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Massive fire at Universal

post #1 of 31
6/1/08 at 1:25pm
Thread Starter 
It's 1990 all over again:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,5175136.story

Although I haven't gone outside to see if the giant smoke cloud is there or not.
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post #2 of 31
6/1/08 at 1:41pm
I don't give a shit about King Kong, but they better save the Clock Tower.
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post #3 of 31
6/1/08 at 2:01pm
This clock tower?

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post #4 of 31
6/1/08 at 2:08pm
Yes.
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post #5 of 31
6/1/08 at 2:08pm
This sucks. Though last time I was there they really lamed up the Clock Towerw with that Jennifer Love Hewitt show.

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post #6 of 31
6/1/08 at 2:09pm
The press coverage on TV sure made it sound like the Clock Tower was destroyed. Hope that's not accurate.

Can't see the smoke from Encino, but I bet it's still smoldering when I go to work tomorrow in Burbank.
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post #7 of 31
6/1/08 at 2:13pm
"Fire officials confirmed that the King Kong building in the back lot of Universal has been completely destroyed! Also perishing in the fire: New York Street and Hill Valley (the town from "Back to the Future" and current set for "The Ghost Whisperer")."


No!!!!!!!! Bastards!!!!!!!!!!!
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post #8 of 31
6/1/08 at 2:23pm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080601/...us/studio_fire

Quote:
LOS ANGELES - A fire at Universal Studios has destroyed a set from "Back to the Future," the King Kong exhibit and a video vault containing more than 40,000 videos and reels.

Los Angeles County fire Captain Frank Reynoso says the blaze broke out just before dawn Sunday on a backlot stage at the 400-acre property. The fire has been contained.

Officials say the iconic courthouse square from "Back to the Future," has been destroyed, and the famous clocktower that enabled star Michael J. Fox's character to time travel has been damaged.

NBC Universal President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer says 40,000 to 50,000 videos and reels were damaged in the video vault, but there are duplicates in a different location.
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post #9 of 31
6/1/08 at 2:33pm
Shark still looks fake.
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post #10 of 31
6/1/08 at 2:46pm
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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post #11 of 31
6/1/08 at 2:56pm
And yet Wysteria Lane still stands. God has fucked priorities.
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post #12 of 31
6/1/08 at 2:59pm
I want to know what's in those damaged film vaults.
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post #13 of 31
6/1/08 at 3:06pm
Me too. Why couldn't that shit have taken out CityWalk instead?
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post #14 of 31
6/1/08 at 3:06pm
You'd think the point of a film vault would be to make it completely fire proof. Stupid film vault.
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post #15 of 31
6/1/08 at 4:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slater View Post
And yet Wysteria Lane still stands. God has fucked priorities.
A female reporter at the press conference asked that, and the fire marshall looked like he could barely contain his eyes from rolling. "I knew someone would ask that."
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post #16 of 31
6/1/08 at 4:15pm
Reports are that the film vaults are fine. It's the video library that was damaged.

And screw the Clock Tower-- I want to know if the 'Phantom of the Opera' stage is OK.
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post #17 of 31
6/1/08 at 4:25pm
I just went outside and everything smells like burning monkey.

But if anyone wants some commemorative Hill Valley ashes, I can scrape them off my car for you.
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post #18 of 31
6/1/08 at 4:29pm
I don't smell anything and I'm right on top of Universal. Must be winds in my favor.
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post #19 of 31
6/1/08 at 4:31pm
Don't you mean the clocktower from Bruce Almighty?

But to be serious, this fucking sucks.
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post #20 of 31
6/1/08 at 5:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by devincf View Post
I don't smell anything and I'm right on top of Universal. Must be winds in my favor.
Yeah, you're lucky; I've been directly downwind all morning.

I didn't think it was possible for NoHo to smell worse, but here we are.
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post #21 of 31
6/1/08 at 5:51pm
I wonder if Ron Meyer is spinning - Universal isn't particularly known for their preservation efforts.

