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Napster: The Movie 249

Posted by chrisd from the when-the-weird-turn-pro dept.
Joey Patterson writes "Looks like the story of Napster founder Shawn Fanning is headed to the small screen. CNET News.com reports that Fanning has signed a deal with MTV to turn his life story into a movie, which will focus on his personal saga during Napster's rise and fall. There's no word yet on who the cast will be (although Fanning may play himself), but Alex Winter (who played Bill in the "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" movies) will write (and possibly direct) the film."
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Napster: The Movie More

Napster: The Movie

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  • First the Simpsons sign on for a three movie deal, and now a movie about Fanning... Wonder which one will be more humourous?
    • I hope it has a happy ending, such as a crazed music fan, yelling "You killed Napster!" and gunning down Lars Ulrich. Some scenes of Hilary Rosen snorting coke would be a good thing to include, too.

  • Kazaa (Score:5, Funny)

    by screenbert ( 253482 ) <screenbert@[ ]mail.com ['hot' in gap]> on Friday October 04, 2002 @10:46AM (#4386880) Homepage Journal
    Think I can download it off of Kazaa?

    • Re:Kazaa (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      you sure as hell aren't going to find it on the RIAA website ;)

    • Re:Kazaa (Score:2, Funny)

      by hendridm ( 302246 )
      > Think I can download it off of Kazaa?

      Perhaps, but I reckon you'll see it rerun on Fox before your Kazaa download finishes.

      Status: More sources needed...

    • Re:Kazaa (Score:5, Funny)

      by Ooblek ( 544753 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @11:52AM (#4387339)
      You don't need to download it. Here is the script for the movie:

      The scene opens with the camera moving slowly up a concrete walkway towards the front door or a brick house. It is night time and the front porch light is on. Tiki lamps (the type you get at home depot for $29.95 for 20) line the concrete walkway.) When the camera gets to the front step, the scene wipes into the bedroom of a typical suburban teen. Here we meet the protagonist, Rakeesh Mumalalalamynasian

      Rakeesh: Hey, there is that '80s song I've been looking for since I graduated from elementary school. Wow, the memories. I better download it!

      The viewer sees Rakeesh double-click on the song.

      Rakeesh: Yeah, this guy has a phat-pipe! 30kb/sec! I should have it in no time!

      Rakeesh continues to look at the computer screen anxiously....

      Rakeesh: Wait, what?!?! 96% and its stalling at 0kb/sec? Ack, the connection dropped! You snot-sucking mp3 whore! You closed Napster in the middle of my download!!!! Now I have to find someone else who has this song!

      Repeat 152 times, or until the movie is two hours long

  • I knew alex winter had a stint with modona a while back, I guess its good to see he is still in the business. I love bill and teds... I aspired to BE Ted for about 8 years of my life (and mabye still a little bit). anyway, hopfully the movie doesn't suck
  • I hate those MTV "this is how you should live" lifestyle movies/"shows"...I have a feeling this is gonna be another one of those teen cult movies about computers which will get it all wrong anyway... Hehe, wonder how Fanning will feel about this movie being pirated on the net? (which it probably will be)

  • But which point of view? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by octalgirl ( 580949 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @10:48AM (#4386895) Journal
    Curious to see what type of spin they will put on this - either the RIAA will come out looking like justified heros, or Fanning will look like the media scapegoat.

    • Re:But which point of view? (Score:5, Insightful)

      by clemfoley ( 540680 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @10:57AM (#4386966)
      What complicates matters is that the movie is being aired on MTV. If it was aired on a non-music network, we could all imagine that the point of view would be to support the "hurting" music/media industry. But what will MTV do? Half of their success is based on music that is created by the music industry. The other half is based on those who listen to the music, most of them opposed to the RIAA. It would be great if MTV could find a middle ground, explain the situation, and let the viewer decide who is right or wrong, hero or enemy.

      • Re:But which point of view? (Score:5, Funny)

        by Java Pimp ( 98454 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @11:21AM (#4387109) Homepage
        Half of their success is based on music that is created by the music industry. The other half is based on those who listen to the music...

