosexuality or crime—could trigger a libel lawsuit from the celebrity. The celeb might not win the suit, but by then, the press outlet would be bankrupts.

So when a bunch of my reporter friends witness a star snorting coke off her BlackBerry—directly in front of them, and they have—they know better than to try to print a name.

Hi, Leslie! Explain please: I don't care about Hollywood, I don't love snark, but somehow I'm totally addicted to your show! Why???
—Jennifer, NYC

Truth: It's habit forming. Click over there to the right to catch my latest podcast via Web.

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