That said my abode is literally less than a mile down the road and I have to wonder how much shit is floating in the air - nitrate, plastic, terrible toxins, etc.
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post #22 of 31
6/1/08 at 6:27pm
and how would that change from your day to day breathing?
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post #23 of 31
6/1/08 at 10:35pm
Thread Starter 
This was probably just me, but I was up in Santa Clarita earlier today and I could swear it smelled like film. It was this odd as hell odor being thrown around which me wonder about the fire.
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post #24 of 31
6/1/08 at 11:04pm
Is the Bates Motel and house set all right? (Wait, they blew up the house on fucking Fear Factor; maybe it's been gone a while).
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post #25 of 31
6/1/08 at 11:11pm
Nikki Finke is reporting that apparently, Ron Meyer was a little off in his "nothing irreplaceable was lost" comment:

Quote:
It looks like more was damaged or destroyed in today's Universal Studios fire than anyone previously thought. I've learned that Universal Music, which is a completely separate company and owned by Vivendi (which owns 20% of NBC Universal), rents space in the huge video vault housed on the studio lot. But one source tells me that, as a consequence, inside the video vault that was billowing thick black smoke were 1000's of original Decca, MCA, ABC recording masters from the last century including a wide range of music from Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters to Judy Garland and The Carpenters. "This is a tremendous loss in music history. A very sad day indeed. It's too bad they saved the videos that they have backups on instead of the master recordings in which they do not, although they may not have had a choice since the fire had already engulfed much of the music side of the vault," a source just told me. Universal Studios can't confirm what has been damaged or destroyed music-wise at this point because it doesn't yet know what exactly was housed in the storage rented to Universal Music.
If it is true, that is beyond tragic.
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post #26 of 31
6/1/08 at 11:21pm
This will somehow lead to a further delay of Chinese Democracy.
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post #27 of 31
6/1/08 at 11:22pm
Thread Starter 
And a ten dollar rise in oil prices. Somehow.
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post #28 of 31
6/4/08 at 11:35pm
More news from Nikki Finke... here's the rundown on films affected by the fire.

Quote:
I've confirmed what I first heard on Monday: that Universal Classics has sent out an email to about 35 art house exhibitors and other film bookers of classic films alerting that the Universal Studios fire destroyed nearly 100% of archived 35mm prints kept in the so-called "video" vault on the lot. So, in the short term, Universal has canceled bookings of anything archival coming directly from Universal City and can't honor any film bookings of prints that were set to ship from there. Let me be clear: I am assured by insiders that the negatives are not affected, thankfully -- only the actual 35mm prints used for repertory circulation of classic films. Prints from that very rich vault which also includes pre-1950 Paramount include such classics as Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, Duck Soup, Hell's Angels, Brides of Dracula, Incredible Shrinking Man, Buck Privates, Hold That Ghost, and so many, many more. Some Industry types are emailing me that, with these prints gone, and the expense of making new prints, they fear that art houses and cultural organizations and film societies and festivals may never see these films theatrically again. But I'm told that Universal has already committed itself to making new prints. Of course, there will be delay and disappointment in the immediate future. But that's only a timing issue. I'm told it's possible that some of these prints may have duplicates in storage at other locations. So, over the next few weeks and months, Universal will be piecing together what extra prints, if any, it does have elsewhere. I still can't get a straight answer to all your questions about why the video vault wasn't fireproof. In part because the Uni people just sound completely frazzled still about the fire's aftermath. But Universal does have an extraordinary history as a leader in film preservation. Still, Hollywood must, repeat must, do everything to preserve its history. So everyone try harder, spend more, and just do it.
Source
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post #29 of 31
6/13/08 at 7:19pm
Old bump, yeah, but the Onion AV Club posted this - http://www.avclub.com/content/blog/i...s_roar_no_more

Pretty good read.
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post #30 of 31
6/13/08 at 7:59pm
Isn't that was insurance is for? To replace what was damaged? Use that cash to make new prints and replenish the library. Heck, they'll probably be better than the ones that were archived.

I must additionally add that I am flabbergasted that the video library wasn't as fireproofed as they could make it. What was the point?
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post #31 of 31
6/13/08 at 9:43pm
Well, they figured it would be cheaper just to make a fiberglass front facade of a film vault.
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