        Really? MTV still has something to do with music? I thought it was all about idiots stapling their nut sack to their leg and Girls Gone Wild on Spring Break.
      • The other half is based on those who listen to the music, most of them opposed to the RIAA.

        I don't think that most of the people that care about the music on MTV give a hoot about the RIAA. And if they do, its probably not because of the reasons that you or I would give.

        The RIAA is large enough to find talent like the Backn'sync Boys remember? You don't want to make them smaller or something, right?
      • It would be great if MTV could find a middle ground, explain the situation, and let the viewer decide who is right or wrong, hero or enemy.
        CNN doesn't even do that.
      • But MTV's marketing focuses on dissention from the "mainstream" while actually moving viewers towards conformity and becoming a consumer in a consuming society. This is a typical Madison Avenue move that tries to basically say "we're not with them , we are against the establishment, we want you to break the mold, go your own route, take the road less traveled... and we'll help you get there" (Of course by selling you products that tout the same party line of unconformity). It's not a new thing - selling rebelliousness to youth or the simple minded. MTV has an angle just like all other large super congolo-media companies and that angle is "sell dissention".

        Christ you can't even fight the establishment anymore because the moment you do someone will try and spin it into a product.... I gotta run, I'm gonna go and sell gas masks, cheese sandwiches, and tofu krispies to all the IMF/WTO protestors still hanging downtown.

      • MTV will portray Fanning as a hero, and Napster as the Holy Grail, and then... nothing. One week later, nobody will remember or care. For MTV, its sponsors, its RIAA overlords, and its viewers, it will be business as usual: a cookie-cutter counterculture/rebel story ("based on real events") to entertain the masses, and no real threat to the status quo.
  • in the "Disease of the week" class.

  • For those skeptic (Score:5, Informative)

    by HeavensTrash ( 175514 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @10:48AM (#4386897)
    For those of you skeptic of Alex Winter's directing abilities, please make sure to see the movie "Freaked" first, which he wrote, directed and starred in.

    Incase you aren't familiar with it, Mr. T is one of the co-stars, playing a man turned into a woman, now the Bearded Lady in a circus side show.

    Oh, now about this movie - I'm sure it'll suck, but that's not his fault.
    • Alex Winter's sketch comedy show on MTV called the Idiot Box was a delightful gem for its time.
      No it wasn't popular and yes it got canceled, but then SO did the Ben Stiller show, and look at Ben now! (not that funny all together, but he's laughing all the way to the bank!)

      Honestly, I would watch this on Alex Winter's merits alone.

      I was just thinking about the Sinead O'Connor sketch the other day!
      • I remember the Idiot Box. That was a funny little show. On right before Liquid Television. MTV was almost cool once.
        • I admit I watched The Idiot Box. One of the many MTV shows that had skits between videos. I miss VOTAR, that computer-animated(must have been made with about 20 polygons) max-headroom like guy who summarized the show. He had the Steven Hawking-like voice.

          Anoyne remember the dog that had some appliance for a body, who said "ralfy ralfy ralfy!"??
          • "I am VOTAR. The future of televsion announcing." Ah yes. I remember that one.

            I can't remember the dog, but I do remember Eddie the Flying Gimp, who floated outside kids' windows, beckoning them to join him in the sky. The kids would always try to fly and end up plummeting several stories to the ground, landing with a sickening crash or thump, while Eddie spun around in the sky and looked down at them and laughed. Then the Mom and Dad would come out and shake their fists and yell at Eddie, "You get out of here, you flying gimp!"

            And wasn't there something about God's Mighty Anvil?

            • Yeah. It was a god-spoof of the looney toons things where anvils would just randomly drop on people.

              God's mighty anvil was great.

              Something stupid/naughty would be going on "down on earth". Then you'd see a scene change to god walking around in a cloud, looking down, holding an anvil. he's squint downwards and line up the anvil just right, then drop it.

              Then it would land on whoever was down on earth causing the issue of interest.

      • Idiot box ruled! I thought my friend David and I were the only two who had ever SEEN that show. :^)

        (I believe it started just before, or at the same time, as Liquid Television, which of course brought us some of Mike Judge's work like Beavis and Butt-Head, and the shorts that became the classic movie 'Office Space')
      • Freaked
      is one of my all-time favorite movies. A must-see if you like screwball comedy with a sharp cynical edge.

