Entertainment Weekly’s #1 “smartest” Hollywood player, Judd Apatow, says “it doesn’t look good” for an end to the writers’ strike any time soon. The well-connected catalyst behind hits like Knocked Up has told the Toronto Star that the studios and producers are prepared to dig in and crush the union’s demand for payment for Internet downloads and movie streaming, “which are expected to become a big part of the industry in the coming years.”

It would cost very little money to end the strike and (the producers) are basically trying to create a way of paying people so that when the Internet explodes, they’ll wind up paying less than they do now to writers. And I don’t think they’re going to get away with it. The writers really failed to stand up for themselves with the DVD (in a previous contract dispute) and they feel terrible about it, and enough of them will not give up that it will have to be resolved in a reasonably fair manner.

There have been a few articles about Alberto Arroyo, who is the unofficial Mayor of Central Park, but today's NY Times feature about him has an awesome slideshow with his narration. At 89, he's been been a staple around the Central Park Reservoir for years (he claims to be the first to run around the reservoir), either running or, more recently, using a walker. Arroyo used to run during his lunch hour while working at Bethlehem Steel in Battery Park, which was unheard of back then, and ran in the first NYC marathon. We've seen Arroyo in the park and must say that seeing his friendly wave is great encouragement as we huff and puff our way around. more ›

Watch some Triumph clips for yourself. more ›

Gothamist's pick for any kind of moviegoing this weekend is by far, Lost in Translation, the best movie we've seen in a very long time. We were struck by it when we first saw it, and may have to see it again soon as it opens today. It has a brilliant performance from Bill Murray, who is being talked up for an Oscar nod at the very least (let's hope, unlike when he was last mentioned in the same breath as Oscar during Rushmore, the Academy actually nominates him). more ›

Upon first looking at this list of 50 ways to fix the movies, you might think, anybody could have thought of it. But that's the brilliance - it's what we all think. And leave it to two Canadians to put it to paper in the Toronto Star. Gothamist heartily agrees with many entries, especially these: more ›