Robin Rafe – Chairman's Blog

September 9, 2013September 9, 2013

Manka Bros. Would Like To Offer Adam Fogelson A Job

It has been brought to my attention by some guy that works here at the studio (whoever you are, in the future do not send me emails directly unless something around you is on fire… actually, don’t send me emails directly…) that Adam Fogelson has been fired from Universal.

This is a real stunner.

I remember Adam back in the early 1990s when he couldn’t get arrested in this town (actually, he COULD get arrested – remember that, Adam? Ha!).

But I digress…

[I will now “speak” directly to Adam…]

Now that you (Adam Fogelson) are a former big shot studio head, I would like to offer you the chance to become a big shot once more – at Manka Bros. Studios.

We currently don’t have anything open in our Theatrical Group – which could change at any time considering how horrible of a job Robin Rafe has done to date – but perhaps there are other possibilities on our Job Board that you may want to pursue.

I would think anyone with your qualifications would be able to handle anything we throw at you (except my job, of course).

And if none of those appeal to you, hell, we’ll make up a goddamn job. That is how highly we think of you.

So, think it over, Adam, we could use a real pro like you on our team… obviously.

Khan Manka, Jr. – Chairman & CEO – Manka Bros. Studios – The World’s Largest Media Company

P.S. – And if you do take a job here, Adam, it would be sweet revenge for that whole Manka Bros./Universal/Irving Thalberg debacle from 90 years ago. [Look it up!]

June 8, 2011June 8, 2011

Content Is Still King – But Only BIG Content

big ideas, Bob Iger, Brad Grey, Disney, Dogme, film slate, Fox, Fox Searchlight, Khan Manka, Manka Bros., movie ideas, Paramount, Robin Rafe, Rupert Murdoch, Sony Pictures Classics, Steven Spielberg, superheroes, Terry Semel, World's Largest Media company

Good morning.

Today, before I go pound Slivovitz shots with the gamer geeks at E3 (more on that tomorrow), I am announcing – with the full cooperation of Robin Rafe – President of the Manka Bros. Theatrical Group – a complete strategy shift in the way Manka Bros. develops, produces and distributes films for all of the theatrical divisions (Manka Bros. Films, Manka Highbrow, Manka Dogme, Manka Docs, and Manka Shorts).

From today forward, we will only be producing movies with BIG IDEAS.

A guy trying to cure a disease in his basement is a small idea.

The moon landing is a small idea.

Saving the family farm? Not on my watch. If you want to save the fucking family farm – call Fox Searchlight or Sony Classics.

The Theatrical Group has been thinking small for too many years – and that changes today. For Christ’s sake, just look at the 2011 Slate for Manka Bros. Films! A movie about Sign Spinners? “My Autumn In Milan“? Are you fucking kidding me? (Though I must say, I do like our chances with the “Hey, Diddle Diddle” – you can’t go wrong with a fairy tale movie!)

So… this is your mandate.

BIG IDEAS.

I want ideas about saving galaxies and saving planets. Global wars. Boxing Presidents. Superheroes (but not mild-mannered ones – BIG SUPERHEROES WITH BIG IDEAS!). If X doesn’t do Y then the planet explodes! Shit like that.

I want Jesus to come back to the earth, read our scripts and say “Man, that’s a BIG idea!”

And I don’t want to hear any complaints from Manka Highbrow (your 2011 Slate is pathetic as well) or Manka Dogme.

Just because you’re low-budget arthouse labels doesn’t mean you can’t have BIG ideas. No more punks who don’t comb their hair and talk about how they don’t know what they want to do with their lives. You can be poor and have a big story – just look at Moses.

Get to work. If you need me, I’ll be drunk.

Khan Manka, Jr. – Chairman & CEO – Manka Bros. Studios – The World’s LARGEST Media Company

November 19, 2009May 17, 2011

Standing In Line For The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Alex Meraz, Andres Serrano, Anna Kendrick, Ari Emanuel, Ashley Greene, Ben Silverman, big content strategy, Bill Bannerman, Billy Burke, Cam Gigandet, Chairman's blog, Chaske Spencer, Chris Weitz, Christian Serratos, Christina Jastrzembska, Dakota Fanning, Greg Mooradian, Guy Oseary, Jackson Rathbone, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Kellan Lutz, Khan Manka, Kiowa Gordon, Kristen Stewart, Manka Bros., Mariska Hargitay, Mark Morgan, Marty Bowen, Melissa Rosenberg, Michael Sheen, Michael Welch, Nikki Reed, Peter Fancinelli, Piss Christ, Rachelle Lefevre, Rob Friedman, Robert Pattinson, Robin Rafe, Russell Roberts, Stephenie Meyer, Summit Entertainment, Taylor Lautner, tent pole strategy, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, World's Largest Media Company

Good morning.

Last night at about midnight, after a few minutes of pathetic begging by my 12-year old daughter Connie (who is also a newly-minted Manka Bros. Board member), I had my driver, Leif Garrett (yes, former child star) drop her off at the line of freaks waiting to get tickets to The Twilight Saga: New Moon. She told me she was going to meet her (punk ass) friends Jenny and Skylark and wouldn’t be back until she has seen the movie – and then added… “it might take days”.

This got me thinking: When was the last time Manka Bros. had a film that people wanted to see so bad that they lined up days in advance to see the first showings.

The answer? Never. Fucking never. It’s an embarrassment.

We’ve had people show up to block the theater – as they did in 1989 after we made a film based on “Piss Christ”, the controversial photograph by Andres Serrano, but never anyone camping out because they couldn’t wait to see it.

This has to change. I called Robin Rafe (President of the Manka Bros. Theatrical Group) at around 3:00a.m. this morning and told her to get right on it. I want movies made by Manka Bros. that generate excitement, and buzz, and long lines at the theaters. In short, I want mega-blockbusters!

I don’t believe I am being unreasonable here. I only want four or five of these types of films every year – year-after-year. And this will fit nicely into our BIG CONTENT STRATEGY launched a few months ago.

I would like a list of these big ideas before Thanksgiving. If you don’t think this is possible, please cancel any Thanksgiving plans you may have and stay at the studio until I have my list.