  • I bet its Jack Osbourne. Seems to be in a lot of other things these days, he could be the latest to try to cash in on the name recognition, just like Casey Kasem's kid doing the MTV countdown.

    siri

    • Eminem? (Score:4, Interesting)

      by peter303 ( 12292 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @01:29PM (#4388051)
      Its a far-out choice, but Eminem has anti-establishment 'tude' and a gen-xy look. Both Eminem and Shawn are heavily involved in the music industry. And early reviews of Eminem's "8 Mile" movie, in general release next month, are good.
      • Eminem was my first thought, too. He's edgy and alienated and in-your-face, about the right age and a big enough star to draw a lot of people to see the movie. His hair's not nappy enough, though.

        There's a little Slim Shady in all of us. Let's all stand up.
      • Eminem wouldnt be in something like this. He HATES the file-swapping services. Look how much of a stink he made over his latest album being traded all over existance before it was even released. Sure, that could have been planned but I doubt it. Its not like he needs the extra publicity.

        siri

  • Blown Away - The NAPSTER Story! (Score:5, Funny)

    by mtrupe ( 156137 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @10:49AM (#4386903) Homepage Journal
    Starring:
    Vin Diesel as 'The Napster'

    and

    Louie Anderson as 'Corporate Bad Guy'

    special appearance by Beatrice Arthur as Mr. Fanning's love interest, and Samuel Jackson as "Angry black man."
  • Although, you may be able to find it if you look for "EmTeeVee" instead.
  • ...like a winner.

  • Potential for a whole new genre of reality shows (Score:5, Funny)

    by ites ( 600337 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @10:49AM (#4386909) Journal
    "Geeks Alive!"
    Watch as Geeks try to break the system!
    Ten selected geeks are locked up in a Virtual House.
    Each week one geek gets sued by Big Business.
    You GET TO VOTE!!! with your browser!
    Which geeks stay, which geek gets sued into oblivion!
    And... Free...!!! Download all the pr0n and muzik you can cram onto your HD!
    This fall on Fox.
    • Watch the Geeks with slim VIAOs beat the livin' bejesus out of the Geek with the OS 10.2 PowerBook, then watch them bitch when they find out the HFS+ iPod won't mount under Windows without some software from Versiontracker!

      Each week a Geek will be voted out of the house if they fail to meet a challenge.

      First Challenge - Uninstall Easy CD Creator 5 from Windows XP without interupting the Metallica CD playing in the Optical Drive

      Second Challenge - Vi vs Emacs - Defend your position

      Third Challenge - KDE vs Gnome - Defend your GUI
      • You gotta aim at the audience...
        Try this programme schedule:

        Week 1: the Geeks try to hack the Pentagon. Will they survive the subsequent FBI raids?

        Week 2: the Geeks have to water-proof their laptops and order pizza from 1m under in the Tropical Swimming Pool. See who gets TORCHED as 5000 VOLTS rip their laptops to shreds!!

        Week 3: (female interest story). Geek survivors hack into the co-ed dorm closed circuit TV system. Check it out!!!

        Week 4: the surviving Geeks try to hack the Pentagon again. This time they also hack the FBI. Laugh as fifty NSA ninjas show those geeks who's boss!!! (Warning: rectal probe scenes may offend younger viewers.)

        Week 5: Bill Gates makes a guest appearance and helps the Geeks install Windows XP. Call during the show and you could win a FREE SERVICE PACK with all-new EULA!!!

        Week 6: the Geeks try to escape. Watch in horror as a pack of hungry pitbulls tear one of the geeks to pieces. Giggle as the Geeks scamper! Warning: no televoting this week.

        Week 7: the last surviving Geeks try to escape again by building a glider from old AOL CDROMS. Surprise ending.

        Week 8: new guest appearance by pr0n starlet Jucy Luicy. The Geeks line up to get their five minutes of shame. YOU DECIDE who gets the finger!!

        Week 9: The Final Countdown!!! Special extra prize for 3733t televoters!! Don't forget to check out the special offers on www.geeksurvivors.com!

        Week 10: Last Geek Week. The last geek has to survive a whole week with no Net connection, no food or water. Entertainment will consist of a reading of Bill Gate's "Hard Drive" over the intercom. Will he make it?

        Find out this fall on Fox.

  • Too easy to make jokes about. Like shooting fish in a barrel or buying Napster's aeron chairs on EBay for 12 dollars each... Oops ;)

  • It's a recipe for ratings success! (Score:3, Funny)

    by El_Smack ( 267329 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @10:51AM (#4386922)
    And I thought HBO had the best drama's on TV.
    All they need to add is Rosie O'Donnell in a cameo as "The AIMster Girl".

  • I think my infobot sums it up very well (Score:5, Funny)

    by motardo ( 74082 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @10:51AM (#4386925)
    09:44 omg
    09:44 napster: the movie
    09:44 the movie is on the net

  • Pff.. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Sheetrock ( 152993 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @10:54AM (#4386937) Homepage Journal
    MTV? Theodore Logan? Yeah, this isn't gonna suck.

    FRIEND: Dude, I just like, totally ripped this CD off from the store.

    FANNING: Hey, check this out, man: I just discovered a bodacious way to rip off CDs without shoplifting!

    FRIEND: Excellent!

    FANNING: It works with porn, too!

    FRIEND: Sixty-nine, dude!

    FANNING: Whoa.

    • I am Shawn S. Fanning Esquire...
      And I am one of Napster's lawyers...

      Together we are... WILD SHARERS!!!

      LAWYER: Look dude, I think we should change our business model and use Napster to distribute porn.

      SHAWN: That is a most excellent idea lawyer dude.

      LAWYER: it is a most excellent idea!

      BOTH: (Air guitars...)

      LAWYER: Look, check it out I can download any pic.. like this... one...

      SHAWN: It's your mom... dude..

  • 2nd attempt at a Napster Movie (Score:4, Informative)

    by jordan ( 17131 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @10:56AM (#4386952) Homepage
    Keep in mind this is the second attempt and producing a Napster movie.

    Starz Pictures had already written a script, and I believed was seeking directors when apparently they just ran out of cash. Bummer.

    In any case, keep your eyes peeled for the book too, which should be out in the Spring!

    --jordan

  • Should be good TV (Score:4, Interesting)

    by LionHeartCJ ( 567027 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @10:56AM (#4386956)
    MTV is not known for good TV in my book. All their shows are terrible and occasionally they show a crappy video.

    They have a chance to change turn this all around. I think this movie would be very intersting if they focus more on Fanning's transition from college life to the startup of Napster.

    Everyone knows what happens after Napster hit it big. I'm more interested in the startup side of Napster, before they were a success.

    • MTV hasn't had a good, original show since Beavis and Butt-Head. Before that, the Idiot Box, and Liquid Television were both fun to watch.. what happened? Did we just get old or did MTV lose their touch? Still Alex Winter is a very funny guy, so this movie may not totally suck. Might be even funny if they CGI a sea hag to play Hitlery Rosen.. OT for a minute - LionHeartCJ - cool nick.. I'm guessing that stands for the Ayatollah of Rock and Rollah, the King of the World, your party host, your paragon of virtue, "Y2J" Chris (Raw is) Jericho. Am I right?

  • Next up (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    "Windows: The Motion Picture" and "Linux" the miniseries. Soon to be followed by "Mac OS", a sitcom starring doogie howser and the fat chick from that other show.

  • RIAA sues radio stations for piracy (Score:5, Funny)

    by CrystalFalcon ( 233559 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @11:01AM (#4386993) Homepage
    While on the topic of music and P2P, I hope nobody missed this Onion jewel?

    http://www.theonion.com/onion3836/riaa_sues_radio_ stations.html [theonion.com]
    • God the onion is so lame these days. Dosn't everyone know that radio stations already pay for the music they play? (not much, (probably less then they were paid to play it, if they're a clear channel station) but still something)

      The onion sucks now. And it's getting worse by the week.

      • Dosn't everyone know that radio stations already pay for the music they play?

        If I understand correctly, radio stations pay the music publishers (owners of copyright in the compositions), but not the recording labels (owners of copyright in the recordings).

        That being said, the Onion piece is still pretty lame.

  • I want to play the CD ripping geek who spends all of his time finding the perfect audio settings and making everyone's albums into MP3's. Except in the movie, I'd want them to write in a bunch of playboy models who would be my "assistants".
  • Yes.. it's a very dramatic story. Kid has idea. Kid drops out of school to pursue idea. Evil Corporation realizes that kid's idea is allowing infringment on copywritten material. Evil Corporation crushes kid. Kid become folk hero.

    So.. what's the huge deal about this? The kid didn't save any lives. He didn't revolutionize anything. He didn't improve the standard of living for anyone. He didn't create anything that had an impact on the majority of Americans. No.. he wrote some software that pissed off the wrong people.

    What does it say about America when she has to find her hero's in the realm of corporate business? Perhaps she should take a look for her real hero's. Those people that actually affect the bottom line of all the people around them?

    -CodeTrap (I AM CANADIAN!)

    • So you would rather have fire fighters parading around on every TV station doing absolutely nothing? And have everyone talk about how heroic they are? Aren't we all sick of that?

      I, for the most part, like Canadians. But there are a few (and of course there's always a few) that come on messageboards like /., that take any opportunity--or make it if there is none--to bash America. You, sir, are a troll.

      Where have America's heroes gone? Probably where the rest of the world's heroes have gone--heroism, courage, etc., are all virtues that are sadly leaving almost all western societies. Yes, I have left America to see them. Many times. I have probably seen much more of the world than you have.

      What Shawn Fanning did that was noteworthy doesn't even fall into the category of heroism--he wrote a program that, as you said, "pissed off the wrong people." Of course when phrased like that the entire host of implications get lost. But you don't care about that, do you? No, you just wanted to throw in your 2 cents--a huge blanket statement that assumes two very wrong things:
      1) Movies must have a brave hero to be good.
      2) Because we're making a movie that's not about a brave hero, we as a Nation are somehow cowardly and decidedly unheroic.

      It may be the case that America is unheroic (I agree with that statement)--but so am I, you, and the rest of the world. So stop this silly America bashing, gain some real knowledge of the world, form a real opinion, and stop engaging in a 2 minute jerk off session every time you make a logically unsound and unsupported post bashing America.

      Moderators: I apologize if this appears to be flamebait. I have tried to contain my frustration and kept my argument to sound, rational opinions.

    • ... He didn't revolutionize anything.

      He sure as hell revolutionized the way I steal music. The best thing since sounds.sdsu.edu. Mmmm... <=64 kB/s .au Bjork samples... (Pathetic side note: in 1993 I bought a MPEG card. The advertized cost was $2100 (!!), but since I was a poor student, they sold it to me for 'just' $700. I was so happy, because this upgrade would finally allow me to play all these musical .mp2 files that had started to appear on the Internet. ...doh! (no, the card could NOT handle .mp3)

      He didn't improve the standard of living for anyone.

      Thanks to him, and his followers, I now have a multi gigabyte collection of hi-def music I truly like, which soothes me every day. My standard of life has improved, thanks to Napster (and followers).

      He didn't create anything that had an impact on the majority of Americans.

      No, but he created something that had an immense impact on a huge minority (net-savvy people, all around the world.)

      No.. he wrote some software that pissed off the wrong people.

      ... who are acting the part of King Canute.

  • I hope (Score:2, Troll)

    by squarefish ( 561836 )
    they don't turn it into a broadway musical!
    • First person to post lyrics to the broadway musical soundtrack is getting a +5 funny for sure.
    • (IPO)Money for Stock
      __________________

      Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it
      You get free music on your ISP
      That ain't spendin' that's the way you do it
      Music for nothin' and porn for free
      Now that ain't spendin' that's the way you do it
      Lemme tell ya them guys ain't dumb
      Maybe get a blister on your little finger
      Maybe get a blister on your thumb

      We gotta install microwave ovens
      Custom kitchen deliveries
      We gotta move these refrigerators
      We gotta move these colour TV's

      See the little hacker with the chessboard and calculator
      Yeah buddy that's his own hair
      That little hacker got his own jet airplane
      That little hacker he's a millionaire

      We gotta install microwave ovens
      Custom kitchens deliveries
      We gotta move these refrigerators
      We gotta move these colour TV's

      I shoulda learned to hack computers
      I shoulda learned to program C

      Look at that mama, she got it stickin' in the camera
      Man we could have some fun
      And he's up there, what's that? Hawaiian noises?
      Bangin' on the keyboard like a chimpanzee
      That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
      Get your music for nothin' get your porn for free

      We gotta install microwave ovens
      Custom kitchen deliveries
      We gotta move these refrigerators
      We gotta move these colour TV's, Lord

      Now that ain't workin' that's the way you do it
      You get free music on your ISP
      That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
      Music for nothin' and your porn for free
      Music for nothin' and porn for free

      -
    • D.M.C.A. - the Media People

      Young man, we've locked it all down
      I said, young man, there's no way around
      I said, young man, 'cause your in a new town
      There's no choice but to pay our fees

      Young man, there's no place you can go
      I said, young man, when we've got so much dough
      You can't play here, and I'm sure you will find
      Fighting just a waste of your time

      It's fun to say it's the D.M.C.A.
      It's fun to say it's the D.M.C.A.
      We own everything, that you enjoy.
      You stand no chance with the big boys

      It's fun to say it's the D.M.C.A.
      It's fun to say it's the D.M.C.A.
      We can threaten and sue
      We can lobby a great deal
      We can do whatever we feel.

      Young man, Are you listening to me
      I said, young man, just sit and watch T.V.
      I said, young man, we can kill all your dreams,
      but you've got to know this one thing.

      No man, you can't do it yourself
      I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf
      And just give up, it's the D.M.C.A.
      There's no one can help you today

      It's fun to say it's the D.M.C.A.
      It's fun to say it's the D.M.C.A.
      We own everything, that you enjoy.
      You stand no chance with the big boys

      It's fun to say it's the D.M.C.A.
      It's fun to say it's the D.M.C.A.
      We can sue we threaten
      We can lobby a great deal
      We can do whatever we feel.

      Young Man, I was once in your shoes,
      I said, I was down and out with the blues
      I felt, no man cared if I were alive
      I felt the whole world was so jive

      That's when lawyers came up to me
      and said young man take a walk up the hill
      Bring a law there called the D.M.C.A.
      That can start us off on our way.

      It's fun to say it's the D.M.C.A.
      It's fun to say it's the D.M.C.A.
      We own everything, that you enjoy.
      You stand no chance with the big boys

      D.M.C.A.
      It's fun to say it's the D.M.C.A.
      It's fun to say it's the D.M.C.A.
      Young man, Young man, should just keep your head down
      Young man, Young man, we'll stomp you to the ground
      -
    • Justify my music

      I wanna search you in Paris
      I wanna link to you in Rome
      I wanna run naked in a rainstorm
      Find music in a train cross-country
      You put this in me
      So now what, so now what?

      Wanting, needing, waiting
      For you to download my music
      Hoping, praying
      For you to download my music

      I want to search you
      Not like that
      I don't wanna be your mother
      I don't wanna be your sister either
      I just wanna be your user
      I wanna be your node
      Connect me, that's right, connect me

      Wanting, needing, waiting
      For you to download my music
      Yearning, burning
      For you to download my music

      What are you gonna do?
      What are you gonna do?
      Talk to me -- show me your indices
      Am I in them?
      Tell me your fears
      Are you scared?
      Tell me your statistics
      I'm not afraid of what you are
      We can fly!

      Poor is the man
      Whose pleasures depend
      On the permission of another
      Link me, that's right, link me
      I wanna be your node

      Wanting, needing, waiting
      For you to download my music
      I'm open and ready
      For you to download my music
      To download my music
      Wanting, to download
      Waiting, to download my music
      Praying, to download
      To download my music
      I'm open, to download my music

      -
  • I hope they remember all the small people that were involved in the programming of this thing from the beginning. Fanning has been the only name really associated with Napster, but there weere many people involved in getting this thing going back in the early days. Even something as simple as a reference to their IRC nick would be nice

  • Dude! (Score:2, Funny)

    by tezzery ( 549213 )
    Dude! The RIAA is Bogus!

  • MTV? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Wizri ( 518731 )
    Aren't they controlled/owned by the XXIA?
    Hold on a sec, wouldn't this movie sale the point of Napster == EVIL, XXIA is the savior?
    If the XXIA can't look good then just make Napster look worse, oldest trick in the book.

  • First off, Kevin Bacon must have a part in this movie. Doesn't matter what part, but a part he must have. Specific recommendations are:
    The Rock or Russell Crowe to play Shawn Fanning (depending on whether you want an outrageous super-hero or a more realistic, though tough-as-nails hero), Sir Anthony Hopkins in a Lector-like role should play the leading RIAA character. I think that Vin Diesel should also have a role - reprising his character in _Pitch Black_.

    A few _Enemy of the State_ chases and explosions, a super-hot love interest in the form of say, Alyssa Milano (_lots_ of nude scenes), great fight scenes, one of them epic... Do this, and it will be a big-a$$-megahit that I will spend to see on the big screen and then again to buy the DVD when it comes out.

    • Or at least download the telecine, and then download the DVD rip when it comes out.
    • ...Sir Anthony Hopkins in a Lector-like role should play the leading RIAA character.

      Jack Valenti: A senator once tried to test me. I ate his liver. With some fava beans and a nice chianti.

      seriously, tell me you can't see Jack "Maddog" Valenti as Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lector...
    • Anthony Hopkins in a Lector-like role

      Valenti, cool-as-a-cucumber evil supra-genius? I think not.

      I'd say Jack Nicholson. He plays the perfect psychopath who thinks he's the good guy.

      I can't help suggesting Peewee Herman, chuckle. I hate watching him, but in that role it would be worth it. LOL

      Alyssa Milano nude scenes: can't argue with that :)

      -

  • The Irony... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by ackthpt ( 218170 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @11:15AM (#4387076) Homepage Journal
    Ok, I submitted this last evening and it was dumped for Joey's and it's all good, except my little editorial thoughts, and here they are (and then some):

    Effectively the a front for the music industry (which I personally hold responsible for showing us the worst of what it has to sell) is producing a film about someone utterly demonized by the RIAA. Irony so thick that you could hammer it into a horseshoe.

    So how does MTV/Alex Winter portray Shawn? Good guy? Bad guy? Misunderstood genius? Or some horrible crap where Shawn starts out as a devil-may-care music pirate, but sees the shining light of reason, in the angelic form of Hilary B. Rosen (descending from Heaven with a subpoena in her hand), and returns to the light, to take his seat to the right of Bertelsmann AG and expound on the virtues of IP and clamping all possible evil-doers in the irons of DRM.

    Slated for 2003-2004 season relsease, I don't expect much in the way of special effects (so Hilary will probably just have to descend on visible wires.)

    Last, the burning question on everyones mind: Will it fend off the Simpsons [slashdot.org] for holiday audiences?

    Soon to appear in P2P everywhere... well, maybe not.

  • Hmmm.... (Score:2, Funny)

    by xagon7 ( 530399 )
    "So Shawn .... I wrote this film about how you let people trade White Stallions Album all over the internet!"

    "No way!"

    "Way!"

    "No way!"

    "Way!"

  • MTV? A movie? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by corian ( 34925 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @11:25AM (#4387137)
    MTV is sponsoring movies now? Trying to turn into an HBO?

    I remember when they used to show videos. All day long.
    • Then I strongly recommend you turn to VH-1 classic. It's what MTV was about, oh, say 20 years ago with NO VJs(except one woman that sometimes comes on) and commercials roughly every HOUR. I was in utter shock with some of the rare/obscure videos they played on their '80s weekend 2 weeks ago. I was glued to the set.

    • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

      by account_deleted ( 4530225 )
      Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • One big ad campaign against filesharing (Score:4, Interesting)

    by Rai ( 524476 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @11:45AM (#4387289) Homepage
    MTV (business associate of the RIAA and music industry in general) is making a movie (MPAA territory) about Napster (one-time arch-nemesis of the RIAA and not exactly on good terms with the MPAA either.) Being that this is an MTV movie, it will make the attempt of appealing to a younger crowd (RIAA and MPAA will use their influence to basically make this one big ad campaign against filesharing.)

    I expect this to blantantly portray Fanning as a common thief on every level. They'll probably even have scenes where he's shoplifting, forceably taking candy from children, or anything else that gives the public the impression he's a cleptomania.

    No, I think I'll watch something else when this airs. A 90-minute ad against Napster-clones doesn't interest me in the least.
    • Absolutely, but...

      Fanning will have a wonderful idea for a new utopian world, with filesharing for all as a new medium in the exchange of ideas, but the EVIL PIRATES of the world twist his work to EVIL PURPOSES and destroy his life's work. Luckily, the RIAA is around to help him out, punishing the EVIL PIRATES and accepting him into the fold.

      Expect rave reviews of the SEX SCENE between Fanning and Rosen! Tremble in terror as the hideously deformed PIRATE GEEKS (evil) shred Fanning's dreams! Cheer when the HEROIC LAWYERS and the dashing HOLLYWOOD-STYLE NERDS save the day by delivering subpoenas and hacking the EVIL PIRATES' boxes!

      or something...

      SablKnight
  • Agent RIAA: We've been watching you Mr. Fanning, and we're willing to wipe the slate clean in exchange for your cooperation in bringing every known college student to justice.
    Fanning: *flips hair* Woah. How 'bout I give you the finger, and you give me my phone call?
    Agent RIAA: Mr Fanning, we're in bed with Inifity and Clearchannel, as well as every major television station. What good will that phone call do, when you don't have a voice?

  • This could be good, but. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by autopr0n ( 534291 ) on Friday October 04, 2002 @11:47AM (#4387306) Homepage Journal
    Well first of all no one has any idea if this guy can actualy act. If he can't, he'll need to have a good director that can work around his lack of abity (cf. The Matrix).

    But I doubt this will be any good. I used to watch MTV a lot, and all their movies, without fail, sucked.
  • Does anyone have access to the forthcomming dailies?

    NO, I didn't mean Carson Daly.

    Now I feel dirty.

  • With Alex Winter on board, can we expect to see Wyld Stallions [imdb.com] MP3s shared in the film?
  • OPENING CRAWL

    There is unrest in the P2P Community.

    Several hundred lawyers, under the leadership of the RIAA Leader,
    CEO Hilary B. Rosen, have declared their intentions to save the world
    from Napster.

    This movement has made it difficult for the limited number of
    P2P Developers to maintain peace and order in the warez community.

    Shawn Fleming, file sharing pioneer, is returning as a developer
    of Napster II for the critical issue of creating a grand utility
    to assist the overwhelmed warez community...

    From the opening crawl, TILT DOWN through a vast sea of stars to the
    massive planet of Earth. Soon after, a couple of starships with subtle
    RIAA marks fly overhead the planet, followed by a large, chrome
    Law Creator battleship.

    etc, etc

  • hehe... (Score:2)

    by Sj0 ( 472011 )
    EXCELLENT! /me plays air guitar
  • Unless there are some personal issues that Shawn is willing to reveal, there may not be a very interesting story here. Failed businesses are a dime a dozen. Could be a "tragedy" like the movie Startup.com. In a tragedy the main characters have a flaw that causes them to fail, e.g. blind ambition in the Startup.com. Shawn doesn't seem to have flaws.

    In contrast, the Pirates of Silicon Valley was a comedy, i.e. adventures with a happy ending. There were lots of personal issues such as Steve J.s girlfirends and Bill's nerdiness. The happy ending was that everone got very rich.

    I presume they'll hve to personalize the main conflict here. Bring in a big, bad media executive to quash Napster. But will it be interesting to watch?
  • Bill S. Preston?
  • Hey, suppose the RIAA winds up suing the MPAA over this movie? We can't lose!

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